Romance that leaves you breathless
The best kiss in romance is often the one that does not happen yet. I am breaking down the held breath, the half-step closer, and the interruption devices that make readers want to throw a pillow across the room, affectionately.
Ballroom declarations get all the press, but the moment that actually stops my heart is a hero in a hoodie at the bottom of an airport escalator at 2 a.m. with two coffees and zero follow-up questions. Here are three of mine who nailed it, plus what 1,800 of you told me about your own middle-of-the-night rescues.
Every romance has a second love story happening off the page: the group chat where the heroine's best friend judges the hero in real time. Here's what those fictional texts reveal about red flags, grand gestures, and why the ride-or-die bestie is romance's toughest chemistry test.
Ranchers, CEOs, firefighters — a hero's job title has always been doing more work than his biceps. Let's dig into what decades of romance careers reveal about what we've craved, feared, and fantasized about, and who I think you'll be swooning over next.
Ever wonder what's playing in my headphones when a hero finally cracks? I'm pulling back the curtain on the playlist that scored my steamiest kisses, my ugliest breakups, and one reconciliation scene that made me cry into my coffee. Press play, then tell me what makes YOU fall for a fictional man.
Before my next heroine goes out into the world, I handed an unmarked first chapter to the three most honest women I know — my mother, my favorite barista, and my book club's toughest critic. No cover, no blurb, no mercy. Here's what happened.
Do you highlight the banter or dog-ear the love letters? Your reading habits are a roadmap straight to your next book boyfriend. Follow the GPS, new fans — your backlist soulmate is in here somewhere.
I dug out the heroes from my first three books and ran them through a very unofficial modern dating filter — communication, consent cues, the works. Some passed with flying colors. One made me wince, apologize, and revise my will. Take the quiz at the end and tell me which one earns a second date.
I read my own backlist twice — once in publication order, once in what I'm calling the 'emotional damage' order — and survived to tell the tale. Here's your printable guide, spoiler-safe notes, and an invitation to confess where YOU started.
I handed the pen to a brooding billionaire, a small-town firefighter, and the ex who got away, and asked them to build a holiday gift list. Twelve gifts he'd absolutely nail, three he'd fumble spectacularly, and the vignettes that explain everything.
Ever wonder how a romance cover goes from a napkin sketch to the shelf-stopping image you can't stop touching at the bookstore? Pull up a chair — I'm opening the design files on my next release, including the near-disaster the reader poll fixed and a teaser excerpt just for newsletter subscribers.
One week. Seven heroes. One very confused barista named Kyle. I swapped my real life for the daily habits of Mackenzie McKade's book boyfriends — from 5 a.m. brooding sessions to a grand gesture involving tulips — and rated every single one for viability.
Every bold heroine has a battle story, and mine involves three rounds of revisions, one very nervous editor, and a stack of letters that changed everything. Here's the truth about the character readers either adored or wanted to throw across the room.
From foggy Maine harbors to Texas wildflower country, these eight real towns are so charming they practically write their own love stories. Consider this your official itinerary for a book-fueled road trip.
You've asked, you've emailed, you've cornered me at book signings: what happened to your favorite couples after the last page turned? Today I'm opening my archives to share the deleted epilogue scenes, the almost-sequels, and answers straight from my reader mailbag.
How hot is too hot? After years of readers asking where I stand on steam levels, I'm finally breaking down my personal heat scale — and rating scenes from my own backlist along the way. Come weigh in on your comfort zone, because this debate is never settling itself.
Some tropes are fine wine; some need to ride off into the sunset. Mackenzie ranks her favorites, roasts the overdone, and hands the mic to you — vote on which trope stars in her next novel.
Ever wondered what goes on inside the notebook where my heroes are born? Pull up a chair, grab your coffee, and let me show you the messy, wonderful process of creating men readers can't stop dreaming about.