Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Evie Hawtrey | 20 Questions: AND BY FIRE
Author Guest / May 10, 2022

1–What is the title of your latest release? AND BY FIRE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Tempered by fire and separated by centuries, two extraordinary female detectives track a pair of murderous geniuses who will burn the world for their art in this mystery that is perfect for fans of Sarah Penner and Dan Brown. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? London was a foregone conclusion because my historical timeline in And by Fire involves that city’s Great Fire of 1666. And I knew I was going to pair that storyline with a modern one opening with the discovery of a charred figure at the base of Sir Christopher Wren’s monument to the Great Fire. The location of Wren’s monument assured that my modern-day main character, Nigella Parker, would be a Detective Inspector with the London City Police, rather than the Met (aka Scotland Yard). The jurisdiction of the City police is approximately 1.12 square miles (a miniscule portion of the whopping 607 square miles comprising greater London), which makes my modern serial arson/murder investigation multi-jurisdictional—enter Nigella’s former lover and partner-in-crime-fighting DI Colm O’Leary from Scotland Yard. 4–Would you hang out…

My Favorite YA Books by Carley Fortune
Author Spotlight / May 10, 2022

Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley This is one of the most gorgeous books about grief and young love I’ve read. Actually, it’s one of the most gorgeous books I’ve read, full stop. Following the drowning death of her brother, Rachel returns to the city where she grew up and to her one-time friend and crush, Henry. Rachel hasn’t been back in three years and before she left, she wrote Henry a love letter — he didn’t respond. Now the two are working together at his family’s struggling bookstore. The novel is unsurprisingly the recipient of many awards, including Australia’s Prime Minister’s Literary Award.   The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han Jenny Han is best known for To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before, which, fair. But I loved this novel (the first in Han’s Summer series) about teenage Belly, who spends her summers at a beach house in North Carolina with brothers Conrad and Jeremiah. The book captures all the confusion and excitement of adolescent crushes and friendships, but it’s also about the importance of the family we make for ourselves. It’s currently being adapted into a TV series.   Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon It’s so…

Helena Hunting | 20 Questions: STARRY-EYED LOVE
Author Guest / May 10, 2022

1–What is the title of your latest release? STARRY-EYED LOVE   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  Having just gotten out of a relationship, London turns down a date with an attractive man, only to have him crash a business meeting of hers three months later. Turns out he’s the CEO of the company and now she’s locked into working with him.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  Back in 2018 I attended Book Bonanza in Colorado and fell in love with the mountains and the scenery and knew I wanted to set a series there. It’s such a beautiful location and became the perfect setting for Spark House, the event hotel run by the Spark sisters.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Definitely! She’s fun and crafty and endearing. I would totally hang out with her and make origami stars, or design centerpieces with her, which are some of the things she does for her own side business, and for Spark House.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Charismatic, intense, giving.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  I learned…

Zarqa Nawaz | Author-Reader Match: Jameela Green Ruins Everything
Author Guest / May 10, 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 Zarqa Nawaz! Writes: Zarqa Nawaz has just written a hilarious black comedy about the price of success. When Jameela Green’s memoir doesn’t make it to The New York Times bestseller list, she decides to ask the local imam for help in convincing God to get her what she wants. He insists she’s a little too selfish and maybe if she helps a homeless person, things will turn around for her. And boy, do they ever! This book is a biting look at what happens when one woman’s ambition draws her into an epic adventure that defies description. About: Zarqa Nawaz loves making people laugh. She created the sitcom, Little Mosque On The Prairie, the first television show that depicts the lives of Muslims living in the west. It currently airs on Amazon, and she also wrote a memoir, Laughing All The Way to the Mosque, a heartwarming tale about a young Muslim woman growing up in Canada. Zarqa lives in Regina, Saskatchewan which is…

Stephanie Vance | Author-Reader Match: ACROSS THE AISLE
Author Guest / May 10, 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 Stephanie Vance!   Writes: Among other things (e-mails, postcards, the occasional grocery list) I write romantic comedy featuring smart, feisty, often sarcastic heroines who absolutely devastate men who are used to having their own way. Across the Aisle features Dallas McGrath, a female lobbyist working to succeed in a career dominated by men. She’s up against fellow lobbyist Grant Pierce, a handsome charmer who’s sure he’s just one flirt away from defeating Dallas in the lobbying game. Spoiler alert: he’s wrong.   About: Wise (a.k.a. old), witty (a.k.a. snarky), and wine-loving (that speaks for itself) woman seeks partner who appreciates slow burn enemies-to-lovers romcoms featuring strong women who, to put it bluntly, won’t put up with anyone’s crap. Must share my love of travel, romcoms, and dogs, not in that order. I’m a scuba-diver, a business-owner, and a non-sanctimonious vegetarian; I have no problem watching you eat steak (my characters do it all the time), if you’re not pairing it with a Sauvignon Blanc instead of a…