1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Wild Love 2–What is it about?  My hero, Colin Brooks, has returned to Antero Brewing, but it’s not exactly the homecoming he was hoping for. His partners no longer trust him, and the building where he lives and brews his honey-sweetened beer is little more than a shack. The only one who gives him any affection is his hound-dog puppy, but he’d like to change that with the luscious cook at the corner deli. My heroine, Peaches Guidry, doesn’t trust good-looking charmers like Colin. Besides, she’s got enough on her plate managing the Salty Goat deli and dealing with her underhanded assistant. But Colin’s admiration for her cinnamon rolls expands to Peaches herself. And the soft-hearted baker finds herself falling for the last man she should be interested in. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Determined 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  He’s a reformed bad boy, trying to win back his place at the local brewery. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Well, Colin turns to Peaches, since she’s the only one who’ll talk to him at first. Peaches turns to her boss, Ruth Colbert, and…

Jen: What was your inspiration for your latest release, Feels Like Falling? Kristy: It started as most good stories do… In the drugstore! (Just kidding.) It was two days before Christmas, our car was packed to the gills, and we were heading home for the holidays–right after we picked up the photo books I had had made for our families. The woman at the photo desk said she couldn’t give me the books without a signed photo release because some of them were from a professional photographer, but I begged and pleaded and she gave them to me, after getting permission for me to bring the form back later. A few days later, I took her the photo release and she put it on file, no harm, no foul. But then I thought, “What if something similar happened but the woman working had gotten fired because of it? What if there was some reason she had felt like she wanted to do a good deed and, because of that, she lost her job? And then what if these two women formed a bond because of it and it ended up changing both their lives?” Most of my stories start this…

Writing for Harlequin Presents, I always know my hero will be exceptionally wealthy. It’s part of the promise to our reader that she will be swept into a glamorous world of luxury, visit exotic locations, and have a passionate encounter with a hero who is lord of all he surveys. These powerful men believe they’re impervious to love, or at least that they can control whom they love the way they control everything else. That arrogance has been winning my heart since I found Harlequin Presents. (Which was in high school! I won’t tell you how long ago that was, but I married my high school sweetheart and our kids are now grown). I have always adored the ruthless, embittered heroes who take an entire book to let down their guard and admit they’re falling for their plucky heroine. It makes the way they turn to mush when a baby is in the picture all the more satisfying! (Think of the old cartoon with the bulldog and the wide-eyed kitten.) I swoon when they discover they are hopelessly ill-equipped to look after a baby, yet suffer a surge of protectiveness that forces them to rise to the challenge. When I…

This is our last post this month showcasing Love’s Sweet Arrow. We’ve enjoyed getting to know more about Marissa, the store, and her adorable dogs! We’ll continue to check in with LSA throughout the year. Many thanks to Love’s Sweet Arrow for hanging out with us all month long. In the meantime, remember to support your local independent bookstore!!  Hi everyone! I’m back to do a fun name challenge, acrostic poem style! I hope everyone has been doing well this past week! L—L is for the laughter we all share in the store (You thought I would say ‘love’ I bet!) O—O is for the open doors we hope to have again soon once it’s safe! V—V is for the volumes of love and kind messages we have been receiving since we had to switch to all online ordering, we love reading them! E—E is for everyone who continues to support us through this uncertain time, we truly appreciate every online order and pre-order! S—S is for the super bookstore dogs we have and I live with. Lady and Brando are truly my biggest comfort at this time. * S—S is for the surprise boxes, which are still available in our…

Two wolf-shifter alphas–male and female–enter into a mating of convenience to try to end long-running a feud between their packs. If you started with The Demigod Complex, you will have already met Tala and Marrok. But what happens after their mating? Holding together two packs who’ve been at each others’ throats isn’t going to be easy. Especially when, as a female alpha, Tala’s leadership is already a tenuous thing. Shift Out of Luck starts off with a bang (literally, because, um…mating) and only gets hotter from there. But what else can you expect? Here’s ten things. . . 2 packs of wolf shifter—and neither wants to give an inch. A lie set to make the packs believe the mating is blessed by the gods. Those pesky sexy-time scents just won’t dissipate after the mating ceremony. A rogue mountain lion shifter in their territory. A secluded cabin. A full moon celebration. No help from her unpredictable sister. An alpha hero who has no idea what he keeps doing to piss off his new mate. A knife-throwing alpha heroine whose wolf keeps attacking the hero. One of their packs isn’t having it, but what can they do against two alphas? Jump into…

Hi everyone! Like the first book in the series, the Bram Stoker Award-nominated Apothecary’s Curse, Alchemy of Glass features some very cool settings. Especially since the novel weaves together several narrative threads into a provocative braid. The Ravines north of Chicago One of my favorite places since I was a kid, the Ravines are a twisty series of deep chasms and bluffs along the Lake Michigan shoreline about 20 miles north of downtown Chicago. Laced with beautiful vistas of the lake and graceful mansions, this area is especially compelling and mysterious when the wind blows off the lake, creating waves that seem more Santa Monica than Chicago. Simon Bell’s Victorian mansion, now occupied by molecular geneticist Dr. Anne Shawe, is along this stretch of shoreline is about 100 feet above a rocky beachhead. Gaelan Erceldoune’s Apothecary Shop In Alchemy of Glass, Gaelan has only just moved into the apothecary, as this part of the novel takes place eleven years before the events of The Apothecary’s Curse. Gaelan has moved from an affluent section of London into the squalor of Smithfield to tend to resident who have no other medical options as gentleman physicians would dare not dirty their hands in…

Hi all! I’m Jill Lynn. My latest book, Her Hidden Hope, is in stores now, and I’m excited to chat about it! It’s set in a small Colorado mountain town and includes a spunky two-year-old boy, a golden retriever with the sweetest temperament, and two jaded high school sweethearts who’ve experienced plenty of hardship in the decade they’ve been apart. Here’s a peek at what’s beneath that pretty cover… H – H is for Handsome. Handsome high school sweetheart Evan Hawke is back in Addie’s life; will they be able to make their relationship work this time? E – E is for Evan. Addie Ricci’s never forgotten the boy she once loved. R – R is for Return. There’s nothing like returning to your hometown to start fresh! H – H is for Hero. When Evan is roped into being a hometown hero, will it convince him to stay? I – I is for Inspirational. This is an uplifting, inspirational romance, something I think we can all use a little of right now! D – D is for Digging into the past. Will Addie and Evan’s budding relationship survive what they find? D – D is for Dog. Evan’s dog…

I didn’t really get to speak with Trade on the first night that I met him, because all the members of the MC were there, but tonight it’s just him and his kids having dinner with us, giving a more personal and intimate setting. His son, AJ, is such a bright kid, and with his dark hair tied up in a man bun just like his dad’s, and his long lashes and cute dimpled smile, he is definitely going to be a heartbreaker. “This is so yummy, Uncle Tommy,” he says to Temper, beaming. Trade’s kids are the only ones I’ve ever heard calling Temper by his real name, and it’s a little weird to hear, but also super cute. “Is it? I made it myself,” Temper says to his nephew, grinning. AJ eyes the chocolate cake. “No you didn’t. I bet you bought it at the store. I’ve never seen you bake a day in your life.” “He made me a cake once,” Alia adds, licking the chocolate from her fingers. “Well, at least he tried to make me a cake.” “Hey, that was an artistic creation,” Temper says to his niece, pretending to be offended. “It came straight…

Hi! MK here! I had so much fun writing Let Me Stay. I am so ready for it to be out in the world because I can’t wait for readers to read it. Let Me Stay loosely connects with my novellas Mobbed Up Love, Don’t You Know, and Don’t You See. I love writing mobster with a heart! Thanks for having me here, Fresh Fiction! My favorite neighbor in the 425 Madison building: Gwen from Must Love Coffee by Leigh Lennon; she is totally awesome! My favorite mode of transportation around NYC: The Subway for sure!  My favorite or must-see NYC landmark: Times Square! It has that “bright lights, big city” vibe that I love! My favorite thing about “city” life: The different types of food that are pretty available 24/7! My favorite thing about being a part of the 425 Madison world: I love being a part of this series because of the writer friends I’ve gained. I also love the atmosphere 425 Madison provides. So many different kinds of stories to be told there. — COMMENT TO WIN: What’s your favorite thing about where you live? Tell us in the comments and you’ll be entered to win a…

Stay safe! Stay inside! Limit trips to the grocery store! We’re all hearing advice like this as we wonder how long the coronavirus is going to be with us. Food writers suggest inventorying our pantries for overlooked supplies and creating meals out of what we have on hand–though my trips to the grocery store have revealed that many people are limiting their trips by buying a few months’ worth of food at once, including the woman I saw with two filled-to-capacity carts, pushing one and pulling the other. But I like the idea of discovering and putting to use supplies I had forgotten I had. With this in mind, I explored the contents of my freezer yesterday and found . . . half a package of brownie mix! It was hidden way in the back, between the box of raisins and the bag of walnut halves (I freeze almost everything I don’t use often). The brownie mix dated from last year when I was experimenting with a way to make easy cookies for my Knit & Nibble mystery #6, Knit of the Living Dead, coming out this August. As you can guess from the title, it has a Halloween theme,…