Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Leslie Budewitz!  Writes: Cozy mystery. My latest release is CHAI ANOTHER DAY, 4th in the Spice Shop Mysteries set in Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market, coming June 11, 2018. The crimes are fiction; the food is real. About: Mystery author obsessed with food and the Northwest seeks readers for armchair travel to foodie heaven, the Pike Place Market in Seattle, with a savvy Spice Shop owner who doubles as the poster child for the cliche that life begins at forty. When she overhears an argument in an antique shop, she finds herself drawn into a murder that could implicate an old enemy, or ensnare a new friend. With her natural people-smarts and determination, she asks questions the detectives can’t, using her knowledge of the community to bring a killer to justice. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Knows that reading, and friends, are the spice of life Looks at their TBR pile and thinks they need another bookshelf—or three…

If there is anything I love in life, it’s a book with a dog as the costar. Puppies make romance sweeter, and the whole plot line so much better. All my favorite romances, including the ones written by me, have a cute cuddly co-star. My absolute favorite have a big, gruff hero who turns into a puddle of goo for their woman and their dog. So, here are my top five favorite romance starring a four-legged companion. GOOD BOY by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy STAY by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy These two ladies can write a darn good book on their own, but put them together and add a puppy; sold! UNTIL NOVEMBER by Aurora Rose Reynolds Sassy woman, alpha man, and add a protective dog. You really can’t go wrong with this series no matter which book you pick up, and once you feel the ‘BOOM’ you can’t go back. ANYONE BUT YOU by Jennifer Crusie Jennifer Cruise writes an amazing book, no matter which one you pick up, but something about the droopy basset hound, Fred. Fred is lazy, slow, and adorable. He also makes a great matchmaker. ANIMAL MAGNETISM by Jill Shalvis When you put…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present M.C. Planck!  WRITES: Science Fiction and Fantasy ABOUT THE AUTHOR: I was born in the USA and spent a good four decades there, studying philosophy at the University of Arizona and co-founding a small scientific instrument company. After that I spent a few years convincing missiles to fly but that was never really satisfying, so when I met an Aussie girl in an on-line debate forum I packed up and moved to Melbourne. We now have a brilliant daughter and two lazy cats, but sadly no kangaroos. WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR IN MY IDEAL READER MATCH: Readers who want to read about heroes, who care as much about the side characters as the main, who want a world they could imagine living in, who want to see happy endings even while they know that the real world does not sell its victories cheaply. WHAT TO EXPECT IF COMPATIBLE: Realistic, believable worlds with real human characters even while they are zooming around in…

Thanks for having me on the Fresh Fiction blog! I thought, since my new release, COVERING ALL THE BASES, is a sports romance, I’d share my five favorite sports romance books and five favorite sports romance movies. Ready? The list is not in any particular order: Books (You might see a theme): See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson The Trouble with Valentine’s Day by Rachel Gibson True Love and Other Disasters by Rachel Gibson For the Win by Sara Rider No Limits by Lori Foster Movies (they aren’t necessarily romantic but they’re all awesome): For Love of the Game Invisible Blind Side Remember the Titans Blue Crush Only one of these are related to baseball but the three sports romance I’ve written (CAUGHT LOOKING, COVERING ALL THE BASES, and CATCHING HER HEART) have ball playing, or former ball playing, heroes. When Isla tries to get to the deathbed of a grandfather she didn’t know she had, she finds comfort in the kindness of a stranger. But that stranger ends up being so much more. Liam Cruz has never felt such a strong and fast connection to anyone as he does the woman who comes into his bar. The two fall…

They were alone. They were away from prying eyes and the cutting comments about her, which she’d had enough of for one evening, thank you very much. They were alone and there was no need to maintain any ruse. “Daisy, I don’t know what to say, other than that I’m sorry.” “It’s not your fault. You didn’t say any of those things.” He remained silent, a confession of sorts, and she understood. “You didn’t say any of those things within earshot,” she corrected. “Tonight.” “I am so sorry. It is unkind for anyone to say such things in any circumstances. And with you, it’s also just plain wrong. For one thing, if you are old then so am I.” Daisy couldn’t care less about being considered old, not when she was counting the minutes until she was officially On the Shelf and an Unredeemable Spinster. But she wasn’t so hurt or stuck up that she couldn’t recognize his offering of peace. Funny that, coming from him. But she wasn’t so hardened that she didn’t appreciate the overture. Even if she didn’t know what to do with it. In fact, it left her speechless. They stood there in the dim light,…

Welcome back to Fresh Fiction! Can you tell us a little bit about Fix Her Up and the new series it starts, Hot and Hammered? Thank you for having me! The Hot and Hammered series was inspired by a trip I took to Port Jefferson, Long Island. It’s got this rustic, small town vibe—right on the water—and I immediately wanted to write my local family of house flippers, the Castles. FIX HER UP is the youngest daughter’s story. She’s a birthday party clown who no one takes seriously. Enter Travis Ford, her lifelong crush and major league baseball’s tabloid favorite. They decide to pretend date to change their reputations, but of course fall deeply in love along the way. Georgie has always been viewed as the “little sister” – generally annoying, always cracking jokes, and often ignored or forgotten. But as readers find out, Georgie is a sensitive, hardworking, and complex woman. What did you learn from Georgie as you developed her character? I learned how sensitive she is the moods/issues of those around her. She really listens when people talk and wants to help, like creating a Kickstarter for her friend’s restaurant or boosting Travis when he reveals he’s…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Tracy Townsend!  What do I write: I’m an author who looks at fantasy and science fiction and says, “This is great. I want to do all of it.” I love fantasy that dabbles with technology; futurism riddled with fun anachronism; big-concept genre plots with deep, personal, character-driven stakes; people who are almost monsters and monstrous beings that are almost people. I love writing that appeals to a sense of adventure and doesn’t give up on literary style to do it. My novels are set in a world full of washed-up mercenaries, crooked cops, charming criminals, scrappy pickpockets, cynical clergy, murderous trees, nightmarish ogres, and endless secrets and conspiracies. More about me: I teach science fiction and fantasy literature as well as creative writing, so you can bet I put story craft and knowledge of genre fiction at the front of my writing. Of course, there’s a lot of my background as a martial arts instructor and acting coach mixed in, too. I…

Self-driving cars are coming! In my latest novel, THREE LAWS LETHAL, New York City is swarming with fleets of them, all competing for your business. The cars are programmed to keep people safe…right? Of course they are. But as the AIs driving the cars find more and more creative ways to beat the competition, they start to develop minds…and goals…of their own. But what about you? Are you lining up to buy a Tesla? Or staying as far away from them as you can? The question brings us to our Top Five list! A self-driving car might kill you in the following five ways: By Saving Someone Else. Let’s say a tree falls in front of a self-driving car and you’re walking nearby. Does the car kill its passengers by hitting the tree, or swerve to save them and kill you instead? With a human at the wheel, there would be no time to consider the question, but an AI has plenty of time to make a choice. In fact, it’s been programmed ahead of time to find the “best” option in any situation. So which one is best? Should it value the life of its owner more than it…

Hi Everyone! Thanks for allowing me to be here today.  When I was here last year, I wrote about my five favorite go-to romance movies last year.  So, I decided to write another “Top 5” list, and a few nights ago, I sat on the couch and started pondering ideas. Hubby came in with the glass of Sauvignon Blanc I’d started and accidentally left in the kitchen (I think he knows my best ideas start with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc), and sat down across from me. Me: I need to come up with a Top 5 list to write about. Something interesting. *takes a sip of wine* Hubby: How about Top 5 dog breeds? Background: I love dogs, especially older rescue dogs. We’ve had seven since we’ve been married and currently have 3, one of which just joined the family last month. Gizmo is a ten-year-old going-blind, going-deaf sweet-ball-of-fur shih tzu.  I also write children’s books about said rescue dogs. You can check them out at: www.dogsandbooks.com . Me: It needs to be romance-related. And fun. And unique. Hubby: How about five best sexual positions? Me:  *sigh* And clean. *takes another sip of wine* Hubby: How about the five…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present SYLVIA KANE! What I Write About: Contemporary romance that’s heavy on the steam, with a lot of emotion and character growth. My heroes and heroines aren’t cookie-cutter…they’re real, but lovable people who have to find a way to be together. My latest release is Back For More, a brother’s best friend romance set in Manhattan about a Wall Street attorney who can turn anyone’s head and his best bud’s little sister, for whom he’s always carried a torch. About Me: Thirty-something lawyer-turned-author who’s a bit of a cynic but absolutely believes in true love. I’ve always had a bit of a perfectionist streak, and am naturally high-strung, but writing helps me relax. I’m an avid volleyball player, and just starting out with gardening. My six and three-year-old girls keep me busy, and insane! My husband of ten years is amazingly supportive of my writing career. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Doesn’t mind scorching scenes that send your heart…