Author Tip from Kate Lansing + News ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­
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NEWS

Book Riot included THE FIFTH SEASON by N.K. Jemisin in its list of The 22 Best Fantasy Books of All Time.

Amazon selected TOO WRONG TO BE RIGHT by Melonie Johnson as one of its Best Books of the Month in the Romance Category.

Library Journal gave THE BLUE BAR by Damyanti Biswas a great review. Damyanti also won February’s “Gone with the Wind~ Write…Edit…Publish Challenge” with her story set in the world of her Blue Mumbai series.

ARMADAS IN THE MIST by Christian Klaver is a 2022 Foreword INDIES Award Finalist in Young Adult Fiction.

THE PHOTO THIEF by J.L. Delozier was an AudioFile Magazine March Earphones Award Winner.

BookBub’s list of romances about surprise pregnancies included THE BILLIONAIRE'S LEGACY by Reese Ryan.

THE SCOTTISH BOY author Alex de Campi did a recent interview with Stories By Saga.

Kobo listed DELICIOUS MONSTERS by Liselle Sambury as one of its best audiobooks of the month. It’s also made Amazon’s Best books of March in Teen and Young Adult.

ARCHANGEL’S RESURRECTION by Nalini Singh, THE PHANTOM by Gena Showalter, and WITCHA GONNA DO? by Avery Flynn made BookBub’s list of 15 Must-Read Paranormal Romances.

AUTHOR TIP OF THE MONTH

Kate Lansing lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, daughter, and a chair-napping tabby cat named Maple. TILL DEATH DO US PORT is her latest novel.

Till-Death-Do-Us-Port-A-Colorado-Wine-Mystery-Book-4-0

Fostering Fictional Relationships

One of the challenges of writing a series is continuing to grow characters in fresh ways. Because not only must each individual installment have satisfying character arcs, but the overarching series must as well. Enter a very handy tool to leverage: relationships.

A natural way to show how a protagonist has changed is to show how their relationships have progressed. This goes for every relationship in their life: family, friends, love interests, coworkers, etc. The way a character interacts with others speaks volumes about where they are on their journey. Are they butting heads, engaging in flirtatious banter, having a heart-to-heart, or perhaps teaming up with an adversary?

This trick works for sidekicks, too. Forming relationships between secondary characters, such as having them start dating or go into business together, is a nice way to show their growth without having full access to their subconscious—plus, it can provide fun payoff moments for readers!

NEW CLIENTS ON THE BLOCK

Yemi

Yemi Alade
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Yemi Alade is a BET Awards 2015 and 2016 nominee for Best International Act. In 2016, she debuted on Billboard as No. 4 on its "Next Big Sound" Chart. She is also a two-time MOBO Awards nominee for Best International Act 2014 and 2015 and winner of the MTV Africa Music Awards (MAMAs) for Best Female 2015 and 2016. She is the first African female pop artist to hit over 89 million views on YouTube and VEVO with her smash hit single JOHNNY, which is now the most viewed video from an African artist. She’s performed alongside Miley Cyrus, Shakira, J Balvin, Jennifer Hudson, Coldplay, Usher, and Justin Bieber. Yemi became a judge on The Voice Nigeria in 2017.

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Mike Miccoli
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Mike Miccoli is a hockey writer whose work has been featured in Sports Illustrated, Boston.com, Yahoo Sports, and The Hockey Writers. Mike holds a Master's Degree in Marketing and a Bachelor's Degree in Journalism. He lives on the South Shore of Massachusetts with his wife and their daughter.

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Kerryn Mayne
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Kerryn Mayne is based in the south-eastern corner of Australia, not far from Melbourne. When she is not writing, Kerryn is either working her day job as a police officer or pandering to the whims of her four small children.

RECENT DEALS

- Lilith Saintcrow's A FLAME IN THE NORTH, a Norse-inspired epic fantasy in which a clan's seer and her shieldmaiden are demanded as blood price for an unintended death but quickly discover they may be the keys to protecting humanity from the return of a great evil, to Nivia Evans at Orbit in a very nice three-book deal, by Lucienne Diver

- TJ Klune's IN THE LIVES OF PUPPETS, to Sam Souibgui at De Saxus (France) in a nice deal, by Megan Husain at Anna Jarota Agency on behalf of Elaine Spencer

- Ann Marie Walker's BLACK TIE OPTIONAL, ICING ON THE CAKE, and SAVE THE DATE, to Michael Olah at Dreamscape Media in a nice three-book deal on an exclusive submission, by Pamela Harty

- Lucy Parker's untitled book, in which two long-time feuding actors on a popular British TV show are horrified when their characters are given a romantic arc—only to discover that, as their fictional alter-egos fall in love, an unexpected chemistry is setting their scripts alight—to Karen Yates at Audible Originals Australia, by Elaine Spencer

- Rachel Caine's WOLFHUNTER RIVER, STILLHOUSE LAKE, and KILLMAN CREEK, to Asa Lindstrom at Albert Bonniers (Sweden), in a three-book deal on behalf of Elisa Fabbri at Amazon Publishing and Lucienne Diver

- Jacquie Thomas's COLD CASE BETRAYAL, to Katie Gowrie at Harlequin Love Inspired in a nice deal, by Pamela Harty

NEW RELEASES

Till Death Do Us Port (A Colorado Wine Mystery Book 4)

TILL DEATH DO US PORT by Kate Lansing

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When a wedding turns into a crime scene, young vintner Parker Valentine investigates the full-bodied problem in this captivating Colorado-set cozy mystery.


It’s June in Boulder, Colorado, and wedding season is in full swing. Parker Valentine is excited to attend the wedding of her cousin, Emma, where in addition to celebrating the happy couple, she’ll also be providing wine for the reception. But when the fussy wedding planner is found dead midway through the ceremony, Parker knows that to get the weekend back on track, she’ll need to unveil a murderer.

Colton's Body of Proof (The Coltons of New York Book 3)

COLTON'S BODY OF PROOF by Karen Whiddon

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Digging into the past might get her killed

Within minutes of reconnecting with her high school boyfriend, CSI Ellie Mathers survives two attempts on her life. Liam Colton insists on staying by her side until he knows she’s safe, and Ellie doesn’t push him away. Is it because she wants his help figuring out if her long-lost childhood best friend wants her dead? Or because the bad boy she broke up with has grown into an upstanding—and extremely sexy—man?

Four Weeks to Forever: A Flirty Surprise Pregnancy Romance (Texas Cattleman's Club: The Wedding Book 3)

FOUR WEEKS TO FOREVER by Karen Booth

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These business rivals had one night—and now there’s a nine-month surprise on the way in the latest Texas Cattleman's Club: The Wedding novel by Karen Booth.

Can they put that one unforgettable night behind them and keep things strictly business?

Sharing the bed of high-profile chef Colin Reynolds during a blackout was a mistake florist Corryna Lawson can’t afford to repeat. Especially now that they’re working together on a celebrity wedding at the Texas Cattleman’s Club. As the two collaborate on flowers and food, Corryna finds Colin nearly impossible to resist…and maybe she doesn’t want to. But then she discovers she’s carrying his baby…

Reunited by the Baby: An Uplifting Inspirational Romance (Sunset Ridge Book 1)

REUNITED BY THE BABY by Brenda Minton

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A temporary arrangement…
Or a reason to stay?

Home to care for his ailing father, former minister Matthew Rivers intends to spend his time contemplating his future—until he discovers an infant left in the back of his truck. Handing off responsibility to nurse Parker Smythe, the woman he once rejected, should be easy. But as the baby brings them closer together, will Matthew leave as planned…or open his heart to a new possibility?

Cold Case Deceit

COLD CASE DECEIT by Jacquelin Thomas

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An unsolved homicide. Old secrets.

And investigators with a past.

Cold Case Unit supervisor Phillipa Stevenson is willing to investigate an unsolved murder for her ex-fiancé—without his help. Detective Kyle Rossi broke her heart years ago, but she’ll find justice for his sister-in-law. Only, the victim isn’t who they thought she was. And working with Kyle becomes Phillipa’s best chance. As they follow a decade-long trail of betrayal and murder, Phillipa must put aside her heartache to uncover the truth…about the victim’s past and their own.

Kaikeyi: A Novel

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Paperback

“I was born on the full moon under an auspicious constellation, the holiest of positions—much good it did me.”

So begins Kaikeyi’s story. The only daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, she is raised on tales of the gods: how they churned the vast ocean to obtain the nectar of immortality, how they vanquish evil and ensure the land of Bharat prospers, and how they offer powerful boons to the devout and the wise. Yet she watches as her father unceremoniously banishes her mother, listens as her own worth is reduced to how great a marriage alliance she can secure. And when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear.

Instinct: An Animal Rescuers Anthology

INSTINCT: AN ANIMAL RESCUERS ANTHOLOGY by Lucienne Diver, Kelley Armstrong, Faith Hunter, Hailey Edwards and more

AMAZON - B&N

Danger. Evil. Death. Heroes can face it all, but they cannot do it alone.

Throughout history, creatures both big and small have stood alongside heroes and helped them through trying times, whether on the battlefield or in their laps. In these brand-new stories, seventeen bestselling authors regale us with adventures of animal companions and how they often are the ones rescuing the rescuer.

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