Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Megan Hart | BEG FOR IT Excerpt
Author Guest / July 9, 2016

“Hello, Corinne,” he said. “It’s been a long time.” For a moment he was sure she was going to tell him to get bent, then stalk off. Maybe, he thought suddenly, terribly, unwillingly, maybe she’d slap his face first. He didn’t take a step back, though he wanted to. Corinne didn’t leave, and she didn’t slap him. To his surprise, she moved to embrace him, a second or so only, the press of her cheek on his. He breathed her in, blinking at the brief caress of her hair on his face before there was space and distance between them again. His cock was already almost fully hard. “Reese, my God,” she said. “How are you? What a wonderful surprise.” A second later she was in his arms again, like she couldn’t stop herself from hugging him, and all he wanted to do was pull her closer and never let her go. Instead, Reese took her by the upper arms and pushed her carefully but firmly a step or two away from him. It was impossible to miss the way her mouth turned down, though she smoothed her expression immediately. They stared at each other in an endless silence. “They…

Julane Hiebert | Redeem the Time
Author Guest / July 8, 2016

High in one of the willow trees that line the bank of our lake, the setting sun highlights the red head of a red-bellied woodpecker. I watch as he pecks and hops his way up the tree into the canopy above until I can no longer see him. And my storybook mind wonders where he is going in his white apron, black and white tux, and his bright red top hat. Our wee cottage sits on the banks of a small man-made lake in the flint hills of Kansas. While the houses across the way sit high above the water, we have only to walk out our back door and traverse the required 100 feet span between our deck to the swing which sits along our seawall. We woke this morning to stormy skies, and the water looked dark and angry. Wind whistled through the timber to the east of us and drove waves high enough to make the resident geese bob like corks as they made their morning visit to our cove. Tonight, as I write this, the face of the lake is stoic, almost petulant, and only an occasional twist of the heart-shaped cottonwood leaves betray what otherwise…

Carre Armstrong Gardner | Novocain Brain
Author Guest / July 8, 2016

Last month, I had some dental work done in the left half of my mouth. Going to the dentist is never a picnic in the park, in fact, it usually makes me think I am going to die. I managed to avoid thinking about it until I was actually sitting in the chair. Then, I suddenly remembered why I used to drink, but by then it was too late. All I could do was lie back and think of England. My dentist, Dr. Nelson, is such a nice, sweet woman. She makes me wear safety goggles. So, I’m in the chair, goggles on, and sweet Dr. Nelson starts by shooting Novocain into my gums. Novocain makes me nervous: I am a nurse, and I know about local anesthetic toxicity, and I am sure it’s going to happen to me. I feel the little pinch….I wait for it…THERE! My heart is racing! I know the next step will be a weird metallic taste; my ears will ring; I will flush all over, and then the end will come. But none of that happens. My heart rate slows to normal. Apparently it was just nerves: a bullet narrowly dodged. Dr. Nelson and…

Marie Sexton | An Excerpt from DAMNED IF YOU DO
Author Guest / July 7, 2016

About Marie Sexton Marie Sexton lives in Colorado. She’s a fan of just about anything that involves muscular young men piling on top of each other. In particular, she loves the Denver Broncos and enjoys going to the games with her husband. Her imaginary friends often tag along. Marie has one daughter, two cats, and one dog, all of whom seem bent on destroying what remains of her sanity. She loves them anyway.  WEBSITE | GOODREADS | Newsletter Signup | Amazon Author Page Abaddon spent his next few days in the office, catching up on paperwork. Baphomet harangued him constantly, insisting he should be out reaping souls. He had a point, but pedestrian souls had never appealed to Abaddon. And now, having tasted Seth’s sweetness, he couldn’t stand the thought of settling for less. Besides, once he bagged Seth, he’d be set. Why waste his time on a dozen pro athletes when Seth alone would fill his quota and then some? To that end, Abaddon attended the revival every single evening. Revivals had always amused him, and the Rainbow Revival was no exception. Zed scowled at him constantly, and each and every night, the Rainbow Revival members seemed to keep…

Faye Avalon | A Glimpse of BEAST UNTAMED
Author Guest / July 7, 2016

Naomi came into the hall, flushed and pleased with herself. “Ready?” Moments later, after brief introductions to the two women who had arrived, they were piling into Caleb’s SUV. From the backseat, Erin found herself glancing back to the house, hoping against hope she didn’t catch sight of Nathan again. The man made her feel uneasy and anxious. They’d barely shared a glance, but he’d looked at her like he knew something nobody else did. She shuddered at the thought, remembering Naomi had told her that Tynan was his business partner, and they were security consultants. That meant he would know how to access official files, documents, people’s history. At Naomi’s instruction beside her, Erin clipped on her seat belt and vowed to keep a very low profile where Nathan Quinn was concerned. BEAST UNTAMED by Faye Avalon Beasts of Bodmin Moor To guard his woman, he must claim his mate. Beasts of Bodmin Moor, Book 3 Ex-special forces operative Nathan Quinn enjoys women, but he just doesn’t trust them. Thanks to a mother who abandoned him, he prefers no-strings relationships, and has no intention of ever marrying or mating with a fellow shifter. He focuses his energy on building…

Terry Spear | Tips for Holding a Billionaire Wolf
Author Guest / July 7, 2016

How to Catch a Billionaire Wolf’s Attention and Hold on Tight in 17 Ways Get caught in a rip current, but only when he’s watching the ocean from his palatial beachfront home. And hope he’s not distracted when you nearly drown. Don’t act all Olympic swimmer on him. Let him think you need the rescue, the intimacy, the time to bask in each other’s scent. Be mysterious. That’s sexier. Have a secret. That’s intriguing. Be a wolf. He’ll love that. Show off your classic car. He’s a car connoisseur, sure to please. Act like everything in his billionaire world is amazing. Because to non-billionaires, it would be. And no sense in trying to pretend this is like any other day in the life of a billionaire. He’ll appreciate you’re not jaded. Strip naked in his poolside shower and wash off the sand and salt before he returns just so you don’t chafe badly and ruin your whole time there. Don’t get caught or he’ll think you have ulterior motives. It’s okay to act surprised when you see the paparazzi taking photos of you and him together. It’s part of the whole experience. Play coy. Don’t act like you are enamored…

Boas & Tiaras 2016
News / July 7, 2016

One of my favorite annual Fresh Fiction reader events is Boas & Tiaras Afternoon Tea. When we started it nearly two decades ago our small group of fifteen met at a tea shop between Dallas and Fort Worth and used the gathering as an excuse to wear shiny tiaras and fluffy boas. We did not have any authors join us then, instead we used the occasion to talk about books and celebrate the second generation of book club members who were going off to college. From that moment it turned into an annual June afternoon where we would dress up, don our tiaras, and share our favorite summer books. As years passed and our nerve increased, we invited authors to join us. They spread the word about Boas & Tiaras, inviting their readers to come, and helping us establish a name for ourselves. It was those early years of Boas & Tiaras that I cherish, as many friends were made and a great foundation for Fresh Fiction reader events was established. On Saturday, June 12th we celebrated our 15th Boas & Tiaras with Linda Bolton, Kelli Ireland, Mari Madison, Emily McKay, Jan Moran, Susan Sheehey, Gena Showalter, C.A. Szarek, Tracy…

INTRODUCING PARK ROW BOOKS
News / July 7, 2016

A New Literary Fiction Imprint from MIRA Books New York, NY, July 1, 2016—MIRA Books announced today the official launch of Park Row Books, an exclusive line of thought-provoking and voice-driven novels by both celebrated and new authors. Park Row Books will be led by Margaret Marbury, Vice President, General Fiction Editorial, and Erika Imranyi, Executive Editor. Park Row Books will publish unique voices and powerful stories that inspire discussion. Inaugural titles are slated for release in summer 2017. “With the success of MIRA’s rapidly expanding literary fiction program, we decided to establish a dedicated imprint that focuses on the incredible novels we are publishing,” said Marbury. “Park Row Books allows us to create new opportunities for talented literary writers who want a boutique publishing experience with the support of a powerhouse commercial publisher.” “We are aggressively growing our imprints that publish hardcover and trade paper original fiction,” said Loriana Sacilotto, Executive Vice-President, Global Publishing and Strategy at Harlequin. “Park Row Books is acquiring powerful and compelling novels by talented writers who are looking for a house that will shine a spotlight on their titles.” The name Park Row Books was inspired by the landmark street that runs through downtown…

Jade Lee | TOP 5 WAYS I AVOID DOING PROMOTION
Author Guest / July 7, 2016

The world has lots of exciting and scary things going on right now. I’ve been watching the news and trying to balance normal life sanity with keeping up with what’s going on outside my door. And in the middle of that, I realized I’ve got four books coming out this fall. Yes, FOUR! The first is: As Rich as a Rogue by Jade Lee coming in August! Woo hoo! Here’s the problem. There’s a ton of work to do before a new book’s release and I’ve been avoiding all of it. So here are my Top 6 Ways I’ve been Avoiding Promotion Work: WENT ON A DIET – There’s really no time to do promotion when I’m sneaking chocolate and then yelling at myself for sneaking chocolate. GOT LOST IN THE NEWS – It’s a scary world out there and there’s a lot going on. I’ve been fascinated by Brexit, presidential campaigns, insane violence, and everything all those Late Night Comedians are saying about it. Who has time to write a blog when I haven’t seen John Oliver’s latest video? GOT LOST IN SOME GOOD BOOKS – I started reading a few books, and then had to fly through the…

Gail Ingis | what’s OLD is NEW again
Author Guest / July 6, 2016

I’m thinking about the future of Indigo Sky. In a whirlwind romance, a lovely New York socialite marries a fêted, debonair author. But beneath the charm is a cheating husband addicted to hasheesh. Her dream marriage turns sour and the simplicity of her life runs amok when a handsome stranger, her husband’s business partner, threatens her staunch loyalty to her wayward husband. When she faces the ugly truth about her marriage, her need to finalize her divorce sends her on mad chase across the wilds of nineteenth century America with a handsome stranger—she learns hard lessons of murder, kidnapping and more that almost destroy her. A new release in paperback and audiobook will be here sometime soon. After last week’s blog, I Write and I Paint, my novel,Indigo Sky needed a blog of its own. If you like romance, and you like adventure, Indigo Sky is for you! Shopping at Tiffany’s, getting caught up in the New York Draft Riot, the Civil War, and the wilds of the Great Plains. Here’s an excerpt from my book that will curl your toes. Read the rest on Ingis About Gail Ingis Gail Ingis writes historical romance, loves history and romance of course,…