Book One: Burning for More

Dylan is the passionate and sensitive, but also capable and strong, hero in this series debut. He's the second oldest of the Hogan brothers, but his story had to be told first. Of all the brothers, it made the most sense that Dylan would be the first to settle down. He comes with his own bag of issues, as they all do, but once Autumn is able to break down his walls, he's got a soft center, and truly just wants to be loved in return.

I started writing this book in October 2019 and I typed "The End" in January 2020. As writing isn't my full-time gig, there were many breaks between writing times. All together, I'd say it only took me about fifteen days to actually write the first draft. I then put it down for two months, allowing myself to separate from the story before beginning the self-editing process in March 2020. It went to my beta readers in April, and to my editor in June. It was ready for publication in July with a release date of August 5, 2020!

This is the first full-length novel that I've ever seen to completion. I'd written several short stories that were published in collections, but my perfectionism always got in the way of my finishing a novel-length manuscript. When I actually finished my first draft, I cried. I felt so overwhelmed with excitement and accomplishment. Writing a novel had been a serious goal of mine for twenty years, and I'd finally done it. My husband broke out our special bottle of celebratory gin to toast with, then he took me to Applebee's for dessert to celebrate (because that was the only place open at 11:30 at night on a Wednesday). We shared a brownie and I had two Palomas, which was my drink of the moment.

Going into the editing process, I expected it to be daunting. I'm a perfectionist as it is, so I knew it'd be hard for me to finally say "Okay, it's done." I was also terrified to send my baby manuscript out into the world for anyone else to read, especially knowing that editors would be critical. All that being said, I surprisingly enjoyed editing. It was surreal to see my draft turn into a polished manuscript. My editors, August Head and Sara Burgess, made the process easy and my writing better.

The hardest part was writing the blurb. Having to sum up the best parts of my story in a few words that are engaging and leave people wanting more, was more difficult than writing the actual book!

The cover was another adventure. The first designer I hired missed the mark badly. I posted it in a few author groups that I'm in on Facebook and it all but got set on fire (pun intended). I left that designer and hired a new one who nailed it on the first go (Jaycee of Sweet n Spicy Designs). Well, at least I think so. What do you guys think?

Book Two: Burning for This

The second to youngest of the Hogan brothers, Jesse is a quintessential bachelor whose hobbies include surfing, firefighting and women. He's guaranteed to steam up the page. Seriously ladies. 

Writing Jesse and Lana's story was fun, but intense. I ended up writing three-quarters of the book in less than a week! That is no easy feat, my friends. I enjoyed writing it though because it has a lot of parallels to things I've experienced in my own life. 

There are four generations of firefighters in my family, so Jesse and Lana's experiences having families in that world is something that I can relate to. This book also takes a look at alcoholism, which is something I've gone through with my own family. 

Like Lana, I have a background in the restaurant industry. I was a bartender at a brewery and a taphouse in New Hampshire, which is where I gained most of my beer knowledge.

Oh, and the story about how Lana found out her ex was cheating on her...yeah, that happened to me.

Book Three: Burning for Her

The youngest Hogan brother, Ryan, is used to getting anything he wants - especially women. That is, until he sets his sights on the one woman who couldn't be less interested.

This story was a challenge for me because I am a stickler for accuracy and my only medical experience comes from my background as a Certified First Responder. With Zoe being a nurse, I had to do A LOT of research to make sure I was getting things right. Luckily, the couple I live next door to (who also happen to be good friends) are in the medical field, so they helped me make sure I was on the right track.

I was little nervous to write Ryan because he had developed quite the reputation over the past couple of books, so I needed to stay true to that, but I also needed to make Zoe compelling enough to make him realize that the "relationships" he'd had previously were meaningless, and that connecting with her on a deeper level was what he'd been missing in life.

And that's how Zoe became a total badass, independent, strong woman. She's the strongest female character I've written, and she needed Ryan just as much as he needed her.

As for my writing process, I finished writing this in two weeks. Mind you, it's nearly 90,000 words... While it was stressful, I've found that it really helped me stay in the story because it was always fresh. This might be a technique I use going forward.

I'll be celebrating on release day with a shot of tequila in honor of Ryan and Zoe. You'll understand that once you read it. 

Book Four: Burning for Fate

When I created Jace Palmer in Burning for More, I knew he had to have his own story. I also must admit that I infused Britt with a lot of my best friend's personality, so I had a lot of fun developing her character. Initially, I only planned on writing four books, one for each of the Hogan brothers, but Jace insisted on having one, too. And that's how this series went from the Hogan brothers to the Hogan brothers and friends.

This book kicks off with Dylan and Autumn's wedding weekend and I throughly enjoyed writing this continuation of their love story. 

I came up with the premise for this back when I was writing book 1 in this series, but I wasn't sure how I was going to execute it beyond them having previously hooked up and then becoming enemies. Initially, I expected this to be more on the Rom Com side with a hint of my signature angst thrown in, but once I started writing and the characters started to reveal themselves to me, all that went out the window. This book gets unexpectedly deep and I really enjoyed showing just how much Jace and Britt kept hidden beneath the surface. When I wrote the middle, holy cow plot twist! I hadn't seen it coming, but the words flowed from my fingers and Britt cheered me on as I threw my outline out the window. I simply had to go with it. I laughed, I cried, and I fell in love right along with them.

Both Jace and Britt were jaded when it came to love and relationships, so I crafted a story that allowed them to open their minds and their hearts to the possibility of true love.

I hope you're ready for this roller coaster of a ride--I promise you it'll be worth staying up all night for, because once you start reading this one, you won't be able to stop 

Book Five: Burning for You

Kyle's book has been my most anticipated release to date. This has been the story I've most enjoyed writing and also the one that has wrecked me most. I'm talking a snotty crocodile tears that keep me up at night kind of carnage. The struggles hit home for me in a lot of ways, but it's also this beautiful story of transforming tragedy into strength, making this novel a powerful punch to the emotional gut.

And don't even get me started on how much I love Kyle. I wish he was real and I wish I was Allie...just saying (sorry hubby 😉) Neither of them are perfect, but they are perfect for each other. Trust me when I say we all need a Kyle in our lives!

Writing part one of this novel was the most fun I've had in my writing journey so far. It took me back to my childhood and it was a blast to reminisce about life back then. 

I've pulled quite a bit from my personal experiences for this story. The 9/11 scene is very similar to how I experienced it. I grew up on Long Island, only thirteen miles from midtown Manhattan. The Twin Towers were visible from my town, so I actually saw the towers of smoke that day. My father is a firefighter and he responded on 9/11. He called me from the fire truck when he was on his way to Ground Zero and I remember begging him not to go. To this day, nearly 20 years later, I still can't talk about it without crying.

Towards the end of this novel, Kyle responds to a medical call that is...how should I say this? Unique. If you've read it, you know which one I'm talking about. That call was one I've been on in real-life. Yeah, I know... The Spiderman call is also based on a real-life experience.

Honestly, I'm going to have a hard time topping this story, but I am absolutely up for the challenge! 

Consider this your warning: you will need tissues and you will have a book hangover.

Book Six: Burning for Love

After writing Kyle and Allie's story, I was super nervous that I wouldn't be able to top it, but then I started to write Declan and Gwen's story and...damn. This book took on a life of its own. My editor's first response when she read my manuscript was: I wasn’t sure how you’d beat Allie and Kyle but … phew you did it. [Insert me doing a happy dance]

This is my steamiest novel to date. When I was halfway through, I actually started to worry that I'd have to cut some of the scenes. My husband and my editor talked me out of it. Those scenes aren't in there simply to be titilating; they serve a purpose for the development of each character. That being said, they were a ton of fun to write!

I've had portions of this book plotted out since I've started this series. This was my first attempt at romantic suspense and I am hooked! My next series, Flirting witht he Finest, is going to be all romantic suspense, with my signature heartwrenching style.

I cried several times while writing this one. Especially during the final fire scene because that one really hit home for me as something that very well could've happened while I was still a firefighter or while I'd been dating my former lieutenant. 

This novel hits home for another reason, too. *SPOILER ALERT* Gwen has an eating disorder. When I was younger, I did, too. See the acknowledgements in the back of the book for more details on that. 

One of my favorite parts about writing this one was revisting with the previous couples. There are several major scenes centered around the couples we already love. 

This is definitely different than my previous works, but I hope you all enjoy it!