Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Smashwords Store Top 25 Bestselling Indie Books (February 12 – February 18, 2023)
Author Guest / February 24, 2023

  Made For You, Book 2, Made For series by Natasha Madison Saving 6, Book 3, Boys of Tommen series by Chloe Walsh Meeting His Match by Alexa Riley The Score, Book 3, Off-Campus series, by Elle Kennedy A Rock Star Romance Series Box Set Books 1 to 5 by Sandra Alex Friendly Fire, Book 1, Rescue & Redemption series by Morgan James Asher, Book 2, I.S.C. Charlie Team series by Anna Blakely Something More, Book 2, Blisswood Brothers series by Evey Lyon The Vow, Book 2, The Birch Creek Ranch series by B. E. Baker Quintessentially Q, Book 2, Monsters in the Dark series by Pepper Winters The Biker’s Bunny, Book 12, Royal Bastards MC: Charleston, WV series by Glenna Maynard The Twisted Vines Complete Boxset by Isabel Jolie Two Words I’d Never Say Again, Book 3, Never Say Never series by Remi Carrington Shaded Falls Box Set One by E.J. King Finding Forever with You, Book 4, The Malone Brothers series by S.L. Sterling Charming the Rogue, Book 4, Wright Bastards series by Amy Sandas A Feigned Madness by Tonya Mitchell Fraser, Book 1, The Minnesota Marshalls series by Susan May Warren Tsenturion Brides by Lee Savino Only…

Kelley Armstrong | Natural Beauty, Isolation, and Mystery in the Yukon
Author Guest / February 24, 2023

1–What is the title of your latest release? MURDER AT HAVEN’S ROCK 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A town is being built in the Yukon wilderness for people who need to disappear, but even before it’s finished, two members of the construction crew do disappear…into the forest without a trace. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It’s a spinoff of a book set in the Yukon—new town but same concept. I stuck with the Yukon for all the reasons I first chose it (natural beauty & isolation) 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Casey would not be the most personable companion on first meeting, but if I had time to get past that, I would definitely like to hang out with her. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Driven, idealistic, compassionate. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Placer mining. The Yukon was the site of the Klondike gold rush, but I hadn’t touched on placer mining in previous books. It’s a central part of this one—modern, small scale gold mining in rivers etc. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you…

Lauren Edmondson | A Gilded Age Mansion and a Society Wedding
Author Guest / February 24, 2023

1–What is the title of your latest release? WEDDING OF THE SEASON 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Cass Coventry reluctantly returns to the Gilded Age mansion where she was raised to help her sister plan the wedding that has all Newport society talking. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I visited the Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island years ago. As we were touring The Breakers, I learned that the descendants of the Vanderbilt family, who had called the “cottage” home for 120 years, were moving out of their third-floor apartments, having turned over the rest of the mansion to tourists and preservationists. This relocation was either voluntary or involuntary, depending on which source you read. I thought this drama would make a very good novel and tucked the idea away. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Adventurous, creative, and witty 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Newport’s layers of history, from colonial times through the Revolutionary War, the Gilded Age, and beyond, make it one of the most interesting cities in America. 7–Do you…

Kathryn Troy | Title Challenge: THE SHADOW OF THERON
Author Guest / February 23, 2023

Time reverses, the Hero of old returns Enchanted weapons   Stolen from the temple Hero of a new age struck down Accursed sword nearly brings Death Only the Goddess’s Will could undo the sorcery of   Old From far away   True love appears. How will Lysandro Escape the growing danger Reveal himself, without his mask Overcome his fear and face his Nemesis THE SHADOW OF THERON by Kathryn Troy The Three-Faced Goddess has always protected Theron. Now, it’s the Shadow’s turn.   To protect her people from Argoss, the Three-Faced Goddess forged enchanted weapons powerful enough to defeat the wicked sorcerer.   Now, ages later, those relics are disappearing.   Lysadro knows the village magistrate Marek is responsible, and he searches for proof disguised as the masked protector the Shadow of Theron. But when Marek wounds him with an accursed sword that shouldn’t exist, Lysandro must find a way to stop Marek from gaining any more sacred artifacts.   As the feud between Lysandro and Marek throws Lighura into chaos, and the appearance of the beautiful Seraphine complicates matters, Lysadro tries to find the courage to protect her from Marek and win her heart.   Just as the danger mounts, the sacred…

Lacey Baker | Author-Reader Match: HER UNEXPECTED MATCH
Author Guest / February 23, 2023

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 Lacey Baker!   Writes: Heartwarming slow burn romance like HER UNEXPECTED MATCH where a blog reports love matches are being made on the quaint coastal Crescent Island. But when a cynical travel critic visits the island to debunk the perceived myth, she ends up falling for her best friend’s brother and his impossibly cute Merle Great Dane pup!   About: A city-girl who loves Maryland’s Eastern Shore, my interests include watching black and white movies, believing I can sing (but really I can’t, lol), and taking naps. I enjoy cooking, but I don’t like group texts. And I love all of the John Wick movies, but I’d rather watch You’ve Got Mail.   I’m looking for readers who crave books with: ALL the feelings – angst, slow burn desire, happiness, sadness, just settle in for them all! Long looks and soft touches Small town festivals Cinnamon rolls and brisket Puppies, always puppies!   What to expect if we’re compatible: Tension, soul-searching and life-altering decisions…

Brian Feehan | Exclusive Excerpt: HARMONY OF LIES
Author Guest / February 23, 2023

For this excerpt, you may like to know we are in the great city of San Francisco at the bar inside the Grand Hotel. It’s about noon, and the bar is empty, but for Bo, the bartender, and Sebastian, the long-term manager who just asked Owen, our lead to try out the legendary piano.   “Fine,” Owen said again. “Why don’t you want a crowd?” (Asked Sebastian) “A woman unlike any other woman I have ever met ripped out my heart and stabbed me just the other day, and she did it for a good reason.” “So you’re heartbroken. Good,” Sebastian said. “A broken musician is far better than a solid one.” “I mean it. Right now, I like this room empty. I know you want to hear the living, but . . .” “Stop. I’m here, and you are there. We toasted death before, so here’s to being alive. In this time.” Owen tapped glasses, but this time, he sipped the contents and turned toward the piano that was as much a work of art as an instrument. Sebastian took his glass from his hand, and Owen didn’t waste time. Despite Sebastian’s words about the piano not needing to be tuned, Owen…

Marta Perry | Conversations in Character with Anna Stoltzfus
Author Guest / February 22, 2023

Book Title: THE PROMISE OF EASTER Character Name: Anna Stoltzfus   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Living on the family farm in Promise Glen was as happy a childhood as I could imagine. I was surrounded by family whose held me close every day, especially my brother, James. We were close in age, alike in looks, and together in just about everything we did. Significant other? With my brother James as my confidante, his best friend, Matthew King, was a regular part of my life. Sometimes I felt that Matthew might be even more than that to me. We were growing closer every day until the night Matthew and James went off to a party but only Matthew came back. Biggest challenge in relationships? No one blamed Matthew for James’s death, it seemed—only me. How could he let James take such a risk? Why didn’t he stop him? Why didn’t he save him? The beginning of love was killed on the night my brother died. Where do you live? I still live with my family on the farm in Promise Glen. Do you have any enemies? No. How do you feel about the place where you…

Jen Turano | From Companion to Assistant Matchmaker
Author Guest / February 22, 2023

1–What is the title of your latest release? A MATCH IN THE MAKING 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Miss Gwendolyn Brinley takes on a paid companion position for the summer in Newport, thinking it would be a nice reprieve from her demanding cousin. However, when her position changes from companion to assistant matchmaker and she’s tasked with finding a bride for the most eligible bachelor in the New York Four Hundred, her summer turns far more complicated than she could ever imagine. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve wanted to return to Newport ever since I wrote In Good Company. Throwing a young lady into the midst of the most exclusive resort of the Gilded Age, and as an assistant matchmaker, well, it just seemed to work. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Of course. Gwendolyn is a no-nonsense lady, as well as being rather amusing. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Practical, compassionate, and competent. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? All the rules pertaining to a game called Annie Over that children used to play during the Gilded Age. I’ve…

The Character Most Likely – Jennifer Deibel
Author Guest / February 22, 2023

Because of Jennifer Deibel’s new book THE MAID OF BALLYMACOOL, we here at Fresh Fiction thought it would be a fun way for readers to get to know her characters better to play a little game we call “The Character Most Likely”. I love this because it satisfies my romance nerd self and you can discover new book boyfriends. If you’re new to her books – she writes character-driven stories set in Ireland that are a wonderful mix of history and romance. Most likely to be underestimated? That has to be Aedach in A Dance in Donegal. He’s the character you love to hate, and he’s capable of far more than most might expect. Most likely to surprise themselves? Oh goodness…I think all my heroines are a three-way tie for this one! However, the first one that sprang to mind is the heroine from my debut novel, A Dance in Donegal, Moira Doherty. Not only does she end up moving from her home in Boston to a tiny village in Ireland to teach, but by the end of the story, she’s almost unrecognizable to herself in all that she’s seen and done. But, really, she’s the most authentic version of…

Sarah Sundin | Denmark During World War II
Author Guest / February 22, 2023

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SOUND OF LIGHT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In WWII Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt assumes the identity of a common shipyard worker, rowing messages to Sweden for the Resistance. His life depends on keeping his secret hidden–a task that proves challenging when he meets Else Jensen, an American physicist who seems to see right through him. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve been fascinated with the story of Denmark in World War II for years now, and I couldn’t wait to tell a tale set there. For a tiny nation, it produced some huge history. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I’d love to hang out with Else. She may be a nuclear physicist, but she has a way of explaining things for “normal” people, and she has a fresh way of looking at things. She’s also enthusiastic and passionate and gentle-spirited. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Intuitive, kind, determined. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? So many things! On a big-picture level, for the first few years of the occupation, the…