How Did I Get Here?

The Romance to Domestic Suspense Detour

I’m hurtling headlong toward the release of my first domestic suspense thriller, The Last Book Club. It’s been a journey for me as a long time romance author, setting foot into a new story world. Some days, it feels like I’ve burnt down the career that’s been twenty years in the making. Turning from stories where happy-ever-after is a guarantee toward a story without any scrap of romance—and where things might turn twisty, shocking, and scary before all it’s all said and done—is quite a leap.

My soon-to-be released book was a passion project after the Harlequin series I’d been writing for suddenly ceased publication. I had been dismayed to watch the space for books shrink inside stores like Walmart and Target for years. But I wrote away anyhow, hoping good books would find readers in the long run. Then, out of the blue, I received a note that my series would no longer exist and I was without a publishing home for the first time in twenty-plus years. It felt disorienting.

I took some time off afterward, since I didn’t have a choice. I was able to take stock of my professional journey and ask myself some hard questions. Did I want to keep writing? I could always return to the college classroom where I used to enjoy talking about books and film, teaching writing, and sharing my enthusiasm for both literary and genre fiction. However, as much as I enjoy teaching, it requires energy that I can’t always muster every day after a lifetime of rheumatoid arthritis.

What I really hoped to do was get back to storytelling in some fashion. Perhaps I would take a different angle toward publishing since my romance stories had hit a bit of a wall. But what else could I write?

Reader, I looked no further than my Kindle. As I scrolled through my library, I realized how much suspense I’d been reading over the years. Sometimes as a writer it’s nice to read outside your own genre so as not to unwittingly absorb someone else’s story idea. Reading suspense ensured that didn’t happen as I penned books about negotiating the conflicts inherent in intimate relationships. I’ve always been a voracious reader, and my interests cover a wide range of non-fiction, literary works, women’s fiction, book club fiction…. Well, you get the idea. But the biggest category of my reading in the last few years was domestic suspense.

How fun might it be to try it myself?

I wrote five different openings to five wildly different stories, testing my voice in a variety of directions. It’s the same kind of exercise I used to give to my creative writing students, and it was every bit as fun as I hoped it might be. I was hooked! Now I just needed to find the right story.

Fast forward a few months of stops and starts. A failed synopsis or two. A few test chapters of various ideas. Then, out of the idea pool, the germ of The Last Book Club rose to the surface. I loved the idea immediately. Wealthy suburban residents who share a book club and lots of secrets. Someone dies. Someone infiltrates the group to find a killer. It was a little bit Desperate Housewives. A little bit Dead to Me.

Months later, I had a book I adored. I couldn’t wait to write more suspense. Harlequin’s Intrigue series worked with me to bring more suspense stories, with Silent Night Standoff releasing in November 2026. There’s a little romance in that one—when they’re not on the run from a killer. But first, I’m excited to share The Last Book Club and see what you think of my suspense detour.

As always, I appreciate you being on this journey with me.

South Florida friends, join me for the Release Party Celebration at The Book Lounge on June 4th!

**Want a print copy signed by me? You can order one from The Book Lounge or in my shop! (US only)