“I have an idea.” He was much too close, the already cramped kitchen seeming much more so with him near enough behind me to feel the warmth rolling off him. He smelled like a hazy memory—some basic soap or shampoo that I associated with my younger years. “What?” My voice came out husky, my thoughts already turning inappropriately sexy. “Let’s fix the pool table.” “Oh. That.” Fool. Of course he didn’t share my problem of a wandering brain. But doing something, anything sounded better than more chances for my mind to get me in trouble. “Let’s do that.” “I found a toolbox earlier. It has a level in it, so we should be able to fix the table by tightening the legs and adding a shim if necessary.” “You’re a man of many talents.” I followed him back to the game room, stopping to collect the toolbox from the hall closet. “I try.” Calder shrugged as he started examining the pool table this way and that. “With my dad at sea so much, Mom made sure that we all had basic fix-it skills.” “Smart mom. I need to remember to show the girls things like screwdrivers and drills.” I wandered…

1–What is the title of your latest release? My Legacy – releases March 22. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Have you ever been in a stalemate with the head of the mob? Me neither, until Sebastian Romano walked into my life. This enemies-to-lovers mafia romance will keep you on the edge until the very end, when Sebastian gets more than he bargains for. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The book is set in New York, and I have always wanted to set a book in New York city, a mafia romance seemed fitting for the location. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! Maddison runs an art gallery and is a smart, savvy businesswoman. I think we would have lots in common and have a great time together. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Dangerous, Demanding and Delicious. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That Sicily is now on my travel bucket list. The blue waters are calling my name. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I certainly tweak things as I go, but no…

“That arrogant sonofabitch! That voicemail… How dare he? Picking up my phone, I typed out a text in response. Because let’s face it. I wasn’t calling him back and risking him pulling me over to the dark side.   Olive: Don’t flatter yourself, Walker! You weren’t a good lay in college, the only way for you to go was up. I’m guessing you peaked at average.   Oh, sure, it was a boldfaced lie. Hayes had been a great lay. If he’d gotten better? Oophf, the thought made me rub my thighs together. I wasn’t stupid, I knew he’d used the voicemail to bait me into exactly this situation. But what really irked me was that he knew I was making excuses to avoid seeing him, and he was busting my balls about it. I didn’t dodge the hard stuff. Hard stuff was my bread and butter. Yet that was exactly what I’d been doing. If he left me a voicemail, I emailed him back because even just his voice on the messages had been enough to make my nipples pearl. Truthfully, I knew spending any time at all with Hayes could be a slippery slope. There would be no…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WINNING NIA 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? WINNING NIA is a steamy second chance rock star romance following a struggling music photographer and the guitarist who broke her heart ten years ago determined to win her back. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve never read a romance book set in Wales – they’re all either England or Scotland if not only the US – and being Welsh and living here, I wanted to read stories set here. Thus far all of my books are set in Wales and my cast of characters in my rock star books are all Welsh, making the most of Wales’s rich musical history. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Definitely. Nia’s ambitious and focused. She’s also a great, ride or die friend. I’d love to be able to surround myself with people like her. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Determined. Organized. Gregarious. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Lighthouses in the UK are remote operated. In the book there’s a storyline where they’re trying to raise money for…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Alana Quintana Albertson! Writes: I write heart books filled with passion and culture. My latest book, Ramón and Julieta, celebrates Latine joy and is the tale of star-crossed lovers who meet on Day of the Dead and discover they are from star-crossed families. It’s the first book in the Love & Tacos series. About: I’m a California chica living in sunny San Diego. I live with my husband and two sweet sons and run a dog rescue, Pugs N’ Roses. I spend my free time walking along the beach, doing yoga, and gardening. You can find me sipping an iced Mexican oat milk mocha and eating tacos. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Looking for readers who want to fall in love with strong, sexy characters that are deeply rooted in their beliefs. Must love to laugh, have a great appetite, and must love dogs! What to expect if we’re compatible: Vivid descriptions of food Always a shelter pet sidekick Swoon-worthy romance Sexy times Road trip through…

1–What is the title of your latest release? OUT OF THE BLUE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  A curvaceous woman on a wellness journey falls for her personal trainer. But will her newfound courage allow her to face her biggest fear and seize the life she truly wants? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  OUT OF THE BLUE is the fourth book in my Perfect Fit series, and all of the titles in this series have taken place in the fictional town of Granite, Texas. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Absolutely! Preslee is a kind, genuine character who has real insecurities like the rest of us. She’s clumsy, playful, and has a funny—if not quirky—sense of humor. She would be so much fun to hang out with. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Kind, positive, and competitive. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  While writing OUT OF THE BLUE, I learned that not everyone takes the same path on their wellness journey…and that there’s nothing wrong with sometimes paving your own road. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Caridad Pineiro! Writes: Meet THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET, a romance with a strong women’s fiction element. About: Caridad likes to write all kinds of stories, from paranormal to romantic suspense to contemporary romance. She loves the challenge of creating characters who readers will fall in love with. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: If you’re looking for a story with a strong romance, an emotional story about women overcoming the past to build the future, with a Miami vibe, THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET is the book for you! What to expect if we’re compatible: If Caridad is your author to try, you’ll get compelling characters, an emotional story, interesting settings, good food, and a rewarding happily-ever-after. THE FAMILY SHE NEVER MET by Caridad Pineiro Jessica Russo knows nothing about her mother’s family or her Cuban culture. Every time she’s asked about it, her mother has shut down. But when the Cuban grandmother she’s never met sends her right-hand man, Luis, to…

Danielle Jackson: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Alexandria! COUNT YOUR LUCKY STARS is a second chance romance (one of my favorite tropes). What were some of the challenges of writing this romance trope? What were your favorite parts of the process?   Alexandria Bellefleur:  Striking the right balance between informing the reader of Margot and Olivia’s past while not overwhelming them with backstory details proved a bit of a challenge! I didn’t want to rely on flashbacks so I tried to incorporate small memories into conversations to show how close they once were while also giving them opportunities to get to know the people they’ve become after ten years. I love the tension that’s inherent to the second-chance trope—Margot and Olivia have chemistry, they think it might be mutual but they second-guess the situation since it didn’t work out between them the first time around. They know how devastating it can be if it doesn’t work. That combination of tension and stakes was a lot of fun to play around with. Olivia is a wedding planner—what a wonderful occupation for a romance novel character! What kind of research did you do to get acclimated with the wedding industry?   I spent…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Teri Anne Stanley! Writes: Sassy, sexy, fun romance where hot soldier cowboys can’t resist smart, gutsy women. There are dogs and horses. Maybe some goats and turtles, too. And chickens. About: Me: Crafty, sciencey, book nerd Loves watching other people take long walks on the beach, long weekends wrapped in a blanket watching Netflix, and pizza rolls. Has been known to spend hours at a time rewriting one paragraph. Rarely cooks or cleans. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: You: Prefer books to people (some people, anyway). Love military guys with wounded souls May have watched every season of Virgin River and/or Homestead Rescue Roll your eyes (but look anyway) whenever there’s a new internet scandal What to expect if we’re compatible: Instagram posts about yarn and dogs Intermittent newsletters (I’m going to be better about this. I really mean it). Stories with heart and a lot of laughs Relatable characters The occasional shot of suspense All the feels CHARMING TEXAS COWBOY by Teri Anne Stanley Big…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Lauren Accardo! Writes: Steamy contemporary romance; small towns with cute bookstores, coffee shops, and the scent of pine wafting through every square inch. About: Oh hi! Nice to meet you! My name is Lauren Accardo, and I live for an unforgettable HEA. Love stories are my jam. If the book has a broody but smoking hot main character, a strong, take-no-bull second main character, and some type of across-the-room-eye-contact-that-leads-to-touching, I either read it or wrote it. Outside of swoony romance, my interests include baked goods of any variety, karaoke, vacations to Italy, dogs, the Adirondack mountains, and making my 5-month-old baby laugh. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Can inhale a book in just one sitting Roots for a snarky female lead Has a soft spot for adorable but occasionally clueless men Enjoys excessive descriptions of food and usually reads with a snack in hand Loves a good love story What to expect if we’re compatible: Chemistry on chemistry on chemistry Lots of characters…