Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Angela Addams | Women Warriors Against Werewolf Alpha = ???
Author Guest / January 20, 2017

What happens when you have powerful women warriors and a stubborn werewolf alpha running the show? Mayhem, that’s what. The Huntresses are rising up to claim their power and take their rightful place as wolf slayers. A conflict of interest as far as pack alpha, Mayhem, is concerned. Also a dangerous situation that puts his pack, the people he cares for most in the world, right in the middle of a pending war. He’s chosen the pack’s path, and has determined their place on the game board but is unwilling to fully embrace the role of the Huntress. What he’s yet to learn is just how stubborn those girls can be. Born to hunt and fight, Hannah and the Huntresses will prove just how powerful they are when it comes to protecting the pack and their mates. Excerpt Copyright © 2017 Angela Addams All rights reserved — a Samhain Publishing, Ltd. publication She stared at him with defiance burning bright. “You can’t fight what’s happening to us. If you do, things are going to keep going to shit. We are Huntresses. We are sorely lacking in our skills and training but nevertheless, we are powerful warriors and you need to…

Channeling the Magic of Putting Yourself in Your Story
Author Guest / January 20, 2017

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.” —Ernest Hemingway My dad always used to say that as a writer you have to scream onto the page so the reader can hear a whisper. That is how strong the emotion you put into your writing needs to be. And emotion can only be that strong if it’s real and vulnerable. It has to be honest, a snapshot of reality, connectable. In fact, some would argue raw emotion is the driving force of any great story. What is story without truth? When I first started writing I was young, barely a preteen, discovering the world through the lens of fiction. Everything I read influenced the way I wrote. I was simply copying down what I was observing because I didn’t have anything else to say yet. I hadn’t acquired a stock of life experiences to draw from. As I grew and life began to throw lightning bolts at me, I started to understand what bleeding on the page really was. And the more lightning I received, the scarier bleeding on the page felt. What if people reject my truth? What if they laugh…

Anna Zogg | What in the World is Science Fantasy?
Author Guest / January 20, 2017

Most people know what science fiction (sci-fi) is. We think of Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Poul Anderson—as well as a host of current sci-fi writers with their sometimes dry and detailed explanations. But what is science fantasy? The first time I read the phrase, I was certain it was a typo. I had no idea what that genre was or if I was even interested in writing it. According to Wikipedia, science fantasy is a “mixed genre…which simultaneously draws upon and/or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy.” And that means…? I’ll use movie and television to explain, rather than books to illustrate since many of us have seen them or at least know about them. “Elements from both science fiction and fantasy” should conjure up images of Avatar or even The Martian—if you take out the techie details. My mind immediately goes to my favorite, Star Trek. I grew up on that television show. And yes, I was smitten with Captain Kirk. According to the late iconic science fiction author Arthur C. Clarke, Star Trek is “science fantasy…because of its scientifically improbable elements.” Eh? What do you mean, improbable? As a regular consumer of the show,…

Meet Ella Joy Olsen, author of ROOT, PETAL, THORN
Interviews / January 20, 2017

Ivy Baygren has two great loves in her life: her husband, Adam, and the bungalow they buy together in one of the oldest neighborhoods in Salt Lake City, Utah. From the moment she and Adam lay eyes on the home, Ivy is captivated by its quaint details—the old porch swing, ornate tiles, and especially an heirloom rose bush bursting with snowy white blossoms. Called the Emmeline Rose for the home’s original owner, it seems yet another sign that this place will be Ivy’s happily-ever-after…Until her dreams are shattered by Adam’s unexpected death. Striving to be strong for her two children, Ivy decides to tackle the home-improvement projects she and Adam once planned. As she attempts to rebuild her house—and her resolve—she uncovers clues about previous inhabitants, from a half-embroidered sampler to buried wine bottles. And as Ivy learns about the women who came before her—the young Mormon torn between her heart and anti-polygamist beliefs, the Greek immigrant during World War II, a troubled single mother in the 1960s—she begins to uncover the lessons of her own journey. Writing a Woman’s Life columnist Yona Zeldis McDonough asks Olsen some questions about how the idea “blossomed” into the finished novel. About Ella…

The Divinities world
Author Guest / January 20, 2017

A paranormal romance series with an urban fantasy tone… When I started writing, I wanted to create something different. Something unique, yet believable. I merged magic–both light and dark–with the “real world”. Witches and demons live and work among humans. Although humans know about witches, they choose not to believe in supernatural powers and they believe demons can’t break out of hell. Ignorance is bliss and all that. For centuries, the magickin–magic born beings–communities had allowed and backed up the humans’ choice of not knowing. They live in peace with the don’t-tell-and-we-won’t-ask relationship, not bringing any extra attention to themselves. Now that peace is being threatened. Again. The demons are back with a new leader and a new hunger for world dominance. And the Divinities are the humans and magickins only hope for survival. It begins with Ayden and Kalissa’s story, FORGOTTEN VISIONS. Childhood sweethearts that were separated by a spell for fifteen years are brought back together by tragic events to fight in the war between witches and demons. FORGOTTEN VISIONS by Lia Davis The Divinities #1 Kalissa Bradenton isn’t your average coffee shop owner. Born to an elite witch bloodline with a rare genetic mutation, she’s a Divinity…

Top Five Bingeworthy Supernatural Netflix shows
Author Guest / January 20, 2017

Inspiration comes in all forms. Some listen to music on a twenty-four hour basis, others take long strolls to connect with nature. What do I do? I watch endless amounts of TV in, dare I say, impressive amounts of time. The term binge-watching is a phenomenon that has hooked our nation and changed the way we view television. In a way, it’s made us impatient, but there is also something so terribly satisfying about just hunkering down and powering through some epic television, one episode at a time. My new book, To Mate a soldier, is a paranormal romance set in an alternate world where shifters and other fascinating creatures are the main power in a modern society. In honor of my release in January I’m listing my top five binge-worthy paranormal TV shows. Here goes! Sense 8 A bit about the show: Eight strangers around the world, born on the exact same day and time, are connected mentally and emotionally to each other. They use each other’s strengths to help one another and must fight those hunting them. Diverse cast, new concept, weird yet sexy mental orgies. The OA A blind girl who went missing for seven years turns…

What’s in a Name?
Author Guest / January 18, 2017

Coming up with character names for a story falls just shy of coming up with a book title on my fun meter. Love it! Sometimes the names are deliberate. For instance, Lisa in my grim reaper series is named after my sister, and the main characters in my new release, Properly Groomed, are real-life people I know. Sometimes I’m looking for something unique, sometimes common, but always easy to read and understand. Don’t get me wrong, I adore Lord of the Rings, but seriously Mr. Tolkien, Gimli, son of Glóin, nephew of Óin, and the first cousin once removed (of Balin, Lord of Moria, and his brother Dwalin. I spent more time trying to figure out how to pronounce the names than reading the actual story. But to be fair, that’s fantasy, which has its own rules, and today I’m talking about romance. So where is the best place to find name inspiration for romance characters? Why Tinder, the casual dating site, of course. On the Tinder website there’s no worry of getting caught up in lengthy bios or detailed likes and hobbies, just a lot of pictures and names. If you’re attracted to the person swipe right, if not—swipe…

WICKED COWBOY CHARM Teaser excerpt
Author Guest / January 17, 2017

  WICKED COWBOY CHARM by Carolyn Brown Lucky Penny Ranch #4 ONE BLIZZARD, ONE BUNKHOUSE, AND A WHOLE LOTTA TROUBLE . . . Josie Dawson is new in town, but it doesn’t take a local to know that Deke Sullivan is trouble–in a smokin’ hot package. He’s sweet, sexy, and has charmed just about every woman in Dry Creek, Texas. Well, Josie won’t be next. She’ll keep her distance, even if he is great with babies and makes a mean cup of homemade hot chocolate. Deke Sullivan really is a one-woman type of guy. He just had to do a lot of looking to find that one woman. Now he thinks he’s found her and he won’t let a strong, sassy gal like Josie slip away. Just when he’s wondering how to convince her he only has eyes for her, they get stranded in a tiny cabin during a major blizzard. If Deke can melt her heart before they dig out of the snow, he’ll be the luckiest cowboy in Texas . . . Romance Contemporary | Romance Western [Forever, On Sale: January 31, 2017, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781455534968 / eISBN: 9781455534982] Josie could hardly take her eyes off…

Top 5 Baseball Songs List
Author Guest / January 17, 2017

Everyone has a favorite baseball song and Heidi McLaughlin is no exception. As the author of the Boys of Summer series and big baseball fan, she’s got her go-to tunes ready to go for the season. Top 5 songs for baseball in the Boys of Summer series. Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond (not really baseball but played at the Red Sox games) Centerfield by John Fogerty Cheap Seats by Alabama The Greatest by Kenny Rogers Glory Days by Bruce Springsteen What tunes do you hum or associate with the summer sport of baseball? About Heidi McLaughlin Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont with her husband and two daughters. Also renting space in their home is an over-hyper beagle/Jack Russell, Buttercup, and a Highland West/mini schnauzer, Jill. When she isn’t writing stories, you’ll find her sitting court-side during either daughter’s basketball games. Virtuous Paradox | Boys of Summer WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER HOME RUN by Heidi McLaughlin Boys of Summer #2 Cooper Bailey finally has a shot at being a major league ballplayer, but it will take all his focus and energy during…

Jessica Lee | I Seem to have Lost My Underwear…
Author Guest / January 17, 2017

Hello, everyone! I’m so excited to be featured at Fresh Fiction today. What a great way to start the new year! How many of you went out this New Year’s Eve to a party or bar and had some random stranger saunter up to you, lean in, and unload the cheesiest or raunchiest pick-up line? Maybe it hasn’t recently happened to you, but perhaps at some point in your life you may have been the unfortunate victim of a bad pick-up line. How do you handle it? Do you laugh in their face? Play along and meet someone new who possesses an interesting sense of humor? Or do you ignore them, hoping they go away? For me, controlling the knee-jerk reaction of being rude and laughing in their face would be incredibly tough. In FALLING FOR THE PLAYER, my upcoming New Adult release from Entangled Publishing’s Embrace line, my two protagonists, Max and Patrick meet for the first time at a bar. Patrick is a star running back for his college football team, and Max…well, Max is a straight A, pre-law student. Total opposites. So what could be more fun than placing these two together for a chance meeting, then…