SMOKE AND OTHER STORMS is described as a “western fantasy adventure”. How would you describe the setting for this story? I think of it as the American Wild West meets 1800’s Australia. Half of the people are there to prospect and mine, the other half are violent prisoners shipped from back east so the cities don’t have to deal with them. However, the weather is savage and the bulk of the west is unmapped and toxic. It’s a do or die, kill or be killed environment, which is why the family bond the characters have is so important, they keep each other safe and alive.   What was you inspiration for this book? I grew up with all sisters and wanted to write a book that celebrates the bond between women. I also wanted it to be fun and I really love the desert, so that part was obvious. I started thinking about treasure hunt, action-adventure stories like Indiana Jones and National Treasure (still one of my favorite movies). We hardly ever get to see why the antagonists are really after the gold. We’re usually just left to assume it’s because they’re greedy. I wanted to explore the human side…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Gillian Libby!   Writes: FOUR WAYS TO WEAR A DRESS is a contemporary romance that’s a little like a grown-up Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. When Millie Ward gets fired (again) she packs up a forgotten lucky dress she and her closest friends once shared and goes off to start a new more adventurous life, full of surfing and long lost crushes.   About: A writer and mom of two, plus two dogs, who loves a good dress and a good occasion to wear one.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Anyone looking for a fun, sexy, summer romance with a lucky dress that might help Millie get lucky in more ways than one.   What to expect if we’re compatible: Fun settings that take you on an adventure without ever leaving home. Steamy romance and swoon-worthy main characters. Friends that have your back Modern storylines Happily Ever Afters and a forever book boyfriend FOUR WAYS TO WEAR A DRESS by Gillian Libby You are…

1–What is the title of your latest release? MUDDLED THROUGH: Maine Clambake Mystery #10 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Mud season takes on a whole new meaning in the coastal town of Busman’s Harbor, Maine, when local business owners sling dirt at one another in a heated feud over a proposed pedestrian mall. Vandalism is one thing, but murder means Julia Snowden of the Snowden Family Clambake steps in to clean up the case . . . 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The Maine Clambake Mysteries center around Busman’s Harbor, a town on Maine’s midcoast. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? Absolutely! 5–What are three words that describe your sleuth? Smart, determined, kind 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? For this book I got to learn all about making pottery, the art and the business side. Three fabulous potters patiently answered all my questions. I also learned about the female photographers throughout the history was National Geographic Magazine, which was absolutely fascinating. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? When writing a first draft I never look back….

1–What is the title of your latest release? DECEIVER OF MINDS (SPECTR 3.5) 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A federal exorcist falls in love with the demon he must destroy. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? All the SPECTR books take place in the south. For this series, I chose New Orleans solely so I could have the vampire lead a vampire tour. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I’d hang out with Caleb and Gray any day. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? There are three in this series, so I’ll pick Gray: direct, hungry, and sweet. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Abandoned buildings in New Orleans, where most of the action takes place. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? It depends. I put off editing as much as possible until I’m done, so I only have to do one revision sweep, but if something radically changes as I’m writing, I’ll go back and rework the manuscript so I’m on solid footing for the third act. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Does craft beer…

I absolutely loved the ending solution to MILLION DOLLAR DEMON, so much in fact I was worried how TROUBLE WITH THE CURSED would handle the consequences surrounding Constance. Any hints about where you’ll take us with her next? Thank you! I’m so pleased that the ending to MILLION DOLLAR DEMON was satisfying. I’ve had to become more inventive when it comes to giving Rachel more powerful antagonists to tackle and yet avoid the temptation to simply kill them off. The quirky solutions she employs is what makes Rachel, Rachel. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that the erratic, undead vampire is not gone. She appears in the next book, poised to step into Rachel’s story once more. Just how big a part she will be playing remains to be seen. I have ideas, but until I get them on paper, they are as changeable as the weather. One question I’ve been dying to ask ever since starting The Hollows series… why tomatoes?! The Hollows began much more tongue-in-cheek than it is now. Actually, it was a lot more, much of it pruned out before DEAD WITCH WALKING hit the shelf. That a GMO tomato…

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 A.N. Payton! Writes: I write fantasy romance, with a hint of steampunk. My debut novel, HELLFIRE AND HONEY, is about a witch princess named Sal forced to surrender to her sworn enemy, the vampire king Kadence. As the pair work through a tumultuous peace, and unexpected romance, something much worse marches toward them – a demon army thirsting for death. Will the kingdoms work together to defeat the horde, or will hellfire consume them all? About: I enjoy a good cup of tea (or coffee, I’m not picky!) while frantically chasing around my toddler and our sweet Australian Shepard mix doggie. When I’m not writing or reading, I’m either playing video games with my husband (probably Halo or Sea of Thieves) or sleeping. I’m searching for readers that love enemies-to-lovers tropes, bad boys you just can’t get over, and strong female characters that don’t have to rely on a man. My Ideal Reader Match Must Love: Enemies to lovers = hot, hot, hot Steamy…

Award-winning author Regina Scott is about to celebrate her 60th release, with NEVER ROMANCE A ROGUE, so we at Fresh Fiction thought it would be a good time to get to know her characters better. So, let’s play a little game we call “The Character Most Likely.”   Most likely to speak her own mind, regardless of the situation? ANSWER: Jane Kimball (NEVER DOUBT A DUKE). She may be a cavalry officer’s widow, but she never learned to follow orders.   Most likely to try to play by the rules? ANSWER: Lady Larissa Dryden (NEVER PURSUE A PRINCE). Her mother and grandmother drummed into her what it means to be a lady, though she’s learning what it means to follow her heart.   Most likely to be overlooked and underestimated? ANSWER: Lady Calantha Dryden (NEVER COURT A COUNT). With Callie’s quiet nature and pale coloring, she tends to disappear in company. People say the most outrageous things in her hearing as a result, and she remembers every word.   Most likely to play matchmaker? ANSWER: Meredith Thorn and her cat, Fortune (any of the Fortune’s Brides books, though ALWAYS KISS AT CHRISTMAS is Meredith’s origin story). They operate an employment…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WHEN WE DANCE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A renowned rake breaks up a wedding while seducing the bride, buries his family in scandal, is accused of murder, and…. falls in love. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I had a scene in my head of the hero and heroine dancing in a vast meadow and created their world around that image. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Definitely! Not only is she caring and sincere but has an amazing singing voice. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Rake, Childish (according to the heroine, that is), and Honest 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That I can write a book in a month! 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I don’t write in order, so I edit as I go, and then again when I am totally done. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Dark chocolate and red wine 9–Describe your writing space/office! Currently? An absolute mess—lol!  My son is getting ready to leave for the Air Force Academy…

“Sir William, I ask you to discard your knighthood for a season and become a wandering minstrel.” Okay, I wasn’t very imaginative with my title. The Minstrel and Her Knight is exactly what the label suggests – a historical romance starring medieval minstrels. My hero, Sir William, is an English knight who has been emotionally scarred by fighting in France. He would much prefer to live a minstrel life. The only problem is that this is a one-way decision, and that way is precipitously down. Wandering entertainers were considered the dregs of society. Once Will has come out as a minstrel, his father will disown him and he’ll no longer be a privileged nobleman. What’s more, he’ll never be able to marry well, for what lady would ever wed a disreputable minstrel? So Will hesitates. He doesn’t dare to follow his dream – until he is offered the chance to protect a talented musician through France while pretending to be a minstrel. Will leaps at the chance. The problem is, he doesn’t realise the young man he accompanies is also in disguise. So why were medieval minstrels considered the lowest of the low? It was partly because many of them wandered from…

When I first heard about your book THE MISSING GIRLS OF ALARDYCE HOUSE, I was intrigued because it sounded like the kind of historical gothic mystery I adore. What inspired you to write this book, and why a trilogy?  Does each book pick up where the previous one left off? Does each book focus on the same characters? Is each book told from the same character’s perspective? I was inspired to write this series by a clip from Downton Abbey. I’d never actually watched the program before, but I saw a snippet of it on Harry Hill’s TV Burp of all things. It was a scene where the family were gathered around the table for dinner and I saw the character Thomas, played by the lovely Rob James Collier. This inspired the character of Matthew. He sprung to life in my mind very vividly and quickly. I wrote the first book in just three weeks and that was handwritten in a notebook, not even on a laptop. The book just poured out of me so quickly my hand could barely keep up with my brain. It was the most intense writing experience I’ve ever had. Each book in the series…