Thanks for inviting me to hang out at Fresh Fiction today! I’ve been making the rounds, visiting different blogs since the second book in my Pawsitively Organic Mystery Series, A BISCUIT, A CASKET, came out in April, and I’m thrilled to be here. I love writing the Pawsitively Organic books. Why? Because I get to combine a love of writing murder mysteries with a love of animals and all things holistic health, which is so cool. In the books, my protagonist, Stan Connor, chucks her corporate life in the city after she loses her job. She moves to the small town of Frog Ledge, Connecticut with her Maine coon cat Nutty, for whom she cooks and bakes because of his gastrointestinal issues, and soon finds that the entire animal population in town is nutty for her treats. Which leads her down a path to her own business – baking organic, gourmet treats for pets. And, of course, stumbling over dead bodies and solving mysteries. Let’s get one thing out of the way – I’m not a chef. In fact, I can barely cook for myself, never mind my numerous pets. But I can write, I’m fascinated by crime and I…

Years ago, after my husband and I drove to Alaska, I wrote the Romantic Suspense, MIDNIGHT SUN.  A second journey generated the ideas for my three new Against novels, the Brodie Brothers of Alaska, beginning with AGAINST THE WILD. I love road trips, just heading out with no particular destination in mind, rolling along, encountering whatever life has to offer.  It’s a panorama of new vistas, different smells, different tastes, different lifestyles.  It’s dealing with flat tires and engine trouble, but also meeting people from every walk of life. In the tiny town of Tok, we met a group of Vietnam vets on a Holland America bus tour.  At dusk each day, they held a flag-lowering ceremony, and because my husband had mentioned that the body of a friend, a serviceman killed in Vietnam, had just been recovered, he was asked to do the honors that night of lowering the American flag. It was a special evening, the kind of experience that can make a road trip unforgettable. Being that both of us love history, we wound up in Dawson City, the Yukon, way off the grid, the original destination for Klondike gold miners at the end of the nineteen…

Fresh Pick for Sunday, May 25th, 2014 is WARRIORS by Ted Bell #WeekendReads Thriller escape! William Morrow April 2014 On Sale: April 1, 2014 480 pages ISBN: 0062279386 EAN: 9780062279385 Kindle: B00DB3A9M2 Hardcover / e-Book Add to Wish List Thriller Military Buy A Copy Amazon.com Kindle BN.com Powell’s Books Indiebound Warriors by Ted Bell Dashing counterspy Alex Hawke must rescue a kidnapped American scientist as the United States and China move dangerously close to all-out nuclear war in this adrenaline-fueled thriller in the New York Times bestselling series that combines the hallmarks of Clive Cussler, Tom Clancy, Ian Fleming, and Daniel Silva. When an elderly professor at Cambridge is murdered, a victim of bizarre, ancient Chinese torture, Alex Hawke teams up with his Scotland Yard colleague and friend Inspector Ambrose Congreve to find the killer. But the death is only the opening move in a tense and lethal game of geopolitical brinksmanship. In the United States the president has begun behaving strangely. Is his mental health deteriorating—or is there something far more sinister behind his questionable moves? The answer is crucial, for tensions are mounting between China, North Korea, and the U.S. And China has launched fighter jets and a…

A notoriously charming bad boy-Even by Chatsfield standards Lucca had to admit this latest one to hit the London tabloids was a doozy. An uptight and starchy princess-‘Personality clash, you call it? I’d call it a personality collision! That man is nothing but trouble. He came swaggering in as if I was a housemaid instead of a princess. He called me sweetheart!’ Lucca Chatsfield is exiled to the European principality of Preitalle to help Princess Charlotte (Lottie) plan her sister’s wedding. He intends to spend the time on the beach with a bevy of beautiful blondes to peel his grapes for him. Lottie will not allow a spoilt rich boy ruin her one chance of showing her family (and the world) she is not just a spare heir. ‘You are not here to party. You are here to help me. So help me you will.’ He leaned one elbow idly against the doorjamb. ‘Would you like a drink?’ Her eyebrows snapped together. ‘Mr Chatsfield, I am not here to socialize. I am here to assign you specific tasks to do with the wedding.’ ‘Humour me.’ He closed the door and smiled down at her lopsidedly. ‘I never do business with…

Fresh Pick for Saturday, May 24th, 2014 is PURE HEAT by M.L. Buchman #Free4All Memorial Day Weekend reads Firehawks Sourcebooks May 2014 On Sale: May 6, 2014 352 pages ISBN: 1402286880 EAN: 9781402286889 Kindle: B00HUTVFYO Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List Romance Suspense Buy A Copy Amazon.com Kindle BN.com Powell’s Books Indiebound Pure Heat by M.L. Buchman Fighting fire with fire When it comes to Charlene, Steve’s defenses are about to go up in flames The daredevil smokejumpers of Mount Hood Aviation do more than fight wildfires. Led by retired SOAR pilots, they fly elite operatives into places that even the CIA can’t penetrate-and Charlene Thomas and Steve Mercer are the best in the business. While battling the summer’s toughest fire, the pair uncover a terrorist camp in the remote forest of Oregon. Using specially equipped helicopters and a stealth-modified drone, they take on the camp. The mission-and the flames-are combatible. For Steve, it’s the heat from Charlene that might just scorch him to the core. They might fight fires, but the flame of love will win. Previous Picks

I love to travel. I think it’s because I grew up in a small town and always imagined what it would be like to live in faraway places such as Shakespeare’s England or on a tropical island like the girl in Scott O’Dell’s ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS. Reading only stirred my traveler’s heart. The more adventures I had through books, the more adventures I wanted to have in real life, so my parents probably weren’t too surprised when I was off to see the world at the tender age of eighteen. Now that I’m past the backpacking through Europe phase, I’ve learned that I also enjoy staying in places that have comfy mattresses, a Starbucks downstairs, and a neighborhood in which I can wander around and experience my travel destination’s culture. Naturally, my booklover’s heart still looks for literary connections everywhere I go, so in New York City I had a martini with my husband at the Algonquin’s Blue Bar where Dorothy Parker and her friends started The Algonquin Round Table in 1919. And just last week during a visit to Chicago, my book-loving friend Jennifer and I made our way to the Newberry Library. Do you remember the…

On May 30, 1868, a group of Union veterans held the first Decoration Day (now called Memorial Day). They picked that day because they believed that flowers would be in bloom around the country. The purpose of Decoration Day? To honor and remember the men who fought and died on both sides of the Civil War. This weekend Memorial Day services will be held around the country. Many communities will host events and parades. All in an effort to honor the many men and women who have lived and served throughout the wars this country has experienced. While many graves will be decorated, it is also a time to remember. Remember those who served in the trenches of World War I. Remember the boys who stormed the Omaha beaches and Guadalcanal during World War II. Remember the men and women who died in the jungles of Vietnam or the land of Korea. Remember those who still serve and give their all around the world. This act of remembering and memorializing is why I write books set during World War II. I want to capture through the power of novels the many roles men and women occupied during that all encompassing…

Only 99¢ for a limited time Kindle nook iTunes Kobo Can her love melt this CEO’s heart? Entangled Indulgence On Sale: May 19, 2014 175 pages ISBN: 9781622665853 Burned by love and grieving over his brother’s death, sexy billionaire CEO Carter Anderson wants nothing more than to protect his family. So when beautiful and unassuming physical therapist Gwen Radley shows up at the funeral, pregnant with his brother’s baby, Carter’s certain she wants an interest in the Anderson empire—and both his suspicion and attraction grow when circumstances force Gwen to move into his family’s mansion. An orphan, Gwen’s never wanted anything more than a family, and she finds in the Andersons a place she and her baby might belong. When Gwen’s therapy expertise leads to long hours of intense, late-night collaboration on a lucrative project, the attraction between her and Carter leads to a night of white-hot passion. But Carter’s distrust remains, leading them both to wonder if he will ever embrace his brother’s baby—or the love that’s blooming between them. Only 99¢ for a limited time: Kindle | nook | iTunes | Kobo Lea Nolan writes smart, witty contemporary stories for adults filled with head-swooning, heart-throbbing, sweep-you-off your feet…

Being a romance hero or heroine is often a lonely profession. It certainly is for the characters in my newest historical romance, TO CHARM A NAUGHTY COUNTESS. The heroine, Caroline, is a wealthy widow who cements her social power by being friendly to every woman and flirting with every man. This may not sound lonely, but sitting at the pinnacle of society means she can never relax or be less than perfect. All the regard she works so hard to earn is ornamental, since no one knows her true self. Well—not quite all of the regard. The hero, Michael, has no use for false courtesies. A brilliant, impoverished, eccentric duke, he has just as few social skills as he does guineas. Rumored mad, he retreated from London years before to devote himself to administering his dukedom. When cold weather ruins his harvest and investments, though, the only solution is a quick marriage to a wealthy bride. Rumors work against him, though, and no heiresses seem willing to trade their fortune for a title. It’s not in Michael’s nature to entrust his responsibilities to anyone else—but with the livelihood of his dukedom’s tenants on the line, he cannot fail. He needs…

Fresh Pick for Thursday, May 22nd, 2014 is CIRCLE OF DESIRE by Keri Arthur #SupernaturalThursday A Damask Circle #3 Random House April 2014 On Sale: April 1, 2014 352 pages ISBN: 0440246571 EAN: 9780440246572 Kindle: B00FO5YFSY Paperback / e-Book Add to Wish List Romance Paranormal Buy A Copy Amazon.com Kindle BN.com Powell’s Books Indiebound Circle of Desire by Keri Arthur Two children have been found dead, their souls torn from their bodies. Two more are missing, and Ethan Morgan’s niece is one of them. A dedicated cop, Ethan has every intention not only of bringing her back alive but of catching the monster behind these kidnappings. And he will use anyone and everyone to achieve those aims—even a crazy woman who claims to be a witch. But time is ticking. The victims rarely stay alive for more than seven days. Four of those days have already passed. In ten years of working for the Damask Circle, shapeshifter Katherine Tanner has never come across anything that goes after kids the way this monster does. The last thing Kat needs is interference from a cop who has no idea what he’s up against. But the greatest threat to Kat may come not…