My answer is it depends. Why? Because readers look for different things in different kinds of mysteries. Thrillers, police procedurals, traditional mysteries and cozies all have their fans, who bring their own expectations to each sub-genre. Cozies mystery readers probably look for romance the most in their mysteries. Why? Because cozies focus on characters much more than other kinds of mysteries, which is just fine with their fans. They like getting to know the people in a series, watching their lives change, and enjoying the interactions. Some of those interactions are logically going to be romantic—especially if the main character is single (though there can certainly be romance between married couples) and also, but not necessarily, if they are young. In my Pickled and Preserved series, my main character, Piper Lamb, is single and young. At the beginning of the first book, THE PICKLED PIPER, Piper had broken off an engagement and moved to a small town to start a new life. The only problem was that her ex-fiancé, Scott, didn’t take the break-up seriously. During his travels around the world to “find himself” he sent Piper messages and gifts as though they were still a couple, much to her…

by Candy Holliday Blueberry Farmer and Amateur Detective as told to B.B. Haywood, author of TOWN IN A CINNAMON TOAST, available everywhere on Feb. 2, 2016 Candy Holliday, I tell myself, you should know better. But here I go again! I know I promised more than a few people (including our local police chief, Darryl Durr) that I would stay out of trouble and stop playing detective. It’s just that one of the most important events of the year is going to happen in three days, and there’s trouble in the air, thanks to a missing best man and a misguided bottle of champagne! You see, my best friend and sidekick, Maggie Tremont, and our local German baker, Georg Wolfsburger (commonly known as Herr Georg) are getting married—right here at Blueberry Acres, the blueberry farm I run with my dad, Henry “Doc” Holliday. Our farm is located on the outskirts of the seaside village of Cape Willington in Down East Maine, and we’re in the process of getting it ready for the wedding—tidying up, setting up a reception tent, that sort of thing. But we’ve run into a fatal snag. When Herr Georg’s best man, local historian Julius Seabury, fails…

Have you ever visited Ohio? Some people think the entire state is flat. It’s not. Holmes County, which is situated above Columbus, consists of beautiful rolling hills Have you ever stayed a bed-and-breakfast and awakened to the sound of chickens and cows? It’s serene, idyllic, and delicious. I stayed at an inn at the south portion of Holmes County years ago. The next day, I got lost while driving around. What a fabulous experience that was! Truly. I discovered all sorts of little towns and treasures. Right now, in my latest release FOR CHEDDAR OR WORSE, it’s time for the first-ever Cheese Festival in Providence, Ohio. Charlotte Bessette, the protagonist, is a cheese monger, and she and her new husband, Jordan, have been invited to stay at nearby Emerald Pastures Inn to participate in a brain trust. What’s a brain trust? It’s an event where marketers, cheese makers, cheese authors, and journalists will taste, make, and talk all things “cheese.” Charlotte and Jordan can’t wait. But there will be others at the brain trust plus one surprise guest from the past—Lara Berry, pretentious cheese whiz, pompous bestselling author, and pungent critic whose extra sharp tongue can crumble a reputation. Charlotte…

A friend of mine recently told me that she didn’t read sports-themed romance because she wasn’t that interested in sports. I can respect that, but I don’t think being a sports fan is necessary in order to enjoy romances that revolve around some kind of sport. I don’t play or watch sports, but some of my favorite books involve athletes. In fact, one of the first contemporary romances I ever read was sports-themed. I first got into this sub-genre of contemporary romance by reading, and becoming enthralled by, Erin McCarthy’s Fast Track series. The Fast Track series centers on the world of stock car racing. Every one of the driver heroes in this series is to die for and each one is very different, except for their drive and commitment. In THE CHASE, Erin McCarthy puts a new spin on the series by featuring a female driver as the main character. The Fast Track series is seriously sexy but with Erin McCarthy’s trademark humor and snappy dialogue as delectable additions. Fast Track by Erin McCarthy #1 Amazon.com | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play #2 Amazon.com | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play #3 Amazon.com |…

For those of you interested in history, here’s bits of 19th century architectural and structural happenings during the Industrial Revolution. Fire burned down architect Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace. It was built in London’s Hyde Park to house The Great Exhibition of 1851, the first all glass and iron modular structure built at the time of the Industrial Revolution. Read more…. About Gail Ingis Gail Ingis writes historical romance, loves history and romance of course, has taught history, and her weekly blog frequently covers historical content. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Ingis’s early days began and ended with writing, drawing and music. Her inspiration to write came from books gifted to her by an aunt. But life had other ideas. After graduating from the New York School of Interior Design with a BFA in Interior Architecture and Design and masters’ studies in Architecture and Design Criticism at The New School (Parsons). Her career in interior design and architecture led her to the other arts. Ingis founded the Interior Design Institute, a school of interior design, that she eventually sold, but during her tenure, she was twice asked by publishers to write a textbook, her efforts were thwarted by a heavy schedule. Ingis…

When Fresh Fiction asked me to share some of my favorite things, I sat right down and started a list. Saturday mornings at Starbucks with my own leading man. Spending time with my extended family. Performing in community musical theater productions. Baking fattening desserts. Playing in my garden. But there’s no time to talk about all those in this short column, so I’ll focus on just one of my favorites. Long, spectacular hikes while on vacation. Now, before you get the wrong idea, I’m not one of those people who straps 50 pounds of stuff on her back and disappears into the wilderness. I’m a day hiker. My husband didn’t discover this until after we were married. But he quickly learned that it’s not a vacation for me if I don’t log some serious hiking miles in God’s country. Don’t get me wrong. He’d done some hiking before we married, too. But it was not on his list of favorite things. However, he humored me—and through the years, some of our treks have been both easy and amazing. Hiking down from the Gornergrat in Switzerland on a smooth, well-marked trail with clear views of the Matterhorn all the way is…

What are you passionate about? Perhaps you love to cook, sew or paint. Maybe you’re passionate about your family. As an author, I’m passionate about what I do. Just ask anyone who has made the mistake of asking me about my writing. Passion is a boundless enthusiasm for something Enthusiasm for something drives us to want to know more about the object of our passion, whether it’s a person, place or thing. Julia Child was passionate about French cooking. However, she did not will herself to become one of the world’s greatest chefs. She had to learn and practice. When I started writing, all I knew was that I wanted to write and that, someday, I wanted to be published. But to make that dream come true, I had to learn the craft of writing. I bought books, attended writers’ conferences and honed my craft for nearly a decade before ever seeing that dream of being published come true. Never stop learning Julia Child may have written MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING, but she still continued to learn. How do I know this? Because I’ve watched her shows, In Julia’s Kitchen with Master Chefs and Julia Child & Jacques…

There are many components I love finding in a book: adventure of some sort, strong friendships, great writing, and, often, a super swoony romance. February is one of the perfect times of the year to sink into a book with a good love story going on, whether the romance is the primary part of the book or a minor storyline. While I usually have neutral feelings on Valentine’s Day itself, I can’t deny a significant amount of happiness at seeing all the chocolate on sale. With winter still continuing in the background of the second month of the year, one could happily spend a Saturday curled up inside a warm house with a heartwarming romance and a box of chocolates. Here are a just a few options of newly released or soon to be released books featuring a powerful romance that might put you in a romantic mood. About THE SHADOW QUEEN A dark epic fantasy inspired by the tale of Snow White, from C. J. Redwine, the author of the Defiance series. Perfect for fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses and Cinder. Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen…

With the quick approach of Valentine’s Day, I wanted to celebrate this holiday by sharing my all-time favorite scenes in Romance. After years of reading Romance, I had so many good scenes to choose from but I will admit that it wasn’t hard to pick out my top two favorites. These are scenes that constantly stand out in my mind. I remember reading them for the first time and feeling my heart squeeze with emotion as the scene panned out. My first and possibly my most favorite scene of all time is from LOVER ETERNAL by J.R. Ward. It’s the scene where Rhage appears at Mary’s house. At this time, it’s still the beginning of their relationship and despite the uncertainty that Mary has about Rhage, she rushes out of the house, straight into his arms as she sobs that “she’s not okay”. It’s an emotional moment that made me sob right along with her because it’s that moment where she finally opens up to him. And from there, it’s only the beginning of their happily ever after. About LOVER ETERNAL Within the brotherhood, Rhage is the vampire with the strongest appetite. He’s the best fighter, the quickest to act…

I have been a fan of ABC’s Scandal from day one. Why? Because it is one of the few books or films that combines swoon-worthy assassins and wine into a lovely, entertaining cinematic package. I love books and films that incorporate espionage and political intrigue into the plot, throw in one of my favorite cities – Washington DC and a protagonist who is always working it… and I am hooked. The fact that the heroine of the television show, Olivia Pope is masterfully and flawlessly portrayed by the gorgeous Kerry Washington is a boon. Most television shows and films in this genre usually feature a man and completely gloss over stuff like fierce hair, gorgeous clothes and the romance lives of the characters – and that is why I love Scandal. While men obviously enjoy the show, this is espionage and political intrigue by women and for women It’s exactly like the fiction genre, romantic suspense – you know, books that usually feature a gorgeous Navy Seal, a tall dark and handsome FBI agent or maybe a dreamy CIA operative… and the women that love them? There is usually lots of action, danger and steamy love scenes…. Read more… About…