Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Sara Reyes | Summer Reads…My Muse Is Back…
Saturdays with Sara / June 26, 2010

Who’s back? Well, “she”, my summer reading muse has returned with a bang! Some days or months do you feel like you’re in a reading funk? Nothing good, same old same old. You know you’ve read that plot before, so many times before and you’re bored. Bored I tell you! It’s almost an effort to go to a store, or go to a site (hopefully, Fresh Fiction, nudge nudge) and look at what’s available. Read that vampire story, seen that type of hero, ho hum, another SEAL, wonderful, just what I don’t need. Hmm, what about that mystery? No, don’t want to learn about making lace, sorry, seriously, how many people can die in that small town? Well, what about a thriller, fast-paced, heart pounding, read faster thriller? Uh, dear, not working. Skip to the end. Sigh. Yes, dear friends, that is the slump I’m talking about. I’d resorted to rereading old favorites but even Georgette Heyer let me down. It was a sad sad time in my life. The reading muse was gone. I know there were good books out there, fellow readers were raving about this novel, that author, but sorry, nothing was grabbing me by the throat….

Fresh Pick | VACATIONS FROM HELL by Sarah Mlynowski, Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson
Fresh Pick / June 25, 2010

June 2009 On Sale: June 1, 2009 320 pages ISBN: 006168872X EAN: 9780061688720 Paperback $6.69 Add to Wish List Young Adult Buy at Amazon.com Vacations From Hell by Sarah Mlynowski, Cassandra Clare, Libba Bray, Claudia Gray, Maureen Johnson Life’s a beach . . . and then you’re undead? In this must-have collection, five of today’s hottest writers—Libba Bray (A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY), Cassandra Clare (CITY OF BONES), Claudia Gray (EVERNIGHT), Maureen Johnson (13 LITTLE BLUE ENVELOPES), and Sarah Mlynowski (BRAS & BROOMSTICKS)—tell supernatural tales of vacations gone awry. Lost luggage is only mildly unpleasant compared to bunking with a witch who holds a grudge. And a sunburn might be embarrassing and painful, but it doesn’t last as long as a curse. Of course, even in the most hellish of situations, love can thrive. . . . From light and funny to dark and creepy, these stories have something for everyone. You definitely won’t want to leave this collection at home! Previous Picks

DiAnn Mills | Strong Women, Unlikely Roles
Author Guest / June 25, 2010

Women who accept nontraditional roles and succeed with dynamic outcomes are the heroines in my novels. These are Glock-totin‘ gals with southern charm who understand grits aren’t just for breakfast. These women embrace their femininity with an added boost–they aren’t afraid to go after the bad guys or say they love Jesus. This style of heroine understands her peace can be more about the caliber of the piece in her purse than the state of her spiritual life. What makes a contemporary woman choose a career that has the potential of ending her life? Experts often point to personality differences or a “risk-gene” as an explanation why some are risk takers and others are content in less stressful lifestyles. I prefer courageous heroines who’ve been wired with a few more endorphins to balance the adrenaline, and they thrive on it. If my heroine races down a dirt road on a Harley in the dead of night, or scales a cliff while someone is shooting at her, or stuffs a weapon into the waistband of her jeans, it’s to get the edge on the bad guys. My heroines are not satisfied unless they are placing their lives on the line to…

Fresh Pick | TAKEN BEYOND TEMPTATION by Cara Summers
Fresh Pick / June 24, 2010

Twice Forbidden June 2010 On Sale: June 1, 2010 Featuring: Jillian Brightman; Ian MacFarland 224 pages ISBN: 0373795513 EAN: 9780373795512 Mass Market Paperback $4.99 Add to Wish List Romance Contemporary, Romance Series Buy at Amazon.com Taken Beyond Temptation by Cara Summers Jillian Brightman has a forbidden fantasy. She’s always dreamed of being swept away and seduced by a mysterious stranger. But the resort she owns with her sisters keeps her too busy to indulge in any kind of fantasy, let alone a forbidden one. At least, until Ian MacFarland comes to Belle Island. And once she sees him, Jillian knows he’s the perfect man for a onetime indulgence…no strings attached. Only Ian wants a lot more. And each moment Jillian spends moaning under his touch, she realizes one night won’t be enough. Ian is fulfilling cravings she never dreamed she had. Could this be more than a fling? It might be — if Ian was actually the man he said he was…. A sensual sizzler full of scalding sex and an exciting mystery. Excerpt Fourteen months earlier The moment Jillian stepped into the tower room, she knew she wasn't alone. It wasn't just the steady dip in the temperature as…

Marie Force | The Unforgettable Hero
Author Guest / June 24, 2010

What makes a hero unforgettable? The answer to that question is no doubt different for each of us. We all have a certain idea of what we’re looking for, and of course no one guy is going to have every quality we’re seeking. However, romance heroes have to be a step above. They have to transcend our every expectation. Nick Cappuano in Fatal Affair is the man. Tall, handsome, smooth, elegant, smart, sarcastic, neat (to a fault), sexy, thoughtful, persistent, and (this is very important in Washington) well connected. By the time we finished work on the book, my editor Jessica were both in love with him, and kinda fighting over him if the true be told. I adore him. I flat out love him. I want him for my very own (but please don’t tell my husband that!). Nick is the kind of character who becomes so real, so tangible, that I find it hard to believe he’s not really out there moving and shaking on Capitol Hill. I’ve spelled out some of Nick’s finer qualities above, but there’s another fine quality that reviewers have pointed out more than once: Nick is not afraid to apologize when he’s wrong….

Fresh Pick | PLEASURE ISLAND by Lorie O’Clare
Fresh Pick / June 23, 2010

June 2009 On Sale: June 1, 2009 Featuring: Natalie Green; Nicholas; Tomas 304 pages ISBN: 0758234473 EAN: 9780758234476 Paperback $13.95 Add to Wish List Erotica Buy at Amazon.com Pleasure Island by Lorie O’Clare Paradise Island seems like the ideal getaway for Natalie Green. She can’t wait to fulfill her secret sexual fantasies, and once she’s read the contract, she’s ready to sign on the dotted line for two weeks of pure carnal ecstasy. Now all she has to do is choose the perfect men. With their hard bodies and skilled fingers, Nicolas and Tomas take turns pleasuring Natalie in ways she’s never felt before. And when the three of them embark on a wild ride of passion together, it’s the most erotic experience she’s ever felt. But that’s when she discovers the perfect deception. Mind-blowing sex is incredible, yet Natalie senses something is not quite right with the men in her life. And when she explores the island, she discovers the truth – and the incredible secret about Paradise Island… Previous Picks

Debra Mullins | Why Do Women Read Romance Novels?
Author Guest / June 23, 2010

Ever since romance novels first hit the market decades ago, they have always been the Rodney Dangerfield of fiction…as in “No respect.” Why is that, do you think? The same people who dismiss romance novels as ‘porn for women’ are the same people who will go to the movies to see films like Pretty Woman, a classic romance novel if ever there was one. And they don’t see the similarity between the movie they are raving about and the books they disparage. Well, I feel sorry for those people, because they are missing out on something wonderful. Some speculate that the reason romance is looked down upon by so many is because it is genre written by women for women. But I believe this is the very reason why it is so popular. Aside from those naysayers who would pooh-pooh our beloved genre, there is no denying that romance novels are a billion dollar business. And who does the bulk of purchasing in our country? Women. What do women want to read? Spy thrillers? Grisley murder mysteries or true crime? Maybe. Women tend to have varied tastes. I know I can curl up with a romantic Susan Meier Harlequin Romance…

Fresh Pick | IT HAD TO BE YOU by Francis Ray
Fresh Pick / June 22, 2010

Grayson Friends #4 May 2010 On Sale: April 27, 2010 Featuring: Laurel Raineau; Zachary Wilder 304 pages ISBN: 0312365071 EAN: 9780312365073 Mass Market Paperback $7.99 Add to Wish List Multicultural African-American, Romance Contemporary Buy at Amazon.com It Had To Be You by Francis Ray Most musicians would do anything to work with the hot, young record producer known as Rolling Deep. R.D. can pick and choose any artist he wants and he wants Laurel Raineau. A classical violinist, Laurel plays soaring music that touches R.D. to his very soul. But the last thing Laurel wants is to work with someone whose exploits with the ladies appear in the tabloids every week. Not one to take no for an answer, R.D. keeps trying and failing to let Laurel know that he’s not the player he’s made out to be. So he introduces himself to her by his real name, Zachary Wilder, hoping to win her over. But it’s Zach who falls under this beauty’s spell. Now it’s only a matter of time before Laurel learns who the man she’s losing her heart to really is, but can she walk away from a passion that feels so right? Previous Picks

Spotlight on Sharon Sala
Author Spotlight / June 22, 2010

I’m sending a great big hello to all the romance readers from hot and sunny Oklahoma. The weather here is something of a mirror to my brand-new Stormfront trilogy. The first book, BLOWN AWAY, a June release, came out just as Oklahoma was being hit by a series of terrible tornadoes. I sat in the cellar in our home with my 90 year old Mother, wondering if my world was going to blow away, just as part of the town of Bordelaise was blown away in my book. The tornado that came through here missed my home by mere blocks, then ripped through the area points East, destroying neighborhoods, injuring more than twenty, and killing a young mother of three. Tragedy echoed in real life. And such is life. The stories we write are often mirrored by the events in which we live. TORN APART, the second book in the Stormfront trilogy is a July release, but should be out by the end of June. This story tracks the tale of a terrible crime that almost goes unpunished because of the tornado. For days, the heroine in that story is under the false impression that her little boy was a…

Suspense And The City Masters Of Literature’s Thriller Genre Are About To Execute An Event So Perfect It’s Almost Criminal
Guests / June 22, 2010

ThrillerFest V, the world’s most diabolically delicious literature festival, chills New York City July 7-10, 2010 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel There’s only one event where New York Times best-selling masters of the art lurk around every corner, agents appear in broad daylight and fans conspire with writers in the wee, small hours of the night – ThrillerFest V, the International Thriller Writers’ fifth annual celebration of their genre and the largest event of its kind in the world. The highlight of the event will be the gala ITW Thriller Awards Banquet on Saturday when the heroes of suspense will be honored: International best-selling author Ken Follett will receive the 2010 ThrillerMaster Award given by 2009 recipient David Morrell. Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down will become the first recipient of the True Thriller Award Brad Meltzer, recipient of the 2009 Silver Bullet Award, will present the 2010 award to Linda Fairstein And this year’s winners in the categories of Best Hardcover Novel, Best Paperback Original, Best First Novel and Best Short Story will be revealed. But the list of the notables doesn’t end there – more than 50 best-selling authors and another 200 up-and-comers will be at the…