A warm welcome back to Fresh Fiction reviewer Miranda Owen, here to chat about the possibly doomed nuptials of Batman and Catwoman in their recent DC graphic novels!  The flirtation and sexual tension between Batman and Catwoman are well documented and encompass the comics, TV, films, and animated shows. My earliest exposure to their relationship was when I watched the 1960s pairing of Adam West and Julie Newmar. When DC was building up this latest Batman/Catwoman romantic storyline, I knew that it wouldn’t end in a happily-ever-after, but Tom King and the other writers and artists who worked on this story built something with a strong emotional punch and added interesting nuances to these beloved characters. In BATMAN VOL. 6: BRIDE OR BURGLAR, readers saw a different and more human side to two comic book legends, leaving their story on an optimistic note. The end result, covered in BATMAN VOL. 7: THE WEDDING, BATMAN/CATWOMAN: THE WEDDING ALBUM, and BATMAN: PRELUDES TO THE WEDDING, is something to wonder over and scream into the void at the unfairness of it all. Even though this entire arc is focused on Batman and Catwoman and their alter egos Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle, the…

In my romance series, the Mountain Mercenaries are a group of six former special forces men who were brought together by they mysterious, “Rex.” They were chosen because of their expertise and their disenchantment with always having to do things “by the book.” There is an underlying reason why Rex formed the group, but that story line is still evolving.:) Their mission is to fight for abused women and children who can’t fight for themselves. They work somewhat “under the radar” to rescue women who have been kidnapped and to keep them safe from abusers. Allye, in the first book, Defending Allye, mistakenly believes that they are a group of men gone “rogue” as that is typically what a mercenary is. But in the Mountain Mercenaries case they are more like vigilantes.They do what they can to right a wrong done to a woman or child. They work within the law as much as possible, and Rex has connections with law enforcement all over the country, and even outside it. But when push comes to shove, if they have to sneak in and out of a foreign country to rescue someone, they will. It’s all about bringing loved ones home to…

I had such a blast writing this book! I adore Mason and Tess and loved giving them amusing, settings, and witty banter, and writing scenes that were sexy and fun. There are so many great scenes in this book from the piggyback ride in the rain, to the serial-killer clown scare, to a sugar cube-encrusted kiss. It was hard to pick a favorite, but I really liked the scene with Mason taking another run at their first kiss. It shows them having fun together and you can see my klutzy, curvy heroine, Tess coming out of her shell a little and getting her flirt on. How many times have we wished we’d done something differently or that we could go back and get a do-over for an important moment? That’s the scene I gave these two as Mason tells Tess he wants another crack at their first kiss and it’s just adorable. Comin’ in hot… Mason James is the responsible brother, the one who stayed behind to run the ranch when his older brother left to play professional hockey. He’s always felt in his brother’s shadow and women have used him in the past to get to his famous brother….

It sounds terrible, doesn’t it? Yet look at our literary history, we’ve always embraced the ghouls of Christmas past. Our fairy tales are as grim as they can be. And musically, we laughed when Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. A little humor or feel good emotions surrounded by the darkness of reality make us feel better—especially when the bad guys get what they deserve. It reminds us of our humanity and our sense of right and wrong. The knowledge that justice will prevail, even if the road is a bit bumpy along the way, keeps us going. Hope. A sense of community. Justice. Love. Laughter. All wrapped up in a colorful cover to entertain you for hours. That’s what you get from cozy mysteries. Like the works of the past, today’s featured novels will make you appreciate what we have today. Turn off the television and embrace a dose of holiday cheer with a good book. MURDER IN HER STOCKING by G. A. McKevett Granny Reid #1 As the Moonlight Magnolia Agency revisits old memories on Christmas Eve, Granny Reid takes the reins back thirty years to the 1980s—back when she went by Stella, everyone’s hair was bigger,…

A love for reading was instilled in me at an early age and I remember reading Gothic romances tinged with a touch of mystery as far back as middle school. Cozy mysteries and paranormal stories (urban fantasy especially) were natural fits for me as I grew older but what a great surprise to discover cozy mysteries that blended my love for the genre with my love of the paranormal! How could anyone not love a magical bookstore? Amanda Flower is quickly becoming one of my favorites for cozy mysteries with that delightful paranormal touch and her series, Magical Bookshop, is practically a must read for all book lovers. Charming Books is exactly the kind of bookstore I would love to browse, a bookstore where the book you need will fly off the shelves just for your reading pleasure. There are three books in the series, CRIME AND POETRY, PROSE AND CONS, and MURDERS AND METAPHORS (releasing in February 2019), and each book is as delightful to read as one would expect. After all, there’s a magical bookshop involved! Magical bookstores aren’t my only love, however, as enchanted gardens have captured my heart as well (particularly during gardening season when I…

Nerds use to get a bad rap, but I think these days, nerds are everywhere. It’s completely acceptable to be a nerd and society has embarrassed it. When you decide to write a series on a team of professional video gamers, you’ve already hit nerd level. I think most people have it in them to “nerd out” in some aspect of their life, whether it be over a show, book series, hobby, or movie. After writing three books featuring three super sexy gamer boys, I’ve compiled a list of five reasons why you should date (or marry) a nerd. Nerds Treat Their Girl Right – Nerds don’t expect to have a girlfriend because a lot of times they are so quirky, it takes a special girl to find their nerdy obsessions (nerdom) endearing. So, when they have a special gal in their life, they treat her right and go out of their way to make her feel special. Endless Supply of Movie Quotes – Let’s face it, nerds are always spouting off movie and TV quoted. Pop culture usually is their jam. Think of all those Super Troopers quotes you could have fun with at that next super boring family…

As we head into the holiday season, most of us anticipate sharing time with friends and family: those people who love us, assist us and bring joy to our lives.  Traditionally, women have played the supporting role in the family, taking care of the everyday business of life to smooth the paths for husband and children, sometimes at the cost of their own ambitions and talents.  This month we’ll look at fiction that focuses not on two famous, almost mythically larger-than-life men, but on the private lives of the often-overlooked women they married. Starting with the brilliant, we have THE OTHER EINSTEIN by Marie Benedict. Abandoning the usual early twentieth-century female role of wife and mother, Mitza Maric earned a coveted place studying physics at an elite Zurich university.  There she met another, equally brilliant student – the young Albert Einstein. Though Mitza had pledged with several fellow female students to avoid marriage and devote her life to science, she eventually agreed to wed Einstein, with whom she worked and collaborated – there are even proponents who believe she, not Albert, was the true author of the theory of relativity.  In any event, her husband removed her name as co-author…

I’m very excited to be here on Fresh Fiction today to celebrate the release of A PROTECTOR IN THE HIGHLANDS! This book is the second in my Highland Roses School series about two sisters who journey into Scotland to start a school for ladies in the 1690s. The theme around the series centers on empowering women at a time when they were often treated as inferior. Women were left out of inheritances, business dealings, education, and decision making. Their purpose in life was to bear children and manage the home. And if a woman found herself in a domestic abuse situation or attacked, she was often blamed with no way out. When researching for my series, I read a wonderful book about two sisters living in the mid-1600s in England (A Court Lady and A Country Wife by Lita-Rose Betcherman). One sister birthed several children and managed her home mostly in the country while the other one became an influential woman at court. Both ladies were considered a success in their circles, although they had many limitations placed upon them because of their sex. Even though the court lady was a friend to the queen of England, she still had…

**Today we are joined by Fresh Fiction Reviewer Danielle Dresser and what she’s noticed about her reading trends over the last year.** Between reviewing for Fresh Fiction, belonging to a book club, and being an all around avid reader, I’ve read a LOT of books this year. It’s the time of year when bloggers, reviewers, and publications are releasing their “Best Books” of the year lists, and while I don’t always think it’s super fair to do that (I’m too indecisive to be so definitive), I did notice some things about my 100+ books read this year… I read almost exclusively female authors. Call me biased or my little way of sticking it to the patriarchy, but aside from a few books in my book club, over 90% of the books I read were by women/female-identifying authors. It wasn’t totally on purpose, but when I noticed this over the summer, I made an extra effort to make sure I was reading books by women. A lot of the books I review for Fresh Fiction are romance novels, which is a genre mostly written by and for women, and I think that’s pretty bad-ass. It also leaves a ton of room for…

Before I was an author, I was a reader. I read A LOT of books over the years. (In fact, I taught myself to read at 3 years old because I wanted to write stories so badly.) And, one of the things I began to realize is I preferred books that mixed genres over just a single “pure” story. I’m also of the belief that I’m not alone. Look at the popularity of certain mixed genres categories. (Romantic suspense anyone?) So, as an author who has taken mixing genres to a whole new level (my current Secret of Redemption series combines psychological thriller, mystery, romance, paranormal and even a touch of women’s fiction) I thought I’d share my top 5 reasons why mixed genres are best. 1. There’s a little something for everyone. No matter what sort of story you prefer (romance, mystery, fantasy, sci-fi) in a mixed-genre book, you’re more likely to find something you like. Better yet, in a mixed genre book, even if you’re not crazy about one of the genres, you may still like the book because you like the other storylines. 2. Less chance of boredom. So, it may just be me, but one storyline…