Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Love Meghan and Harry? We have the perfect list of royal romances for you to enjoy
Guests / May 31, 2018

By: Miranda Owen “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” ― William Shakespeare, HENRY IV, Part 2 “Hail to the king, baby.” – Ash, ARMY OF DARKNESS Royalty-themed romance is a fun fantasy, and not just limited to historicals. Reading a few books in the Royal Wedding Archives series, by various authors, I got to thinking about all the varieties of romances featuring royalty – contemporary, historical, and paranormal. Some stories have fairy tale aspects, and some characters are realistically flawed even though they may be royalty. I admit that when I think of books about royalty, historical romance immediately comes to mind, but I recently read some fabulous contemporary romances with royal heroes. After binge-reading new-to-me author Alexa Riley, I came across her story THE KING’S INNOCENT BRIDE. Even though it has a contemporary setting, THE KING’S INNOCENT BRIDE has an old-world fairy tale feel to it. Kate is isolated and virtually a prisoner of her wicked uncle. After bravely making an escape attempt, she comes face-to-face with the king. James is instantly smitten with Kate and he spends the rest of the story dispensing punishment to anybody who has crossed Kate, and catering to her every desire…

Kat Martin | The Texas Mystique
Author Guest / May 28, 2018

Since my new book, BEYOND CONTROL–Josh Cain and Victoria Bradford’s story–is set in Texas, I thought it might be fun to talk about one of my favorite places. There is something special about Texas. My husband and I lived in Houston for a couple of months one summer and it was a wonderful experience, though at times it was sort of good news and bad. The people in Texas are extremely friendly, and they always seem to be in a good mood. We gorged ourselves on gourmet meals in some of the country’s finest restaurants, but also ate a ton of delicious Tex Mex, Asian, Indian flatbread, and just about everything else. We visited art galleries, the beach, and some of the beautiful ranches in the area. That was the good news. The bad news was Houston in August is HOT. It’s also muggy and sticky and you just can’t wait for October to arrive. Two years ago, we traveled to Lubbock for a Western Writers of America conference. I was reluctant to go in the summer, but it turned out to be a really great trip–hot but dry. We visited some great museums and met some fun people, including…

Elizabeth Heiter | An Interview with FBI Profiler Evelyn Baine
Author Guest , Interviews / May 28, 2018

Today, I’m sitting down with the heroine of The Profiler series, Evelyn Baine, to find out more about how she balances her job with the FBI and the rest of her life: So, Evelyn, what exactly do you do for the FBI? “I’m a criminal investigative analyst – what you might call a profiler – for the Behavioral Analysis Unit. If you’ve got a crime where everything you’ve tried has failed to find you the perpetrator, you call my unit. We don’t need forensics or obvious suspects. What we do is look at the crime scene and read the psychology behind it. What caused the perpetrator to do this? What kind of person is he? How do you find him?” That sounds really complicated. How did you get into this line of work? “Sometimes it is complicated. I don’t really like to talk about my personal life, but I learned about profilers when I was twelve years old. My best friend disappeared and an FBI profiler came to town to find her. He never did, so it became my life’s mission to join the FBI, learn how to profile cases myself and one day figure out what happened to her.”…

Lauren Helms | Author Reader Match!
MatchMaker / May 25, 2018

Writes: Hi! I write new adult romance that is totally nerdy and playful romcoms with a touch of heart. About: I’m a thirty-something newish author who loves all things pop culture. I’m a SAHM of three, book publicist on the side, and read way more than I should…I mean who else is gonna load the dishwasher, fold the mounds of clothes and feed kids? I use to work in the video game industry which is how I came up with the plot of my Gamer Boy series. My newest release, ONE MORE ROUND features a sexy pro gamer and his “one that got away .” What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: someone who enjoys pop culture refences someone who has at least a small amount of appreciation for video games someone who love characters that have some growing to do but are still loveable and real someone who loves a story with heart What to expect if we’re compatible: More sexy and sweet gamer boys To laugh, cry, maybe an eye roll here and there when reading my books A lot of nerdy shenanigans in my reader group ONE MORE ROUND by Lauren Helms Gamer Boy #2…

N.J. Walters | Top 5 Reasons to Love a Wolf
Author Guest / May 24, 2018

Anyone who is familiar with my books knows I love writing paranormal stories. I’ve written all kinds of shifters—lions and tigers and bears, oh my, and some dragons, too. But my Salvation Pack series is all about werewolves. What is it about wolf shifters that we all love so much? Whatever the mythology a writer chooses to use in a series, a werewolf is generally stronger than a human male. They are tough and it takes a lot to kill one. And they heal fast from any wound they might sustain. My werewolves are strong, fast, and all incredibly stubborn, which can be a good thing at times, but frustrating as a writer when they insist on having their own way. Werewolves have a culture of their own. They’re outside the norms of society, even if they sometimes live alongside humans. Their world can be violent and primal. My Salvation Pack wolves are all strong, alpha males, any of whom could be leader of his own pack. Instead, they’ve banded together to protect those they love. There is no in-fighting as there is among other packs. They shift into wolves. I mean, it doesn’t get much cooler than that. There…

Author Reader Match with Lauren Layne
MatchMaker / May 22, 2018

  Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Lauren Layne. Writes: I write contemporary romance, and I generally classify them as romantic comedies as they’re pretty heavy on the banter, and light on the angst, though I do love ripping your heart out along the way, before putting it back together with a swoon-worthy ending! My most recent endeavor is HOT ASSET (May 22nd), a Wall Street romance about a playboy in a suit who likes to bend the rules, and the by-the-book SEC investigator out to take him down … About: Thirty-something city girl seeks fans of rom-coms who appreciates smart heroines, and confident heroes who are both gentlemen and alpha. Author feels qualified to write such stories, as she lives in Manhattan with her husband of 11 years, who she met in … high school. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Knows that snarky banter makes some of the best foreplay. Has a weakness for longing looks in which hero and heroine both…

JoAnn Sky | My Five Go-To Romance Movies
Author Guest / May 21, 2018

I was recently reviewing lists of potential interview questions for my upcoming blog tour for my debut, NO COWBOY REQUIRED, which released on May 14th (woohoo!). One of the questions was: what do you do when you get stuck writing? That got me thinking. I don’t really have something I “do” when I get stuck, except, I guess, stop writing until I feel like it again (thank goodness this isn’t my full-time job…yet!). But I do have something I do when I get overly stressed in general, whether about my writing or my day job or my kids or when my mother-in-law is coming to visit and the house is a wreck… you know, those every-day sort of stressors. What do I do? I cocoon and watch a romance movie in my bedroom. I invite my daughter to watch with me, and she used to agree—until, over time, we’d watched my selections each twice and she realized the selection list was finite and very small. Because, you see, I can’t watch just any romance movie. I have my go-to list; those movies I can watch over and over without getting bored – and without the urge to recite the lines…

Heidi Chiavaroli | Three Reasons to Choose a Time-Slip Novel for Your Book Club
Author Guest / May 21, 2018

In the nine months or so since I’ve become a published author, I’ve quickly narrowed down my favorite ways to connect with readers. By far, book clubs are at the top of the list. Truly, what could be more fun than sitting with a group and delving into a shared story? Book clubs are made up of enthusiastic readers who seem to have tons of questions. Many times, in visiting with these groups, my book has taken on new meaning, even for me. Often when I’m asked to recommend a book for a club, I’ve suggested a time-slip novel. There’s just something about a story with both a contemporary and a historical storyline, with a connecting point throughout, that I love. Here are three reasons to consider a time-slip novel for your next book club pick. One Book . . . but Also Two! Okay, time-slip books are really just one story. But in many ways, they are two! Just think . . . two stories to ponder in one month, the characters of two stories to dwell on, a chance to consider how they all fit together and why the author chose to tell them like this in the…

Lexi Post | ON HIGHLAND TIME “Leaps” with a Purpose
Author Guest / May 21, 2018

Do you remember the old television show, “Quantum Leap”? Sam would leap into other people’s bodies in history, and Al was able to help him figure how to fix things with his not so trusty computer, Ziggy. I loved that show! But what bothered me was that Sam never had control over where he went, and Al was only a holographic image. So when I decided to write a time travel romance, I knew I wanted two things to be true. First, the traveler would be able to “leap” anywhere in history she wanted, as well as back to her own time. Second, whoever helped her would actually be there with her when he popped in to talk to her, and so that’s what happens in ON HIGHLAND TIME. Diana’s job as a Time Weaver, Inc. agent is to go back in time and fix what the Disruptors have changed. While she’s there, the only way to communicate with the agency is through Go-Lucky, her rather short, designer-wearing handler and the only male with the ability to time travel. He provides Diana with up-to-date information on the changes in the Timestream. He also provides her with support. TWI doesn’t have…

Shape-Shifters I love
ParaNormal Bites / May 17, 2018

As I’m about to read SERPENTINE – the latest book in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series – and dive into a world of vampires, hunters, and wereleopards, it got me thinking about my love of romances featuring animal shifters. I enjoy a good vampire story, but in the age-old debate over blood suckers vs furry warriors – I’m Team Werewolf. I love werewolves, werebears, werehoney badgers, and everything in between. And how amazing are heroes who also happen to turn into dragons? Recently I’ve read a bunch of fabulous new releases with shape shifters of all sorts as main characters – MIDNIGHT WOLF by Jennifer Ashley, HOT AND BADGERED by Shelly Laurenston, ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND WOLF by Terry Spear, WICKED AND WILD by Cynthia Eden, and the anthology THE BIG ALPHA IN TOWN with stories by Eve Langais, Millie Taiden, and Kate Baxter. MIDNIGHT WOLF by Jennifer Ashley Shifters Unbound #11 Angus Murray, bouncer for a New Orleans Shifter bar, is sent to round up an elusive, Collar-less Shifter woman, Tamsin Calloway, who is causing trouble for Shifter Bureau, and possesses information they want. If Angus refuses, he risks losing his cub. He finds Tamsin but she’s…