Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Jennifer Barnhart | Sugarplum Fairies, Christmas Miracles, Santa: Not this Year
Author Guest / December 17, 2014

Every year from Halloween to Christmas, people begin the frantic schedule of Holiday parties, shopping, family visits, and the marathon of sugary, sweet Christmas movies and romances that play 24/7. Sometimes I feel like the Grinch at the top of Mount Crumpit, “hating the Whos” because of all the “noise, noise, noise, noise” that has become Christmas. Like most of you, I feel the commercialization of the Holiday is out-of-hand. This is apparent in the production of Christmas stories that are put out each year where there are plenty of Christmas miracles but not very many substantial plots. Don’t get me wrong, I watch Christmas movies. How the Grinch Stole Christmas (the cartoon not the other), The Nightmare Before Christmas, and A Christmas Story are part of my yearly tradition. I also happen to think that all three have depth, cleverness, and really fantastic plots That’s why this list isn’t going to be Christmas stories where wishes and Christmas miracles solve all problems. This is a list for the heartbreaking, the damaged, and the wonderful resilience of the human spirit. LOVE AND OTHER UNKNOWN VARIABLES by Shannon Lee Alexander LOVE AND OTHER UNKNOWN VARIABLES Charlie Hanson has a clear vision…

Cynthia Sax | Hitting the Halfway Mark for SINFUL REWARDS
Author Guest / December 17, 2014

Cynthia, congrats on being halfway through your 12-month serial Sinful Rewards! Can you tell us a bit about the trials and tribulations of writing in this story world non-stop for a year? Cynthia Sax: Thank you, Fresh Fiction, for being so supportive of writers. (big hugs) We really appreciate it! I knew when Avon Impulse entrusted me with this assignment, that it would be an adventure. And it has been. Writing a 12 novella serial is very different from writing 12 novellas. One small example: There were deep revisions in story 1 and that changed stories 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Then a month later, I’d receive deep revisions in story 2 and have to change stories 3 to 12 yet again. The links between the stories are so tight that the minor details can change the future. But to be able to play in one world, with one story for over 1,200 pages was amazing. I could properly write a love triangle. That requires quite a few pages. And I could thoroughly examine the complex characters. I had the room, which is a real luxury. What has been the most exciting part…

Jennifer Dawson | Something New Series Overview
Author Guest / December 17, 2014

The Something New series was never intended to be a series at all. My original idea was a runaway bride walks into a dive bar, hooks up with a hot bartender for one night in her quest for self-discovery, ending with her continuing on her journey a wiser, more sexually awakened woman.  My projected word count was 15,000. But, then, Maddie sat down at the bar and Mitch walked up to her and 15,000 words later they were still sitting at the bar and wouldn’t shut up.  It didn’t matter what I tried to write, they pretty much refused to be contained to a few short words.  I conceded, and agreed with them that they deserved a full length, fully fleshed out story.  However, I still didn’t intend to write a series. A lot has changed since that initial writing.  Other than her wedding dress, and a few key facts, the story doesn’t remotely resemble those first scenes. And the more I wrote Mitch and Maddie, the more complex their stories became, and characters just started showing up as I was writing.  It started very organically.  I’d sit down to write X and come away with entirely new information, including…

Amanda Usen | The Deep, Dark Making of MAKE ME, TAKE ME
Author Guest / December 17, 2014

I did things in my wilding days that make me wince and suck in a slow, tight breath of sadder-but-wiser air. The most humiliating among them is this: I let a man put me on my knees. I let him break me. And he did not deserve that piece of my soul. I was driving through a parking lot when I realized I wanted to put those dark memories into MAKE ME, TAKE ME, and I had to pull over, close my eyes, and go slack in my seat belt until I figured out how to do it. I wanted my heroine to refuse to get anywhere near her knees. The phrase “Not gonna do it” rings through the book. Betsy doesn’t trust anyone, not friends and not family. Growing up in a bar as the daughter of a starry-eyed romantic bartender mom who believes Prince Charming might walk in the door any night made Betsy deeply suspicious of happiness not directly under her control. In her observation, every Prince Charming who walked into her mom’s life also walked out, leaving devastation in his wake. Betsy isn’t ever going to let that happen to her. You and I both know…

Tiffany Reisz | One Tip to Keep a Series Fresh
Author Guest / December 16, 2014

“A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” – Steve Jobs As of today (November 22, 2014 when I’m writing this piece), I have written seven full-length Original Sinners novels, seven Original Sinners novellas, and approximately twenty Original Sinners short stories for a grand total of over 1 million words. When writing a series of this scope with stories that span three decades, the challenge is how to keep things fresh and interesting for readers when they know your characters and this world almost as intimately as you (the writer) knows them. That’s where the Steve Jobs quote above comes in. Now it may seem strange to take writing inspiration from a computer designer and CEO, but the late-great Steve Jobs was the man responsible for the smartphone which I assume 99% of people reading this article own. You might even be reading this article on your iPhone (or another brand of smartphone, but let’s be honest, Steve Jobs is responsible for even the non-Apple smartphones). Apple was a computer company that turned into a phone company because one day Jobs and his team were sitting around a table complaining about how…

E.J. Copperman | Behind Inspector Specter
Author Guest / December 16, 2014

“Where do you get your ideas?” Writers get this question all the time. It’s an honest question asked by readers and in some cases interviewers who want to know about the process. I understand the impetus behind the question. I just don’t have an answer for it. The fact is, if I had a formula, a foolproof means of finding a good idea for a novel, I could get one whenever I wanted and this job would be… well, I’d still have to write the book, so “easy” might be something of an overstatement. But it wouldn’t be as hard, by a discernible margin. My latest book, INSPECTOR SPECTER, is the sixth in the Haunted Guesthouse series. You’d think after five other books with the same characters it would be a struggle to find something for them to do. Not at all. This one came from the characters, which is the best place to start. Alison Kerby owns a guesthouse on the Jersey Shore and it happens to have two ghosts haunting it. They get along okay, but that’s a long story all by itself. She also has a PI license, and in this book is asked by Lt. Anita…

Krista Davis | The Legend of Becca Wraith
Author Guest / December 16, 2014

Is there a ghost story from your youth that stands out in your mind? One that gave you chills? Maybe a local story or a traditional campfire tale? Holly Miller is moving to Wagtail Mountain. She hasn’t given the tale of Becca Wraith any thought at all in years. When she was a kid, her cousin wouldn’t sleep alone after hearing the story, but Holly wasn’t scared. Now ghost hunters are arriving and checking into the Sugar Maple Inn where Holly works. They’re coming to research the legend of Becca Wraith. Holly still doesn’t believe in ghosts, but most people in Wagtail do. It’s an old town where people used to come for the waters. Residents report seeing Becca’s ghost, as well as those of her ill-fated suitors, around town. Holly isn’t worried. After all, it’s just a story. But as spooky things happen, Holly realizes there must have been some historical basis for the ghost story about Becca. Still, it’s all in good fun until someone is murdered, and Becca’s ghost was seen nearby. About the Author New York Times Bestselling author Krista Davis writes the Paws & Claws Mysteries for animal lovers that debuted in December with MURDER,…

Janet Chester Bly | The Right Start: Fans Weigh In On First Pages
Author Guest / December 15, 2014

In the early stages of a doing a first draft for my first solo novel, WIND IN THE WIRES, I gave a shout-out on social media for volunteers to do critique. I was so used to my writing partner husband’s coming alongside throughout the process of each project. I missed that vital interchange. So, I sought out readers who would dare peek at rough beginnings. Some were given three to five pages. Others had a full first chapter. As the comments rolled in, my excitement grew. The story evolved. Perspective emerged on where the characters and plot needed to develop. Invaluable! They truly helped me recognize changes needed. And as he or she invested in the story, I received inspiration and encouragement. Later, they inquired about my progress and even prayed for me. Here are the original first lines they observed: Rebalene Mereddith Campbell searched for the cow again though she’d rather be riding the wind or meditating on a hill somewhere. She slowed down to study the terrain. First of all, Rebalene Mereddith Campbell seemed like a tongue twister or at least a bit awkward. Eventually I shortened it to Reba, then Reba Mae, and switched her last name…

Lia Davis | Vampire, Gargoyles, and Christmas?
Author Guest / December 13, 2014

One is a subspecies of demon. Another is a guardian. And, well, Christmas is the last holiday many would expect to see either of them celebrate. With Lilith, the mother of all demons, as the vampire queen… Yeah, it make you curious to see how it would all work out. Could it work? Do vampires actually celebrate Christmas? Oh, but wait! One of the vampire heroes was a priest in his human life. Then there is the heroine. Rhianna isn’t a vampire and she spent her adult life living as a human. She had adopted the human holidays in order to fit in. Being the adopted daughter of a vampire lord, she knows the vampire way of life. That is why she’s pleasantly surprised when her vampire mates accepts her traditions and honor her desire to put up a tree and decorate the mansion. So where do gargoyles play into the mix? They are the guardians of the night, protectors of the vampire lords against threats from a group of demons out to destroy their peaceful life in the human world. Plus, Rhianna is part gargoyle. IT’S A VAMPIRE CHRISTMAS is a vampire ménage Christmas story and a taste of…

Ally Broadfield | Why All of My Heroines Love Jewelry
Author Guest / December 13, 2014

If I could get away with it, I would probably wear pajamas all the time, but my grandmother never left the house unless she was wearing the perfect outfit, had her hair and makeup in place, and had just the right jewelry to match. She loved jewelry. From the time I was a little girl, I remember her traveling to Hong Kong and other exotic-sounding locales and coming home with gorgeous necklaces, bracelets, and rings (most of which were costume jewelry, but I didn’t know that). I would put them all on, usually all at once, stick my tiny feet in her high heels, and totter around, imagining myself in a beautiful ball gown dancing with the prince. After my grandmother passed away, the task of sorting through her jewelry fell to me and my sister. We went through what we thought was the costume jewelry and divided up the items we each wanted, then set aside the rest to give away. My sister chose a fake but large diamond on a plain gold chain to give to a friend’s daughter for dress up. It just so happens that at the time, her then boyfriend, who is a police officer,…