Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Good Morning Texas: Buy The Book – Heroes of All Types
Author Spotlight / September 29, 2012

Heroes of all types Tuesday, September 25, 2012 What is a hero? It can be anything from a sister taking care of her sibling, a single mom struggling to raise a family, to a uniformed officer. Today’s we’re exploring heroes in fiction with something for everyone. If you like action heroes, we have a pair of time-traveling ones, if you like to read ‘on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrills’ we have a suspense novel that mixes 9/11 with what if. And a twist on the Peter Pan story, wasn’t Tiger Lily a hero too? She saved Peter. So get ready as we explore some heroes in fiction.   YESTERDAY’S HEROES by Heather Long Romance Time Travel Aurora “Rory” Graystone Codename: Halo Abilities: superior reflexes, I.Q. and aptitude for calculating probabilities Mission: find missing teammates Rory knows she’s being watched, and she’s not about to let the hunter catch her in his trap. She’ll confront her stalker, a man she suspects is involved in the disappearances of other superheroes-if she can ignore the sensual heat that fills her every time he’s near… Michael Hunter Codename: Hard Target Abilities: expert tracker and sniper Mission: kill Rory Graystone One of five desperate men sent back in time…

Valerie Bowman | Faro and the Romance Novel Hero
Author Guest / September 28, 2012

The first thing I came up with when writing my debut Regency romance novel was the title. SECRETS OF A WEDDING NIGHT. The pesky issue of a plot came later. : ) And when I was developing that plot, I knew I wanted a hero tortured by something in his past…and I wanted it so that there was something that only he could do to redeem himself. In a nod to one of Judith McNaught’s characters, Ian, from Almost Heaven (one of my all-time favorite heroes) I decided to make my Regency hero a genius at arithmetic, a master of numbers. (By the way, further from my own talents, he could not be.) I came up with the idea to have my hero, Devon Morgan, the Marquis of Colton, play in a high-stakes card game in order to win back his father’s signet ring. The ring had been taken from his father as a gambling debt by the unscrupulous lord of the London underworld, Gilbert Winfrey. You see, Devon’s father was not as skilled with numbers as his son turned out to be. In fact, Devon is still haunted by the fact that his father used to take him to…

Fresh Pick | IN RIDES TROUBLE by Julie Ann Walker
Fresh Pick / September 28, 2012

Black Knights Inc. #2 September 2012 On Sale: September 4, 2012 Featuring: Frank Knight; Becky Reichert 384 pages ISBN: 1402267169 EAN: 9781402267161 Kindle: B007ZI08BQ Paperback $6.99  Add to Wish List Romance Suspense, Romance Buy at Amazon.com Great new series, suspense to keep you on your toes. In Rides Trouble by Julie Ann Walker Black Knights Inc. Rebel with a Cause Becky “Rebel” Reichert never actually goes looking for trouble. It just has a tendency to find her. Like the day Frank Knight showed up at her door, wanting to use her motorcycle shop as a cover for his elite special ops team. But Becky prides herself on being able to hang with the big boys-she can weld, drive, and shoot just as well as any of them. Man with a Mission Munitions, missiles, and mayhem are Frank’s way of life. The last thing the ex-SEAL wants is for one brash blonde to come within fifty feet of anything that goes boom. Just the thought of Becky in danger makes Frank break out in a cold sweat. Unfortunately, she’s just been captured by Somali pirates. Come hell or high water, he will get her back and make sure that once she’s…

Fresh Pick | SHATTERED SILENCE by Margaret Daley
Fresh Pick / September 27, 2012

October 2012 On Sale: October 2, 2012 304 pages ISBN: 1426714297 EAN: 9781426714290 Paperback $14.99  Add to Wish List Inspirational Fiction Romance, Suspense Buy at Amazon.com Continuing women in suspense week Shattered Silence by Margaret Daley A serial killer is targeting illegal aliens in southern Texas. Texas Ranger Cody Jackson is paired with a local police officer, Liliana Rodriguez, to investigate the murders. While the case brings Cody and Liliana ever closer, the tension between Americans and Mexican Americans heightens. As Cody and Liliana race to discover who is behind the murders and bring peace to the area, what they uncover isn’t what they expected. Will Cody and Liliana’s faith and love be strong enough to survive the storm of violence? Inspirational suspense with a touch of romance makes this a winner. Previous Picks

Inside the NIGHTWATCHER trilogy with Wendy Corsi Staub
Interviews / September 27, 2012

During the Romance Writers of America Conference (RWA) this year I was able to meet with the lovely and talented Wendy Corsi Staub. As a New York Times bestselling author, wife and mother of two her plate is never empty, but she made time to give Fresh Fiction a little behind the scenes look at this talented woman. From young adult novels to psychological thrillers, Staub has made a name for herself and keeps a loyal following of fans waiting for more books, myself included. If you have not heard of her, then do not stop reading now because you are in for a new reading addiction with her “NIGHTWATCHER” trilogy with Harper Collins. Nightwatcher Nightwatcher #1.0 September 2012 Sleepwalker Nightwatcher #2.0 October 2012 In NIGHTWATCHER, the first book, the story begins in New York City on September 10, 2001, the day before the 9/11 attacks featuring the heroine, Allison Taylor. In the wake of 9/11 you learn more about Allison, who has left a shadowy past behind in the Midwest in exchange for a fresh start in New York’s fashion industry. “In the course of the trilogy we see her (Allison) go from a young woman maybe with some…

Nancy Northcott | Pruning the Keeper Shelf
Author Guest / September 27, 2012

Any book I like well enough to keep after reading it is one I’m likely to read again.  Okay, maybe not this year.  Or next year.  But sometime.  Walking around piles of books in the floor, though, recently convinced me I had to be stricter.  I realized I hadn’t pruned the romance shelves in a dozen years.   The mystery/suspense,  science fiction/fantasy, and general fiction shelves also hadn’t been touched in a long time, but I figured I’d start with the genre that had the biggest overflow. Looking at the books I kept, I realized they all had certain elements in common. They all had romance, of course, but they also involved adventure and action, which some friends and I like to call “boom.”  Maybe the characters have to step into uncharted territories in their lives or go to strange new places or dare things they dread.  Maybe they have paranormal gifts they need to master.  Maybe they’re called to face unexpected destinies.  In some way, though, they must stretch themselves, and that not only creates conflict but carries an element of risk that makes it adventurous. An example would be Kathleen Woodiwiss’s SHANNA.  The story of the hero and heroine’s…

Leanne Banks | A Home For Nobody’S Princess And A $10.00 Amazon Gift Card!
Author Guest / September 25, 2012

I’m excited about the publication of my Special Edition A HOME FOR NOBODY’S PRINCESS!  This story features one of secret childhood fantasies. What if I were somehow given to the wrong parents?  What if my real parents were royalty?  What if I’m a princess?  Hahahaha!  Truth is I believe I have the best parents in the world. The other strong aspect about this story is feeling at home.  Some people make you feel more safe and secure than others.  I think feeling at home is more about the people than the place.  What do you think?  What place makes you feel at home?  What person makes you feel like home? One responder will be drawn to win a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card. P.S.  If you get a chance to read A HOME FOR NOBODY’S PRINCESS, please write me at leannebbb@ aol.com xo, Leanne Banks www.leannebanks.com To comment on Leanne Banks’s blog please click here.

Jamie Quaid | What Inspired the Saturn’s Daughters series?
Author Guest / September 24, 2012

Asking authors from whence come their ideas is almost guaranteed to receive smart-alecky answers similar to “from my coffee cup.” And we might not even be lying. With a combination of caffeine and the funny quotes on our mugs, we truly can develop entire books. In the case of THE BOYFRIEND FROM HELL and the Saturn’s Daughter series, the idea came from a cornfield. I kid you not. There is something transcendental about cruising hundreds of miles of highway and cornfields that is guaranteed to feed my subconscious. My brain consequently spews back rich idea manure. Mix in a few country songs from the radio and before long…I’m splatting alpha males into brick walls like bugs on the windshield. It was taking an idea from smushed bugs to series concept that really required work. Obviously, killing the potential hero in the first chapter is not the opening for a good romance novel. But it works beautifully for urban fantasy. Where else could the heroine kill her cheating boyfriend and accidentally damn him to hell? Oops!  And then the fun really starts when he comes back to haunt her in her mirror and swears he’s innocent. But with urban fantasy, the…

Fresh Pick | BLUE SKIES by Robyn Carr
Fresh Pick / September 24, 2012

September 2012 On Sale: August 28, 2012 384 pages ISBN: 0778314928 EAN: 9780778314929 Kindle: B0088NH1R6 Paperback (reprint) $7.99  Add to Wish List Romance Contemporary Buy at Amazon.com Refresh with a new look… Blue Skies by Robyn Carr From the New York Times bestselling author of the beloved Virgin River series comes a story of three friends who could seriously use a fresh start. A chance to shine. And maybe a little romance-the kind that sticks. Nikki Burgess survived a terrible marriage and a worse divorce. She’s just about given up hope of ever finding happiness. But when her ex-husband suddenly dies, she gets custody of her kids again-and a chance to start over. Dixie McPherson, on the other hand, has had way too much love. She has eleven tennis bracelets, dozens of trinkets, piles of sexy lingerie and a tarnished reputation when all she ever wanted was true love, a partner and a family. Carlisle Bartlett is loyal, kindhearted and the funniest guy slinging drinks in the back of an airplane. But he has an ugly little secret. The only kind of love he’s used to comes with bruises. When Nikki, Dixie and Carlisle are offered the chance to join…

A.C. Arthur | Panting for Panthers ~ Comment To Win
Author Guest / September 23, 2012

I’ve been asked more times than I can count now, “Why would you write about humans that could shift into panthers?” And each time I’m asked I have to think on the answer. It’s true that there is no love between myself and the feline species, however, there’s something about the jaguar that gets me every time I look at one. The jaguar, or panthera onca, it has a nice ring to it once you say it a few times. That coupled with the sleek and menacing look they have created the picture of the perfect new species. I figured this new species to be the best of both worlds—drop-dead gorgeous, perfectly sculpted body, fierce protective streak, charismatic and lethal when crossed. That’s an ideal description of The Shadow Shifters. I love the alpha hero, the take your breath away, dominating male that knows what he wants and doesn’t hesitate to go get it. Teaming him up with an in-your-face-independent female is always a task that gets the sparks flying. Dropping them both in a world that will fear what they really are amidst a growing political drug scandal is just the icing on the cake. In the first installment…