All of this week, we’re showcasing a different Forever holiday romance author! Visit the blog every day for author interviews, cheery giveaways, and more festive fun.  Up first, Annie Rains! ** What’s the name of your latest release? My new release is called SEASON OF JOY. I think it’s the perfect title for this book because it’s a holiday story and Joy is the name of my heroine. What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  There’s a touch of magic in a Christmas romance. It’s the season of hope, which is really at the root of all my books. I also love adding in all the festivities of the season like picking out a Christmas tree and decorating it, buying gifts, festivals, flotillas, and of course the food! There’s so much to love about a holiday book. Who can resist? Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or do the holidays bring out the worst in them?  Well, my hero is the owner of the local Christmas tree farm. He’s typically full of Christmas cheer, but this year he’s struggling because half of his tree farm burned down in the spring. My heroine, Joy, is also struggling….

“So what do we do now?” Hannah asked. When she’d reopened the boutique, customers flooded the store. Russell had offered to help her until things slowed down. One hour had turned into two and in the blink of an eye the entire day had passed. She’d appreciated the help, but when she’d told him she felt guilty for keeping him from see­ing his family, he’d waved away her concern like it was no big deal. She’d wondered if he was avoid­ing them, then dismissed the idea as ridiculous. Unlike her, he had a loving, supportive family. And for a man who’d never worked in retail and who hadn’t had a clue about women’s fashion, he’d done incredibly well. A woman who’d come into the boutique looking for the perfect blouse had left with three dresses, two pairs of pants and three pairs of earrings in addition to that blouse, all because Russell had said she’d looked nice in them. He’d also given thumbs down on two other dresses and the woman had left without them. More than providing her customers with a male’s perspective, Russell had served as the mus­cle she’d needed, carrying boxes for her. He’d also unpacked and…

Hi, Opal! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest book, STROKE OF LUCK.  Hi. Thank you for inviting me! It’s always a pleasure! I’m Opal Carew and I’ve been writing erotic romance for over 20 years. I’m a cat-loving, artistic, romantic sort, but I spent most of my career as a high-tech professional. I dyed my hair pink (or purple or blue) 30 years ago before it was popular. I don’t like to live in a box or colour within the lines. Well, I do the latter when I’m actually colouring, but I like to draw my own lines. 😉 April, the heroine of Stroke of Luck, has always tried to stay within the lines and do what is expected of her, and it got her into a big mess. To get her life back on track, she needs to do something unexpected and a little crazy so that she can take back the control she’s lost. April starts out down on her luck–she thinks she’s going to Vegas to get married, but gets cheated on, left, and has to foot the hotel bill. What do you think readers will love about April?      I…

Half a dozen women, standing by a makeshift bar in Didcote’s Air Transit Auxiliary’s mess turned appraising faces toward us. For one panicky moment I felt I was back at boarding school on the first day of term. “Good morning, Miss Redfern, I’m Vera Abercrombie, Didcote’s commanding officer.” A compact looking woman with a direct no nonsense gaze introduced herself. I suppose, like everyone else who first met her, I was surprised that the Didcote ATA commanding officer wasn’t the standard issue senior male RAF officer with a waxed moustache. Vera Abercrombie was probably in her mid-thirties, but her fair northern skin was deeply lined, either from years of flying, or put there by the burdensome responsibility of her war-time job. She carried a clip-board with a sheaf of papers pinned to it and her glance strayed to it often, as if she might have inadvertently overlooked some small but important detail. There are not many women who have shot to the heights of command that Vera Abercrombie had achieved, without being conscious of their seniority every hour of their long working day, but there was no arrogance in her greeting and no feeling that this was her ‘show,’ and…

When Bryce entered the hall in his best shirt and his hair combed, he found the small gathering waiting by the hearth. Other than two servants there were no other women with their group. For a moment his chest relaxed. Perhaps his bride had abandoned him. He’d be glad to be spared this duty. It would save them both a lot of misery. Lach might be able to force him to marry for an alliance, but the laird couldn’t force Bryce to live with her or get a bairn on her. It would be a marriage contract in name only. A binding to gain access to a seaport from the McCurdys and nothing more. Lach, Cam, and the priest were frowning when he arrived. “What’s the matter. Did the lass flee?” Bryce couldn’t help a slight smile. “Nay. She’s there with her maid.” Bryce glanced over at the woman young enough to be Dorie McCurdy. A tall stick of a girl who looked as if she hadn’t eaten a good meal in ages. Her midnight hair longed for a comb, and her blue eyes darted around as if ready for an attack. He’d noticed her as he’d approached, but thought…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  THE PRICE OF TEMPTATION 2–What is it about?  An estranged married couple must reunite to circumvent blackmail against the family. This book started out life as “Pride and Prejudice if Lizzy were a jewel thief and Darcy were a conman” and took on a life of its own from there. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Resourceful. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  His utter devotion to the heroine. Even after years apart, Adam is still willing to do anything to protect and support Lily. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  In this case, each other. Both have an unfortunate habit of trying to fix situations on their own, but when they’re really in need, Adam and Lily know they can count on one another despite their rocky history. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? With every book I write in the Regency era, I love to dive deeper into a certain aspect of the history. In this case, I did a lot of research about the fad of Egyptomania and how this love for all things Ancient Egyptian affected certain social circles….

Hello! I’m so excited to be here at Fresh Fiction, sharing an exclusive excerpt from my upcoming release, A ROYAL DISASTER. The first book in my new Royally Engaged rom-com series, A ROYAL DISASTER is a stand-alone novel featuring a heroine with impossibly bad luck, a charming crown prince, and a cockblocking cat named Jinx. Elena Murphy is a walking disaster, so when she accidentally paints the Crown Prince of Valeria purple, of course the paparazzi capture it on camera. Now she’s being dragged online and the only way to save her reputation—and her studio—is to pretend she’s dating the World’s Most Eligible Bachelor. Keep reading for an exclusive peek at the world’s most unexpected proposal! *** “Miss Murphy.” Fin darted forward, possibly to prevent Liam from saying something else untoward. “His Royal Highness, Prince William, Prince of Valeria, offers an apology for the trouble that’s befallen you recently.” Elena snorted and crossed her arms. “The trouble that’s befallen me? You mean the trouble he brought to my door by illegally trespassing on my property with his fan club in tow?” Fin stood frozen, as if unsure how to respond to such blatant disregard for royal protocol. Elena lifted a…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? CUSTOM BUILT 2–What is it about? It’s a spin-off series about Crow, a member of the Knights of Fury MC, and Bronte, who starts working with him. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Strong. 4–What makes your hero irresistible? The love and support he has for the heroine. His easy-going charm mixed with bad boy vibes. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Crow turns to his MC, and Bronte turns to Crow, and Nadia her old boss. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? I love the Fast & Fury custom garage, and the relationship and banter all the staff have there. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? I’m definitely a pantster. I do an outline but it usually changes. 8–What is an ideal writing day for you? I write when my kids are at school, and then hide in my office, with music playing until it’s time for school pick up. (With snacks of course) 9–Do you listen to music while you write, need total silence, or do you have the…

Damon Louis couldn’t quite believe Rian Falwell had just thrown a f*cking balled-up paper towel at his head, like they were in grade school trading spitballs. But then he couldn’t believe Falwell was staring at him like he’d happily gut Damon, too, his imperious little pale mouth twisted in a knot and his previously bone-white cheeks flushed with anger that reflected in glittering hazel eyes. People didn’t glare at Damon. They didn’t even make eye contact. But Falwell didn’t have the slightest qualms about glaring at him, standing there like the lord of his five by five domain, slender presence bristling fit to fill the tiny cubicle he’d commandeered as his… Damon didn’t even know what to call it. Studio. Workroom. Junk closet. Dumpster. Especially when Falwell had cluttered it wall to wall with kitsch, this kind of…whirlwind of clay and paint and pictures and deli­cate bits of papercraft that fit together in a bizarre aesthetic chaos, where it all coalesced in an esoteric pattern like some strange art installation in and of itself. While Rian himself was part of it, lit in white and amber by the single naked bulb hanging from the ceiling and the golden sunlight falling…

Hi, Donna! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. We are thrilled to have you here. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your new book, CONFESSIONS IN B-FLAT.   Thank you for having me! Well, I was born and bred in Brooklyn, NY. I have three adult children (most of the time) and four fabulous grands. My sister and her family along with my brother and my two eldest daughters all want me to move to New Jersey, but in the infamous words of Effie in Dreamgirls “I ain’t going!” LOL. As for my writing life, writing has always been my first love and I can say that I began on the road to becoming a “paid” writer when, in grammar school, I would write love letters for my girlfriends to give to their boyfriends! They were verses from songs and song titles strung together–very creatively I might add. And my friends would pay me in lunch money and candy. It wasn’t until many years later that I officially tried my hand at writing when I penned short stories for the Confession Magazines. My first confession story was published in 1987, “The Long Walk,” which I did for several years until…