Danielle Jackson: Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Mariah! We are happy to have you hear and celebrate the release of THE DATING DILEMMA with you. Before we chat about your book, I have to say—I love all of your TikTok and Instagram videos. They are so much fun! What do you think it is about romance writing that lends it so well to your videos? Do you have a couple of favorites you’ve made (feel free to link to them)?  Mariah Anekenman:  Thank you so much! I’m excited to be here and more excited to talk about my Tiktok addiction, lol. I have a background in theater and was raised by a professional clown so point me to an audience and I am geared up to entertain! My favorite thing about the romance genre is how vast it is. There’s a romance out there for everyone! So I like to include that in my videos and just celebrate the joy and inclusion of romance. Plus it’s always fun to take the hate this genre gets and turn it around into a celebration of success because as we all know romance is a billion-dollar industry, can’t get numbers like that unless you’re…

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 CLEO COYLE! Writes: Cleo Coyle writes the New York Times bestselling Coffeehouse Mysteries, a fun series of endearing and suspenseful murder mysteries set in a landmark coffeehouse in New York’s picturesque Greenwich Village. Don’t miss HONEY ROASTED, the latest release in Cleo’s long-running, richly layered series. About: Cleo has sold more than one million page-turning cozy adventures to her longtime fans and would be honored to welcome you to her Coffeehouse world. Cleo writes books in collaboration with her husband, which is why the complicated love life of her amateur sleuth (coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi) and the two men in her life (globetrotting coffee hunter Matt Allegro and NYPD detective lieutenant Mike Quinn) is so entertaining. As devoted partners, Cleo and her husband are able to portray the ups and downs of romantic relationships with real-world insight and a unique blend of wit, wisdom, and (above all) honesty. Cleo’s ideal reader match will enjoy. . .  -The roller-coaster fun of a twisty…

It’s no secret, I like anthologies. They introduce me to new authors, some breaking into the industry, some I haven’t tried yet and then others I know really well and I’m dying to get a fix in between books. (I have many addictions when it comes to authors.) This month I chose an anthology close to home, Malice in Dallas checks all my boxes for a great collection of mysteries, and guess what—some will lead you to new series! Sweet! When I saw the cover pop up on my social media, I was intrigued. I contacted author Gina Nelson, aka Rebecca Adler, whom I’ve known since her very first published book, and who has been a guest interviewer at the Cozy Corner. During our messages, an idea was born. With so many great local authors, this book warranted my very first interview anthology! Joining me in this very cozy little corner are just a few of the talented writers who contributed to the book—Gina Nelson, David T. Douglas, Pam McWilliams, and Amber Royer. I hope my product does their product the justice it deserves. Check out Malice in Dallas, edited by Barb Goffman and released this month with an introduction by the talented Charlaine Harris….

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 Debbie Burns! Writes: Hi there! I write a contemporary romance series with the sixth in the series releasing this January. My Rescue Me series is set in a fictional animal shelter in St. Louis and has a small-town feel. These romances feature happily ever afters for their two- and four-legged stars, include various tropes (friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, second chances, secret identity, etc.), and are more heart-warming than spicy. In my newest release, TO BE LOVED BY YOU: Jeremy Washington couldn’t be happier running his therapy program for at-risk teens. Between weekend service projects and hanging out with his faithful rescue dog, Rolo, Jeremy doesn’t have time to date—which is fine with him considering the mess his early marriage turned out to be. When he meets new yoga teacher Ava Graham, Jeremy thinks the kids would really benefit from learning yoga, and Ava would be the perfect fit. Ava quickly finds herself falling in love with Jeremy’s unique world, but her big heart…

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, SOMEBODY’S HOME? Kaira Rouda: Actually, although it doesn’t mention the pandemic, the idea was inspired by those lockdown times early in the pandemic where home felt like the only safe place to be. And then I thought, but what if it isn’t. Let’s talk about Julie Jones. What’s happening in her life that sparks a new beginning? Julie realizes her daughter, Jess, is about to leave home for college and she is running out of time to find a real connection between them. Her marriage is a sham, and she is longing for a more genuine life. It’s time for a fresh start: A new home for herself and her daughter. Who is Tom Dean, and what’s his connection to the house Julie and her daughter desire to call home? Tom Dean is a lost twenty-something. He and his father, Doug, are estranged, his father’s wife, his stepmom Sandi, has tried to reach him without success. When Sandi and Doug sell the family home, Tom feels the last connection to his real mom slip away. Tom decides he won’t move from the carriage house in the back, despite the fact the new owners…

“Come out here,” he said insistently but not unkindly. “I have water.” “I’m fine. Really.” She was not going out there with puffy eyes and streaking mascara looking like Frankenstein’s bride. No. Way. “Tessa?” he said. She heard him pace back and forth in front of the stall. She wanted to answer him, except for some reason she started to cry. Silently, of course. But she couldn’t seem to stop. Then Leo said, “I’m coming in.” She heard the thud of his hands hitting the stall door. At the same time, the bathroom door squeaked open again. “Excuse me, young man,” a woman’s voice said, “but what do you think you’re doing?” Oh no. Who…? “Oh, hi,” Leo said. “I’m just talking to my…fiancee.” “Well, I’m in charge of this restroom, and you need to leave right now.” It was a woman with a gravelly voice, like maybe from smoking cigarettes. “Are you okay in there, honey? If you aren’t, just say the word. The police headquarters is right down the hall.” “No, ma’am, you don’t understand,” Leo said. “It’s just–hey!” A scuffling ensued. Was that the sound of Leo being dragged away? The woman’s voice was more distant now,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? HOW TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  When Noah Jansen can’t convince his neighbor, Grace Travis, to sell her home to him, he has some not so neighborly ways to change her mind. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  Noah Jansen is the brother of Chris Jansen from TEN RULES FOR FAKING IT. He moves to California to be closer to Chris. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Yes! I absolutely would. I’d also let her design my home. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Charming, Funny, Stubborn 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  Writing-wise, I learned more about the editing process. I find it challenging but with this one, I really learned to get into the groove of improving what already existed. Non-writing wise, I learned some of the laws around the removal of palm trees in California 😉 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I do edit as I draft. My typical process when I open up my computer is to re-read what…

by Debbie Wiley Books have been part of my life for as long as I remember. Even before I could fully read on my own, I remember my grandmother reading to me and listening to books on record albums, following along with the words in the accompanying book. Everyone knows the last two years have been tough, but for this reader, it’s been worsened by a reading slump. Instead of turning to books for comfort, I’ve watched a lot of mindless television, much to the chagrin of my husband. Fortunately, a few recent reads have really jumped out at me and tugged me into the storylines, snapping that reading slump into tiny pieces! One of the tricks often cited to break a reading slump is to reread old favorites. My twist on this is to read authors I’ve loved over the years. CURSE OF SALEM by Kay Hooper perfectly fit the bill! Not only have I loved Kay Hooper’s books dating back to the 1980s when she wrote category romances, but I’ve also faithfully followed her Bishop Special Crimes Unit series, devouring them as soon as I could get my hands on each new installment. CURSE OF SALEM returns to the town…

Hey there! I’m Lisa Kessler and I write passionate, page-turning, paranormal romances! I’m so excited to share PIRATE’S PARADOX with you today! It’s book 6 in my Sentinels of Savannah series, but all of the books are standalone so you can jump into PARADOX and you won’t be lost. This book is a sweeping adventure that will take Caleb and Diana all the way to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean! I can’t wait for you to read it… P – is for Pirates! Immortal Pirates to be exact! They plundered the Holy Grail in 1795. I – is for Intelligent – Our hero, Caleb, has spent 250 years studying the sciences. He has numerous PhDs R – is for Rrrrrrr – Caleb would tell you no self-respecting pirate would ever say that. Only in the movies! A – is for Atlantis – The hunt for Atlantis is on and the clock is ticking. T – is for Television – Caleb has insomnia and is addicted to buying gadgets from QVC and infomercials. E – is for Eccentric – Caleb is quirky and so adorable! S – is for Sexy – The chemistry between Caleb and Diana was very steamy….

Although the societal shifts that happened after World War I might have been more ground-breaking, by the 1940s, women were still mostly confined to traditional roles as wives and mothers or to a few “approved” careers, such as secretaries, sales clerks, or nurses.  The advent of World War II and the resulting manpower shortage once again opened opportunities—and challenges—for women to explore vastly different and sometimes dangerous occupations.  This month’s selection of stories transports the reader from England to Russia to the Hawaiian islands as intrepid ladies in difficult times take on exciting, essential, and unprecedented work. In roughly chronological order, we begin with THE ROSE CODE by Kate Quinn.  As German submarines ravage British shipping, Bletchley Park, a stately house in Buckinghamshire, is converted into the top-secret headquarters of a group of academics, scientists, mathematicians, and puzzle fanatics whose goal is breaking the German military communication code.  Included in this group are three very unlikely code-breakers: Canadian debutante Osla, beautiful, wealthy and one of Prince Phillip’s flirts; East-Ender Mab, who burns to utilize her wits and expertise to rise from poverty to make a genteel marriage, and shy spinster Beth, whose brilliance at solving puzzles soon turns her into…