Danielle Jackson: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Chandra, and congrats on your debut novel, DIGGING UP LOVE! Can you tell us your “journey into publishing” story?   Chandra Blumberg: Thank you, Danielle! I always dreamed of becoming an author, but for a long time, I bought into the mistaken belief that writing wasn’t a viable career and getting a book published was as unlikely as hitting the lottery. While I continued to write—mostly short stories and essays I never planned to show anyone—I didn’t seek publication until a few years ago. I started off writing parenthood essays and was in the midst of querying a non-fiction humor manuscript about motherhood when the March 2020 pandemic shutdown hit. At that point, with all the uncertainty in the world and the chaos of a family of six living in quarantine, I was ready to switch gears from writing about my daily life and delve back into fiction. I drafted DIGGING UP LOVE during the covid shutdown as an escape of sorts and got so much joy from spending time with my characters and story. The adage about writing the book you want to read really held true for me. I took what I’d…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Julie Hamilton! Writes: I write contemporary romance with heat, humor, and heart. My debut novel, JUST FOR SHOW, is about an airplane meet-cute that goes viral and sparks a fake relationship for social media. Luke is a home renovation TV star and Audrey is a photographer launching her own business. His producers want him to keep posting about Audrey, and she’s desperate to get attention for her business. Fake dating is the obvious solution. But keeping things fake proves harder than either of them thought…especially when they go away for a weekend and there’s only one bed. When their temporary fling turns into real feelings for each other, they have to decide if an actual relationship is worth the risk to their hearts. About: I’m originally from Pittsburgh and now live near Chicago. I love watching TV (my favorite shows are Ted Lasso, House Hunters, and the many iterations of the Real Housewives franchise), listening to podcasts, doing the New York…

1–What is the title of your latest release? Cowboy Heat Wave 2–What is it about? Audrey Oakes arrives in Wild Bluff County desperate to locate the Hallelujah Ranch  legendary bootlegger gold so she can afford the medical treatment that could save her grandmother’s life. But clues in the old family journal lead her straight into the path of rustlers stealing a herd of mustangs…and that sends her right into the arms of cowboy firefighter Cole Murphy. Talk about trouble. Cole has a big enough problem on his hands trying to save his mustangs from horse thieves. He hadn’t counted on saving a damsel in distress or one that ups his heart rate. When she asks for help, how can he say no? But can he trust that she isn’t part of the rustler gang? And can he trust his heart when their connection turns red-hot?         3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Wildcat Bluff County, Texas, is all about a small town, wide-open countryside, and folks with big hearts.  4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Audrey Oakes persisted time and again through thick and thin to restore her family from mother to grandmother to great-grandfather.  5–Why will…

Cade Callahan stood in the hospital gift shop staring at the colorful display of get-well tokens. A fluffy white unicorn with a purple horn and a glittery pink-and-purple mane caught his eye. Allie had loved unicorns as a little kid—she’d called them “Princess Ponies.” But he was wrestling with the notion that now she might be too old for a stuffed animal. If she was, she could always toss it. At least he was trying, he thought as he snagged the unicorn from the shelf. He considered a card but figured that might be a little too much. Besides, he doubted he’d find a card that read, ‘Sorry I was a shitty dad. Get well soon’. For now, the unicorn would have to do. He grabbed two bottles of water and threw a couple of Reese’s peanut butter cups onto the counter, thinking they might want them on the drive up the mountain. He was already dreading the trip. His back hurt from sleeping in the chair next to her hospital bed, and between the two of them, they were grumpier than a grizzly who’d stepped in a hornet’s nest. I’m the grown-up, he reminded himself. Which meant he needed…

1–What is the title of your latest release? IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING 2–What is it about? DeShawn, who was raised by his grandmother, learns that her cancer has returned and she’s not going to pursue further treatment. In her will, she decides to leave part of her estate to DeShawn’s ex-husband, Malik. Except it turns out Malik isn’t his ex at all, because the divorce never went through (this happens more than you might think). DeShawn’s Uncle Robert ends up suing Malik, and that pushes them together. You’ll have to read to figure out the rest. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love that this is more DC-adjacent than fully focused in city. So many people are just outside DC, but live and work and love there. So there are moments in Upper Marlboro and Baltimore that hold just as much weight as being in DC proper. 4–How did DeShawn surprise you?  I don’t think I quite expected the arc DeShawn went on, and his final decisions about what he wanted to do career-wise. It was a way for him to have the best of both worlds, and I was thrilled to give it to…

She leaned over to grab one side of the eight-foot-long banner that was supposed to say Merry Christmas, Twilight giving him a straight-shot view down the front of her sweater. She waited for him to pick up the other half. His eyes bugged. Joel stopped in his tracks, gaze fixed on Jana’s cleavage. His pulse jumped right off a cliff. Last night, this gorgeous creature was in my bed. “Joel?” “Huh?” “You gonna stand there all day with your mouth hanging open?” He shut his jaw, picked up the other end of the banner and followed her outside to drape it from the railing of the upper deck. “Before we anchor the banner securely, let’s make sure it’s even,” she said and hit the stairs for the lower deck so they could stand back and examine their handiwork. He followed her, hunching his shoulders against the cold air blowing off the water. Jana cleared the stairs ahead of him, turned and stared owl-eyed at the message on the unfurled banner above them. She gasped. “What’s this?” He stared up. The banner read Will You Marry Me? Seeing the words spelled out in red letters across the boat yanked the breath…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE LOVE CON 2–What is it about? THE LOVE CON is a romcom about Kenya Davenport, a Black plus-sized cosplayer who’s made it to the final round of a cosplay reality show. She has to return home to make couples costumes with her significant other, but she currently doesn’t have one. Desperate, she blurts out the name of her best friend, Cameron Lassiter, on live TV. He’s willing to cosplay as her boyfriend, but as they fake date for the show, their feelings for each other become very real. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Like most of my stories, it’s set in Atlanta, my hometown. It’s based on a mashup of little neighborhoods I’ve lived in and frequented over the years. I love the community feel and I love the nerdiness of these characters and their friends. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  What surprised me the most was how Kenya comes to believe that her relationship with Cam is unbalanced because she feels she hasn’t done as much for him as he’d done for her. Luckily he sets her straight. I love how important her friend…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Kate McMurray! Writes: WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN is a contemporary romance, second in a series set at a cat café in Brooklyn, New York. In this book, the cat café’s events manager, Paige takes center stage. Paige is an event planner by training, a classic type A who never met a spreadsheet she didn’t like. One night, she volunteers for a cat rescue organization and meets Josh, a cute lawyer with a biting sense of humor. They get along so well, neither wants the night to end, so it… doesn’t. But in the light of the next morning, Paige puts together that Josh is her best friend’s brother. Whoops! About: I live in a studio apartment in New York City with a bossy cat and so many books that I secretly think they’re mating like Tribbles. I like museums and baseball and show tunes and indie bookstores and karaoke—I am stoked that Broadway is back and hope to go to…

I wrote a romance starring a quirky bookseller named Claire who adores historical romance. Namely, Regency romances featuring dukes. In the story, you’ll see that she is even a member of a club called the Triple Ds, which stands for the Dashing Duke Diehards. They meet the third Thursday of every month to see their chairwoman read a spicy scene with a real-life male romance cover model. It’s a hoot and everyone has a great time. Anyway, I digress. That was just one of the many cute and funny moments in my debut romance, HOW TO SURVIVE A MODERN-DAY FAIRY TALE, which came out on November 30th. Claire’s love of historical romance is one of the few things she and I have in common. I began my life-long love affair with romance after picking up a medieval romance by Elizabeth Lowell when I was thirteen years-old. Since then, I’ve read hundreds, but I’ve been particularly smitten with stories about dukes. So in keeping with this Duke-ish theme, here are Claire’s top 5 favorite historical romances starring Dukes: THE BEAST OF BESWICK by Amalie Howard Blurb: Lord Nathaniel Harte, the disagreeable Duke of Beswick, spends his days smashing porcelain, antagonizing his…

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 Alanna Martin! Writes: I write contemporary romance with lots of family drama, humor, and heart. My heroines are smart and successful, and my heroes prove that nothing is sexier than kindness. It’s always my hope that my stories be reminders that love can win in the end, no matter the obstacles. For the characters in LOVE AND LET BARK, love is also about finding the strength to be the person you want to be. About: As a city girl transplanted to a small town, I’m always up for breaking big city and small town stereotypes. I love being outdoors, having coffee with friends, and dreaming big—all traits that have a tendency to show up in my characters. If I’m not writing, I’m probably lost in the mountains. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: -someone who loves a soft-spoken, big-hearted firefighter -who relates to a practical-minded, protective heroine -must love puppies -has a thing for found families -is tired of billionaires getting everything they want -is ready for…