In your thriller POINT LAST SEEN, Elle has amnesia. Has that been a topic that has always interested you? I dunno. Maybe it’s that sense of, “Could you be the one who tried to kill me?” “Are you really my lover?” and of course, “When I look in the mirror, what am I seeing? A scholar? A parent? A murderer?” What inspired you to write POINT LAST SEEN? I always enjoy watching the documentaries on people who have seemingly disappeared. In one case, a woman disappeared, and was found a year or so later in a hospital and having amnesia. They were only able to identify her and reunite her with her family because of her distinctive tattoo. Are you ever inspired by real life cases? I imagined the opening of POINT LAST SEEN years and years ago as a start to a historical novel: a woman rolls in on an icy surf, seemingly dead, then comes to life and doesn’t know where she came from…or so she says. I never could find the story to fit that scenario, but like all great ideas, it hovered on the fringes of my mind. Then. :sigh: Then in early 2020 I was…

What’s the recipe for a fun mystery? When I was writing MINT CHOCOLATE MURDER I decided to indulge myself and add an ingredient I’ve been dying to use for ages. I’ve always wanted to set a murder in a moody haunted castle! Here’s a list of some of the other ingredients in my newest Ice Cream Shop mystery – I hope you’ll enjoy it.   M – Mysterious supermodel with a royal secret I – Ice cream social to die for N – New England village of your Hallmark dreams T – Teashops and treachery   C – Crafty clues and red herrings H – Haunted Scottish castle O – Obsessions turned deadly C – Cat who needs therapy O – One hot veterinarian L – Locked room mystery A – Art world gossip T – Tantalizing twists E – Enemies and frenemies   M – Malicious suspects U – Unrequited love R – Race against the clock D – Danger in the dungeon E – Extra sprinkles! R – Riley Rhodes, my main character, an ice cream shop manager and former CIA librarian with plenty of secrets of her own MINT CHOCOLATE MURDER by Meri Allen Ice Cream Shop #2 Riley…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE OTHER GUEST 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? One year ago, Leah’s twenty-one-year-old niece, Amy, mysteriously drowned in the beautiful lake near her family-owned luxury resort in Northern Italy. When Leah returns to Lake Garda for the first time since Amy’s death, she is shocked. Her sister, brother-in-law and surviving niece have erased all reminders of Amy and fought to have her death declared an accidental drowning, despite murky circumstances. As Leah tries to uncover the truth, her family seem determined to stop her. Meanwhile, in Central England, university counsellor Joanna is recovering from a break-up when she is swept off her feet by a handsome bartender. But after she invites him into her home, Joanna realizes that their meeting may not have been a coincidence. These two seemingly unconnected women must question everything – and everyone – they love in order to untangle truth from lies, even if it puts their lives in danger.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I grew up in Derby, in Central England, and still have a lot of friends and family there, so I naturally…

Hi! I’m Denise Williams, author of THE SWEETEST CONNECTION, an airport-based friends to lovers novella. I’m excited to to tell you all about the story. Teagan dreams of traveling the world, but currently works in an airport. Silas works in airport customer service and is holding onto secret feelings for his best friend. Teagan and Silas have one week to solve the mystery of an uncovered love letter before time runs out. Along the way, they might stumble on sweet truth about how they feel about each other! The Sweetest Connection is the third novella in the Love and Other Flight Delays collection that also includes THE LOVE CONNECTION and THE MISSED CONNECTION. Flight delays have never had so much romantic potential!   T is for Teagan, the book’s heroine, who works in an airport candy shop. H is for Her best friend, Silas, who she’s known since college. He works in customer service at the airport. E is for Every joke they’ve shared over the last seven years.   S is for Something has changed, and Silas finds it hard to fight his feelings for Teagan. W is for When they find a love letter written by a colleague….

Jennifer Vido: What inspired your new release, The Edge of Summer? Viola Shipman: Every novel I write is a piece of my heart and inspired by a deeply personal story. The Edge of Summer is no exception: It’s inspired by my grandma’s buttons and button jars (which I still have), her love of sewing and her love of me. It’s a tribute to the sacrifices of our mothers and grandmothers. My working poor Ozarks grandma, Viola Shipman (my pen name), stitched overalls at a local factory until she couldn’t stand straight. But even after sewing all day for work, nothing brought her more joy than taking a seat at her Singer. My grandma was like a ballerina at her Singer, her body in motion and in tune with the machine. It was a gorgeous dance to watch. She was also the first “artist” I ever knew, though she would blush at the mere utterance of such a fancy word. The Edge of Summer is inspired by these memories. It’s also inspired by the thoughts that spun in my head as I watched her sew, or when she would look up at me and smile, especially as I grew older: What…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A WEDDING AT SANDY COVE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Imagine ‘Bridesmaids’ meets ‘He’s Just Not That Into You’ with a sprinkle of ‘Suits’. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? A seaside location for a wedding sounded perfect so I chose the Norfolk coast as it’s somewhere I love to visit. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? I definitely would hang out with Ella somewhere chilled for a natter but I think Lucy and I would have a whale of a time. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Hot, Caring and Troubled 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That there’s a lot more to altering wedding dresses than just turning up a hem. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I write a full first draft and then I self-edit before it goes to my agent and then to my editor. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Biscuits. I always have emergency biscuits. 9–Describe your writing space/office! It’s our spare bedroom where I have a corkboard, a desk called Duncan…

To celebrate Theophilus Monroe’s new book WITCHES AND WOLVES, we here at Fresh Fiction thought it would be a fun way for readers to get to know his characters better by playing a little game we call “The Character Most Likely”. Theophilus is free to select his answers from any of his paranormal series. Most likely to hold a grudge longer than anybody else? Mercy Brown (BLOODY HELL).  Given the fact that her own father tried to stake her and burn out her heart when she first became a vampire, she (understandably) harbors a lot of resentment. It might take longer than the average human lifespan before she lets go of her anger and opens herself up to be loved by another human being. Will she get there? You’ll have to read to find out.   Most likely to figure out a way to use an enemy’s strength against him? Joni Campbell (DRUID’S DANCE / WYRMRIDER ASCENDING) is a siphon. She can extract magic from anyone she encounters who wields a magical force and amplify it several times over. If her enemy has any supernatural power, can access any kind of magic at all, she can harness their power and…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ONE LITTLE INDISCRETION (Singular Sensation #1) 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Duke stuck in a loveless engagement agrees to steal back a tiara for his best friend’s little sister out of obligation, but when a forbidden romance springs between them, all heck breaks loose, and one that might end their lives. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’m a Regency romance author, so sticking to England was a no-brainer. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! She’s smart and sassy, and she embraces adventure and romance with enthusiasm 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Stubborn, Noble, Dedicated 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That tradition is a prison, and you shouldn’t do something out of guilt or obligation, and that reduced circumstances makes a person all too desperate. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? Absolutely I edit as I go along. It saves so much time and allows me to really get to know characters and plot. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Thai food or the occasional greasy…

1–What is the title of your latest release? My latest novel is called THE NIGHT SHIFT.   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? THE NIGHT SHIFT is about Jean, a young bartender, who discovers bends in time and space through secret passages hidden throughout NYC. The story tracks the disappearance of a friend through the mysterious shortcuts, and Jean’s attempt to find him.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? New York is my favorite city in the world. I’ve lived here for over twenty years, and it still holds many mysteries for me—setting Jean’s mystery here was a no-brainer.   4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I love this question! Jean is a little skittish, so I think any hanging out would require a foundation of trust. But, once that trust is established, I bet Jean would be a loyal friend and a good time.   5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Introverted, bright, brave.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Music plays a significant role in this story, and I listened to so many new songs and albums I’d missed in…

1–What is the title of your latest release? My newest release is COLTON’S SECRET SABOTAGE, the seventh book in Harlequin’s The Colton’s of Colorado series. It officially drops on July 26th. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Philip Rees, an undercover detective, and Naomi Colton, a headstrong TV producer, prove to be television gold with the help of a few horses, a lot of cows, and a bad guy determined to steal more than the top prize in a reality TV competition. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The story is part of a continuity series developed by Harlequin. Along with eleven other authors, I was invited to contribute a story and received a series bible that spelled out all the details I needed to work with. It’s a wonderful give and take between us to insure all twelve books play off each other 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? No. I’d be more inclined to hang out with Naomi’s mother. I’m old! If I did hang out with Naomi or Philip, it would be to give them relationship advice and maybe cook them a Sunday meal. 5–What…