By Miranda Owen As a fan of romance novels, and somebody who loves making lists, I’m instantly drawn to the many “Best of…” book lists that come out as the year draws to a close. I’d thought about doing one that encompasses the entire year, but then I was struck by how many fabulous books have been published just this fall alone. With each new book I read, the list of books that have blown my mind kept growing. I’ve read some amazing books by a few of my favorite authors, but I’ve also been lucky enough to stumble on one or two books by authors whose books I haven’t read in the past. Three books by new-to-me authors are: WHAT THE EARL NEEDS NOW by Michelle Willingham, A DARING ARRANGEMENT by Joanna Shupe, and A DUKE IN SHINING ARMOR by Loretta Chase. Based on other readers’ recommendations, I read and enjoyed LORD OF SCOUNDRELS by Loretta Chase, but I hadn’t gotten around to reading another book by her until now. I was initially drawn to A DUKE IN SHINING ARMOR because of the runaway bride theme. After a page or two, the delightful witty banter had me hooked. Watching…

Christine Warren, author of HARD BREAKER, chatted with Fresh Fiction about her latest book, where she sees the series going, and whether or not she plans to write more books in The Guardian series. Fresh Fiction: Now that the major battle between the Guardians and the demons has been fought, will you be continuing the story line and taking it a new direction? The Guardians series was always intended to have a fixed start and end point. I wanted to try something different after the Others and see if I could carry a single story thread across multiple books. With my previous work, stories were more loosely connected by characters. For me, the Guardians have done what they set out to do, and now they get to enjoy their retirement with their mates! Fresh Fiction: What was your inspiration for the Guardians and their wardens? Is it based on any folklore? It’s not really based on any one specific story or myth. I simply liked the idea of an epic Good vs. Evil struggle and the idea of heroes who look scarier than the things they’re saving the world from. That was enough to get my imagination firing. Fresh Fiction:…

Always read the book before you see the movie. That’s my rule for any movie that’s been adapted from a novel, because 99% of the time, I enjoy the book more. Maybe that’s because it’s hard to distill a 100,000 word novel down to 60 or 100 pages of screen time. Inevitably, subplots come out, plots get simplified, characters are merged. But sometimes, the movies stand up to the books and even add something. Here are some of my favorites, in no particular order: SILENCE OF THE LAMBS – When this classic psychological suspense by Thomas Harris was made into a movie, Anthony Hopkins brought nuanced life to incarcerated killer Dr. Hannibal Lecter. When I re-read the book, it’s Hopkins – in that famous mask – I picture as Lecter leads New Agent in Training Starling to serial killer Buffalo Bill. GONE GIRL – The book by Gillian Flynn that kicked off so many trends popular in suspense novels right now was a twisted glimpse into troubled minds, and Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike were perfectly cast. On screen, just as in the book, you can believe Nick Dunne might have murdered his wife, and it’s just as easy to…

As part of our countdown to Readers & ‘ritas 2017, our Meet the Author interview series helps you get to know the authors joining us in Texas on November 10-12. Read on to get acquainted with Mika Jolie, and purchase your tickets to meet her in person at Readers & ‘ritas! What book made you fall in love with the genre you write? It was The Passionate Lover by Carole Mortimer under Harlequin Presents. I found it at used bookstore, and from that moment, I was hooked. I’d count the day for her releases and stay up all night and read. For me, the contemporary romance genre tackles a myriad of relatable issues that women deal with on this beautiful journey called life. But also, at the heart of those novels is learning to forgive, discovering something new, and loving the men in our lives, our families, and our friends. If a movie were made of your most recent book, who would you cast in the lead and why? Lance Parker is my Dean. He was my muse while I was writing THE BOY FRIEND. I actually have a whole page on my website dedicated to my muses. What was…

As part of our countdown to Readers & ‘ritas 2017, our Meet the Author interview series helps you get to know the authors joining us inTexas on November 10-12. Read on to get acquainted with Cooper McKenzie, and purchase your tickets to meet her in person at Readers &‘ritas! What book made you fall in love with the genre you write? I fell in love with the romance genre in 8th grade after reading THE IVORY KEY by Rita Estrada. I’ve read that book several times over the years and recently found a copy to keep in my own library. If a movie were made of your most recent book, who would you cast in the lead and why? If a movie was made of IRON LUST by my Keely Jakes pen name, I would Try very hard to talk the men who suggested I write a bodybuilder romance, and who are featured on the cover, Christian James and Daniel Treat. What was the first story you wrote? The first story I ever wrote was a teenage angst novel about a girl escaping into her dreams to keep from killing herself. It sucked and was destroyed about a year after…

“Guilty.” That’s the opening to my short story, The Second Shot, part of the anthology BETRAYED, releasing in ebook next week. My heroine, seventeen-year-old Regan Adderly, has just been found guilty of murdering her abusive father. But it’s really the end. Or is it? From this scene, the story travels backward through four days of the trial, from the perspectives of others who were connected to the crime: the cop who arrested Regan on the night of the murder; Regan’s dependent, drug-addicted mother; her desperate little brother; and her conniving older boyfriend. It ends a year earlier, back in Regan’s perspective, with the actual crime. Along the way, the story weaves through the hours and leading up to the shooting, and asks the question: who fired the shot that killed Maxwell Adderly? With most mysteries, part of the joy is following alongside the protagonist, trying to figure out who did it, how and why – and then catch them. It was a lot of fun to turn this idea on its head, beginning with the guilty party already caught and tried, and then leading readers on a journey to determine if the verdict was right – and deserved. Besides the…

As fall finally starts to creep in we turn our attention toward new holiday reads. Of course Halloween arrives weeks for Thanksgiving and Christmas, so it was only a matter of time before the spooky-sexy books began filling our e-readers. Miranda Owen chatted with Marie Harte about her newest romance ALL I WANT FOR HALLOWEEN, the perfect addition for anyone looking to dig into a new book instead of a pumpkin. I love Halloween-themed romances, and in ALL I WANT FOR HALLOWEEN, I think you do a wonderful job of maintaining balance between the silly, the sexy and the emotional punch. Do you consciously try to maintain that balance in every book you write, or does it just happen organically? Which comes first, or is easiest to write – the story or the characters? Thanks! I like humor in my books, and I tend to write on the sexy side. I do strive for a balance between deeper emotion and humor. While I’d like to you feel what my characters feel, I also want you to enjoy the experience, and to me, laughter and tears go together quite well. *grin* Though not all my stories have sad pasts, they have…

I love movies and television and will often write with the television on in the background. I’m a very visual person and draw a lot of useful cues from the expressions on the actors’ faces, how a shot is framed or the rhythm and words in the dialogue. Eye Candy in some cases. Of course, sometimes I watch just because it’s a darn good movie! LOL! So today I’m sharing with you my Top 5 must see movies or television shows! 1. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER – I got hooked on this show accidentally when I caught a scene between Buffy and Angel as I was flipping through the channels. After that, I was a loyal viewer all the way to the seventh season. If you’re wondering if I’m an Angel or Spike girl, Spike all the way! He always had such passion! 2. X-FILES – So loved all the creepy unexplained phenomena and Sculley and Mulder. The tension that grew between them was so amazing and I could not wait for the movie and that one kiss. . .and then it didn’t happen. Sigh. Still waiting for a true happily ever after for them. I am a hopeful romantic….

Kate stopped as her phone began to buzz. She slipped it out of her purse and felt her arms start to tingle as Jonah’s name popped up on the screen. She’d programmed it in after Viv had given her the number, wanting to be prepared in case he did call. “Sorry, I need to take this,” she said, stepping away from the giraffe as she tapped the phone screen to answer. “Hello, this is Kate Geary,” she said in her best professional voice. “Kate Geary,” he repeated, his voice smooth and warm the way it had sounded over dinner in Ashland that night. It was so different from how he’d sounded at Viv’s house earlier that day or when she’d chased him down the boardwalk during his shirtless dog-walking exercise. “This is Jonah Porter.” “Hello, Jonah.” “Tell me something, Kate Geary,” he said. “What would you like to know, Jonah Porter?” Kate wasn’t sure if the name or the flirtatious note in her voice made Amy look up. The assistant producer lifted one eyebrow and turned to look at a copper shelf on the wall. Jonah laughed on the other end of the line and Kate had another flash of…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the Reader Match where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Elizabeth Harmon What do I Write: Romance with a dash of different. Which means characters and settings you don’t see often (if ever!) in contemporary romance. Such as present-day Moscow, sans spies or hitmen. A warm-hearted small town, on the scenic coast of…Antarctica. Hot guys who play hockey on their days off, but are better known as world champion figure skaters. A male stripper who aspires to be the next Stephen King. A wallflower who blossoms on a sexy reality show. A prim and proper Ice Queen, whose mom was a Guns N’ Roses groupie. A billionaire’s son who’s changed his bad boy ways—if only he can make the woman he loves believe it. Intrigued? Let’s get to know each other. More about me: I’m a contemporary romance author whose latest release, SHINING THROUGH, comes out today! My five book Red Hot Russians series is set primarily in the world of competitive figure skating, and the first book in the series,…