What is the title of your latest release?
DUST STORM
What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
The Parent Trap meets Yellowstone when a small-town single dad and big city publicist reluctantly work together to save his family’s cattle ranch. The undeniable chemistry between them wouldn’t be a problem if it weren’t for the engagement ring on her finger.
How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I have a soft spot for the breathtaking landscape of Texas Hill Country and couldn’t think of a better place for a generational cattle ranch.
Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely. Christian Griffith is the kind of calm I am immediately comfortable with. Cassandra is a mix of between the way I idolize Meryl Streep as Miranda Priestly and the way I am terrified at Kelly Reilly as Beth Dutton. I’m in awe of her, but also don’t want to get on her bad side!
What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Christian is steady, patient, and compassionate. Cassandra is blunt, confident, and loyal.
What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned way too many things that I didn’t want to know about the process of calving. Luckily for readers, most of that didn’t make it into the book!
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
When I am writing a first draft, I can’t skip around. I write from beginning to end and don’t edit until I’m done. Otherwise, I’ll get stuck in the hamster wheel of editing and never get the book written!
What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Butter and chocolate! I am so trashy when it comes to things like wine and coffee, (cheap and sweet, please!) but I am a chocolate and butter snob. Videri Chocolate from Raleigh, NC is at the top of my list, and I will go out of my way to get homemade, grass-fed butter for my morning toast!
Describe your writing space/office!
I flip-flop between the corner of my living room couch for those middle-of-the-night writing sessions, and my favorite local coffee shop for work during the day. Something about writing in an office makes me a little stir crazy! I wish I was the type of author who had the perfect, aesthetic writing space, but I love hauling my overflowing writing bag “to go to work” for the day around the smell of espresso and pastries.
Who is an author you admire?
Lucy Score, Ali Hazelwood, and Ally Carter. They are all masters at their craft and build the most unique worlds for their stories to live. Every single time I read one of their books it makes me want to quit writing because they’re so good! I would be remiss not to mention Catherine Cowles as well. No matter how many of her books I read, she always comes up with a new twist to throw me off the trail of who the bad guy really is. I gobble up every single one of her books!
Is there a book that changed your life?
Protecting What’s Mine by Lucy Score was one of the very first open-door contemporary romance books I read, and it unlocked a deep love for the genre that led to my career as an author.
Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
I have both! Dust Storm was originally self-published in 2024. It was a long time coming, as the oldest of the Griffith Brothers was the leading man in my debut novel in 2021. I finally decided to take the jump and write the rest of the brothers in Dust Storm, Downpour, and Fire Line after slowly homing in on the types of characters and stories that made me come alive as a writer. Waiting three years was the best choice.
My traditional publishing journey was a whirlwind! Within six months of Dust Storm being indie published, I signed with my fabulous agent, Flavia, and said yes to giving The Griffith Brothers a new home with Berkley Publishing. “The call” happened three days after my 30th birthday and was the best birthday present! I couldn’t have dreamed up a better team to care for and champion these stories!
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I will forever love anything romance, but love a thriller!
What’s your favorite movie?
Just one? Impossible! I find myself constantly rewatching How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, Top Gun (the original and Maverick!), Miss Congeniality, Twisters, Bridge of Spies, and Crazy, Stupid, Love.
What is your favorite season?
I’m definitely a summer girl! I love the high heat, long days, hazy sunsets, cotton candy skies, and fireflies!
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
I prefer to do absolutely nothing! I love sleeping in and ordering in dinner!
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
I recently devoured Lies and Other Love Languages by Sonali Dev and cannot recommend it enough! Running Point with Kate Hudson on Netflix was my last TV show binge and it was addictive! My favorite podcasts at the moment are Call Her Daddy with Alex Cooper, Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce, and House of Maher.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
I love southern barbecue culture, and am very opinionated about it! (Eastern NC pulled pork and Texas smoked brisket reign supreme.) Apart from that, I will never say no to Mexican food!
What do you do when you have free time?
I love gardening, making floral arrangements, and playing around with digital illustrating. In my pre-author life, I was a pastry chef and still love experimenting in the kitchen!
What can readers expect from you next?
DUST STORM releases with Berkley Publishing on October 7. Shortly after, we will celebrate the release of book two, DOWNPOUR, on December 16! I can’t wait!
The Griffith Brothers
A single dad rancher and a rich city girl bump heads—and more—in this first cowboy romance in the Griffith Brothers series.
For Christian Griffith, his number one rule is: You ride in my truck, you let me open the door. Another problem in his busy life was the last thing he needed. Unfortunately, argumentative Cassandra Parker showing up on his family’s ranch and sticking her nose in their business isn’t even his biggest problem—neither is the fact that with nowhere else to live, she’s in his house. The biggest problem? The engagement ring on her finger.
Cassandra has a life motto: If you’re going to kill someone, make it look like an accident, cry at the funeral, admit to nothing, and deny everything. Exiled from New York and stranded on a cattle ranch, she didn’t exactly choose to be Christian’s problem. Living with the single dad and his daughters was a downgrade from her high-rise office and city comforts, but she agreed for one simple reason: desperation to save her job and salvage what’s left of her career. And this hot cowboy won’t lasso her into staying a second longer than necessary.
Romance Western [Berkley, On Sale: October 7, 2025, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593955949 / ]
Maggie Gates writes raw, relatable romance novels packed full of heat and humor. Maggie calls North Carolina home. In her spare time, she enjoys daydreaming about her characters, jamming to country music, and eating all the barbecue and tacos she can find! Her e-reader is always within reach due to a love of small-town romances that borders on obsession.
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