Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Stephanie Bond | Writing a Letter to Yourself
Uncategorized / October 9, 2008

In this day of faxes, e-mails, instant messages, and texting, what a treat it is to receive an old-fashioned hand-written letter! The pleasure of unfolding crisp pages of stationery..ahhh. But what if you received a letter one day, and it was a letter you’d written to yourself ten years ago! My husband had a high school instructor who asked his students to write a letter to themselves about the things they wanted out of life and where they thought they would be in ten years. Then he sealed the envelopes and ten years later, sent them to the last address of record the school had for each student. My husband’s parents forwarded his letter on to him and I remembered how amazed and thrilled he was when he realized what he was reading. It was like a time capsule into his teenage mind, and he must have reread it a dozen times. It was a time of self-evaluation for my husband, comparing where he thought he’d be with where he was. As it turned out, my husband’s achievements had surpassed what he’d thought himself capable ofonly ten years earlier, and he said that revelation alone reinforced the idea of never…

Samantha Hunter | Television is Good For You – At Least, it’s Been Good for Me
Uncategorized / July 14, 2008

We find our inspiration in different places. Some of us sit on sidewalks and people watch, some listen to music, some do writing exercises and talk with friends. I think I’ve done all three from time to time, and one of the most fruitful sources of creative inspiration for me is television. It was one of my favorite things as a kid, and it still is. I’m always amazed at the current idea that letting kids watch TV is bad for them. I grew up pretty much physically connected to the TV – my parents didn’t hover over me every moment of every day attending to my every need because they were working, and working hard. It was good – it was how I learned to be independent and develop my own work ethic. It never stopped me from reading, from achieving academically, and it remains a huge source of inspiration for me, as well as relaxation. Movies and TV shows (though mainly TV – I rarely find movies I enjoy any more) are fertilizer for my imagination. The only thing better is travel, but I can’t do that as often as I’d like. I can actually feel something creative…

Tawny Weber | What If and Why?
Uncategorized / October 12, 2007

What if and why are two of my favorite things to ask. I’m notorious for asking them in writing and in life. (I think I ask often enough I drive my husband a little nuts, to be honest). I’ve what if’d everything from the idea that we are really all just microscopic beings on the thumbnail of a giant (hey, I was twelve) to the slightly-obsessive emergency kit I packed for the drive through a snowstorm for a family emergency (hey, I’m a California girl… how was I supposed to know those flutters weren’t a storm? and we MIGHT have needed those empty tuna cans and tealight candles for heat… really, we might have). And I ask why more than an eight year old. Just ask my eight year old, she’ll tell you! A psychologist might refer to it as catastrophic thinking (taking what if to its highest degree of drama) but for a writer, it’s mighty handy. After all, the question of “what’s the worst thing that could happen” is what provides me with plot and conflict. Better yet, what if is what keeps the reader turning the pages. When I read a book, I’m always wondering, always asking…

Lori Wilde | A New Series, Martini Dares
Romance / August 27, 2007

I have a book coming out in September, called My Secret Life from Harlequin Blaze. But it’s not just any book. It’s the first book in a series I’m with my writers pals, Carrie Alexander, Isabel Sharpe and Jamie Denton. This series is particularly special because about the time we conceived of the idea, Jamie was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. We’d sent the project to our editors, but because Jamie was going through chemotherapy, we all decided it was better to back burner the project. Jamie gracefully volunteered to back out and let someone else take her place, but we wanted Jamie and we wanted her to know we believed in her recovery. I’m happy to report Jamie came through chemotherapy with flying colors and we went on to write the stories. Her bravery, optimism and all around darn good storytelling abilities make this a fabulous success story. So to give you a sneak peak into the Martini Dares, here’s the series proposal we sent to the editors. SERIES SET-UPThe Premise Desperate Housewives meets Sex in the City in this series featuring four desperate career women, four dark secrets, four steamy dares and four very sexy men….

Kelley St. John | Cajun Cousins not to be Missed
Romance / August 21, 2007

I’m so excited to be guest blogging on Fresh Fiction today! Thanks so much for having me! I’m Kelley St. John, and I write sexy, sassy contemporaries for Grand Central Publishing (formerly Warner) and Harlequin Blaze. This year, I’ve begun The Sexth Sense, my Harlequin Blaze series about six Cajun cousins who happen to have an interesting family legacy – helping ghosts find their way to the other side. All of the current Vicknair mediums are in their twenties, at the peak of their lives, and to-die-for sexy. Oh, but don’t think that the sizzle stops with the family; those ghosts have plenty of heat going on as well. I’m having a ball writing about the Vicknair family and am thrilled that Harlequin has also purchased the next three books in the series to come out in 2008. Here is the book trailer/teaser for the series, if you want to check it out: See this video at www.OneTrueMedia.com Oh, and if you like the Louisiana plantation setting, be sure to register for the Louisiana plantation vacation giveaway at my website. I can’t wait to give one reader a trip to the gorgeous Oak Alley Plantation in the heart of Cajun…