Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Laurence MacNaughton | Framed For Murder — What Would You Do?
Author Guest / April 10, 2014

Pop quiz: Do authors really imagine complex characters from the ground up, with mysterious backstories and intricately detailed biographies? Or do they just make everything up as they go along? (Or do they create thinly-veiled versions of their friends and family, and torture them vicariously on the page?) The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Every writer has a different method for creating characters, but mine is fairly straightforward: I create characters the same way you meet new people. First, you see what they look like, then you hear how they talk, and you learn a little bit about them. And, of course, the more time you spend around them, the weirder they get. One of my favorite characters in The Spider Thief series is Cleo, the stylish but no-nonsense girl next door — who packs two guns, a forensics kit, and an ironclad agenda. On her own, she can seem a little obsessed with her job. That’s why it’s fun to pair her up with a completely opposite guy and watch the sparks fly. Cleo is a law enforcement officer (I can’t tell you what kind without giving away one of the big plot twists), and therefore she’s…

Fresh Pick | CONFESSIONS OF A ROYAL BRIDEGROOM by Vanessa Kelly
Fresh Pick / April 10, 2014

Fresh Pick for Wednesday, April 9th, 2014 is CONFESSIONS OF A ROYAL BRIDEGROOM by Vanessa Kelly #RomanceWednesday Renegade Royals #2 Zebra April 2014 On Sale: April 1, 2014 352 pages ISBN: 1420131249 EAN: 9781420131246 Kindle: B00FH1IDWE Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List Romance Historical Buy A Copy Amazon.com Kindle BN.com Powell’s Books Indiebound Confessions Of A Royal Bridegroom by Vanessa Kelly Only one woman is worthy of his secrets They are the Renegade Royals, illegitimate sons of the Royal Princes, each finding his rightful place in society–and the woman destined to be his perfect match. . . Some men are born into scandal. Others pursue it with a passion. Griffin Steele, secret son of the Duke of Cumberland, is guilty on both counts. Yet somehow London’s most notorious scoundrel has been saddled with an abandoned baby boy–and with the unflappable, intriguing spinster summoned to nurse him. . . Justine Brightmore may be a viscount’s niece, but she’s also a spy’s daughter, determined to safeguard the infant when his suspected royal parentage makes him a target. Yet how to protect herself from the rakish Griffin? Marriage might shield her reputation, but it can only imperil her heart, especially with a groom intent on delicious seduction….

Michele Mannon | Heel Hook. Slick Submissions. Haymaker.
Author Guest / April 10, 2014

I know. You’re thinking mud wrestling. Or Spring Break. But believe it or not, these are fighting words. That’s right—sporting terms. Welcome to the world of MMA. When I told my friends about my concept for a sports romance series, they tried to take my glass of wine away. Mixed martial what? They had no idea what I was talking about, nor why I was so excited about writing a series about fighters. And not boxers or professional wrestlers—athletes we’re all used to, but fighters in the fastest growing sport around—mixed martial arts. Because I’m a writer and have a way with words, I explained it to them in three: Tom gorgeous Hardy. My fan-girl crush. A hunk of a British actor, whose movies are always the highlight of my cinematic experience. And my favorite character he’s portrayed? An MMA fighter. I had an oh-my moment, and realized just how sexy—how romantic—this sport was. Romance fans have caught on as well. It seems that not only is MMA the fastest growing sport around but also highly popular in romantic fiction. I am hope you enjoy my latest MMA romance, TAP OUT! TAP OUT, book two in the Worth the Fight…