Lunchtime Poll with Shail Rajan

First, a little story: I met Shail in 2021 when I was still just a newish baby author and I won her Women’s Fiction Day giveaway. I still use the items from her beach-themed giveaway (and I treasure my first edition of THE SUMMER BREEZE with its original cover) but the best gift was our continuing friendship. I admire Shail’s courage and talent—like the characters she creates, Shail believes in taking risks, learning new skills, and most importantly, herself.
She is, quite simply, #goals.

Shail Rajan is a women's fiction author whose heartwarming stories are character driven and embrace the role of family, friendships, and food in our everyday lives. Readers have described her books as feel-good reads with characters you'd want as friends and food you'd like to eat.

She was born in India, raised in beautiful Upstate NY, and is now settled in Northern California with her husband and three children. When she's not lost in books, she loves spending time with her family, volunteering, cooking, tackling the occasional DIY project, and obsessing over her vegetable garden.

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Lunchtime Poll with Jodi May

With all the back-to-school energy in the air it seems only fitting that this month’s guest is New Adult Fiction author and creator of the Hillside Academy series, Jodi May.

I am happy you are here, my friend! I have lots of questions about writing and world-building, so let’s get right into it…
You are almost 20 years into creating your 24 book series set at the fictional boarding school of Hillside Academy. How did Hillside Academy start?
With Lord of the Rings. I used to say I’d never tell people that but here we are.

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