Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Cait Nary | Author-Reader Match: SEASON’S CHANGE
Author Guest / February 4, 2022

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Cait Nary! Writes: I write character-driven M/M hockey romance that’s not scared to tackle the darker side of hockey culture. As a hockey fan with her eyes open to the sport’s shortcomings, I wanted to write a book that grappled with the challenges of falling in love in an environment that is profoundly heteronormative and steeped in toxic masculinity. In SEASON’S CHANGE, Olly and Benji spend all their time together—on the ice, in the locker room, in their shared apartment—and learn that ignoring their unspoken feelings isn’t an option. About: A Southerner who somehow managed to stumble my way into hockey fandom, my interests include yelling “Shoot!” at the Philadelphia Flyers; cheering for whoever is playing against the Washington Capitals at my closest geographic hockey arena; and refusing to learn how to interpret advanced hockey analytics. I’m a big fan of arena-sized light beers and collecting more hockey-themed snapbacks than I will ever be able to wear. What I’m looking for…

Alana Quintana Albertson | Author-Reader Match: RAMON AND JULIETA
Author Guest / February 4, 2022

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Alana Quintana Albertson! Writes: I write heart books filled with passion and culture. My latest book, Ramón and Julieta, celebrates Latine joy and is the tale of star-crossed lovers who meet on Day of the Dead and discover they are from star-crossed families. It’s the first book in the Love & Tacos series. About: I’m a California chica living in sunny San Diego. I live with my husband and two sweet sons and run a dog rescue, Pugs N’ Roses. I spend my free time walking along the beach, doing yoga, and gardening. You can find me sipping an iced Mexican oat milk mocha and eating tacos. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Looking for readers who want to fall in love with strong, sexy characters that are deeply rooted in their beliefs. Must love to laugh, have a great appetite, and must love dogs! What to expect if we’re compatible: Vivid descriptions of food Always a shelter pet sidekick Swoon-worthy romance Sexy times Road trip through…

Amber Royer | Top Ten Things About Cruise Ships
Author Guest / February 3, 2022

I love the chance to get to explore fun settings in my fiction.  That’s one of the reasons OUT OF TEMPER: Bean to Bar Mysteries Book 3 is set Aboard a cruise ship.  The ship in my fictional cruise line is sailing out of Galveston, from the terminal just down the street from where I placed Felicity’s shop.  In the book, she’s still active in her role as chocolate maker: this time she’s been asked to do demos of her work aboard the ship. I’ve been on a number of cruises, even done enrichment lectures aboard ships myself.  And there are so many things that make me want to go back.  Here’s my top 10. 10–Eggs Benedict.  Because I’m not going to get up early enough to make Hollandaise for myself at home. I’ve found Eggs Benedict on the breakfast menu of every ship I’ve been on. (Though I’ve by no means been on all cruise lines, so your mileage may vary.)  The fictional cruise line in my book offers a Texas-themed menu, so Felicity gets Chicken Fried Steak Benedict. 9–Shore excursions!  You never know where you will be able to go. (Bonus: It is always warm in the Caribbean.)…

Lya Badgley | When Dying is Not the Worst Thing You Can Imagine
Author Guest / February 2, 2022

In February 1987, I was thriving. I was performing in local Seattle clubs to promote my new album and researching a historical fiction novel based on the life of Joan of Arc. I was in love. But then I got a headache that wouldn’t go away. Throbbing pain made me nauseous. Over the course of a week, my vision morphed from tones of sepia brown to black nothingness, and I became blind in one eye. There were blood tests, spinal taps, and visits with doctors tapping my joints with rubber mallets. How many fingers do you see? And then the final, fateful test with an ophthalmologist who didn’t mince words. See those white spots? I squinted with my good eye at the black and white Seurat image of my brain. You definitely have Multiple Sclerosis. I took a sobbing breath, already knowing my world would never be the same. The headache morphed and moved throughout my body, a wolf chewing my arm, a knife stabbing my back. But, eventually, I discovered a hidden secret. Extreme pain left me with the most significant, most liberating gift the universe could ever give –the realization that I had nothing left to lose. I…

Caridad Pineiro | Author-Reader Match: THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET
Author Guest / February 1, 2022

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Caridad Pineiro! Writes: Meet THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET, a romance with a strong women’s fiction element. About: Caridad likes to write all kinds of stories, from paranormal to romantic suspense to contemporary romance. She loves the challenge of creating characters who readers will fall in love with. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: If you’re looking for a story with a strong romance, an emotional story about women overcoming the past to build the future, with a Miami vibe, THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET is the book for you! What to expect if we’re compatible: If Caridad is your author to try, you’ll get compelling characters, an emotional story, interesting settings, good food, and a rewarding happily-ever-after. THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET by Caridad Pineiro Jessica Russo knows nothing about her mother’s family or her Cuban culture. Every time she’s asked about it, her mother has shut down. But when the Cuban grandmother she’s never met sends her right-hand man, Luis, to…

Teri Anne Stanley | Author-Reader Match: CHARMING TEXAS COWBOY
Author Guest / January 28, 2022

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Teri Anne Stanley! Writes: Sassy, sexy, fun romance where hot soldier cowboys can’t resist smart, gutsy women. There are dogs and horses. Maybe some goats and turtles, too. And chickens. About: Me: Crafty, sciencey, book nerd Loves watching other people take long walks on the beach, long weekends wrapped in a blanket watching Netflix, and pizza rolls. Has been known to spend hours at a time rewriting one paragraph. Rarely cooks or cleans. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: You: Prefer books to people (some people, anyway). Love military guys with wounded souls May have watched every season of Virgin River and/or Homestead Rescue Roll your eyes (but look anyway) whenever there’s a new internet scandal What to expect if we’re compatible: Instagram posts about yarn and dogs Intermittent newsletters (I’m going to be better about this. I really mean it). Stories with heart and a lot of laughs Relatable characters The occasional shot of suspense All the feels CHARMING TEXAS COWBOY by Teri Anne Stanley Big…

Terry Spear | Author-Reader Match: THE BEST OF BOTH WOLVES
Author Guest / January 27, 2022

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Terry Spear! Writes: I write paranormal romance and medieval Highland romances because I love both. Because of that, I create a world of romance, intrigue, mystery, suspense, that makes you feel like you’re part of their world. You deserve a happy ending today. About: I love mystery and suspense, thrillers, romance, and the paranormal. My favorite heroines have spunk and can take care of the hero as he takes care of her with a guaranteed HEA and so that’s what I write. I’m a retired army reservist and have lived all over, though I come from California and now am living in Texas, spoiling my grandchildren and my two Havanese every chance I get. I also create teddy bears that have been featured in magazines and won awards and found homes all over the world. When I’m not writing or creating teddy bears, I garden and I photograph flora and fauna. And when I’m finished, I create photo art from my photos and from other sources. What I’m…

Nik James | Author-Reader Match: BULLETS AND SILVER
Author Guest / January 26, 2022

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present NIK JAMES …aka Nikoo and Jim McGoldrick… aka May McGoldrick… aka Jan Coffey Writes: Stories that will grab you and not let go. BULLETS AND SILVER will sweep you along on a Western adventure like few others. Caleb Marlowe is a hero to swoon over, and when villains from his past come hunting him in his new home in Elkhorn, Colorado, he’ll do anything it takes to protect what’s his, including the woman he’s come to care about more than he wants to admit. Sparks and bullets fly in this stand-alone second book of the Caleb Marlowe Westerns series. About: After too many years of New England weather, we’re living in Southern California, where the sun always shines and it never rains (except yesterday…and the day before that). We love living by the beach, and we walk the trails overlooking the canyons and the ocean every day, thinking up stories that you’ll love. When we’re not doing that, we curl up on the sofa to enjoy a good…

Lauren Accardo | Author-Reader Match: BOLD LOVE
Author Guest / January 25, 2022

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Lauren Accardo! Writes: Steamy contemporary romance; small towns with cute bookstores, coffee shops, and the scent of pine wafting through every square inch. About: Oh hi! Nice to meet you! My name is Lauren Accardo, and I live for an unforgettable HEA. Love stories are my jam. If the book has a broody but smoking hot main character, a strong, take-no-bull second main character, and some type of across-the-room-eye-contact-that-leads-to-touching, I either read it or wrote it. Outside of swoony romance, my interests include baked goods of any variety, karaoke, vacations to Italy, dogs, the Adirondack mountains, and making my 5-month-old baby laugh. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Can inhale a book in just one sitting Roots for a snarky female lead Has a soft spot for adorable but occasionally clueless men Enjoys excessive descriptions of food and usually reads with a snack in hand Loves a good love story What to expect if we’re compatible: Chemistry on chemistry on chemistry Lots of characters…

Cleo Coyle | Author-Reader Match: HONEY ROASTED
Author Guest / January 24, 2022

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present CLEO COYLE! Writes: Cleo Coyle writes the New York Times bestselling Coffeehouse Mysteries, a fun series of endearing and suspenseful murder mysteries set in a landmark coffeehouse in New York’s picturesque Greenwich Village. Don’t miss HONEY ROASTED, the latest release in Cleo’s long-running, richly layered series. About: Cleo has sold more than one million page-turning cozy adventures to her longtime fans and would be honored to welcome you to her Coffeehouse world. Cleo writes books in collaboration with her husband, which is why the complicated love life of her amateur sleuth (coffeehouse manager and master roaster Clare Cosi) and the two men in her life (globetrotting coffee hunter Matt Allegro and NYPD detective lieutenant Mike Quinn) is so entertaining. As devoted partners, Cleo and her husband are able to portray the ups and downs of romantic relationships with real-world insight and a unique blend of wit, wisdom, and (above all) honesty. Cleo’s ideal reader match will enjoy. . .  -The roller-coaster fun of a twisty…