February 2011 On Sale: February 1, 2011 Featuring: Lilah Young; Brady Miller 304 pages ISBN: 0425239810 EAN: 9780425239810 Mass Market Paperback $7.99 Add to Wish List Romance Contemporary Buy at Amazon.com Puppy love Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis Co-owner of the town’s only kennel, Lilah Young has lived in Sunshine, Idaho, all her life. Pilot-for-hire Brady Miller is just passing through. But he soon has Lilah abandoning her instincts and giving in to a primal desire. It’s Brady’s nature to resist being tied down, but there’s something about Lilah and her menagerie that keeps him coming back for more. SMALL TOWN ROMANCE WITH ADORABLE ANIMALS AND THE WOMAN WHO LOVES THEM Excerpt Excerpt #1 “Legend says that if you take a moonlight dip, you’ll supposedly find your one true love.” “Of course.” He nodded. “It’s always midnight. So, do you swim often?” “Never at midnight.” He couldn’t help it, he laughed. With a slow shake of her head and a smile curving her mouth, she reached out and touched a finger to his curved lips. “You’re a cynic,” she chided. It’d been a long time since someone had touched him, unexpected or otherwise. A very long time, and he wrapped…
Why are do we get hooked on fiction? What in us supports the reading habit and the huge industry that feeds it? Escapism of course. Escapism has a bad rep. Undeservedly, in my (possibly self-serving) opinion. I think that far from being a sign of mental deterioration, it is a hallmark of adaptation. Animals, humans included, evolve in response to stress of one kind or another. Not going deep into Darwinism here, but survival of the fittest is the basic rule. Early on, this meant those who had the skills to get food, to run off competitors, to ward off threats and to abundantly procreate won the day. (Sound familiar? The romantic hero/heroine is a prototype for successful biological adaptation.) These days we have come up with group solutions to most of the stressors: we no longer have to chase down our food, we have laws to define our turf, police to deal with threats to life and limb, and procreation in vast numbers—no longer necessary to the survival of the species—is now frowned upon. Along the way, we’ve collected a host of other stressors: various health woes because we don’t have to chase down our food, annoying neighbors we…
January 2010 On Sale: January 1, 2010 384 pages ISBN: 0061894451 EAN: 9780061894459 Mass Market Paperback $7.99 Add to Wish List Paranormal, Romance Anthology Buy at Amazon.com “Other” Cupid stories Bitten by Cupid by Jaime Rush, Pamela Palmer, Lynsay Sands New York Times bestselling author Lynsay Sands and Avon Books rising stars Pamela Palmer and Jaime Rush bring readers Valentine’s Day tales with a bite. Vampire Valentine by Lynsay Sands Mirabeau LaRouche knew she had a job to do, but she never expected her assignment to take her through New York CityŒs dark, dank underground-in her bridesmaid gown, no less! And when her partner turns out to be mortal private investigator Tiny McGraw, Mireabeau knows itŒs no ordinary CupidŒs arrow that has struck her heart this ValentineŒs Day. Hearts Untamed by Pamela Palmer Ten years ago Zeeland left D.C. to join the Therian Guard, needing to put some distance between himself and the still- too-young Julianne. Now he’s returned, in the midst of a Valentine’s celebration to find Julianne more beautiful than ever, still angry at him for leaving, and up to her lovely eyebrows in an intrigue that threatens both of their immortal lives. Kiss and Kill Cupid by…
There is a fine line between creativity and clinical pathology. I can say this with some conviction because the love of my life is a psychologist and he knows about these things. The whole topic came up one day as I was readying myself to sally forth to find a nice coffee pub that would keep me supplied with caffeine and sugar while I casually wrote a best-selling novel before lunch (one can dream, can’t they?). As I said my good-byes, I flippantly remarked, “I’m off to play with my imaginary friends.” The look on my love’s face was a Kodak moment, I can tell you that. And it stopped me in my tracks. “What?” I asked, not seeing anything alarming or unusual in the repartee up to that point. “You do know,” he answered sounding rather serious, “that to many of my colleagues you would be an annuity.” “Hey, look on the bright side,” I parried. “With me you don’t have to choose between business and pleasure.” Then I turned serious myself. “Fix whatever you can. God knows, I need it, but don’t mess with this.” I handed him a copy of my novel, WANNA GET LUCKY? He read…
February 2011 On Sale: February 4, 2011 Featuring: Jessica Bowman; Chad Martin 288 pages ISBN: 037387653X EAN: 9780373876532 Paperback $5.50 Add to Wish List Romance Contemporary, Inspirational Fiction Romance Buy at Amazon.com Sometimes forgiving can be the best Valentine’s gift. Her Valentine Family by Renee Andrews Chad Martin has had his share of lies and deceit. The only bright spot, the sun in each and every day, is his beautiful toddler, Lainey. Then he runs into his first love on the Stockville College campus. Seeing Jessica reminds him of what is missing in his life. Jess had always been the type of woman he could love, honest and trustworthy. And his feelings from the past are still very much alive in the present. Jessica Bowman has returned home after six years away, but she hasn’t returned alone. Her adorable five-year-old Nathan is by her side and ready to start life in “Mommy’s town.” But Jessica doesn’t realize that her first love has also returned to Claremont, and she has no idea that he’s an instructor at the college where she’s taking classes. More than that, Jessica is now faced with the dilemma of explaining to Chad why she left so…
It’s that time again, VALENTINE’S DAY! I’m so honored to once again be Fresh Fiction’s special Valentine’s Blogger. This year I thought I’d talk about what Valentine’s Day means to me. Thanks to the commercials on television, on the radio, on the Internet, in our email boxes, you couldn’t forget the holiday if you wanted to! Forget about the commercialization of the holiday. Instead I’d like to break it down to it’s most basic premise – LOVE. For me, Valentine’s Day is about telling the people you care about how you feel about them. Valentine’s Day can be and should be celebrated no matter what your “relationship status” is. For the last few years, I’ve treated Valentine’s Day as a day about love. I love my family. So I go onto Kodak Gallery, pull out a few favorite photos and create a photo card and send to my family – my parents, my kids, my husband, my inlaws, brother and sister in laws, etc. Occasionally I send to my friends if the mood strikes me. Why? Because I care about them and I want to share my life and my feelings with them. I also want to give them a…
Blue Bloods February 2011 On Sale: December 28, 2010 192 pages ISBN: 1423134494 EAN: 9781423134497 Hardcover $14.99 Add to Wish List Young Adult Paranormal Buy at Amazon.com Even vamps fall in love… Bloody Valentine by Melissa De La Cruz Vampires have powers beyond human comprehension: strength that defies logic, speed that cannot be captured on film, the ability to shapeshift and more. But in matters of the heart, no one, not even the strikingly beautiful and outrageously wealthy Blue Bloods, has total control. In Bloody Valentine, bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz offers readers a new story about the love lives of their favorite vamps – the passion and heartache, the hope and devastation, the lust and longing. Previous Picks
Hi, Fresh Fiction! Thanks so much for having me today! I thought I’d yak a bit about the television romances that have inspired me as a writer. Some of them probably aren’t what you’d expect. No McDreamy or McSteamy in the bunch. Nothing wrong with the McDreamys and McSteamys of the TV world, of course — I love a hunky guy as much as anyone. Put him in leather pants or slap a tool belt on him, and I’m so there! But the TV relationships and/or scenes that have inspired me as a writer are a bit less mainstream. So here goes … — Buffy kills Angel (probably not that much of a surprise for a romance writer): One of the things I loved so much about Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the metaphor for high school … and life, actually. I mean, I feel as though I fight demons every day, either mine or someone else’s. I remember clearly the exact moment I fell in love with the world of Buffy and Angel. Near the end of the second episode, Buffy has saved the day, and Angel stands outside the Bronze, looking surprised that she pulled it off. “I’ll…
October 2010 On Sale: October 14, 2010 Featuring: Callie Moore; Derek McNear 118 pages ISBN: 1453874186 EAN: 9781453874189 Paperback $5.49 Add to Wish List Romance Erotica Sensual Buy at Amazon.com A sexy romp as a Valentine treat Candy Store by Bella Andre On the verge of losing her candy store, Callie Moore decides to blot out her troubles with a tall, dark, handsome stranger. Derek McNear isn’t about to turn down a cute, curvy blonde who offers sizzling-hot sex in a commercial refrigerator at his best friend’s wedding reception. But the next day, when Callie discovers that Derek is the consultant she has hired to save her store, they find it difficult to concentrate on business. Especially when giving and getting pleasure in each other’s arms is so much more fun! Previous Picks
BREAKING THE RULES BLURB: What do you get when you mix a military hero on a mission with an independent artist hell-bent on proving something? A battle that can only be won between the sheets. Sophia Castillo is finally calling the shots in her life, and she’s determined to stay in charge. The last thing she needs is a babysitter. Not even a babysitter as sexy as US Army Sergeant First Class and EOD Squad Leader, Maximillian St. James. But when someone is sabotaging her art gallery, she turns to Max for help. When he proves to be a challenge to her independence, she lays down their relationship rules. Hot sex, good times and a lot of laughs are all good. Anything involving their hearts is strictly off limits. Before they catch the vandal, Max and Sophia both have to decide just which rules they are willing to break, and how high a price they are willing to pay. In so excited about the release of BREAKING THE RULES that I’m throwing not one, but two parties. The latter is mentioned at the end of this blog. But the first is right here, right now. And what better way to…