1–What is the title of your latest release? LIFE FLIGHT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? EMS helicopter pilot Penny Carlton is used to high stress situations, but being forced to land on a mountain in a raging storm with a critical patient–and a serial killer on the loose–tests her skills and her nerve to the limit. She survives with FBI Special Agent Holt Satterfield’s help. But she’s not out of the woods yet. In the ensuing days, Penny finds herself under attack. And when news reaches Holt that he may not have gotten his man after all, it will take all he and Penny have to catch a killer–before he catches one of them. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love the mountains of North Carolina and spending time there as they’re only about an hour and a half from home. So, when I decided the first book would have a mountain top emergency helicopter landing and a serial killer on the loose, Asheville, NC seemed like a great place to put that. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. 5–What are three words that describe…

1–What is the title of your latest release? NEVER LEAVE ME 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In NEVER LEAVE ME, Harrison Burlington, a brilliant scientist, is left to pick up the pieces after his friends Marian and Arthur Creighton die from comas after supposedly traveling into the past to the Middle Ages. With his power and wealth, Harrison continues the search for more holy water, with the hope of saving the woman he secretly loves, Ellen Creighton, who is dying of a genetic disease. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It takes place in Canterbury, England, a place I’ve dreamed about visiting! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Yes, because she’s such a positive and caring person, and we all need someone in our lives to remind us that the cup is always half full. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Aristocratic, Intelligent, Determined 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Miraculous healings that took place through the drinking of holy water. I’m not sure if such healings really occurred, but they are recorded all throughout Europe during different time periods. 7–Do you edit…

1–What is the title of your latest release? The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When a reader accuses her of lying and using people for her own gain, a young novelist must return to the place and the people that inspired her successful debut in order to prove to herself that she told the truth as any good writer should. But she soon discovers that the lines between fact and fiction are not as defined as she might like—and she may have missed the most important part of the story altogether. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? If it’s a summer book set in Michigan, it simply has to be on a lake. Lake culture is a huge part of growing up in a state that is 40% water. To me, it couldn’t be set anywhere else. 4–What are three words that describe your main character? Driven, passionate, contemplative 5–Which side character stole your attention the most from the main storyline? I really enjoyed writing any scene with Andreas, Kendra’s unexpected houseguest. He added so much charm and good humor to balance Kendra’s serious side….

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE HELHEIM PRINCESS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? THE HELHEIM PRINCESS is a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance about valkyries, who are warrior women on winged horses. Sigrid wants more than anything to be a valkyrie, but she doesn’t have a winged horse, so she’s doomed to be a stable hand. Then she sees a vision of herself leading a valkyrie charge on Odin’s eight-legged stallion, Sleipnir, and she realizes that a greater destiny for herself is possible. So she teams up with an enemy valkyrie who helps her cross the nine worlds to get to Sleipnir. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I decided to write about valkyries because I wanted to write about warrior women on horseback. From there, it was a matter of picking which of the nine Norse worlds they should live on. A bit of research later, we ended up in the beautiful world of Vanaheim! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! We would have an awesome time. I’d love to go riding with her. 5–What are three words that describe your other heroine? Destined…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A HEART ADRIFT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A Virginia chocolatier and a privateering sea captain collide once more after a failed love affair a decade before. Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart? Or will a new shared vision reunite them? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Since my ancestry is based in Virginia (via Scotland), I’m always drawn there. My favorite U.S. historic site is Colonial Williamsburg and my newfound love is historic Yorktown so it was wonderful to set this story in both places. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! I would be happy to hobnob with this heroine for a day, including visiting her sister in Colonial Williamsburg and tempting visitors at Shaw’s Chocolate along Yorktown’s waterfront. Esmee Shaw is a foodie like me, my first plus-sized heroine, Don’t be fooled by that beautiful cover which shows her in her younger, svelte, pre-chocolate shop days 😉 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Capable, faithful, and worldly in a way that has made him wise. 6–What’s something you learned…

Danielle Jackson: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Chandra, and congrats on your debut novel, DIGGING UP LOVE! Can you tell us your “journey into publishing” story?   Chandra Blumberg: Thank you, Danielle! I always dreamed of becoming an author, but for a long time, I bought into the mistaken belief that writing wasn’t a viable career and getting a book published was as unlikely as hitting the lottery. While I continued to write—mostly short stories and essays I never planned to show anyone—I didn’t seek publication until a few years ago. I started off writing parenthood essays and was in the midst of querying a non-fiction humor manuscript about motherhood when the March 2020 pandemic shutdown hit. At that point, with all the uncertainty in the world and the chaos of a family of six living in quarantine, I was ready to switch gears from writing about my daily life and delve back into fiction. I drafted DIGGING UP LOVE during the covid shutdown as an escape of sorts and got so much joy from spending time with my characters and story. The adage about writing the book you want to read really held true for me. I took what I’d…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SUNRISE (Sky King Ranch book 1) 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? SUNRISE is the beginning of a new series…so let’s start with that:  The epic plot of the television series “24” find their way to Alaska and fall into the hands of three ex-military brothers. Small town Alaska. Bush pilots. Three ex-military heroes. The Kingston triplets have come home defeated, broken from war and feeling anything but heroic. But the sons of Sky King ranch have returned home just in time. Because the world is in danger, and these flyboys, rescuers and soldiers just might be the only ones who can save it. It’s a fight to save the people—and country—they love, and along the way, they’ll discover healing and become the heroes they are meant to be. SUNRISE: What if the woman who broke your heart was waiting for you back home…hoping for forgiveness? Can broken warrior find his way home to a happy ending? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Oh, I love Alaska. Next to Montana, it’s my go-to for the best place to set an epic romantic adventure. I’ve…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Radhika, and congrats on the publication of your book, 30 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MYSELF! The concept of this book is so much fun and follows a woman on a journey of self-discovery and self-love (and acceptance). Where did the inspiration for this novel begin?   It came from my own life! I went on a self-love journey a few years back, in my late twenties, after I had a break-up with the person I thought I’d marry – just like Nina does. It was a really difficult time, but I believe that it’s from the lows that we really grow and evolve, and from then on, my life completely changed for the better. I made a conscious effort to love myself, to ditch my negative self-talk for positivity, and as time went on, I realized I was suddenly thriving in my career, my personal life, and most importantly, with myself. The whole journey was so interesting and funny and hard and important all at once that I knew I wanted to write about it. I decided to turn it into a novel so I could explore a character going on a self-love journey, but also…