Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Carole Mortimer | Celebration of a Brave New World!
Author Guest / November 30, 2016

I can’t believe it’s two years ago this month that I clicked to ‘publish’ the pre-order for my very first Indie book. And today is publication day of CAPTURING CALEB (Knight Security 3) my 21st Indie book, and also my 220th book. It’s been a wild roller-coaster 2 years—and I have enjoyed every minute of it. If anything I love Indie publishing more now than I did when I first decided to take that leap into the unknown. It’s been an amazing learning experience, but also one that it very personally rewarding. It has also allowed me to connect on a more personal level with my readers. Keep those emails coming, I love to hear from you! So, what have I learned in the past two years? Well, I now know how to put the whole book together, rather than just sending the book content to my publisher. Because I am now the publisher as well as the author. I choose the publication date, and the cover picture, how that cover is going to look, and all of the content, front, back, and sideways. I also decide what series I am going to write, and how many books will be…

Joanne Dannon | Every Heroine is Different
Author Guest / November 30, 2016

“Variety’s the very spice of life, that gives it all its flavour.” William Cowper. Recently I read a post about readers liking their heroines to be strong and decisive and this got me thinking about the heroines I write. I spend a lot of time in creating my characters and ensure they are unique and special in their own right. They all look different, have particular personalities but they’re not all strong or wilful. Why? Because then they’d all be the same, it would be boring. When reading a romance, you want to be swept away in the journey between the hero and heroine. They help each other to develop and grow (the character arc) so that they are different at the end of the book to how they were at the beginning of the book. My most popular heroine is Daisy in WANTING MR RIGHT and I believe it’s because she’s sassy, upfront about her sexual desires and her ability to talk straight from the mouth. She’s strong and wilful and definitely not your average woman. I suspect women would like to be her but in reality, not all of us can be blessed with slim bodies, six foot…

A Note from Amelia Grey
Author Guest / November 30, 2016

Dear Readers, It may be summer warm in Florida, but it feels like Christmas to me! I’m hearing jingle bells and ho, ho, ho. There’s a hint of cedar, pine, and wood smoke drifting through the air. Houses are decorated with the welcoming warmth of colorful Christmas lights, and it’s the perfect time to announce the publication of my second Christmas novella Mistletoe, Mischief, and the Marquis. When most people hear the word Christmas they think of kids, snow, and gifts. Mistletoe, Mischief, and the Marquis has all three and a whole lot more wrapped up in an emotional love story between a serious-minded gentleman and a fun-loving heroine. Here’s a short summary of the novella Mistletoe, Mischief, and the Marquis. The Marquis of Wythebury is expecting an ordinary Christmastide at Hurst—until he is set upon by a beautiful miss who takes him to task for not allowing his young nephews to play outside. In his mind, a five and seven-year-old needn’t get chilled in the snow; better to plop them in front of the fire with a book. Few people have even been brave enough to challenge him over anything, much less the rearing of his wards. The cheeky…

Julie Anne Long | Finding the Perfect Songs for WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK
Author Guest / November 29, 2016

Julie Anne Long’s latest novel WILD AT WHISKEY CREEK releases today. To make the characters feel real, Long spent time curating the perfect playlist to inspire her writing. She stopped by Fresh Fiction to share her secrets. Long, Long Time — Linda Ronstadt We first meet Glory at an open Mic night in HOT IN HELLCAT CANYON, and this is the song she riveted the audience with…and walked out in the middle of…when she saw Eli standing in the doorway. We learn in Wild at Whiskey Creek that this is the first time they’d seen each other in nearly a year. She knows this beautiful song of unrequited love is one of Glenn Harwood’s favorites, and she loves to make crusty Glenn cry. Hey Hey What Can I Do — Led Zeppelin Pivotal to the story, this Led Zeppelin song is a bit of a paradox—enormously popular on FM radio, it was the flipside of The Immigrant Song but never appeared on any album, so it’s nearly impossible to buy it or own it. It’s the White Whale for many Led Zeppelin fans. Glory catches Eli singing this off key at the top of his lungs in his car when…

Donna Michaels | Cowboy vs Military Hero
Author Guest / November 29, 2016

Giveaway: $10 Amazon Gift Card Hello, I’m thrilled to be here on Fresh Fiction and to talk to you about two of my favorite subjects: Cowboy Heroes, and Military Heroes. I write hot, humorous, heartwarming, contemporary romances, and nine times out of ten my hero is either a cowboy or military hero…or both. When I’m asked which is my favorite to write I always answer with both. It’s way too hard to choose one over the other. I even made a long list of their attributes to help. Here are the top 4 of each: Cowboys: Respectful. The cowboy heroes I write about are contemporary, but modeled after the John Wayne, Audie Murphy, Roy Roger cowboys of the big screen. They are righteous and live by a code of honor. Even when they go all alpha and my heroines knock them down a peg, they remain respectful. Loyal. Cowboys put family first, their women, their friends, sacrificing their needs to help those they care about. Swoon-worthy drawl. It doesn’t take much imagination on my part at all to hear the handsome cowboy in my head whisper, “Darlin’”, in a deep sexy tone to my heroine. It’s goose-bump city for me….

Small Press Cozies for Cyber Monday
Cozy Corner / November 28, 2016

What better way to celebrate Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, than by featuring a few of my favorite e-book authors and publishers! I find it very appealing to help self-published authors, indie publishing houses and smaller publishing houses who focus on the e-reader (two are also available in print format) while being rewarded with murdously fabulous mysteries! From a recent release, to a current release, I then finished with a soon-to-be released e-book that you’re sure to enjoy. Don’t miss these great gifts for cozy fans this holiday season! BAD KITTY by Elisabeth Crabtree Hatter’s Cove Gazette Mystery #5 The hundredth anniversary of the Hatter’s Cove Catastrophe Winter Games has just begun and reporter Kat Archer has been ordered to get a heartwarming story of Hatter’s Cove residents and their feline companions competing in a quintessential Hatter’s Cove tradition. However, what she actually gets are stories of jealousy, lies, cheating and, by the end of that night, murder. Almost everyone chalks the death up to a tragic accident caused when the victim tripped over Mrs. Claws, the two-time reigning champion, while descending the stairs. Kat on the other hand is convinced the woman was murdered and is determined to…

Lindsay McKenna | Stalked!
Author Guest / November 28, 2016

What would you do if you were being stalked? Those who have had it happen (and I have), realize the terror of feeling like a hunted quarry and it’s only a matter of time until the man hurts you. It is a paralyzing and helpless feeling because more law enforcement won’t believe the woman in the first place. I wanted to address stalking of women by a man in this book because it’s important to understand just how a woman feels when she’s in the gun sights of her hated hunter. WIND RIVER WRANGLER is about a romance author being stalked in New York City where she lives. Hit with writer’s block, she wants to escape it all. Maud Whitcomb, owner of the Wind River Ranch in Wyoming, a family friend, invites her out. Shiloh Gallagher has no idea of how many ways her life is going to be upended. Meeting Roan Taggart, the wrangler from the ranch assigned to “babysit” her for the months she is out there, doesn’t exactly agree with him. Roan is an ex-Special Forces operator. He’s come to the ranch two years earlier to deal with his PTSD, and he’s on the mend. But having…

Cowboy Rising: Meet Daniel MacKinnon
Author Guest / November 25, 2016

Hi, I’m Mia Hopkins and I write supersexy cowboy romance. My newest release, COWBOY RISING, is about an introverted cowboy who butts heads with the feisty newspaper reporter who’s writing a story about his family’s ranch. On the surface, Daniel and Georgia have little in common. He’s a conservative country boy with deep roots, she’s a liberal city girl with a taste for adventure. Despite these differences, they constantly surprise one another. Soon their shared passion, intelligence and stubbornness lead them to the bedroom, where a scorching one-night stand turns into something much, much deeper. For strong-minded Georgia Meyers, only an intelligent, capable hero will do. Here’s what makes Daniel MacKinnon tick. He works hard. Daniel is a third-generation cattle rancher, trained by the best of the best. When his older brother deserts the family and his father falls ill, Daniel does his best to keep things together. At 24, Daniel will do anything to make the 5,000-acre ranch succeed, including oversee a lengthy organic certification process that places a nosy (but sexy) reporter right in the middle of his business. He’s got deep roots. Daniel’s grandparents started the cattle ranch and almond orchards. His swaggering father and his rodeo…

Dev & Meda– Inside the Characters of THE WATCHER, Crossing Realms Book 2
Author Guest / November 23, 2016

Meda regarded him silently. “What is ‘Dev’ short for?” “Devlyn.” He laughed half-heartedly. “It means brave. Or misfortune. Take your pick.” And that just about sums up Dev Geary, former Keeper and reluctant Watcher. This hunk and his Harley will take on the human realm in the seven days he’s been given to save his clan—and conquer the very thing that killed him. I enjoyed the challenge of crafting Dev. He’s a bit of an anti-hero—he’s belligerent, hell bent on his own agenda, an opportunist, a unique blend of strengths and vulnerabilities. His catch phrase and philosophy on life is to be ‘between the inches’, or to embrace his death wish. It’s a fine line between thrills and terror, and it’s the only place where he can feel alive, free from the darkness that lives inside him. Free from the secrets and shame he suffers. Combine all that angst with some super human powers, and you’ve got yourself a hard ass hottie, fiercely determined to guard and rescue humans. The irony, and the beauty of his character is he doesn’t realize he could use a little rescuing himself. Enter human Meda Gabriel, a cagey, street smart bar owner with a…

Tina Gabrielle | Where Ideas Originate
Author Guest / November 23, 2016

Hello Fresh Fiction! Thank you for inviting me to celebrate my newest release, REAL EARLS BREAK THE RULE. It’s the second book in my Infamous Somertons series about the three daughters of an infamous art forger. I’m often asked where I get the ideas for my historical romances. I love writing smart, savvy heroines who are an equal match for my strong, sexy heroes. I’ve written a heroine who has been an anonymous investor in the London Stock Exchange, a daughter of a barrister who is more knowledgeable about the law than most of the barristers at the Inns of Court, a lady spy, and a successful shopkeeper. REAL EARLS BREAK THE RULE is Amelia’s story. She is the only Somerton sister who inherited her father’s ability to forge priceless works of art. Of course, this talent has gotten her in serious trouble in the past. But this time, she’s truly put to the test when the handsome rogue, Brandon St. Clair—the Earl of Vale—asks her to paint his portrait in secret during a house party in the country. I researched female artists when I plotted the novel. Amelia was partly inspired by a French female portrait painter, Élisabeth Vigée…