Hi! *waves* Thanks so much for having me today. I’m so excited for the release of BRANDED BY FIRE, book 4 in the Blood & Magic series. What a lot of people may not know is that prior to becoming an author, I actually started as a book review blogger and cover designer and created the cover for BRANDED BY FIRE myself. I thought it would be fun to show you all a little behind the scenes sneak peak of how the cover was made. The model used for my covers unfortunately doesn’t have a lot to choose from so I’ve been able to keep the series consistent by using the same model face but on another models body. Thanks to a little Photoshop magic, I was able to go from these two pictures to this. I removed the background on both images and erased the model’s face in the plaid outfit. Then I flipped my main characters face so that she was looking the opposite direction and layered her face over the other model. I had to do a massive amount of blending to her neck and chest so you couldn’t see the lines but the process was actually…

Fingers crossed that GHOST GIFTS is the lightning followed by FORETOLD‘s thunder—that’s hopeful author code for book two in my psychic-inspired trilogy. GHOST GIFTS is Book One, the story of Aubrey Ellis, a newspaper reporter with a psychic gift. All Aubrey wants is a normal life. The dead beg to differ. In GHOST GIFTS, Aubrey learns to live with abilities that are sensory related—sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell serve as integral pathways to how she perceives the dead and the messages they bring. FORETOLD, Book Two, takes place a decade later and delves further into the mysteries of Aubrey’s supernatural talents. They’re facets Aubrey never knew existed—at least not until she’s accused of terrorist-type incident. FORETOLD is off to a fast start as we find Aubrey being questioned by the FBI in the wake of an explosion in Boston’s Prudential Tower—an event linked to a sudden manifestation of her psychic gifts. Instead of merely communicating with the dead, Aubrey receives a ghostly forewarning of the lethal blast. Ghosts who can predict the future are an unwelcome unknown, especially since Aubrey is already in crisis mode dealing with her estranged partner, Levi St John, and their twelve-year old son, Pete….

Now that I’ve written two sequels in two different series, The Six Train to Wisconsin series (adult paranormal suspense) and The Unbelievables series (YA time-travel mystery), I’ve discovered there are a few secrets to writing a good sequel. Go Deeper, Not BiggerOne of the biggest mistakes an author can make is assuming they have to go bigger in each book. If book 1 was hero vs. villain, book 2 is now a team of heroes vs. team of villains. If there were 6-8 characters in book 1, now there are twice as many in book 2. If they time traveled once in book 1, they have to time travel 3 times in book 2. If the stakes were life or death in book 1, now it’s end of the world in book 2. But bigger isn’t always better. The first book introduces your story world and your characters. What readers really want in a sequel is to go deeper into that world you created. They want to learn more about how it works and why it works. They want you to explore the rules of your world and give them greater insight into the inner workings. They want to get…

Hidey-ho Fresh Fictioners! Fresh Fictionees? Fresh Fictionites? Or how about this… Hidey-ho all you fiction lovers! Julie Ann Walker here, so happy to be back on Fresh Fiction talking about my latest release, HOT PURSUIT. The book follows Christian Watson and Emily Scott on their wild and crazy (not to mention dangerous, hilarious, and angsty) journey to finding their way into each other’s arms. Christian Watson is the first English hero I’ve ever written. Talk about swoon! I fell in love with him and a guarantee you will too. Don’t believe me? Then sit back, relax, and let me convince you! Without further ado, the top five reasons you’ll love Christian Watson… Not to put too fine a point on it, but the man is hot enough to melt the polar ice caps. He’s confident and cocky and soooo much fun to match wits with.   He’s fiercely protective.   He’s not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve.   That accent! *fans self*   See? What did I tell you? You’re already a little bit in love with him, aren’t you? Run out a snag a copy of his book, HOT PURSUIT, today! HOT PURSUIT by Julie Ann…

What book made you fall in love with the genre you write? Mika Jolie: I’ve read so many books, but the one I remember the most is The Passionate Lover by Carole Mortimer under Harlequin Presents. I found it at used bookstore and from that moment I was hooked. I’d count the day for her releases and stay up all night and read. What is your favorite genre? Mika Jolie: I have such an eclectic taste when it comes to books and music. Having said that, if I had to pick one, it would have to be Contemporary Romance. This genre tackles so many relatable issues that women deal with on this beautiful journey called life. But also, at the heart of those novels is learning to forgive, discovering something new, loving the men in our lives, our families and our friends. If a movie were made of your most recent book, who would you cast in the lead and why? Mika Jolie: Lance Parker and Meghan Markle would star as Dean and Coriander. They were my muses while I was writing The Boy Friend. I actually have a whole page on my website dedicated to my muses. Meet the…

How did you come up with the idea for this story? EmKay Conner I’ve written in two other Kindle Worlds and discovered that series sell best. I knew I wanted to do a “mini-series” of my own in Mari Carr’s Wilder Irish Kindle World, so I did some brainstorming with my writing partner. We came up with the idea of a distant Irish cousin, Darragh O’Shea, who was something of a Lothario who dies and leaves his inheritance to three daughters, none of whom have ever met. Amy Gregory My first series was based around an eclectic bunch, friends turned family. I’ve had several requests for more from the Noland family, so the Noland Legacy Series was born. I’m writing Jack Sterling’s book now, and it’s been so fun to go back to where it all began for me. I love writing in a series, getting to know more about them all, and in this case, basically ‘the kids grew up’, so there is so much more to get to know about them. Cathryn Fox Between now and the end of next year I plan to release at least eight novellas between the three Kindle Worlds I write in. I…

One of the most popular historical romance eras is “The Regency” which runs according to Wikipedia, “The Regency in Great Britain was a period when King George III was deemed unfit to rule and his son ruled as his proxy as Prince Regent. On the death of George III in 1820, the Prince Regent became George IV. The term Regency (or Regency era) can refer to various stretches of time; some are longer than the decade of the formal Regency which lasted from 1811–1820. The period from 1795 to 1837, which includes the latter part of the reign of George III and the reigns of his sons George IV and William IV, is often regarded as the Regency era, characterised by distinctive trends in British architecture, literature, fashions, politics, and culture. The Regency era ended in 1837 when Queen Victoria succeeded William IV.” But Elizabeth Hoyt went earlier, not medieval, but to the time during the reign of George III when he was “fit to reign” or during the fun times, you know, American Revolution, skirmishes with the French and so on. The time periods are distinctly different in clothes, culture and attitides so we asked Elizabeth to tell us…

THE SECRET, the third book in the Butler Ranch series, is set on the Central Coast of California, one of my favorite places on earth. I started visiting this area with my mom when I was a little girl, and through the years, it became my place. Regardless of who I took along with me, we always stayed in one of the inns or motels on Moonstone Beach Road in Cambria. In the first two books, THE PROMISE and THE TRUCE, the characters Peyton and Alex live in Cambria, and its Main Street is the location for Stave. Cambria is a seaside village in San Luis Obispo County, California, midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, along California State Route 1. The name Cambria, chosen in 1869, is the Latin name for Wales. The village is situated amidst Monterey pines, in one of only three such native forests. Every book in this series includes multiple scenes on the Moonstone Beach and its boardwalk. Famous for its dramatic coastline and breathtaking views, this one-mile-long section of oceanfront is a great place to view sea otters, whales and dolphins, or simply soak up the sun, while sinking your toes in the sand….

Every writer is also a reader. I mean, if we didn’t love books, we wouldn’t spend our time trying to create more, right? So, I read fast and I read constantly. But, strangely, I find my choices are affected by the seasons. Spring is the time for something new and strange. Summer is the time for high-flying suspense and the dramatic thriller. Fall, though, is the time to get back to the classics. Collins. Dickens. Christie. Sayers. DuMaurier. Josephine Tey. Wait. Who? Josephine Tey. Quite possibly the best mystery writer nobody ever heard of. Tey was a pseudonym for Elizabeth MacKintosh. She wrote during the great heyday of English mystery, from the mid-1920s to the early 1950s. A playwright as well as an author, her output of mysteries was small, just seven books. But Oh! Those books! I discovered Tey in the back of Aunt Agatha’s bookshop, which is where I go when I want to find, well, anything mystery or crime fiction related. I picked up THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR, at random, and didn’t put it down. THE FRANCHISE AFFAIR a stand-alone English village murder mystery. It’s written in a clean, comfortable, infinitely, entertaining style that still comes across as…

Thank you for having me here today to discuss my Christmas novella, JOYFULLY HIS. Originally, I’d only planned three books for the Sterling Canyon series—one for each friend. But Avery’s twin, Andy, who first appeared in the first book when he injured the hero while driving home from happy hour, kept popping up. By the end of the third book, I felt he’d suffered enough and deserved his own happily ever after. At the start of this novella, Andy has just completed his yearlong probation following the accident mentioned above. His persona non grata status has made it difficult for him to find work and integrate back into the social fabric of his small Rocky Mountain town. What he really wants is his old job back as a ski instructor, but his criminal record makes that a near-impossibility. Enter Nikki Steele, his former boss and long-time friend. Unbeknownst to him, Nikki feels somewhat responsible for Andy’s predicament because, on that long ago evening, she’d left him at the bar instead of taking his keys. She’s also harbored a crush on him for many years. Due to these circumstances, she goes out on a limb with her boss to get Andy…