Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Mary Wine | My Favorite Scene from Highland Flame
Author Guest , Excerpt / September 22, 2017

My favorite scene…hummm….I think in HIGHLAND FLAME, I really enjoyed the moments right before Diocail and Jane get married. She tried to leave and was caught by the villagers and he’s brought her back, only the villagers are demanding to know why she tried to leave. In this era, a noble wife was selected largely for her education. Meaning, she knew how to run a large household. Think back to the first time you had to manage a holiday dinner by yourself…I know I was using a set of my mothers recipes and even though I’d made them countless times, being the one in charge had me flustered big time! In this scene, Diocail’s men see Jane as a solution to the disarray the kitchens are in and winter will be very long without someone there to straighten things out. They embark on attempting to soften Jane up with drinking, while some of them are working on Diocail because he isn’t too interested in having a wife who doesn’t want him. Jane and Diocail don’t bend easily, both trying to escape the men surrounding them, only to end up facing one another. I hope you enjoy it as much as…

Melody Carlson | Writing From My Favorite Era
Author Guest / September 22, 2017

I’ve always had a fascination with the 1940’s. Whether it’s related to glamorous fashion, big band music, fabulous films, or a generation that rolled up their sleeves to fight an extremely important war, this era never fails to tug at my heart. In fact, my very first books (The Allison O’Brian Chronicles) were set in post World War II forties. At the time my research relied on memories of family members who’d lived through those years. And I must admit it was fun and educational to ‘interview’ my mom and relatives—many who are gone now. Nearly twenty years would pass before I wrote about the 1940’s again. That came in the form of The Mulligan Sisters (an adult series about a large Irish family living in San Francisco during WW 2). This time, my research was much easier. With access to the internet, all this historical information was instantly available at my fingertips. I’m so grateful for those who took the time to tell their stories and record their experiences. Especially considering how so many of those heroes (from the battlefront as well as the home-front) have passed on. I felt like a treasure-hunter as I unearthed all sorts of…