Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Jennifer Vido | Jen’s Jewels Interview: MILLICENT GLENN’S LAST WISH by Tori Whitaker
Author Guest / October 9, 2020

Jen: What inspired you to write Millicent Glenn’s Last Wish? Tori: When I was around five years old, I was at a big family reunion and overheard some older, distant cousins allude to the tragedy that I’ve fictionalized here. That mental vision of what happened stayed with me throughout my life. Years after the woman who was involved had already passed, I asked three people close to her if she’d ever spoken about it. They each said they’d had but one conversation in all the time they’d known he–—and they each had a different detail to share with me. I took those few details and built a whole story around them. The novel is set in two time periods. How much research was needed in order for the story to ring true with readers? I began with a sweeping search for information about the late-WWII years and early 1950s. Besides learning about fashion, media, foods and so forth, I discovered things like the need for prefabricated houses for growing families, and I wove that into my story. I read accounts written from women of the period, too–some of whom felt confined in their suburban homes and by a society that…

Susan May Warren | Exclusive Interview: THE PRICE OF VALOR
Author Guest / October 9, 2020

Hi, Susan! Welcome back to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your latest book, THE PRICE OF VALOR.  My latest release, THE PRICE OF VALOR, is the final book in a trilogy about a man’s search for his wife…and ultimately, a quest to save his nation. The wife of Former Navy Seal, Hamilton Jones has been missing and presumed dead for over a decade. But when Ham discovers that she’s not only alive, but has vital information about the safety of America, he has to find her, get the information, bring her home, and maybe, just maybe, reignite their romance. It takes place in Italy, Minnesota, and finally, Washington D.C. Can you give us an overview of your Global Search and Rescue series? What do you love most about this action-packed world you’ve created?  The G-SAR series is bigger, bolder, and braver than my Montana Rescue series–sort of Rescue on steroids. First, my heroes tackle crazy scenarios–like rescuing a team of women off Denali. Or choosing to ride out a Cat 5 hurricane. Or running from a tsunami. But they also go global– from Alaska to the Florida Keys to Italy. And finally, they not only encounter challenges…

Olivia Dade | Exclusive Interview: SPOILER ALERT
Author Guest / October 9, 2020

Hi, Olivia! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your new book, SPOILER ALERT.  Hi! I’m Olivia Dade, a lifelong nerd and enthusiastic, pants-averse hag. I’m also a writer, and Spoiler Alert is my print debut. I’m incredibly excited about it, because the story tackles so many topics close to my heart: fandom, fanfiction, fatness, friendship, and family. It also contains a startling number of dirty geology puns, because no one stopped me!  Put briefly, the story is about a himbo actor, Marcus, who is secretly smart and hates how his worldwide-hit TV show has gone off the rails in recent seasons. He pours his frustration into anonymous fanfiction with the help of his online BFF, April–but if anyone found out he’d been criticizing his own show so openly, his career would be over. Which is a problem, especially once he meets April in person and falls in love. . . but can’t tell her they already know one another. Spoiler Alert is a sweet-hot romcom with lots of banter and emotion and nerdery, and if you read it, I hope you absolutely love it. The world of fandom is a relatively recent phenomenon in pop culture….

Julie Rowe | Top 5 Things I Love About October
Author Guest / October 7, 2020

1. Autumn colors!–and not just the spectacular varieties of leaf color, but also walking through the leaves. The brush and crunch underfoot add music to wherever you walk and the colors a feast for your eyes. Get outside, be active, and enjoy the season. 2. Cozy sweaters–I love snuggling into a soft warm sweater on cool mornings and evenings. Add a cup of hot chocolate or apple cider, and a good friend to talk or binge-watch TV with and I’m having a great time. 3. Crafting with friends–I start working on Christmas craft projects in October. I’m a paper crafter, so handmade Christmas cards are a must, but also paper ornaments, exploding box cards, and folded books. Here some pics of projects I’ve already completed. 4. Pumpkin. . . everything–Latte, pie, or muffin, I love it all. Did you know Kraft Dinner has a new Pumpkin Spice flavor this year? I’m trying to find it so I can try it, but I haven’t been able to get my hands on any yet. If you’ve tried it, please let me know in the comments what you think of it. 5. Catching up on a good book. . . or three–I’m reading…

Sarah Smith | Exclusive Excerpt: SIMMER DOWN
Author Guest / October 6, 2020

I pick up all the pillows, toss them back on the bed, straighten out my clothes, and climb under the sheet. The heat inside me has officially cooled. My eyelids grow heavy. When I blink, I don’t see Callum anymore. Every muscle in my body is relaxed, free of tension at the thought. Soon I’m asleep. It’s deep and hard and everything good. Until I start to dream. *** Dream Callum is a million times nicer than real-life Callum. Dream Callum spoons me from behind, my absolute favorite. How did he know? He presses his clothes-free body against mine, a perfect shell for my hot and bothered self. None of this is real. That doesn’t make it any less divine. He wraps his arms around me. They’re so thick that when pressed against me, they cover most of my naked chest. Leaning back, I groan. “You like that?” he asks. I nod a yes, then moan again. Those thick lips press against the back of my neck. “What do you want, Nikki?” When his voice is this low, this gentle, it makes my eyes roll to the back of my head. The hottest sound in the world is Callum’s English…

Cat Schield | 20 Questions: UNTAMED PASSION
Author Guest / October 6, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Untamed Passion 2–What is it about?  After a single night of passion results in an unplanned pregnancy, a woman must decide if she can make a future with a man who can’t embrace love while he’s trapped by his resentment of his father. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Determined. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  I love Oliver’s inner strength. He’s a recovered addict who strives every day to stay sober despite the increasing pressure coming to bear on him because of the drama surrounding his father’s criminal activity. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Oliver struggles to reach out to anyone. He has estranged himself from his family and keeps most people at arm’s reach. His assistant is the person who he relies on the most. It’s to her he turns when he needs to find the woman who ran out on him after an incredible night of passion. Sammi has a tricky relationship with her mother who has managed Sammi’s modeling career since she was a baby. Sammi has a best friend, a fellow model who offers some much-needed career and romantic advice. 6–What…

Sarah Morgenthaler | Exclusive Interview: MISTLETOE AND MR. RIGHT
Author Guest / October 6, 2020

Hi, Sarah! Welcome back to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your new book, MISTLETOE AND MR. RIGHT. Thanks for having me back! My name’s Sarah Morgenthaler, and I write romantic comedy and contemporary romance. MISTLETOE AND MR. RIGHT is my Alaskan Christmas romcom set in the fictional town of Moose Springs.     This is the second book in the Moose Springs, Alaska series. What do you love about creating this town and its inhabitants?   I’ve had a blast creating Moose Springs. The residents are so quirky and fun to write. They’re very loyal to each other, and even more loyal to the land and to the wildlife in their community. It’s a close-knit place full of love. (They just don’t love all the tourists coming to town!)       What did you do to get into the holiday spirit while writing this novel, even when it wasn’t the holidays?   One of my good writer friends suggested I buy a Christmas-themed candle. Burning that while writing worked great for setting the scene! I also played lots of Christmas music while writing and looked at pictures of winter scenes.     Lana Montgomery has big plans to improve…

Irene Hannon | 20 Questions: POINT OF DANGER
Author Guest / October 5, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Point of Danger 2–What is it about?  When radio talk show host Eve Reilly finds herself in the sights of someone who wants her voice silenced, Detective Brent Lange must track down the unknown foe before he loses the woman who is willing to take risks for what she believes–and who is also stealing his heart. 3–What word best describes your main character(s)? Tenacious and brave  4–What makes your story relatable?  My heroine finds herself caught up in a very credible, dangerous situation, which ended up being more topical that I could ever have predicted when I started the book two years ago. I think readers will admire her courage and spunk and find much to like in both her and the hero. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  This is book 1 in my Triple Threat series (note: each book can be read as a standalone), which features three sisters. I loved exploring the relationship they have. So Eve, my heroine, relies on her sisters for support and friendship. My hero has a best friend who serves as his confidante. But other than that, he’s…

Belle Callhoune | 20 Questions: ALASKAN CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION
Author Guest / October 2, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release? My latest release is ALASKAN CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION, coming out on September 29th 2–What is it about? The story centers around Piper Miller, who owns the Snowy Owl Diner, in Owl Creek, Alaska. Piper inherited the diner when her father, Jack, passed away. Now, four years later, the establishment is running on fumes and teetering on the brink of closure. Determined to save the diner, Piper enlists the help of her childhood best friend, Braden North, who has recently returned to town. Problem is, Braden is hiding a huge secret from Piper, one that might permanently end their friendship. As the two work together to save Piper’s business, sparks begin to fly between the childhood friends. But, secrets from the past might unravel their budding romance. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Plucky. 4–What makes your hero irresistible? Adorable. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Piper turns to her mother, Trudy, and her best friend, Rachel. Braden comes from a large family so he turns to his siblings, Connor and Sage, as well as his parents and grandparents. 6–What do you love about the setting of your…

Christine Rimmer | Exclusive Excerpt: HOME FOR THE BABY’S SAKE
Author Guest / October 2, 2020

On a balmy afternoon in early September, Roman Marek stood on the sidewalk at the corner of Car­mel Street and Pacific Lane in Valentine Bay, Or­egon. His hands in his pockets, he scowled at the excess of arches and scrollwork adorning the fa­cade of the building directly in front of him. The Valentine Bay Theatre was nothing short of a nightmare–at least, to Roman it was. He’d made his fortune in Las Vegas real estate and he had a definite preference for efficient, light-filled, modern spaces. The last thing he would ever in­vest in was a run-down, century-old theater in the Venetian Gothic style. But invest in it he had–in fact, he’d bought the damn thing outright. His mother had insisted. And Roman Marek would do just about anything for his mother. He loved her and he owed her. As for her ridiculous fondness for the old the­ater, when Roman was a kid, his mom used to bring him here to watch second-run movies and at­tend community events. She looked back on those days through rose-colored glasses. And that was why, a few weeks ago, when Sasha learned that the elderly owner had died and the heirs wanted to get…