Fresh Fiction has 10 reserved seats at an early screening of THE BEGUILED at the Angelika Film Centre / Mockingbird Station, Dallas on June 27th at 7:00 pm SYNOPSIS: Cpl. John McBurney is an injured Union soldier who finds himself on the run as a deserter during the Civil War. He seeks refuge at an all-female Southern boarding school where the teachers and students seem more than willing to help. Soon, sexual tensions lead to dangerous rivalries as the women tend to his wounded leg while offering him comfort and companionship. See the trailer for Beguiled Seats are reserved through us, you must sign up with us on Eventbrite to have your name on the list. When you check-in in front of the theater you just give your name. Check-in starts at 6:30, don’t be late! But if you can’t make it to Dallas for the screening, to help you wile away your time until Beguiled comes to your town, enter the sweepstakes to win! (US address only, sorry!) [giveaway id=14833]

Happy Friday, friends! I’ve been struggling this week. I’m attempting and rather poorly to juggle health-issues, a book deadline, and life in general (time with God, time with my family, errands, etc.). It’s got me thinking A LOT about balance and priorities. My husband gave me a book he read ages ago, but I’d imagine the majority of you have heard about it–Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Have you read it? I’m so excited to dive further into this book. The little I’ve read so far has been amazing. Yes, I’m decades behind the curve ball, but that’s okay. It’s never too late to look at your priorities and re-evaluate. When was the last time you revisited your priorities? Any books, tools or suggestions you’ve found particularly helping for finding balance in your life? Because, here’s the thing, life is a collection of moments. Big moments, little moments, and they’re all a gift, but who and what we invest time in is what matters. I’ve decided to live for the moments you can’t put into words.   Blessings, Dani www.danipettrey.com

“Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy tales tell children the dragons can be killed.” –G.K. Chesterton Chesterton touches on a profound point that is relevant even in the modern age. Girls and women of all ages find fairytales alluring. Is it the damsel in distress? The knight in shining armor? The slaying of the dragon? Or the magical happily-ever-after? I’m going to venture to say it’s all of this which appeals to both little girls and grown women. Let’s take a closer look, shall we? The damsel in distress. What woman has not felt the danger of imminent peril in daily life? Whether she is struggling with family issues, financial strain, pressure at work, or relationship problems, she knows what it’s like to dangle from that emotional tower calling out for help. We have all been Rapunzel, looking away from the wickedness within our small worlds and seeking light and hope on the horizon. This is a scenario a girl of twelve or a woman of sixty can understand on an intimate level. The knight in shining armor. While not every boy or man lives up to the perfect prince…

I’m so excited to be back here on the Fresh Fiction blog to chat about my newest release, the second book in the Lone Star Match series, SOMETHING BORROWED. This series is about a matchmaking bride who desperately wants her bridesmaids to be as happy as she is so she sets up a destination wedding and reunites her bridesmaids with the ones who got away. Unfortunately, no one else really wants to be reunited…or so they think. I loved these characters for so many reasons. Brigid is a type-A personality, trying to please everyone and be the person everyone else wants her to be. The problem is – she has no idea who SHE wants to be. She cares deeply for Grady, could probably even love him, but refuses to see it because he doesn’t fit into the definition she has been given her whole life. Yet, he is the one man who loves her exactly as she is and with whom she can be herself. But he also sees deep inside to her insecurities so she can’t hide from him and that’s pretty darn scary for Brigid. Grady has a lot of baggage but is remarkably well-adjusted (if I…

Boas & Tiaras has come a long way since its humble (yet fabulous) beginning. What began in 2002 as a group of 6 readers enjoying tea in Duncanville has evolved into an annual event that draws readers and authors from all over the country. On June 10, more than 50 book-loving ladies gathered at the historic Adolphus hotel in downtown Dallas to celebrate Fresh Fiction’s 15th annual Boas & Tiaras tea! Glistening chandeliers, fine china, and sparkling tiaras made everyone feel like a queen—and better yet, lively conversation and abundant laughter made everyone feel like family. For any of you who were not able to join us (and for those of you who attended and want to re-live the fun), read on for a taste of the Boas experience! Before tea was served, guests perused a selection of 15 raffle baskets, proceeds benefitting Genesis Women’s Shelter, and delighted in the gift bags provided by our host authors. Every table was surrounded by ladies dressed to the nines, ready to chat about all things bookish. Tea was served course by course, elegantly plated and attentively brought by waiters in crisp suits. Sandwiches arrived first, dazzling us with flavors like orange zested…

Boas & Tiaras has come a long way since its humble (yet fabulous) beginning. What began in 2002 as a group of 6 readers enjoying tea in Duncanville has evolved into an annual event that draws readers and authors from all over the country. On June 10, more than 50 book-loving ladies gathered at the historic Adolphus hotel in downtown Dallas to celebrate Fresh Fiction’s 15th annual Boas & Tiaras tea! Glistening chandeliers, fine china, and sparkling tiaras made everyone feel like a queen—and better yet, lively conversation and abundant laughter made everyone feel like family. For any of you who were not able to join us (and for those of you who attended and want to re-live the fun), read on for a taste of the Boas experience! Before tea was served, guests perused a selection of 15 raffle baskets, proceeds benefiting Genesis Women’s Shelter, and delighted in the gift bags provided by our host authors. Every table was surrounded by ladies dressed to the nines, ready to chat about all things bookish. Tea was served course by course, elegantly plated and attentively brought by waiters in crisp suits. Sandwiches arrived first, dazzling us with flavors like orange zested…

For many historical fiction fans, one of the draws of the genre is watching woman of past confront challenges and restrictions to open up new opportunities for themselves.  In honor of the recent birthdays of some extraordinary women—my mother-in-law, my stepmother and my daughter—this month I showcase a group of enterprising women who dare to dream of doing something more than filling a woman’s conventional place in society. We begin chronologically with THE DARING LADIES OF LOWELL by Kate Alcott.  Searching for independence and a better future, in 1832 farm girl Alice Barrow moves to Lowell to become one of the “mill girls.”  Though the hours are long and the work grueling, she finds a new best friend in outspoken, feisty Lovey Cornell, camaraderie with the other mill girls, and intellectual stimulation in attending lectures at the Lyceum and working on the mill’s literary magazine—where she catches the attention of mill owner’s son Samuel Fiske.  As working conditions become more dangerous and the workers protest, Samuel invites Alice to represent the other mill girls at a meeting with his family.  But when her friend Lovey is found strangled and she suspects the Fiske family of withholding information about the crime,…

We asked the authors of SAY YES TO THE SCOT to find out all the details. Check them out below and don’t miss the party tonight on Facebook! Anna Harrington What would no Scotsman be without? A good single malt scotch whisky, one whose taste of the earthy smoke of peat fires and the sweetness of heather lingers on his tongue. One with just enough bite warming down his throat when he takes a sip to chase away the damp and cold of a Highland winter. One that he can dribble across the naked body of the woman who’s stolen his heart and drink up before he makes love to her–the same whisky he can raise in a toast to her on their wedding day and every anniversary for the rest of their lives. About Anna Harrington Regency Romance writer for Grand Central/Forever…loves all things chocolate and coffee, BBC fanatic, terrible cook (What’s an oven?). The Secret Life of Scoundrels WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER Lecia Cornwall His sense of honor. He may be a rogue in a kilt, a bad boy in plaid, a sexy, swashbuckling swordsman, but he’s always true to his convictions, devoted to his clan and…

Redemption (noun): The action of saving or being saved from error or sin. We all make mistakes. It’s a human condition, part and parcel of being a fallible mortal creature. Fortunately, most of our errors can be rectified by a heartfelt apology. No big deal, right? Then there are the biggies. We commit missteps that can’t be fixed by a simple ‘I’m sorry’, a bouquet of roses, or even by prostrating oneself in debased shame before the offended party. I’m thinking of acts which have caused extreme loss or pain to someone—or perhaps multitudes. Grievous crimes against humanity, if you will. Imagine you’re the one who caused such devastation. You didn’t do so out of any malevolence. In fact, perhaps the fault occurred because you were trying to do the right thing. However, you made a mistake and the worst possible outcome happened. Can you ever be forgiven? Redeemed in the eyes of those you harmed? Could you find redemption for yourself? Because in the end, you have to face up to what you’ve done. You have to answer to your conscience. Let’s be honest here. In most cases, we are our own worst judges. We hold our actions to…

Chemistry. We know what that’s all about, right? We could be standing next to a guy (or a gal!) who would probably tick all the boxes off the list you have for yourself: Beautiful eyes. Intriguing (a.k.a. good-looking) face. Kind. Funny. Financially secure… whatever it might be for you. Yet despite all of these things being checked…things just kind of fizzle. You can’t even hold a real conversation with him or her—and it’s not because you’re too tongue-tied or nervous. No, it’s because there’s just something not really there. Well, this chemistry, or lack thereof, can be the same thing when it comes to the characters in a book. You set up the characters. The setting. The backstory. The plot. But then you get the two characters on set together and they just don’t talk. And you realize that maybe it’s not writer’s block that is stopping your from pushing forward, but maybe that you’ve cast the wrong hero for your heroine. In my newest release, HER SURPRISE ENGAGEMENT, this is exactly what happened when I tried to set Daisy up with the wrong guy. It fizzled. Three re-starts of the book later, I finally realize that this was just…