Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Deborah Blake | FURBIDDEN FATALITY
Author Guest / February 26, 2021

You’ve probably heard the writing advice “write what you know.” When I sat down to create my new cozy mystery series, which kicked off with FURBIDDEN FATALITY this week, I tried to do just that. Not that I have ever run a pet rescue (although I have volunteered at one). Or won the lottery, alas. But I do know a little something about rescue animals because I am the proverbial crazy cat lady, and all four of my current feline overlords came from one kind of shelter or another. In fact, most of the cats I’ve had over my lifetime have been rescues. My beloved Magic the Cat, Queen of the universe (who inspired the little black kitten named Queenie in the series), came from a shelter. I went in for one kitten to keep my last remaining elderly cat company and came home with ten-week-old black Magic, her large gray brother Mystic, and their mother Minerva, who was so terrified and sickly, the shelter folks begged me to take her as a “bonus” cat, without paying any fees. It took two years for me to convince Minerva to sit on my lap, but after that, she never wanted to…

Jennifer Vido | Jen’s Jewels Interview: FLOWERS OF DARKNESS BY TATIANA DE ROSNAY
Author Guest / February 26, 2021

Jen: What inspired you to write FLOWERS OF DARKNESS? Tatiana: I wanted to explore the near future and how artificial intelligence and “smart homes” can wreak havoc with our intimacy. This book is a journey into a fragile woman’s paranoia. Clarissa has just discovered that her husband is being unfaithful and decides to leave him.  She moves into a highly sophisticated artistic residence, hoping to find a new start here. But little by little, her past and her traumas come back to haunt her.  She is a writer obsessed with places and the memories that are linked to homes and the past. She is convinced that the new “connected home” she now lives in is trying to pillage her creativity for the purpose of AI. Her daughter is worried she might be sinking into a depression, but her teenage granddaughter is convinced that her granny is right… I leave it up to the reader to decide! Why does Clarissa Katsef move to Paris? Clarissa is half French, half English. She was born in the UK but moved to Paris when she was in her twenties. She is perfectly bilingual, and my book discusses those “hybrid brains”, people who live, talk,…

Roan Parrish | 20 Questions: BEST LAID PLANS
Author Guest / February 26, 2021

1–What is the title of your latest release? BEST LAID PLANS (Garnet Run #2) 2–What is it about? BEST LAID PLANS is about Charlie, a gentle giant who lost his parents as a teenager and had to figure out at a very young age how to take care of everything–his younger brother, Jack, his father’s hardware store, their family home–putting his own dreams on hold in the process. Rye Janssen is his complete opposite: where Charlie is stable, Rye has never stayed in the same place for more than a year; where Charlie knows all the rules of adulting, Rye enjoys breaking them. So when Rye inherits a crumbling house in Garnet Run but has no idea how to make it livable, Charlie can’t help but get involved. At first, Charlie and Rye feel like they’re from two different worlds. But soon each one realizes the other is exactly what they need! Charlie never had a chance to figure out what he wanted for himself, and Rye helps him explore. Rye never had a home, and Charlie helps him make one. Throw in some hot sex, a bunch of adorable cats, and all the secondary characters you met and loved…

Amanda Cabot | Exclusive Excerpt: DREAMS REKINDLED
Author Guest / February 26, 2021

She was being as silly as Laura. Dorothy frowned as she placed the hat on her head for what felt like the hundredth time, tilting it ever so slightly to the left. It wasn’t as if she were about to meet the president. All she was doing was going for a walk. There was no reason to fuss so much over her appearance. Today was the fourth day since Brandon Holloway had come to Mesquite Springs, and it seemed that both he and Laura had fallen into a routine. Each day Brandon came to Polly’s Place for his midday meal. Each day Laura kept peeking out the kitchen door, almost as if she didn’t trust Dorothy to tell her when he arrived. And when he did, she insisted on taking Brandon’s meal to him, returning to the kitchen with the same report: there was no question about it; he was the man she was meant to marry. Finally satisfied with the angle of the hat, Dorothy secured it with two of her prettiest hatpins, then descended the stairs. Once a quick look confirmed that nothing in the kitchen needed her attention, she opened the back door and stepped out into…

Jillian Boehme | 20 Questions: THE STOLEN KINGDOM
Author Guest / February 25, 2021

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE STOLEN KINGDOM 2–What is it about? For a hundred years, the once-prosperous kingdom of Perin Faye has suffered under the rule of the greedy and power-hungry Thungrave kings. Maralyth Graylaern, a vintner’s daughter, has no idea her hidden magical power is proof of a secret bloodline and claim to the throne. Alac Thungrave, the king’s second son, has always been uncomfortable with his position as the spare heir–and the dark, stolen magic that comes with ruling. When Maralyth becomes embroiled in a plot to murder the royal family and seize the throne, a cat-and-mouse chase ensues in an adventure of dark magic, court intrigue, and forbidden love.  3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love this question, because I love talking about how THE STOLEN KINGDOM came about! Years ago, I wrote THE SEEDS OF PERIN FAYE, my very first, very terrible novel. THE STOLEN KINGDOM is a complete rewrite of THE SEEDS OF PERIN FAYE. The rolling vineyards and secret magic of the original story are dear to my heart and are a huge part of THE STOLEN KINGDOM.  4–How did your main character(s) surprise you? …

Lexi Post | Exclusive Interview: A POCKET IN TIME
Author Guest / February 24, 2021

Hi, Lexi! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us a little bit about yourself!   Thank you for having me! Let’s see, I’m a romance author, I like to line dance, my own hero is a veteran, former fire chief, and current Coast Guardsman. I’m a native of nowhere but live in Florida at the moment. I have two kittens named Bailey and Whiskey. I make my own ice cream every weekend. I always wear a hat. Did I mention I’m a romance author? I’m a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of romance inspired by the classics and I now have 30 books out. Yay! The Time Weavers Inc. series is such a fun premise! For readers who aren’t familiar, can you set up the series for us and tell us where A POCKET IN TIME fits in?  Oh, I’d love to! Time Weavers, Inc. (TWI) is basically “Quantum Leap” meets “Charlie’s Angels” meets “X-Men.” 🙂  TWI was created by the mysterious Jules who only communicates telepathically with the agents of TWI. Disruptors have been changing history to the detriment of mankind, so the agents go back in history and basically reset history on its original path. The first book…

Anna Harrington | The Popularity of Regency Romance
Author Guest / February 24, 2021

So why are Regency romances as popular as ever? Romance readers of all stripes know that a happily-ever-after ending is coming by the last page of any romance they pick up. But historical romance readers want more – they also want the fantasy world that historical romances create. After all, we live in the same world as contemporary romances (international tycoons aside…for most of us, unfortunately). But historicals give us not just the swooning romance but also the fairytale fantasy of escaping the contemporary world. Okay, let’s be honest. For all that historical romance writers do our best to be historically accurate with the details, the overall world we portray in our pages is pure fantasy. The real Regency era was smelly, dirty, disease-ridden, filled with a large amount death and starvation, a dearth of good teeth, and very limited indoor plumbing. Very limited. Even Jane Austen, the original Queen of Regency Romance Novels, avoided this darker side of life, only tangentially including poverty and war into her books, although both were pervasive in real Regency England. What romance readers want, though, isn’t reality; they want the fairytale world of castles (or at least grand country estates), carriages, dashing princes…

Anna Sugden | Exclusive Excerpt: HOT ON THE ICE
Author Guest / February 23, 2021

Lily reached behind her and held up a Ziploc bag. “I put these aside specially for you.” “Score!” Fist-pumping, Noah jumped off the stool and plucked the bag from her fingers. He then grabbed her waist and started twirling her around the kitchen. “You totally rock!” “Put me down, you idiot, before you injure yourself or me,” Lily laughed breathlessly. “Is this a private party, or can anyone join?” Dante’s tone was mild, but the brittle edge cut through the light-hearted atmosphere like a warm knife through cold butter. He stood in the doorway, his expression unreadable. Lily disentangled herself from Noah and stepped back to the counter, although she had no reason to feel guilty. Dante had no claim on her. Besides, there wasn’t the slightest spark between her and Noah. The man who made her pulse race wasn’t the one whose arms she’d just been in, but the one watching her with a muscle twitching in his jaw. She picked up the squeeze bottle and began icing again. Her hand shook a little, making the white lines of the ‘M’ a little wobbly. Unwilling to show how rattled she was, Lily gritted her teeth and continued with the…

Mara Wells | 20 Questions: PAWS FOR LOVE
Author Guest / February 23, 2021

1–What is the title of your latest release? PAWS FOR LOVE 2–What is it about? Danielle is dedicated to finding forever homes for retired greyhound racers and fancies herself something of a matchmaker when it comes to dogs and people. When her high school boyfriend comes back to town after fourteen years in the Marines, Danielle is determined to match him with a perfect dog, but it turns out it’s not the dog who’s his perfect match . . . 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Living in Miami Beach for fourteen years gave me a real appreciation of Art Deco architecture and Mid-Century Modern design. I tried to infuse that love into the Fur Haven dog park series. I also love writing about what it’s like for a regular person like me to live in a place more known for its celebrities and excesses. There’s definitely the glamorous side to life on the Beach, but there are also days when people crowd the beach because there’s a major fish migration happening and if you stand in the water, the fish swim around you. And of course it’s understood that if you see a dolphin, you…

Victoria Hamilton | Reality TV and Singing Competitions
Author Guest / February 22, 2021

One of the most common questions writers are faced with is: where do you get your ideas? And we usually answer, from everywhere! That’s true, but a little too general. My ideas do come from everything I read, watch, think about and experience. But each different series I write calls for different kinds of ideas. Take, for example, the Merry Muffin Mysteries I write for Beyond the Page Publishing. It is a given that when you own a castle and need to make money for the upkeep, you are bound to think of ways to make a few bucks that include TV and movies. Merry Wynter (Merry Muffin Mysteries – Beyond the Page Publishing) has that dilemma and has solved it a few times with movie shoots of the exterior and interior of her American castle in Western New York State. She and her friend and business partner Pish Lincoln even hosted a ghost hunting show in one memorable instance! But an opera-singing reality TV show? When Opera DivaNation is tossed from the hotel where they are shooting, Pish – as a fundraiser for the Lexington Opera Company, a couple of members of which are judges and mentors on the…