Like so many people, I have an ongoing struggle with my image of myself. It can be especially difficult during this time of  year, when diets and gyms ramp up their ads and we’re all being sold on the idea of “New Year, New You.” But even with all of this, years of weight fluctuations, a very difficult and high-risk pregnancy, an autoimmune disorder diagnosis, and thyroid complications, on most days, I am content with the body I have. I’ve been smaller and bigger than I am now, and will probably be both smaller and bigger in the future. Some days I think I’m super cute, other days… not so much.  What has changed over the years as I’ve come to this place of body acceptance is the way body positivity and confidence are portrayed in all forms of media – movies, TV, social media, podcasts, and of course, books. Plus-sized, average-sized, and ideally-sized people exist in reality, what the media projects on us, and in works of fiction. And we’re all deserving of love and happily-ever-afters.  I recently read three books that made me think about body acceptance in romance and fiction: Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon, Get a Life,…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? The Antidote for Everything 2–What is it about?  It tells the story of what goes spectacularly wrong in the deep friendship between a woman named Georgia (a urologist) and a man named Jonah (a family medicine doctor) after one of them is unjustly fired. 3–What word best describes your main character(s)?  Bullheaded 4–What makes your story relatable? I think we are all tuned in to the concept of friendship as a fundamental human relationship, maybe even more so than family in certain ways, since friendships are voluntary and self-selected. But also the novel poses the question of who should get to make medical decisions: politicians? Administrators? Or doctors and patients? And what is a justifiable response to injustice? 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  I have two main characters and there is no question: they turn to one another. Neither of them has close family and they have the magical kind of friendship where they are completely comfortable with each other. There’s no artifice, no self-censoring, no fear of abandonment between them. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? It’s set in Charleston…

Jen: What inspired your latest release, This Won’t End Well? Camille: For my fortieth birthday, my husband, two children, and I went to Paris. It was an amazing trip. We stayed in a magical apartment in Montmartre that had sweeping views of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. We couldn’t have found a bad meal if we tried, and we managed to do just enough sightseeing to make the most of the vacation without burning ourselves out. But eight days is a lot of family time–especially for a writer used to spending long stints alone in front of her computer. By the day after my birthday, I’d had so much togetherness that I felt like I couldn’t hear myself think. My husband, bless him, quickly realized this and volunteered to take our kids to a park on the Seine so I could go for a walk by myself. I was strolling along the river, thinking about what a feat it is to successfully manage relationships–even, or maybe especially, when they’re with the people you love most–when a single sentence popped into my head: Hello seems like such an innocuous word, but it’s really a portal to loss.  Which is, of course,…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? The Kiss List 2–What is it about? All Haley Bowman has ever wanted was her One True Love. But now, with her cousin getting married and Haley back in her small town, the pressure is on. Good thing she’s got a foolproof Kiss List, full of potential OTLs. Her parents knew they were soul mates at their first kiss, so surely Haley will know the same. All she needs to do is…well, kiss each of these guys… Enter Max Gallagher: bane of Haley’s existence, her nemesis since childhood, and, unfortunately, as a local, her way in with all the guys on the Kiss List. Max wants nothing to do with love and certainly nothing to do with Haley, but he can clear the way for her to get to know the guys on the list. Of course, he wants something in return: to be made a partner in Haley’s family’s business. One kiss for relinquishing her hold-out vote on Max. But the more time Max and Haley spend together, the clearer it is that there’s a paper-thin line between love and hate. Max will have to decide between the job he’s always dreamed…

Thank you SO much for following along with our Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup all week! Our final post features a delightful new romance coming out this April by T.I. Lowe. *** Recipe for a Happily Ever After: Take one independent heroine and add one handsome alpha hero. Mix in conflict, a dash of an obstacle, and a good measure of attraction. Stir until you have one fine mess, then pour in a healthy serving of clarity to resolve any angst. Add the anticipated kiss, a sprinkling of tender caresses, two rapid heartbeats, and combine into an awe-inspiring conclusion. I’d like to introduce you to a couple who fits this recipe to a T: Lincoln Cole and Opal Gilbert. I asked them to describe each other to me, and they sure didn’t hold back. Here’s what they had to say: Opal: “Lincoln Cole is lousy at first impressions. A brooding giant, he reminded me of a puffer fish—prickly yet somehow cute. Sure, there were glimpses of more in the depths of those ridiculously attractive brown eyes, but that stinker wouldn’t let me near enough to get a good look. Eventually, I discovered underneath the thick layer of orneriness was a big…

Alas – it’s the last day of our Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup! We have two more great posts from awesome authors – read on for a caffeine fix! *** In my new book, The Solid Grounds Coffee Company, ex–rock climber Bryan Shaw opens a coffee-roasting business in Denver . . . and ropes his friend and longtime love interest, marketing expert Analyn Sanchez, into helping him. And while the characters in the story are more concerned with third-wave roasting methods and black coffee made by pour-over, I happen to know that no one can resist a Valentine’s Day latte. Filled with chocolate-covered cherry goodness, even a coffee purist won’t be able to resist this “dessert-in-a-mug” take on chocolate-covered cherries. DARK-CHOCOLATE CHERRY MOCHA Makes: 1 serving 4 ounces very strong coffee or espresso 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao or higher) 8 ounces whole milk, 2% milk, or almond milk 2 ounces sour cherry juice ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (or) 2 tablespoons unflavored simple syrup Whipped cream (optional) Chocolate shavings or sprinkles (optional) Combine half of the milk with the chocolate in a double boiler and whisk over low heat until melted. Whisk in…

By Fresh Fiction Senior Reviewer Debbie Wiley Winter is in full swing in most of the country, while here in Central Florida we’re still trying to decide whether to even participate. So far temperatures are wildly swinging from the 40s to the mid-80s with a nice gusting of wind (all day for two days, I might add) thrown in just to keep us on our toes. So why does that matter? Because it’s the perfect weather to stay inside where I can adjust the heat or the AC (sometimes both during the same day!) and curl up with a book! Even better, January and February have given us some phenomenal urban fantasy/fantasy novels to choose from. Here are a couple of my favorites: Jennifer Estep concludes her Mythos Academy Spin-Off series with SPARTAN DESTINY. Rory Forseti, a Spartan and Mythos Academy student, and the rest of Team Midgard are determined to keep powerful artifacts out of the hands of the Reapers. Unbeknownst to the rest of Team Midgard, Rory has been secretly replacing real artifacts with copies. . . but will she be able to save her friends when their latest attempt to obtain an artifact goes sour?  I love…

Ready for yet another delicious dessert, perfect to share with your valentine? Fantasy author Tessa Gratton is here to tell us more about Lady Hotspur and a delectable dumpling dessert. *** Prince Hal has loved Hotspur since the moment she saw her–on a battlefield, rebelling together against an unjust king. Hal is a terrible prince, afraid of ruling, and hides herself in alcohol and wild parties, while Hotspur is consumed with duty to the land, her family, and her queen. But both women long to make their country better, and that mutual passion for Aremoria and each other ties them together with fire. Though their courtship is fraught with true Shakespearean romance, tragedy, war, redemption, and star-crossed destiny, Hal and Hotspur keep managing to come back to each other. Lady Hotspur doesn’t cook. She eats what’s put in front of her, whether it be charred meat from an army fire, or fine cream and candied apples at the queen’s table. Hal, on the other hand, loves distraction, and if she had the chance, would concoct a delightful plan to whisk Hotspur away for a date. She’d have to make something simple, that didn’t require many ingredients or delicate timing, and…

Another day, another fabulous author and book to feature on our Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup. . . Let’s see what Joanna Hathaway has to offer us!  Romantic dinners are tough when you’re in a forbidden romance with the son of your family’s greatest enemy. For princess Aurelia Isendare, it would take a Romeo-and-Juliet worthy effort to arrange a simple date night with her beau fighter pilot Athan Dakar–especially since war has broken out and he’s invading the kingdom she has sworn to protect. But if the stars align, they might just manage to sneak away and savor a moment of peace, forgetting the rest of the world behind (and how much their parents would hate this traitorous kissing!). Since wartime is rough and leads to rationing, something simple and quick is in order. . . How about War Cake? This aptly named treat is a recipe from WWII, when many ingredients were scarce, and it’s made without dairy or eggs. But don’t let the simplicity scare you! It still tastes good, and it’s easy to throw together. It also allows for some creativity, which both Aurelia and Athan appreciate as artists who enjoy experimentation. This cake (with an almost muffin-like…

My first historical romance novel is Fair Weather Enemies. The Hancocks and Ashfords have fought a long-standing feud between their families long before Miss Jane Hancock couldn’t stand the sight of Adam Ashford. But after both families fall on hard times and an unscrupulous creditor forces Jane and Adam to sign a devil’s bargain, they’ll finally understand the true meaning of keeping your enemies close at hand. The terms of this bargain? Locate a lost treasure shrouded in deception and mystery. The catch? Only one can claim it to win…the loser is left to ruin. As Jane and Adam embark on a trek throughout England, they plan to hate their adversary, no matter how attractive, generous, and kind they are. Sometimes, plans change… For Jane and Adam… F is for Feud. The fighting between their families stretches back 70 years. A is for Animosity. At first, their relationship is defined by it. I is for Inheritances. Both stand to lose everything. R is for Road Trip. Only an odyssey can save them. W is for Wicked Banter. They can’t resist verbal sparring. E is for Enigma. The clues to finding the treasure are vague and puzzling. A is for Ally….