We’re in for a treat today! One of our regular Fresh Fiction Blog Columnists, author Jennifer Vido, is taking part in our Fresh Fiction reviewer spotlights! We hope you enjoy getting to know her better and about some of her favorite interviews from her Jen’s Jewels column this year.  Your Name Jennifer Vido How long have you been a Fresh Fiction reviewer?  I wrote my first Jen’s Jewels author interview column back in 2006! Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with New York Times bestselling authors, as well as up and coming stars. What are your favorite genres to read and review? My favorite genres to read and review are contemporary romances and cozy mysteries. What are your TOP 3-5 Books of 2020? My top 5 interviews of 2020 were Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing by Allison Winn Scotch Feels Like Falling by Kristy Woodson Harvey The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis Hello Summer by Mary Kay Andrews Musical Chairs by Amy Poeppel What do you like to do outside of reading? I enjoy teaching an adult water exercise class for seniors and volunteering with the Arthritis Foundation. What are some of your holiday traditions?  My…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Protective Instinct – The Unlovabulls Series Book One 2–What is it about?  When Dallas football player, Brody, teams up with curvy dog trainer, Lily, to shut down the notorious puppy mill his rescue dog escaped from, chemistry ignites between them. But Brody needs to keep his hands off the trainer, or risk getting traded from his hometown team. And when Lily starts receiving threats to back off the mill search, she’ll have to decide––ruin the career of the star linebacker, or risk losing the dogs that need to be rescued. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Overly-independent. Wait, is that cheating? 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Brody is a big, tough guy on the football field, but he’s a total softy for his dog—and for Lily.  5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Lily turns to the friends she’s developed in the dog sports community, a kind of cobbled together family for her she can count on. Brody’s teammate Hayes is the guy he can trust to always give it to him straight and support him through thick and thin. 6–What do you love about the setting…

Jen: What inspired you to write SECOND CHANCE ON CYPRESS LANE? Reese: The idea for a series about a small town in the Outer Banks was prompted by my first visit to the Outer Banks and the town of Duck, North Carolina, which my husband and I fell in love with instantly. And while I can’t recall exactly how I came up with Dex and Dakota’s love story, I had initially intended to pitch it to a company that was going to publish choose your own adventure style romances. So, for instance, one of the first choices the reader would’ve made was whether Dakota returned to her small hometown or tried to stick things out in New York. Why does rising-star reporter Dakota Jones return to her hometown?  Dakota unwittingly gets caught up in a scandal that gets lots of press in New York City and in Italy and tanks her career as a reporter just as she was about to be named the weekend news anchor at her station. No other station in wants to get tangled up in the scandal, which leaves Dakota just one option: she must return home to regroup and figure out her next move…

Hi, Tessa! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and a little bit about your book, THE DEAD SEASON.   Hi everyone! I grew up in Canada and now live with my family in Connecticut. I was a freelance journalist for many years, and while I enjoyed the work, I also craved a creative outlet. That’s what led me to start writing novels. THE DEAD SEASON is the second book in the Shana Merchant series of mysteries, the first of which, DEATH IN THE FAMILY, was released in early 2020. For readers who may not be familiar, can you give a little background on the setup for the Shana Merchant series?   Shana Merchant is a former NYPD detective who narrowly escaped abduction when the serial killer she was hunting turned his focus to her. All the police know about Blake Bram is that he, like Shana, is from Swanton, Vermont. Traumatized by her kidnapping and haunted by the knowledge that she has a personal connection to the killer, she moves with her fiancé to the Thousand Islands of Upstate New York, where she takes a job with the detective branch of the New York State Police and…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  WRITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS 2–What is it about?  The author of a very popular fantasy series hires a woman to cook for him while he’s on a tight deadline…right before Christmas. Romance ensues! 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Hardworking   4–What makes your hero irresistible?  He’s a gruff (but hot) loner, like the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. It takes the right woman to knock him off his guard. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Dani, the heroine, has her family, especially her sister-in-law, Una, who is a life coach. Matt, the hero, relies on his assistant, Jane. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  My parents own a house in a resort out in the country. They’re on the outskirts of the resort, in the middle of nowhere, and it’s my favorite place on the planet. Their house and its surroundings are what I pictured while working on this novel. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? Plotter! 8–What is an ideal writing day for you?  I’m not someone who can write…

It’s the last day of the FOREVER CHRISTMAS celebration! We are in for a treat because Debbie Mason is here!! Be sure to take a look at earlier posts to see what these wonderfully festive authors have planned for the holiday seasons (and for chances to win a book each day). Thank you for joining us this week! Merry Christmas and Cheers to 2021! ** What’s the name of your latest release? Christmas on Reindeer Road What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  Christmas is my favorite time of year. I love everything about the holidays: twinkle lights and colored tinsel, snowflakes and mistletoe, hot chocolate and sugar cookies, family gatherings and treasured traditions. Which is why I love writing Christmas romance. I get to enjoy the magic of the holidays all year long. Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  My heroine, Mallory Maitland, and my hero’s youngest son, Teddy, are Team Christmas. While my hero, Gabriel Buchanan, his twin sons, and Mallory’s stepsons are Team Bah Humbug. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? Hosting a family party to decorate the Christmas tree. Which Christmas movie…

The holiday cheer continues today with Laura V. Hilton and her new novel, THE AMISH CHRISTMAS GIFT! Don’t forget, the Forever Christmas celebration lasts all week–come back for more fun tomorrow.  ** What’s the name of your latest release? THE AMISH CHRISTMAS GIFT came out in October. What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  Everything!!! Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  A mixture of both. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? Spending time with family. Which Christmas movie do you watch on repeat throughout this festive time of year?  Home Alone (I have 5 children…) The best Christmas song is…  Angels We Have Heard on High. Do you prefer to be home for the holidays, or do you like to travel? Home. What can readers expect from you next?  THE AMISH SECRET WISH coming in April. It’s about a scribe for The Budget, who calls herself GHB, writes about community news, and sometimes alludes to her most personal feelings. Hezekiah Esh reads GHB’s articles and as he nurses his own broken heart, he finds himself falling for her. Can he find this mystery writer? THE AMISH…

The festive fun continues with the next featured author in the FOREVER CHRISTMAS celebration: Lizzie Shane! Be sure to leave a comment on each of these posts for a chance to win a copy of these wonderfully wintry Holiday Reads!  ** What’s the name of your latest release?   The Twelve Dogs of Christmas What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  I love that there always seems to be a little extra magic in the air around the holidays, like anything is possible, especially love. And it’s a time when community and friends and family all come together, which I love in a romance.  Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  Ally is the kind of person who wants to soak up every ounce of Christmas cheer through the season, but Ben is definitely overwhelmed by all the holiday pressure. He’s gotten a reputation as the town Scrooge, but he’s just a big softie underneath all that stress. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? I love wrapping presents with my family while watching Christmas movies. I think I love that more than receiving gifts. There’s something so satisfying about making something unique and beautiful…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  My new book is called SECRET NIGHTS WITH A COWBOY and also contains a bonus novella called SWEET NIGHTS WITH A COWBOY. The heroes are brothers. And cowboys. And super hot if I say so myself.  2–What is it about?  It’s about a couple who got married young and never figured out how to move away from the kind of childish relationship things that marked how they started in high school.  Can they finally learn how to grow together? Or is it really time to move on? 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Determined.  4–What makes your hero irresistible?  He’s a man who knows who he is and what he wants. Especially his wife! 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  They both have their families and friends, who provide varying degrees of support and advice throughout! I’m lucky to have written three other books set in the same small town, so there are a lot of familiar faces in these books and a lot of chances for them to connect, learn, and grow. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Cold River, Colorado,…

Don’t forget to come back each day this week for more holiday cheer from our pals at FOREVER Publishing and their Christmas romance authors. Today, we’re joined by Melinda Curtis!  ** What’s the name of your latest release? A VERY MERRY MATCH What do you love about writing holiday/Christmas romance?  I enjoy bringing in fun traditions, either drawn from my family or made up (read in magazines or enviously stolen from observing others, lol). Are your hero and heroine full of Christmas cheer or the holidays bring out the worst in them?  This year, Mary Margaret is struggling to find her holiday cheer. Doubly important since she’s a kindergarten teacher. What’s one of your favorite holiday traditions? My great aunt imposed a One Gift At a Time rule. She moved in with us and insisted she couldn’t enjoy gift opening unless she got to see every gift opened. We’d sit in a circle and starting with the youngest, one person would have the stage to open a gift. Some years, it takes two hours to open gifts at our house! But it does allow the gift giver a moment to shine as well. Which Christmas movie do you watch on…