1–What is the title of your latest release? In the Garden of Spite 2–What is it about? It is a fictionalized account of the life and bloody deeds of Belle Gunness – one of America’s first and most prolific female serial killers. Belle was Norwegian (like me) but left for the US in her early twenties, a few decades before she became notorious. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love that the setting moves from Norway to the Midwest, so I could write about a place I knew very well, and one that was new to me. I also love the time period (1877 – 1908), and found it enormously interesting to explore the lives of Scandinavian immigrants at that time.  4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  Belle was undoubtedly a sociopath, but she had a soft spot for children, and that was very surprising to me. She would arrange Christmas parties for the neighborhood kids and visit them with gifts when they were sick. She also spoiled her own quite a bit.  5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  Belle is one of those characters you don’t want to not be able to relate to, since she…

You’ve had it, just as I have–that delicious moment when you read something that shatters you.  “I didn’t know you could do that with words,” you think, your relationship with literature forever changed. There’s a great scene in The NeverEnding Story when the bookseller tells Bastian how certain stories aren’t safe, that they won’t simply release you on your own terms. Here are five pieces that still haven’t let me go, and that’ve shaped my life as a writer of crime fiction. Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? by Joyce Carol Oates I was in 9th grade when our English teacher assigned this out of our thumping short story anthology. Oates begins her tale in the most unassuming way: Connie–fifteen, and with all the drama that entails–decides to stay home while her parents and sister go to a most uncool family barbeque. Sometime into the afternoon, two men show up in a convertible and honk the horn. Connie goes out to see what they want, and the terror begins to unspool. This story was a revelation. The idea that the most hideous things could happen in the middle of a blue day, and right where you lived, cut…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  BJORN CURSED, book 4 of the Forgotten Brotherhood series. 2–What is it about? The Forgotten Brotherhood are a group of paranormal assassins. They aren’t the monsters lurking under the bed. They’re the ones that kill them. Bjorn was cursed by a god and became the first Norse werewolf. Now his past is being used to jeopardize not only his own life but the lives of those he loves and the other members of the Brotherhood. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Anja Knutson is one tough lady. Through her courage and sacrifice, she gained a second chance at life for her children, even though it meant servitude to a goddess for eternity in the afterlife. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Bjorn was driven by anger and vengeance after the death of his family, which ended up with him being cursed and becoming the first Norse werewolf. He’s stubborn and dangerous, but utterly loyal to those he loves. There’s nothing he won’t do to protect them, even defy the gods themselves. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Anja has absolutely no one she can turn to when…

We have another Fresh Fiction Reviewer Spotlight to share with you today! Be sure to look for more posts introducing all of our reviewers to you this month.  Your Name Sandra Martin How long have you been a Fresh Fiction reviewer?  Less than a year What are your favorite genres to read and review? Mystery (Traditional and Cozies), Romantic Suspense, Thrillers What are your TOP 3-5 Books of 2020? Little Falls by Elizabeth Lewes The Vacation by T.M. Logan Lavender Blue Murder by Laura Childs Home Before Dark by Riley Sager Teen Killers Club by Lily Sparks What do you like to do outside of reading? Work at a University, Play Tennis, Travel, Write, and Take Classes. I always like to learn new things. What are some of your holiday traditions? Halloween – I am a big Stephen King fan. I love watching all the movies based on his books played during the month of October. I love decorating for Halloween and I enjoy the cooler season here in the South. What are your reading resolutions/intentions/goals for 2021? To keep reading engaging novels. To try new genres and discover authors that bring something special to their writing/storytelling. What do you…

Where did you come up with the idea for A BIG FAT GREEK MURDER? I was sitting in the chair at my hair salon watching in the mirror as my stylist wielded her long sharp scissors. I started thinking about scissors as a murder weapon, and since my main character Athena’s sister Selene is a hairstylist, it seemed like a great idea to use her in a plot. As I watched customers walk past my chair, I realized how easy it would be to snatch a pair of scissors off a tray at an unmanned station and stuff them into a purse. Because the other stylists are busy with their customers, talking, snipping, blow drying, etc., no one would even notice. Naturally, it would take advance planning. Timing would have to be right, so the perpetrator would have to know the stylist’s schedule. But as I plotted out the story, I realized that a determined murderer would be able to pull it off. Then it would be a matter of wiping the scissors clean and incriminating the stylist, leaving misleading evidence in places like a dumpster behind the salon. There’s more, of course, but you’ll have to read the book…

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 Nadine Gonzalez! *** Writes: SCANDAL IN THE VIP SUITE: How did it get so scandalous? A missing diary sets it all in motion. But first, meet Julian Knight, a British-Jamaican actor, maligned as the face of toxic masculinity, and Nina Taylor, a Haitian-American writer, at a career impasse. Their paths cross over a holiday weekend in Miami, Florida. When Nina peeks into the luxury hotel suite that should have been hers, she’s caught by the room’s occupant, Julian Knight. The Hollywood bad boy quickly offers a compromise: why not share? But soon, the paparazzi is jumping to scandalous conclusions. Even as the world speculates about them, they manage to carve their private little oasis. Until the entries of a lost diary leave them exposed and rips them apart. About: Enjoying life. It may be the Caribbean in me, but I am all about good food, good books, good times with family, wine, chocolate, coffee, and cocktails. I enjoy dressing up even if it’s just to stay in….

Ten Famous Kisses, from fictional to real–how would you put these in order? The Obamas on Kiss Cam–simply adorable when they kissed on-screen at a basketball game in Washington DC. Ghost–very sexy, despite the super-fake spectral mist between Demi and Patrick. Lady and the Tramp–iconic noodle-slurping kiss. So cute. Madonna and Britney Spears–this kiss between pop goddesses was shocking at the time! Princess Diana and Prince Charles–their wedding day was very romantic and sparked an interest in all things royal. Sleeping Beauty–the prince brings Aurora to life! Gotta love the guy for that. Romeo and Juliet–young love. So young. Too young? Titanic–doomed love. Rose should have made room for Jack on the door. V-J Day in Times Square World War II–a kiss of peace and hope and joy. Terrific shot by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt! Scarlett and Rhett from Gone with the Wind–a primal kiss. I really feel for Rhett. Scarlet needed a little more time to grow up 🙂 Possible number eleven? Grace and Sawyer in JUST ONE KISS–check out the kiss in the Ferris wheel! <3 In JUST ONE KISS, Grace Sheldon is a freelance photographer with a laid-back lifestyle put to the test in order to pay the…

Today, we are celebrating one of our long-time reviewers, Anneta Sweetko! Check out the reviewer spotlights on the FF blog all month long to get to know our lovely reviewers and find out their favorite book recs of the last year!  Your Name Annetta Sweetko How long have you been a Fresh Fiction reviewer? July 2012 What are your favorite genres to read and review? Paranormal, suspense, erotic, romance – really anything that is well written and takes me away from my everyday life. What are your TOP 3-5 Books of 2020? This is like asking which child is your favorite, but I will try! Shadows In Death by J.D. Robb (anything in that series and by Nora Roberts herself)  Dark Song by Christine Feehan (all her series are great) Deadlock by Catherine Coulter The Jackal by J.R. Ward Joy to the Wolves by Terry Spear What do you like to do outside of reading? I do crafts! I like to make Christmas gifts for co-workers, jigsaw puzzles are relaxing, and baking –nothing fancy and mostly box items. What are some of your holiday traditions? My daughter and I try to pick a day to go Christmas shopping together and…

by Fresh Fiction Senior Reviewer Debbie Wiley My Great-Aunt Katherine shared her love for cooking, crafting, and reading with me in the form of gifts highlighting each of these hobbies of hers. I still treasure the first cookbook I ever used (with an inscription from her inside) and I have a lifelong love of reading fostered by her (as well as my mom and grandmother!). The crafting part, however, sat mainly dormant for years. She gifted me with a macramé kit I never figured out and then a knitting loom that I easily learned to make double knitted figure 8 stitch scarves. I lost interest in the scarves over the years, only finishing a handful, until several years ago when my interest was reignited… and a love of loom knitting sprang to life! Loom knitting is my form of self-care, and in these tumultuous times, self-care is a priority to cope with all the negativity and fear that surround us. Whether it’s concerns over long-ignored social justice issues, fears about Covid-19, or the violence erupting after an election, self-care has become a buzzword many are looking into. Some are using mindfulness techniques (GROWING UP MINDFUL by Christopher Willard, PsyD has…

Melody woke shivering, with darkness pressing in all around her. And for a moment she forgot exactly where she was before reality sank in. Fuck. She blinked, but the blackness was relentless and all encompassing. And so thick she could all but touch it. Was this some kind of a joke? Nighttime had nowhere near this intensity of absolute darkness. Even under heavy cloud cover there was a hint of stars outside, a moon. Some kind of light source. How long had she been asleep? It felt like ten hours, but she guessed it had been closer to an hour or two at most. Not counting the time she’d spent trying out her supposed invisibility gift. All she’d managed was more of the same tingling sensation, and the growing suspicion the doctors had somehow bungled her DNA results. A sharp clink alerted her to the fact she was no longer alone. But she didn’t panic, her muscles relaxed on recognizing the sound of claws digging into rock. “Damon,” she called out. “Don’t move,” he bit out. “Dangerous.” “No shit,” she said softly, pushing away Damon’s wet vest that had pillowed her head. She rubbed the gooseflesh on her arms and…