1–What is the title of your latest release? OBSESSION, Natchez Trace Park Rangers Book 2 2–What is it about? Natchez Trace Ranger and historian Emma Winters hoped never to see Sam Ryker again after she broke off her engagement to him. But when shots are fired at her at a historical landmark just off the Natchez Trace, she’s forced to work alongside Sam as the Natchez Trace law enforcement district ranger in the ensuing investigation. To complicate matters, Emma has acquired a delusional secret admirer who is determined to have her as his own. Sam is merely an obstruction, one which must be removed. Sam knows that he has failed Emma in the past and he doesn’t intend to let her down again. Especially since her life is on the line. As the threads of the investigation cross and tangle with their own personal history, Sam and Emma have a chance to discover the truth, not only about the victim but about what went wrong in their relationship 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I fell in love with Natchez and Mount Locust the first time I traveled to Natchez on the Natchez Trace. It is…

1–What is the title of your latest release? HER BANISHED KNIGHT’S REDEMPTION 2–What is it about? HER BANISHED KNIGHT’S REDEMPTION is the 2nd book of the Notorious Knights series, set in 1218. It features Sir William (Will) Geraint – the good friend of Hugh de Villiers (the hero from book 1 – THE REBEL HEIRESS AND THE KNIGHT). Will is quite embittered and different from the affable, easy-going knight we first meet in book 1 and is now living in exile in France as a sword-for-hire. He goes on quite a journey in this book as he escorts the lost heiress, Lady Isabel de Clancey back to England where they’re forced to work together to uncover secrets from their past. With every rushed mile, their intense attraction becomes dangerously thrilling. There’s a medieval treasure hunt to discover on their quest and even features a scene with the legendary Knights Templar. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  My book is set in the villages and countryside around Aquitaine, the port of La Rochelle – which was part of the English Crown in 1218 – and also the English port of Southampton. What I loved most about all the…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE EX TALK 2–What is it about? THE EX TALK is a romantic comedy set in the world of public radio, about coworkers who pose as exes to host a show about dating and relationship—only to fall for each other as the show gains popularity. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I’m a born-and-raised Seattleite, and it’s a setting I really love exploring through fiction. I’ve always felt there’s a hopeful romanticism associated with the Pacific Northwest. One of my favorite scenes in The Ex Talk takes place outside of Seattle on Orcas Island, and without giving too much away, I will just say that there is only one bed. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  At the beginning of the book, Shay comes across as a fairly put-together person: she has her almost-dream job, she owns a house, she has a support system. But as her layers are gradually peeled away, I was able to see that she’s not entirely fulfilled at work, she’s still grieving the loss of her father, and she’s scared to enter a relationship, as badly as she wants one, because she’s always…

What are you currently reading? What TV shows and movies are you watching? Any great podcasts to recommend? I’ve been reading Spellbreaker by Charlie N. Holmberg (a friend of mine and fellow board member of Deep Magic e-zine) which has been rocking the bestseller charts, and The Return by Nicholas Sparks. I’m a fan of Sparks’ book A Walk to Remember (and the movie) and wanted to give something else of his a try. My kids have me hooked on Avatar the Last Airbender, which we watch as a family, but I’m a huge Star Wars fan so The Mandalorian has been my go-to series. While we all wait for Season 3, I’m eager to continue season 2 of The Chosen. I’ve not been listening to podcasts this year—my writing schedule has been pretty intense. But Covid did introduce me to an amazing father-daughter musical duo Mat and Savanna Shaw who now have two albums they launched this year. Something really good has come out of quarantine, and that is the musical talents of these two, which started off as a duet of The Prayer and went viral. How are you spending your day in quarantine? Cooking, exercising, reading/writing? When Covid…

Jen: What inspired you to write HADLEY AND GRACE?  Suzanne: The idea for HADLEY AND GRACE came from my enduring love for the movie Thelma and Louise. I wanted to write the same sort of exciting road-trip adventure that also had an underlying theme of self-discovery and empowerment. As it turned out, I couldn’t actually tell the story as it was originally conceived by the talented Callie Khouri. Fortunately for us, times have changed and we’ve come a long way from gawking truck drivers, bar-swine rapists, and patronizing do-gooder cops as typical male stereotypes. So while the plot is similar–two women on the run who become accidental outlaws–the story is very different.  What causes Hadley to flee from her home with her two kids?  Hadley is in an abusive marriage, and her husband is cunning and controlling. The opportunity she’s been waiting for comes along, and she seizes it. What is going on in Grace’s life that makes her yearn for a fresh start?  Grace’s husband has a gambling problem, and when he loses their rent money, Grace realizes the only hope she has for her and her infant son is to try and make a fresh start.  What draws…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ENJOY THE VIEW, a Moose Springs, Alaska romcom. 2–What is it about? ENJOY THE VIEW is my mountain climbing romcom set near the fictional town of Moose Springs, Alaska. Former actress River Lane and mountaineer Easton Lockett team up to climb the local behemoth Mount Veil to make a documentary, and they end up finding more than just danger and adventure on the mountaintop. But when bad weather strikes, it’ll take all of Easton’s skill to get everyone down safely. . .and to convince River to stay in his arms for good. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I’m obsessed with mountains and I love Alaska, so this was such a fun setting to write a story in. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  I was surprised at how much enthusiasm River brought to the page. I knew going in that she was determined, but I was surprised when she ended up bringing so much sunshine and cheerfulness. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Easton is such a sweet cinnamon roll of a hero behind the gruff mountain man exterior. He excels at protecting his clients as they…

1–What is the title of your latest release? CRY WOLF 2–What is it about? CRY WOLF is the fifth book in my series following snarky human agent Cooper Dayton and his werewolf partner Oliver Park who work together to solve twisty mysteries. This time the guys are officially moved in together with no case to travel for. .  .so naturally, trouble arrives on their doorstep instead. An old adversary warns Cooper he’s in danger, Park’s ex Eli shows up in desperate need of help, a casual trip to the zoo turns up a dead body in the sea lion pool, and, perhaps most stressful of all, there’s a certain someone’s wedding to plan. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Zoos have always had a somewhat surreal quality for me. That idea of controlled danger, manufactured wilderness, nature at its most unnatural. It was incredibly fun to lean into that and take the guys off the usual path (literally) to explore behind the scenes and blur the lines between who’s caging who. 4–How did Oliver Park surprise you?  Park had to grow up fast and be the “strong guy” in control for most of his life, which…

Hi, S.W.! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your new book, PATIENCE & ESTHER.  Hello! I’ve been making comics for ages and started writing/drawing erotica when Spike of Iron Circus hired me to create a story for the 2014 Smut Peddler anthology. Since then, I’ve been an ongoing contributor to Filthy Figments, plus my erotic work has appeared in other places like the French magazine L’Immanquable. I’ve been so freaking fortunate to find publishers who support me in making some of the most fun, indulgent stuff. Working in this genre is a really nice emotional break from the other more serious books I make for other audiences. Patience & Esther: An Edwardian Romance is Iron Circus Comics’ collected edition of my Sparks series that ran on Filthy Figments from 2015-2019. It’s about two women who fall in love while working in service on a country estate, and their subsequent journey toward independence as they make a life together. It’s a quiet story about the experience of being in love and growth, both as individuals and a couple. The Edwardian period was a very interesting time of transition in England’s history. What sort…

1–What is the title of your latest release? In the Garden of Spite 2–What is it about? It is a fictionalized account of the life and bloody deeds of Belle Gunness – one of America’s first and most prolific female serial killers. Belle was Norwegian (like me) but left for the US in her early twenties, a few decades before she became notorious. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love that the setting moves from Norway to the Midwest, so I could write about a place I knew very well, and one that was new to me. I also love the time period (1877 – 1908), and found it enormously interesting to explore the lives of Scandinavian immigrants at that time.  4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  Belle was undoubtedly a sociopath, but she had a soft spot for children, and that was very surprising to me. She would arrange Christmas parties for the neighborhood kids and visit them with gifts when they were sick. She also spoiled her own quite a bit.  5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  Belle is one of those characters you don’t want to not be able to relate to, since she…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  BJORN CURSED, book 4 of the Forgotten Brotherhood series. 2–What is it about? The Forgotten Brotherhood are a group of paranormal assassins. They aren’t the monsters lurking under the bed. They’re the ones that kill them. Bjorn was cursed by a god and became the first Norse werewolf. Now his past is being used to jeopardize not only his own life but the lives of those he loves and the other members of the Brotherhood. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Anja Knutson is one tough lady. Through her courage and sacrifice, she gained a second chance at life for her children, even though it meant servitude to a goddess for eternity in the afterlife. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Bjorn was driven by anger and vengeance after the death of his family, which ended up with him being cursed and becoming the first Norse werewolf. He’s stubborn and dangerous, but utterly loyal to those he loves. There’s nothing he won’t do to protect them, even defy the gods themselves. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Anja has absolutely no one she can turn to when…