T is for Throwback. This retro romp is for 90s-obsessed teens and nostalgic Gen Xers alike. H is for Hair. It’s New Jersey in 1991. Go big or go home for another can of Aqua Net. E is for Everything. The mall wasn’t just about shopping. It was the center of the universe for bored teens with limited spending money and unlimited time to waste. * M is for Mixtapes. The perfect songs in the perfect order reveals Cassie Worthy’s deepest, unspoken feelings for her summer crush “Sam Goody.” A is for Adventure. Drea Bellarosa lures Cassie into a Cabbage Patch Doll scavenger hunt. Do these ex best friends find the legendary hidden treasure…or something even more valuable? L is for Lycra. And spandex, shoulder pads, sequins and all the glitzy, over-the-top early-90s fashion trends sold at Bellarosa Boutique. L is for Letting Go. Cassie ditches The Plan she’s worked toward her whole life–and her inhibitions–and discovers the Riot Grrrl within. THE MALL by Megan McCafferty New York Times bestselling author Megan McCafferty returns to her roots with this YA coming of age story set in a New Jersey mall. The year is 1991. Scrunchies, mixtapes and 90210 are, like, totally…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? Fearless 2–What is it about?  A soft-hearted cowboy returns home to Memphis to win back the heart of the fierce motorcycle racer he loves and lost. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Feisty 4–What makes your hero irresistible? He is super gentle, until it’s time to race or ride bulls. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Billy always turns to his younger brother, Mason, while Taryn relies on her parents’ support   6–What do you love about the setting of your book? As a small town Texan, writing a country setting felt like coming home. I also loved adding in the excitement of the moto racing world. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Plotter, no question. My outlines are long, notoriously detailed, and all through drafting I had year calendar on my wall that I color-coded to track Billy and Taryn’s racing schedule. 8–What is an ideal writing day for you? Coffee. Quiet. Headphones. And about 8-14 hours uninterrupted while my husband sweetly brings me food and drinks. I am a hyperfocuser, and I can…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-ReaderMatch” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Jackie Ashenden! Writes: Sexy, emotional small town romance set in the wilds of Alaska! About: Jackie lives in Auckland, NZ, with her husband and two kids. Her hobbies include reading, looking for yarn on the internet, buying yarn on the internet, looking for patterns for said yarn on the internet, knitting said yarn, and talking about yarn to anyone who will listen. In between talking about yarn, looking for yarn, and knitting yarn, she also bakes a bit, spends time with her family, and writes the odd book. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: You will love deep emotion You will love quirky small-town detail You will love the wild outdoors You will love tension and chemistry between the hero and heroine You will love a brooding, white knight hero who wants what’s best for everyone, and a prickly, stubborn heroine who also wants what’s best for everyone. What to expect if we’re compatible: In The House of Ashenden, my FB group, there will be lots of…

Just like most women, I’ve always liked a man in uniform. They look crisp, clean, and very take-charge. They make a person feel safe. However, when I became an Army mom in 2017, I had a totally different opinion of soldiers. You see, my baby enlisted then. I didn’t know what was going to happen to him in the future. I wouldn’t be able to protect him. The military wasn’t so romantic anymore, although they can still put on one heck of a graduation ceremony. After my son graduated Basic Training, or BT as he called it, the worry over his safety backed off a little inside me, and the whole Army brotherhood angle began to interest me. I wanted to write a suspense novel involving soldiers. My plot was nebulous; I pitched it to my editor at Entangled. They came back with, “We want a terrorist thriller. If you do this right, it could be a series.” Whoa. I didn’t know anything about terrorists, except what you see on the news periodically. Could I write a book about them? I set out researching. I looked up Army Intelligence, counterterrorism, the most dangerous terrorist groups in the world, terrorist cells……

Saying a novel is a du Maurier-like mystery, immediately catches a reader’s attention and sets a pretty high bar for an author to attain. Rhys Bowen, however, is one of the few writers who achieved that goal with flare. In her latest installment of the Royal Spyness Mystery series, The Last Mrs. Summers, Ms. Bowen was not only inspired by the Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, but she also matched the novel with her own creative genius. After all, within this one series, Ms. Bowen has tackled the love of the romance genre, the intrigue of a classic murder mystery, the suspense of a spy thriller, the angst of a historical drama, the friendship found in women’s fiction, (I’m sure I’m leaving something out) and now the foreboding of a gothic novel. How an author does that in one cozy mystery series is beyond brilliant. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier not only fascinated readers because of its gothic style but also for its narrative format from the viewpoint of the second Mrs. de Winter. I love that Ms. Bowen named her character Mrs. Summers—the seasons may be opposite, but her characters are equally captivating. On page one du Maurier began: “Last night I dreamt…

Hi! I am so thrilled to be here on one of my favorite blogs with an exclusive excerpt of HIGH HEAT, my new release. This is book two in my Hotshots series about smoke jumper wildfire fighters in Central Oregon, but each book is designed to stand alone as well.  HIGH HEAT centers around an injured smoke jumper, Garrick, trying to recover from serious injuries and his sexy new neighbor, Rain who barrels his way into Garrick’s life, complete with a lost dog who needs them both.  In the exclusive scene that I’ve brought Fresh Fiction today, Garrick has agreed to help Rain get in shape to meet the wildfire fighter fitness standards. They’re out for exercise in the park and just starting to dance around a mutual attraction. . . Read on to see the sparks starting to fly! *** Needing to change the subject, Garrick pointed at the paved trail that wove through the park. “If we follow this, we’ll hit various obstacles, including pull-up bars. I plan to make you do most of them.” “At your command.” Rain’s dark eyes sparkled, almost like he knew precisely the effect his flirty tone would have on Garrick. “Sit-ups.” Stopping…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?   THE ULTIMATE BETRAYAL. It’s out July 28. 2–What is it about?  It’s about the theft of chemical weapons from an army depot in Colorado. Jessie Kegan, the heroine, is determined to prove her father, an army colonel, is innocent of the crime. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Determined. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  His strength and loyalty, and the military background that give him and Jessie a chance to survive the powerful enemies they confront. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?   They depend on the strength and intelligence of each other. And Brandon can count on his brothers to help him no matter what. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?   I love Colorado. Beautiful mountains and extreme climates provide plenty of interesting scenery and challenges. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)?  I do a little of both. I’m no longer able to just follow an outline. Much of the story depends on the clues that are uncovered as the hero and heroine try to solve the deadly problems they are…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? The Wife Who Knew Too Much will be out July 28 from St. Martin’s Press. 2–What is it about?  Set amongst the glittering mansions of the Hamptons, The Wife Who Knew Too Much is a decadent summer thriller about the lives of those who will do anything for love and money. It tells the story of the two women who love the same man. Nina is a fabulously wealthy socialite who fell hard for Connor after the death of her real-estate tycoon first husband. Tabitha is a waitress and small-town girl who’s never gotten over her summer fling with Connor years before. When he comes back into her life, unhappily married to Nina, she falls in love all over again. When Nina takes her own life, tragic as it is, they can finally be together. Then she finds Nina’s diary. “I’m writing this to raise an alarm in the event of my untimely death. This is hard to admit, even to myself, let alone to the world. My husband is planning to kill me.” Did Connor kill Nina? Does he love Tabitha, or is she merely a convenient suspect? 3–What word best describes…

Jen: What inspired you to write your new release, ​Musical Chairs​? Amy: The countryside, family, wine, and a little Mozart! I was excited to write a book about a family spending the summer together in a house that has seen better days. And I wanted to include adult children who move back home with their messy problems, dogs, and habits. Also, since my children are all musicians, I decided to place several of the characters in the world of professional music. I wrote a book trailer that makes it pretty clear that there are certain elements of my real life that worked their way into the novel. You can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IffxAo-QMh4 How would you describe Bridget and Will’s unique friendship? I remember watching Nora Ephron’s iconic movie When Harry Met Sally in 1989 and admiring the longtime friendship between the characters. In discussing male-female friendships, Harry says that “the sex part always gets in the way,” and I wondered. . .  Does it have to? I began writing MUSICAL CHAIRS in an effort to celebrate a male-female friendship, a solid, marriage-like bond between two characters, a bond that–one hopes–can withstand the test of time, conflict, old secrets, and…

Enemies become lovers in The Goodbye Guy, book 3 in my Men of Lakeside series. In this excerpt, Rachel has come home with Beck from a fancy party… Mocha was waiting for them at the door. The shameless mutt wriggled up to Rachel first, as if the dog knew she was a pushover. And apparently, she was, because even though she and Beck had been kissing and touching in the car, building their anticipation even further, Rachel was on her knees–for the dog–as soon as they got home. “She’s been lonely, poor thing,” Rachel said. That snug blue dress rode up her thighs as she nuzzled the dog. “Don’t feel bad, sweetie. You wouldn’t have had any fun at that party.” Beck gave up the hope they’d be heading straight to the bedroom and dropped to the floor beside them. All the better to be near those bare legs. “Except for the dancing.” She leaned against him even as she let the dog curl up in her lap. “Oh yeah, the dancing part was the best.” He reached out to rub Mocha’s wild hair, then let his hand rest on Rachel’s thigh. “I can’t imagine what kind of video your…