Danielle: Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Olivia!  Can you tell our readers a little bit about your series, Unlikely Duchesses? Olivia: The “Unlikely Duchesses” series features feisty women who seek employment as a governess in the home of a duke.  They’re slightly scandalous, not perfect ladies, and of course, they don’t care a fig for the rules of high society. Book 1:  THE DUKE I ONCE KNEW showcases Max Bryce, the Duke of Rothwell, a rake who was rejected by his first love, Abby Linton, the girl next door. When he meets the spirited spinster again fifteen years later, Abby is governess to his sister and scornful of the rogue that he’s become.  Yet the old spark is still there, fanned into flames by their sizzling encounters. Book 2:  FOREVER MY DUKE features Hadrian Ames, the Duke of Clayton, whose ordered life is turned topsy-turvy when he meets a lively American woman. Natalie Fanshawe is hard-working, independent, and plucky, with a definite preference for America’s system of equality over England’s class hierarchy.  The last thing she wants is to marry a duke! Book 3:  WHEN A DUKE LOVES A GOVERNESS continues the series with a penniless hatmaker who dreams of…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE WIDOWS OF CHAMPAGNE 2–What is it about? After France declares war on Germany in 1939, three generations of Leblanc women join forces to save their family’s champagne house: Chateau Fouche-Leblanc. All three are widows, and their lives have already been marred by loss and war. But when the enemy shows up on their doorstep, they are forced to make difficult choices that will require heroic feats, sacrifice, and put all of them in danger. One will join the fight. One will rely on her faith. While another will protect the others from her dark secret in a way that will haunt her for the rest of her life. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  As the title suggests, THE WIDOWS OF CHAMPAGNE is set in the champagne region of France in an old, stately chateau on a sweeping vineyard. I loved learning about this area and the arduous process it takes to make world class champagne, starting with the growing of the grapes through to the final of two fermentations. Yes, two. There’s also been a historical misrepresentation of what the French went through during the war,…

A loud crash and the sound of glass shattering cut her off, and my head snapped toward the bar. Our bartender, the guy with the eyes, was leaning over, gripping his leg. Blood trickled toward his ankle, and shards of the broken bottle surrounded his feet in a puddle of fizzy pink wine. I leaned over the bar. “Are you okay?” I shouted. He looked over at me. “I’m bleeding.” “I see that.” I glanced at Kelly, looking for permission. “Go,” she said, waving her hand. “Be the superhero. We’ll talk later.” “No.” I grabbed my purse and headed toward the injured patient. “Come with me. We’ll talk while I clean him up.” The bartender’s eyes widened in shock and concern. “What?” “I’m a doctor.” I motioned to one of the waiters working the tables. “Can someone clean this up, please?” The bartender tilted his head in disbelief as his eyes scanned my ensemble. “She is a doctor,” Kelly said, glancing at her phone, “and a damn expensive one, too. Consider yourself lucky.” “Where’s the manager’s office?” I asked, glancing around. “That way.” The bartender nodded toward a closed door in the hallway off to the right of the bar….

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 COREENE CALLAHAN. Writes: Fast-paced, action-packed paranormal romances fueled by captivating love stories. My new release, FURY OF CONVICTION is the second book in the exciting, new Villains of the Dragonfury Series. Reader’s Entertainment Book Reviews has said my books are “Modern-day fantasy and paranormal with hot romance… storytelling at its best!” About: Award-winning and bestselling author of the Dragonfury Series, writing paranormal romance and supernatural thrillers. I love dogs, playing ice hockey, vintage typewriters, and reading while tucked into a cozy armchair with a cup of tea. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Enjoys action-packed, thrill rides with hot guys and strong heroines Dreams of magical encounters with mystical warriors Appreciates ride-or-die friendships Likes to be on the look-out for things that go bump in the night Loves page-turning stories with happy endings What to expect if we’re compatible: To laugh out loud when the hot guys get out of control A steamy, soul-stealing love story To be surprised at every turn To…

Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Charlotte! We are excited to host you here today, and celebrate the re-release of RHODE ISLAND RED, the first book in your Nanette Hayes Mystery series. How does it feel to have Nanette back in print?   Charlotte:  I have to say, it feels pretty good.  This re-do was quite unexpected.  Nanette Hayes is a fierce, clever sleuth, who teaches French and plays the saxophone. Where did the idea for her start for you? How has she surprised you?   It’s true that not too many women play sax, but I actually did see a young woman playing on the street—this was some 20 years ago. I was just taking a walk with my husband, and we came upon her,, gave her a couple of dollars. He was the one who suggested creating a street musician character. From there, I won’t pretend it was easy, but Nan kind of presented herself. I got the chance to give her a lot of stuff that I myself lacked—grit, youth, “hotness,” forthrightness, romanticism, etc. And of course, I put a bit of myself in the mix—the travel bug, love and admiration for music, and the people who play/master it….

From Chapter Two… “Here, let me switch out the glasses to something more civilized,” Tara said, reaching for his snifter. They were going to pass out before the game got interesting if they chugged from their full-sized glasses. “And we’ll both drink the white ale to keep the alcohol level even.” “Sounds like a plan. Should I start?” He rubbed his hands together like he was relishing the thought of annihilating her. How precious. “Truth or dare?” “Truth.” She crossed her arms in the universal bring-it-on gesture. “When was your first kiss and with whom?” he asked with a friendly smile. “Seriously? You just went there?” Her arms dropped limply to her sides. Tara felt warmth seeping up from her neck and spreading to her cheeks. She was a late bloomer, and her first kiss hadn’t been until college with her first boyfriend. She never spoke about Jason. He had been her first everything, including her first heartbreak. He’d done such a thorough job of it that she’d buried her heart deep inside so no one could touch it again. It took her a year of friendship and a lot of beer before she’d even told Aubrey about the abusive…

Ah, romance, there’s nothing better than when that sense of rightness in the world washes over you while cuddling up with a loved one. To learn about your partner’s life and the people who’ve come and gone, their secrets, successes, and failures. Add a little tension and a few heart palpitations and you know you’ve chosen a good one…at least for the few hours it takes to get to the end of their story. Yes, I’m talking about not one, but multiple summer flings with great cozy mysteries. Take advantage of the dog days, and delve into as many as you can, I know I am! If you want to hide in your closet with a little moonshine, chocolate, and a great book from the library, here are some mysteries right up your alley! *** The Moonshine Shack Murder A Southern Homebrew Mystery by Diane Kelly 7/6/2021 In this intoxicating new cozy mystery series, the future for modern-day moonshiner Hattie Hayes looks bright–until death darkens the doorstep of her Moonshine Shack. The Hayes family has made moonshine in Chattanooga since the days of Prohibition, and Hattie is happy to continue the tradition, serving up fun, fruity flavors in mason jars…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE PERFECT RUIN 2–What is it about? It’s about a woman named Ivy Hill who finds out the name of the woman who destroyed her childhood – Lola Maxwell. Lola is a wealthy, well-known woman who is loved by many and Ivy sets out on destroying/ruining Lola’s life as payback. It’s a very twisty and suspenseful read with a revenge plot and a domestic thriller vibe. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love that it’s set near a beach. It’s mostly set in Miami, Florida and I love that you sort of get a visual of the beach weather and the summer activities. And given that this is a summer release makes it all the more exciting! 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  My main character Ivy was way more calculating and manipulative than I thought she would be. She knew how to truly fake it in order to make it and to get what she wanted. 5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  Well, one reason I loved writing this book is that it touches on the effects of trauma and how some people can…

Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Jennifer! We are so excited to celebrate the release of THE WOMEN’S MARCH with you. This book is full of incredible historical detail about the women’s suffrage movement. What inspired you to tackle this topic?   Jennifer: The idea for THE WOMEN’S MARCH first came to me in January 2017, soon after the Women’s March on Washington the day after the inauguration of the 45th president. Nearly half a million demonstrators marched in the US capital to protest against his past reprehensible treatment of women and to advocate for women’s rights and other human rights issues. Millions of other protesters joined in satellite marches around the world, including an estimated 100,000 in my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. Afterward, when I read news coverage of the events, I was intrigued to learn that the Women’s March of 2017 had an important but nearly forgotten historical precedent. More than one hundred years earlier, thousands of women had assembled in the nation’s capital the day before the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson to demonstrate on behalf of woman’s suffrage. The organizers planned a beautiful, dignified parade from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House, with elegantly…

Jen: What inspired you to write A WOMAN OF INTELLIGENCE?  Karin: I really liked the idea of writing about a struggling mother against the backdrop of the Cold War. I was dealing with my own postpartum depression and identity loss and wanted to channel that into a book. Admittedly, at first, I wanted her to be an assassin with a LOT of anger, but my editor talked me out of that one! So she is a spy with a LOT of anger instead – ha. While I was starting to piece together the story, a friend told me about Elizabeth Bentley, a Vassar College grad like me. She graduated in 1930 and went on to study Italian, earning a master’s degree in languages from Columbia University. While at Columbia, she joined a Communist Party cell and then fell madly in love with Jacob Golos, a Ukrainian-born revolutionary who conducted Soviet espionage. While Elizabeth Bentley certainly inspired the book, I did not follow her story that closely. She wasn’t a mother, and she didn’t live a gilded life in New York. But I loved the idea of giving a struggling mother a secret life and a sense of purpose. What leads…