It's beginning to read a lot like Christmas 2025: Author Interview with Dineen Miller

What made you decide to write a Christmas themed book? Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?
The very first one I wrote—The Holiday Arrangement—was my first foray into romantic comedy. I’d written romantic suspense up to that point and needed a change. A mentor suggested I write something fun, and it was nearing the holidays, so I dove in and discovered I loved writing romantic comedy! I wound up writing two more short novels in the Seashells and Sunsets series, before switching to first person POV and starting a new series, Messy Love on Mango Lane. A Very Messy Christmas is part of that series.

The Holiday Arrangement: She needs a break from matchmaking—he’s sworn off blind dates. Will their holiday ruse bring more than just Christmas cheer? The Holiday Arrangement is a heartwarming romcom filled with festive fun and laugh-out-loud moments that will leave you believing in love and holiday magic.

A Very Messy Christmas: I’m great at organizing Christmas. Falling for the chef? That wasn’t on my list. A Very Messy Christmas is a special holiday standalone novella in the Messy Love on Mango Lane romantic comedy series. If you like opposites attract, witty dialogue and the magic of the season, then you’ll adore Dineen Miller’s sweet treat.

What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
When my girls were little, I designed a quilted advent calendar to count down the days until Christmas. I remembered my mother doing something similar with me when I was little and wanted to do the same for my daughters, who were both born in December (no, I did not plan that). Each pocket holds an ornament and a chocolate kiss, and the day of their births have their name on them. I still hang it up every year, even though they’re grown and my oldest lives in another state. But my grandson just turned one in September, so I can’t wait to continue this tradition with him.

What’s next in writing for you? 

I'm currently working on the third book in my sweet hockey romcom series, Romancing the Sun Kings. I’m excited to finish this story about the team's goalie, Wade, and his long time best friend, Bree, who he’s been secretly in love with most of his life. I’m an avid hockey fan and love watching it. So this series has been super fun for me.

What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share?

Read in the genre you’re writing. I balked at this for a while, which turned out to be the final signal that I needed to switch genres because I didn’t want to read romantic suspense anymore. Now I devour two to three romcoms a week and find it so inspiring. It keeps me in the tone of the genre and is so much fun!

What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?

That your career and who you are as an author can be anything you want. There are tons of courses, groups, programs, etc. designed to tell us how to write, sell, and market, which is all good. But we can’t do it all without risking burnout. For me, realizing that my career can look any way I want helped me quit comparing my journey to those of other authors. That was a huge help for me.

Any last words or tips?

For authors, your best and most powerful tool is your newsletter. I've refined mine to bring my readers the best content, to grow my readership, and to build an ARC team. I’m very grateful for their encouragement and support. And I always love hearing from my readers. I’ve made some wonderful new friends in the process.

Are there any other books you’d like to tell my readers about?

In the Offensive Zone with My Fake Bride released in May. I had so much fun creating a hockey player who was also secret royalty—Payton Maxwell, 3rd. There’s an unexpected development with is family back in England that requires him to have a bodyguard. He agrees, but only if the person is a female and can pose as his new wife. He didn’t think his family would go for it, but they do and he falls hard for Lily. She’s my bodyguard. My fake wife. And the one woman I can’t resist.

That's all for today's interview. To learn more about Dineen's books, use these links. 
Website: https://crewfiction.com/dineen-miller
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/338189318445452
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authordineenmiller/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authordineenmiller

And here's special tip for my readers... Sign up for her newsletter and get a free eBook story: https://subscribepage.io/iJNUnC

Cowboys, Second Chances, and a Bit of Suspense: Author Interview with Juliet Brilee

You’ve now written multiple books, but what inspired you to write that first novel? 

Sometimes we have a dream we keep on the shelf, a “someday I’ll….”.  I’ve always loved writing, taken classes, and belonged to writing groups. One day, at a writing retreat  I wrote a piece and I said, “This is it. This wants to become a book.” It was a memoir piece about a family Christmas tradition. I realized if I kept waiting for someday, it would never happen. And I dove in. That piece became Christmas Cake Day.
 
What is the hardest part of writing for you? Starting? Creating a scene? Dialog? Tension, etc.?
Getting through the middle of the story. I tend to be more of a pantser than a plotter even though I know where the story is heading. I let the characters come alive and help direct the writing.
 
What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
When I get feedback that someone enjoys or has found meaning in one of my stories, it’s quite gratifying.
 

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produced more sales rather than just clicks?
I find promo sites like The Fussy Librarian to be useful. And Facebook ads have helped.
 
What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
Support found through other writers, courses, coaching, and more is essential. We don’t do this in a vacuum. And get ready to juggle, because there are a lot of moving parts to this endeavor.
 
What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
There is a lot of help out there for people who want to hone their writing craft and become an author. Online classes, books, audiobooks, coaching. Keep learning. Keep writing. Keep reading. You can do it. Just write. As they say, you can’t revise a blank page. Get words down and clean it up later.
 
Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
If you have an idea for the story and really know the characters, the book will practically write itself. But getting to know the characters is huge. I use the Enneagram to help me craft characters. It’s a deep dive into psychology, archetypes, wounds, motivations and goals.
 

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
Welcome to Pine Crossing is the title of the next book, planned for an August release. It’s a romance with suspense. Sarah’s husband is in jail and she’s dealing with the fallout from his financial crimes. She takes her young daughter, leaves her privileged life, and moves across the country to a small town to help run her mother’s business. Despite obstacles, she discovers inner resources and a possibility for a better life with a good man. This fade-to-black romance introduces the world of Pine Crossing and opens a month before the first book in the Pine Crossing Cowboys series. I plan three series set in the world of Pine Crossing.

Are there any additional notes you'd like to add?
I believe there’s a creative impulse inside all of us that wants, that needs, to be expressed. Find your thing, sharpen your skills, and you’ll be amazed at what you can do.
 

That's all for today's interview. Hope it encouraged you to learn more about Juliet's writing. And here's a quick way to do it. Sign up for her newsletter and get a free -eBook. Here's the newsletter sign-up  link:https://dl.bookfunnel.com/r1g4xtghk5

Amazon author page: 

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Juliet-Brilee/author/B08HGXCM49

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20664663.Juliet_Brilee
 

Cruising with a Mystery: Author Interview with Wendy Neugent

You’ve now published several mystery books, but what inspired you to write that first one?
I worked on cruise ships as an entertainer for a decade in my 20s and early 30s. I had the idea for this series back, but didn’t even know where to start. I got off of ships when I was five months pregnant with my oldest son and spent the next few years raising my two boys. Once my children were older, I finally had the time and the brainpower to be able to write the book that I had dreamt of writing when I was working on ships all those years ago.

Your book series Olivia Morgan Cruise Ship Mysteries features a guest who becomes an amateur sleuth and enlists the aid of crew members to solve murders. How did you use your previous work history into creating these stories.
From my years working on ships, I felt like a cruise ship would be a perfect setting for a mystery. You are trapped at sea on a ship with a killer, which ups the stakes. The people who work on ships tend to be larger than like characters, which makes them a lot of fun to write. Every cruise is a unique experience. You have new passengers and an international crew which gives me lots of interesting options for the characters in my book.

Chico is my sleuth’s pet sidekick and my favorite character to write. I worked with parrots in my act and I have so much fun writing Chico. He tends to be a reader favorite, too, which makes me so happy.

How do you go about plotting your mystery?
With my cruise ship mysteries, I usually start with an event or a situation that actually happened to me when I worked on ships, such as the ship crashing into the dock (Yikes!) or a fire breaking out onboard (Double Yikes!) and build the mystery around it.

Do you pick the victim or the murderer first?
I almost always pick the victim first. I sometimes don’t know which of the suspects is the murderer until I get to the end of the book. I had one character in one of my books who I had planned to be the murderer, but the character just wouldn’t cooperate! The characters have a mind of their own and no matter how much plotting and planning I do, they don’t always do what they are told!

What do you think makes for a perfect murder mystery?
I wish I knew what made the perfect murder mystery. Unfortunately I never got to meet Agatha Christie so I couldn’t ask her. 

Yes, I agree. I'm a big fan of Christie books. Would have been intrigued in meeting her and talking to her about her writing. Now please tell my readers about your Clue Crew Book Club!
I started The Clue Crew Book Club with my cousin, Jen. She is an avid reader and we thought it would be fun to have the perspectives of an author and a reader. We feature a different author every month. The book cub is currently on hiatus for the summer, but our YouTube videos are available. You can watch them and get to know our featured mystery authors. https://www.youtube.com/@TheClueCrewMysteryChannel

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?
I’m very lucky that my family is very encouraging of my writing and my first mystery, "Murder Takes a Bow” was a 'Cozy Mystery Indie of the Year' Finalist. That honor really encouraged me to keep writing, but the support of my readers is what keeps me sitting down at my laptop every day. I’m really grateful for my readers. I have an active Facebook reader group that is my happy place on the internet and I am so happy that many of The Clue Crew members feel the same way. I’d love to have you join the group and come hang out with us. We talk about books, share pictures of our pets and support each other in good times and bad. I’ve been lucky enough to even meet some in person on my Clue Crew Cruise we took together in January and at book signings. https://www.facebook.com/groups/wendyscluecrew

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produced more sales rather than just clicks?
A couple of years ago I decided that I didn’t want all of my eggs in one basket and took most of my books out of Kindle Unlimited. I opened my own online bookstore and sell my books directly to my readers.

My books are still on all retailers but I can build a closer relationship with my readers and give them better deals when they buy directly from me. I’ve used Amazon ads, Facebook ads, I post on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok and I send emails to my readers.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?
That I could do it. I wanted to be an author my entire life. I remember dreaming of writing books when I was reading Jane Eyre in third grade but was always told that you can’t make a career out of being an author.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?
To just sit down and write. The words don’t have to be perfect because you can edit any words you have written, but you can’t edit what you don’t have.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?
If you write 1,000 words a day, you’ll have a first draft of a book in just a couple of months!

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?
My next book is coming out later this month. It is called Ernest Endeavors and is book two in my Key West Mysteries series. Key West was one of my favorite ports, so I thought it would be fun to write a series set there. I get to “visit” Key West while I am planning and writing the books in the series.

Here is a little bit about the book:

When antique shop owner Beth Fletcher discovers a 1930s diary, she's captivated by its intimate glimpses into Ernest Hemingway's Key West life. But this glimpse into the past becomes deadly when museum curator Regina Winters is found floating in the Hemingway House's famous pool – just hours after hinting she'd made an extraordinary discovery about the author's long-lost manuscripts.

Armed with her research skills, her sassy cat Agatha, and her sister Sarah's perfect pastries, Beth navigates a maze of historical clues and modern dangers.

Despite warnings from the handsome detective assigned to the case, Beth can't help digging deeper.

She moved to Key West for a fresh start, not to get tangled up in murder, but in a town where history whispers around every corner, sometimes the past refuses to stay buried.

That's all for today's interview. Love the book blurb for the new Key West series. I've been to the Hemingway house and that's a great setting for a story. I've read several of Wendy's books and I hope you'll want to start reading some as well. Here are some links to get you started.

Website: https://wendyneugentbooks.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wendyscluecrew
YouTube channel for her audiobooks:https://www.youtube.com/@wendyneugentauthor

And here's a bonus from Wendy for all my readers... Visit her website https://wendyneugentbooks.com/ and use code “TheWriteChris” to get the eBook or audiobook of Murder Takes a Bow for free!