“What do you mean she’s not coming?” Garth asked, speaking into his cell phone, while rubbing a frustrated hand down his face. He had arrived in Santa Cruz ex­pecting the woman selected by the dating service to be there already. She wasn’t. “I got a call from the dating service,” Charm said. “Evidently there was some kind of mix-up in the dates. They regret their error and are hoping you will consider rescheduling.” Anger rose, heating Garth’s face. A mix-up in the dates? He expected better from a company that prided itself on being the best in the business. “Since there’s no reason to remain here, I’ll let Regan know I’ll be on the plane with her when she leaves two days from now.” “Why?” Garth frowned. “Why what?” “Why are you coming back home? Don’t you think Cash can handle things while you’re gone?” Garth rolled his eyes. “Of course, I do. Had I thought he couldn’t, I would not have left him in charge.” “Then let him do it. It will make him feel important to the company.” “He is important to the company, Charm. All of you are.” “Then take the time off you so rightly deserve….

Eyes back on the road, Roman turned off St. Charles. Within blocks they were in a whole new world. Elegant homes lined up one after the other, their mix of Victorian and plantation architecture holding the modern century at bay. Wrought iron gates lined many of them—some as high as six feet and others no taller than her thighs. Massive oak and cypress trees stood like sentries in every direction. If it hadn’t been for the seat belt she’d put on, she’d have likely had her nose pressed to the window just to savor it all. Ahead, one in particular caught her eye. Where all the others were nestled close together, this one had extra land on either side. Ivy grew on the tall iron fence that surrounded it, with only the double gate at the center free to see through. Roman slowed in front of it, giving her time to gawk up at the tall windows that lined the front and the white columns between each one. The place was so majestic looking, she halfway expected Scarlett O’Hara to come sweeping out the front door in one of her big Southern belle getups. She’d thought he’d slowed to give…

Unable to stop himself any longer, Levi searched for Lyndi’s smaller form behind the wall of bigger men. He backed up a step and collided with a gaze so full of desolation, all red banked fire and heartache so raw, that he had to look away for a second to get his own violent reaction under control. When he looked back, Lyndi had dropped her gaze to the ground, hiding from him. Confusion drowned out every other emotion rioting within him, so loud his head almost buzzed with it. What had that look been? Because if it was even a hint of what he hoped it could be… The gods had shit timing. Until this second, with the way she constantly sniped at him, and had from the moment they met, he’d believed she hated him. Carried a grudge for that first misunderstanding, and all the misunderstandings that followed. She’d always taken his need to protect her the wrong way. He hadn’t wanted her to build her orphanage in a human home, so unprotected and vulnerable, not because she wasn’t capable but because he expected the Alliance to show up unexpectedly and wipe out all the boys they felt were…

You are tipping your toes into paranormal romance with your newest release Layla. How would you describe this story? What is supposed to be a short, romantic getaway for new couple Leeds and Layla turns into an extended vacation full of bizarre occurrences. But no matter how much Layla wants to leave, Leeds is more focused on finding answers for the unexplainable. What paranormal fiction and paranormal romance books, TV shows, and/or films inspired Layla? I’ve honestly only ever read books about vampires. I don’t read paranormal. I’ve read maybe two or three in my entire lifetime, so I had to really tackle this one from a point of not really having a prior notion of what paranormal books feel like. It’s what I do with every genre, really. Before I wrote my first novel, Slammed, I wasn’t a romance reader. I mostly read non-fiction, true crime, biographies. And then when I wrote Verity, I wasn’t much of a thriller reader. So I figured I’d have the same approach with Layla. The less thought I put into “rules” of a genre, the more freedom it feels like I have when I write. Layla goes through an incredibly tragic event that nearly kills her. This leads to…

Debbie Wiley is a senior reviewer at Fresh Fiction.  The last days and weeks of 2020 are thankfully drawing to a close, leaving folks with a lot of emotional turmoil. Yes, 2020 has been challenging at best, and heartbreaking if you are one of the many directly impacted by Covid-19. In the midst of the pain and distress, we’ve seen heroes rise to the occasion. First and foremost, our health care workers, but also the many grocery store workers, teachers, food bank volunteers, and so many others who have quietly provided essential services to people in the midst of a global pandemic. It makes me reflect about the heroes and heroines of the urban fantasy, fantasy, and steampunk books I read, and I’d like to share a few of those heroes and heroines with you today. THE AWAKENING by Nora Roberts, features Breen Kelly, a young lady who has lived her life feeling “less than”. Her mother constantly berates or belittles her, she works a job she hates, she has a mountain of student debt, and she even hides her flaming red hair under dark hair dye to keep from being noticed. All of that is about to change, however,…

The first thing you need to know about me is that I LOVE Christmas. I love. . .  well, I guess I should save that for my Top 5 list, huh? Lol. The other thing you should know about me is that I love romances. So when you combine the two, well, what could be better than a Christmas romance? And that’s why I have not one, but two new Christmas romances out this year, CHRISTMAS IN BAYBERRY and FAIRYTALE CHRISTMAS WITH THE MILLIONAIRE. The first is a small town romance and the second is a big city romance because Christmas happens everywhere. So not only do I get to enjoy the holiday traditions with my family, but I also get to research what other people do for Christmas. Doing research for a book can be so much fun. I’m always learning something new. Now for my favorite things about Christmas. . . My family. . . without them, well, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas. I’ve been known to switch our Christmas celebration to Black Friday just so the whole family would be together. And you know what, it was just as fun because it’s the people who make it…

It’s time for another Fresh Fiction Reviewer Spotlight! This holiday season and into the New Year, we’re celebrating our reviewers, who day in and day out, review books for you to check out. Enjoy today’s chat with Kim Roller! *** Your Name Kim Roller How long have you been a Fresh Fiction reviewer?  It was 2 years in Feb. 2020 What are your favorite genres to read and review?  Any type of Romance be it Suspense, Historical, Modern, Paranormal Western What are your TOP 3-5 Books of 2020? Deadlock by Catherine Coulter Once in a Blue Moon by Sharon Sala The Friendship List by Susan Mallery Desolation Road by Christine Feehan Whiteout by Adriana Anders What do you like to do outside of reading? Go to concerts and take photos, spend time with my family, quilting, baking. What are some of your holiday traditions? Going to my sister’s house for Christmas Eve where we get together with my aunt and her family and what friends & family want to come and Day (Day is just family). We have chili, chicken noodle soup, oyster stew and sandwiches, and snack type foods. Christmas Day, we have prime rib, mashed potato, scallop corn,…

CHRISTMAS ON PEACH TREE LANE is definitely a book based around holiday traditions. That’s actually the crux of the issue between the hero and shero regarding the annual Tinsel Tour. I love holiday traditions. I think a tradition just gives families and friends a special bond and something a little extra to look forward to. It almost makes those other people in your life feel special to know they share something so valuable with you. Especially in this crazy time, I think if we can continue to hang onto those traditions, that is so important for peoples’ mental wellbeing. In my family, we started something special about ten years ago. We do a Christmas morning breakfast that has blown into an event that everyone loves and talks about all year long. You know how sometimes you would have to try to fit in all the family visits and all the important dinners? But then you would be too full from one family, so you wouldn’t eat at the next house. It all just seemed so rushed and not what you want during a holiday. You want to be able to enjoy your family and friends. That’s where the special memories…

I find joy in writing romance novels about families. Showing those get-togethers, siblings that are friends, cooking in the kitchen with a family member, be it mother, father, sister, aunt… you get the idea. They are there when we triumph and when we fall. Banning together to face whatever comes. 1 Corinthians 12:26 reads…and whether one member suffers, all members suffer with it. Whether one member be honored, all members rejoice with it… Family is our foundation, our beginning. It’s the place where we learn to give and receive genuine love, support, and nurturing. You learn how to be loyal and the relationships we have with our family members shape us into the persons we are right now. For me, my family are some of the most important people in my life. I have a huge extended family with over fifty first cousins on my father’s side and fifteen on my mother’s. But I only have one sister. It’s just me and her. My mother made sure that we grew up loving each other. Telling us how important we were to one another. I also knew both sets of grandparents and loved them to the utmost. What a blessing. I…

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 Eve Morton! Writes: I love to write about LGBTQ characters as they explore new aspects of themselves, their pasts, and/or new locations, especially as they fall in love. I’m a huge fan of the vacation romance, second chance, and reunion romances, and HOLIDAYS IN BLUE falls under all three categories. Both characters return to their hometown for the holiday, become trapped there, and must work out parts of their pasts together, all while igniting old passions. In short, I think love can change someone’s life, so I try to showcase this in my novels, while also indulging in the character’s quirks and other passions. About: I am a gigantic nerd who is always reading a book and always trying to learn something new. This has caused me to complete a PhD in English Lit and teach at numerous universities and colleges, while also trying my hand at tarot card reading, memorizing random facts about the personal lives of some actors and…