Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Amalie Howard | Exclusive Excerpt: THE RAKEHELL OF ROTH
Author Guest / February 3, 2021

Winter glared at the butler for making him feel guilty. “No. Call for my horse. I’m going out.” “You just returned home, my lord.” “Are you my keeper now?” Ludlow’s mouth had gone so thin, it was nearly invisible. “Someone has to be.” “Now, see here—” Winter had had just about enough. He turned to give the man the blistering he deserved and stiffened as the front door to his house crashed unceremoniously open, letting in a burst of cool, fragrant wind. A cloaked vision stood there as the enticing waft of flowers slammed into Winter. He couldn’t see beyond the heavily-brimmed bonnet, and for a moment, he thought the actress, Aline, had changed her mind about a frolic in the sheets with Matteo. But Aline was petite. This new arrival was not. Ludlow rushed toward the door in greeting, and froze as the woman chuckled and said something to him in a low, sultry voice. He couldn’t quite see the butler’s face. He also couldn’t catch the lady’s tones to recognize its owner, but they were decidedly refined. Most of his callers were from the demimonde, but the occasional aristocratic lady still found her way to 15 Audley Street…

Jennifer Deibel | Author-Reader Match: A DANCE IN DONEGAL
Author Guest / February 3, 2021

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 Jennifer Deibel! Writes: Stories that view home through the lens of culture, history, and faith—typically with a healthy dose of Irish flare and charm. Her debut, A DANCE IN DONEGAL, is set in Ireland in 1921 and releases February 2. About: My ideal day of fun includes wandering around my favorite stores with a couple of close friends; coffee in hand. There’s always coffee.  That comes second, of course, only to spending time with my family…and taking a really. good. nap. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must love Ireland, and all things Irish Must love sweeping views, rugged seas, rolling green hills, and toe-tapping music Must love ruddy heroes with quick with and swoon-worthy singing voices Must love inspiring stories filled with danger, struggle, and hope What to expect if we’re compatible: A glimpse into the heart and soul of Ireland and her people Heart-fluttering romance Uplifting stories that speak the soul, filled with faith, friends, and lots of tea An author who adores interacting with…

Suzanne Woods Fisher | Title Challenge: THE MIDNIGHT SCHOOL
Author Guest / February 3, 2021

I’m Suzanne Woods Fisher, the author of The Moonlight School. This historical fiction will release on February 2, 2021, and is based on a true story featuring Cora Wilson Stewart, a Kentucky woman way ahead of her times. In 1911, Cora had a crazy idea—to open rural one-room schoolhouses in her county on moonlit nights to teach illiterate adults how to read and write. So what happened next? Well, it’s so astonishing that you wouldn’t believe me if I told you. Instead, I hope you’ll read the book and find out for yourself. T – T is for Time. Cora Wilson Stewart knew the time had come to address the alarming adult illiteracy rate (25%) in her county. H – H is for Hero. And Handsome. Both describe Brother Wyatt, a Singing School Master who brings music to the mountain people. E – E is for Everything. Cora, as Kentucky’s first female Superintendent of Education for Rowan County, put everything on the line to create the first grassroot movement of Moonlight Schools. * M – M is for Moon. Cora chose a night with a full moon to open the rural schoolhouses to adults. O – O is for Overprotective. Cora convinced her overprotective cousin to allow his nineteen-year-old daughter, Lucy Wilson, to come work for…

Susan Meissner | Exclusive Interview: THE NATURE OF SMALL THINGS
Author Guest / February 3, 2021

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Susan! We are so happy to have you here today. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your new book, THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS. I am a historical fiction novelist and native Californian who has lived in other states and abroad, but California is where I have spent the majority of my life and is probably the reason why I chose to set my newest novel around the time of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake. I’ve experienced many tremblors; they are fairly common here, but none of the magnitude of that historic one. It reshaped San Francisco in many ways. Anytime you have a major event where ordinary people are thrust into extraordinary circumstances, you also have a backdrop for a story to be told. Sophie answers an ad to be a mail-order bride. An Irish immigrant in New York, she then travels across the country to marry a man she’s never met and take care of his daughter. Where did the idea for Sophie come from? What research did you do into mail-order brides, and did you learn anything truly surprising?  I wanted Sophie to have good reasons for wanting to…