Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Lindsey Frydman | Why We Need New Adult Books
Author Guest / March 21, 2017

When new adult books exploded a handful of years ago, writers jumped at the chance to explore this new category. Most of these authors self-published and became extremely well known. Then as other authors jumped on the bandwagon, many did so thinking it might be a “get rich quick” scheme. Because of this, the quality of new adult books went down. Readers became disappointed with the overused plot lines that exist in a lot of NA. Even I’ve reduced the amount of NA I read. It’s gotten a bad reputation, which is why almost no agents want these stories and most publishers don’t either. I’ve also heard readers say they don’t read NA because the stories are all the same: predictable contemporary romance with lots of sex. I might agree with the predictability of many NA plots. But I disagree when it comes to claiming the NA category was created simply as a way to add more sex into young adult books and ‘get away with it’. First of all, there’s sex in YA, too. And not all NA stories include sex. (Imagine that!) I’ve read tons of new adult books. (Most of them straight romance.) And yes, I’ve grown…

Casey Griffin | Six Reasons Why You Must be True to Yourself (And Your Date)
Author Guest / March 21, 2017

In SECRETS OF A RELUCTANT PRINCESS, Andy finds her escape from her embarrassing life through live action role-playing. Hidden from the cameras and away from the pressure at school, she feels like she can be herself and get closer to her crush, Kevin. Only she can’t totally be herself. She’s too afraid to take off her mask in case he doesn’t like who he sees: the Porcelain Princess. But what could possibly be wrong with that (famous last words—you’ll have to read it to find out…)? What’s the trouble with pretending to be something you’re not in a relationship? It’s exhausting. It drains you, mentally and emotionally. It can be physically exhausting too—Andy’s hidden secret comes with a lot of wardrobe changes. You could be pretending that you’re more outgoing than you are, funnier, smarter, or maybe you’re trying to hide a secret like Andy. But it’s not normal for you. It doesn’t come naturally, so you feel like you’re always “switched on” like an actor on the stage, constantly planning your next move, your next line. It makes me tired just thinking about it. There’s a wall between you I think people can tell when you’re not being real…

Jody Holford | My Favorite Bad Boys
Author Guest / March 21, 2017

Words are funny and powerful things. Put enough of them together and you have the ability to make some laugh, cry, or play them over in their head on repeat. When I think of the word ‘bad’, I don’t think of any of my characters really. So I started to question, what makes a bad boy, bad? As is true for many questions, there are a LOT of answers in this one little query. To try and figure out how my BAD BOY NEXT DOOR fits in with those fictional men we love to hate and can’t help but like, I’ve made a list of some ‘bad boys’ I love to see where Wyatt Daniels fits in among them. Raylan Givens from JUSTIFIED United States Marshall Raylan Givens is one of the good guys, but he often makes choices just on the boundary lines of good and bad. In essence, he does what needs to be done to achieve his end goal. Though he makes the ladies swoon, he’s not exactly long term commitment material. But there are times when it seems like he wants to be. Damon Salvatore from THE VAMPIRE DIARIES The ultimate bad boy who falls for…

Elizabeth Heiter introduces her FBI Profiler Evelyn Baine
Author Guest / March 13, 2017

The heroine of my Profiler series, Evelyn Baine, is kind of a badass. Not in the walks-with-swagger, carries-a-big-gun and takes-no-prisoners kind of way you might expect, but in a quiet, ultra-observant way. The FBI authorizes her to carry a badge and a gun on her hip, but she rarely uses them. Most of the time, it’s her intellect that has law enforcement officers across the country asking for her help. She’s a profiler for the Bureau’s elite Behavioral Analysis Unit, which means that instead of leading an investigation and chasing suspects, she travels to a much scarier place: into their minds. It’s her job to figure out not just what kind of person committed the crime she’s been called to profile, but also how police can find him and what he’ll do next. Throughout the course of my Profiler series, Evelyn’s ability to predict the next moves of serial killers, child abductors, terrorists and kidnappers has put her into their paths. Along the way, I’ve gotten to show some of her physical strength, too, but also how she outwits criminals into underestimating her. Regardless of her tiny, 5’2” frame, she’s still got FBI tactical training and more than her fair…

Linda Wiken cooks up the perfect murder in ‘Roux the Day’
Author Guest / March 13, 2017

Ask me how much fun it is to kill people and to eat fab food! But believe me, it is not for the feint of heart. We can all handle the murder part because what’s a cozy mystery without some (off screen) bloodshed? But writing a culinary mystery adds another ingredient – food stress. Believe me. It’s great fun plotting a new book. By the time I started this second one in the Dinner Club Mysteries, ROUX THE DAY, the characters were my old friends. The task is finding ways to make sure readers feel that way too, while knowing these characters must face challenges that will in some way change them or the way they look at the world. Without losing the friendship of readers. The setting, Half Moon Bay, a quaint village-like community in Burlington, VT remains the same for each book. Although this time the body is found at a fundraising Casino Boat event, miles from shore, cruising on Champlain Lake. The victim is TV personality Miranda Myers and her co-emcee, Connor Mac, shares a past and an argument with her. Now he’s disappeared and tops the suspect list, with J.J. a close second. It’s up to…

Exclusive excerpt from THE BILLIONAIRE TAKES ALL by J.S. Scott
Author Guest , Excerpt / March 13, 2017

“Don’t even think about it,” Julian warned as he leaned back on the plush seat of their limousine. “Think about what?” Kristin asked angrily. “If you jump from a moving vehicle, you’ll more than likely end up breaking your neck, and that would be a shame. You’d miss Vegas and the wedding.” It irritated her that he not only had known exactly what she was contemplating, but had quickly come to the same conclusion as her. There was no way she was taking a swan dive from a moving vehicle. She’d been so shocked by his outrageous behavior that she hadn’t been able to speak until now, even though they’d been riding for several minutes. How he’d gotten the fancy limo down a closed street, she didn’t know. But Kristin was fairly certain it had a lot to do with the chief of police being Julian’s cousin, Dante. The old chief had retired just a few months ago, and Dante Sinclair had taken the promotion when it was offered to him. Kristin shot Julian a furious glare. Even though it was already getting dark, the vehicle had lights in the passenger area. As far as Kristin could tell, the fancy…

The Bewitching Power of Magical Romances
Author Guest / March 9, 2017

For a lot of people, magic equals witches. While that might be a common assumption, magic and magical beings encompass more than just the witchy world. There are a phenomenal assortment of magical romances featuring complex witch and warlock characters, but there also a lot of extraordinary romances with many other varieties of magic users and abusers. Magic takes many forms and I love the variety that so many authors offer. The first books I read featuring witches and spellcasting were actually cozy mysteries – the Bewitching series by Madelyn Alt and the Ophelia and Abby series by Shirley Damsgaard. These mysteries intrigued me because the female characters were realistic, everyday people with run-of-the-mill jobs like that of shopkeeper and librarian, but they experienced the thrills and chills that magic brings. Since I’m a romance fan, I naturally started looking for some of the same fun witchy stories but with a bit more romance in the mix. Linda Wisdom’s Hex series is just as entertaining and lighthearted as her colorful covers would suggest. In addition to the tightknit coven of witches, Wisdom throws in all kinds of were-creatures, vampires, and finally – the devilishly mischievous, but fiercely loyal, magical bunny…

Lindsay McKenna gives readers a sneak peek at NEVER ENOUGH
Author Guest / March 1, 2017

This is a sample of Lindsay McKenna’s latest romantic suspense, NEVER ENOUGH, the novella sequel to FORGED IN FIRE. Both are part of the Delos Series. Can a vacation in paradise heal her trauma and allow love to shine through… Matt ambled down the busy hall of the Delos Charity in Waianae, Ohau, Hawaii. There was nothing but women here, and he liked the low-key, warm, nurturing energy that pervaded the place. All of the people he saw were women working under Alani’s direction. Running this place took a lot of paperwork, a lot of people who knew the law enforcement and other governmental systems that were in place to help women who were trying to escape abuse. He located the examination room and saw ten women with squirming babies or toddlers in hand, waiting patiently in line. They gave him a wary look, and Matt felt bad for them. He was male and a stranger to them. Therefore, a potential menace and threat. He saw the door to the examination room open as a mother with a six-month-old baby in her arms left, smiling, relief in her expression. Matt smiled and nodded hello in her direction as he came…

Scarlett Cole | Say hello to a new bad boy rock star in JORDAN RECLAIMED
Author Guest / February 28, 2017

One of the things I love about series romance is the incredibly strong ties you can create between the lead characters. Sometimes it is as simple as the setting, a memorable place where all of the characters live and thrive, that you get to revisit with every new story. Sometimes it is the camaraderie of sports teams or military men, linked by a common purpose or enemy. And sometimes it is a group, like a pack of wolves or a coven of witches which creates a sense of yearning to belong. But one of the perennial favorites, is families. Thankfully, the definition of family has grown to adapt to all the ways life throws a group of people together. Some are functional, some are not, but as Jim Butcher is alleged to have said, “I don’t care about whose DNA has recombined with whose. When everything goes to hell, the people who stand by you witho flinching, they are your family.” Which brings me to JORDAN RECLAIMED, the first book in my new rock star romance series, Preload. The fact that these men are in a band could be enough to build a compelling series. Plenty of series have been…

Tara Wyatt | Why I think consent matters in romance
Author Guest / February 28, 2017

There are many things I love about romance novels. The brave, hunky heroes. The smart, capable heroines. The eclectic plots, settings, and challenges the characters face while fighting for their hard-earned happily ever after. And while those are all great, I feel that one of the under-celebrated aspects of romance is its willingness to tackle difficult topics, such as infertility, grief, mental illness, sexuality, and intolerance. As a romance writer, one of my goals is to explore some of these tough topics while showing the characters working through their pain and achieving their happy ending. For example, in my new book, CHAIN REACTION, the heroine is a sexual assault survivor. I don’t want to give too much away, but she does have scars and baggage she needs to process before she can have a healthy, fulfilling relationship with the hero. Partly because consent is always important, and partly because Alexa is a sexual assault survivor, it was extremely important to me for 1) the hero, Zack, to know about Alexa’s past; and 2) the consent between them to be crystal clear. Personally, I think it’s always important that the consent between the hero and the heroine is clear, but even…