Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Tawna Fenske | Where Do I Hide the Condom?
Author Guest / December 30, 2014

At the start of my career as a romantic comedy author, I vowed I would never write a TSTL heroine. For those unfamiliar with the lingo, TSTL is not some sort of bondage-related acronym (though for the record, I’d cheerfully write a heroine with those proclivities). TSTL stands for “too stupid to live,” and trademarks of a TSTL heroine include stamping her pretty little foot in anger, tiptoeing alone in a negligee into a dark basement to find a serial killer, and bumping uglies with her new beau after forgetting to wrap the kielbasa. I’m committed to portraying safe sex in all my books, but the fact that my characters sometimes get busy in unpredictable places forces me to be creative with my placement of love gloves. My first book in the Front and Center series with Entangled Publishing was MARINE FOR HIRE, and the initial sex scene took place in a shower after the hero rescued the heroine from a shrapnel attack that turned out to be a kitchen mishap with a blender and steamed beets. Because says “romance” like beet puree. At any rate, I initially wrote the shower sex scene with the heroine explaining she’d gotten an…

Sharon Cullen | His Saving Grace
Author Guest / December 30, 2014

He glanced at her over his shoulder. “I keep thinking it will go away, that I will wake up and be better, but that’s not going to happen. My greatest fear is that I will be this way for the rest of my life and that people will pity me.” Grace gave in to her desire and hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight, pressing her cheek to the tight muscles in his back and closing her eyes. She wanted to fix everything. To make it all go away. For Michael’s sake more than hers. He turned within her embrace and wrapped his arms around her. His hug was nearly crushing, but she didn’t mind. She’d learned not to take moments like these—any moment, really—for granted. “No matter what happens,” she whispered, “we will make it. I promise you that, Michael.” – HIS SAVING GRACE By their very nature, romance stories always have a happily ever after. It’s why I love reading them and why I love writing them. I adore experiencing the journey that two people travel to find each other and to find love. I like knowing before I even open the…

VANISHED by Elizabeth Heiter
Author Guest , Author Spotlight / December 30, 2014

Eighteen years ago, FBI profiler Evelyn Baine’s best friend disappeared.  Now, the Nursery Rhyme Killer is back – and if Evelyn doesn’t catch him, she may be the next to disappear. When the heroine of my Profiler series, Evelyn Baine, was twelve years old, her best friend disappeared, the final victim of the Nursery Rhyme Killer.  A note was left behind, the only clue to why Evelyn’s friend Cassie was taken – and the note said Evelyn was also an intended victim.  For almost two decades, Evelyn has carried her survivor’s guilt, never knowing if Cassie had been killed or was still living under the mercy of the Nursery Rhyme Killer. All her life, Evelyn has wanted to seek closure for Cassie.  It’s the reason she joined the FBI, the reason she became a profiler for the elite Behavioral Analysis Unit. Now, the Nursery Rhyme Killer has returned after eighteen years of silence, and nothing will keep Evelyn from returning to her hometown in Rose Bay, South Carolina.  It’s a tightly knit community, yet many of the locals have old prejudices that simmer into violence when more local girls are abducted.   Evelyn already has strikes against her, because the townspeople…

Robin Covington | The Top 5 Worst Songs for a Wedding
Author Guest / December 30, 2014

When I’m not working my day job as attorney and writing my books, you can always find me performing lead vocals for a band. Yep- for a fee and a meal of rubber reception chicken, you can have us entertain you and your guests at the best day of your life.  And writing PLAYING WITH THE DRUMMER (about a celebrity wedding) got me thinking about all of the weddings I’ve done over the years. We get lots of special requests and we bend over backwards to accommodate the couple but there have been some weird ones that live on in my memory. Here are the top five: 5. All My Exes Live in Texas by George Strait: The father of the bride was a huge fan of the King of Country but I think I could have picked any of his dozens of number one love songs before this one. 4. Gold Digger by Kanye West:  Not my favorite by any stretch of the imagination and really weird to sing when you watch the realization of what they lyrics are about dawn on the faces of the older guests –even though we change some of the words to ones less…

Celebrate the Holidays with Fresh Fiction Reviewers
Author Guest / December 26, 2014

What a great team of reviewers we have Our review team, led by Pat Richardson and Sandi Shilhanek, has published more reviews this year than ever before. This year we have published more than 2,400 reviews and we have more to go. In the ten years Fresh Fiction has been reviewing books, we have reviewed 13,462 books. Thank you authors and publishers for sending us so many books over the years, we could not have accomplished this without you. Keep your books coming! Our Reviewers Penny B Elizabeth Bailey Melissa Beck Lee Erin Berryhill Rosie Bindra Joanne Bozik Laura Brusuelas Ashleigh Compton Betty Cox Teresa Cross Samantha Cudworth Lynn Cunningham Monique Daoust Leanne Davis Dot Dittman Jessica Dunn Susan Dyer Christina Fashant Viki Ferrell Susan Gorman Linda Green Angela Haley Sarah Horwath Min Jung Melissa Kammer Make Kay Amber Keller Audrey Lawrence Crystal Leach Gabrielle Lee Auriette Lindsey Sherri M Clare O’Beara Miranda Owen Pat Pascale Katherine Petersen Kay Quintin Samantha Randolph Meredith Richardson Bonnie Rose Mav` S Sharon Salituro Alexandra Sereni-Brown Stephanie Shaw Laurie Simpson Shellie Surles Annetta Sweetko Annie Tegelan Allan Tennent Diana Troldahl L Walker Jim Welke Debbie Wiley Rachel Williams Patricia Woodside Sandra Wurman Jessica Zylinski…

Elley Arden | Do You See What I See? Elley’s #sightsandsounds of the Holiday Charity Event
Author Guest / December 23, 2014

The holiday season is in full swing and I love this time of year, where the focus is on sharing love and laughter with friends and family, as well as giving back and spreading joy to the community. After all, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas are not about what you can “get,” but what you can give in celebration of life’s blessings. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get off track. Our days are chaotic and often stressful. The weather turns colder and drearier in many parts of the world. The news is depressing and deafening. A couple weeks ago, I felt myself slipping into old patterns and—dare I say it—dreading the holidays, which wasn’t okay with me. So after brainstorming with my PR team, we came up with an event that I hope will carry the happiness and hopefulness of the holiday season straight into 2015. I’m calling it #sightsandsounds of the holiday, and it involves me posting a daily picture to my Facebook, Tsu, and Twitter accounts through New Year’s Day. The pictures feature holiday-related things I’ve seen while out and about (running errands, picking up kids, shopping, etc.) or at home while spending time with my family. If I can…

Colleen Shannon | One Riot, One Ranger
Author Guest / December 23, 2014

That’s the Texas Ranger motto, but when Chad Foster’s rebellious brother goes missing, it’s time to put his elite training to use investigating a crime that strikes much closer to home. Turning Los Angeles inside out to retrieve Trey and save their ranch from a ruthless land grab is a no brainer, even if it puts his badge at risk. His only lead is a heart-stoppingly sensuous exotic dancer with a very tempting butterfly tattoo, the woman who helped scam his brother out of their ranch. But staying on top of this redhead’s every suggestive word and sensual move means putting his case—and his heart—right in the line of fire . . . A Texas Ranger, complete with quarter horse, is as out of place in downtown L.A. as a lawman is in the bed of a suspect, but with both their lives at risk, Chad has to put his trust in the one woman who could bring him down for good, and pray that somehow hard evidence is really just a pack of lies. . . Excerpt from FOSTER JUSTICE She was down to a G string, a triangle with lacy ties on both sides and a thong up…

Sarah Rayner | On Writing “Fresh” Fiction
Author Guest / December 22, 2014

Hello, everyone, I’m Sarah Rayner and it’s great to be back at Fresh Fiction on the release day of the follow-up to the international bestseller, ONE MOMENT, ONE MORNING. My new novel, ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER DAY is published today, December 23, from St. Martin’s Griffin. To mark the launch, I thought I’d share my thoughts on writing about ‘difficult’ subjects, as it’s an area I find both fascinating and rewarding as a novelist. The inspiration came when I was out for lunch with a group of authors earlier this week, and one of them said that it’s only by ‘writing into the dark spaces of our psyches’ that we break new ground as authors, both personally and artistically. Given that ANOTHER NIGHT, ANOTHER DAY is about three people crying out for help and is set in a psychiatric clinic, perhaps it’s little surprise that I clapped my hands and said, ‘I totally agree!’ Writing into the light – or staying in one’s comfort zone – is easy. It’s easy for writers, as it doesn’t stretch us so much, and it’s easy for readers too. There are many occasions when we need the succor of a cozy, reassuring book, and don’t get…

Rebecca Zanetti | Release Day for MARKED
Author Guest / December 22, 2014

Thank you to the Fresh Fiction gang for having me here to celebrate the release of MARKED today! I can’t believe the day is finally here when Janie and Zane meet in person. Of course, there’s a huge difference between meeting in dream worlds (or on the internet), than in person, right? Even if everyone is totally above-board and honest, reality is, well, different. I’m better in written form than in reality (which might be why I’m a writer, lol!). When you write, there’s time to get the words perfectly. In conversations, I’m always thinking later of what I should’ve said, you know? Also, I’m quite graceful on the Internet because there’s not anything to trip over. I’ve answered quite a few interview questions lately for the Marked tour, and one of the questions has been what my biography would probably be called. I’ve answered: She was Reading a Book and Fell Down a Hill. I’m a klutz. Not kind of a klutz, but a real one with often a bruise or two somewhere. My mom, who totally loves me, has claimed vigorously that I’m not clumsy and that I’m usually just thinking hard about something other than what I’m…

Larissa Ione | Top Five Favorite Angels and Demons
Author Guest / December 18, 2014

Thanks, Fresh Fiction! Excited to be here, and super excited to share with you my list of Top Five Favorite Angels and Demons from TV and the Movies! So let’s do this thing: 1. From the TV series Angel, that fun-loving, green-skinned, always-had-a-drink-in-his hand entertainer, Lorne! Remember him? He was hilarious. 2. From Supernatural, I gotta give a shout-out to Crowley. Yeah, he’s a super bad guy, but he’s funny. I can forgive a lot if a bad guy has a sense of humor. I love it when he’s on the show. One of the best TV/movie demons ever. 3. Hellboy. Because, hello, Hellboy. ‘Nuff said. 4. Anyanka (Anya) from Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Vicious and creative, she’s right up there with Crowley for being funny, but what makes her so special is that she’s also got a sweet, clueless side that is endearing. 5. Okay, so I realize that my list is a bit, shall we say, demon-heavy. Oh, don’t act surprised; you know what I write. ☺ So here’s our token angel, although he really isn’t token. I love him, and he’s actually my favorite on this list. Come on out, Castiel! For those who aren’t familiar with…