In the stable, Liam kicked the stall door, startling a few horses with his outburst. Their disgruntled whinnies and snorts had him apologizing to the beasts he’d upset. It wasn’t that he’d expected anything but another rejection; however, his heart was still reeling with disappointment and loss. He’d dreamed of a life with Evelyn Stewart as his wife. But, as it was with the dreams he’d had as a lad, it wasn’t to be. He often wondered what he’d done to be punished so. And from the time he’d heard the stories of God’s wrath he’d tried to atone for whatever sin he still paid for. Being a warrior piled on the debt with the lives he’d taken, but he hoped killing to protect his clan was redeemed in some way. “What did I do?” Liam’s question was for God, but he spoke it to the white mare that had come to stare at him accusingly over her stall door. She didn’t have an answer. Instead, she lifted her head a few times and snorted before pulling back inside to leave him alone once more. Alone. It seemed he’d been alone all his life. He had snippets of memories from…

As we approach the long grey months of winter, this month we’ll extract from the dim past some new and fascinating versions of Ancient Greece’s legends and myths from Ancient Greece, told from the perspective of little-known participants.  Were these slaves and queens real historical characters, or only the legends from a myth?  Regardless, their stories are compelling and offer a on the dynamic of male power that is still a force today. We begin in nearer times with a more classic love story, Taylor Caldwell’s GLORY AND LIGHTNING: A NOVEL OF ANCIENT GREECE.  Born in the Greek city of Miletus to a wealthy father who refused to raise any female children, the infant Aspasia was spirited away.  Growing up in the Persian harem of Al Taliph, she is trained to become the most seductive and intelligent of courtesans. It is there that she meets and captivates Pericles, ruler of Athens. She will become his lover, confidante, friend and advisor who sees him through the political upheavals of Athens, the Peloponnesian War, revolt, and natural disasters. Based on the life of a real but obscure woman, Taylor’s novel immerses us in the richness of ancient Greek and Persian culture, where…

Rashida Howard maneuvered to the bar to order a drink. Then, wine in hand, she scanned the room for a seat. It might’ve been easier finding a spot on a Titanic lifeboat. People were shoulder-to-shoulder and breast-to-chest deep. Every person in downtown Atlanta must’ve had the same idea—hang out here until the sun went down then make a dash for their cars and homes. She spied an empty stool and pushed her way toward it. She could almost touch it, but a suit slid onto it ahead of her. In no mood to be nice, she had an urge to grab him by the collar and dump him on the floor. Breathe, Rashida baby, breathe. Her grandmother’s voice rang in her head. That voice of reason was the only thing that stood between her and an assault charge. Rashida’s usual calm demeanor had been submerged under the recent changes in her grandmother’s life.  Her day had been one disappointment after another, culminating with her last stop at Quinn Enterprises. She’d phoned Marcus Quinn all week. He hadn’t the decency to return any of her calls, so she’d decided to forgo courtesy and just show up at his office unannounced. No…

Danielle Jackson: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Jenny! We are excited to chat with you about your new book, DUKE, ACTUALLY! First things first, we love the title and how it reminds us of Love Actually. Do you have a favorite holiday movie that gets you in the holiday spirit?   Jenny Holiday: This is going to sound silly, but my all-time favourite holiday movie is Christmas Eve on Sesame Street. I’ve been watching it annually since I was a kid and we had it on DVD. Now I subject my own family to it. Though I shouldn’t say “subject,” as it’s truly wonderful, and it has some of the best Christmas songs of all time. Is there anything more delicious than a bad-boy royal? What did you love about writing Maximillian von Hansburg, future Duke of Aquilla?  Max as a person is so easygoing and warm, and he was also like that to write. He just sort of emerged as himself, which doesn’t happen that often! Dani has recently ended her marriage and has sworn off men for a while, which of course is perfect timing when the infuriatingly charming Max shows up in New York. She’s thrust into the pomp and propriety of…

Hi everyone, I’m A.J. Locke, author of the upcoming urban fantasy novel, MAGIC DARK, MAGIC DIVINE with Entangled Publishing. Today I thought I’d share a fun interview with my four main characters, Pennrae, Callan, Gideon, and Toji, as a way of introducing them so you can get to know what they’re like before you meet them on the page. The answers they give don’t just pull from the book either! You’ll learn tidbits about them here that don’t echo in the novel, so it’s a great bit of insight into who they are as well as what their relationships with each other are like. I hope you enjoy getting to know my crew a bit. Q1: Give one word to describe the others Penn: Oh, this should be good… Gideon: Unflattering descriptions will be heckled. Toji: Gideon is one of the most fiercely caring people I know. Penn is unfathomably protective of those she cares about. I don’t know Callan very well yet, but he has to be strong if Penn has him by her side. Callan: I definitely need my strength. She throws a mean punch… Penn: Watch it before one really comes your way. Gideon: Me next! Toji,…

2:00 pm, Monday River Thames “’Tis good to be on a boat again,” Fiona said as the Sea Rover glided along, “even though ‘tis nae like a loch.” “That is an understatement,” Lorelei answered, trying not to sound sarcastic. Loch Awe, where Strae Castle was located, was crystal clear and carried the fresh scents of forested woods and heather. The river was grey and murky and smelled awful. Hopefully, this sailing adventure would not last that long now that Erik hadn’t accompanied them. “Combien de temps avant qu’ils ne le découvrent?” the boatswain asked the first mate. “J’espère pas avant que nous soyons en mer.” He shrugged. “Je ne veux pas les attacher.” “What are they saying?” Fiona asked. Lorelei frowned, not sure she heard correctly. She’d taken two years of French while Papa was still alive, but hadn’t had much cause to use it. “Oui. C’est une bonne dizaine de jours à Tripoli.” “Avec de bons vents.” The boatswain laughed. “Nous obtiendrons beaucoup d’argent pour eux.” Those last words chilled her. She gave Fiona a look that she hoped her friend would understand before she turned to the first mate at the helm. She prayed her voice wouldn’t shake….

“Quick, hide me!” Suz said as she ran into the large white tent. Kari Stuart looked up from where she was positioning a freestanding wall featuring pictures of animals currently up for adoption at the Serenity Sanctuary, almost dropping the display on her foot. Kari wasn’t sure which amazed her more–that her best friend, who was six feet tall with spiky lavender hair, thought she could actually hide behind five-foot-five, brown-haired Kari, or that there was something Suz would feel the need to hide from at all. They’d been friends since grade school and as far as Kari knew, Suz wasn’t afraid of anything. “Is there a demon chasing you?’ Kari asked, shifting one side of the hinged board so the whole thing was more stable. They were on the park-like grounds of the two year state college in Perryville, not far from their home town of Lakeview, for the annual Tri-county Kennel Club Show. Suz was a member of the local kennel club, one of three clubs putting on the event, and she’d been roped into taking on the coordinator role when someone else backed out at the last minute. In turn, she’d persuaded (okay, bribed) Kari into helping,…

Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Carrie! We are thrilled to have you here. Can you tell us about your new series, Sea Spray Island, that starts with your latest release, CELEBRATION AT CHRISTMAS COVE?  Carrie: The books in my Sea Spray Island series are humorous, heartwarming holiday romances set on an island where the scenery is gorgeous, the townspeople are quirky, and the heroes and heroines are definitely not looking for love…but they’re finding it anyway!  Celeste is still grieving the loss of her mother and had plans to spend Christmas in the Caribbean, but her plans are thwarted, and she ends up on a small Massachusetts island. What do you think readers can take away or learn from Celeste’s predicaments in this novel?   Without giving too much of the plot away, I hope readers will connect with Celeste’s experience of believing she knows exactly what she wants in life until she encounters obstacles that force her to consider other possibilities she might not have imagined for herself.   Nathan is also dealing with loss, and he wants the holiday season to be very special for his daughter, Abigail. When he meets Celeste, he’s unsure if he’s ready for…

We settled into a silence that was less awkward than I’d worried it would be. Colin played with his phone—he’d discovered a daily crossword puzzle app that could keep him occupied for hours. I thought about sketching, but decided I had a better way to spend the time. I pulled up a website I’d scoped out earlier on my phone. “Hey, Col?” “Yeah?” “Can I ask you some questions?” “I guess. Why?” I shrugged. “Oh, I dunno. To get to know you better.” “Sure, shoot.” He turned his attention back to his game. “Would you like or dislike inspecting a roof for leaks?” “Considering I have no idea how I’d do that, dislike.” “No, but, pretending you did know how to do it, would you like doing it?” He looked off into the distance for a moment, and I took the opportunity to make sure Evelyn’s house remained still and inactive. “Yeah, I guess if I had the skills, I’d like it. It would get me outside.” I clicked like on the form. “Okay, cool. What about analyzing the structure of molecules?” “What? No. I’d be in a lab all day.” He shuddered. Dislike for sure, then. “Coordinate a business…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A WINTER’S EARL 2–What is it about? Really short answer: One exiled earl, one sexy poet, one hell of a past relationship to work through. Short answer: It’s a loose riff on Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, a second-chance m/m Regency romance set at Christmas with buckets of longing, angst, sexy fencing, a secret baby, found family and a brief but memorable appearance from a bear. Longer answer: it’s about making a future that both acknowledges and draws a line under the past, about confronting the demons that have haunted you for years – and about how really, deep down, you never forget your first true love. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love writing about snowy weather and remote places. Sherborne’s castle in Cumbria is basically at the end of the world, surrounded by bleak, dramatic landscapes and beset by bad weather. Nothing to do but light the fires, look out at the darkness and work through all those lingering romantic feelings… 4–How did Sherborne surprise you?  Sherborne was quite a complex character to write. Without getting too spoilery, there’s an unthinking nobility that guides some of…