Just because trouble has come visiting doesn’t mean you have to offer it a place to sit down. That had always been Crockett Legend’s motto and it had served him well. Until now. Looked like it might be too late at this point for any type of homespun cowboy wisdom. The dye had been cast. Rays of an apricot sky through the idling train’s window sent a reminder that his early morning travel could yield yet more surprises and it was best to be prepared. If possible. He rubbed his face with his hands and glanced around at the people still filling the car. A group of men in rough work clothes were talking about going to the oil fields, hoping to find work in the Texas boom towns that had recently sprung up overnight. In fact, the black gold and talk of getting rich seemed on everyone’s minds these days. A swish of delicate fabric brushing his legs interrupted his thoughts as a woman hesitated, probably scanning the car for a choice of empty seats. Finally, she mumbled something under her breath and took the seat across the narrow aisle from him. The faint scent of sage and wildflowers…

1–What is the title of your latest release? I have quite a few! A GOVERNESS OF UNUSUAL EXPERIENCE came out on 14 January, and I currently have five books available on pre-order: A GOVERNESS OF WISE YEARS, comes out on March 29, THE MISSING HUSBAND comes out on April 26, ADVENT WITH AN ARCHDUKE launches May 1, SCANDAL WITH A SOVEREIGN is live on June 1, and I’m involved in an incredible multi-author boxset that will be published on June 7 called SECRETS, SCANDALS, AND SEDUCTION. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? THE MISSING HUSBAND is the first book in my new de Petras Saga, a multi-generational family saga with romance, mystery, and more! This rambunctious family is determined, rebellious, and packed full of incredible stories. Readers will meet the matriarch, Opal de Petras, in the first book – and her husband, who appears back in her life just as she has given him up for dead and decided to take a lover. Shenanigans ensue! 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I have always written historical romance; I just love losing myself in the past and exploring characters who are faced with…

Danielle Jackson: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Jesse! We are big fans of your Aunties series and are so excited to celebrate the release of FOUR AUNTIES AND A WEDDING – congrats! What has been the most surprising thing about your publishing journey so far?   Jesse Q. Sutanto:  Oh gosh, to be honest, EVERYTHING has been surprising about my publishing journey! My first book deal, THE OBSESSION, was a humble deal. Everything was about as typical as it went. My second book deal, THEO TAN AND THE FOX SPIRIT, was slightly larger, but still pretty average. Then the following month I sold DIAL A FOR AUNTIES and things just exploded. Suddenly, I was having calls with producers and giant studios, all of whom were clamoring to buy the rights to the TV/film adaptation. It was the kind of story where, if an aspiring author were to say she dreams of having that kind of road to publication, she’d be laughed out of the room because it’s just so ridiculous!   Wedding planning is already a feat, but with her vivacious and nosy aunties “helping,” things quickly get out of hand for Meddy. Were there any aspects of wedding planning and…

Your new book, THE DETECTIVE’S DAUGHTER, involves your main character investigating a cold case for personal reasons. I love stories like that. What inspired you to write about that subject? Are you fascinated by cold cases, or true crime stories? I am definitely fascinated by cold cases and true crime! Of course, I’m not alone in that, which explains the popularity of the genre. Cold cases are fascinating because they’re the ultimate mystery, that dangling thread that never gets pulled, the question mark that never becomes a period. The JonBenet Ramsey case comes to mind. We can’t stop wondering what happened to that beautiful little girl, we want answers, closure. We look at the pieces of that crime puzzle, analyzing each, wondering where the investigation went wrong.   In the case of THE DETECTIVE’S DAUGHTER, I was drawn to the idea of a daughter being pulled into the case, now ice cold, that destroyed her father. Between the case – a murder and kidnapping inside a powerful and secretive New Orleans family – and my protagonist’s history with it, I had lots of good stuff work with. In THE DETECTIVE’S DAUGHTER, is the focus more on the mystery itself or,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? GOING PUBLIC   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  Executive assistant Elvin is used to cleaning up after his playboy boss, Ray. But when a routine business trip uncovers a secret drug ring, not even Elvin can bail Ray out of the mess. They must work together to beat the law and admit their love for each other in the process.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  I live and work in Toronto, so it made sense to set the book in a city I’m familiar with.   4–Would you hang out with Raymond in real life?  Definitely. Especially if he invites me to his private rooftop pool or we hop on a plane for a dinner and a show on Broadway!   5–What are three words that describe Elvin? Caretaker, Loyal, Ruthlessly Efficient (I cheated )   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  The minimum-security prisons in Canada look more like country clubs than jails.   7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? A little of both? To be honest, it changes with every…

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 Laura Brown!   Writes: Hi! I’m so happy to be here! I write contemporary romance and romcoms with heart and heat! I love writing characters who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, as I’m Hard of Hearing myself! My latest novel, The Un-Arranged Marriage, features a hard of hearing heroine and a demisexual hero! It’s a fun enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract romcom with lots of competitions!   About: I’m a not-so-quiet introvert who loves to talk about my favorite books (all the HEA romances) and shows (Once Upon A Time and Property Brothers anyone?). When I’m not on my computer, I’m taking care of my tween and our three cats, especially the kitten who demands all the attention! I married my high school sweetheart and we live in Massachusetts with our family. I love a fun coffee mug and have been consuming way too much coffee this pandemic!   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: My ideal match for THE UN-ARRANGED MARRIAGE will… Love the enemies to lovers…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A MATTER OF HIVE AND DEATH out March 29, 2022. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? It’s the second in the Oregon Honeycomb Series. For the picturesque town of Oceanview on the Oregon Coast, May brings blossoming fruit trees and the annual UFO festival. As Aunt Eloise tries out alien costumes on their Havana brown cat Everett, Wren is off to meet with a bee wrangler, her go-to guy for local fruit tree honey. But when she arrives, Elias Brentwood is lying on the ground amidst destroyed hives and a swarm of angry bees. The bees didn’t kill him, a blow to the head did. As blue-eyed Officer Jim Hampton investigates and the town is invaded by its own swarm of conspiracy theorists and crackpots, Wren and Aunt Eloise decide the only way to catch the bee wrangler’s killer is to set up a sting… 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love the Oregon coast and traveled there several times while living in Portland. I knew it had to be featured in a book. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real…

Who doesn’t love maps? Sure, they can be confusing, puzzling, and downright impossible to fold, but the adventures they hold are amazing. When I saw the latest release by Peng Shephard, THE CARTOGRAPHERS, I had to check it out. It’s a little bit adventure, a little bit mystery, and a whole lot of intrigue and fun. Peng is definitely a writer you want to keep on your list of go-to of authors, so of course I had to invite her to sit down with us at the Cozy Corner and find out how her heroine, Nell Young, came to life.   Kym:  Welcome to the Cozy Corner, Peng! Peng: Thrilled to be here!   Kym: Maps, I love maps! The art of map reading has been lost on the youth of today thanks to GPS giving them directions and that’s why I loved the premise of your latest release, THE CARTOGRAPHERS. How good of a map reader/folder, are you? Peng: Pretty good, although I definitely got a lot better during the writing of this novel! I spent a lot of time looking at one map in particular, the map which the book is based on—by the time I finished writing the manuscript, I knew the…

Your novel, THE BUCHAREST DOSSIER, takes place in 1989 in Romania. Why choose that time and place for your story? What’s your inspiration? By December of 1989, the satellite countries of the Soviet Union had transitioned to democracy through their own versions of a “velvet,” peaceful revolution. All except one: Romania. Its leader, Nicolae Ceausescu, was a Stalinist tyrant who held the country in a tight grip through the use of his dreaded secret police, the Securitate. Romania would become the only former Soviet satellite to have a violent revolution, resulting in over 1,200 deaths, though exact numbers are still not available. And to this day, the people of Romania are still asking whether it was truly a popular revolution, or a coup directed by outside forces. Having been born in Romania, that period of history intrigued me. I have visited Romania many times, both during the communist years and afterward. I believe I can provide an accurate depiction of life under a totalitarian regime both from personal experience and through the eyes of relatives and friends who still live there. I think that in today’s world, it would be enlightening for the public to see what a totalitarian regime…

In MOUNTAIN MURDER INVESTIGATION, your hero is an academic and your heroine is a cop. Was that an interesting dynamic to write? A lot of times, in stories with a cop hero, he tries (with good intentions but also often annoying) to direct the heroine he wants to protect. Does Aiden find it difficult taking his lead from Raven when it comes to his protection? Or do they more so work together? Great question! Going into the story, I didn’t anticipate any issues. I quickly realized it was going to be a challenge to find balance in their relationship. I’m used to writing take-charge heroes, and I didn’t want to portray Aiden as weak. On the flip side, I couldn’t discount that Raven is the professional. Because Aiden respects her position and experience, he follows her guidance. He’s very protective of her, however—she is the love of his life, the one he walked away from in order to keep safe. He is more concerned with her wellbeing than his own. I hope readers come away satisfied with Aiden and Raven’s journey back to each other and the love they thought lost forever.     Based on the book description for…