What are you currently reading? What TV shows and movies are you watching? Any great podcasts to recommend? I’ve been reading Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg (a friend of mine and fellow board member of Deep Magic e-zine) which has been rocking the bestseller charts, and The Return by Nicholas Sparks. I’m a fan of Sparks’ book A Walk to Remember (and the movie) and wanted to give something else of his a try. My kids have me hooked on Avatar the Last Airbender, which we watch as a family, but I’m a huge Star Wars fan so The Mandalorian has been my go-to series. While we all wait for Season 3, I’m eager to continue season 2 of The Chosen. I’ve not been listening to podcasts this year—my writing schedule has been pretty intense. But Covid did introduce me to an amazing father-daughter musical duo Mat and Savanna Shaw who now have two albums they launched this year. Something really good has come out of quarantine, and that is the musical talents of these two, which started off as a duet of The Prayer and went viral. How are you spending your day in quarantine? Cooking, exercising, reading/writing? When Covid…

1–What is the title of your latest release? FORGIVE ME 2–What is it about? Restorative justice and the very great challenges of forgiveness. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I have a fictitious coastal town that I use for many books – I love being there as it feels like home. 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  Through anger, courage, and an extraordinary level of forgiveness. 5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  Anyone who’s ever felt fear, experienced crime, insecurity, or love will feel a bond with one or two or more of the characters. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  The medical research. 7–Do you look forward to or do you dread the revision process?  Always dread it – but the book invariably improves for it.  8–What’s your favorite snack to have on hand while writing?  No snacks, just coffee early in the day and tea in the afternoon.  In the evening, a glass of wine and some olives as I review the day’s work. 9–Where would you go for an ideal writer’s retreat?  Anywhere that doesn’t involve research or writing – I view a retreat…

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 Sandra Owens! Writes: Hello there! I’m excited to meet my reader matches! I write contemporary romance and romantic suspense with a bit of humor thrown in. OPERATION K-9 BROTHERS is the first book in my new series. Jack Daniels, a.k.a. Whiskey to his SEAL team, has one goal… heal his damaged shoulder and return to his SEAL team. When he gets a middle of the night wrong number phone call from a woman calling him some wickedly amusing names, Jack doesn’t expect the direction of his life to change. His curiosity gets the best of him, and he manages to meet the woman whose voice he can’t get out of his head. Nichole Masters has a puppy in dire need of training, and he just happens to be a military-trained dog handler. His attraction to Nichole is instant, and what better way to spend the two months he’s set as his deadline to heal than with Nichole. When her ex-boyfriend stalks…

A white van with the hood up came into view along with a group of Amish women standing beside it. Gabe pulled the horse and wagon to a stop beside them. Which one was going to concentrate her attention on him? He wished Jonah knew the answer. That way he’d know which sister to avoid. His mother’s cousin Waneta came rushing toward him with a cheerful smile. “Gabriel, it’s goot to see you again.” He got down from the wagon, determined not to give any of the women undue encouragement. “Nice to see you, too, Waneta. If your stepdaughters will get in the wagon, I’ll collect your things.” “Our driver, Bessie, will help. Let me introduce you to my family.” “There will be time for that when everyone is settled at the house,” he said and walked to the back of the van where Bessie, a gray-haired Englisch woman, was pull­ing out the luggage. He heard the rumble of a truck ap­proaching and then a horn blaring. He glanced in that direction and saw a woman walking into the roadway. Her gaze was fixed on something in the distance. Didn’t she hear the truck? She looked at the ground. The…

In this excerpt, Danny tries to convince Prescott to take a closer look at the town’s mid-century architecture. Danny Before we walk out of the shop, Prescott stops to put on a pair of leather gloves that are so tight each finger needs to wriggle in on its own until he uses the opposite hand to yank the taut creamy leather down on to his hand in one fell swoop. The leather scene has never really been my turn-on of choice but something about seeing his skin covered in the supple gloves make me think I should revisit that situation. “Well, shall we go?” he asks, holding the door open. “We shouldn’t keep the shop closed too long.” There’s still snow on the ground, but the sidewalks are clear enough for us to walk side by side. The air is cold and clear. We walk a few blocks past Bridge Street until we’re standing in front of the First Bank of Bucks. “Isn’t it wonderful?” I ask, admiring the gorgeous mid-century marvel. Four tall windows make up the facade. They are uninterrupted by adornment—pure open glass that reflects the snowy street. Between each massive window is a stone and cement…

Jen: What inspired you to write HADLEY AND GRACE?  Suzanne: The idea for HADLEY AND GRACE came from my enduring love for the movie Thelma and Louise. I wanted to write the same sort of exciting road-trip adventure that also had an underlying theme of self-discovery and empowerment. As it turned out, I couldn’t actually tell the story as it was originally conceived by the talented Callie Khouri. Fortunately for us, times have changed and we’ve come a long way from gawking truck drivers, bar-swine rapists, and patronizing do-gooder cops as typical male stereotypes. So while the plot is similar–two women on the run who become accidental outlaws–the story is very different.  What causes Hadley to flee from her home with her two kids?  Hadley is in an abusive marriage, and her husband is cunning and controlling. The opportunity she’s been waiting for comes along, and she seizes it. What is going on in Grace’s life that makes her yearn for a fresh start?  Grace’s husband has a gambling problem, and when he loses their rent money, Grace realizes the only hope she has for her and her infant son is to try and make a fresh start.  What draws…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ENJOY THE VIEW, a Moose Springs, Alaska romcom. 2–What is it about? ENJOY THE VIEW is my mountain climbing romcom set near the fictional town of Moose Springs, Alaska. Former actress River Lane and mountaineer Easton Lockett team up to climb the local behemoth Mount Veil to make a documentary, and they end up finding more than just danger and adventure on the mountaintop. But when bad weather strikes, it’ll take all of Easton’s skill to get everyone down safely. . .and to convince River to stay in his arms for good. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I’m obsessed with mountains and I love Alaska, so this was such a fun setting to write a story in. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  I was surprised at how much enthusiasm River brought to the page. I knew going in that she was determined, but I was surprised when she ended up bringing so much sunshine and cheerfulness. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Easton is such a sweet cinnamon roll of a hero behind the gruff mountain man exterior. He excels at protecting his clients as they…

1–What is the title of your latest release? CRY WOLF 2–What is it about? CRY WOLF is the fifth book in my series following snarky human agent Cooper Dayton and his werewolf partner Oliver Park who work together to solve twisty mysteries. This time the guys are officially moved in together with no case to travel for. .  .so naturally, trouble arrives on their doorstep instead. An old adversary warns Cooper he’s in danger, Park’s ex Eli shows up in desperate need of help, a casual trip to the zoo turns up a dead body in the sea lion pool, and, perhaps most stressful of all, there’s a certain someone’s wedding to plan. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Zoos have always had a somewhat surreal quality for me. That idea of controlled danger, manufactured wilderness, nature at its most unnatural. It was incredibly fun to lean into that and take the guys off the usual path (literally) to explore behind the scenes and blur the lines between who’s caging who. 4–How did Oliver Park surprise you?  Park had to grow up fast and be the “strong guy” in control for most of his life, which…

We are joined today by one of our long-time reviewers, Rosie Bindra, who has been sharing her book opinions with Fresh Fiction since 2005!  Your Name Rosie Bindra How long have you been a Fresh Fiction reviewer?  Since 2005 What are your favorite genres to read and review? Fantasy, Cozy, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance What are your TOP 3-5 Books of 2020? Killer Chardonnay by Kate Lansing Hunting for a Highlander by Lynsay Sands How to Love Your Elf by Kerrelyn Sparks What do you like to do outside of reading? Traveling is a huge passion. One of the neatest places I’ve been is Utqiaġvik, Alaska (formerly known as Barrow) which is the northernmost city in the United States and in the Arctic Circle. What are some of your holiday traditions? No tree until Dec. 1st. I’m not sure how this came about (probably my fault for always wanting the tree up for my birthday) but I have banned from putting the Christmas tree up any earlier. What are your reading resolutions/intentions/goals for 2021? Get more reading for reviews done What do you love about being a Fresh Fiction Book Reviewer? Getting to sample authors/genres that I…

She was a bleeding heart. She was going off the deep end. She was becoming a furry—not that there was anything wrong with that. She knew a few really nice furries. No, it was more like she was becoming one of those women who turned prison pen pal to guys like Bundy and Richard Ramirez. There were a dozen explanations going through Neha’s head when she left lockup and returned to the real world, but there was only one image. Joe Peluso, right before he kissed her. That brutish face, still a little bruised and cut. And his eyes. Looking too far. Seeing too much. She’d dealt with plenty of sexual overtures, but she’d never, ever had anyone look at her that way. Like she was the beginning, middle, and end. He wanted her. No, more than that, he craved her. She’d never been the subject of this kind of desire. The men she’d dated… She’d had to work them to arousal, convince them to do the same for her. Usually in exchange for a blow job. They’d never been turned on just by being near her. She’d never been out of her head just being around one of them….