Who are you going to believe, the rumor mill, a teenager who could be protecting someone, or a kid with a propensity for fibbing? Real-life mysteries can be messy. The witnesses are rarely unbiased, and everyone’s got dirt in their past—even the squeaky clean. Trust me, I’ve seen the dust bunnies hiding in their closets and under their beds! That’s also what makes people intriguing – flaws and all. A fictional mystery that can bring those elements of reality into a story puts them in the very satisfying read pile on my bookshelf. I found that to be the case with both books I’m featuring this month—two entirely different types of mysteries with the same outcome—me happy. Katie Gayle has created an interesting new series with her first Julia Bird Mystery, An English Garden Murder. I’m pretty sure we’ve all had a few misgivings about what could be underneath the soil when we start digging, I know I wondered about it when we dug a pool:). It’s even worse when your new to town and you start to wonder what the heck you got yourself into. What our former social worker and newly divorcee finds however, is a great community…

Thank you so much for your time and interest in the Jamie Winters Mysteries. I’m excited to have the opportunity to speak with you.   Describe your sleuth Jamie Winters for readers who may be new to the series. While she works as a secretary at an offbeat personal injury mill law firm, Jamie is a chronically insecure underachiever, a woman with a snarky inner voice who longs to be fierce and unafraid, but never quite manages to achieve that as she’s pulled inexorably along in her sidekick (and polar opposite) Maizy’s wake.   What’s the dynamic between Jamie and her “sassy teenaged sidekick” Maizy? Maizy is the niece of Jamie’s landlord/love-lust interest, Curt Emerson. Maizy is brilliant, completely without a filter, an unabashed free spirit with blue hair, body piercings, and sometimes legal-adjacent skills, who has (rare) moments where she’s vulnerable. Jamie helped mend her fractured relationship with Curt, and the two developed and maintain a friendship and partnership as they solve murders.   I usually stick with cozy mysteries, but how would you describe the Jamie Winters? Is it all suspense, murder, and mayhem all the time? Or are there some lighter moments with supporting characters? The series…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Kathleen Donnelly!   Writes: I write romantic suspense because I love a chilling mystery along with complex characters who ultimately come together to solve crimes and discover love. As a K-9 handler, I enjoy adding in working dogs to help solve the mystery.   CHASING JUSTICE is about Marine veteran Maya Thompson who returns home to her beloved Colorado mountains to heal from losing her military K-9 in Afghanistan. Maya takes on a job as a U.S. Forest Service law enforcement officer. She soon finds herself facing her deepest fear—working and bonding with K-9 Juniper—to solve the murder of her best friend and fellow officer. She’s also suspicious of the handsome new deputy in town who keeps offering to help her out with the case. Together with Juniper, Maya must uncover deadly secrets and figure out who to trust.   About: I am looking for a reader that loves dogs, mountains, and tales with suspense and romance. In my free time,…

“F” is for flowers and Flower House, of course, The shop, which Sierra must run. She got it from Felix, her odd former boss, Who quit and took off in Book One.   “A” is for Augustus, better known as Gus, A corgi, so friendly and true. Once Felix’s pet, now Sierra’s fur-friend, He’s awesome at digging up clues.   “T” is for treasure, a shadowy throughline That sent Felix off and brought Calvin ‘round. Sierra’s not sure what to make of it; In time will she too be spellbound?   “A” is for Appalachia and Aerieville too, The setting for every mystery. With loads of charm and small-town appeal, Plus mountain folklore and history.   “L” is for look, listen, and learn, Habits of every good sleuth. For Sierra, it’s second nature by now; But risky as she nears the truth.   “F” (again) is for friendship and fun, Which Sierra is lucky to find. From Deena and Calvin to Richard and Rocky, Her cohorts won’t leave her behind.   “L,” this time, is for none other than love, For Sierra a long-held dream. It might lead to marriage for the bride in this tale, Unless things aren’t quite what they seem?   “O” is for optimism, Possibly Sierra’s best trait. Her open…

Robin Farrar Maass:  Thank you so much for having me at Fresh Fiction today!     What’s the title of your latest release? THE WALLED GARDEN   What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When she arrives in England hoping to solve a literary mystery and finish her dissertation, Lucy Silver finds romance and uncovers long-buried secrets that have the power to change her life and the lives of all her new friends.   How did you decide where your book was going to take place? After growing up in a small town, reading Agatha Christie and Jane Austen, I got on a plane for the first time in my life when I was 22 and went to the UK. I fell completely in love with England, especially Oxford, and I knew I wanted to set a book there.   Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Yes, absolutely! She’d be a ton of fun—I’d never know what she might do next!   What are three words that describe your hero? Direct, honest, passionate.   What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot about the Victorian Language of Flowers, a system where…

The two obvious romance tropes in your new book MILLION-DOLLAR CONSEQUENCES are “surprise pregnancy” and “fake romance turned real”. I LOVE the “fake romance turned real” trope. Do you have a favorite? And what made you use them in this story? My favorite trope would have to be “forced proximity”, which I also include in the book. Once they convince everyone they’re in a relationship, she opts to stay with him in his temporary apartment in town during the ruse.   Because Isaac is an actor in MILLION-DOLLAR CONSEQUENCES, how would you describe him to readers? With that kind of career, authors usually go one of two ways – make the character uber charming and gregarious (although sometimes this can come to readers like me like he’s trying too hard) or have him be the exact opposite of everything you’d immediately assume about a celebrity. Isaac doesn’t necessarily fit into either of those molds, actually! I wrote him as a character who used to have it all—the fame, an incredible career with his brother—and then he lost it when the show ended, and his twin brother stepped away from acting. Now Isaac is trying to regain what he’s lost, repair…

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 Misty M. Beller!   Writes: Hi! I write inspirational historical romance full of adventure and always set in the mountains. I’m so excited to share A HEALER’S PROMISE with you, full of British spies, being snowed inside mountain caves, and a secret French village hidden in the Canadian Rockies! Levi Masters’s time as a British spy hasn’t ended, though his country’s war with America has. After overhearing a scout reveal a discovery that could give America the upper hand in future conflicts, Levi is sent on one last mission. While trekking through the Canadian Rockies in pursuit of his former enemy, he is taken captive by warriors from a hidden mountain village. Village healer Audrey Moreau is more curious than afraid of the outsider, and she’s drawn to his commitment to honesty even at his own expense. Compelled to help him escape, she sneaks him out of the village. But when Levi faces a life-threatening injury and the fierce mountain winter closes in, Levi…

The moment Brody shuffled up the steps, his thoughts turned to Savannah. His pulse surged, as it had every time he pictured her. All the while he’d groomed the horses and calmed the new mustang, he relived the way she’d glided her fingers over his arm when she’d taken her bag from him. He doubted she meant anything by the touch. Probably hadn’t known she’d done it. But just thinking about the caress made the hair on his arm tingle again. He’d never seen a woman as pretty. Or as kind. She’d fussed over the mustang off and on during the ride back to the ranch and had taken better care of her own horse than she had of herself. Weariness had marked her features long before she’d started yawning. He didn’t know her history, and it wasn’t his place to probe. But if he had to guess, he’d say she was running from someone or something. No other reason a respectable woman like her would be wandering around South Park by herself without any traveling companions. She’d needed a place to stay in a bad way. And he figured Healing Springs Ranch was safe. Besides, they had the room. . . ….

Your female protagonist in BAD GIRLS DRINK BLOOD, Lane Callaghan, is described as being “the only hybrid fae in existence”. What made you choose a fae connection for your main character? Funny story! The idea for this book first came about as my way around the “no vampires in traditional publishing” trend a few years back. I love mythology and I decided to create a fae race that drank blood. While this is my take on the fae, I wavered between elves and fae. Ultimately, I wanted to bring in more characters and creatures from a Celtic background (though, there is a nod to Norse Mythology in the story).   How would you describe your Blood Fae Druid series to readers? What’s the focus? Lane is forced by her long-time enemies to hunt down monsters while proving she isn’t one herself or accepting that she is.   How would you describe Lane? The book description says that she has family but, other than that, is she more of a tough loner? Or does she have any friends for added support? Aside from her adopted sisters (who she is fiercely loyal to), Lane is a loner. As the only hybrid fae…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SERPENT’S CLAIM 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The Serpent’s Touch duet is a Paranormal Fantasy Romance with a human heroine and a gorgonian hero, a character based on Medusa. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The story is set in my world of The River of Mists. At first, I planned for it to take place entirely in our contemporary world, like the trilogy Madame Tan’s Menagerie, also set in the River of Mists. But I really wanted to “see” Nerifir, the magical kingdom where all my heroes came from. So, the main couple of the Serpent’s Touch cross the River of Mists into Nerifir in this duet. It was so much fun to create an all-new magical world for these books! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. There is so much of myself in Amira, more than in many of my other heroines, I believe. She is quiet, contemplative, and introverted. But she opens up with the people she loves and trusts. Life isn’t fair to Amira. She has to work very hard for her Happily Ever…