Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Laura Trentham | 20 Questions: A HIGHLANDER IS COMING TO TOWN
Author Guest / September 22, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  A Highlander is Coming to Town 2–What is it about? Set in Highland, Georgia during Christmas, it features a Scottish lass who needs a Christmas miracle and a Southern gentleman who is doing his best to deliver one. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Secretive 4–What makes your hero irresistible? He is a truly nice guy. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? My hero turns to Anna and Iain (the h/H of A Highlander in a Pickup.) My heroine is caretaker for an elderly widow, Ms. Meadows. They become like family. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? Highland, Georgia reinvented itself as a Scottish village to survive and holds a Highland festival every summer and now a Burns Night party to celebrate Christmas. It’s a slice of Scotland in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was inspired by Helen, Georgia, a German-themed town that celebrates Octoberfest every year. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? A pantster who wishes I could plot. I’ve taken classes… read the how-to books… made…

Martin Edwards | 20 Questions: MORTMAIN HALL
Author Guest / September 21, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Mortmain Hall, published by Poisoned Pen Press 2–What is it about? It’s a history-mystery set in 1930, and like Gallows Court, it features Rachel Savernake and the journalist Jacob Flint. They investigate a series of bizarre murder cases apparently involving miscarriages of justice and their enquiries eventually take them to an old country house on the north Yorkshire coast – Mortmain Hall 3–What word best describes your main character(s)? Rachel Savernake is mysterious. Jacob Flint is impetuous. 4–What makes your story relatable? It’s a story set in 1930 and involves bizarre murder mysteries, but above all it’s about human nature, and how people behave at times of stress 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Jacob turns to Rachel. Rachel is supported by the Trueman family. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? Mortmain Hall is set in a coastal area near where I used to go on holidays as a child. It’s a beautiful coast, but can be eerie.   7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Both; it depends on the story…

Sara Richardson | 20 Questions: HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Author Guest / September 18, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Home for the Holidays 2–What is it about?  Three sisters who have grown apart travel back to Juniper Springs, Colorado to spend Christmas with their beloved Aunt Sassy–who has been estranged from the family for years. Spending time together at the Juniper Springs Inn brings the memories of their childhood back to life, and the sisters reclaim the bond that once held them together. As they navigate the different life transitions they’re facing, including romances, heartbreaks, and dreams for their futures, the sisters end up discovering what it is they really want this Christmas.   3–What word best describes your main character(s)?  Each sister definitely needs her own word! Dahlia: Organized Magnolia: Independent Rose: Creative 4–What makes your story relatable?  It’s definitely the characters who make the story relatable. Dally, Mags, and Rose are all facing different heartaches in their lives and for a long time they’ve carried those burdens alone, trying to be seen as strong, independent women. But, in coming together, they realize how much they need each other and how much stronger they are together.   5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  A…

Amanda Cox | 20 Questions: THE EDGE OF BELONGING
Author Guest / September 9, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  The Edge of Belonging 2–What is it about? The Edge of Belonging is a dual timeline story about a homeless man who finds an abandoned newborn. His greatest desire is to protect her from the experiences he had in foster care.  Twenty-four years later, Ivy goes back to her hometown to manage her grandmother’s estate sale and finds out that her grandmother left behind a way for her to learn about Ivy’s adoption. But, a key piece to the mystery is missing. 3–What word best describes your main character(s)? Harvey: Extreme Independence. Life has taught him that people aren’t to be trusted. But when he finds an abandoned newborn, it completely overturns his hermit’s way of life, and he starts to reevaluate if he really is incapable of being loved. Ivy: Searching. She suddenly becomes aware of just how fragile the life she was building for herself was. She finds herself going back to her roots to rediscover her sense of identity, but in the process discovers there’s a lot she doesn’t know about the people who raised her. 4–What makes your story relatable?  I think most of us can relate to craving…

Brittainy Cherry | 20 Questions: THE WRECKAGE OF US
Author Guest / September 8, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  The Wreckage of Us 2–What is it about?  It’s a story about two young individuals with dreams and ambitions to get away from the small-town life of Eres, Nebraska to find themselves. On the way to their escapes, they find one another and form a beautiful friendship that shifts into love. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Powerful. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  His ability to not give up on the people he loves the most.   5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Hazel turns to her new friend, Leah, and Ian turns to his bandmates, who are his best friends. Then, of course, they turn to one another. They also have Ian’s grandparents who are great role models for both of the main characters. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love the small-town world that I was able to create with the dirt roads and Big Paw’s ranch. I loved the moments my hero and heroines shared staring up at the stars each night. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your…

Joss Wood | 20 Questions: RECKLESS ENVY
Author Guest / September 4, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Reckless Envy, which is book five in the Harlequin Desire continuity series, Dynasties: Seven Sins 2–What is it about?  Matt Velez has everything a man could want: money, success and his pick of gorgeous women. Well, almost everything. The affections of tantalizingly sexy good girl Emily Arnott remain strictly off-limits–because she’s engaged to Matt’s bitterest rival. Will jealousy consume him. . . or does Emily hold the secret key to set them both free? 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Emily is beautiful, but she’s also smart. And thanks to her parents, she’s also a little emotionally damaged and very self-sufficient–she’ll resolve her own problems, thank you very much. Her unwanted engagement is a huge obstacle to overcome. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Ah, Matt. . . well, he’s tough and strong and very alpha, but underneath his hard exterior is a man who has never known love and acceptance.   5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Matt has his personal assistant Vee, who is sassy and bossy. She has the disposition of a Victorian butler and the work ethic, and personality, of a fire-ant. Matt adores…

Jane Kirkpatrick | 20 Questions: SOMETHING WORTH DOING
Author Guest / September 2, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Something Worth Doing published by Revell. The title comes from a definition of hope by Vaclav Havel, a writer and first president of the Czech Republic.    2–What is it about?  On the surface, it’s about an early suffragist in the northwest named Abigail Scott Duniway and her passion for improving the lives of women in a time when women were to be seen and not heard (1850s-1890s). At another level, it’s about a woman wanting both a career as a novelist (she wrote 22!) and newspaper owner and to be a faithful wife and mother (they had six children!) while maintaining her reputation in a time of great cultural change and the challenges those two goals can have. 3–What word best describes your main character(s)?  Resilient. 4–What makes your story relatable?  Many modern couples struggle with balancing family and callings, supporting each other while facing trials. Long-distance relationships are also prevalent now and Abigail often was away from her home for weeks at a time doing something worth doing. How that worked for them I think will be of interest to today’s readers. There’s also a bit of family tension as Abigail’s brother…

Wendy Holden | 20 Questions: THE ROYAL GOVERNESS
Author Guest / August 28, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  The Royal Governess 2–What is it about?  The childhood of Queen Elizabeth II. In particular Marion Crawford, the unknown young Scottish teacher who helped make her the monarch she is today. 3–What word best describes your main character(s)?  Contradictory! Marion Crawford never intended to work for royalty. She wanted to work with children right at the other end of the social scale; in the slums of Edinburgh. She wanted to make a difference and help close the gap between the haves and have nots. Then a chance meeting with the Duchess of York, mother of Princess Elizabeth (now the Queen) changed her life forever. She was a royal governess for nearly twenty years, but her story ended very sadly. After a perceived betrayal, the royal family cut her off forever. 4–What makes your story relatable?  It shows the Queen as a vulnerable human being. She can come across as controlled and formal, but The Royal Governess reveals her as a loving and sensitive child. The warm and close relationship between her and Marion is the heart of the book. The two of them show a familiar period of British history from the entirely…

Ella Stainton | 20 Questions: BEST LAID PLAIDS
Author Guest / August 26, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release? Best Laid Plaids, book 1 in the Kilty Pleasures series 2–What is it about? Set in 1928, WWI vet Joachim Cockburn is one thesis away from earning his PhD in Psychology—and he’s writing his paper on delusions. He heads to Scotland to interview a disgraced academic, Dr. Ainsley Graham, who ruined his career by outing himself as a believer in ghosts. Ainsley’s behavior is odd at first glance, but Joachim soon understands that he’s just terribly anxious with a fidgety mind—ADHD in modern parlance. Joachim still keenly feels the tragedies he witnessed during the war, and Ainsley’s confidence in himself is intoxicating. The two head into the Scottish countryside to track down some of the spirits, and end up realizing that their assumptions about one another are definitely wrong, and together, they fit just right. 3–What word best describes Dr. Ainsley Graham? Irrepressible 4–What makes Joachim Cockburn irresistible? Hmm, I’d say he’s an alpha-roll—sort of a mix between an old-style alpha hero and a more modern, squishy cinnamon roll. Joachim is happy to charge in and take over, but I think he does it with a sense of thoughtfulness and sweetness.   5–Who…

Connie Mann | 20 Questions: BEYOND POWER
Author Guest / August 24, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  BEYOND POWER is a romantic suspense. It’s book 2 in the Florida Wildlife Warriors series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone. 2–What is it about?  Here’s the back-cover copy for a sneak peek: Sultry romantic suspense set in Florida’s untamed wilderness. . . When your heart’s involved. . . If you dare venture beyond Disney’s magic and Miami’s high-rises, you’ll find yourself in Florida’s untamed wilderness. A bush pilot and officer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Josh Tanner is one of the tough cops needed to manage these rugged areas. And the minute he finds Delilah Atwood deep in the woods without a good explanation, he knows something is very wrong… All the stakes are raised. . .                                 Delilah barely escaped her ultra-fundamental militia family years ago. Now she’s back to save her sixteen-year-old sister, and no government man is going to stop her. Josh isn’t going to stand by and watch Delilah risk her life, but unless he can get her to trust him, she may end up being the next victim. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  At first, awkward. Delilah is super-smart and much…