1–What is the title of your latest release? MURDER ALWAYS BARKS TWICE, it’s the second in my “Chatty Corgi” mystery series set in the village of Trevena in Cornwall. 2–What is it about? The organizer of a local literary festival is found dead, and Emma Reed and her irrepressible corgi sidekick, Oliver, are caught up in the murder investigation. There’s mystery, family secrets, romance, old grudges, a grand old house, and lots of cake. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Trevena is based on Tintagel, which is a village I visited while I was in Cornwall researching another book. I fell in love with the Cornish coast on that trip, so I was really excited to be able to set a mystery series there. 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  The big surprise as I wrote these books was Oliver, my “chatty corgi.” When my editor came to me and asked for a series with an actual talking dog, I was more than a little uncertain. It took a while to get a feel for Oliver’s personality, and his voice. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make him work…

From around the side of the next vehicle, a white truck, stepped a figure dressed in jeans, a black T-shirt—and a ski mask. Ava gasped and stumbled back, letting her purse fall to the ground as he lifted his hand. She kicked out, her foot slamming against his forearm. The object in his gloved fist clattered to the ground. A yell escaped him, and he lunged. “Ava!” Ava heard her name as she dodged her attacker’s attempt to grab her. She lashed out with the heel of her palm and caught the attacker’s chin beneath the mask. He roared his displeasure and staggered back. Ava spun to run, but a hand closed over her wrist, jerking her off-balance. She hit the ground hard on her back, the breath whooshing from her lungs. She lay stunned, while her mind screamed at her to move. He loomed over her, wrapped a hand around the material of her shirt at the base of her throat, and drew back a fist. Fear wanted to smother her, but anger slid past the initial shock, even as pounding footsteps grabbed her attention. “Hey! Let her go! Get away from her!” Her attacker halted, released his hold,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? TO CATCH A THIEF (Counterfeit Capers #3) 2–What is it about? Third book in the series sees things heat up for the team as the FBI is investigating the forgeries being discovered. Mia, the mastermind behind targeting rich men, gets involved with the FBI agent trying to piece together what’s going on among Chicago’s elite. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Chicago is my hometown, so I love bringing pieces of it to my work. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Since this is the third book, Mia has been percolating in my head for a long time. In the first two books, she is seen by everyone as an ice queen. But she surprised me by being far more vulnerable than I expected. She’s also fiercely loyal to a group of criminals that she never wanted to like. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Logan Ford is down-to-earth and charming. He cares about his diverse family and wants to help Mia to keep her safe. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  One of my biggest hurdles was making Mia…

Zeke Montgomery knew Morgan West was going to be trouble the minute he laid eyes on her. She stood at the foot of the steps to her own front door — the front door he’d been waiting outside of for the past couple of hours, not that he’d been counting or anything — with her arms folded, looking sternly at him like he was a little kid who’d just drawn on her walls with a crayon. She was very small and wore a not particularly flattering uniform of dark brown pants and khaki shirt, with a dark brown parka that nearly swallowed her thrown over the top. And her strawberry blond hair, the color of which reminded him of apricots, was in a very severe ponytail down her back. She wore no makeup, her face freckled and wholesome, with those bright blue eyes, the ones he remembered from Cal’s funeral that had been red from weeping then, but were much brighter now. They were also very, very direct. And she was still the prettiest thing he’d seen for months, if not years. All of which spelled trouble with a capital ’T’. She said crossly, “Where on earth have you been,…

Hi! Thanks so much to Fresh Fiction for inviting me to share a scene from my upcoming release, UNDERCOVER ENGAGEMENT. In terms of setting this up, Eden and Swain are law enforcement officers who detest each other but are forced to partner as an engaged couple for an undercover sting operation. They’re at a local bar trying to make contact with the targets of the sting. She’s mad at him. He deserves it. Here’s his version of an apology… *** “Aw, c’mon, choux,” Swain called to her over the music. “Don’t be like that. Dance with me. They’re playin’ our song.” She sat there facing him, arms and legs crossed, one booted foot bouncing like she was ready to kick him to the curb. “I wouldn’t dance with you if you were the last person in this place.” “I’ll dance with you, Eden,” Dobie offered. “Hey, man.” Swain sent him an exasperated look. “I’m workin’ an apology here.” Eden smiled at Dobie and then turned her stern look on him. “After what you said, it’s going to take way more than an apology.” Nose in the air, she added, “I don’t really think you’re up to the task.” Perfect. Did…

Hello! I’m so excited to be back with you on the Fresh Fiction Blog! If we haven’t met before, I’m Lisa Kessler and I passionate, page-turning paranormal romances filled with plenty of twists and turns, danger and adventure, and sexy romance that will curl your toes. I love writing paranormals, and I don’t stop with vampires and shifters. In the Sentinels of Savannah series, I’ve got a sexy crew of immortal pirates, but they’re not vampires. Their final plunder as mortals turned out not to be gold, but the Holy Grail. They’ve been immortal ever since, living and working at their favorite port city, Savannah Georgia! My new release, Pirate’s Promise, is book 5 in my Sentinels of Savannah Series but it can be read as a standalone. Why pirates in Savannah? My grandmother was born and raised just outside of Savannah in Darien, so I’d visited America’s Most Haunted City before and pirates are a big part of their history. I’ve wanted to write a pirate series since the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie came out, but I didn’t want to write a historical soooo… One day it hit me! What if the pirates were still here, today?…

Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Isabel! It’s hard to believe BLOOD AND EMBER, the third book in your Stormbringer series, is already out. What have you loved about writing this series the most?  Getting to build my own world! Bits of it were tough–the maps especially, as I am not a person who’s good with space and distance. (I am a person who lives in Massachusetts and continually refers to “going up to New York City.”) But I got to think up holidays and histories and peoples, which was tons of fun. I also got to create a world with a benevolent goddess of death and vengeance, and not in a gross “scorned woman” way, which I am into. Olvir embarks on a harrowing journey to hopefully figure out the true nature of his powers, and his friend Vivian (a warrior in her own right!), is not going to let him go about this on his own. Of course, their friendship develops into something more. How did you balance their epic journey with their changing relationship?   The thing I’ve found about travel is that it gives you a lot of time and space to think–like, just being away from your normal surroundings can…

F: Female Warrior I: Independent woman E: Enigmatic alpha R: Riding crop fun C: Convenient marriage E: Enemies to lovers * C: Cave secrets O: Old enemies returned W: Wolf Pack Run B: Birth of a new era O: Ominous messages Y: Young love lost * W: Wild wolf pack O: Only one I’ve ever really wanted L: Love wasn’t part of the plan F: Finally together as equals * FIERCE COWBOY WOLF by Kait Ballenger Seven Range Shifters #4 Cowboys by day, wolf shifters by night: These bad boys are ready to heat things up in a sexy paranormal wolf shifter romance from author Kait Ballenger. Packmaster Maverick Grey is reconciled to spending the rest of his life alone. No woman can compare to his former love, least of all Sierra Cavanaugh–a woman who makes level-headed Maverick’s blood boil with a fire even his worst enemies could never evoke… But then, with his reputation on the line, and the pack’s safety his primary concern, Maverick finds himself in need of a mate, and Sierra comes to him with a proposal. All she wants is to become an elite warrior, and she needs Maverick’s help to get to her goal….

People change.  It’s one of the oldest adages in the book.  And yet, there’s a deeper truth: people RESIST change, even change they ought to embrace (because often change equals opportunity). For example, we moved in December 2020, because the company my husband works for relocated to a different part of North Texas.  I did not want to move, and the re-location was close enough that – in theory – we could have stayed where we were, and Jake would have just had a longer commute.  Much longer, but still doable, especially since he was partly working from home.  So much had already changed during the pandemic.  I had started teaching my continuing education writing classes from home.  I’d even had to have a virtual book launch party. But by wholesale saying no more change, I was missing out on an opportunity.  Jake and I were living in a one-bedroom apartment, which had worked until suddenly we were both working from home – with different work styles.  I have to have noise on in the background.  Jake needs quiet to focus.  We needed a change – just to function.  Once we committed to the move, we found a place that…

1–What is the title of your latest release?  HIGHLAND LEGEND 2–What is it about? An arrogant, skilled fighter finds love in the most unexpected way…   Magnus Stewart, aka “The Eagle” is the bastard son of a duke, and his royal blood has never been anything but a curse. Among the mystique and riches of the legendary fight club Ludus Caledonia, Magnus battles his way to the top. Lady Diantha de Mora in desperation seeks his help. When Magnus reluctantly comes to her aid, his fate is changed forever in one night. With enemies at every turn, it’ll take muscle and a miracle for them to make it to the Highlands alive. There Magnus can reclaim his destiny, as Diantha reclaims his heart. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  This entire series is set a little bit later, history-wise, than I’m used to writing, so researching Tudor Scotland was interesting. But what I like most is the heart of the series – an exclusive fight club known as the Ludus Caledonia. Think “Gladiator” (the movie). The bond between these warriors is so strong and it truly is a brotherhood. These men may fight each other on…