From the perspective of Shaw “Savage” MacDougall Name’s Shaw, but most people call me Savage. I’m a Highlander, born and bred, proud of my Scots roots. Proud of my clan, the MacDougalls. Proud of who I have become. A defender of the weak. But I’m also a pirate. A ravager on the high seas. I pillage towns, I fight and crush my enemies. I love a good, hard whisky and a soft, willing lass. I wasna always a pirate. Born in Oban, Scotland to a cold bastard who sold me to a pirate king to gain his own freedom. Look at me now. I’m the prince of pirates, the leader of the Devils of the Deep. The world fears me, and yet those I save, worship the sea I glide on. I’ve never been in love, and I never will be. Love weakens a man—trust me on this point. I might be brigand, but I’ve got me code, too. Sit down and I’ll tell ye. Never trust a pirate. Aye, ye might be giving me a wonky eye at that one, but ‘tis true. Pirates canna be trusted. Unless they are a part of your brethren. Ye see, a pirate’s…

I’ve always been fascinated by the concept of time travel. Also, to satisfy my own curiosity, I’ve read a lot about differing theories regarding dimensions and the multi-verse model of reality. Couple that with a deep and abiding appreciation for the history of Ireland, and a love of Celtic myths and legends, and how could I not create a romance weaving together all of these intriguing elements? Blame it on my Irish heritage and an overactive imagination, I guess. I’ve visited Ireland twice, and both times I experienced an overwhelming sense of homecoming. Maybe genetic memory is a thing? I haven’t yet explored the northern half of the island, so I will be going back. In fact, I’d really love to rent a cottage by the sea there for a summer. Anyway, while doing research for TANGLED IN TIME, my daughter and I spent two weeks touring Ireland in 2014. It was a happy discovery for me to learn we both share a love for all things ancient and Celtic. We spent fourteen glorious days exploring ruins, museums and landmarks. Many of the sites we visited have been incorporated into Fáelán and Regan’s tale, and I’d love to share a…

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….