Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Sarah, and congrats on your debut novel, THE OTHER ME! Can you tell us a little about your journey into publishing this book?   Sarah: Thanks for having me! The book that eventually became THE OTHER ME went through several rewrites on its way to publication. When I started writing, I had no idea that it would be a thriller—I was having more upmarket/literary thoughts, though still with the speculative element, and the original pacing and ending reflected that. I took a few years to get the book to where I thought it was ready to query, and then I entered the Pitch Wars mentoring program, which I’d read good things about online. I didn’t get in, but PW mentor Layne Fargo (who’s also an amazing author) loved my manuscript. She was kind enough to refer me to an agent she knew, who asked me to revise and resubmit. I signed with that agent, did one more revision, and settled in to wait for months while my agent shopped the book around to editors. My agent emailed the manuscript to one editor on a Friday to give her an advance look before we went on…

1–What is the title of your latest release? BEYOND THE TIDES 2–What is it about? From the back cover: When Meg Whitaker’s father decides to sell the family’s lobster-fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she’s never had any interest in running the small fleet—or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness—she can’t stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago. Oliver isn’t proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg—an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he’s not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to. Meg’s father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the end of the season, he’ll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren’t what they expected. 3–What…

1–What is the title of your latest release? MURDER ALWAYS BARKS TWICE, it’s the second in my “Chatty Corgi” mystery series set in the village of Trevena in Cornwall. 2–What is it about? The organizer of a local literary festival is found dead, and Emma Reed and her irrepressible corgi sidekick, Oliver, are caught up in the murder investigation. There’s mystery, family secrets, romance, old grudges, a grand old house, and lots of cake. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Trevena is based on Tintagel, which is a village I visited while I was in Cornwall researching another book. I fell in love with the Cornish coast on that trip, so I was really excited to be able to set a mystery series there. 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  The big surprise as I wrote these books was Oliver, my “chatty corgi.” When my editor came to me and asked for a series with an actual talking dog, I was more than a little uncertain. It took a while to get a feel for Oliver’s personality, and his voice. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make him work…

1–What is the title of your latest release? TO CATCH A THIEF (Counterfeit Capers #3) 2–What is it about? Third book in the series sees things heat up for the team as the FBI is investigating the forgeries being discovered. Mia, the mastermind behind targeting rich men, gets involved with the FBI agent trying to piece together what’s going on among Chicago’s elite. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Chicago is my hometown, so I love bringing pieces of it to my work. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Since this is the third book, Mia has been percolating in my head for a long time. In the first two books, she is seen by everyone as an ice queen. But she surprised me by being far more vulnerable than I expected. She’s also fiercely loyal to a group of criminals that she never wanted to like. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Logan Ford is down-to-earth and charming. He cares about his diverse family and wants to help Mia to keep her safe. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  One of my biggest hurdles was making Mia…

Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Isabel! It’s hard to believe BLOOD AND EMBER, the third book in your Stormbringer series, is already out. What have you loved about writing this series the most?  Getting to build my own world! Bits of it were tough–the maps especially, as I am not a person who’s good with space and distance. (I am a person who lives in Massachusetts and continually refers to “going up to New York City.”) But I got to think up holidays and histories and peoples, which was tons of fun. I also got to create a world with a benevolent goddess of death and vengeance, and not in a gross “scorned woman” way, which I am into. Olvir embarks on a harrowing journey to hopefully figure out the true nature of his powers, and his friend Vivian (a warrior in her own right!), is not going to let him go about this on his own. Of course, their friendship develops into something more. How did you balance their epic journey with their changing relationship?   The thing I’ve found about travel is that it gives you a lot of time and space to think–like, just being away from your normal surroundings can…

1–What is the title of your latest release?  HIGHLAND LEGEND 2–What is it about? An arrogant, skilled fighter finds love in the most unexpected way…   Magnus Stewart, aka “The Eagle” is the bastard son of a duke, and his royal blood has never been anything but a curse. Among the mystique and riches of the legendary fight club Ludus Caledonia, Magnus battles his way to the top. Lady Diantha de Mora in desperation seeks his help. When Magnus reluctantly comes to her aid, his fate is changed forever in one night. With enemies at every turn, it’ll take muscle and a miracle for them to make it to the Highlands alive. There Magnus can reclaim his destiny, as Diantha reclaims his heart. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  This entire series is set a little bit later, history-wise, than I’m used to writing, so researching Tudor Scotland was interesting. But what I like most is the heart of the series – an exclusive fight club known as the Ludus Caledonia. Think “Gladiator” (the movie). The bond between these warriors is so strong and it truly is a brotherhood. These men may fight each other on…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE WIDOWS OF CHAMPAGNE 2–What is it about? After France declares war on Germany in 1939, three generations of Leblanc women join forces to save their family’s champagne house: Chateau Fouche-Leblanc. All three are widows, and their lives have already been marred by loss and war. But when the enemy shows up on their doorstep, they are forced to make difficult choices that will require heroic feats, sacrifice, and put all of them in danger. One will join the fight. One will rely on her faith. While another will protect the others from her dark secret in a way that will haunt her for the rest of her life. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  As the title suggests, THE WIDOWS OF CHAMPAGNE is set in the champagne region of France in an old, stately chateau on a sweeping vineyard. I loved learning about this area and the arduous process it takes to make world class champagne, starting with the growing of the grapes through to the final of two fermentations. Yes, two. There’s also been a historical misrepresentation of what the French went through during the war,…

Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Charlotte! We are excited to host you here today, and celebrate the re-release of RHODE ISLAND RED, the first book in your Nanette Hayes Mystery series. How does it feel to have Nanette back in print?   Charlotte:  I have to say, it feels pretty good.  This re-do was quite unexpected.  Nanette Hayes is a fierce, clever sleuth, who teaches French and plays the saxophone. Where did the idea for her start for you? How has she surprised you?   It’s true that not too many women play sax, but I actually did see a young woman playing on the street—this was some 20 years ago. I was just taking a walk with my husband, and we came upon her,, gave her a couple of dollars. He was the one who suggested creating a street musician character. From there, I won’t pretend it was easy, but Nan kind of presented herself. I got the chance to give her a lot of stuff that I myself lacked—grit, youth, “hotness,” forthrightness, romanticism, etc. And of course, I put a bit of myself in the mix—the travel bug, love and admiration for music, and the people who play/master it….

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE PERFECT RUIN 2–What is it about? It’s about a woman named Ivy Hill who finds out the name of the woman who destroyed her childhood – Lola Maxwell. Lola is a wealthy, well-known woman who is loved by many and Ivy sets out on destroying/ruining Lola’s life as payback. It’s a very twisty and suspenseful read with a revenge plot and a domestic thriller vibe. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love that it’s set near a beach. It’s mostly set in Miami, Florida and I love that you sort of get a visual of the beach weather and the summer activities. And given that this is a summer release makes it all the more exciting! 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  My main character Ivy was way more calculating and manipulative than I thought she would be. She knew how to truly fake it in order to make it and to get what she wanted. 5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  Well, one reason I loved writing this book is that it touches on the effects of trauma and how some people can…

Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Jennifer! We are so excited to celebrate the release of THE WOMEN’S MARCH with you. This book is full of incredible historical detail about the women’s suffrage movement. What inspired you to tackle this topic?   Jennifer: The idea for THE WOMEN’S MARCH first came to me in January 2017, soon after the Women’s March on Washington the day after the inauguration of the 45th president. Nearly half a million demonstrators marched in the US capital to protest against his past reprehensible treatment of women and to advocate for women’s rights and other human rights issues. Millions of other protesters joined in satellite marches around the world, including an estimated 100,000 in my hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. Afterward, when I read news coverage of the events, I was intrigued to learn that the Women’s March of 2017 had an important but nearly forgotten historical precedent. More than one hundred years earlier, thousands of women had assembled in the nation’s capital the day before the inauguration of President Woodrow Wilson to demonstrate on behalf of woman’s suffrage. The organizers planned a beautiful, dignified parade from the Capitol down Pennsylvania Avenue past the White House, with elegantly…