Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Annie Seaton | An Exotic Journey
Author Guest / September 17, 2014

A couple of days ago I received an email asking me to write an article for a national newsletter about the exotic locales of my books and how I researched them. The journalist also asked me what it was like to be a successful writer in this digital age. I made a cup of coffee and I sat for a while reflecting over the past three years since my debut book, Holiday Affair was contracted. My writing life is truly wonderful. There is a lot of hard work involved, but the benefits are enormous. Coming late to writing after a career in education meant to make an impact in this digital age, my books have to be of high quality and I had to be prolific. I now have thirteen different books available for sale (including two bundles), four more digital books written and in pre-production, and a three book print series contracted and underway. This has meant a very busy three years for me, but I have loved every minute of it. I have always been an observer of life and people. My online personality is a talkative one, responding to readers and interacting with other authors on a…

Lindsay McKenna | Audible.com Buys Entire Wyoming Series to Put Into Audiobooks
Author Guest / September 17, 2014

Audible.com has just signed a contract with Lindsay McKenna to produce audiobooks on ALL of her Wyoming Series! Plus, a second contract to create audiobooks on her two newest releases (titles to be announced later) for 2015. This is her “cowboy” series, set in Wyoming and mostly around the Jackson Hole area. “I have a great fondness for this town and have spent many happy days on vacation in the Grand Tetons National Park which sits just north of Jackson Hole,” Lindsay told Fresh Fiction staff. “And of course, there is Yellowstone National Park, another fifty miles up the road apiece. I’ve set some of my books in these and other locations that are found around there. I truly hope you enjoy these stories.” It is unusual for an audio company to take an author’s entire back list. Usually they want only the present book. For those who love audiobooks, stand by for Lindsay’s entire Wyoming Series to be produced. More information as Audible.com begins to make them available. Wyoming Series from HQN SHADOWS FROM THE PAST, HQN, December 2009. Beginning of the new saga-series, The Wyoming Series Book #1. Kamaria Trayhern’s book. Morgan’s Mercenaries Saga. Book 42. DEADLY IDENTITY, HQN, December…

Christi Caldwell | Always a Rogue, Forever Her Love
Author Guest / September 17, 2014

Check out this excerpt from Christi Caldwell‘s latest installment in her Scandalous Season series, ALWAYS A ROGUE, FOREVER HER LOVE! Jonathan sucked in his breath as the spirited vixen who’d dealt rather handily with Lord Whitby a short while ago revealed herself. Here, in the closeness of his carriage, he could appreciate that which he’d not noted a short while ago. Her green gaze, the color of the richest emeralds, the fiery crimson curls piled high atop her head, and a smattering of freckles along her high cheek-bones. “You, sir, have something I want,” she breathed. Which was rather good for him, because he rather wanted her as well. A recalcitrant red curl tumbled free from the precarious arrangement of her locks. He followed the path of that captivating strand as it bounced and then fell, nestled in the slight gap in her cloak, between her breasts. Jonathan fixed his gaze on that crimson curl, never more jealous of a slip of hair than in that moment. He reached out and caught the siren’s lock. He raised it to his eyes, wishing it were day so the sun could bathe her in its light and illuminate the vibrancy of the…

Amanda Berry | What’s in a Name?
Author Guest / September 17, 2014

I’m going to let you in on a secret. You may have noticed it. It may have escaped your attention when reading the back cover blurb or if you read FATHER BY CHOICE. Heck, it escaped my attention when I choose the names. Whether through some happy coincidence or my brain having connections already formed that I’m not even aware of, I did something I couldn’t undo. So, here’s my secret. When I wrote FATHER BY CHOICE, I already knew that Penny would be Luke Ward’s heroine in his book, ONE NIGHT WITH THE BEST MAN. I happily wrote Brady’s book and sent it off. It wasn’t until I was putting together the dreaded synopsis for Luke’s story and got stuck. Let me backtrack a little here. My surname choices are generally obtained from the list of most popular surnames in the U.S. I look down the list and pick one I like. Well, when I got stuck I figured I’d try to figure out what nationality Penny’s last name was. So I type into Google (it has this cool feature that shows you searched that were done similar to the start of yours) “Montgomery.” Can you guess what popped…

Sara Jane Stone | A Look Behind the Scenes of CAUGHT IN THE ACT
Author Guest / September 16, 2014

Set in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, CAUGHT IN THE ACT, the second installment in my sexy contemporary romance series, takes place in the fictional town of Independence Falls. (Some of you may remember the setting from the first book in the series, FULL EXPOSURE. Though I should point out that both books can be read as stand-alones.) The plot revolves around revenge, love, and logging. But the opening scene offers a glimpse into the Oregon that is close to my heart, my in-laws farm. My husband was born and raised in the Willamette Valley on acres of land with views that steal your breath away, especially when you’re visiting from Brooklyn, New York and long for mountains. About ten years ago, my husband (then boyfriend) gave me three cashmere goats for my birthday. He promised they would live with his mother on the farm. (Thank goodness! Our New York City landlords would have objected to livestock.) Fast-forward a decade and my mother-in-law now has a herd of fifty or so goats, and I still love visiting them. And yes, the pictures are all my mother-in-law’s goats! When I sat down to write the opening scene of CAUGHT IN THE ACT, I…

Rebecca Donovan | Spotlight on WHAT IF
Author Guest / September 16, 2014

New adult readers will love the new novel by Rebecca Donovan, the USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Breathing Series. What if you had a second chance to meet someone for the first time? Cal Logan is shocked to see Nicole Bentley sitting across from him at a coffee shop thousands of miles from their hometown. After all, no one has seen or heard from her since they graduated over a year ago. Except this girl isn’t Nicole. She looks exactly like Cal’s shy childhood crush, but her name is Nyelle Preston and she has no idea who he is. This girl is impulsive and daring, her passion for life infectious. The complete opposite of Nicole. Cal finds himself utterly fascinated-and falling hard. But Nyelle is also extremely secretive. And the closer he comes to finding out what she’s hiding, the less he wants to know. When the secrets from the past and present collide, one thing becomes clear: Nothing is what it seems. Ready to find out the answer to the big what if? Add WHAT IF to your shelf on Goodreads here, and remember that WHAT IF is available wherever ebooks are sold! Please…

Cindi Madsen | Reunited Lovers
Author Guest / September 16, 2014

Reunited lovers stories happen to be some of my favorite romances. For several years, I’ve had the idea in my head for an aspiring country singer and the cowboy she left behind to try to pursue her music career. I always knew I’d write it, but I had other books contracted, so I mentally added threads to the story until I finally got a chance to get it down. Since I grew up on a ranch, diving into that setting was like my own version of returning to something I love. In SECOND CHANCE RANCH, Sadie’s returning to Hope Springs after six years. The road to her country music career has been filled with lots of ups and downs and plenty of bumps. When her career hits a major snag, she knows she needs a break and a some time to recuperate and regain her confidence—not to mention her struggling bank account. So she heads home to Hope Springs, Wyoming. The only person hiring, though, is the high school sweetheart she left behind. Royce Dixon runs Second Chance Ranch, where he rehabilitates troubled teens through ranch work and trains roping horses. Sadie’s good with animals and good with the teens,…

Linda Wisdom | What Attracts Us To Romantic Suspense?
Author Guest / September 15, 2014

The best thing about reading is the variety of genres out there. There’s something for everyone. To me, that’s the fun part and my tablet and Kindle are proof that my book libraries are eclectic. But there’s always the question why we read particular genres. So what does reading romantic suspense offer a reader? It can cover more than one genre. You have the mystery, romance, some books also offer paranormal, you’ll see humor in others, but what I enjoy with romantic suspense is the intensity that is the frosting on the multi-layered cake for my reading sweet tooth. You’ll read about stalkers, serial killers, secret agents, rogue government agents, add in vampires and other supernatural creatures with urban fantasy romantic suspense. Don’t you want a book that has you eagerly turning the page to see what will happen next? Where you’re grumbling you really need to get to sleep but you have to finish the chapter but then you find you need to read the next chapter also. You’re addicted to that sense of danger that you might not have in real life but you enjoy reading about it because it’s fun to delve into a darker world where…

Belonging Blog Tour | Aleksandr Voinov’s COUNTERPUNCH
Author Guest / September 15, 2014

Welcome to the Belonging ’Verse re-release blog tour with Aleksandr Voinov and Rachel Haimowitz! We’re very excited to be bringing you edited second editions of our Belonging stories, ANCHORED and COUNTERPUNCH (in the case of Anchored, very edited, with over ten thousand new words and a completely different beginning and ending!), which are finally under the same roof and back in print after about a year out of circulation. We’ll be touring for about two weeks, Aleks discussing his slave boxer and the barrister who tries to free him, and Rachel talking about her slave news anchor and the talk show host who covets him, and both of us discussing the world of Belonging at large—which, as you’ve probably guessed, is not a particularly pretty place. But good things can and do happen in this world, and we hope you’ll stick with us to find out what! Speaking of good things, don’t forget to comment on this post for your chance to win a $25 gift certificate to the Riptide store! Each new post you comment on earns you an entry into the drawing, so be sure to check out the rest of the tour schedule too! COUNTERPUNCH – the backstory…

Exclusive First Look at CHARMING by Krystal Wade
Author Guest / September 15, 2014

Join us as we reveal the first chapter of Krystal Wade’s new edge-of-your-seat young adult thriller, CHARMING. Follow along and visit these sites to unlock a new section every day this week! 9/15/14 Fresh Fiction 9/16/14 Mara Valderran 9/17/14 Bitten by Books 9/18/14 Night Owl Reviews 9/19/14 Fantasy Book Addict A note to readers from author Krystal Wade…   I wrote the first line of CHARMING before I was really ready to begin writing the story because I knew how important that line was when I first thought of it. Haley’s walk home, the emotion and fear and wariness she felt, set the tone for the book. She’s miserable. She’s afraid. She’s trapped. So many people suffer these feelings on a daily basis. Maybe not because of an abusive family member, but maybe a bad job, a dead-end relationship, just something, even illness. What better way to connect to a character than through this pain? What better way to really understand her? As someone who’s experienced a great deal of pain in her life, I can totally relate to these feelings, and I hope that even if you haven’t shared any of these experiences, you can empathize with those who…