Hi, Angelina! Thanks for stopping by Fresh Fiction. Can you tell us about yourself and your new book, HATE CRUSH? I’m a lifelong writer and romance fan. I started writing romance when I was working as a newspaper journalist in the late-90s. My debut book, LUSH MONEY, came out October of last year, so let’s just say that my newspaper stories came out much quicker than my books did. 😉 I think the long road to publishing was very worthwhile–I learned so much about the craft, the industry, and myself as a writer along the way. It made me much more confident in the things I wanted to say because I’d worked so long at saying them! HATE CRUSH, my second book in the Filthy Rich series–about powerful, wealthy women who get what they want because they’ve earned it–is about Princesa Sofia, a millionaire winemaking princess whose about-to-launch winery is struggling to get attention, and fallen rock star Aish Salinger, whose career is in the dumpster. A fake relationship between the two of them could save her winery and struggling kingdom, and his faltering music career. Only problem: She hates him more than any other person on the planet. Ten…

If Dawn hadn’t already succumbed to Adam’s sexual allure, the sight that greeted her as she entered the barn would have sealed the deal right then and there. He wasn’t, as Phoebe had said, putting Gigi through her paces. On the contrary, he was lying on his back with his hands behind his head, allowing the puppy to crawl all over him. Gigi explored and licked and tugged at the buttons of his shirt, as sure of her reception as any adorable ball of fur had a right to be. And on the hay, too, straw itch mites be damned. Dawn paused to watch, unwilling to draw too close for fear Adam would hear her and ruin the moment. I want that, she thought. Not just to crawl all over Adam as her mood and desires demanded—which, admittedly, she wanted a lot—but to elicit that relaxed look on his face, the expression of easy enjoyment. They enjoyed each other’s bodies, obviously, but they were never relaxed together. Never easy. Now that she thought about it, few men were with her. What is it about me that makes it so impossible? “I know you’re there,” he said, not bothering to raise…

A is for ANIMALS–there are so many cute and funny animals in this book * C is for COWBOY–of course. One hunky cowboy hero coming right up O is for OTIS–the ornery goat who is always causing trouble W is for our WOUNDED and scarred hero, Zane, the tough but tender cowboy B is for BRYN–the spunky heroine of this story O is for OINK–the sound that Tiny (the adorable fashion conscious pig who thinks she’s a dog) makes Y is for YEARNING–which there is sooo much of in this book * S is for SHAMUS–the cutest mini-horse who is always causing trouble with Otis T is for TROUBLE–what Bryn and Zane find themselves in when they realize the horse they rescued is pregnant A is for the sweet ABANDONED horses that find their way to Bryn T is for TENDERLY–the way Zane treats the rescued horses E is for ELECTRIC–the passionately-charged air between Zane and Bryn * O is for ORNERY—did I already tell you about Otis, the crazy goat? F is for the FIVE puppies that Bryn, Zane and Elle rescue from a storm cellar * M is for MANDY–the sassy 10 year old daughter of the hot…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  DEATH ON WINDMILL WAY. It is the first book of The Hamptons Murder Mystery Series. 2–What is it about?  Antonia Bingham, a noted chef and the new owner of East Hampton’s Windmill Inn, moved across the country to escape a harrowing past. Unfortunately, danger has followed her and she is terrified to learn that all of the previous owners of the Windmill Inn have died under mysterious circumstances. Antonia has no choice but to investigate the past crimes—or she may end up the next victim! 3–What word best describes your main character(s)?  Resilient. Antonia Bingham had to leave her abusive ex-husband, dismantle her entire life and move 3000 miles away to start a new life as a restaurateur and an innkeeper. Despite the setbacks she remains upbeat, positive and a hard worker. 4–What makes your story relatable?  I think the troubles as a small business owner that Antonia Bingham confronts are relatable. There is no break when you run a restaurant and an inn—even when there is a murderer around. I also think we see Antonia develop relationships and friendships where she relies on people and asks for help. She is not superwoman,…

Through Me, the Way Lightning struck and I flinched. The rain came down in hard pellets, but I kept watching Abe and Miho as they drifted away. I waited until they disappeared into town before I walked inside my house, dripping wet. The sound of the storm was a steady roar on the cedar shingles above me, but the stone walls, silent and still, filled me with a sense of safety. I didn’t light any lamps, and the gray afternoon filtered in through the windows. There was a small open area inside the front door of my house. To the left, a fireplace along the outside wall. To the right was a rather long, galley-style kitchen, and at the end of it a narrow space where I ate and wrote and spent time thinking. The wide double doors that faced out the back were open, but they were sheltered by the eaves of the house so the water wasn’t coming in. I stared at the plains sweeping away in a graceful downhill for a long, long way, covered in a dense curtain of rain that hit the ground before rising in a ghostly mist. I went into my bedroom, the…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Explosive Situation, book 4 of the True Blue K-9 Unit: Brooklyn from Love Inspired Suspense July 2020 2–What is it about?  Officer Henry Roarke has been falsely accused of a crime and he’s determined to prove his innocence to the internal affairs officer sent to investigate. Olivia Vance, new to internal affairs, is determined to prove herself by uncovering the truth. But soon it’s apparent there is more at stake than a career. A serial bomber is targeting Henry and those close to him. Olivia and Henry, along with Henry’s K-9, a bomb sniffing beagle named Cody, must team up to stop the bomber before anyone gets hurt and, in the process, discover the biggest risk is to their hearts. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Purpose-driven 4–What makes your hero irresistible?   Charm and integrity 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Olivia turns to her family. They are a close-knit bunch, who have each other’s backs. Henry turns to his friends on the police force who are as close as family and his little sister, whom he has been raising since she was young. 6–What do…

Chapter 1 The police didn’t believe me. A jury wouldn’t have, either, if I’d gone on trial, and most definitely not the judge. My attorney had more than a few reservations about my story. Ms. Allerton hadn’t said as much. She didn’t need to. I saw it in her eyes, could tell by the way she shuffled and reshuffled her papers, as if doing so might shake my lies clean off the pages, leaving only the truth behind in her inky, royal blue swirls. After our first meeting I’d concluded she must’ve known early on–before she shook my hand with her icy fingers–that I was a liar. Before she’d walked into the room in shiny, four-inch heels, she’d no doubt decided she’d heard my excuses, or a variation thereof, from countless clients already. I was yet another person claiming to be innocent. Another criminal who’d remained adamant they’d done nothing wrong, it wasn’t their fault, honest, despite the overwhelming amount of evidence to the contrary, a wall of impending doom surrounding me. And still, at the time I’d believed the only reason Ms. Allerton had taken on my case pro bono was because of the amount of publicity it gave…

Jen: What inspired you to write The House on Fripp Island? Rebecca: The House on Fripp Island began as a challenge I set for myself to see if I could write something with a straightforward question (as introduced in the prologue), sustain interest in this question for an entire book, and accomplish interesting work with character development inside of this construct. I began with an ensemble cast in which I didn’t know whose personal arc would end up taking precedence, or providing the key to the mystery. Attempting something new with plot was really illuminating to me, craft-wise; I learned what aspects of storytelling tend to trip me up or send me spiraling in a wrong direction, and how to rein them in. Fripp Island is a beautiful place. (My family spent a week there last summer!) Why did you choose to set the story on the island? It is beautiful – lucky you! My mother-in-law has roots in South Carolina, and an aunt who owned a home on the island. That home is no longer in the family, but Fripp has remained a favorite family destination for her, and into my husband’s growing up years as well. We spent…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? Pirate’s Persuasion 2–What is it about? An immortal pirate is haunted by the loss of his nephew 200 years ago, but when the ghost of his nephew communicates with a local medium, Drake and Heather discover there is more than a ghost bringing them together. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Unique 4–What makes your hero irresistible? His loyalty and honor 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Agent Bale at Dept. 13 and One-Eyed Bob the immortal pirate cook  6–What do you love about the setting of your book? It takes place in modern-day Savannah Georgia. It’s such a gorgeous, haunted city with so many stories! I love it there! 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Pantser 8–What is an ideal writing day for you? As long as I have my playlist and headphones I can write anywhere. 9–Do you listen to music while you write, need total silence, or do you have the TV on? Playlist for every book. 10– How do you approach research? I usually do most of my research at the…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Ian! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest sci-fi novel, ALIEN SECRETS. Well, I’m Ian Douglas, also known as William H. Keith, H. Jay Riker, and a few other names. Alien Secrets is the first book in the Solar Warden series.  Solar Warden, in real life, is a conspiracy theory about a top secret US government program of the same name, involving our government back-engineering crashed flying saucers, trading abductees for advanced technology, working with various alien species, and keeping it all hidden from the public. This is the first book in your new series, Solar Warden. What do you enjoy about starting a new series? What will readers find within the world you’ve built in ALIEN SECRETS? Unlike much of my SF writing, the Solar Warden series is set pretty much in the present day. While I get to imagine the various alien technologies available, I can also reference recent world events without having the characters think of them as ancient history.    There’s quite a bit of history throughout ALIEN SECRETS. Did you initially intend for this? Where did the idea come from? I’m a history buff anyway, and much of the current conspiracy…