Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Teri Wilson | Exclusive Excerpt: THE TROUBLE WITH PICKET FENCES
Author Guest / April 2, 2021

Lovestruck Fire Department Captain Jason McBride lingered in the tool aisle of the mom-and-pop hardware store on Main Street, staring blankly ahead at the hammer display. Why had he come in here on the way back to the station from his doctor’s appointment, again? He pressed hard on his temples in an effort to force his careening thoughts back on track. There’d been a reason for this errand. He was certain of it. He just couldn’t remember what it was. Calm down. It wasn’t the worst news. You’re not dying or anything. Everything’s going to be fine. He squeezed his eyes closed and tried not to think about the look of concern on Dr. Martin’s face or the intimidating words printed at the top of the brochure the doctor had handed him. NIHL—Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Ac­companied by Tinnitus. It wasn’t a brain tumor, as he’d feared. That was the good news, and Jason was grateful for it. He truly was. But the bad news was indeed bad. NIHL was permanent, as was the tinnitus. How was he sup­posed to live—and, more importantly, do his job—with a constant roar in his ears? Just yes­terday, he’d missed an entire conversation over his…

Jennifer Vido | Jen’s Jewels Interview: LIFE’S TOO SHORT by ABBY JIMENEZ
Author Guest / April 2, 2021

Jen: What inspired you to write Life’s Too Short? Abby: I wanted to write a true opposites attract love story! Opposites attract is such a challenging trope, because you really have to make the reader think they’re too different from each other for it to work—but then you have to show the reader how they do work and you need to make that believable. It’s a juggling act. Adrian is a straight-laced, workaholic attorney. He plans everything, he doesn’t do spontenaity, he thrives on routine, never has fun. Vanessa’s a free spirit in every sense of the word. Vanessa has a 50% chance of developing ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease that runs in her family, and she’s set on living her potentially short life to the fullest. She goes where the day takes her and she finds joy and excitement where she can. She never makes plans, she never saves anything for later because she doesn’t know if there will be a later. The way I write my heroes is I ask myself who the heroine is, then I write the man she needs. But in this case, they both got exactly who they needed. It was so fun to…

Chris Fabry | Exclusive Excerpt: A PIECE OF THE MOON
Author Guest / April 2, 2021

TD sat in a sound booth at the recording studio in Clarkston with walls treated with what looked like egg cartons. He snapped his fingers in front of the long silver microphone with the word Neumann on it. The sound in the room was deader than a doornail. And that microphone looked like it cost more than his tow truck. In front of him sat a clear acrylic stand holding ad copy and he read it through silently. Butch Williams had car dealerships in three states and ran spots on stations in all of those markets. They were looking for an “authentic” voice that stood out. This was TD’s chance. A bearded man in the control room pushed a talkback button and spoke into TD’s headphones. “It’s Titus, right?” “I go by TD.” “All right, TD. Whenever you’re ready. I’m rolling.” TD rubbed his hands on his jeans. His tongue felt thick, his mouth full of cotton. The door opened in the control room and someone stepped in and stood in the dark corner. “If you’re looking for a deal on a new or used car, come see Butch. We’ve got dependable, affordable used cars that won’t break your budget….