1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SHADOW CABINET (Her Majesty’s Royal Coven Book 2) 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A covert group of witches keep Britain safe from demonic forces, but the real threat comes from within the coven. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It was always going to be Hebden Bridge. It’s a real town in Yorkshire. It’s very picturesque and has a diverse queer community. It’s a bit Portland-ish? 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Book 2 sees the witch Ciara Kelly move into the spotlight right after killing her twin sister at the end of Book 1. Although she does some dreadful things, I actually adore Ciara. I hope readers come to understand why she is the way she is. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Misguided, vulnerable, and devious. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I thought a lot about misogyny while writing this book. Men barely featured in Book 1, but this second volume delves into how men feel about the existence of supremely powerful women. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ABOVE THE FOLD. (That’s the term for a front-page headline on a newspaper, literally above the halfway point where it’s folded.) 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Punk rock Lois Lane in 1980s New York City. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? That was a long and winding road. I first wrote this book in the early 2000s, and it took place during that time. I didn’t sell it (and self-publishing wasn’t an option then) but that was likely a good thing because I’ve improved as a writer over the years. However, despite shelving it, the story never left me. I’d fiddle with it over the years, but newsroom work kept changing so fast that every revision was instantly dated. When it came time to revise once more, my then-agent, Saritza Hernandez, suggested I set the story in the 1980s. That turned out to be the click that turned the key on the whole story. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Hah! That would be exhausting. I’d hang out with her at a club or to grab a drink or…

1–What is the title of your latest release? LEARNING TO TRUST AGAIN, Book 2 in my small-town contemporary romance series Sugar Springs. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Will Walker and Rory begin life in wedded bliss—or will someone from Rory’s past spell doom for their relationship? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’m a native Dallasite and have many relatives from East Texas. I set my first contemporary romance series (Hollywood Name Game) in Hollywood because I’m a movie buff. I was inspired by a trip to the Oregon coast to set my second contemporary series there (Maple Cove). For this new series, I created the small town of Sugar Springs. It was a delight to add a Texan flair to my writing as I built this small town from scratch, adding friends and couples. Each of my contemporary series is about creating a chosen family from a group of friends. I think Sugar Springs captures the essence of that idea, along with what life in a small town in East Texas is like. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Definitely! Rory is a high school history…

As far back as “The Private Life of Henry VIII” in 1933 and continuing to the film productions of the present, the Tudor period’s larger-than-life heroes, heroines (and villains) have provided rich fodder for fictional interpretation.  Out of the plethora of writings about this period, we’ll look at two multi-book series, the first featuring court life seen through the eyes of those close to the throne, the second visualizing the life of the royal herself.  Much as we think we know everything about this period, there is always some new detail to savor! Sandra Byrd begins her series set in the Tudor world with TO DIE FOR.  Anne Boleyn and Meg Wyatt grow up as neighbors and close friends, a friendship that will endure throughout Anne’s meteoric life.  While Anne goes as a maid of honor to the court of Queen Claude in France, where her father is ambassador, Meg remains in England, subject to the whims of her dictatorial father.  With the man she’s loved since girlhood promised to the priesthood, she has no choice but to marry the elderly baron her father chooses.  When the sophisticated Anne returns to England and catches the eye of the king, she…

1–What is the title of your latest release? REMEMBER ME  2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In this second-chance Regency romance, when Lady Philippa Ware finally comes to the decision to make her debut in London society, she is forced to reckon with Lucas Arden, Marquess of Roath, the man whose cruel words years before delayed her season in London until now. Unfortunately for Philippa, Lucas’s grandfather has decided that this is the season Lucas is to find a wife, and he believes that Philippa and Lucas are a perfect pair… 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Most of my more than 100 novels and novellas are set in Regency England or Wales, sometimes on a country estate, sometimes in London or Bath. I am thoroughly comfortable with these settings. This story needed to take both the hero and heroine to London for the spring Season—he to find an eligible bride at the behest of his ailing grandfather, who wants another heir before he dies, she to find a husband at the great marriage mart. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? My heroines are of all types, whether…

Book Title: THE DETAIL Character: Detective Seth “Hammer” Hamilton   Time of Interview: Chapter One, the day they leave for Colorado to pick up a murder suspect and bring him back to Texas for trial.   Tell us a little about yourself, your family. Are you close?   We’re pretty tight. My family, I mean. I’m thirty-eight, no kids, never married. Did a stint in the Marines. I have two younger sisters and an older brother. Everyone but my brother, a Marshll in Tyler, lives close by. We have the best parents in the world, great role models. I want what they have one day, you know? That happily ever after stuff. And I have a niece and nephew I’m crazy about. A black cat. Well, actually, she’s a kitten. Her name is Lucy. Found her outside my house one day. A neighbor’s bulldog had her cornered against the fence, but she wasn’t going down without a fight. Stole my heart right then and there.   Do you have any enemies? I’m a cop. I have enemies around every corner.   Do you have a significant other? Not at the moment. I’m hoping that’s going to change soon.   Where do…

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 L.S. Case!   Writes: I write inspirational fiction that empowers women. In my Hallmark-style romance, A HUNDRED DAYS TILL TOMORROW, you’ll pack your bags and escape to a quaint New England town outlined by white picket fencing and peppered with flickering lanterns. Family secrets, an unusual inheritance, and a delicious next-door neighbor provide the perfect mix of excitement and drama. I love entertaining my readers with heart-warming stories that offer second chances and renewed hope.   About: I’m a hopeful romantic, having married my high school sweetheart almost thirty years ago. I’m also a Hallmark movie fan, Nicholas Sparks reader, gazebo lover, and happily-ever-after believer. An ’80s girl, I still love watching old John Hughes films. (Iconic Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles will forever hold a special place in my heart!) Always on the lookout for my next adventure, I can be found singing off-key at a concert, cycling to the beach, participating in races, or swinging from a trapeze. No day is complete…

Note from Susan Mallery: When Fresh Fiction invited me to share an exclusive excerpt from my new book, THE HAPPINESS PLAN, I knew immediately which scene I wanted to share. This is a pivotal scene from Chapter Three. This scene is what lead Heather to realize that she needs to come up with a happiness plan for herself. It’s filled with emotion—pain, longing, love (though she’s not brave enough to call it that)—and shows Heather at her most vulnerable. You’ve probably heard that writers like to torture our characters. That’s because when we make them earn their happy ending, it’s all the sweeter. I hope you’ll enjoy this sneak peek. The Happiness Plan is one of the most emotional stories I’ve ever written, and I can’t wait to hear what you think.     Sunday morning Heather couldn’t shake the sense of restlessness that had gripped her for days. She’d fed the kittens early and had made a to-do list for the day. She would do laundry, go for a run, get groceries and care for the kittens. Busy, busy, that was her. But even as she went through the refrigerator to figure out what she needed, she found herself…

Book Title:  SUMMER’S GIFT Character Name:  Summer Sutherland Weston   How would you describe your family or your childhood? I always wanted a close family, but that’s not what I got. My father abandoned my mother and I before I was even born and wants nothing to do with me. At least, that’s the lie I was told, over and over again, my whole life. My mother still acts like the spoiled rich girl she’s been since her mother died when she was young, and her father spoiled her to make up for the loss and working all the time while he reigned over Sutherland Industries. While my mother was jet-setting and marrying one wealthy man after another, my grandfather and great uncle were the only ones who really took an interest in my life. I lost my great uncle a couple years ago and inherited his vast real estate holdings. I miss the trips we used to take for my school breaks and holidays when my mother left me behind to be with whoever she loved most at the time.   What was your greatest talent? Making everyone think I’m okay. I hide the loneliness and the longing for…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WELCOME TO BEACH TOWN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A controversial commencement speech exposes a small beach town’s scandals and secrets, sending a young woman on a journey she never imagined. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love the beach, I’m really bad at surfing, and I like renovating old things…so I made my fictional character, Nikki Graziola, a world-class surfer who returns to the beach town of her youth to deal with the past she ran away from—a past that includes some derelict Airstream campers. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Totally. Nikki is super-cool, with her unusual background, her talent at surfing, and her passion for art and design. Plus, she likes to have Frito pie for dinner, and soft serve ice cream and cones of fried clams on the beach boardwalk. What’s not to like? 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Honest (painfully so which is what gets her in trouble in the first place. Athletic. Artistic. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That every town has its secrets. And that…