Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Inara Scott | Your Secret Indulgence
Author Guest / November 25, 2014

Right now, I have three things hidden in my sock drawer. Item one: a large bag of left-over Halloween candy. (To clarify, the bag is large, but the candy is mostly gone. Sad face.) Item two: a box of mini dark chocolate bars from Trader Joe’s. (Also mostly empty. See a theme here?) Item three: Hmm. Well, in the interest of decorum, let’s just say there is a three, and I really hope no one finds it. These are my secrets. And as a mother of two, with two jobs, two cats, and two dogs (only one husband, thank goodness), I don’t have many secrets left. My closet gets raided by my daughter, who is now tall enough to steal my clothes. I find my shirts balled up in her laundry bin, my jewelry on her bedside table. She has also been known to rifle through my drawers in the bathroom looking for makeup, although she is NOT allowed to wear it to school. (And I mean it!) My kitchen cupboards are regularly pillaged by my 6’4’’ fourteen year-old son. If I leave a speck of food unattended, it’s gone. I mean, GONE. I stopped buying ice cream when entire…

Marina Adair | Most Romantic Inns of the South
Author Guest / November 25, 2014

  I love traveling almost as much as I love romance. Which made researching for my latest release, SUGAR’S TWICE AS SWEET, so much fun. After being dumped, abandoned, and left homeless, my heroine Josephina Harrington leaves the big apple behind for the small town of Sugar, Georgia to turn her great aunt’s dilapidated boarding house into a boutique lifestyle retreat. In researching bed and breakfasts and boutique hotels, I came across some of the most romantic spots in the South that inspired Joie’s inn, Fairchild House. Here are my personal Top 5 Most Romantic Inns of the South: Coming in at #5 is the Blue Willow Inn. This inn combines two of my favorite things, southern hospitality and southern cuisine. This mansion turned eatery is known for their fried green tomatoes, country fried chicken, and the title of “Best Small Town Restaurant in the South.” Located in a charming yellow and white turn-of-the-century neoclassical mansion, this southern hot spot was at one time home to the Updike family, including Redd Updike, who was Margret Mitchell’s first husband and the inspiration for Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind. Food, history, and some of the best sweet tea around, it…

Shannyn Schroeder | The Best Things About Fall
Author Guest / November 25, 2014

I am a lover of summer. I despise winter, so I really don’t hold much fondness for fall since it leads straight to the one season I hate. Some people love the fall because of the beautiful colors on the trees, the cooling temperatures, or the pumpkin-flavored everything. Not me. For me, the best thing about fall is the new TV lineup. I routinely admit that I watch far too much TV. I counted about 20 hours of TV that I record on an average week. That’s like having another part-time job. Crazy, right? But I can’t help it. I have shows that I look forward to returning, like visiting old friends, and then there are always shiny, new things to look at. I’m not going to talk about all the shows I watch (I’m not that crazy), but here are some of the shows that I was most excited about this fall: Returning shows 1. Arrow – I have such love for this show. It’s a little over the top, but it’s a superhero, so how can it not be? And if you’ve watched or spent any time on social media, you’ve probably heard of Olicity. Everyone wants Oliver…

Vanessa Kelly | Renegade Royals
Author Guest / November 24, 2014

I have so much to be thankful for this week, including the fact that I have a new historical romance release out tomorrow. TALL, DARK AND ROYAL is the second novella in my Renegade Royals Series, which features heroes who are the illegitimate sons of England’s royal dukes. The leader of the Renegade Royals is Sir Dominic Hunter, and his tale began in LOST IN A ROYAL KISS, the first Renegade Royals story. A boy of fifteen, Dominic was devoted to Chloe Steele, his best friend and the person he loved most in the world. But a series of terrible events separated them for many years, and Dominic even feared Chloe was dead. But he never gave up looking for her as he rose through the ranks of the British Intelligence Service, eventually becoming a magistrate and powerful spymaster. Dominic’s search for his lost love played out through the first two books of the series, and now comes to fruition in TALL, DARK AND ROYAL when Dominic and Chloe are finally reunited. Naturally, their reunion isn’t easy, and quite a few obstacles stand in the way of their HEA. Chloe, in particular, has suffered a great deal and she’s forgotten how…

Sheri Cobb South | Family Plot
Author Guest / November 24, 2014

As a writer of fiction, I tend to spend a good deal of time in an imaginary world of my own creation; that seems to come with the territory, and as long as it doesn’t interfere with my functioning in real life (as it did the time I became so wrapped up in mental plotting that I drove myself home from Mobile, Alabama—a distance of about twenty miles—without afterwards recalling how I’d gotten there), it isn’t a problem. Every now and then, though, my two worlds collide, with dangerous (see above) or, more frequently, ludicrous results. One of these occurred during the spring of 2012, when I was writing the Regency-set mystery that eventually became FAMILY PLOT. During the course of researching that book, I’d discovered that digitalis, the medicine still used today to treat heart patients, had existed as early as 1785, and that it is derived from the foxglove plant. I used my new knowledge in plotting the mystery at the center of the book. (This is not a spoiler, as the cause of death is determined very shortly after the discovery of the body.) Meanwhile, in real life, my husband and I had bought a house in…

Sheila Roberts | Plenty of Holiday Spirit for Me
Author Guest / November 21, 2014

I remember last Christmas asking myself, “What would happen if Santa ever lost his holiday spirit?” Hopefully, Christmas is about more than the jolly, old guy in the red suit and the world wouldn’t end if he took some time off. Still, I thought this would be a fun idea to play with, so I created James Claussen the quintessential Santa, who has played Santa Claus for family events, local hospitals and shopping malls. But now, with the loss of his wife, James has lost his joy in the season. In fact, he’s lost his joy, period. Which is where Olivia Wallace’s Icicle Creek Lodge in Icicle Falls comes in. This year Santa is going to THE LODGE ON HOLLY ROAD  where he’ll meet a lot of people, all in search of a meaningful Christmas, and maybe he’s going to find his Christmas Spirit again. That’s the plan, anyway. We’ll see if things go according to plan. Things don’t always go according to plan in books or in real life. A season that holds so much joy for so many can be equally hard for others. Personal loss, dysfunctional families, gatherings that go awry – anything can sneak up on…

Wendy Sparrow | Where Heroes Come From
Author Guest / November 20, 2014

One of the most common questions asked of writers is where our ideas come from, but far less frequently asked is where our characters come from. I remember reading that J.K. Rowling said that Harry Potter walked fully-formed into her head. Other writers such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle acknowledge that their characters, like Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, are based on acquaintances at least in part. With most romance writers, I’d imagine the path to how we develop our heroes isn’t quite as clear because few of us take some guy we knew in college and plop him unchanged in our romance. Why? We didn’t date millionaire tycoons in college. Believe it or not. Or, in my case, I have never, to my knowledge, dated a werewolf. But we might borrow characteristics and mannerisms and even events from the men we’ve been in contact with. Sometimes from a guy we had a crush on. Maybe we’re borrowing from the guy that held the elevator for us. Okay, I’ll admit it…it’s not always guys we know. It might be someone we see on TV. We’ll swipe a character trait from this man, and the smile from this other guy and the sum…

Randi Cooley Wilson | Why I Write New Adult
Author Guest / November 20, 2014

If you stop to think about your life’s story, as a whole, you’ll discover each layer is composed of many chapters filled with mystery, romance, relationships, and outcomes – both good and bad. There are innocent moments that take your breath away and if you’re lucky, instances that will define you. When I look over my own life’s story, I always stop on my college years as a favorite chapter. One packed with its own set of angst, friendships, heartbreak and insanely fun moments. As a writer, it’s those new adult experiences that fascinate me the most. These are the years when you truly are just starting out in life. You’re in a transitional period between adolescence and adulthood, one where you tend to experience love and friendships on a completely different level. Eighteen to twenty-four is an amazing time where anything and everything seem possible. The world is completely open for you to create your own journey, make your own destiny and figure out what’s worth fighting for. New adult books explore these levels of emotions, relationships, and journeys. The stories written in this genre can be darker in themes, edgy and raw when dealing with a more mature…

Sonya Weiss | Writing Influences
Author Guest / November 19, 2014

Someone asked me if I could do any other profession except write, what it would be. I would have become a veterinarian. I’ve always loved animals. I think I got that from my parents. Both were avid animal lovers and I can remember one time when my dad brought home an injured pregnant bunny rabbit. The poor thing was used to humans, so it was probably someone’s pet that either got lost or was dumped. My father was over six feet tall. He was big and strong and always made life an adventure. I only saw him cry once and that was when lightning struck our Great Dane. The last photo taken of my mom shows her with a small dog in her arms. I can remember the names of all the pets that were in my life as I was growing up. Ladybug—a terrier, Lucky Max—a mixed breed I rescued from a trash dump, Brutus—a Great Dane, Moochie—a Pekingese, Ski—a Poodle, Hobo—a German Shepherd, and Chick—a Great Dane. With all the sweet pets we had and all the unconditional love pets give back, I cannot understand how anyone could harm an animal. I saw an article recently by Robert…

Exclusive Excerpt from THE LAWS OF SEDUCTION by Gwen Jones
Author Guest / November 18, 2014

Exclusive Excerpt from THE LAWS OF SEDUCTION Chapter One Alpha Nailed Center City District Police Headquarters Philadelphia Monday, September 29 11:35 p.m. In her fifteen years as an attorney Charlotte had never let anyone throw her off her game, and she wasn’t about to let it happen now. So why was she shaking in her Louboutins? “Put your briefcase and purse on the belt, keys in the tray, and step through,” the officer said, waving her into the metal detector. She complied, cold washing through her as the gate behind her clanged shut. She glanced over her shoulder, thinking how much better she liked it when her interpretation of bar remained singular. “Name . . . ?” asked the other cop at the desk. “Charlotte Andreko.” He ran down the list, checking her off, then held out his hand, waggling it. “Photo ID and attorney card.” She grabbed her purse from the other side of the metal detector and dug into it, producing both. After the officer examined them he sat back with a smirk. “So you’re here for that Frenchie dude, huh? What’s he—some kinda big deal?” She eyed him coolly, hefting her briefcase from the belt. “They’re all…