Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Carla Laureano | 20 Questions: UNDER SCOTTISH STARS
Author Guest / July 10, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Under Scottish Stars, the third book in the MacDonald Family Trilogy. 2–What is it about?  Single mom Serena Stewart has focused on her kids to the exclusion of her career and her sanity. But when she returns to the Isle of Skye to help oversee her family’s guesthouse, her independent nature is challenged by the prickly and all-too-handsome hotel manager, Malcolm Blake. 3–What word best describes your main character(s)?  Dedicated. Whatever Serena turns her mind to, she does it wholeheartedly, whether it’s giving her children a good life after their father dies or making the family hotel into a success. 4–What makes your story relatable?  Those of us who have children can relate to the fact that they become the priority, even to the exclusion of the things we need for our own health and happiness. Even if you don’t have kids, it’s easy to relate to how life sometimes throws us curveballs and interferes with the futures we’ve envisioned for ourselves. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Serena’s aunt Muriel is the rock upon which the MacDonald family is built–she’s quirky, sassy, and always has…

Carla Laureano | Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup: The Solid Grounds Coffee Company + Giveaway!
Author Guest / February 14, 2020

Alas – it’s the last day of our Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup! We have two more great posts from awesome authors – read on for a caffeine fix! *** In my new book, The Solid Grounds Coffee Company, ex–rock climber Bryan Shaw opens a coffee-roasting business in Denver . . . and ropes his friend and longtime love interest, marketing expert Analyn Sanchez, into helping him. And while the characters in the story are more concerned with third-wave roasting methods and black coffee made by pour-over, I happen to know that no one can resist a Valentine’s Day latte. Filled with chocolate-covered cherry goodness, even a coffee purist won’t be able to resist this “dessert-in-a-mug” take on chocolate-covered cherries. DARK-CHOCOLATE CHERRY MOCHA Makes: 1 serving 4 ounces very strong coffee or espresso 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate (70% cacao or higher) 8 ounces whole milk, 2% milk, or almond milk 2 ounces sour cherry juice ½ teaspoon vanilla extract 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (or) 2 tablespoons unflavored simple syrup Whipped cream (optional) Chocolate shavings or sprinkles (optional) Combine half of the milk with the chocolate in a double boiler and whisk over low heat until melted. Whisk in…