Danielle Jackson: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Jesse! We are big fans of your Aunties series and are so excited to celebrate the release of FOUR AUNTIES AND A WEDDING – congrats! What has been the most surprising thing about your publishing journey so far?   Jesse Q. Sutanto:  Oh gosh, to be honest, EVERYTHING has been surprising about my publishing journey! My first book deal, THE OBSESSION, was a humble deal. Everything was about as typical as it went. My second book deal, THEO TAN AND THE FOX SPIRIT, was slightly larger, but still pretty average. Then the following month I sold DIAL A FOR AUNTIES and things just exploded. Suddenly, I was having calls with producers and giant studios, all of whom were clamoring to buy the rights to the TV/film adaptation. It was the kind of story where, if an aspiring author were to say she dreams of having that kind of road to publication, she’d be laughed out of the room because it’s just so ridiculous!   Wedding planning is already a feat, but with her vivacious and nosy aunties “helping,” things quickly get out of hand for Meddy. Were there any aspects of wedding planning and…

Your new book, THE DETECTIVE’S DAUGHTER, involves your main character investigating a cold case for personal reasons. I love stories like that. What inspired you to write about that subject? Are you fascinated by cold cases, or true crime stories? I am definitely fascinated by cold cases and true crime! Of course, I’m not alone in that, which explains the popularity of the genre. Cold cases are fascinating because they’re the ultimate mystery, that dangling thread that never gets pulled, the question mark that never becomes a period. The JonBenet Ramsey case comes to mind. We can’t stop wondering what happened to that beautiful little girl, we want answers, closure. We look at the pieces of that crime puzzle, analyzing each, wondering where the investigation went wrong.   In the case of THE DETECTIVE’S DAUGHTER, I was drawn to the idea of a daughter being pulled into the case, now ice cold, that destroyed her father. Between the case – a murder and kidnapping inside a powerful and secretive New Orleans family – and my protagonist’s history with it, I had lots of good stuff work with. In THE DETECTIVE’S DAUGHTER, is the focus more on the mystery itself or,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? GOING PUBLIC   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  Executive assistant Elvin is used to cleaning up after his playboy boss, Ray. But when a routine business trip uncovers a secret drug ring, not even Elvin can bail Ray out of the mess. They must work together to beat the law and admit their love for each other in the process.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  I live and work in Toronto, so it made sense to set the book in a city I’m familiar with.   4–Would you hang out with Raymond in real life?  Definitely. Especially if he invites me to his private rooftop pool or we hop on a plane for a dinner and a show on Broadway!   5–What are three words that describe Elvin? Caretaker, Loyal, Ruthlessly Efficient (I cheated )   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  The minimum-security prisons in Canada look more like country clubs than jails.   7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? A little of both? To be honest, it changes with every…

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 Laura Brown!   Writes: Hi! I’m so happy to be here! I write contemporary romance and romcoms with heart and heat! I love writing characters who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, as I’m Hard of Hearing myself! My latest novel, The Un-Arranged Marriage, features a hard of hearing heroine and a demisexual hero! It’s a fun enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract romcom with lots of competitions!   About: I’m a not-so-quiet introvert who loves to talk about my favorite books (all the HEA romances) and shows (Once Upon A Time and Property Brothers anyone?). When I’m not on my computer, I’m taking care of my tween and our three cats, especially the kitten who demands all the attention! I married my high school sweetheart and we live in Massachusetts with our family. I love a fun coffee mug and have been consuming way too much coffee this pandemic!   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: My ideal match for THE UN-ARRANGED MARRIAGE will… Love the enemies to lovers…

“You’re not coming home to Fairbanks during the monthlong summer break in the Senate, Jess?” Senator Jessup Outlaw moved around his bedroom packing while talking to his oldest brother, Garth, on his cell. “No. I met up with Spencer last month when he was in DC on business. Reggie and I joined him one night for drinks.” Spencer Westmoreland was their cousin from California who owned a huge vineyard near Napa Valley. Reginald Westmoreland was Spencer’s brother and also a fellow senator. “Spencer invited me to visit him and Chardonnay at the Russell Vineyards. Since many of you are busy right now and will be down there for the anniversary celebration at the end of the month anyway, I decided to accept his invitation.” “What about town hall meetings with your constituents?” “I held several while home for Sloan’s wedding, so I’m good there. Everyone needs a vacation, even senators.” Jess, as he was known to his family and friends, was thirty-eight and a senator for his state of Alaska. He also had four brothers and a sister who kept him busy. All Jess’s siblings worked for the family-owned business, Outlaw Freight Lines. He’d worked there as a corporate attorney…