Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Gretchen Berg | Exclusive Interview: THE OPERATOR + Giveaway!
Author Guest / March 11, 2020

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Gretchen! Please tell us about yourself and your new novel, THE OPERATOR. The Operator is the story of Vivian Dalton, a nosy switchboard operator who eavesdrops on all the conversations of the residents in her small town.   Set in Wooster, Ohio in the 1950s, I read that this story is inspired by your own family’s history! Can you share the background and inspiration for THE OPERATOR? I’d been doing genealogy research on my mom’s side of the family, and combined a little of that with my grandmother’s occupation.       Vivian Dalton is one of the town’s switchboard operators and knows everything about everyone because she and the other operators secretly listen in on conversations. If you were in a similar occupation, would you listen in on conversations? Why or why not? I really don’t think I would. It’s so invasive. Vivian overhears a conversation that could be her downfall – she’d be humiliated in front of the entire town and she’s desperate to stop it from getting out. What do you think readers will love about Vivian? What do you think they will find frustrating about her? I know different readers will love & find frustrating…

Tif Marcelo | Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup: ONCE UPON A SUNSET + Giveaway!
Author Guest / February 11, 2020

Here’s another great addition to our Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup from TIF MARCELO! Don’t forget, we’re here all week with more fun – keep following along!  *** It’s never too late. Not for seventy-six-year-old Margo Gallagher-Cary, and neither for her thirty-nine-year-old daughter Diana. Both single, and at a fork in their lives, they’re ready to make change, to do something different. But when they come upon old letters that speak to a family history that they cannot deny, they must go after the truth, only to find themselves in the Philippines where both opportunity and love await. ONCE UPON A SUNSET is that story of found family and new love for all generations. But the Filipino-American experience isn’t complete without the introduction of specific food, food that speaks to families near and far and symbolizes celebration and good luck. Pancit Bihon, a noodle dish, is common in Filipino-American celebration menus. Below is my own recipe. Vegetable Pancit Bihon 1 package glass (clear) noodles of choice, like vermicelli or rice noodles 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 medium carrots, julienned ½ medium cabbage, chopped 2 cups of green beans, chopped into about ½ inch. 1 tsp fish sauce Pepper,…

Synithia Williams | Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup: FOREVER STRONG + Giveaway!
Author Guest / February 11, 2020

Today we’re joined by Synithia Williams with a delicious recipe and more information about her new contemporary romance, FORBIDDEN PROMISES.  *** Forbidden Promises is a story of family secrets, lies and forbidden love. The main character, India Robidoux, is a violinist whose spent years traveling with an orchestra to escape her family’s drama. She returns home for a quick visit and is roped into helping with her brother’s political campaign. Staying longer wouldn’t be a problem if she weren’t still in love with her sister’s ex-husband, Travis Strickland. Travis owes everything to the Robidoux family and, he’d do anything for the family—his divorce could never change that. India always understood him better than anyone else. And the longer they work together on the campaign, the more torn he is. Coming between her and her sister is out of the question. But how can he let love pass him by a second time? India and Travis grew up in the south, and though they enjoy big breakfast with all the fixings, neither of them are big on spending a lot of time in the kitchen. They would start a weekend morning with a quick and easy staple of salmon patties and…

Susan Stoker | Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup: DEFENDING ZARA + Giveaway!
Author Guest / February 10, 2020

The Valentine’s Day celebrations continue with SUSAN STOKER! Don’t forget to follow our recipe roundup all week long!  *** I watched a show on television about a missing little girl. She was three when she disappeared. But it got me to thinking about what happened if that little girl was found years later? What had she gone through? What was her life like? I wrote Defending Zara with that in mind. When Zara was in elementary school, she was on vacation with her parents in Peru. They were killed and she was dumped in a barrio. She grew up there, eventually learning Spanish and how to survive in the poorest sections of the city. Fast forward years and years, she’s now an adult and runs across Meat, a Mountain Mercenary in the country to try to save children from a human trafficker. It’s a story of despair, hope, luck…and love. One of the first meals Zara shares with Meat is a simple fare of Chicken soup. It had been so long since she’d had such a wonderful meal without having to beg or steal for it. I imagine her and Meat sitting down in their house back in Colorado Springs…

Piper J. Drake | Valentine’s Day Recipe Round Up: FOREVER STRONG + Giveaway!
Author Guest / February 10, 2020

Welcome to the Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup! Follow along all week for great authors, delicious food, awesome books, and fun book giveaways. Each day, two authors will share a recipe they think their main characters would enjoy together. We hope you enjoy, add some meals to your recipe collections, and learn about some fabulous books along the way!  *** Piper J. Drake’s Butter Mochi In FOREVER STRONG, just released January 28, Ying Yue, has been kidnapped and subsequently rescued by Zu, leader of the Search and Protect team. She’s made welcome by Pua with snacks and refreshing drinks. Later, Kalea cooks for the team and the food she provides represents safety and a sense of home. As the chemistry between Ying Yue and Zu grows stronger, Zu finds himself wishing he could cook some of his favorite dishes for her. Food, the sharing of it, and the heart that might go into the cooking of it is a key element in the way I build my characters and their relationships. It can bring together a team and give you the sense of family, either born or found. Butter mochi is a Hawaiian treat made with sweet rice flour, resulting in…

Kait Ballenger | Exclusive Excerpt: WICKED COWBOY WOLF + Giveaway!
Author Guest / January 30, 2020

“I may look like a monster, but I’m not going to hurt you.” Her reluctance offended him more than he cared to admit. His reputation painted him in a grim light–and for good reason–and he knew that side of his face was hideous, deformed, but he’d just risked his life for her, saved her. . . and with them alone in his room like this, the thought of when he’d kissed her inside that godforsaken closet haunted him. He’d kissed her so thoroughly that the feel of her against him was forever seared into him. And then he’d told her it meant nothing to him. What a load of horseshit. “It’s not that. I was afraid I’ll hurt you.” She reached for him again. This time, she didn’t shy away. With gentle movements, she cupped his cheek and used a handkerchief to wipe away the fresh blood. Her touch was gentle, tender. Some of the nerve endings on that side were damaged, making it less sensitive, yet he was aware of her every movement. Rogue could count the number of times someone had touched him there on less than one hand. The stroking movements of her palm and handkerchief as…

Anna Schmidt | Exclusive Excerpt: PATHFINDER + Giveaway!
Author Guest / January 1, 2020

The Harvey Girls, in full uniform, stood shoulder to shoulder, arms linked, at the entrance to the church. Emma was at the center of the lineup. Grace Hopkins was on her left and a woman Max didn’t recognize was on her right, all three also in uniform. Sheriff Bolton stood before them, shouting out threats to arrest the whole lot of them. Off to one side sat the bride, her face blotched with either fury or misery or both. Father O’Meara stood between McCoy, the local lawyer, and Mr. Gilmore, trying without much success to get them to lower their voices. And instead of consoling his bride, whose day had clearly been ruined, RJ stood with his arms around his mother—and his eyes fixed on Emma. Max started making his way through the crowd. “Wait, Max,” Aidan called, stopping him. “Let them alone. This just might work.” “Mr. Campbell,” Ford said, “please explain why employees of the Harvey Company are staging what appears to be a protest outside a church of all places.” “It was all their idea,” Aidan said, gesturing toward the waitresses. “Emma’s really—along with Grace and Lily, of course.” “Who’s Lily?” Max asked. Aidan pointed to the…