Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Caroline Linden Interview – A Historical Spin on “Workplace Romance”
Author Guest , Interviews / April 29, 2022

Philippa Kirkpatrick has been raised at a castle by a duchess. I’m all about the details. Can you explain Philippa’s position a little bit? Philippa came to Carlyle Castle as a young child, when her widowed father married the Duke of Carlyle’s sister. She was raised at the castle, doted on by the Carlyle family. Her father died when she was a teenager, and then her stepmother, leaving her as the ward of the duke’s mother, the Duchess. The duchess has no other grandchildren and believes she never will; she loves Philippa as a granddaughter and made Philippa her sole heiress (and the duchess was a wealthy woman before she married a duke). As the duchess is elderly, and the duke is unable to run things himself, Philippa gradually becomes the lady of the estate, which she takes to and is determined to do well. The duchess trusts and relies on her completely, which means Philippa has to handle the troublesome new steward, William Montclair, herself.   The description for ALL THE DUKE I NEED doesn’t paint a detailed picture of Will. How would you describe him to readers? Charming and easygoing? Serious and a total boy scout good guy?…

TJ Alexander | 20 Questions: CHEF’S KISS
Author Guest / April 29, 2022

1–What is the title of your latest release? CHEF’S KISS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A high-strung pastry chef’s professional goals are interrupted by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Well, I live in New York City, and it seems like every YouTuber with a huge cooking channel is here, so it was a natural fit. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Yes–one hundred percent. Is Simone a super uptight person who might grate on my nerves if we were chilling out together? Maybe. Would she be cooking for me, though? Probably, and that is good enough for me. I have a ton of friends who are hardasses on the exterior and I think they’re neat. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? they/them/theirs – Kidding! I would say Ray is optimistic, outgoing… and tall. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? How to brew beer at home. I knew I wanted Ray to have a hobby that was kitchen-adjacent but not food-related, and homebrewing seemed like a perfect fit. I…

Belle Calhoune | 20 Questions: THEIR ALASKAN PAST
Author Guest / April 29, 2022

1–What is the title of your latest release? THEIR ALASKAN PAST   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Famous Dog Musher, Ace Reynolds, is at low point in his life after a serious crash in the Iditarod ends his career and injures his lead dog, Luna. When his former girlfriend, Veterinarian, Maya Roberts, asks Ace for help in leading a dog rescue, he’s forced to choose between his heart and his head.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I write a series set in Owl Creek, Alaska, so it was really easy. The book centers around an Iditarod sled dog racer, so an Alaskan setting was imperative.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. She’s a vet who wants to start a dog rescue. There’s nothing cooler than someone who is compassionate and caring about animals and loves to be surrounded by them.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Strong, Loyal, Proud   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Answer: I did a lot of research about dog sled racing and the Iditarod. I admire these athletes and their dogs who…

Sharon Sala | Exclusive Excerpt: THE BEST OF ME
Excerpt / April 29, 2022

Back in Blessings, Carlie was letting Miss Ruby help her out of the bathtub and into her pajamas. Miss Ruby was doing everything right, just like Mama did, but after a day of fear and grief, the adrenaline crash was inevitable, and so was another round of tears. It was becoming obvious that Mama wasn’t going to be there to tuck Carlie into bed or read her a story. She wasn’t going to be the one to come running in the middle of the night if Carlie had a bad dream or to snuggle in beside her when it stormed. Ruby saw the meltdown coming. Carlie’s eyes were shimmering with unshed tears as Ruby pulled the top of her pajamas down over Carlie’s head. Carlie thrust her little arms through the sleeves, then put them around Ruby’s neck and laid her head on Ruby’s shoulder. “I know, I know. It’s all different and so sad. I saw you have books on your bed table. Do you want me to read to you until you fall asleep?” Carlie nodded. “Are you afraid to be in the room alone?” Ruby asked. Carlie shrugged. Ruby sighed. “Okay, we’ll just play this by ear….

MaryJanice Davidson | Author-Reader Match: MAD FOR A MATE
Author Guest / April 28, 2022

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 MaryJanice Davidson!   Writes: NYT and USA Today best-selling author MaryJanice Davidson has been on best-seller lists around the world.  Her latest Shifter paranormal romance, MAD FOR A MATE, brings back her popular werebears and the snark for which she is (in)famous. In a world where apex predators are also shapeshifters, is there room for a shifter who can’t shift?  That’s the problem facing Verity Lane, proud member of a club out to prove themselves by participating in dangerous stunts. Which is probably how she ended up on this strange island… Bear shifter Magnus Berne wants two things: to connect with his motherless goddaughter, and to find out who keeps dumping dead bodies on his property. When he discovers Verity on his island, he’s determined to get some answers—but it’s clear that whoever has been killing shifters like her is just as resolved to keep it quiet. And now that Verity is in the crosshairs, they’ll have to move quickly to stay ahead, stay alive, and stay together….

Jeaniene Frost Interview – Characters Driving the Story
Author Guest , Interviews / April 28, 2022

As a reader, I always wondered why it was necessary when an author would come out with a book at the end of a series, telling the same story but from another character’s perspective. Now, as a rabid Night Huntress fangirl, I get it. For years we got stories without directly getting Bones’ perspective. He’s an amazing character with ever getting that window into his psyche, but sometimes you just couldn’t help but wonder. Like in DESTINED FOR AN EARLY GRAVE. I admit that it’s not my fav in the series – but largely because I just didn’t understand where Bones was coming from – which is why I loved OUTTAKES FROM THE GRAVE in which you have alternate scenes that gave me what I felt was missing from that earlier book.  So, I know why I’m so excited to read THE OTHER HALF OF THE GRAVE, but what motivated you to write it? You could say that Bones did, and it took me completely by surprise. A couple years ago, I was reading the beginning of HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE for some reason, and on impulse, I re-wrote chapter one from Bones’ point of view. Then, just for fun,…

Helen Harper | 20 Questions: HUMMINGBIRD
Author Guest / April 28, 2022

1–What is the title of your latest release? HUMMINGBIRD 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A mute woman inspires a revolution against the tyrannical magical masters of her country. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I was moving back to my native Scotland, so I wanted to set it there. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Hmm. She doesn’t have much to say but she’s an interesting person. Yes! 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Independent, strong, unnoticed 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That writing dialogue helps to form a character in more ways than I’d realized. And being consistent with including Scottish slang is hard! 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I mostly wait till I’m done but every morning, before I start writing, I read over what I wrote the previous day and might make a few minor adjustments. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? I love food. Any food. I’m particularly partial to a big bowl of proper ramen and love a good curry. I’m a big fan of fish and chips too, especially…

Seana Kelly | 20 Questions: THE HOB & HOUND PUB
Author Guest / April 28, 2022

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE HOB & HOUND PUB, Sam Quinn book 4 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Sam Quinn is the werewolf book nerd owner of The Slaughtered Lamb Bookstore & Bar. She’s been living in the apartment behind her bar for years, hiding from the rest of the world. The scars covering most of her body is only one of the reasons. After seven years of relative quiet, all hell is breaking loose. Sam is learning she has powers she never knew about and she’s using them on the daily. Luckily, she’s not on her own. She has Dave, a half-demon cook, Owen, a wicche assistant, and Clive, a British, wicked hot vampire Master of the City, to help her out. While Sam has been getting stronger—battling evil villains—in the last three books, she and Clive have been circling one another. In this story, their trip to Paris is interrupted by kidnappings, stabbings, and grouchy dragons. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Clive is an English vampire. His issues with his nemesis Aldith began long, long ago in Canterbury. Sam & Clive take a couple…

Top Ten Fun Facts About Nellie Bly and The Mad Girls of New York By Maya Rodale
Author Guest / April 27, 2022

Fact meets fiction in The MAD GIRLS OF NEW YORK, my novel inspired by the true story of Nellie Bly, the famous stunt girl reporter of the Gilded Age.  As a young woman in 1887, she took off for New York City to make it as a journalist. The only assignment she could get was quite the stunt: feign insanity, get herself committed to an insane asylum and write about it. That was just the beginning of her legendary career. Nellie Bly is such a fascinating, daredevil, rebellious person—and character—it’s a challenge to limit to ten fun facts about her. It’s certainly a delight to write a novel about her. Nellie Bly is real person—but Nellie Bly wasn’t her real name. She was born Elizabeth Cochran (she later added an “e” at the end to be fancy) but her mother called her Pink, after all the frilly pink clothes she dressed her in. She adopted the pseudonym Nellie Bly when she started publishing for the local newspaper, The Pittsburgh Dispatch. The name came from a popular tune at the time. My favorite detail: a typesetter’s typo changed the spelling from Nelly to Nellie. Include the picture of Nellie   The…

Janna MacGregor Interview – Trailblazing Women and a Story Mixing Mystery and Romance
Author Guest , Interviews / April 27, 2022

Your heroine in RULES FOR ENGAGING THE EARL is a businesswoman, among other things. What made you decide you create this type of heroine? Any real-life inspiration? This is a great question; one I’m delighted to answer. It’s a common misconception that women didn’t work during the Regency period. They did. Let’s look at a few. One of the most familiar examples is Jane Austen. Yet, poor Jane didn’t make enough from her beloved novels to make ends meet. Since she never married, she had to rely on the generosity of her brother after her father passed away. There were other trailblazers. Let me introduce you to Harriett Mellon. Have you ever heard of her? Probably not, though her influence on society during the Regency period was great. An actress of moderate accomplishment, part of her fame and biggest success came from her career as a banker and major partner at Coutts & Co. It’s still in business, and it’s where Queen Elizabeth banks. Let’s not forget Eleanor Coade who purchased a stoneware company and turned it into a successful business by supplying neoclassical statues and garden ornaments for the Prince Regent and others during this period. Her pieces are…