Dylann Crush's irresistibly charming contemporary Western series, Holiday, Texas, features the most celebratory town in the South.

Get to know more about the author of this charming small town series!

How do you select the names of your characters?
My main characters always tell me their names. If I try to fight it, they don’t play fair so I usually give in. I get to have more fun with the secondary characters since they’re a bit more flexible and not quite as demanding.

What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?
One book I absolutely love is Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. It’s a clever story about a teen who has to continue to communicate from the island she lives on when letters of the alphabet start to disappear.

What other genres do you enjoy reading?
I’ll read anything. I love all genres of romance from historical to paranormal to steam punk. I’m also in a book club and we’ve read non-fiction, literary fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, classics, short stories and more. Reading across multiple genres lets me take the pieces I like and apply them to my own stories. 

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
​This is the hardest question on the list. My go to is Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia. But it depends on what’s available. If we’re talking DQ I’m getting a peanut butter cup Blizzard. If I’m trying to be healthy I’ll pick up a pint of Halo’s Salted Caramel. If I’m going all out then it’s Haagen Daaz Dulce de Leche. Now I’m hungry.

(*Choices noted in Purple)

Only be able to whisper or only be able to shout – shout, shout, let it all out!
Never eat candy again or never drink soda again – I could never give up my peanut butter M&Ms so goodbye Diet Coke
Be able to fly or talk to animals – my arms would get too tired if I tried to fly everywhere.
Be invisible or be able to read minds – although I’m sure either option would get me into plenty of trouble.
Have skin covered in purple feathers or covered in pink fur – Have you seen my book cover?
Be able to control the weather or be able to control time – Then I could make sure I picked the winning lottery numbers and would never miss a writing deadline.

My favorite cartoon character is Garfield. I speak sarcasm.
My favorite sport is whatever I’m watching my kids play.
If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life it would be fajitas.
I’m really good at—ugh, avoiding questions that make me say something I’m really good at.
If I could be a dinosaur I would be an Apatosaurus. I didn’t know how to answer this question so I took a quiz online. Evidently I’m playful and adventurous. Works for me!
The best super power would be the ability to time travel.

Early bird or night owl? Hoot Hoot
Winter or summer? 
Spring or fall?
Checkers or chess? 
Freckles or dimples?
Leather or denim?​
Spicy!! or mild? 
Sky dive or bungee jump? 
Cowboys or aliens? Yee haw!

What is Recklessly Ever After about?
Recklessly Ever After is the final book in the Reckless Hearts series. It features fan-favorite Gavin, in all of his broody, broken glory, along with McKenna, and all of her feisty, anti-men glory. Both of these characters were incredibly difficult to write about, as they were faced with a certain obstacle that neither of them were ready for. Their story shows the consequences of a one-night stand while pushing through their demons and comfort zones to find a worthy and long-awaited happily ever after. 

What makes your hero and heroine so special?
Gavin is probably the most broken hero I’ve ever written. He’s incredibly thoughtful in this story, though—AKA kitten cuddling and dish replacement... *sigh* Gavin also suffers from a certain amount of PTSD (not necessarily caused by his time in the war) and he’s severely depressed. On a side note, I wrote this book at the darkest point in my personal life (my husband was going through chemotherapy) so in a way, I channeled him better than I did McKenna, my heroine. Overall, I’m excited for readers to get to know him for who he really is though: a kind soul with a dark past. 

McKenna was a crazy hard character to write for me. Mainly, because she’s a huge extrovert and loves to be around people. In other words she is nothing like me. She’s pretty focused on her career as a nurse and being independent. But she’s had her fair share of issues growing up and fears it’s ingrained in her system to be like her awful parents. 
What I love the most about these two, is that Kenna and Gavin bring out the best in each other. 

What were you doing when you saw the final cover?
I was in the drive-thru line at my daughter’s school. I might have squealed when I saw it. I also drew many eyes my way because of the fact that my windows were down. 😊 Gavin is portrayed on the cover perfectly, even if it’s darker than the first two books in the series. It matches his personality to a T. Gavin would hide away for the rest of his life at the beginning of this book, if he was able. Thankfully his two best friends never leave him alone.

If you could spend one day with a character from your book who would it be and what would you want to do?
I would definitely spend the day with McKenna. (Though I wish I could spend the day with Gavin just to look at him. *swoon*) We’d likely go shopping or go get coffee. I’m drawn to people who talk a lot and love to chat, mainly because my introverted self can’t hold a conversation, lol. Really, though, she’s a fun, bubbly lady who—regardless of her craziness—I adore.

And now! The cover... **swoons**

Diana Muñoz Stewart's Band of Sisters series features the Parish Family–female vigilantes waging a covert war for social justice, taking on dangerous missions, global intrigue, dark secrets, and hot (often problematic) lovers.

Take some time to get to know the author behind this band of sisters who play for keeps!

Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Oh yeah. All the time. Numbers are always something that have a hidden meaning. It might be an anniversary or a number that is the favorite of mine or one of my kids. I also hide things that are nods to a person or work that is significant to me. In my first Band of Sister’s novel, Justice is reading a book of Sufi poetry while sitting at a hotel in Jordan. It’s part of her cover, but no accident that one of my most cherished books of poetry is by Hafiz, an ancient Sufi mystic. Sometimes it’s my own personality quirk that I bestow onto a character and then joke with myself about. In I Am Grace, the second in the BOS series, the main character, like me, doesn’t eat chocolate. A fact she is careful to keep from her, “Gun-toting, vigilante sisters.” Because, “Who needs that argument?”
Continuing this inside joke, in book three, I Am Honor, the main female character is a chocolatier. And now that you know my relationship with chocolate, I bet you’ll be able to find a couple hidden jokes. Strangely enough, while writing I Am Honor I really found myself wanting chocolate. Sadly, it’s not that I don’t like chocolate, it’s that chocolate doesn’t like me. 

Do you like traveling or do you prefer staying indoors?
Love to travel. Internationally and domestically. I have a teardrop trailer that my husband and I hitch to our Jeep. We hike and go camping all summer. 

(*Choices noted in Purple)

OWN a dangerous fire-breathing dragon or BE a dangerous fire-breathing dragon
Only be able to whisper or only be able to shout (I’m already too loud and have a Philly accent. Actually, I’m not sure you can have one, a Philly accent, without the other, loudness.)
Be a deep sea diver or an astronaut
Live on the beach or a cabin in the woods​
Only be able to speak in movie quotes or only be able to speak in rhymes (That would be pretty cool. Ans so much more original than repeating someone else's lines.)
Take a one week trip around the foreign country of your choice or a four week trip around your own country (Four weeks in America sounds awesome. National parks are my jam. Yikes, that’s so lame

My favorite color is purple.
My favorite book is always changing.
My favorite sport is American Ninja Warrior. 
My favorite flavor of cake is  carrot. It is so a flavor! 
I love to kayak on the lake near my home.
The best song to dance to is I Wanna Dance with Somebody.
If I could be a dinosaur I would be a Stegosaurus.
This summer I want to find buried treasure.
Running is my favorite thing ever, other than sleeping.
Everyone thinks it’s funny when I laugh at my own jokes. I just don’t get why no one else does.

Coffee or tea?
Black and white or color?
Early bird or night owl?
Hugs or kisses? This should not be a choice
Winter or summer?
Spring or fall?
Comedy or mystery?
Freckles or dimples?
Sunrise or sunset?
Classic or modern?
Roller coaster or Ferris wheel?
Leather or denim?
Beads or pearls? 
Fiction or non-fiction? All the fiction. All the time. 

It's summertime! The days are longer, the weather warmer... The perfect time of year to curl up on the porch - or outside on a blanket - with a romance novel! But which one?

Thankfully,  there is already answered by fellow book-lovers at Bookish, who rounded up this summer's top 10 romances! Check out the article "Summer Lovin’: 10 Summer Romances Worth Swooning Over".

​Read on for a few of our favorites, then jump over to Bookish to see them all!

We've partnered with Bookish to give you a chance to win a great Summer Romance Prize Pack!
Enter to win here.

Take a look at the titles included:

1. Banned Book Coffee Mug
Nothing like starting your morning with some of the world's most famous banned books.

3. Journal Bookmarks by Novel Notes
We love the sheer size of these things! Ideal for doodling, quote scribbling, and even annotating if you’re really feeling wild. 
​

4. Adult Coloring Poster, "Readers Gonna Read"
Need something to do with your hands while listening to audio books and podcasts? Look no further! We’ve found the perfect thing.

Happy spring! Now that the days are getting longer (finally!), it's the perfect time to take your reading out doors and into the sunshine. If you're looking for something to help lift your spirits after the long winter, these five books are sure to put a little spring in your step!