THE THORNE CHRONICLES started out on a hot strip of the 405 in traffic, where heat-induced frustration made me blurt out, “I want to write a feminist Sleeping Beauty story with a mohawked punk 13th fairy! In a spiked leather jacket! And what if she gives the princess a bullshit detector?” It’s fair to observe that I was already planning to break a few genre conventions. There are punk fairies in a pre-industrial, pseudo-European medieval setting. Also, there is…okay, no, there is a lot of bullshit in that setting, and in fairytales in general, but that made me think about Princess Leia’s no-bullshit attitude in, well, all the films. Which pretty much settled me on the setting. Fiction set in space (space opera, SF, however one decides to parse out the definitions) deals with tech that looks like magic to most people anyway (FTL, wormholes, jump-gates, laser-beams, sentient machines, cybernetics). Also, aliens! Which at their heart, is what fairies are. As my fairies became xenos, and once upon a time started on a distant planet, I soon realized the difficulty would be to preserve the feel of the fairy tale. I needed magic (even if no one says oh, this…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  The Highlander’s Unexpected Proposal  2–What is it about?  Adam Macquarie needs a bride to re-establish his dying clan, and Lark Montgomerie needs an escape from her horrible life, but they are both hiding secrets that could ruin everything for them and Wolf Isle. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Determined 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Sense of honor (not to mention his biceps!) 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Lark finds a friend in Lady Ava Maclean. Adam has four brothers, but the second oldest, Beck, is the one he turns to first. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  The western isles of Scotland are rugged and beautiful with mountains, lush valleys, and stormy, dramatic seas. I love it all! 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Definitely a pantser. I’m trying to plot more, but even when I do, my characters decide where we will be going each day when I sit down to write. 8–What is an ideal writing day for you?  Waking up early before everyone else. Sitting down…

Like many, I’ve posted ironic images on my Facebook pages comparing the 2020 Year of COVID to many things–a hula hoop made of barbed wire, a pinata that’s actually a hornet’s nest, a time clock that sent us in March from Standard Time not to Daylight Savings Time, but into the Twilight Zone. So perhaps more than in “normal” times, we can identify with protagonists who are attempting to reconstruct their lives in the aftermath of unprecedented upheaval. And aside from a world-wide pandemic, nothing uproots people and disturbs lives like war. We begin with a novel by three of the most talented writers penning historical fiction today, Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.  The trio collaborated to create ALL THE WAYS WE SAID GOODBYE, using an iconic Parisian hotel as a locus for their stories.  Aurelie de Courcelles is devastated when, at the outbreak of World War I, her home is taken over as a German headquarters.  The dilemma is made more difficult when she discovers the commander’s aide de camp is the handsome young man who charmed her during her debut season in Paris.  Despite their opposing loyalties, friendship deepens into love…until betrayal drives Aurelie back to…

Miranda Owen: As somebody who has read and enjoyed your historical romances, I was surprised to find you wrote a contemporary romance. What inspired you to write a contemporary? Is HIRING MR. DARCY part of a series? If so, what is it called? Valerie Bowman: I had the idea for HIRING MR. DARCY for a while and it just wouldn’t leave me alone. I was really nervous to write it and even more nervous to publish it. But I’d always wanted to *try* to write a contemporary rom com. The best part was being able to use any word I wanted without having to look it up to ensure it was in use by the early 1800’s. Ha ha ha HIRING MR. DARCY is part of a trilogy that I’m calling Austen Hunks. (waggles eyebrows) I have two more books planned: KISSING MR. KNIGHTLEY and MARRYING MR. WENTWORTH. As your hero points out (and I totally agree), the heroine is actually much more a “Mr. Darcy” than he is. If anything, I think he’s more of a Henry Tilney (my favorite Austen hero). Is Mr. Darcy your favorite Austen hero? What about your fav hero you’ve written? That you’ve read…

Hi Regina! Thank you for joining us on Fresh Fiction today. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your new book, NOTHING SHORT OF WONDROUS.   Delighted to be here! I’m the author of more than 50 warm and witty historical romances, set from the Regency to the Old West, England to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. I’m excited to have the second book in my American Wonders Collection coming out. NOTHING SHORT OF WONDROUS tells the story of when the U.S. Cavalry rode to the rescue to protect Yellowstone National Park from poachers and vandals. Turns out the Army needed a little help learning how to get around the vast lands, which is where my widowed innkeeper comes in. Kate Tremaine knows Yellowstone like the back of her hand, and she has a personal stake in protecting its wonders. But spending time with Lieutenant Will Prescott makes her question her decision never to marry again. What was something interesting or surprising that you learned while researching this time period in history?  Just the fact that the Army was given control of Yellowstone surprised me. But Yellowstone was our very first national park, and there was no park service….

I fell in love with Seattle’s famed Pike Place Market as a college freshman, not long after the city’s voters saved it from “urban removal.” I made it my mission to eat my way from one end to the other, and since the Market is constantly changing, that mission will keep me happy, and well-fed, for a long time! The Food. The Market is the heart and soul–and stomach–of the city. You can eat just about anything here. Start with a slice of pizza at DeLaurenti’s Italian grocery. Sample spice tea at Market Spice. Italian, French, Greek, Thai, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Persian, Vietnamese. Clam chowder, oysters, barbecue, dim sum, piroshky. Bagels, crumpets, crepes, and cheesecake. Stop at the original Starbucks. Sip wine, beer, ginger beer. Okay, I’m hungry now. History. Founded in 1907, the Market is considered the oldest continuously operating farmers’ market in the country. It was the first mixed-use commercial and residential project named to the National Historic Register. The Architecture. A historic commission oversees the Market’s physical operations, with a mandate to keep the look and feel accurate. Pike Place, the street running through the Market, is still cobbled. Buildings maintain their original designs, colors, and materials….

1–What’s the name of your latest release? Sweet on You 2–What is it about? It’s about a rivalry between a barista and a baker, set during the peak of the Christmas season on the Philippines. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Stubborn. 4–What makes your hero irresistible? He’s charming, but not in the way that he thinks he is.  5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Sari would rather suffer alone than ask for help, but if she had to, she would turn to her friend Kira or her older sister, Sofie. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? My family and I spend Christmas in Lipa, so it feels special to write a book in that setting, in that time. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Plotter, definitely!  8–What is an ideal writing day for you? Finishing a big scene or a chapter in a day, with a cup of iced coffee and maybe a sugar cookie. 9–Do you listen to music while you write, need total silence, or do you have the TV on? Depends on how annoyed…

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 Victoria Ellis. ABOUT: Twenty-something author seeks readers who have a passion for all things mysterious, badass female main characters, and fighting to reveal the truth, always. The ideal reader match would be one who likes to get lost in a good mystery book every now and then; especially ones that include waking up in a cabin with no idea how you got there, or why your ex is serving you breakfast in bed. . . What I’m Looking for in My Ideal Reader Match: Their idea of a perfect date includes a weekend away in a secluded cabin! Prefers a strong female lead who takes control of the situation and handles it like a boss. Enjoys a fast-paced and emotional storyline Falls easily for the bearded old flame who resurfaces. Wants to get to the bottom of something a little bit. . . What to Expect if We’re Compatible: A wide selection of genres (I’m a multigenre author!) Frequent giveaways via my Newsletter, Facebook Page, & Instagram…

We’re pleased to share an exclusive excerpt from the upcoming novel THE COOKBOOK CLUB by Beth Harbison, in stores on October 20th, along with a delicious recipe and note from the book and author. You can find out more about Beth Harbison and links to pre-order her book below. Many thanks to William Morrow for this fun post!  *** “Oh, Margo.” Something about the pity in Margo’s mother’s voice made Margo feel even sorrier for herself even though she was a grown woman who’d gotten dumped, not a child.  “Do you need me to come home?” It was like when Margo was little and would hurt herself.  Somehow she could bear up until she got to her mother’s loving arms and then she’d lose it. That she called Maryland home, even though they’d moved south ten years ago just made it even more poignant. “I’ll be okay. I just need to get through this.” “You need your family.” She went to the pantry and pulled out a twenty-eight-ounce can of Wegmans San Marzano tomatoes. “Honestly, I’m not up for it. I don’t want to waste a visit on shock and misery, I’d rather you come when we can both enjoy…

Hi, Alexa! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your new book, SNAPPED.  Hi! Thank you so much for having me! I’m Alexa, I’m a mom of four adorable and wild children and I’m married to my high school sweetheart. He played in the NFL for 8 years which is what inspired my Playbook Series. SNAPPED is the fourth book in the series and focuses on Elliot and Quinton. Elliot does PR for the Mustangs and when Quinton takes a knee on the field and covers the league’s logo on his jersey, she’s sent in to help manage the media storm. They get off to a rocky start, but eventually, sparks fly as they both work through some pretty big issues they’re both facing. Some of our readers may not know this, but your husband is a retired NFL player. How much of your experiences did you incorporate into the Playbook series?   He is! He was drafted to the NFL my freshman year of college, so I was pretty much a baby when we moved in together. The women that I met during that time really molded me into the woman I am today. It’s why female friendships play…