❤Author Interview: New Adult Romantic Suspense Author S.D. Lettie: The Arrangement #authorinterview

Before she ever had “author” next to her name, S.D. Lettie was—and still is—an avid reader first; the kind who would finish a book in a day and beg her parents to take her back to the bookstore. Reading started as a hobby and, as she got older, became her source of entertainment, escape, and comfort. Over the years, she found herself wanting to write the kind of worlds readers could get excited about—a world that could grow into a fandom of its own. 

Today, Lettie writes slow-burn romances—stories about characters who are imperfectly perfect, the hard moments that shape them, and the plot twists that leave readers reeling. Outside her writing life, she’s a wife and mom of two, roles that influence both her time and perspective. She’s also a dedicated soccer fan, the kind who will plan her day around a match and openly admit she’ll yell at the TV when things get heated.

Through all of it, her goal as an author is simple: she wants her characters to stay with readers long after the book ends. 

Her latest book is the new adult romantic suspense, The Arrangement (Bancroft University Chronicles Book 1).

Visit her website at www.sdlettieauthor.com. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, BookBub and Goodreads.

I am so excited about your book, The Arrangement. Why did you choose this particular story to write?

I love a good redemption arc, and I knew early on that at least one of my characters - maybe more - would get one. As a writer, you always have a hundred story ideas bouncing around in your head, and it’s hard to know which one will actually stick. Luckily, this one did, and for good reason.

I’m a huge fan of mafia romance. It’s one of my favorite tropes, especially when the MMC has that “touch her and die” energy and lives firmly in the morally gray. In real life? Hard pass. In fiction? Absolutely.

With The Arrangement, I wanted to put a twist on the classic “forced to marry the mafia heir” setup. My FMC isn’t poor, she didn’t grow up struggling, and she’s not a damsel in distress. Emilia is a rich, political trust-fund kid who is exhausted by a life she never chose. Then you throw in a mafia heir - someone who also didn’t choose his life—and suddenly you’ve got two characters who can and will go toe-to-toe.

Can you give us a blurb so others will know what it’s about?

 

Emilia expected senior year to be predictable: classes, charity events, and pretending she isn't suffocating under the spotlight of D.C. politics. What she didn't expect was an arranged engagement... to the boy - now man - she told her secrets to in letters.

Nikolai, the ghost from her past. The boy she bared her soul to through letters - right up until the day they stopped coming.

Now he's back. In her city. In her life. And, somehow, her fiancé.

But the engagement is just the beginning. Everything Emilia thought she understood - about her past, her family, even herself - starts to shift the moment he returns. 

Some reunions are sweet, theirs is something else entirely.

Book one in a slow-burn duet that has political intrigue, a forced engagement, elite university drama, betrayals, and men who will bring you to your knees. 

 

Can you tell us about the main characters? 

Emilia Langford is the main female character. She’s the Vice President of the United States’ eldest daughter and the president of Bancroft University’s Chi Omega chapter. She's ambitious, composed, resourceful, and charming, but beneath that polish is someone driven by a deep desire for freedom. After years of living under her parents’ control, she’s desperate to claim a life that actually feels like her own.

Nikolai Volkov is the main male character. He’s thoughtful and strategic, with deep-seated trust issues shaped by his upbringing. He’s intensely focused and capable of fierce loyalty and love, but that same background also makes him ruthless at times, with a moral compass that doesn’t always point north.

 

Where and when does your book take place?

It takes place in modern-day Washington, D.C. and the surrounding area during Emilia’s senior year at Bancroft University.

 

They say all books have at least one pivotal point where the reader just can’t put the book down. What is one of the pivotal points in The Arrangement?

The forced engagement is the clear moment - it’s hard to put the book down once that happens. But if I had to pick another pivotal point, it would be when Max enters the story. He isn’t a main character, but he’s incredibly important to the overall plot and to Emilia’s personal journey.

 

Does your book carry a message?

Yes - At its core, the story explores how privilege doesn’t always equal freedom, and how some of the most confining cages are the ones you can’t see from the outside.

 

What's your next project?

Next up is Book 2 of the Bancroft University Chronicles duet, The Unraveling. After that, some of the side characters will get their own stories. I’m also outlining another book in a different romance genre, so we’ll see where that goes.

 

Where can we pick up copies of The Arrangement?

The ebook of The Arrangement is exclusive to Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. The paperback is available on Amazon, other major online retailers, and directly through me.

Link: https://books2read.com/thearrangement-sdlettie

Is there anything you’d like to tell your readers and fans?

I couldn’t do this without you. Your support and excitement mean more than I can put into words, and it’s what keeps me going. And I’ll just say this - book two is going to be big. Like, scream-into-your-pillow big. I’m having way too much fun writing it, and I can’t wait for you to read it.

New Children's Book Release: 'Evan's Gift' by Karen Charles

 

When Evan trades his dream of a new bike for compassion, he discovers the greatest gift of all—helping others.

When Evan trades his dream of a new bike for compassion, he discovers the greatest gift of all—helping others. Perfect for classrooms and families, "Evan's Gift" celebrates empathy, courage, and the beauty of giving in a warm, uplifting story about generosity and the power of choosing kindness.

• Genre:children's fiction

• Sub-genre:Social Themes / Friendship

• Age Range (years):5 - 12

• Language:English

• Pages: 48

• Paperback ISBN:9798317824341

Ethan’s Gift is available at BookBaby.

About the Author

Karen Charles grew up in West Africa and traveled to countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Her rich background and lifetime experiences are reflected in the depth of her writing. In her stories, she transforms real-life narratives into gripping fiction thrillers. Her novels intricately weave the threads of truth into a tapestry of suspense, intrigue, and riveting storytelling. She is the author of two children’s books, “Freeman Earns a Bike” and “Evan’s Gifts,” and three thrillers based on true stories. “Fateful Connections” takes place in the aftermath of 9/11, and “Blazing Upheaval” takes place during the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles and the Northridge earthquake. “A Glimpse Too Far” offers all the mystery and heart-pounding suspense of a psychological thriller and is based on a true story.

Karen Charles has two businesses—a global company that trains international teachers to teach American English and an Airbnb on a beautiful bay in Washington State, where she currently resides with her husband. 

Visit her website at www.weaveofsuspense.com. 

Connect with her on X, Facebook and LinkedIn.

New YA Fantasy Release! The Welcome Sign by Barbara Jean Weber

After finding a beautiful mermaid welcome sign, a young girl encounters a hidden and wondrous magical realm filled with magical characters, unlikely new friends and embarks on a dangerous quest to save the world from evil and restore the balance between the real world and the magical realm...

When 10-year-old Molly Parnell’s grandmother mysteriously disappears she and her mother travel to Cape Cod to take ownership of the house they inherited and find out answers about the sudden disappearance. But what they discover could be more dangerous and life changing than they ever imaged. Molly and her mother find a beautiful mermaid welcome sign in the attic and place it on the front door. Unusual things start to happen and they are flooded with visitors who claim they knew the grandmother.  The true powers behind the mysterious sign are revealed as Molly learns her grandmother was part of a secret organization working to keep balance between the magical realm and the real world. The magical realms placed an invisible veil of secrecy over the world to hide their true identities from the human world but allowing them to live among them  in secret. An angry rebel group of magical beings, tired of living in hiding is tearing down and destroying the magical cloaking fabric between the two worlds. If they are not stopped the magical realm will no longer be safe from the world.  As Molly and her mom embark on a dangerous and magical adventure throughout the magical realms to help stop  the rebels, she learns of her own magical powers and her strong family heritage connected to the welcome sign. Along the way, she teams up with new magical friends helping to keep the realm of magic safe from the eyes of the world and discovers that her grandmother was right all along. The world she thought she knew no longer exists, but an amazing world of magic woven into their world has always been hiding  in plain sight.

• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Sub-genre: Teen & Young Adult Magical Realism Fiction
• Language: English
• Pages: 218
• Paperback ISBN: 979-8350987287

Read sample here.

The Welcome Sign is available at Amazon.

Excerpt: 

PROLOGUE

CRYSTAL PERKINS SLIPPED INTO HER OFFICE AND LOOKED carefully down the hallway. It was shortly after 8:00 p.m., and the office was dark and deserted. The only staff remaining was the cleaning crew. She threw one last look around the hallway and nervously shut the door quickly behind her. She glanced out the window, closed the blinds, and turned on the small desk lamp.

Crystal slumped down in her chair and unfolded the newspaper on her desk. She ran her hand anxiously through her short, curly black hair. She couldn’t believe all of this was happening so quickly. Things were totally out of control, and she didn’t know how they were going to fix them. Sighing deeply, she glanced at the article in bold print and reached for the phone. She continued to stare at the front page of the newspaper as she frantically dialed the numbers on the phone. In bold print on the first page of the newspaper were these words: “More Unusual Sightings of Strange Creatures: An Elaborate Hoax or Fact?”

“Warren, it’s Crystal. Have you seen the newspaper today? There have been more sightings!” Her voice was shaky and worried. “It’s getting too overwhelming!” She ran a hand across her forehead.

“Crystal! Calm down. I have my people looking into this right now on my end,” a deep voice replied. “Have you questioned the witnesses yet? Are their stories credible? Are you—” he asked with a concerned tone but stopped suddenly.

“Yes, of course I have investigated all of the local reports and followed up on all the new leads regarding the sightings! Besides, Warren, that is my job. Isn’t that why you put me in the position of investigative reporter in the first place? Plus, Warren, like you. I know the real story. She paused with a deep sigh. “But Warren, there are too many! I can’t keep up. Warren, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“Crystal, do you hear that humming sound in the handset? I’m not sure this is a secure line! Quick, call me on the other line!” There was a click and the line instantly went dead. Crystal dug deep in her purse and pulled out a small pearl-colored compact. The circular device shimmered as she turned it in her hands. She quickly scanned the room to make sure she was alone. Flipping open the compact, Crystal dropped in five small glowing bead-like objects from a long, clear vial she had also removed from her purse. She breathed over them, and instantly they broke apart into smaller pieces. She pushed a button on the side of the compact, and the glowing objects began to melt and formed a glowing, watery substance. Crystal dipped her finger in, swirling it slowly in a clockwise direction. Slowly the glowing substance rose out of the compact in a funnel shape and expanded out to form a lighted, liquid screen about ten inches in length. Through a shimmery haze Warren’s face appeared in the watery screen. He spoke in a low voice.

“Is it safe to talk here?” he asked quietly. Crystal nodded. “Yeah, it’s late. There shouldn’t be anyone else here. Everyone has gone home. I think the only people that are here now are the cleaning crew.”

“We must be absolutely sure! There is too much at stake here. I think your office phone may be bugged. We can’t speak on the regular line anymore, understand?” Warren warned. “As my number one investigative reporter, YOU are in charge of making the witness’s stories sound ridiculous, and it’s your job to discredit the reports inthe papers. Under no circumstances can we let the real story get out. EVER! It’s important that we keep the truth hidden. I’ve got others strategically placed in these roles around the world doing the very same jobs. Don’t make me think I picked the wrong person for this job, Crystal!”

Crystal nodded. “You did pick the right person for the job. You know Warren, it’s getting harder to cover this up.” Crystal ran a hand slowly across her forehead and through her hair. “Wait, Warren,” she stammered. Hearing a noise in the hall, Crystal stood up and approached the door. “Warren, hold on. I heard something.” She listened quietly, cracked open the door, and peered into the darkened hallway. The light from her office made dark shadows dance along the walls as she opened the door. Silently and unseen, a tall, slender figure slid the toe of his shoe into the dark shadows, pulled his body tighter against the wall, and held his breath. Crystal glanced around, and when she was convinced no one was there, she closed the door quietly. “I’m losing my mind, Warren. I’m sure I just heard footsteps in the hallway.”

“Calm down! Don’t be so jumpy, Crystal. You’ve got to hold it together! It was probably just the cleaners. Now is not the time to lose it. You’ve got to keep your head clear,” Warren stated authoritatively.

“Warren, there’s something else. I think I’m being followed. I swear I keep seeing the same car—”

Warren cut her off with, “Don’t panic. I’ll get someone over there for your protection and to keep an eye on you. They should be there in the morning. Just stay focused and on task. We can’t let this get out of control, understand? We won’t let anything happen to you!”

“Our paper wants to run a similar article as what the witnesses are saying,” she whispered. “And Warren, I’m looking at a press release that they want sent out as soon as possible. The witnesses sound very credible this time . . . I’m having a hard time covering this up. Warren, what do we do? There are too many sightings. More and more are coming in every week, and I’m running out of creative ways to cover them up! We need to get this stopped RIGHT NOW! I need some serious help from your end!” Crystal stammered nervously.

“I know! I know,” Warren nodded. “We’re doing all we can over here. We’re trying to find out who’s responsible so we can stop them. You just keep doing the best you can. We’ll get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. Whatever you do . . . Keep the secret hidden. It’s imperative that we continue to keep this under control. We’ve been able to keep this hidden for a long time, and I’m not about to let the secret loose now. We must keep covering this up! And we need to do it quickly! We’ll talk in a few days. Warren out!”

The liquid screen started swirling slowly, gradually picking up speed and ultimately dissolving back into a sparkling funnel shape and descending into the compact. All that was left in the compact were several glowing bead-like objects. Crystal held the compact out and blew at the objects. The bead-like objects instantly disintegrated into a fine powder and were swept away without a trace. Crystal snapped the compact shut, shoving it back in her purse. This wasn’t going to be easy. Warren had given her the tough job of keeping their identify safe. Although there had been sporadic incidents here and there, their secret had been kept safe for nearly three centuries.

Why was it getting harder now while she was the investigative reporter? Things were skyrocketing out of control at a rate faster than she could handle.

Crystal had known Warren Tracer ever since she was a little girl. He was a dear family friend. They had all been true believers, and when Crystal was old enough to know the secret, she was brought into the circle of trust. As she grew older, she had seen more of Warren and learned about his unbelievable secret. Warren Tracer hadn’t always been Warren Tracer. His original name was Whalen Marks, and although he was not a magical being, he possessed great magical powers.

In his younger years, he and her father had been with the Special Forces for the military. During a particularly secretive mission, a trap had been set, and the mission had gone terribly wrong. Everyone had been reported dead. However, the real events of the mission had never been revealed.

All Crystal knew was that Warren, her father, and several of the men had made an amazing discovery on that day. The mission had indeed gone horribly wrong, but several of the Special Forces men had been rescued. Crystal suspected that Warren and his men had made contact with beings of the magical realm. Warren rarely spoke of the events of that day, but she knew better than anyone that Warren was a true believer. Something remarkable had happened to him and his men, but no one knew exactly what that was. Just that it was remarkable and life changing.

Warren had eventually changed his identity, becoming Warren Tracer, and begun working undercover for the magical realm. When her father died several years later, Warren had stepped in as a replacement. He had been family from the beginning, so to accept him as a father figure wasn’t difficult.

Eventually, Crystal had been approached to work for Warren in helping keep their secret safe. There was nothing more in the world that Crystal wanted than to help out her new friends. She’d jumped at the chance to work undercover at the newspaper and keep Warren up to speed on all the local sightings. It was a dream come true. Warren and the others didn’t disappoint her, and she loved her job. She had been working with the newspaper for over eleven years now, but of late, she was finding it harder and harder to hide the truth.

Crystal hoped Warren would find those that were responsible for the tears in the fabric and stop them. They would need a lot of help if they were going to keep the secret safe this time. As she sighed heavily and slumped back in her chair, she caught a quick glimpse of movement to her side. Startled, Crystal looked up suddenly. There had been more noises that she was sure weren’t made by the cleaning crew. In a flash Crystal stood up, knocking her chair to the floor. Before she could fully comprehend what was happening, two tall, shadowy figures flung open the door, bolted from her office, and were joined by a third in the hallway. They had heard everything. In the wrong hands, the information that she’d conveyed to Warren could prove very dangerous. As she grabbed for the compact in a frantic panic, the three figures dashed from the building at an astonishingly fast speed and vanished without a trace silently into the night.

– Excerpted from The Welcome Sign by Barbara Jean Weber, BookBaby, 2025. Reprinted with permission. 

About the Author

Barbara Jean Weber lives in Skagit County with her husband and two daughters, where she works as a speech and language therapist. Her novel, The Welcome Sign, was inspired when she was gifted a mermaid welcome sign. The more she studied the sign, the more her story evolved. She is currently an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Visit her website at https://www.barbarajeanweber.com/. 

 

 

❤Author Interview: Paranormal Thriller Author Theresa Cheung: NightBorn #authorinterview

 

Theresa Cheung is an internationally bestselling author and public speaker. She has been writing about spirituality, dreams and the paranormal for the past 25 years, and was listed by Watkins Mind Body and Spirit magazine as one of the 100 most spiritually influential living people in 2023. She has a degree in Theology and English from Kings College, Cambridge University, frequently collaborating with leading scientists and neuroscientists researching consciousness.

Theresa is regularly featured in national newspapers and magazines, and she is a frequent radio, podcast and television guest and ITV: This Morning’s regular dream decoding expert. She hosts her own popular spiritual podcast called White Shores and weekly live UK Health Radio Show: The Healing Power of Your Dreams.

Her latest book is the paranormal thriller, NightBorn, available at Amazon US and Amazon UK.

You can visit her website at www.theresacheung.com or connect with her on X, Facebook, Instagram or Goodreads.

I am so excited about your book, NightBorn. Why did you choose this particular story to write?

I’ve spent much of my life exploring dreams, consciousness and the mysteries of the psyche through my non-fiction work, spiritual writing, and dream research. But the more I studied dreams, the more I felt that fiction could allow me to explore these ideas in new and powerful ways that could reach a larger more mainstream audience. NightBorn sprang from a “what if” question that haunted me for a long time: what if dreams weren’t just private  and what if they could be shared, manipulated, weaponised?

I chose to write this story because it felt both deeply personal and terrifyingly possible. As someone fascinated by psychology, the unconscious and the porous boundary between waking and sleeping life, I wanted to imagine a world where the dream space becomes a battlefield. Writing NightBorn gave me the freedom to weave together psychological tension, conspiracy, and the surreal potential of shared dreaming, all questions I’ve long wondered about.

Can you give us a blurb so others will know what it’s about?

 

What if the line between your waking life and your darkest dreams disappeared forever? Alice Sinclair, a driven psychology professor, is about to find out. When thousands of people begin experiencing terrifying, vivid nightmares — all centered around her — Alice’s quiet academic life is shattered. Haunted by the question of why she’s become the subject of these shared dreams, Alice embarks on a desperate search for answers, uncovering a chilling secret: someone — or something — hungry for global power has discovered a way to manipulate consciousness itself. The world is fast becoming a playground for those in control of the dreaming mind. In a heart-stopping race against time, Alice must navigate a treacherous web of deception, where nothing — and no one — can be trusted, not even herself. 

 

Can you tell us a little about the main characters?

• Alice Sinclair is the protagonist. She’s a psychology professor: intelligent, analytical, rational. But her life turns upside down when she realises she’s appearing in and perhaps even controlling other people’s nightmares. Alice is forced to confront everything she thought she knew about consciousness, identity and what it means to "own" your mind.
• Others around Alice: As the novel unfolds, Alice becomes embroiled in a dangerous conspiracy that spans not just individuals, but institutions. There are allies and enemies whose true motives are unclear and part of the psychological tension comes from Alice’s inability to fully trust anyone, even people close to her. (I don’t want to give away too many spoilers!)

I wanted Alice to feel like a real, grounded person: someone readers can believe, empathise with and fear might be on the brink of losing herself.

 

Where and when does this book take place?

NightBorn is set in the near future, in Florida USA and also in central London UK in a world very similar to our own. Alice’s academic life is rooted in the familiar: university halls, lecture theatres, everyday routines. That normality makes the incursion of the surreal, shared nightmares, mass consciousness manipulation all the more jarring. By situating the story in a world that feels recognisably our own, I hope the sense of psychological horror lands more deeply with readers.

 

They say all books of fiction have at least one pivotal point where the reader just can’t put the book down. What is one of the pivotal points in NightBorn? 

One of the most pivotal moments comes fairly early on, when Alice realises that the nightmares she’s experiencing and sharing aren’t isolated. They’re not just hers. Thousands of people all over the world are reporting the same horrifying, vivid dreams dreams in which she is central.

That moment reframes the entire story. What began as a personal psychological mystery becomes something much larger: a global phenomenon. At that point, the stakes jump from “What is happening to me?” to “What is happening to humanity?” It’s a turning point where Alice moves from being a bewildered academic into someone running for answers  and safety. That shift in tone and scope tends to make readers hold their breath.

 

Does your book carry a message?

Yes. It is a thriller that messes with your mind for a reason because as well as being a page turner it is also a crash course in dream decoding for those who don't tend to read non fiction though I hope I’ve woven it subtly into the story. NightBorn is ultimately an exploration of consciousness, identity, and power. It asks: Who owns our minds? And: What happens when that boundary between self and other - between private inner life and public influence - breaks down?

I wanted readers to ask themselves: what if the unconscious isn’t just private and personal and what if it can be manipulated, controlled, harnessed? And what responsibility do we have, individually and collectively, for the landscapes of our own minds?

It’s also a cautionary tale about power, political, psychological, technological, and the ways in which control over consciousness might become the next frontier.

 

What's your next project?

My next non fiction project explores the Twin Flame Journey but fiction wise I’m already thinking about what comes after NightBorn. While I don’t want to reveal too much just yet, I am very interested in continuing to explore the boundary between dreams and reality perhaps from a different angle. Expect more psychological suspense, maybe more conspiracy, perhaps even a deeper dive into dreamscapes that blur the lines between memory, prophecy and imagination.

 

Where can we pick up copies of NightBorn?

It's currently available on Amazon and Amazon Kindle.

 

Is there anything you’d like to tell your readers and fans?

Yes just a heartfelt thank you. Writing NightBorn has been a journey: a leap from non-fiction and spiritual writing into the imaginative, unpredictable world of fiction. I poured a lot of personal experience, decades of research and maybe a bit of fear into this book.

If you pick it up, I hope it makes you think differently about your dreams and it may very well trigger clearer dream recall as that is what readers are telling me. I hope it makes you question what’s real. And maybe, just maybe, make you a little more curious about what happens behind your closed eyelids when you sleep.

Thank you for reading, for supporting me, and for exploring this world with me. I can’t wait to hear what you think… and what you dream.