Writing romantic suspense is my passion. I stay awake at night planning a story in which a strong and vibrant heroine attempts the impossible, the forbidden, or the dangerous for the good of others. She meets a hero who compliments her strengths and challenges her weaknesses. Together they take the writer and the reader on an adventure. However, research can be difficult, especially if I’m not familiar with the character’s profession and its rules of conduct. I educate myself through online research and the library until I have accumulated enough knowledge to contact a real person who has this profession. My goal is to pose questions during the interview that are realistic for the character in my book. Sometimes I must preface my inquiry with, “I need to know if this situation could happen, not if it has.” The answer allows me freedom to create plot twists and circumstances that add tension and conflict to my story while staying true to the character’s profession. Some professions are easier to research than others. The FBI wants public support, and they are patient in responding to questions. Both agencies allowed me to tour their facilities. The FBI offers solutions for my questions,…

Looking for the perfect author reader match? Fresh Fiction is here to help. Today we’re presenting ANNA BRADLEY. She’s got lots to offer a reader so check her out! What I Write Sexy, steamy Regency historical romance—if you’re into wild, wicked alpha heroes and sassy heroines who bring the naughtiest, haughtiest rogue to his knees, then you’ve found your perfect book match! About Me I’m looking for readers who will risk their hearts on a handsome rake. Are gowns, gloves and garters your thing? Do you want to spend an evening flirting with earls and waltzing with dukes? Then you’re the reader I’m looking for! Warning: my books are not for the faint-hearted. The Regency is rife with scandalous intrigue. Dangerous flirtations, deadly duels, seductive scoundrels, and arrogant rakes with riding crops abound. I’m Looking for a Reader who . . . Love a great romance more than she loves sleep. Has an appreciation for bad boys heroes—Regency style. Thinks cravats and breeches are sexy (readers with kilt obsessions are also welcome!) Loves to see a wicked hero redeemed Craves love scenes that give her a reason to use her fan. Believes in sizzling passion, life-altering kisses, and love at…

The best writing advice I’ve ever gotten was from the incomparable Jennifer Crusie’s blog, Argh Ink. She said, paraphrasing, give the hero and heroine a dream, and then create a situation in which they can have their dreams or they can have each other, but not both. To find their happily-ever-after, one of them will have to be defeated—aka, give up their dream for love. The key to making this a truly happily-ever-after is that of one of the dreams is, in some way, a compromise, or in the case of my new book, a deal with the devil. Signing on that dotted line will make that character less than the best version of themselves. In RECKLESS IN TEXAS, Violet Jacobs isn’t going anywhere. She’s an unmarried mother tied to the Texas Panhandle by her son—whose father also lives in their tiny hometown—and by her family’s small time rodeo stock contracting business. But she has big dreams, and she’s going to find a way to push Jacobs Livestock into the national limelight even if she has to drag the rest of the family along kicking and screaming…bless their hearts. Joe Cassidy fell deeply, irrevocably in love when he was fifteen…

Thank you for stopping by Fresh Fiction for all your reading needs and recommendations. I’m bestselling historical romance author, Christina McKnight. My writing style focuses on strong heroines who are out to right a wrong done to them…and men who don’t always fit the classic ‘hero mold’. I also enjoy throwing together unlikely couples and letting their story take over. My earliest Regency Romance inspiration was Amanda Quick. I love her use of mystery as a subplot to further deepen her stories. You’ll notice a majority of my books also have a hint of mystery to accompany the romance—and to make my characters work harder to secure their Happily Ever Afters. I write heroes for every woman; from brooding alphas, to compassionate betas, and even the occasional scoundrel needing redemption or introverted scholar. With each book I write, I see it as the opportunity to write a completely different story with a new setting, fresh characters, and unsurmountable obstacles to their love match. Another element I love weaving through my plot lines are historical facts; including obscure French history (SCORNED EVER MORE, A Lady Forsaken Book Three) or rare wind instruments said to have been created by Greek gods (THE…