Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Elisse Hay | Author-Reader Match: FOUL IS FAIR
Author Guest / January 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 Elisse Hay!   Writes: Romantic fantasy that highlights healthy relationships and real struggles in a fantastical, and lighthearted, way is my jam. Something Wicked is my urban fantasy series. It’s one dash righteous indignation, half a cup of grudging trust and a pinch of goodness, heated over a high flame to boiling point and stirred by mystery. Serve with sighs.   About: Hailing from Australia, I’m found most often with a coffee in one hand and a book in the other. It’s my firm belief that interacting with humour and kindness is a life skill—and so is knowing when to unleash the snark. My favourite things are hanging out with my humans and playing the nerdiest games possible, ideally at the same time. I’m looking for readers who enjoy: First person perspective fantasy Frequent, unapologetic sass and spice Loving, healthy relationships, both romantic and platonic Authentic, relatable characters Humour that punches up   Readers who have: Big hearts Shiny spines   What to expect…

Kimberley Woodhouse | Title Challenge: A MARK OF GRACE
Author Guest / January 23, 2023

Hey there! I’m Kimberley Woodhouse, author of A MARK OF GRACE. It’s the third and final book in my Secrets of the Canyon series and I’m SO excited to share a bit with you today! A is for Anniston – my heroine’s last name. An older single woman – she’s about to turn 35 – gasp.   M is for Marred – she’s been through a horrific time and feels disfigured. A is for Accident – there was an accident at the end of A GEM OF TRUTH (book 2) that is life-changing for Ruth. R is for Ruth – the heroine, head waitress, mentor, and mother hen. K is for killer – is there one on the loose?   O is for Ordinary – this is no ordinary Harvey House. The El Tovar is the crown jewel of the Harvey empire. F is for Frank – hero and head chef. He’s been a part of the series from the beginning.   G is for Grand – The Grand Canyon is the setting of the series. R is for Rim – The El Tovar hotel sits on the rim of the Canyon with a beautiful view. A is for Authentic…

Smashwords Store Top 25 Bestselling Indie Books: January 8 – January 14, 2023
Author Guest / January 20, 2023

Into the Fire, Book 1, Ray Wyatt series, by Rick Mofina Little One by Sarah A. Denzil Binding 13, Book 1, Boys of Tommen series, by Chloe Walsh Bitter Secrets, Book 2, Singed series, by Mia Knight The Murder Mystery Book Club, Book 1, The Murder Mystery Book Club series, by C.A. Larmer Accidental Sugar Daddy by Kaci Rose Wild Harts: Rockstar Shifters Boxed Set by Lily Cahill The Courtesan’s Daughter and the Gentleman, Book 2, The Merry Misfits of Bath series by Callie Hutton Ice Burn, Book 1, Lakeshore U series, by L. A. Cotton Offering, Book 2, Captives of Kazir series, by Sophie Kisker One More Knight, Book 14, A Knights Through Time Romance series, by Cynthia Luhrs The Misplaced Miss Eloise, Book 8, School of Charm series, by Maggie Dallen The Bogeyman’s Woman by Sam Crescent Covet, Book 8, Vampire Beloved series, by R.E. Butler City of Strife, Book 1, City of Spires series, by Claudie Arseneault Smoke and Steel by Kristen Ashley The Long List Anthology, Volume 7: More Stories From the Hugo Award Nomination List by David Steffen, et al. Reef Road: A Novel by Deborah Goodrich Royce Wayward Girls by Claire Matturro Wicked Christmas…

Anastasia Ryan | Awkward Weirdness in the Workplace
Author Guest / January 20, 2023

1–What is the title of your latest release? YOU SHOULD SMILE MORE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? What happens when your resting bitch face is wide awake…at work? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I was vague with the location of this story. I tried to make it nondescript so people could imagine it unfolding wherever they live because I think it’s a universal experience. Women face experiences unique to their gender in the workplace regardless of location. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! Vanessa is a blast, and her co-workers Jane and Trisha are too. Her too-helpful mom, maybe not so much lol. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? She’s sarcastic, loyal, and honest. She also has a need to make things right. She’s a strong woman who stands up for herself, and the book is about strong women in general and the ride-or-die friendships we all wish we had. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned that everyone has a ridiculous workplace story. So many people have told me they can relate to the awkward weirdness that Vanessa suffers…

Kayla Olson | A Second-Chance Romance Between Two Former Teen Actors
Author Guest / January 20, 2023

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE REUNION 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? I always pitch it as being a second-chance romance set in Hollywood about two former teen actors who played love interests on the same hit TV show—Liv and Ransom were best friends IRL, until he broke her real-life heart. Now, fourteen years after wrapping the show, the entire cast is together again to film a reunion episode special. It’s the first time Liv and Ransom have seen each other since, and all their old feelings are still there, as strong as ever…but so is all their unresolved tension. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I started writing The Reunion at the beginning of the pandemic, while housebound and on lockdown, so I tried to think of a fun place to visit in my head—a Hollywood film set, along with Liv’s beach house, felt like the perfect setting for this idea! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Oh, totally! Liv is talented and reserved and kind, loves coffee, and has great taste in food and bingeworthy TV shows. The question is, would she…

The Character Most Likely – Stacey Kennedy
Author Guest / January 20, 2023

With Stacey Kennedy‘s new book OH FANG! out, we here at Fresh Fiction thought it would be a fun way for readers to get to know her characters from her Undead Ever After series better by playing a little game we call “The Character Most Likely“. I love this because it satisfies my romance nerd self AND because I love Stacey Kennedy’s books. If you’re new to her Undead Ever After series – it ‘s a mix of paranormal, suspense, and romance and focuses on the same couple in each book.   1. Most likely to laugh in a serious moment? Willa, she’s a witch/vampire who never does take life too seriously. But that’s only because she hasn’t had it easy. First being a witch without magic to then finding out she’s also part vampire and being thrust into danger. Sometimes a girl needs to find a laugh in the weirdest of places to stay sane!   2. Most likely to get caught having sex in public? 100% Killian and Willa, but it’s not their fault. They’re newly bonded and can’t seem to keep their hands off each other. Add that to the fact that vampires are a wild bunch and…

Jessica Dall | Outlander Meets Miss Marple
Author Guest / January 20, 2023

1–What is the title of your latest release? FOREVER BOUND   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  Outlander meets Miss Marple – part paranormal romance, part mystery, all fun   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  I was lucky enough to have the chance to take a trip to Ireland in 2018, and I absolutely loved the experience. From there, the creative wheels just kept turning.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Definitely. She’s a big personality, and I think would be a ton of fun to go out on the town with.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Secret softy, brooding   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  I learned a ton about Irish culture (since, amazingly, nine days in the country for vacation wasn’t enough to let me realistically portray Irish characters!) I also spent a good deal of time trying to work out what would be the correct slang for someone who lives in the north versus someone who’s spent time in Dublin versus… At least all the research made it really easy to follow “Derry Girls” when I started…

N.J. Walters | An Angelic Librarian and an Immortal Viking Assassin
Author Guest / January 19, 2023

1–What is the title of your latest release? HUNTER AVENGED, book 6 of the Forgotten Brotherhood series 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  An angelic librarian on the run and the immortal Viking assassin tracking her fight the growing attraction between them as they race against time to uncover the truth before they’re destroyed by forces more powerful than themselves. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  This book is part of a series so much of the groundwork had been laid before I began, but given their abilities, the hero and heroine end up in various locations around the world. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Absolutely. The chance to talk with an angelic librarian who can read and write any language would be fascinating. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Intelligent, honorable, tenacious 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  I learned about the city of Kathmandu, a place my characters visit, and that the powerlines hang low and are quite a hazard. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? To get back into my work each day,…

Chitra Divakaruni | Title Challenge: INDEPENDENCE
Author Guest / January 19, 2023

Hi! I’m Chitra Divakaruni, author of INDEPENDENCE. I’m very pleased to be sharing a little about this novel with you. The book is at once a historical novel and a love story. It depicts India’s epic struggle for freedom from the British yoke, and the turmoil that follows Partition, as experienced by three sisters. Set in 1946-48, it is the story of three sisters who want very different things in life but find that all their plans are turned upside-down in the wake of a huge tragedy. As the novel proceeds, the three women will fall in love with the wrong men, get caught up in events beyond their control, and be separated from each other even as the country is being torn apart by violent religion-based feuds between Hindus and Muslims. They must do their best to come back together, face the dangers that confront them, and try to save each other.   I is for India, the setting of my novel, a country that after a great struggle is now on the verge of freedom in 1946, when the book begins. N is for Nabakumar, who is the idealistic father of the three sisters, a doctor who was a…

Jess K. Hardy | Love Blooms on an Interstellar Pleasure Cruise Ship
Author Guest / January 19, 2023

1. What is the title of your latest release? THE PRINCESS AND THE BRUISER   2. What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Fleeing an arranged marriage to an infamously mysterious prince, a runaway princess with dangerous powers must convince the surly head of security aboard an interstellar pleasure cruise to hide her out on his ship until she can escape—preferably before she gets found out, gets too used to her freedom, or ends up falling for her great big grumpy bodyguard.   3. How did you decide where your book was going to take place? This is the third book that takes place aboard the interstellar pleasure cruise ship the Ignisar. I grew up with a mother who watched Star Trek, took me to see Star Wars when I was one, and was always reading a Dune book, so sci-fi is in my blood. I loved the idea of a Love Boat type situation among the stars. This book takes a deep dive into the Royal Houses of the twin planets of the Aquilines, Rax’s (our MMC) home planet. It takes place partially off-ship on the smaller planet of the Aquilines as well as on our beloved pleasure…