Emily March's charming story of second chance love, Reunion Pass, is our Romance Top Pick for April. We asked the New York Times bestselling author about the Colorado Rockies and her ideal desert-island hero—and even wheedled out a cherished recipe.

Describe your latest novel in one sentence.
Reunion Pass is the romance that Eternity Springs readers have been asking for since the first book in the series, and it explores whether or not young love can truly stand the tests of time—when aided by dogs, family, friends and maybe an angel.

What inspired you to set your Eternity Springs series in the Colorado Rockies?
My family has Colorado roots, and I spent every summer in the Colorado Rockies when I was growing up. It's such a beautiful place, and when I decided to create a world that may or may not be populated by an angel, I couldn't think of a more heavenly and appropriate spot. 

What’s your favorite thing about the series (and town!) Eternity Springs?
My favorite thing about Eternity Springs is that I regularly get emails from readers who say they want to live in Eternity Springs. That’s how I know I’ve done a good job.

If you had to be trapped on a desert island with one fictional character, who would it be?
Initially, I thought of Roarke [from J.D. Robb’s In Death series], but he is so happily married that choosing him doesn’t seem right.  So, I’m going with Harry Dresden [from The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher].

What’s your guilty pleasure?
Long, hot, candlelit, scented baths with a glass or two of nice red wine and a historical romance novel.

Last year you went on a cruise to Lisbon, Portugal, with fellow romance author Christina Dodd! What was your favorite moment from the trip?
Had to have been the night we joined the captain for dinner and plotted murder at sea with fellow diners—a hostage negotiator, a British magazine publisher with strong opinions about “puerile” fiction, an American ex-pat paper artist and a South African lawyer. Guess who I wanted to push overboard.

Your author site mentions a legendary jalapeño relish . . . Dare we ask for the recipe?
Well . . . since you asked nicely:

Emily March’s Jalapeño Relish for Tailgate Fame 

Ingredients:

6 jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups apple cider vinegar
4 small yellow onions, chopped
1/4 cup of carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed

Cooking Instructions:

In a saucepan, add apple cider vinegar and sugar over low heat. Mix until sugar is dissolved.
Add jalapeño peppers, onion, and carrots.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
Add mustard and dill.
Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Great with brats or hamburgers or brisket. Mix it into cream cheese for a wonderful dip. Is it football season yet?

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Author photo by Kelly Williams Photography.

There’s a reason Susan Elizabeth Phillips has been crowned the Queen of Romantic Comedy. Since publishing her first romance novel in 1983, Phillips has become known for her signature sense of humor and her relatable, flawed and lovable heroines. Not only that, Phillips created the genre of sports romance, has hit the New York Times bestseller list multiple times and was inducted into the Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame in 2001.

Phillips’ latest novel, First Star I See Tonight, is the eighth in her popular Chicago Stars series and our September Romance Top Pick. Heroine Piper Dove is trying to get her fledgling detective agency off the ground. Her first assignment is to follow recently retired Chicago Stars quarterback Cooper Graham—and she’s failing miserably. But luckily for Piper, Cooper is in need of someone to keep an eye on the employees at his new nightclub, and he hires the headstrong Piper. The pair grate on each other’s last nerve, but they can’t deny a certain spark when they’re together. Nor can they deny that someone has it out for Cooper, and Piper may be the only one who can protect him.  

“We have these two extremely determined people, both of them highly competitive, going head to head,” Phillips says. With most romances, the attraction between the hero and heroine is instant and all consuming. But Phillips prefers to make things a bit more difficult for her characters. “There is an instant animosity. . . . I like this active dislike and how they work through that, and watching that whole journey—that is just my favorite sort of story to tell.” 

A return to the ever-popular Chicago Stars football team wasn’t initially in her plans. In fact, Phillips thought she had closed the series in 2001 with This Heart of Mine. “I really felt at that point that I couldn’t bring anything fresh to the whole series, to that story of the football player,” she says. But after a few years, she felt the pull of Chicago again, and if she’s thinking about setting a novel in Chicago, the Stars inevitably creep into her thoughts, along with fresh takes on the Stars’ many players, agents and the women who love them. “My husband says the Chicago Stars have had more retired quarterbacks than any team in the NFL.” 

One refrain in First Star I See Tonight is Piper’s struggle with sexism. Overt femininity doesn’t come naturally to Piper. She’s trained in offensive and defensive driving, can take down a man twice her size and is most comfortable in a sweatshirt. Yet she struggles to be taken seriously by men. Phillips doesn’t shy away from tackling the issue of sexism. “I think when you’re writing about women, this is something you have to think about. . . . When you’ve got a heroine in a very masculine world, this is something she’s going to have to deal with.” 

Phillips came of age in the 1960s and ’70s, a time when many things we think of as routine today, like a married woman getting a credit card under her own name, were impossible. It was also a time when women’s issues were making their way onto the national stage. “So many young women today don’t know about [how things were then]. So when I hear women say, oh, I’m not a feminist, I just roll my eyes. I think, Honey, if you’d been there when I was there, you would be.” When I ask Phillips, who was involved in the childbirth movement in the 1970s, if she would call herself a feminist, she doesn’t hesitate. “Absolutely! I think almost every romance writer I know would consider herself a feminist. We write about strong women.” 

However, this wasn’t always the case in the romance novel world. When the genre first burst onto the publishing scene in the 1970s and early ’80s, there was one disturbingly popular trope: rape. As a modern romance reader, this trend from the past has always baffled me. According to Phillips, I’m not alone. “Those books don’t necessarily stand the test of time very well. Younger readers do not get those books.” But Phillips has a fascinating theory as to why such a violent act was portrayed as an act of passion instead of a crime. “We grew up having to be good girls. And that meant no sex out of marriage. So the only way you could have great sex outside of marriage was if it wasn’t your fault. That’s where it all came from. And did any of us who were reading that want to be raped? Absolutely not! It was a total fantasy, and it was a reaction to the way we had been brought up.”

Romance writing has changed a lot since then, and Phillips has been there at every turn. “I pretty much got to see it all,” she says. When Phillips started her career, the publishing industry had been working the same way for 50 years. “Then, through the course of my career, I watched the rise of social media, the complete change in the way readers and writers now interact and, of course, the whole eBook phenomenon.” Phillips, who wrote her first few books on a typewriter, says that watching these changes has been exciting. As for her next move? “You know, I’m just exploring,” she says. “So we’re just gonna see where things go.” Let’s hope that exploration leads to a new novel in the near future.  

Author photo by Peter Irman.

We sat down with Jennifer Ryan more than two years ago at the 2014 RWA Conference in San Antonio, back when she was looking forward to her print debut, and this month, her latest novel, Her Renegade Rancher, is our Romance Top Pick. In this interview, we talk to Ryan about what's changed in the years since our first chat, why she prefers cowboys and more. 

Describe your latest novel in one sentence.
A sexy Montana rancher rekindles a once-thought forbidden romance and puts his life on the line to be her renegade rancher.

When we met up with you in 2014, you were looking forward to your debut print novel. What’s changed in your romance world since then?
So many wonderful things have happened. Since my debut Saved by the Rancher came out, I’ve become a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and published The Hunted, McBride and Montana Men series for a total of 17 novels and novellas once His Cowboy Heart comes out in February 2017. I’ve met so many of my goals and written the books that excited and challenged me. I love what I do and wouldn’t want to do anything else. Which is why I’m always dreaming up new ideas for the next series. The success I’ve achieved has proven to me—and been a great example for my kids—that if you work hard, stick with it through the ups and downs and learn all you can about what you want to do, you will achieve what you set your mind to do.

A cowboy, a billionaire businessman and a pirate walk into a bar. Who do you choose?
Hands down, I’ll take the cowboy! Any guy who works hard, plays harder, loves their woman and thinks that home and family is everything is the one for me.

Your series is called Montana Men. Have you ever travelled to Montana?
No. Believe it or not, I live in Northern California where we have a lot of farming and ranching. As a young girl, I got to go to my friend’s small ranch and ride horses. I loved it. A lot of people who hear the word “cowboy” don’t think of California, so I set the series in the one place that I would love to visit. I love the great outdoors, and you can’t beat the Montana landscape. Big Sky country is an amazing backdrop for romance—and a little suspense.

What’s your favorite thing about your heroine, Luna Hill?
Her heart. She’s dedicated to her friends and preserving the legacy she unexpectedly inherits and loves with her whole heart. She’s got an inner strength that shines through and helps her cope when times are tough—two things Colt loves about her.

If you were to write a historical romance novel, what time period would it be set in and why?
I have a serious addiction to reading historical novels. I love getting lost in another time and place. Scottish laird books are my favorite, so if I ever wrote a historical, it would probably be a big, strapping laird—they’re kind of like Scottish cowboys, right?

What’s next for you?
After Her Renegade Rancher, I’ve got the last two Montana Men books. Luna’s sexy lawyer gets an unexpected surprise in Snowbound at Christmas, and Colt’s brother Ford gets a second chance at love when Jamie returns from the military to claim His Cowboy Heart.

Debbie Macomber is a many-times-over New York Times bestselling author known for her compelling and multifaceted contemporary romances and her annual Christmas novels. Her holiday offering this year, Twelve Days of Christmas, is our Top Pick in Romance for December. We asked Macomber a few questions about the idyllic town in Washington where she lives, her favorite holiday traditions and more. 

Describe your latest novel in one sentence.
Twelve Days of Christmas is a story about a woman’s experiment of killing someone with kindness and learning that she is the one who is affected most. 

How long have you been writing your annual Christmas romances, and what sparked the idea?
I believe I started writing a Christmas story as early as the mid-1990s. In other words, a long time. 

As for what sparked the idea for Twelve Days of Christmas . . . It came about from an incident I had while Christmas shopping. A woman stole my parking spot just as I was about to park. I didn’t exactly have Christian thoughts at the time, and wished I’d handled the situation differently. 

When we meet Cain, he’s quite the rude Scrooge. Were there any challenges to writing such an initially unlikable hero?
My heroine’s dislike of Cain is initially sparked by another incident that happened to me. Wayne and I lived in a condo and someone took our newspaper. Again, the Christian side of me was absent that day. It was interesting to explore why someone might lift another person’s newspaper and why they would be grumpy in the morning, aside from not being a morning person.

Christmas doesn’t mean much to Cain, but to me, it means a great deal. I find it valuable to write characters that aren’t like me because they help me to understand another person’s point of view or motivation.

What turned out to be your favorite trait of Cain’s?
I needed something that would show his tender side, and that became apparent in the way he cared for his grandfather. No one is all good or all bad. There needs to be a balance. 

Tell us about your two businesses in Port Orchard, Washington, a place that has inspired many of your romance novels.
The Grey House Café has recently been renovated with new carpeting, tables and chairs, and a fresh coat of paint inside and out. They also carry my books and many are autographed, plus we’re fortunate to have a Hallmark store within that features gift and tea items. The café still serves the same great menu with a few new items to stimulate the appetite.

My yarn store, A Good Yarn Shop, closed in November after eight wonderful years of friendship and community. I hope to encourage knitters and crocheters to continue with community and a sense of giving by contributing to Knit One, Bless Two or World Vision’s Knit for Kids. 

What’s your favorite holiday tradition?
Oh my, that’s difficult to answer because I enjoy them all. I look forward to baking cookies with the grandkids, shopping with them for other children who are less fortunate, family Bingo. I love our family buffet feast on Christmas Day, lighting the candles on the Advent wreath and hosting Christmas Teas for my author, knitting and swimming friends. Christmas Eve church service is so meaningful to me. All those add up to a beautiful holiday season.

What’s next for you?
My husband and I are taking an extended cruise in which I plan to empty my mind and gather new ideas for more books to come. Publishing wise, my next book is titled If Not For You, which is a story of healing and hope. 

(Author photo by Deborah Feingold.)

We talk to Catherine Anderson about her new novel, Mulberry Moon, her great love of animals and her [avoidance of] New Year's resolutions.

Describe your latest novel in one sentence. 
Mulberry Moon features people at their best and worst, their triumphs over the hard knocks of life and the beautiful transformation that love can bring about, both between a man and a woman and an estranged mother and daughter.

Ben is a big animal lover. Is this a trait you share? 
I love all kinds of animals, large or small. I adore my son’s horses, our dogs, our cats, the deer and elk on our field and my appreciation extends to fowl, wild or domestic. I do prefer to admire bears, cougars and moose from a safe distance though . . . We have a great horned owl on our new land in Montana. He has decided that the peaks of our new home, which are higher than all the trees on our land, are a far better roost than the old snag he always used. And tonight, to my delight, I discovered that he has a mate. I am looking forward to spring and great horned owl babies! So, yes, I am definitely an animal enthusiast, and that comes across in my work.

Sissy has had a difficult life. What do you admire most about her? 
I admire Sissy’s determination and success at being a woman who can stand on her own two feet without needing a male counterpart. Though she may yearn for a relationship with a good man, she is committed to her independence, which, in the end, allows her to fall in love without any actual need, but rather a realization that Ben can enrich her life, and vice versa, in ways she never contemplated. She grows as the book unfolds and comes to understand that loving someone doesn’t mean she is a possession or a person who can’t survive alone. I think this is an empowering message to all women, including me.

Does your 160-acre home in the Central Oregon forest inspire your work? 
Oh, yes. Cinnamon Ridge is incredibly beautiful. But I recently moved to Montana and now enjoy vistas that are equally, if not more, inspiring.  I’m having a huge adventure here and coming to love this awesome state.

What does a romantic evening for you look like? 
For me, a romantic evening isn’t necessarily about the stage props. The setting itself isn’t as important to me as the person I’m with. An evening walk almost anywhere can be romantic. Eating take-out pizza can be romantic with the right man. Meaningful conversation, holding hands and kissing beneath a night sky is enough for me to set the mood.

Do you have any New Year’s resolutions? 
I tend to avoid making resolutions on New Year’s. I’ve learned that doing so sets me up for failure. I prefer to really think about making a challenging change at some other time of the year when I’m focused on the realities that I will face. Then I plan my battle strategy. 

What’s next for you? 
Right now, I’m writing a Christmas love story. The working title is The Christmas Room.

Alisha Rai’s Hate to Want You was easily the most sought-after galley at this year’s RT Booklovers Convention. Rai’s reputation for absorbing interpersonal drama coupled with unforgettably hot love scenes (and that stunning cover!) guaranteed intense interest, and the word-of-mouth buzz has been growing for months. Now that her first book with romance giant Avon has finally been released to glowing reviews, we talked to Rai about her biggest Twitter pet peeve, how she wove family issues and mental health into Hate to Want You’s love story and her past as a romance novel-obsessed teenager.

Describe your latest novel in one sentence.
It's grown-up Romeo and Juliet plus mature adult communication minus the sad ending stuff plus secret annual hookups.

I’ve seen a lot of comments online comparing this book to Romeo and Juliet. Did you have that play in mind while writing, or was it only after the book was finished that you saw the similarities?
When I first got the idea for the book, I jotted down "their only love sprang from their only hate," so yes! But ultimately, I think the Romeo and Juliet comparison is only really applicable in that the two main characters have a bit of a family feud to contend with.

I was riveted by how realistically Nicolas and Livvy’s internal issues and traumas complicate the relationship between them, and also their relationships with other characters. How did you develop such emotionally nuanced conflict in Hate to Want You?
I think a lot of developing nuanced characters is being utterly charmed by how messy humans are. People are complex, imperfect, convoluted creatures. Love (any kind of love) is funny, because it's often like working through a grab bag of puzzle pieces from a million different puzzles that don't and shouldn't really go together. Getting those pieces together in a way where the end result makes the characters happier together than without each other is difficult without conflict.

Sometimes that conflict feels like it's insurmountable, but I think maturity and communication can alter perspectives and help ease those puzzle pieces into place. People can fit, even if it seems like their issues might keep them apart.

You’ve loved romance since sneaking a romance novel out of the library when you were a teenager. Do you remember which book it was? What sort of books introduced you to romance?
Yes! It was a Shirley Busbee, though I don't remember the actual book. The cover caught my attention, because I was thirteen, and almost naked people were what I was really into at the time (this was pre-Tumblr).

After that, I read every single romance that the library had in it. Historicals at first, because they were the easiest to identify, but romance is vast, so I quickly graduated to suspense and contemporaries and paranormals and sci-fi. Nothing was safe from me.

What is your biggest Twitter pet peeve?
That the gif function doesn't have every single gif of Jason Momoa as Aquaman yet.

Did Livvy or Nicholas change a lot throughout the writing process? Or were their personalities fairly clear to you from the beginning?
My heroines are almost always very clear to me from the beginning, and Livvy was a smart, sassy, wild-haired artist from the first page.

Nicholas took a lot more work. In fact, in early drafts, I struggled a lot with the opening, and I finally realized it was because it started in Nicholas's point of view. A hero not given to emotional displays of emotion is a difficult place to start a romance. He finally gelled for me, but he was a tough nut to crack.

Both characters come to epiphanies about their relationships with their parents that drastically change their view of them. How did you approach writing the early scenes between Livvy and her mother, and Nicholas and his father? Did you want to imply the emotional truth of those relationships early on, or have readers go on a journey alongside the characters?
Definitely the latter. Relationships with parents are ongoing, never-ending journeys that rarely have perfect tidy endings. Nicholas and Livvy's relationships with all of their family members will continue to evolve past the end of this book (and will be explored in the other books in the series as well).

One of the most moving aspects of this book for me was your insight into Livvy’s mental health and the mindfulness techniques she relies on. Have you found these helpful in your own life? Or did they come from research you did into coping strategies?
A little bit of both. I think there's some coping mechanisms that are pretty widespread because they're almost instinctive. Specific techniques mostly came from research and consultants (@TGStoneButch on Twitter has many invaluable resources on coping with trauma and anxiety, for example).

What’s next for you?
Nicholas and Livvy each have a sibling and I can't leave them hanging! Wrong to Need You will be out in November, and Hurts to Love You will be out in the spring of 2018.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Hate to Want You.

It takes a lot to stand out in the annual deluge of holiday-themed romance novels. Kieran Kramer's Christmas at Two Love Lane—with its charming (and only mildly cold) Charleston setting, matchmaker heroine and perfect blend of sweetness and sass—did just that. We talked to Kramer about Christmas in the South, how she decides if the humor in her books is working and what she thinks is the least romantic holiday activity.

Describe your latest book in a sentence.
Christmas at Two Love Lane is the first in a fun romantic series about three matchmakers finding their own paths to love in Charleston, South Carolina.

It was so fun to read a Christmas-themed novel set in the South! What was your inspiration for the setting, and what attracted you to Charleston in particular?
I grew up here in the Lowcountry, on a rural sea island called Johns Island, and consider Charleston my home. Christmas in the South is great. Charlestonians love their parties year-round, so around the holidays they go all out. Count on copious amounts of spiked eggnog and bourbon flowing at every event. The front doors downtown are always gorgeous, but around the holidays, the wreaths and trimmings are spectacular. I also love the nighttime boat parade in the harbor. And have you ever seen a palmetto tree swathed in lights? It's beautiful—and very merry!

Do people ever ask you to serve as a matchmaker or give them relationship advice because of your books? Do you think you'd be a good matchmaker?
This question makes me laugh because I can't tell you the number of taxi drivers in New York or strangers on a plane I've given romantic counsel to. Deep, meaningful chats that go to the heart of the matter are sometimes more possible with strangers, you know? And everyone seems to want love advice these days!

As for my friends and family, I secretly think I should have been a matchmaker in another life! I love getting people together. Have I had a lot of success with it? I think so. I've never seen anyone marry as a result of my date-strategizing on their behalf, but I've at least provided opportunities for people to get together. As Macy Frost says in the book, a matchmaker can only take a couple so far. They have to fall in love on their own.

You have a real knack for snappy dialogue and funny situations. How do you know when the humor in your book is working?
Thanks. The more I write, the more I realize I would have had a lot of fun trying to write for TV sitcoms because dialogue is my thing. I'd especially love to write for Tina Fey.

I know when the humor is working in my books when I'm not forcing it. It flows. And it makes me laugh out loud. I always feel sassy and powerful when I write funny. It's a great feeling.

Honestly, I'd like to go even further with my humor, which includes a love of the "out there," the absurd. I'm a huge fan of George Saunders and Aimee Bender. I'm working on some short stories right now in my MFA program. It's very freeing to explore my limits.

What was the most challenging part of writing Christmas at Two Love Lane?
I was writing this book over the holiday season in 2016 when I was living alone for the first time in my life, so that was very challenging. It gave me a new appreciation for people who don't have a solid network at the holidays. In late 2016, everyone left home all at once: My Navy husband deployed to Afghanistan for a year, our youngest child started college, and our two older children moved to England and Spain to study and couldn't come home for Christmas. So Christmas morning, my youngest and I made breakfast for the residents of Charleston's Ronald McDonald House. It was a great experience. And it fueled my references in the book about how good it feels to help other people during the holidays. It's the best gift you can give yourself, honestly.

When you worked as an English teacher, what was your favorite book to teach and why?
Great question! I could talk all day about books. I'd have to say The Pearl was a great novella to read in a classroom of kids who are intimidated by reading. It's shorter, it's got a fascinating setting, and it breaks your heart. Middle school and high school kids love to feel emotion. They're so sincere and wise. We don't give them enough credit.

You're a huge fan of Oscar Wilde. If you could magically transport him to the present day, what do you think he'd most enjoy about the 21st century?
First of all, he'd love to go to the great new bar named after him and totally devoted to celebrating him at 45 W. 27th Street in Manhattan. I was there last week, and it rocked! I so wish I could transport him to the present day. . . . I really would love for him to be my best friend. The closest I could get to that was hugging the bronze statue of him at the bar.

Oscar Wilde was wickedly intelligent and fun. He was fully alive. You know when you meet people like that—you want to be around them. Everyone wanted to hang out with Oscar back in the day. The thing he'd enjoy most about the 21st century would be the freedom he'd have to be totally himself without being thrown in jail (at least in most countries). He could go to Pride parades—he'd lead them! He'd love the computer age, I think. He'd be on his smartphone all the time, being snarky. He'd have a couple million followers on Twitter. I think he'd appreciate freedom of expression, above all.

In your humble opinion, what is the least romantic Christmas activity? And what is the most romantic?
The least romantic Christmas activity is standing in line at Target waiting to pay for Christmas gifts when you're both hungry and you can smell the Target popcorn in their cafe, but the line over there is too long to wait for popcorn (and a hot dog with relish for him), so you load up your stuff in the car trunk and tell yourselves you'll go home for a late lunch, but then you remember you forgot funny paper cocktail napkins for the office party, and you get boring ones because that's all they have left, and back at the car, you see the traffic leaving the shopping center is so backed up, you open the bag of candy you were saving for the stockings—and between you, you eat eight Reese's Christmas trees.

The most romantic Christmas activity is getting home after that hellish shopping trip, throwing yourselves on the couch, ordering pizza, skipping that night's party and watching Elf.

What's next for you?
Thanks for asking! Wedding at Two Love Lane is coming out in January 2018. That's Greer's book. And then Ella's book is Second Chance at Two Love Lane. That will be out later in August 2018.

I'll finish up my second year of grad school this coming May—I'll miss being on campus, walking around with my backpack with the other students, 99 percent of whom are half my age. I'll be very proud to graduate with an MFA in Creative Writing. I went back to school simply to blow my mind, kind of how Thoreau went to that pond to get away from the busyness of life. We all have our heads down, don't we? I decided to put the brakes on routine and re-examine who I am and who I want to be.

As for my writing life after grad school, I'm going to continue to explore the short form to keep me on my toes. But my main love is novel writing, especially books for women, so my plan is to get back to doing that full time (I've had to slow down a bit with classes and term papers, etc.).

Starting this May, the sky's the limit. It feels bigger to me now, wider. I'm very excited.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Christmas at Two Love Lane.

Jodi Thomas’ Mornings on Main is a sweet, contemplative romance between two lonely souls who connect in a small Texas town. Already a favorite among romance fans for her Ransom Canyon series, which takes place in a similar setting, Thomas’ newest book combines a contemporary romance with a coming-of-age story, as well as a tender portrait of a close-knit family. We talked to Thomas about her love of small towns and why habits were made to be broken.

Describe your latest novel in a sentence.
Mornings on Main weaves the stories of three women—one who is beginning to collect memories, one who is always leaving the past behind and one who is losing a lifetime.

Before you became a novelist full time, you were a family counselor. Did you bring your expertise to bear in this book?
I think everything I’ve done or studied in my life has become research for my writing.

You’re known for setting your books in small towns in Texas. Why does that particular type of place inspire you so much?
It’s partly because I’ve always lived in small towns and love and understand the people, the way their lives blend and influence one another’s. Also, every summer when I was a kid I used to visit a small town (4,000 people) where I had five sets of aunts and uncle plus dozens of cousins. My uncle always left a horse saddled for me in the backyard so I could go anywhere. I felt free and safe. Maybe in my small town stories, I’m going back to that place.

Why do you think Jillian has never deviated from the way of life she learned from her father?
I think most of us fall into patterns in our lives. Habit outweighs adventure until someone comes along and wakes us up. That’s what happened to Jillian.

Are you a crafter or quilter yourself? If you were to make a quilt with Eugenia, what would you make?
I have a quilt room in my house that has quilts from my grandmothers [going] back three generations. My mother quilted, both my sisters quilt and I do not quilt. When my mother read my first book she said, “Jodi, you quilt with words.”

Sunnie is a great example of a believable teen character—blossoming into her own independence and intelligence, but still prickly and immature at times. How did you thread that needle from a writing standpoint?
Sunnie was a hard character to write. Maybe those years of teaching high school helped me out. I loved that age.

When I first read the premise of Mornings on Main, I expected a lot of angst between Connor and Jillian, but instead, they both try their best to accept that her stay is temporary, no matter how strong their feelings towards each other are. Why did you choose to have your characters react in that way?
Connor is a good man who has always accepted his role in life. He’s settled, sometimes helping others at the cost of his own happiness. But he loves deeply with Jillian. To keep her, he’ll have to fight.

What do you like to read when you’re not reading romance?
Across the board. Reading one kind of romance would be like eating at the same restaurant every night. I love it when I find a book that I can’t put down. The whole world stops for a few hours and I step into the story.

What’s next for you?
I just finished the seventh book in the Ransom Canyon series, which will be out in September. And I’ve spent the last few weeks out in my little hideout we call the bunkhouse. A new story is taking shape on the whiteboards. I’m going back to Laurel Springs—back to Main—only this time I’m opening a tea shop. Hope my readers will drop in next spring.

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of Mornings on Main.

(Author photo © Portraits by Tracy.)