Rachelle Paige Campbell

#WOTR26 Author Interviews

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Hi, I’m Rachelle Paige Campbell. I started reading romance novels in college; as a way to help speed up my reading to make it through Art History textbooks. After years in the professional world writing very dry grant proposals and auction descriptions, I started writing the contemporary romance stories I wanted to read. Setting my books in some of my favorite destinations was my inspired way to require plenty of research trips every year with my family.

How did you hear about this event?  How many years have you attended?

I’ve heard about Writers on the River from author friends that have been attending for years. I was thrilled to be a signing author in 2025 and am so excited to come back in 2026.

What genres do you write?

sweet contemporary romance and Christian contemporary romance

What is a book of yours you wish more people read?

The Ghost of Loon Lake is my second chance romance plus a mystery with all the shenanigans I love. Estranged spouses. An inheritance. And maybe a ghost? This book is perfect for fans of Psych and Gilmore Girls.

What is one fun fact about you?  It can be anything like food allergy, fear of something, weird way you broke a bone…….

When I graduated college, I moved overseas for grad school and lived in a dormitory run by nuns. They were amazing. The kindest ladies. I still think about their delicious dinners.

What are your social links?

https://rachellepaigecampbell.com/

https://www.instagram.com/rachellepaigebooks/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachelle-paige-campbell

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13453682.Rachelle_Paige_Campbell

What are your buy links?

https://www.amazon.com/Rachelle-Paige-Campbell/e/B00T0T533Q

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/author/rachelle-paige-campbell

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/%22Rachelle%20Paige%20Campbell%22?Ntk=P_key_Contributor_List&Ns=P_Sales_Rank&Ntx=mode+matchall

https://books.apple.com/us/author/rachelle-paige-campbell/id1439716125

Joel Shoemaker

#WOTR26 Author Interviews

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

Joel Shoemaker has been a librarian for over a decade and a magician for more than three! He lives in central Illinois with his husband, frogs named Penn and Teller, a bearded dragon named Toothless, a colony of cherry shrimp, currently nameless, and his dog, Maximus. He consumes an inordinate amount of cheese.

How did you hear about this event?  How many years have you attended?

This will be my third year. I believe my dear friend and fellow attendee J. Lawson was the one that first told me about it.

What genres do you write?

My first book is LGBTQIA+ YA, my second and fourth books are adult short story anthologies and my third book is a picture book for the queer, affirming-faith community.

What is a book of yours you wish more people read?

My newest book is a cocktail-themed flash fiction anthology. I wish more people read it and tried out the accompanying recipes. 🙂

What is one fun fact about you?  It can be anything like food allergy, fear of something, weird way you broke a bone…….

I have performed magic for Chuck Palahniuk’s Halloween Party in Portland, OR. Chuck Palahniuk is the author of Fight Club and it was a WILD honor to be invited to perform alongside the rest of the hired entertainment: a silent clown, a tarot card reader, and a floutist.

What are your social links?

https://www.facebook.com/shoemakermagicianauthor

https://www.instagram.com/magicianactor/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21950012.Joel_Shoemaker

https://itsjoelshoemaker.com

What are your buy links?

Lacey Black

#WOTR26 Author Interviews

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

I’m a full-time author of sexy contemporary romance. My first book released in August 2014, and I’ve had the pleasure of writing over 70 books in the last 11 years. I write small-town romance and weave in all my favorite sub-tropes, like single parents, surprise pregnancy, second chance, friends to lovers, workplace romance, and best friend’s sister/brother. I live in a small town in central Illinois with my husband, youngest daughter, grumpy cat, rambunctious puppy, and a chicken!

How did you hear about this event?  How many years have you attended?

I believe I saw the sign-up form on FB for the very first WOTR. I had only done 1 signing before that one, so I was incredibly nervous. Signings were still way out of my comfort zone, but I immediately felt at ease. WOTR quickly became my favorite signing, and I’ve been fortunate to attend all 11 events!

What genres do you write?

Contemporary romance

What is a book of yours you wish more people read?

Grip. It was originally part of K. Bromberg’s Driven World, and I feel most people thought they had to read all of the World books, but that wasn’t the case. It’s a great second chance, surprise baby book with tons of feels!

What is one fun fact about you?  It can be anything like food allergy, fear of something, weird way you broke a bone…….

I love to buy plants and flowers, but have the brownest thumb alive. 🙁

What are your social links?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlaceyblack
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laceyblackwrites/
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lacey-black
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthLaceyBlack
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@laceyblackauthor?lang=en
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8414783.Lacey_Black
Newsletter: http://www.laceyblackbooks.com/newsletter

What are your buy links?

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Lacey-Black/e/B00MW2UGZI

Amber Anthony

#WOTR26 Author Interviews

Tell us your name and then a bit about yourself.

*Amber Anthony is Pati Hough Bader and Nancy Reynolds. We began as screenwriters pitching in LA. Our coach, DC Fontana suggested we write romance novels, so we did. We love all genres of spice: PRN, Cont., Adventure, and Street Justice

*Pati Hough Bader is 1/2 of Amber Anthony. Nancy Reynolds lives in Tulsa. We met through a trip to UK in 2009 although we’ve known each other since 2007.
We pitched scripts until 2013 when our writing coach, DC Fontana (of Star Trek) suggested we write novels. We love many different genres of romance but all are an adventure, street justice and steamy, consensual sex.
We write seasoned, new Adult, PRN, metaphysical, and contemporary romance.

How did you hear about this event?  How many years have you attended?

*We’ve watched for a few years and always missed the interest date. 2026 will be our first.

*It’s been my dream for a couple of years and I finally applied in time and the weekend was free.

What genres do you write?

*Multi: PRN, cont., adventure, seasoned, new adult and tales of redemption.

*PRN, contemporary, metaphysical, BDSM, steam

What is a book of yours you wish more people read?

*Roman’s Revenge, action, humor, street justice and STEAM.

*Roman’s Revenge.

What is one fun fact about you?  It can be anything like food allergy, fear of something, weird way you broke a bone…….

*Nancy was a Broadway actress. Pati owns a tavern

*Nancy was an actress on Broadway. Pati owns a tavern

What are your social links?

https://www.amberanthonywrites.com/

 https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/17062164.Amber_Anthony

Amber Anthony

What are your buy links?

Love can be murder, especially when your ex is a serial killer. Don’t miss this spicy new romantic suspense by New York Times, USA Today and Audible bestselling author Kylie Scott!

Nothing prepared Sidney Walsh for the awkwardness of having unknowingly dated an infamous killer. She’s doing her best to move on after her ex got dragged off to jail. If only online amateur investigators, his creepy fans and a particularly belligerent cop would leave her alone. Her social life might be quiet, what with having few friends and the neighbors wanting nothing to do with her. But at least it’s safe. That is until tattooed chef and all-round thirst trap, Noah, moves in next door.

Now Sidney is being asked on dates for the first time in forever, and feeling a dangerous mix of soul-deep connection and red-hot desire. But the darkest moments of her life come crashing back when her ex decides he has unfinished business…her. Will she and Noah make it out alive, and can their love withstand the nightmare of her past?

Amazon

Goodreads 

Review by Twinsie Melinda

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am not a big true crime, murder mystery fan but this is Kylie. I’m not a zombie kind of girl either but I liked Kylie’s zombies so I figured I would give this a shot.

Sydney’s ex is a serial killer rotting in prison for the past 10 years. So Sydney and her friends have spent the past 10 years trying to map out places he could have buried the bodies. Then the sexy Noah moves in next door.

I tried to get into this one but I am just not into to the true crime. Don’t skip this book just on the reviews you read. Just because this was not for me doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be something you would enjoy.  I am a big Kylie fan and would not pass on one of her books. This book is also in audio and I love Andi as a narrator on all of Kylie’s other books.

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Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this audiobook when it first released on Audible.  I also was offered a review copy of the ebook from the author when the ebook was the be published.

I am a giant true crime fan and read a lot of true crime biographies so I jumped to read this book.  I did enjoy the story and understood some of it would be unreliable but much like Ryan Murphy’s Monster TV series, I was ready for this.

I have to say that I felt the story was kind slow and dragged in parts which to me was shocking.  I never find that with Kylie’s books.  She has great whit and snark but this book seemed to lack the chemistry with her characters that I love.

I felt the story was pretty A+B=C with the plot. Nothing really shocking came from the story and maybe that was why I thought it was kind of flat?

I would recommend that if you haven’t read a Kylie book not to start here because to me this is not her best work.

Kylie is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling, Audie Award winning author. She has sold over 2,000,000 books and was voted Australian Romance Writer of the year four times by the Australian Romance Reader’s Association. Her books have been translated into sixteen different languages. She is based in Queensland, Australia; living and working on land traditionally owned by the Jagera people.

*Snacks & Jockstraps is a steamy, bi+ awakening, M/M romance between the beloved Riggs family patriarch who is under the impression he doesn’t deserve anything good, and a small-town guy determined to find happiness by returning to his roots.*

Casey Joe is a handful. He’s blunt, he’s grumpy, and he throws F-bombs around like rainbow sprinkles. Casey takes his recent health scare as proof he’s circling the drain, and his family is the only reason he hasn’t given life the middle finger. No way is he letting some new guy waltz into town and stir up crap he’s long-since buried. Mostly.

Bryce left home years ago. A life surrounded by glitz and glamour was everything he thought he wanted, until he’s forced to admit the loneliness is slowly eating away at him. So, Bryce heads back to Small Town, USA. He quickly finds himself entangled in a new business and a man who keeps him on his toes.

Casey and Bryce have a rocky start, but soon they’re living and working together. Heck, they might even be friends. Casey is on a healing journey, and he doesn’t hate that Bryce is right there through it all. Bryce is flourishing with a newfound sense of belonging, and he owes a lot of it to Casey Joe. Their story could have wrapped up nice and neat right there but, of course, love decides to get in the way.

Content Warning: this story contains characters with addictions and their journeys with these addictions, mention of unsupportive parents, negative religious experiences, a heart-related medical emergency, depression, mention of arson, and mentions of homophobia.

Amazon

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Tenise

Casey is a big ol grump.
Bryce is a big ray of sunshine.
The pair click instantly and begin a friendship.
Snacks and Jockstraps is my favorite in the Haven Grove series. I kind of had a feeling it would be. I enjoy a well written, later in life, awakening book. Casey Joe was broken af and I really feel that Bryce was the only one capable of helping Casey Joe save himself. Their connection was undeniable from the start and if either of them tried to say otherwise they are big ol liars! While I’m super sad this is the last book in the series, I’m also happy this particular story was the one to end it. It was a wonderful end to the series.