Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Abigail Owen | Exclusive Excerpt: THE PROTECTOR
Author Guest / December 10, 2020

Unable to stop himself any longer, Levi searched for Lyndi’s smaller form behind the wall of bigger men. He backed up a step and collided with a gaze so full of desolation, all red banked fire and heartache so raw, that he had to look away for a second to get his own violent reaction under control. When he looked back, Lyndi had dropped her gaze to the ground, hiding from him. Confusion drowned out every other emotion rioting within him, so loud his head almost buzzed with it. What had that look been? Because if it was even a hint of what he hoped it could be… The gods had shit timing. Until this second, with the way she constantly sniped at him, and had from the moment they met, he’d believed she hated him. Carried a grudge for that first misunderstanding, and all the misunderstandings that followed. She’d always taken his need to protect her the wrong way. He hadn’t wanted her to build her orphanage in a human home, so unprotected and vulnerable, not because she wasn’t capable but because he expected the Alliance to show up unexpectedly and wipe out all the boys they felt were…

Colleen Hoover | Exclusive Interview: LAYLA
Author Guest / December 10, 2020

You are tipping your toes into paranormal romance with your newest release Layla. How would you describe this story? What is supposed to be a short, romantic getaway for new couple Leeds and Layla turns into an extended vacation full of bizarre occurrences. But no matter how much Layla wants to leave, Leeds is more focused on finding answers for the unexplainable. What paranormal fiction and paranormal romance books, TV shows, and/or films inspired Layla? I’ve honestly only ever read books about vampires. I don’t read paranormal. I’ve read maybe two or three in my entire lifetime, so I had to really tackle this one from a point of not really having a prior notion of what paranormal books feel like. It’s what I do with every genre, really. Before I wrote my first novel, Slammed, I wasn’t a romance reader. I mostly read non-fiction, true crime, biographies. And then when I wrote Verity, I wasn’t much of a thriller reader. So I figured I’d have the same approach with Layla. The less thought I put into “rules” of a genre, the more freedom it feels like I have when I write. Layla goes through an incredibly tragic event that nearly kills her. This leads to…

Debbie Wiley | Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Steampunk Book Recs
Author Guest / December 10, 2020

Debbie Wiley is a senior reviewer at Fresh Fiction.  The last days and weeks of 2020 are thankfully drawing to a close, leaving folks with a lot of emotional turmoil. Yes, 2020 has been challenging at best, and heartbreaking if you are one of the many directly impacted by Covid-19. In the midst of the pain and distress, we’ve seen heroes rise to the occasion. First and foremost, our health care workers, but also the many grocery store workers, teachers, food bank volunteers, and so many others who have quietly provided essential services to people in the midst of a global pandemic. It makes me reflect about the heroes and heroines of the urban fantasy, fantasy, and steampunk books I read, and I’d like to share a few of those heroes and heroines with you today. THE AWAKENING by Nora Roberts, features Breen Kelly, a young lady who has lived her life feeling “less than”. Her mother constantly berates or belittles her, she works a job she hates, she has a mountain of student debt, and she even hides her flaming red hair under dark hair dye to keep from being noticed. All of that is about to change, however,…