1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Point of Danger 2–What is it about?  When radio talk show host Eve Reilly finds herself in the sights of someone who wants her voice silenced, Detective Brent Lange must track down the unknown foe before he loses the woman who is willing to take risks for what she believes–and who is also stealing his heart. 3–What word best describes your main character(s)? Tenacious and brave  4–What makes your story relatable?  My heroine finds herself caught up in a very credible, dangerous situation, which ended up being more topical that I could ever have predicted when I started the book two years ago. I think readers will admire her courage and spunk and find much to like in both her and the hero. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  This is book 1 in my Triple Threat series (note: each book can be read as a standalone), which features three sisters. I loved exploring the relationship they have. So Eve, my heroine, relies on her sisters for support and friendship. My hero has a best friend who serves as his confidante. But other than that, he’s…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? My latest release is ALASKAN CHRISTMAS REDEMPTION, coming out on September 29th 2–What is it about? The story centers around Piper Miller, who owns the Snowy Owl Diner, in Owl Creek, Alaska. Piper inherited the diner when her father, Jack, passed away. Now, four years later, the establishment is running on fumes and teetering on the brink of closure. Determined to save the diner, Piper enlists the help of her childhood best friend, Braden North, who has recently returned to town. Problem is, Braden is hiding a huge secret from Piper, one that might permanently end their friendship. As the two work together to save Piper’s business, sparks begin to fly between the childhood friends. But, secrets from the past might unravel their budding romance. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Plucky. 4–What makes your hero irresistible? Adorable. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Piper turns to her mother, Trudy, and her best friend, Rachel. Braden comes from a large family so he turns to his siblings, Connor and Sage, as well as his parents and grandparents. 6–What do you love about the setting of your…

On a balmy afternoon in early September, Roman Marek stood on the sidewalk at the corner of Car­mel Street and Pacific Lane in Valentine Bay, Or­egon. His hands in his pockets, he scowled at the excess of arches and scrollwork adorning the fa­cade of the building directly in front of him. The Valentine Bay Theatre was nothing short of a nightmare–at least, to Roman it was. He’d made his fortune in Las Vegas real estate and he had a definite preference for efficient, light-filled, modern spaces. The last thing he would ever in­vest in was a run-down, century-old theater in the Venetian Gothic style. But invest in it he had–in fact, he’d bought the damn thing outright. His mother had insisted. And Roman Marek would do just about anything for his mother. He loved her and he owed her. As for her ridiculous fondness for the old the­ater, when Roman was a kid, his mom used to bring him here to watch second-run movies and at­tend community events. She looked back on those days through rose-colored glasses. And that was why, a few weeks ago, when Sasha learned that the elderly owner had died and the heirs wanted to get…

Hi, Nancy! Welcome back to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your latest novel, A HEARTFELT CHRISTMAS PROMISE.   Hey there! It’s been a while since we’ve chatted. I’m so excited to be here to share a little about my newest book. Isn’t the cover adorable? I’m a dog lover so I’m crazy about this cover. I know people love reading on their ereaders, but I hope they’ll not only download the digital copy, but also splurge on the purchase of a copy of A Heartfelt Christmas Promise in trade paperback for their bookshelf and include it in their holiday decor. It’s such a fun cover, and so different from all of my other holiday books. PSSST- If you order a print copy and need an autographed bookplate. .  . email me for one with your full address I’d be happy to personalize them for you and your friends! What do you love about writing Christmas romance novels? What do you do to get in the holiday spirit while writing these books?   I love the chance to whisk my readers away from the day-to-day, and what better way to do it with the joy Christmas brings. The smell of…

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 Kris Ripper! Writes: I write stories about queer folks finding love and discovering themselves along the way! Also there’s usually coffee. My newest book is The Love Study. What do you get when you combine a goofy, commitment-phobic office temp with a thoughtfully non-dating YouTuber? The Love Study. Declan swore off dating after he left his last boyfriend at the altar, but Sidney isn’t interested in altars. They’re interested in humans. Specifically, they’re interested in Declan, who agrees to go out with people and discuss his dates on Sidney’s YouTube channel. Awkwardness, chocolate, and giggling ensue. About: Hi, I’m Kris! I like long walks on the beach (actually I prefer running–oooh, the running-in-sand muscle burn!), candlelit dinners (…that should probably read “screen-lit” but I’m trying to stop eating in front of the computer so much!) and curling up with a cup of tea and a good book (oh good, that one’s accurate as-is). I also love romantic stories that challenge traditional…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  The Bladebone.   2–What is it about?  The Bladebone is the final installment in my Khorasan Archives fantasy series (which began with The Bloodprint, followed by The Black Khan and The Blue Eye). Two women warriors named Arian and Sinnia are in a race against time to save their world from being destroyed by the One-Eyed Preacher’s holy war. Only the powers of an ancient magic weapon called the Bladebone can help them to defeat him. But Arian and Sinnia are surrounded by enemies, while Arian is cut off from the man she loves–the Silver Mage, her powerful ally. As their world burns down around them, Arian must find the Bladebone and face off against the Preacher in a cataclysmic battle for the future.   3–What word best describes your main character(s)?  Tenacious. But I could also add courageous, vulnerable, literate–important qualities in Arian’s world.   4–What makes your story relatable?  The characters in this story care deeply not only about each other, but also about the common good. The Bladebone is a story about hope, love and the right to human dignity, and I think those themes are always relatable.   5–Who…

I love fall, though in coastal Texas the fall isn’t as grand as it is in other areas of the States. Still, I photograph leaves that have turned wherever I can find them. And when I went to Omaha in October, I was able to photograph fall colors too. Even in Central Texas at the zoo, the colorful leaves reflected in the water in November. I can pull up pictures I’ve taken in Scotland in September and Minnesota in the fall too and enjoy them when I can’t see them here. I love the fall colors. They make me feel good when the heat can still hang around for quite a while where I live, and I’m looking so forward to getting some cool-downs at least at night and in the mornings. When we lived in Oklahoma, we used to drive along the Talimena National Scenic Byway in fall where the leaves were gorgeous. But when I lived in New Jersey, after having lived in Texas and Florida, I was astounded by the brilliance of the autumn foliage. I love to decorate with fall leaves and fall items–like a sign that says, “Fall in Love.” It has fall leaves on…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  THE GENTLEMAN SPY, book two in the Serendipity & Secrets series released in July, and in just a few more days, I have a novella releasing in the Joy to the World Collection that will also be part of the Serendipity & Secrets ‘universe.’ 2–What is it about?  The Gentleman Spy is about Lady Charlotte and His Grace, Marcus, The Duke of Haverly. Marcus needs a wife to maintain his cover as a spy for the Crown, and Charlotte is looking for a way out of her dysfunctional family’s home.  They enter into a not-so-convenient marriage, while Marcus tries to keep his clandestine work a secret, and Charlotte tries to understand the complex man she’s married. He’s chasing assassins, and she’s chasing him! 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Crusader. Charlotte has a strong sense of justices, and she is determined to right the wrongs she encounters. 4–What makes your hero irresistible? He’s a cloak-and-dagger spy while also being a chivalrous, innately kind Regency Duke. He’s naïve about romantic relationships, and yet manages to make Charlotte fall in love with him with little effort. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to…

If you ask an author what they want out of their writing career, you will most likely hear something about making a bestseller list, royalties, or five-star reviews. And, of course, we do want those. But there are a few other things we strive to accomplish that we don’t always talk about, because while they make our hearts flutter, they may sound a bit. . . sadistic. Evil Secret #1: We want to make people cry. Not in a bad way. But in that, you care so much for our characters you feel for them, kind of way. We want readers to gasp, laugh, and yes, cry with our characters. Tears of happiness at the end are preferred, but if there are a few misty eyes when our heroes face their darkest moments, we enjoy knowing that as well. And even if we apologize for making you weep, secretly we are delighting in the knowledge that you’ve lost yourself in our story to the point of tears. We triumph in success at your distress. Evil Secret #2: We want to leave you dazed and overwhelmed. Tell us how shaken you were by our storylines and scenes, and we’ll offer our…

Our poodle-mix, Houdini, loves his stuffed animal friends. He takes very good care of them, gently gnawing them and periodically arranging them decoratively on our bed or couch. When we adopted our chihuahua-mix, Sheba, she acted like she’d never seen a toy, and her instinct was to grab those stuffed animals and shred them. Her attack on his toys was very distressing for Houdini. He would circle, faster and faster, when she was destroying a toy, working himself into a frenzy. After the destruction, he would lie next to the pieces looking quite mournful. Then, suddenly, Sheba stopped destroying the stuffed animals. To this day, I don’t know what happened between them, but Sheba became blind to the stuffed animals. She acts like they don’t exist. I like to believe that as Houdini and Sheba developed their bond, she became aware that her actions distressed him and decided to stop. Now, Houdini keeps his collection of stuffed friends in good repair. If you come to visit, he’ll show them to you one at a time. Sometimes, guests think he wants to play tug-o-war. He does not. He merely likes to have others admire his collection. Excerpt from Tail for Two:…