Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray | 20 Questions: THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN
Author Guest / June 30, 2021

1–What is the title of your latest release? Victoria Christopher Murray: THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN which I co-authored with Marie Benedict. Marie Benedict: THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN, which was co-written with Victoria Christopher Murray. 2–What is it about? VCM: It is the story of Belle da Costa Greene, a woman who walked into JP Morgan’s library in 1906 when she was in her twenties, became his personal librarian, and rose to be one of the most powerful women in the art world. She helped to build Morgan’s art and rare books and manuscript collection. MB: THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN is the remarkable story of J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, who became one of the most important people in the art world during her lifetime and left a lasting legacy that enriched our nation but could only do so by passing as white and hiding her true Black identity because of the racist, segregated society in which she lived. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  VCM: It’s in New York (my favorite place in the world) and so much of it takes place at the Morgan Library which is incredibly beautiful for lots of reasons. MB: The book…

Amalie Howard | Exclusive Excerpt: THE PRINCESS STAKES
Author Guest / June 30, 2021

Her breath caught. The duke was still sound asleep, but he had turned and now lay on his back. The arm that had curved around his head lay flung over his face, hiding it from view. A chiseled chest dusted in crisp hair rose and fell with deep, even breaths. Her dread didn’t allow her to appreciate the frontal view of him—she was only intent on escape. Muttering an oath under her breath, Sarani blew out a breath. Easy does it, she told herself. Retracing her steps with her skirts in hand, she climbed up on the bottom bar and stretched out her left leg toward the bunk rail. She made the mistake of looking down in her precarious and admittedly lewd position—she was straddling the man, for heaven’s sake—and nearly toppled over. Everywhere her eyes fell, she saw nothing but acres upon acres of masculine perfection. If his back had been delicious, his chest was a veritable feast. A slow ache took up residence in her belly and then spread like hot oil elsewhere. She might be in a hurry, but she wasn’t dead! This man did not look like he had an ounce of excess anywhere on him,…

Janna MacGregor | Brother, Sisters, and Cousins—One of These Things is Not Like the Others
Author Guest / June 30, 2021

In the first book of my Widow Rules series, A DUKE IN TIME, a war hero duke falls in love with his stepbrother’s wife. Could he legally marry her? Under the Church of England’s rules of consanguinity and affinity, a brother couldn’t marry his brother’s widow. Nor could a sister marry her sister’s widower. Yet they could marry first cousins. But what about stepbrothers and stepsisters? Do these rules apply in the blended families of yesteryears? Way back in the day of merry ol’ England, the Church of England had pretty strict rules of who could marry whom related to family. Let’s get some definitions out of the way to make this a little easier to understand. Consanguinity basically means two people are related by blood relation and that they share common ancestors. Affinity is a relationship by marriage. When people married in violation of the Church of England’s prohibition of consanguinity or affinity, the marriages were either void or voidable. If a marriage is void, it’s invalid and illegal. End of story. Any children born of such union were illegitimate. If a marriage is voidable, then it’s valid. However, it could be annulled if an interested party successfully challenged…

Vanessa Riley | Exclusive Excerpt: ISLAND QUEEN
Author Guest / June 30, 2021

LONDON 1824: KENSINGTON HOUSE Never knew a moment made better standing still. Never knew an hour made perfect by silence. It’s been a long time since I’d had peace—moments of dance, hours in hymns. It disappeared when the Demerara Council forced its tax. Fidgeting, I sit in the front parlor of Kensington House switching my gaze from the sheers draping the window to the finishing school’s headmistress. Miss Smith, she’s across from me in a Chippendale chair sipping her chamomile tea. Her fingers tremble on the china handle. “Mrs. Thomas,” she says with eyes wide, bulging like an iguana’s. “Your visit is unexpected, but I’m pleased you’ve taken my offer to stay at Kensington to review our school. You’ll see it’s a worthy investment.” “I was always fond of the name Kensington.” My voice trails off as I think of walks, of choices, then my aptly named plantation. Kensington is a set of squiggled letters chiseled in a cornerstone back home. The headmistress chatters on, and I nod. The white egret feather on my bonnet jiggles and covers my brow. I bat it away like the memories I want gone, but you never get to choose what comes to mind….

Jennifer Snow | Top 5 Movies featuring Secret Journals/Love Letters
Author Guest / June 29, 2021

There’s definitely something romantic about old journals and love letters, a certain mystery that intrigues me. So, I wanted to include this element in my upcoming release, A Lot Like Love hitting store shelves on June 29, 2021. In this second chance romance, Sarah Lewis not only inherits her grandmother’s B & B in a small coastal town, but she also finds her grandmother’s old journal, where she discovers a secret no one ever knew. This plot device of journals and love letters as a way of communicating in books and movies is one of my favorites and here are my top 5 love story movies that feature this element. P.S. I Love You– This movie starring Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank based on the bestselling novel by Cecelia Ahern has to be my all-time favorite. Love letters from beyond the grave that are heartwarming, sentimental and tear-jerking make this movie unforgettable. For me, the best part was seeing their love for one another through the flashback moments that the letters provided and seeing the heroine overcome her sadness and open herself up to love again. The Lake House– This movie starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock was so unique…

Stefanie London | Exclusive Interview: FOREVER STARTS NOW
Author Guest / June 29, 2021

Danielle: Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Stefanie! Please tell us a bit about yourself and your new book, FOREVER STARTS NOW.  Stefanie: Thanks for having me! I’m Stefanie London, Aussie gal living in Canada. I’m the USA Today bestseller of more than thirty contemporary romances and romantic comedies that meet at the corner of sweet and sexy. Outside writing, I love to read, knit, bake and play video games. My latest release, FOREVER STARTS NOW, is a fake relationship romance between an Aussie hero searching for his father, and a prickly diner owner whose life has stagnated after divorce. At the heart of it, this story is about understanding who you are and being authentically yourself. There are also very strong themes of family and belonging. Both Monroe and Ethan have had their lives shaken up by devastating news, and we meet them in the aftermath of trying to figure out where they’re headed. It’s funny and heartfelt and you might tear up a little. There’s a steamy kiss in a haunted house, a wacky town mascot and a quirky cast of characters to fall in love with. I hope you’ll check it out! Forever Falls, the fictional small town at the heart of your novel, sounds charming,…

Alanna Martin | 20 Questions: PAWS AND PREJUDICE
Author Guest / June 29, 2021

1–What is the title of your latest release? PAWS AND PREJUDICE 2–What is it about? It’s an enemies-to-lovers contemporary romance about a romance-writing heroine who loves her dogs and hides behind snark, and what happens when she’s forced to work with a new guy in town who has a fear of dogs and who basically (on the surface) represents everything she loathes. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  First, it’s set in Alaska, which is just gorgeous. And second, I love quirky small towns, and my town is torn in half by a century-old feud that makes everything about living there far more complicated than it should be. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  I always knew she used snark as a way to deflect and keep people at bay, but when I started writing her, it became clear that she also did it because she is overprotective of the people she cares about. She’s always willing to make herself a target to take the heat off of others. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  He’s an ambitious cinnamon roll! He brews beer, bakes, cooks, and he knows how to keep a secret. 6–What was one…

Cindi Madsen | Title Challenge: HOPE ON THE RANGE
Author Guest / June 29, 2021

H is for the Heart of Turn-Around Ranch, and how it helps teens and adults alike O is for two Opinionated people, who argue about as much as they thinking about kissing each other. P is for Pining over your best friend, even though you know you shouldn’t. E is for the excitement of the town rodeo and how the two ranches are preparing for their showdown. On the R is for the two Ranches that neighbor each other, and the special spot in the middle Tanya and Brady have met up since they were kids. A is for All-Around Cowgirl, a title Tanya’s won in the past, and Harlow, the town’s good girl, is training for. If only Maddox, the bad boy who’s been sent to the ranch would stop giving her a hard time during training so she could better focus. N is for Nosy family members who’ve been trying to get Tanya and Brady together forever G is for Winston, the three-legged Goat that Tanya saved and acts as a therapy animal to scared horses. (Which is a real thing between goats & horses sometimes) E is for the big town rodeo Event with an Ending that…

Brittainy Cherry | Exclusive Excerpt: THE MIXTAPE
Author Guest / June 28, 2021

“Come on, Oliver. Just give me an inch,” I muttered, trying to drag him up the front steps of my apartment building. Bringing the rock star to my apartment was my last resort. I tried to get him to tell me where he lived, but he couldn’t even form a coherent sentence for me to do so. All he did was mumble and drool. Then, I grabbed his phone to see if I could get a number to call, but his phone was dead, and I didn’t have the type of charger needed to charge his. Therefore, all I could think was to bring him to my apartment for the night. Getting him out of the car was a headache of its own kind, and now trying to get him to move his feet was a nightmare.  “I’ll give you a few inches,” he mumbled back.  I wondered how horrified the shy, distant Oliver would’ve been by his comments that night.  I wrapped his arms around me and pulled him to the best of my ability. He had the hiccups, and kept muttering something under his breath, but it wasn’t clear what he was saying. Honestly, I wasn’t even interested…

Kym Roberts | Cozy Corner Interview: ON SKEIN OF DEATH BY ALLIE PLEITER
Author Guest / June 28, 2021

One of the best things about cozy mysteries is the introduction to a hobby the author is either passionate about or just picked up because they always wanted to try it. Throughout the mystery, the reader can either enjoy something they love, or learn a few fascinating tricks of a trade they can appreciate. Cozy readers after all, are intelligent and open to new and exciting new artistic outlets, that’s what makes us unique in the reading world—author can sell us their books and a new hobby. Fair warning dear readers, Allie Pleiter is one of those gifted artist/authors who will allow you to escape into her world, and make you want to empty the aisles at your local craft store of every knitting supply possible! But isn’t that what makes reading a great new cozy mystery all that more special? Kym: Welcome to the Cozy Corner, Allie! Allie: Thank you so much! I’m delighted to be here. Kym: You’ve recently expanded your amazing career as a romance author, non-fiction author, speaker and career coach to a mystery author. What made you broaden your personal writing into a new genre? Allie: The chance to do a knitting-themed mystery was just too good to pass…