Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Cheryl Bolen | New Book in a 16-year-old Series
Author Guest / April 19, 2016

Though my April release, OH WHAT A (WEDDING) NIGHT, is a brand new book, it’s germination occurred sixteen years ago. Long before most of us were reading books on ereaders—my New York publisher asked me to write a pair of connected historical romances set in Regency England. We didn’t label it as a series in those days, but I called it my Brazen Brides series. The first book was the lighthearted COUNTERFEIT COUNTESS. It went on to be a finalist for the Daphne du Maurier award. In the second book, ONE GOLDEN RING (Best Historical, 2005, Holt Medallion winner) my hero came from the wealthiest family in England, the Birminghams, who were prominent in banking and on stock exchange. I modeled them after the Rothschild family, and I wanted to make them Jewish, too, to make even more obstacles to the marriage of an aristocratic lady to a Jewish stockbroker. Unfortunately, my editor nixed the idea of a Jewish hero. Over the years, many readers wrote, asking that I give each of the powerful Birmingham brothers his own book. More than three years ago, I wrote a novella (Lady Sophia’s Rescue, no longer available) with William Birmingham as the hero….

AJ Pine | Friends to Lovers
Author Guest / April 19, 2016

I have always loved the friends to lovers romance trope. The challenge to making a story like this work is to be able to first show how good the hero and heroine are as friends but also create that subtle tension that lets you know something more than friendship is on the rise. That’s what I I hope I’ve done in my contemporary romance, THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY. Because of…reasons, my hero, Jamie, and heroine, Brynn, are on a road trip from Chicago to L.A. We know from the outset that Jamie has feelings for Brynn that go beyond friendship, but obstacles have kept him from telling her. His hope is that by the end of the trip she’ll realize he’s the one. What does that mean for me as a writer? I get to put these two in situations that will make them squirm with tension. Here’s a short little scene from early in Jamie and Brynn’s road trip. Because of a travel mishap, Brynn is without her glasses or contacts for their overnight stay in Tulsa, OK. Because our hero is a beer brewer and their hotel bar has tons of microbrews on tap, Jamie and the…

Mackenzie Crowne | Origin Stories
Author Guest / April 19, 2016

If you visit Amazon these days, you’ll find millions of books. Millions in the romance category alone. So many stories. So many ideas birthed in the writers’ imaginations. But where do those ideas come from? Ask most writers that question and you’ll most likely get some variation of Oh, geez. Everywhere. That’s because life provides the seed for every story, whether it be a song lyric that hits your ears at just the right time, a news headline, a funny comment overheard… Or something as simple as an elderly man holding a bouquet of flowers as he waits for a train. I stood in Grand Central not long ago, watching such an old man and thinking, where is he going? Who are the flowers for? He must be meeting a woman. Look at how sweet and dapper he looks in his fedora as he anxiously studies the board with the train schedule. My mind quickly slipped a romance heroine into the picture. She sits next to the old man on the train and… The possibilities are endless. For me, at least, those seeds normally sprout sideways, never taking me where I first thought they would. Like the idea that came…

Judi Lynn | Cook, Eat, Love
Author Guest / April 19, 2016

I love food. I love to eat food, cook food, and watch chefs make food on TV, so when I thought of Tessa Lawrence, the protagonist for COOKING UP TROUBLE, I saw her in a kitchen. When her grandfather died and her grandmother decided to move to a ranch house in town, Grams gave her their farm and business. Tessa grows fresh fruits and produce. During the summer, she runs a farm stand and a bakery. She and Grams bake together every Thursday and sell their goods on Fridays and Saturdays—cookies and specialty cakes and pies. The shop’s shelves are lined with all things pickled, along with a variety of pestos. While Tessa and Grams cook together, Grams gladly dispenses advice. Tessa’s given up on men after finding her fiancée in the arms of another woman. Grams wants her to get out there again, to find someone else, so when Ian McGregor buys the property next to Tessa’s, Grams sees an opportunity to jumpstart Tessa’s hormones and jolt her back into the world of dating. Grams just might be on the right track, too. Ian’s happy to drop by Tessa’s for supper most nights. He’s good-looking and charming…and engaged. That…