Traveling is one of my favorite things to do. I love almost every aspect of it, but I particularly love planning out the itinerary so that I can make the most of my time and see all sorts of new sights and places. Traveling in person has resumed for many folks, but most of my travel right now is through books. Rather than a typical travel schedule, I thought it would be fun to plan an out of this world spring break adventure to explore some of the various paranormal and fantasy worlds authors have created for us. So, without further ado, let’s get started! Day 1 We start off with a trip to the planet Harmony, courtesy of author Jayne Castle.  Illusion Town is our first stop on the planet and is described by the author as a weirder version of Las Vegas. The Harmony world features all sorts of fun things, from ghosts and paranormal energy to the Midnight Carnival, Dead City, and Ghost City. GUILD BOSS is the latest offering from Jayne Castle but honestly readers new to the series will want to devour all of her books as they are just that good! One of my…

Anne Rice forever changed my reading world over 30 years ago. Prior to reading INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE, I had only read my mom’s collection of romance/gothic novels and horror authors such as Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Anne Rice opened my eyes to a world in which vampires were far more than the creepy nightmarish blood suckers (and definitely more sensual) than the ones I’d previously encountered in one of my favorite horror novels of all time, Stephen King’s SALEM’S LOT. From there, I devoured everything Anne Rice wrote (other than her early erotica novels), whether it was the religious exploration of Jesus Christ’s early years in CHRIST THE LORD: OUT OF EGYPT or the Mayfair Witches in THE WITCHING HOUR. Urban and dark fantasy novels weren’t something you could just walk into a bookstore and find back then, or at least not in my hometown in South Carolina. I remember my excitement when the first Anita Blake book came out and I continued eagerly scouring the shelves for others like Anne Rice who fueled my imagination. The battles between good and evil and the fine line that various urban and dark fantasy heroines and heroes must walk while…

From New York Times bestselling author Kristen Ashley comes an all new thrilling romantic suspense guaranteed to have pulses rise, and readers begging for more. Renowned author Delphine Larue needs a haven. A crazed fan has gone over the deep end, and she’s not safe. Her security team has suggested a house by a lake. Secluded. Private. Far away. In a beautiful area of the Northwest close to the sleepy town of Misted Pines. It’s perfect. So perfect, Delphine has just moved in, and she’s thinking she’ll stay there forever. Until she sees the girl in the mist. After that, everything changes. Delphine quickly learns that Misted Pines isn’t so sleepy. A little girl has gone missing, and the town is in the grips of terror and tragedy. The local sheriff isn’t up for the job. The citizens are up in arms. And as the case unfolds, the seedy underbelly of a quiet community is exposed, layer by layer. But most importantly, girls are dying. There seems to be only one man they trust to find out what’s happening. The mysterious Cade Bohannan. On Sale January 4th Amazon Amazon Worldwide AppleBooks Kobo Nook Amazon Print Barnes and Noble Print About…

Reid felt his phone buzz and expected to see his brother’s name flash across the screen. But he was pleasantly surprised when it was an unknown number, suggesting they meet up in a few days at the Rookery in the Loop so they could start scouting locations. This is Cassie, by the way. Reid felt himself smile, which he tried to tamp down into a smirk, but he knew he was grinning at his phone like some kind of giddy loser. Reid: Does this mean you’re going to do the campaign? Cassie: I suppose you’ll get to see me in caution tape lingerie after all. He wondered what changed her mind. From what little he knew, Dana could be convincing, but he also suspected that Cassie knew an opportunity when she saw one, even if it wasn’t exactly what she wanted. And he’d be damned if he didn’t take the opportunity to work with Cassie, wearing next to nothing. Knowing that James would tell him to keep his money if he tried to pay for the beer, Reid quickly finished his beer and left enough cash to cover the drink, a normal tip, and then some, and headed down the…

Hi all! My Name is Libby Hubscher and I’m excited to share a bit about my debut novel, MEET ME IN PARADISE, with you. The Cole sisters couldn’t be closer, or more different. After their mother died tragically when they were teenagers, they’ve only had each other. Sadie travels the world, while Marin waits at home, worrying and letting the world pass her by. Intent on showing Marin what she’s missing, Sadie tricks her into a solo vacation in paradise. What was supposed to be a sisters’ spa weekend turns into the trip of a lifetime when Marin is forced outside of her comfort zone, exploring the island of Saba with Lucas Tsai, a stranger who ended up in Sadie’s seat on the plane. Suddenly, Marin finds herself feeling more alive than ever, falling in love…and realizing that Sadie has been keeping a devastating secret from her—one that will change everything. M is for Meddling. It takes her zany, wonderful younger sister to hatch a scheme to get anxious homebody Marin Cole out of her comfort zone and onto an island in the middle of the Caribbean. E is for Enigmatic. Lucas Tsai isn’t who Marin expected to be sitting next to…

2020 is almost at an end, but our Reviewer Spotlights will continue into January! We hope you’re enjoying getting to know our reviewers and columnists better. Cheers to 2021!!  Your Name  Danielle Dresser How long have you been a Fresh Fiction reviewer? 3 years as a reviewer and about a year and a half as Editorial Manager What are your favorite genres to read and review? I love contemporary romance, historical romance, graphic novels, women’s fiction, and historical fiction. What are your TOP 3-5 Books of 2020? The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert Deal with the Devil by Kit Rocha When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole Confessions in B-Flat by Donna Hill What do you like to do outside of reading?  I’m currently writing my own contemporary romance series! I also love to bake, cross-stitch, and watch TV… and by watch TV, I definitely mean watching and re-watching the Great British Bake Off and Schitt’s Creek almost exclusively. What are some of your holiday traditions? Christmas lasts about a full week in our house. We make individual visits to my family and to my in-laws, and usually have at…

What a year 2020 has been!  Most of us can’t wait to see the last of it, along with fervent prayers that 2021 will be a much better 365 days.  While we’re waiting to move on, what better to distract us than novels about famous, larger-than-life heroines? Elise Hooper’s FAST GIRLS: A NOVEL OF THE 1936 WOMEN’S OLYMPIC TEAM deals with women who aren’t as famous as the others we will feature—but ought to be.  Veteran of the first women’s delegation to compete in the 1928 Olympics, Betty Robinson overcomes a horrific accident to join two newcomers as part of the 1936 Women’s Olympic Track Team. Farm girl Helen Stephens wants to escape the hardships of rural life, while Louise Stokes sees excelling in competition as a way to overcome the restrictions placed on Black Americans. All three must fight against the prevailing view that women are too “delicate” for competitive sports and should confine their activities to the home.  Hooper sets the struggle for an increased role for women against the vivid backdrop of political intrigue that was the Olympics held in Hitler’s Germany. From talented but lesser-known to the center of international scandal, we have THE WOMAN BEFORE…

Search & Destroy is on sale for 99¢ for a limited time­ ─ Jan 27th to Feb 3rd. Get your copy today! “Julie Rowe creates a chilling story in Search and Destroy.  The threat to mankind is real and harsh. The entire book is a high-octane race against the clock with lives in the balance.” -Jeanne S., NetGalley “Julie Rowe provides a high paced action novel with steamy romantic scenes thrown in. Her characters are well-crafted and her subject knowledge is spot on. The multifaceted plot included everything from relationship quandaries to bioterrorism threats and kept the reader engaged the entire time.” -Tara M., NetGalley Search & Destroy excerpt: Their fight, in all its stupid, irrational glory flared up in full color, 3-D splendor in her head. She had told him in no uncertain terms she didn’t want him to take care of her, yet here he was doing it anyway. Instead of feeling angry, she felt…guilty. She’d been wrong. About Halverson, the reach of the FAFO, and what she really wanted—a man she could depend on. She’d thrown it all away. She sure as hell didn’t deserve to have him looking after her now. Carmen turned away the next time he offered her more…

THE BEST IS YET TO BE by Kathryn Le Veque de Wolfe Pack #15 The story every Le Veque reader has been waiting for… Paris de Norville (The Wolfe) and Jemma Scott Hage (The Wolfe) find love in their sunset years… with each other?! It seems like an impossible suggestion. Paris and Jemma first met in The Wolfe, in a fiery explosion of temper and taunting – her temper mostly because he was taunting. Handsome and arrogant in his youth, Paris was a powerful knight, second in command to the great William de Wolfe, and found great sport in taunting a Scots captive named Jemma Scott. Pretty, green-eyed Jemma was the oil to his water. The fire to his ice. Perhaps the sparks that flew between them at first were those of attraction, but soon another knight had Jemma’s attention and Paris was relegated to a role of both friend and tormenter. He affectionately called her ‘banshee’ and what she called him is not fit for delicate ears. It was a like/hate relationship for the ages. The years passed and Paris married Jemma’s cousin, Caladora. They had a wonderful marriage but sickness took Caladora from him and Jemma lost her…

An undeniable love that started with a Christmas kiss. TIDES OF DESIRE, the steamy sequel to the award-winning TIDES OF PASSION! The feisty beauty who imagined a solitary life… Spirited physician Macy Dallas is fervently committed to medicine, but a troubled past has kept her from committing to love. She’s never experienced ardent yearning for a man until she kisses Caleb Garrett…and her awakening passion is impossible to resist. The jaded man who vowed to protect his heart… A gifted boatbuilder who is dedicated only to the sea, Caleb doesn’t believe in the power of love. A wretched childhood has governed his life until he doesn’t believe he has anything to offer. A beguiling puzzle, Macy challenges his fears, and he considers giving in to their explosive passion. Even though he knows he’s not the man she deserves. An irresistible affair that started with a kiss… As they match wits in a tempestuous dance, their fortifications begin to crumble, revealing not only a fiery attraction but a deepening love. Soon, what should have been a simple seduction becomes deliciously complicated…as they must open their hearts or lose the one person they are desperate to possess. Read An Excerpt Garrett Brothers…