Please give the elevator pitch for The True Cowboy of Sunset Ridge.

When Mallory Chance finally ditches her deadbeat boyfriend and moves to Gold Valley, Oregon to start over she's ready for adventure. So when she locks eyes with a hot cowboy across the bar in town, she decides to throw caution to the wind and do something she's never done before - have one hot night with a stranger.

But her hot night is complicated by the fact that it turns out her anonymous hook up is Colt Daniels - related to her brother by marriage, and also, her new landlord. And when Colt ends up caring for his deceased friend's tiny baby, he needs help. But playing house with strong, handsome Colt makes Mallory long for things she thought she'd let go of. In the end will they be torn apart, or will they be able to set aside their grief and make a family?

Which came first, the characters or the plot line?

Colt and Mallory have both been in different books in the Gold Valley series, so they came first for me, and then when it was time to tell their stories, the plot came from them. That's how it usually works for me, characters come in strongly first and then I figure out how to place them.

Why do you love Mallory and Colt and why should readers root for them?

Both Mallory and Colt have suffered a lot of loss in their lives, but they both give a lot to their families, but have a hard time accepting love for themselves. Also, there's a gratuitous scene where Mallory walks in on Colt in the bath tub, and i was really rooting for them both there.

What was your last 5 star read?

I'm Only Wicked With You by Julie Anne Long. The hero, Hugh Cassidy is one of the best romance heroes I've ever read. He's a rogueish American and the way he plays off of the very aristocratic heroine is so perfect. It's breathtakingly romantic, and everyone should read it right now!

What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

I'm glad that I didn't know too much about publishing when I started out! I didn't have any expectations, I was just amazed that someone thought my book was good enough for people to read. And when things get challenging in publishing - as they sometimes do - I try to go back to that simple thing. I get to write stories, and people read them. And it doesn't get more amazing than that!