Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Jennifer Hoopes | Title Challenge: BETTING ON LOVE
Author Guest / April 17, 2020

My newest release is Betting on Love, Book 2 in the Ellis Family Saga. Whitney Carroll is back home in Gatlinburg, Tennessee after divorcing her low-down, cheating husband. First thing on the to-do list: Get a job. Second thing: Just say no to men. Third thing: Don’t fall for the boss. One out of three’s not too bad, right? For Sam Ellis, his to-do list is always work, work, work, trying to keep his family’s legacy alive. Now, out of concern, his siblings bet he can’t keep a girl happy for thirty days, and if he loses, he’s out as CEO. No problem, he can fake a relationship. And he knows just who to ask…his new man-vegan assistant. Yet Whitney’s sexy boss—secret singer and Skee-Ball champion—is definitely NOT boring, and their connection is undeniable. But when a disaster strikes at work, Sam will have to decide if he’s willing to trade in his job for his heart. B is for Bet. But winning means Sam might lose everything. E is for Employment. Whitney needs it. T is for Time. Thirty days and it runs out. T is for Temptation. Their relationship might be fake but a real one tempts them…

Amber Royer | Five Things I Love About Chocolate + Giveaway!
Author Guest / April 17, 2020

Somebody asked me the other day if I ever get tired of chocolate, since my funny, romantic Sci-Fi series revolves around it.  And I Instagram about it.  And post recipes, and cooking videos, and have a whole chocolate-themed cookbook.  And – I’m growing it. Don’t tell anybody, but yes, I go through phases where the last thing I want to do is think about another piece of chocolate – let alone eat one.  But when we travel, I’ll check out the shops in town, to find craft chocolate makers and mom-and-pop candy shops, and unique chocolatiers marching to the beat of their own kazoos. Talking to someone about their passion for chocolate as an art form, or for blending flavors the way a wine-maker does, or teaching kids about food or using chocolate to connect with the local community – or to communities of farmers around the world — is some pretty heady stuff.  And getting to taste the chocolate they’ve put all that passion into – that’s the kind of thing you can’t get tired of. There’s an almost universal connection that people have to chocolate.  Often, when I go to handsell the Chocoverse books I say, “The aliens…

Julia Quinn | Exclusive Interview: FIRST COMES SCANDAL
Author Guest / April 17, 2020

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Julia! Please tell us about yourself and a little bit about your latest book, FIRST COMES SCANDAL. Hi, Fresh Fiction! Thanks for the opportunity to introduce myself. I’ve been writing historical romance since 1995, primarily set in late 1700s/early 1800s Great Britain. First Comes Scandal is the final book in my Rokesby/Bridgerton prequel series, and it opens with Nicholas Rokesby being basically ordered by his father to marry his neighbor and girl-next-door Georgiana Bridgerton after her reputation is ruined by an overzealous suitor. This is the final book in your prequel series to the Bridgertons series. What have you loved about writing this expanded world? I first conceived of this series as a way to show some of our favorite characters (namely Edmund and Violet Bridgerton) when they were younger. But then due to the way the series was structured, they didn’t really show up in a meaningful way until this final book. It was incredibly fun to visit with them, and especially to show Anthony and Benedict Bridgerton as young boys. (And Colin as a baby!) But beyond that, the Rokesby books have enabled me to visit new locales. The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband…