Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Coreene Callahan | Author-Reader Match: FURY OF CONVICTION + Giveaway!
Author Guest / July 27, 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 you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present COREENE CALLAHAN. Writes: Fast-paced, action-packed paranormal romances fueled by captivating love stories. My new release, FURY OF CONVICTION is the second book in the exciting, new Villains of the Dragonfury Series. Reader’s Entertainment Book Reviews has said my books are “Modern-day fantasy and paranormal with hot romance… storytelling at its best!” About: Award-winning and bestselling author of the Dragonfury Series, writing paranormal romance and supernatural thrillers. I love dogs, playing ice hockey, vintage typewriters, and reading while tucked into a cozy armchair with a cup of tea. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Enjoys action-packed, thrill rides with hot guys and strong heroines Dreams of magical encounters with mystical warriors Appreciates ride-or-die friendships Likes to be on the look-out for things that go bump in the night Loves page-turning stories with happy endings What to expect if we’re compatible: To laugh out loud when the hot guys get out of control A steamy, soul-stealing love story To be surprised at every turn To…

Charlotte Carter | Exclusive Interview: RHODE ISLAND RED
Author Guest / July 27, 2021

Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Charlotte! We are excited to host you here today, and celebrate the re-release of RHODE ISLAND RED, the first book in your Nanette Hayes Mystery series. How does it feel to have Nanette back in print?   Charlotte:  I have to say, it feels pretty good.  This re-do was quite unexpected.  Nanette Hayes is a fierce, clever sleuth, who teaches French and plays the saxophone. Where did the idea for her start for you? How has she surprised you?   It’s true that not too many women play sax, but I actually did see a young woman playing on the street—this was some 20 years ago. I was just taking a walk with my husband, and we came upon her,, gave her a couple of dollars. He was the one who suggested creating a street musician character. From there, I won’t pretend it was easy, but Nan kind of presented herself. I got the chance to give her a lot of stuff that I myself lacked—grit, youth, “hotness,” forthrightness, romanticism, etc. And of course, I put a bit of myself in the mix—the travel bug, love and admiration for music, and the people who play/master it….

Jayci Lee | Exclusive Excerpt: THE DATING DARE
Author Guest / July 27, 2021

From Chapter Two… “Here, let me switch out the glasses to something more civilized,” Tara said, reaching for his snifter. They were going to pass out before the game got interesting if they chugged from their full-sized glasses. “And we’ll both drink the white ale to keep the alcohol level even.” “Sounds like a plan. Should I start?” He rubbed his hands together like he was relishing the thought of annihilating her. How precious. “Truth or dare?” “Truth.” She crossed her arms in the universal bring-it-on gesture. “When was your first kiss and with whom?” he asked with a friendly smile. “Seriously? You just went there?” Her arms dropped limply to her sides. Tara felt warmth seeping up from her neck and spreading to her cheeks. She was a late bloomer, and her first kiss hadn’t been until college with her first boyfriend. She never spoke about Jason. He had been her first everything, including her first heartbreak. He’d done such a thorough job of it that she’d buried her heart deep inside so no one could touch it again. It took her a year of friendship and a lot of beer before she’d even told Aubrey about the abusive…

Kym Roberts | Cozy Corner: A Cozy Summer Fling
Author Guest / July 26, 2021

Ah, romance, there’s nothing better than when that sense of rightness in the world washes over you while cuddling up with a loved one. To learn about your partner’s life and the people who’ve come and gone, their secrets, successes, and failures. Add a little tension and a few heart palpitations and you know you’ve chosen a good one…at least for the few hours it takes to get to the end of their story. Yes, I’m talking about not one, but multiple summer flings with great cozy mysteries. Take advantage of the dog days, and delve into as many as you can, I know I am! If you want to hide in your closet with a little moonshine, chocolate, and a great book from the library, here are some mysteries right up your alley! *** The Moonshine Shack Murder A Southern Homebrew Mystery by Diane Kelly 7/6/2021 In this intoxicating new cozy mystery series, the future for modern-day moonshiner Hattie Hayes looks bright–until death darkens the doorstep of her Moonshine Shack. The Hayes family has made moonshine in Chattanooga since the days of Prohibition, and Hattie is happy to continue the tradition, serving up fun, fruity flavors in mason jars…

Shanora Williams | 20 Questions: THE PERFECT RUIN
Author Guest / July 26, 2021

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE PERFECT RUIN 2–What is it about? It’s about a woman named Ivy Hill who finds out the name of the woman who destroyed her childhood – Lola Maxwell. Lola is a wealthy, well-known woman who is loved by many and Ivy sets out on destroying/ruining Lola’s life as payback. It’s a very twisty and suspenseful read with a revenge plot and a domestic thriller vibe. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love that it’s set near a beach. It’s mostly set in Miami, Florida and I love that you sort of get a visual of the beach weather and the summer activities. And given that this is a summer release makes it all the more exciting! 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  My main character Ivy was way more calculating and manipulative than I thought she would be. She knew how to truly fake it in order to make it and to get what she wanted. 5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  Well, one reason I loved writing this book is that it touches on the effects of trauma and how some people can…

Jennifer Chiaverini | Exclusive Interview: THE WOMEN’S MARCH
Author Guest / July 26, 2021

Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Jennifer! We are so excited to celebrate the release of THE WOMEN’S MARCH with you. This book is full of incredible historical detail about the women’s suffrage movement. What inspired you to tackle this topic?   Jennifer: The idea for THE WOMEN’S MARCH first came to me in January 2017, soon after the Women’s March on Washington the day after the inauguration of the 45th president. Nearly half a million demonstrators marched in the US capital to protest against his past reprehensible treatment of women and to advocate for women’s rights and other human rights issues. Millions of other protesters joined in satellite marches around the world, including an estimated 100,000 in my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. Afterward, when I read news coverage of the events, I was intrigued to learn that the Women’s March of 2017 had an important but nearly forgotten historical precedent. More than one hundred years earlier, thousands of women had assembled in the nation’s capital the day before the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson to demonstrate on behalf of woman’s suffrage. The organizers planned a beautiful, dignified parade from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House, with elegantly…

Jennifer Vido | Jen’s Jewels Interview: A WOMAN OF INTELLIGENCE by Karin Tanabe
Author Guest / July 23, 2021

Jen: What inspired you to write A WOMAN OF INTELLIGENCE?  Karin: I really liked the idea of writing about a struggling mother against the backdrop of the Cold War. I was dealing with my own postpartum depression and identity loss and wanted to channel that into a book. Admittedly, at first, I wanted her to be an assassin with a LOT of anger, but my editor talked me out of that one! So she is a spy with a LOT of anger instead – ha. While I was starting to piece together the story, a friend told me about Elizabeth Bentley, a Vassar College grad like me. She graduated in 1930 and went on to study Italian, earning a master’s degree in languages from Columbia University. While at Columbia, she joined a Communist Party cell and then fell madly in love with Jacob Golos, a Ukrainian-born revolutionary who conducted Soviet espionage. While Elizabeth Bentley certainly inspired the book, I did not follow her story that closely. She wasn’t a mother, and she didn’t live a gilded life in New York. But I loved the idea of giving a struggling mother a secret life and a sense of purpose. What leads…

Summer BBQ Recipe Round: THE GODMOTHERS by Camille Aubray + Giveaway!
Author Guest / July 23, 2021

Somehow we have come to the end of another Summer BBQ Recipe Roundup! We are so appreciative of everyone who has commented and, of course, to the authors and publishers who took the time to share recipes and about their new books. Camille Aubray is here today with a look at her historical fiction novel and a fresh, summery recipe with a great drink pairing–enjoy!  And if you haven’t already, be sure to take a look at the amazing authors, recipes, and books we’ve celebrated all week long:  Day 1 with Minerva Spencer Day 2 with Sera Taíno Day 3 with Jennifer L. Wright Day 4 with Alicia Hunter Pace Day 5 with Camille Aubray *** CAMILLE AUBRAY’S Cocktails and Canapés Recipe A reviewer once said about my previous novel, “Don’t read this book on an empty stomach, because you will soon be hungry for the French cuisine in the story!” And now, my newest novel, THE GODMOTHERS, serves up some delicious Italian meals. THE GODMOTHERS is about four remarkable women from very different backgrounds who become sisters-in-law, and godmothers to one another’s children, in New York City from the 1930s through the 1950s. Each godmother has a secret from her past…

Summer BBQ Recipe Roundup: SWEET AS PIE by Alicia Hunter Pace + Giveaway!
Author Guest / July 22, 2021

We are a lucky bunch today! We have a sweet summery recipe from Alicia Hunter Pace, inspired by her new book SWEET AS PIE. Make sure you check out how to enter for a chance to win a copy below!  Did you know we’re here all week with some of our favorite authors, their new books (and giveaways!), and delicious recipes to take to your next BBQ? Check out who’s been with us so far, and read their posts for some summer fun:  Day 1 with Minerva Spencer Day 2 with Sera Taíno Day 3 with Jennifer L. Wright *** In my Sound Town series, there were two young hockey players—Jake and Robbie—who were nothing but trouble for their older, wiser teammates. They earned the collective moniker Wild Ass Twins—and earned it well. It became apparent they had some stories to tell. SWEET AS PIE is Jake’s story. It will release August 24, 2021.  You can look out for Robbie’s in SMOOTH AS SILK in February of next year. Pro hockey player, Jake Champagne is looking forward to a new team, a new town, and a clean slate in Laurel Springs, Alabama. After a messy divorce, he got busy keeping company with…

Tessa Afshar | Captivated by Orphan Characters
Author Guest / July 21, 2021

Why do they capture our hearts? From Cinderella to Heidi to Pip in Great Expectations or my personal favorite, Jane Eyre, orphan characters have a way of grabbing our affections and not letting go. My own recent novel, Jewel of the Nile, features an orphaned main character, although Chariline is grown up by the time we meet her. But her heart is still living like an orphan, abandoned and unwanted. For me, this perennial fascination with orphans finds its taproots in the third chapter of the book of Genesis. Overnight, humans go from being cherished by the perfect Father to living orphaned lives. We are reduced from flawless belonging to a life of loneliness. From the outset of the loss, God begins to weave the warp and weft of his plan for our restoration into our ailing history. Nonetheless, we have lost that perfect connection with our Father. Eden is gone. Hence the appeal of the orphan. We may have been born to good parents, lived with loving families. Yet deep in every soul, a hazy memory of Eden’s bone-deep attachment still remains. In this fallen world, every attachment falls short of that uninterrupted sense of belonging, and the heart…