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About Josie

Novelist, journalist, and playwright Josie Brown is the author of

  • 23-novel Housewife Assassin’s Handbook series (Signal Press; previously optioned for television);

  • ​8-novel Totlandia episodic series (Signal Press); ​

  • 3-novel Extracurricular episodic series
    (Signal Press); and 

  • 2-novel True Hollywood Lies series (HarperCollins); as well as 

  • Stand-alone novels The Candidate and The Baby Planner (Simon & Schuster)

  • Her novel, Secret Lives of Husbands and Wives (Simon & Schuster), was optioned by producer Jerry Bruckheimer for television.

23 Mystery Novels
 

Every desperate housewife would love an alias. Donna Stone has one, and it's government-sanctioned. But terrorism makes strange bedfellows. Jack Craig, the wild card Acme operative paired with Donna brings, new meaning to that old adage “Honey, I'm home…”

"The last book that made me laugh: The Housewife Assassin's Handbook. Brown's unorthodox surprises did make me laugh. I taught it in a class about comic novels."
—Jane Smiley, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Author

"This book hits all the right notes...I now want a week at the beach to read them all...I'm completely smitten." — Barbara Vey

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3 Episodic Novels

A dark family secret leads to a college admissions cheating scandal at a private school, setting off a crisis of conscience for the parents, teachers, administrator, and the students involved—and a catharsis for one couple about their marriage.​

 

"Sharp, smart, and sexy, Brown's timely
new series about the cut-throat world

of college admissions is a must-read." 
—Meredith Schorr, As Seen on TV

 

“Josie Brown has a new trail of secrets, lies, andparents behaving badly—and you’re gonna love it." —Jen Tucker, The Day I Wore My Panties Inside Out

​​​​

"Josie Brown brings it."

—Eileen Goudge, author, The Diary

"A++ for Extracurricular!”—Julie Valerie, author of Holly Banks Full of Angst 

8 Episodic Novels

Friendship. Lies. Seduction. Betrayal.
Welcome to Totlandia
.

For San Francisco's ultra-competitive elite, ten open spots in its most exclusive children's playgroup is the ultimate parenting prize.
But not everyone is PHM&TC material.
The club's founder, Bettina Connaught Cross, adheres to strict membership rules.
But four candidates have a secret that
would knock them out of the running. 
Can these hopeful moms keep up appearances long enough to outlast the competition?
Or will their chances–and their private lives–
go up in flames? 

"Totlandia novellas serve as the perfect
quick read for busy moms or anyone looking
to escape with some gossipy fun.”
—Examiner

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THE CANDIDATE
Seduction and intrigue are rampant on
the campaign trail when a political campaign adviser discovers that Washington's power broker elite have embroiled his presidential candidate in
a plot involving an act of terrorism on US soil.

SECRET LIVES OF HUSBANDS AND WIVES
A divorce that rocks a planned community
reveals secrets and lies in other marriages as well.
 

THE BABY PLANNER
While secretly longing for a child of her own,
San Francisco's most prestigious baby planner
throws herself into helping her clueless clients
on how to prepare for their pregnancies.
 

HOLLYWOOD HUNK
There's only one thing worse
than playing personal assistant to a handsome, egotistical, oversexed actor:
falling in love with him.

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“When a film director's obsession with
a phone sex operator threatens
his latest production—
not to mention his marriage—

His talent agent thinks he knows
how to handle the situation:
buy off "the voice that launches
a thousand erections."

Instead, he falls in love with her.

But how will he feels when he discovers

that she's the wife of
his new hot actor client?
 

"Josie Brown does an outstanding job capturing the glitz and glamour
of Hollywood while illuminating
the stark loneliness present
beneath the façade.Filled with
good-natured humor and witty repartée.”
—Romance Reader's Connection

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3 FIRST IN SERIES - FREE!

BOOK 1 - THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN'S HANDBOOK
 

DIGITAL: 9780974021409

Amazon - Apple Books - BN - Kobo

Every desperate housewife would love an alias. Donna Stone has one, and it's government-sanctioned. But terrorism makes strange bedfellows. Jack Craig, the wild card Acme operative paired with Donna brings, new meaning to that old adage “Honey, I'm home…”

PRAISE

"Brown's unorthodox surprises did make me laugh. I taught it in a class about comic novels."
—Jane Smiley
 

TOTLANDIA: BOOK 1 - FALL - THE ONESIES
 

DIGITAL: 9780989558884

Amazon - Apple Books - BN - Kobo

The Pacific Heights Moms & Tots Club is the most exclusive children's playgroup in all of San Francisco. For the city's ultra-competitive elite, the club's ten annual spots are the ultimate parenting prize. But four of the six candidates vying for the remaining four slots have a secret that would knock them out of the running. Can these hopeful moms keep up appearances long enough to outlast the competition? Or will their chances–and their private lives–go up in flames?


EXTRACURRICULAR - BOOK 1
 

DIGITAL: 9781970093063

Amazon Apple Books - BN - Kobo

It's your child's senior year. A private prep school's reputation is at stake. A math teacher refuses to grade his final exams on a curve. Students have only one more shot at the SAT before college applications are due. And a few desperate parents have much more money than brains.

 

Twenty-two years ago, Audrey Thorpe made a mistake that has haunted her for the rest of her life. And now her dirty little secret will soon be the downfall of everyone and everything she holds dear: love, family, friends, and her private high school alma mater.

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In my podcast, I interview other authors

on their process.

 

Past Interviews Include:

Jane Smiley - A DANGEROUS BUSINESS

Michelle Cox - A SPYING EYE

Joy Jordan-Lake - A BEND OF LIGHT

Rhys Bowen - WHERE THE SKY BEGINS

Lee Goldberg - MOVIELAND

Meredith Schorr - As Seen on TV

Samantha M. Bailey - WATCH OUT FOR HER

Lisa Barr - WOMAN ON FIRE

Rea Frey - SECRETS OF OUR HOUSE

Kaira Rouda - SOMEBODY'S HOME

Yasmin Angoe - HER NAME IS KNIGHT

Lee Goldberg - GATED PREY

Hank Phillipp Ryan - HER PERFECT LIFE

Liza Taylor Nash - IN ALL GOOD FAITH

Kristin Contino - A FULL HOUSE OF WINDSOR

Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver - CHOOSE ME

Daniel Pyne - WATER MEMORY
Jason Pinter - A STRANGER AT THE DOOR
Lee Goldberg - BONE CANYON
Jule Valerie - THE PECULIAR FATE OF HOLLY BANKS

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JOSIE'S LATEST INTERVIEW

Josie interviews Jane Healey on her thrilling historical novel,
Goodnight from Paris 

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A great place to find out what I'm thinking
on any given day.
It may be about a current event, a new contest,
a new recipe, a great new experience,

or a wonderful locale I've run across
and want to share with you.

 

If you love my books, you'll certainly appreciate

my sense of humor here too.

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Enter  for a Chance to Win
1 of 3 $50 Gift Cards

To YOUR favorite Bookstore!

Enter  for a Chance to Win

Yet Another $50 Gift Card

To YOUR favorite Bookstore!

IN BOOK 23 of the
HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN SERIES:


Donna and Jack Craig are on an around-the-world mission to retrieve nine digital directories listing names of intelligence operatives—one belonging to the United States, the other eight belonging to its allies and enemies—as they are sold by the highest bidder by an anonymous terrorist. 
 

At the same time, Jack thinks he has reasons to question Donna's love for him. Will saving their country cost the Craigs their marriage?

WINNERS

Manner, Missiles & Mayhem

Excerpt Contest

Many H - Ami-May S - Lena B

Author Provocateur

Podcast Listener Contest

 

2022

Pat C - Watch Out for Her

Linda K - Movieland

Linda H - As Seen on TV
Wendy R: HA21 Excerpt Contest

Karen M: HA21 Excerpt Contest

Lee R - Woman on Fire

Mary C - Secrets of Our House

Amy H - Somebody's Home

2021
Katherine H - Her Name is Knight

Al H - Gated Prey

Anne S - Her Perfect Life

Angela T -All In Good Faith

Catherine O - A Full House of Windsor

Phyllis RBC - Choose Me

Ann S - Black Coral

Kristin B - Water Memory

LL - Stranger at the Door

Suzy D - Bone Canyon

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OUT NOW:

THE HOUSEWIFE ASSASSIN SERIES
Book 1: Handbook

Coming 2023:

Book 2: Guide to Gracious Killing

AND​

THE TOTLANDIA SERIES
Book 1: Fall, the Onesies

Book 2: Winter, the Onesies

Book 3: Spring, the Onesies

Book 4: Summer, the Onesies

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