Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Stephanie Barron | 20 Questions: JANE AND THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER
Author Guest / February 21, 2022

1–What is the title of your latest release? JANE AND THE YEAR WITHOUT A SUMMER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Jane Austen stumbles over a body while vacationing in the spa town of Cheltenham, and solves the murder with the help of dishy painter Raphael West. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? This is the 14th book in the long-running Jane Austen Mystery Series, which follows the famous author’s life. We’ve reached 1816, which has gone down in history as the Year Without a Summer, because a volcanic eruption in Indonesia had a global impact on climate that caused relentless rain and worldwide famine. Eeek! It’s the same summer that Mary Shelley famously wrote Frankenstein because she was stuck indoors with Lord Byron, telling ghost stories around the fire in wretched July weather. Jane took a trip to the party town of Cheltenham in late May, 1816, so I set the book there. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. I’ve been hanging with Jane for 26 years, now, sending her on all sorts of bloody and intriguing adventures. I love her viciously funny way with words,…

David Putnam Interview – Building a Strong Suspense Series
Author Guest , Interviews / February 21, 2022

I see that your new book, THE SINISTER, is the ninth book in the series. Can it be read as a standalone story for readers who may be new to the series? THE SINISTER can most definitely be read as a standalone. I wrote this purposely to work as a standalone. I quickly and economically give the reader the information they need to understand the back story.   How would you describe your main character, Bruno Johnson, to readers? Bruno Johnson is an ex-cop, ex-con who rescues children from toxic homes in South Central Los Angeles. He couldn’t do it as a cop because of all the rules and policies so now he goes outside the law to rescue the children.   From the book description, it says that family plays a big part in THE SINISTER. Does having the main character deal with family issues increase the anxiety or sense of danger? Bruno Johnson is a real person with real problems. He rescues children and women from hostile environments and the story—each novel–always overlaps into his family. He keeps the children he rescues which means his family continues to grow. With a bigger family comes more problems. I’m very…

Holly Danvers | 20 Questions: LONG OVERDUE AT THE LAKESIDE LIBRARY
Author Guest / February 21, 2022

1–What is the title of your latest release? LONG OVERDUE AT THE LAKESIDE LIBRARY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? LONG OVERDUE returns us to Lofty Pines, Wisconsin where Rain decides to keep the generational log-cabin library up and running year-round. A library patron who has recently loaned a few cookbooks is murdered at the “Ice Fishing Jamboree” on Pine Lake and Julia’s husband Nick takes the hit. Rain is on the case to clear Nick’s name. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? LONG OVERDUE is the second book in the series, so I knew we’d return to Lofty Pines, Wisconsin. The setting decision was pure magic for me. I previously lived in a log-cabin for 6 years and it was so cozy and charming. I also wanted the Northwoods of WI feel. If you haven’t been to a lake in upper Wisconsin, I implore you to add it to your bucket list! The clear lakes and tall pines…well…it’s breathtaking! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely, although Rain is a bit of an in introvert like me, but once she trusts you, she opens like a flower….

Chantal Fernando | Exclusive Excerpt: DECKER’S DILEMMA
Author Guest , Excerpt / February 21, 2022

It’s not exactly appropriate to hang around a school, but that’s where I find myself come Monday afternoon, parked just outside the gates, watching as people come in and out. I personally don’t know why anyone would want to be a high school teacher, but props to them, because someone has to do it and I’m glad it’s not me. I look down at the DMV picture I have of Cara. She’s an attractive woman. Extremely so. Warm brown eyes, smiling right at me, long, lush brown hair and her lips upturned at one corner. I find myself wondering how she will react to finding out that she has a half sister. Or maybe she already knows and doesn’t care. Some people aren’t so friendly with certain sides of their fam­ily, and the fact that she took her stepfather’s last name makes me think she isn’t too close with her own bio­logical father. She apparently has a boyfriend who is a biker; I saw his name on the deed to her house. I hope that’s not going to be an issue for me and he’s not going to cause any problems. I’m here today to make sure I have the…