It’s almost Christmas, y’all. Two of my favorite parts of the holiday seasons involve the yummy seasonal drinks and the fantastic holiday-themed romances I get to read. So, just for fun, I’ve come up with a books and holiday drinks pairings list (matching the covers with the drink). Pairings to make your holiday cheery & yummy at the same time! Enjoy! WASSAIL The best of the apple cider drinks out there because it adds additional fruit and seasonal spice flavors. The classic winter scent of apples and spice makes for the perfect holiday drink. Add a splash of rum to spice it up even more. CHRISTMAS IN EVERGREEN: TIDINGS OF JOY by Nancy Naigle Welcome back to the town of Evergreen. Katie’s initially skeptical about Evergreen’s love of Christmas; the place seems too good to be true. Meanwhile, Ben’s wary of Katie’s intentions. He’s protective of his small town, and he knows all too well how cynical the media can be. Then a hunt for a fifty-year-old time capsule leads to a remarkable discovery. As Katie and Ben get caught up in the community’s past and present, they both begin to envision new possibilities for the future. *** MULLED WINE…

Here’s another interview with one of Fresh Fiction Reviewers! You can always visit our REVIEWS page and sign up for a number of NEWSLETTERS for the latest reviews and updates!  ** Your Name Sharon Salituro How long have you been a Fresh Fiction reviewer?  Over 2 years What are your favorite genres to read and review?  Mystery, historical, romance What are your TOP 3-5 Books of 2020? Lies in White Dresses by Sophia Grant Ten Days Gone by Beverly Wong One Perfect Summer by Brenda Novak What do you like to do outside of reading? Play on my computer What are some of your holiday traditions?  Christmas Eve at my dad’s What are your reading resolutions/intentions/goals for 2021? To read more books What do you love about being a Fresh Fiction Book Reviewer? I can pick the books I want to read ** Don’t forget to check back all week for more interviews with our reviewers throughout December and January! 

Hi, Tessa! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and a little bit about your book, THE DEAD SEASON.   Hi everyone! I grew up in Canada and now live with my family in Connecticut. I was a freelance journalist for many years, and while I enjoyed the work, I also craved a creative outlet. That’s what led me to start writing novels. THE DEAD SEASON is the second book in the Shana Merchant series of mysteries, the first of which, DEATH IN THE FAMILY, was released in early 2020. For readers who may not be familiar, can you give a little background on the setup for the Shana Merchant series?   Shana Merchant is a former NYPD detective who narrowly escaped abduction when the serial killer she was hunting turned his focus to her. All the police know about Blake Bram is that he, like Shana, is from Swanton, Vermont. Traumatized by her kidnapping and haunted by the knowledge that she has a personal connection to the killer, she moves with her fiancé to the Thousand Islands of Upstate New York, where she takes a job with the detective branch of the New York State Police and…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  WRITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2–What is it about?  The author of a very popular fantasy series hires a woman to cook for him while he’s on a tight deadline…right before Christmas. Romance ensues! 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Hardworking   4–What makes your hero irresistible?  He’s a gruff (but hot) loner, like the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. It takes the right woman to knock him off his guard. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Dani, the heroine, has her family, especially her sister-in-law, Una, who is a life coach. Matt, the hero, relies on his assistant, Jane. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  My parents own a house in a resort out in the country. They’re on the outskirts of the resort, in the middle of nowhere, and it’s my favorite place on the planet. Their house and its surroundings are what I pictured while working on this novel. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Plotter! 8–What is an ideal writing day for you?  I’m not someone who can write…

1–THE BURBS AND THE BEES is set on a farm in Nova Scotia. I modeled it after an actual farm that was twenty minutes from my house. https://www.dempseycornerorchards.com 2–Cluck Norris, the watchdog rooster, is real, and he can be very nasty, lol. 4–The Shore Club is a real place in Lunenburg Nova Scotia. I mentioned this place in Hooked on You. I go there once a year for a Lobster Dinner. http://shoreclub.ca 5–The drive-in that Alyson and Jay went to is real. https://www.valleydrivein.com 6–The Parrot is totally made up, but I think it would be fun to have one. 7–Peggy’s Cove is a huge tourist attraction, and yes, people fall in, and some aren’t so lucky to get fished out. I love visiting Peggy’s Cove, and you can find painted rocks scattered warning tourists not to get too close. Peggy’s cove is famous for it’s picturesque and typically East-Coast profile, with houses perched along a narrow inlet and on wave-washed boulders facing the Atlantic. Although this unique environment has been designated a preservation area, it is still an active fishing community. https://www.novascotia.com/places-to-go/regions/south-shore/peggys-cove 8–I visited a local bee farm to learn more about beekeeping, and now I really want to start…

It’s the last day of the FOREVER CHRISTMAS celebration! We are in for a treat because Debbie Mason is here!! Be sure to take a look at earlier posts to see what these wonderfully festive authors have planned for the holiday seasons (and for chances to win a book each day). Thank you for joining us this week! Merry Christmas and Cheers to 2021! ** What’s the name of your latest release? Christmas on Reindeer Road What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love everything about the holidays: twinkle lights and colored tinsel, snowflakes and mistletoe, hot chocolate and sugar cookies, family gatherings and treasured traditions. Which is why I love writing Christmas romance. I get to enjoy the magic of the holidays all year long. Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  My heroine, Mallory Maitland, and my hero’s youngest son, Teddy, are Team Christmas. While my hero, Gabriel Buchanan, his twin sons, and Mallory’s stepsons are Team Bah Humbug. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? Hosting a family party to decorate the Christmas tree. Which Christmas movie…

His shoulders tensed at the thought of her dancing with other men, looking the way she did tonight. He blew out a breath through his nose and deliberately drew his shoulder back down. It was none of his god­damn business whom she danced with. “Like I said, sometimes impulsivity leads to the best sort of fun.” Taking on a life of its own, his thumb drew soft circles on her lower back. “How else would we have had this great opportunity to build rapport?” “Now it’s rapport-building?” She held his eyes and her lips lifted into a Mona Lisa smile. “This keeps getting better and better.” With their heads bent close to hear each other, the sexy-as-hell hint of whiskey on her breath was driv­ing him wild. He lowered his head imperceptibly to breathe in her scent, and she shivered in his arms. She felt the magnetic pull, too, and it was damn hot. When her eyes searched his, he slowly angled his head until their lips were mere inches apart. Both of them drew back as though lightning had struck them. They were dancing in the middle of a crowd. They couldn’t do this. Breathing roughly, they gazed at…

Have you ever wondered who’s behind the book reviews on Fresh Fiction? We have an incredible team of volunteer book reviewers who read books and offer their thoughts on them for you to make better-informed decisions on the books you want to read! Join us throughout December and January to get to know them better! Your Name Kathleen Kelly How long have you been a Fresh Fiction reviewer?  less than 3 months What are your favorite genres to read and review?  Historical fiction, thrillers, psychological thrillers, mysteries, some non fiction What are your TOP 3-5 Books of 2020? See Her Die by Melinda Leigh Lies, Lies, Lies by Adele Parks When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole What do you like to do outside of reading?  Spend time with hubby What are some of your holiday traditions?  Spending time with my children and grandchildren What are your reading resolutions/intentions/goals for 2021?  My reading goals are to read 50 books. What do you love about being a Fresh Fiction Book Reviewer?  I have always been a fan of Fresh Fiction so I was excited to become an actual reviewer Where else can readers find you online? Blog, http://www.celticladysreviews.blogspot.com

The holiday cheer continues today with Laura V. Hilton and her new novel, THE AMISH CHRISTMAS GIFT! Don’t forget, the Forever Christmas celebration lasts all week–come back for more fun tomorrow.  ** What’s the name of your latest release? THE AMISH CHRISTMAS GIFT came out in October. What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  Everything!!! Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  A mixture of both. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? Spending time with family. Which Christmas movie do you watch on repeat throughout this festive time of year?  Home Alone (I have 5 children…) The best Christmas song is…  Angels We Have Heard on High. Do you prefer to be home for the holidays, or do you like to travel? Home. What can readers expect from you next?  THE AMISH SECRET WISH coming in April. It’s about a scribe for The Budget, who calls herself GHB, writes about community news, and sometimes alludes to her most personal feelings. Hezekiah Esh reads GHB’s articles and as he nurses his own broken heart, he finds himself falling for her. Can he find this mystery writer? THE AMISH…

Catching Zayn’s arm in her bony talon as they passed, Roz hissed, “The unmasking will happen at the end of your dance! You’ll have to take the mask off for her—there’s a clasp in the back.” Then she let them go. Zayn led Mina to the dance floor, a pathway clear­ing before them. Other dancers left the floor as they approached the center, a warm spotlight finding them as they came to a stop, facing each other. He wasn’t sure whether it was due to the rush of success in dodging Roz, or simply the primal effect of Mina’s radiant glow in the spotlight, but although they were surrounded, the rest of the room slowly disap­peared as he looked at her. Reaching out his arms, he took her by the waist and pulled her body flush against his. As tall as she was in the heels and the mask, her head still came only to his shoulder, allowing him to rest his cheek on the smooth front of her mask, his own expression shielded by the emanating rays. Her dress was a warm second skin beneath his palm and her lush curves pressed against the hard planes of his own…