1–What is the title of your latest release? THE STOLEN KINGDOM 2–What is it about? For a hundred years, the once-prosperous kingdom of Perin Faye has suffered under the rule of the greedy and power-hungry Thungrave kings. Maralyth Graylaern, a vintner’s daughter, has no idea her hidden magical power is proof of a secret bloodline and claim to the throne. Alac Thungrave, the king’s second son, has always been uncomfortable with his position as the spare heir–and the dark, stolen magic that comes with ruling. When Maralyth becomes embroiled in a plot to murder the royal family and seize the throne, a cat-and-mouse chase ensues in an adventure of dark magic, court intrigue, and forbidden love.  3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love this question, because I love talking about how THE STOLEN KINGDOM came about! Years ago, I wrote THE SEEDS OF PERIN FAYE, my very first, very terrible novel. THE STOLEN KINGDOM is a complete rewrite of THE SEEDS OF PERIN FAYE. The rolling vineyards and secret magic of the original story are dear to my heart and are a huge part of THE STOLEN KINGDOM.  4–How did your main character(s) surprise you? …

1–What is the title of your latest release? PAWS FOR LOVE 2–What is it about? Danielle is dedicated to finding forever homes for retired greyhound racers and fancies herself something of a matchmaker when it comes to dogs and people. When her high school boyfriend comes back to town after fourteen years in the Marines, Danielle is determined to match him with a perfect dog, but it turns out it’s not the dog who’s his perfect match . . . 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Living in Miami Beach for fourteen years gave me a real appreciation of Art Deco architecture and Mid-Century Modern design. I tried to infuse that love into the Fur Haven dog park series. I also love writing about what it’s like for a regular person like me to live in a place more known for its celebrities and excesses. There’s definitely the glamorous side to life on the Beach, but there are also days when people crowd the beach because there’s a major fish migration happening and if you stand in the water, the fish swim around you. And of course it’s understood that if you see a dolphin, you…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WAITING FOR A SCOT LIKE YOU 2–What is it about? Major Duncan McCameron is struggling to adjust to life in peacetime, so as a favor to a friend he agrees to escort a widowed countess on a trip north. He didn’t anticipate that Lady Faris would be a vibrant woman eager to explore all of life’s experiences. They clash at first, but as their journey turns into a wild ride, they can’t deny the explosive attraction between them. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love road stories because they’re always full of adventure, and this book is no different! 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Beatrice’s zest for living comes from the fact that she’s spent most of her life in an unsatisfying, confining marriage, and I loved learning how determined she is to finally break free. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Three words: grumpy Scot Dom. Okay, two more words: younger man. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  Making sure that Duncan and Beatrice challenge but also complement each other on their emotional as well as physical…

What inspired you to write DO NO HARM? I’ve spent much of my adult life watching my brother’s addiction to opioids. Watching someone you love go to war with themselves is a special level of hell. The experience profoundly changed me and my view of addiction and opioids. So I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to write a thriller set against the backdrop of the opioid epidemic. Then one day I saw a news story about a podiatrist who’d been arrested for starting an opioid ring and it got me thinking: why do people start selling drugs? Is it money, power, status? What would drive someone to do that? The only thing I believed I could ever understand, given that I’d watched my brother’s descent into addiction, was love. My children. I would do anything for them. And that was the moment I first thought of the story for Do No Harm. When Emma’s son is diagnosed with a rare cancer, how does her life change? After a troubled and lonely past in which her parents were killed in a car accident and she was raised in foster care, Emma has finally found the happiness and belonging…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DARE TO BE A DUCHESS 2–What is it about? It’s an enemies-to-lovers historical romance between a mixed heritage girl from India and a duke. 3–What do you love about the setup of your book?  I love the slow burn romance between the hero and the heroine. They didn’t set out to fall in love. In fact, they both knew that their love was forbidden. They waged a daily battle within themselves to forget the other and that internal conflict is what I loved the most. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  When I was writing Lara’s character, I wanted her to be brave, wild, and rebellious, and while I hope to have achieved that, what I think also came across is how loyal she is, how fiercely she loves, and how vulnerable she feels when she falls in love. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Wolf is a proper Duke. At the beginning of the book he’s stiff, broody, and moody, but all that changes once he starts to fall in love. Readers will enjoy how his character transforms across the book and how he breaks all the rules of society and…

Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Allie! Please tell us about yourself and your Magic in Manhattan series.   Thank you so much for having me! I’m Allie, a Cuban-American author, attorney, parent, spoonie, and occasional oversharer of cat pictures. The Magic in Manhattan series is a blend of urban fantasy and romance set in 1925 New York City. It follows an “opposites-attract couple” through three books: Arthur, a non-magical WWI soldier from a political family who hunts supernatural relics, and Rory, an immigrant’s son hiding his ability to see visions of objects’ pasts by working in a Hell’s Kitchen antiques shop.   WONDERSTRUCK is the final book in your Magic in Manhattan series. What is it like bringing a series to an end? What are some of your favorite things about writing this magical series?   Endings are hard! It’s bittersweet to say goodbye, but at the same time, it was really nice to finally be able to give Arthur and Rory their happily ever after. Some of my favorite things about writing this series were learning about New York’s history, and coming up with ways to intertwine magic and history and romance all together. I love that these books…

1–What is the title of your latest release? MURDER WITH A VIEW 2–What is it about? Carpenter Whitney Whitaker and her cousin Buck have bought an old roadside motel at a tax auction, and they’re planning to turn the place into condominiums. But during demolition, Whitney’s cat Sawdust uncovers a body in one of the rooms. The murder victim is none other than Beckett Morgan, an up-and-coming country singing sensation whose song “Party in the Pasture” is a mega hit. Detective Collin Flynn–who Whitney has begun dating–is faced with a long list of suspects, ranging from female groupies, to jealous musicians, to the star’s manager and a record label exec, among others. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Not only is Nashville a beautiful city with its rolling hills and the Cumberland River running through it, but the mid-century motel is a fun, kitschy touch. As a child on family vacations, I stayed at motels just like the one featured in the book, with pink porcelain in the bathrooms and massaging beds that would vibrate for three minutes if you stuck a quarter in a bedside machine. I have many happy memories swimming in the pools…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WINTER’S ORBIT 2–What is it about? In an intergalactic empire, charismatic social butterfly Prince Kiem is commanded to marry Count Jainan, a serious and duty-conscious diplomat from a vassal planet. But Jainan’s last husband died unexpectedly, and Jainan himself is under suspicion of murder. The pair must work together to solve the mystery of his last husband’s death, while they find themselves unexpectedly falling for each other. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I had fun writing a royal family under a media spotlight and what that meant for the public perception of the main relationship. And while I was working on it, I enjoyed living in a world where queer relationships are so normalized they’re totally unremarkable. 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  Prince Kiem is one of those people who reacts to every situation by opening his mouth and starting to talk—some of the time I had no idea what he was going to say, but it always took the scene to fun places. 5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  I found it very easy to write Jainan, a habitual overthinker completely baffled by…

1–What is the title of your latest release? The Afterlife of the Party, out Feb. 2 with Entangled Teen 2–What is it about? The Afterlife of the Party is the first book in a teen vampire trilogy. Tansy’s life changes  when Tansy goes to a party with her crush/friend Vaughn and her best friend Skyler. Shed ends up on the road with Vaughn, chasing after a vampire band called The Drainers to save Skyler from the lead singer. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  It’s set in sunny Southern California, which is where I live, and I love the idea of vampires having to deal with all that sunshine. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Tansy surprised me by the lengths she would go to save her friend. And when I started writing the book, I didn’t know that she had a crush on Vaughn, but then again, how could she resist him? 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Vaughn’s a cinnamon roll with a hot bod and musical talent. He’s a good friend, loyal and funny. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  You know that phrase, kill…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Susan! We are so happy to have you here today. Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your new book, THE NATURE OF FRAGILE THINGS. I am a historical fiction novelist and native Californian who has lived in other states and abroad, but California is where I have spent the majority of my life and is probably the reason why I chose to set my newest novel around the time of the great 1906 San Francisco earthquake. I’ve experienced many tremblors; they are fairly common here, but none of the magnitude of that historic one. It reshaped San Francisco in many ways. Anytime you have a major event where ordinary people are thrust into extraordinary circumstances, you also have a backdrop for a story to be told. Sophie answers an ad to be a mail-order bride. An Irish immigrant in New York, she then travels across the country to marry a man she’s never met and take care of his daughter. Where did the idea for Sophie come from? What research did you do into mail-order brides, and did you learn anything truly surprising?  I wanted Sophie to have good reasons for wanting to…