1–What is the title of your latest release? The Girl Who Could Breathe Under Water 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When a reader accuses her of lying and using people for her own gain, a young novelist must return to the place and the people that inspired her successful debut in order to prove to herself that she told the truth as any good writer should. But she soon discovers that the lines between fact and fiction are not as defined as she might like—and she may have missed the most important part of the story altogether. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? If it’s a summer book set in Michigan, it simply has to be on a lake. Lake culture is a huge part of growing up in a state that is 40% water. To me, it couldn’t be set anywhere else. 4–What are three words that describe your main character? Driven, passionate, contemplative 5–Which side character stole your attention the most from the main storyline? I really enjoyed writing any scene with Andreas, Kendra’s unexpected houseguest. He added so much charm and good humor to balance Kendra’s serious side….

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE HELHEIM PRINCESS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? THE HELHEIM PRINCESS is a sapphic enemies-to-lovers romance about valkyries, who are warrior women on winged horses. Sigrid wants more than anything to be a valkyrie, but she doesn’t have a winged horse, so she’s doomed to be a stable hand. Then she sees a vision of herself leading a valkyrie charge on Odin’s eight-legged stallion, Sleipnir, and she realizes that a greater destiny for herself is possible. So she teams up with an enemy valkyrie who helps her cross the nine worlds to get to Sleipnir. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I decided to write about valkyries because I wanted to write about warrior women on horseback. From there, it was a matter of picking which of the nine Norse worlds they should live on. A bit of research later, we ended up in the beautiful world of Vanaheim! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! We would have an awesome time. I’d love to go riding with her. 5–What are three words that describe your other heroine? Destined…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A HEART ADRIFT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A Virginia chocolatier and a privateering sea captain collide once more after a failed love affair a decade before. Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart? Or will a new shared vision reunite them? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Since my ancestry is based in Virginia (via Scotland), I’m always drawn there. My favorite U.S. historic site is Colonial Williamsburg and my newfound love is historic Yorktown so it was wonderful to set this story in both places. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! I would be happy to hobnob with this heroine for a day, including visiting her sister in Colonial Williamsburg and tempting visitors at Shaw’s Chocolate along Yorktown’s waterfront. Esmee Shaw is a foodie like me, my first plus-sized heroine, Don’t be fooled by that beautiful cover which shows her in her younger, svelte, pre-chocolate shop days 😉 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Capable, faithful, and worldly in a way that has made him wise. 6–What’s something you learned…

Danielle Jackson: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Chandra, and congrats on your debut novel, DIGGING UP LOVE! Can you tell us your “journey into publishing” story?   Chandra Blumberg: Thank you, Danielle! I always dreamed of becoming an author, but for a long time, I bought into the mistaken belief that writing wasn’t a viable career and getting a book published was as unlikely as hitting the lottery. While I continued to write—mostly short stories and essays I never planned to show anyone—I didn’t seek publication until a few years ago. I started off writing parenthood essays and was in the midst of querying a non-fiction humor manuscript about motherhood when the March 2020 pandemic shutdown hit. At that point, with all the uncertainty in the world and the chaos of a family of six living in quarantine, I was ready to switch gears from writing about my daily life and delve back into fiction. I drafted DIGGING UP LOVE during the covid shutdown as an escape of sorts and got so much joy from spending time with my characters and story. The adage about writing the book you want to read really held true for me. I took what I’d…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SUNRISE (Sky King Ranch book 1) 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? SUNRISE is the beginning of a new series…so let’s start with that:  The epic plot of the television series “24” find their way to Alaska and fall into the hands of three ex-military brothers. Small town Alaska. Bush pilots. Three ex-military heroes. The Kingston triplets have come home defeated, broken from war and feeling anything but heroic. But the sons of Sky King ranch have returned home just in time. Because the world is in danger, and these flyboys, rescuers and soldiers just might be the only ones who can save it. It’s a fight to save the people—and country—they love, and along the way, they’ll discover healing and become the heroes they are meant to be. SUNRISE: What if the woman who broke your heart was waiting for you back home…hoping for forgiveness? Can broken warrior find his way home to a happy ending? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Oh, I love Alaska. Next to Montana, it’s my go-to for the best place to set an epic romantic adventure. I’ve…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Radhika, and congrats on the publication of your book, 30 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MYSELF! The concept of this book is so much fun and follows a woman on a journey of self-discovery and self-love (and acceptance). Where did the inspiration for this novel begin?   It came from my own life! I went on a self-love journey a few years back, in my late twenties, after I had a break-up with the person I thought I’d marry – just like Nina does. It was a really difficult time, but I believe that it’s from the lows that we really grow and evolve, and from then on, my life completely changed for the better. I made a conscious effort to love myself, to ditch my negative self-talk for positivity, and as time went on, I realized I was suddenly thriving in my career, my personal life, and most importantly, with myself. The whole journey was so interesting and funny and hard and important all at once that I knew I wanted to write about it. I decided to turn it into a novel so I could explore a character going on a self-love journey, but also…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A MOST UNUSUAL DUKE 2–What is it about? Arthur Humphries, Duke of Osborn, made a vow he would never marry; Beatrice, the widowed Marchioness of Castleton, vowed never to wed again, having been married to a feral lupine Shifter. Threats to the wellbeing of both ensure they carry out George’s plan, but as they work together to put Arthur’s home place back to rights, will they be able to resist their growing attraction? (Nope.) Touchstone tropes are grumpy/frosty (my own spin on grumpy/sunshine) and found family.  3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I am crazy about home renovation shows and the chance to write about a fixer-upper was so much fun. Given the time period, though, there is neither shiplap nor subway tile. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Beatrice has a bawdy sense of humor, aided and abetted by her sister-in-law Charlotte. She is slightly naive and doesn’t always get the saucy jokes Charlotte and her husband Ben make, but they make Beatrice want to laugh out loud — which, as a refined lady, she struggles against! 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Arthur is a big,…

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 Kristin Vayden! Writes: First in a sweet and sparkling Regency romance series. About: I write the glitzy, gossipy, and dramatic regency romance genre! My newest release, FORTUNE FAVORS THE DUKE, is a sweet romance with forbidden love and friends-to-lovers themes! You’ll love the strong independence of Catherine—loosely based on Catherine the Great of Russia—and Quin, her late fiancé’s brother (no scandal there*winks*) who is a duke, of course. Writing is too much fun!  I love my job, especially since I write from home, which means I get to chase all five of my kids around—sometimes literally, can anyone relate? Of course, my hubby tag teams with me, so that’s usually when I get to write! He’s one in a million. Plus, I can write from my patio and watch my mama and baby goats frolic around on our little hobby farm in Washington State. Not to mention, I can walk to a winery for wine tasting and a billion coffee shops are nearby, what’s not to love? What…

Discomfort was the first thing Sebastian became aware of, his mouth parched and his head pounding. He ignored both, struggling to recall what had happened. Mercier—the ring of fire— Lord Fine. Sebastian’s eyes flew open and he sat up. Or tried to. He swore as metal bit into his wrists. His arms were stretched up and out to either side, cuffed to—he craned his neck with difficulty, following the line of his right arm—cuffed to— Bedposts? Tall mahogany bedposts, exquisitely carved, and above them stretched a deep green canopy, embroidered with gold. His head rested on something soft, and the fabric against his cheek was like silk. A twitch of his legs confirmed they were free, and there was no bite of lead against his skin. So someone with significant money had cuffed him to a bed, but they hadn’t taken his magic into account— “Finally awake, are you?” Sebastian turned his head to the left, toward the sound of Lord Fine’s voice. The viscount was only a few feet away, sitting in a chair of dark wood and green velvet. He had removed his jacket, his shirtsleeves rolled up to his elbows above bandaged forearms, and on his lap…

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 Julie Hamilton! Writes: I write contemporary romance with heat, humor, and heart. My debut novel, JUST FOR SHOW, is about an airplane meet-cute that goes viral and sparks a fake relationship for social media. Luke is a home renovation TV star and Audrey is a photographer launching her own business. His producers want him to keep posting about Audrey, and she’s desperate to get attention for her business. Fake dating is the obvious solution. But keeping things fake proves harder than either of them thought…especially when they go away for a weekend and there’s only one bed. When their temporary fling turns into real feelings for each other, they have to decide if an actual relationship is worth the risk to their hearts. About: I’m originally from Pittsburgh and now live near Chicago. I love watching TV (my favorite shows are Ted Lasso, House Hunters, and the many iterations of the Real Housewives franchise), listening to podcasts, doing the New York…