Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Jadesola James | Author-Reader Match: THE SWEETEST CHARADE
Author Guest / June 22, 2021

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 Jadesola James! Writes: I’m a writer of contemporary romance who combines old-fashioned sensibility with thoroughly modern sexiness. I try to pour a lot of love into my books, and hope they leave you feeling warm and fuzzy inside! About: I’m a mix of Southern-girl manners and East Coast street-smarts (Born in Alabama, raised in New York City!) and I adore emojis and writing long sentences. 😉 My loves: little luxuries, simple pleasures. Roaring fires, stained-glass windows, bossa nova, homemade scones, long walks on crisp fall days, perfume samples, snuggling babies/fur babies, piles of fresh snow, a big soft bed, and hot, sweet tea on a rainy day. (I was born in Cancer season and boy, does it show.) What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Loves a low-angst story with plenty of heart, and a little bit of heat Must love travel, both domestically and abroad Should like a look at different cultures, cities, occupations, ways of living life…

Bridget Morrissey | Exclusive Interview: LOVE SCENES
Author Guest / June 22, 2021

Hi, Bridget! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your book, LOVE SCENES.   Hello! I am the author of the aforementioned romance, LOVE SCENES, as well as two YA novels, WHAT YOU LEFT ME and WHEN THE LIGHT WENT OUT. LOVE SCENES follows out-of-work actress Sloane Ford as she gets roped into being a producer on her famous family’s WWII romantic drama, which just so happens to feature her least favorite former costar of all time. He is, of course, a roguishly handsome Irishman hellbent on being a better person this time around, much to Sloane’s great dismay. The glitz! The glamour! The celebrities! Hollywood is a great backdrop for a romance novel! What did set out to explore with your novel set on a movie set? What was your research like?   We meet Sloane at her lowest. She’s recently lost her steady acting gig on a long-running crime show. Her ex-boyfriend just released an album about all the failings of their relationship. She comes from a large family full of creative types who make a habit out of pushing her buttons. And to top it all off, she’s working again with the man…

Regina Kyle | 20 Questions: HOW NOT TO MESS WITH A MILLIONAIRE
Author Guest / June 8, 2021

1–What is the title of your latest release? HOW NOT TO MESS WITH A MILLIONAIRE 2–What is it about? A sassy American interior designer and a brooding Italian restauranteur engage in a battle of wills over who gets to stay in a villa on the Amalfi Coast that should be big enough for two—but not these two. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  It’s Italy. What’s not to love? The food. The wine. The Mediterranean. I wish I was there right now. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  All of my heroines tend to be spunky, but Zoe might be the feistiest one yet. And she’s super creative when it comes to dreaming up ways to get Dante to vacate the villa. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  He’s a classic alpha wounded hero. He knows how to love deeply but is afraid to go there again. It doesn’t hurt that he’s smoking hot, as Zoe quickly learns when she arrives at the villa and finds him buck naked. Plus there’s that Italian accent. Swoon. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  Honestly, it was Dante. I’ve never written…

Emma Salah | Exclusive Excerpt: DIRTY PLAYS
Author Guest / June 4, 2021

Half an hour later, Letty opened the front double doors, dropping her keys and kicking off her heels at the front entrance of her temporary apartment. Emphasis on temporary. Her passive-aggressive, spineless cretin of a landlord had decided to jack up prices in an effort to evict tenants like Letty and those on lower incomes. Mitchell’s paid well, but her family made it impossible for Letty to save because every other month they seemed to need something. She truly believed there was a special place in hell reserved for people like her ex-landlord, preferably where they waxed his balls again and again with no pause in between. Waxing was a bitch and a half, no contest. Letty had bemoaned her homeless fate to Reagan, who had immediately called her older brother Callum. And voila, he’d let her stay in this upscale apartment free of rent, in a gorgeous part of Scarlet, while Callum lived on the sunny East Coast, in a city called Galena, on the other side of the country for the baseball season. Did she mention free rent? And six bedrooms? And bathrooms for days? Letty had grown up a child of divorce and hadn’t had her own…

Brina Starler | 20 Questions: ANNE OF MANHATTAN
Author Guest / June 1, 2021

1–What is the title of your latest release? My upcoming release on June 1st, ANNE OF MANHATTAN, is a modern adaptation of Anne of Green Gables set on Long Island and in New York City. It’s actually my debut novel! 2–What is it about? Loosely based on some of the original book’s events, and inspired by L.M. Montgomery’s cast of beloved characters, Anne of Manhattan reimagines what it would be like if college-aged Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe, and their friends were going to school and living in modern NYC. It’s a romantic comedy that also deals with themes like #MeToo (sexual harassment) and learning how to trust in love. And hopefully, I’ve done a good job of paying tribute to a book I love so much! 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  There are two main settings in the book. One is NYC, where Anne, Gil, and their friends go to school and live. That bounces between Brooklyn, the Village area, and Hell’s Kitchen. The second main setting is Avonlea, which I set on Long Island for the purposes of it making sense so many characters would wind up living in the city. Since I wanted…

Preslaysa Williams | Exclusive Interview: A LOWCOUNTRY BRIDE
Author Guest / June 1, 2021

Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Preslaysa! Congrats on the release of your debut, A LOWCOUNTRY BRIDE! Can you tell us about your journey into publishing? Preslaysa: I started seriously writing fiction in 2008. At the time, I knew nothing about novel writing, but I was passionate about it. I first dabbled in young adult and middle grade fiction. Then I decided to focus on writing romance. Little did I know that I chose a challenging genre to write! It took me about 9 years to become skilled at writing a romantic arc, character arcs for two love interests, and a plot arc. All three have to be woven together seamlessly. (And there are more requirements for subgenres like paranormal romance, inspirational romance, erotica, or historical romance!). I entered my manuscripts in writing contests, and they would final or win those contests. Seeing my stories make the final rounds (or even win!) was a very encouraging part of my writing career.   In 2012 (very early in my journey), I received an offer of publication for A LOWCOUNTRY BRIDE, but after much thought, I didn’t feel comfortable with signing on the dotted line. So, I didn’t. I not only learned how…

Paris Wynters | Author-Reader Match: CALLED INTO ACTION
Author Guest / May 28, 2021

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 Paris Wynters! Writes: I write steamy and sweet East Coast romance stories that celebrate our diverse world. I write about characters who, like myself, are diverse whether they are multi-racial or have a disability. Love doesn’t come easy for my characters, but it’s well worth the journey because they not only find their partners, but also learn to love themselves in the process. CALLED INTO ACTION is a contemporary romance set in Vermont and centers around Penelope Ramos who is on a mission to earn her search and rescue handler certification. Only, thanks to her canine partner, things go awry and now she is stuck in a small town working with park ranger Jay Gosling. About: New York multi-racial search and rescue K-9 handler/author/teacher looking for readers who love stories about finding your strength and making your own way when you don’t fit in, dogs, slow burn romance, sex and foreplay, women who are not afraid of their sexuality, found family,…

Dylann Crush | 20 Questions: CRAZY ABOUT A COWBOY
Author Guest / May 28, 2021

1–What is the title of your latest release? CRAZY ABOUT A COWBOY 2–What is it about? CRAZY ABOUT A COWBOY follows the story of Jasper Taylor, a Texas cowboy trying to save his family’s land in Ido, Texas, and secure the title of Most Romantic Small Town, and Delilah Stone, a beauty queen who’s judging the contest. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I’ve fallen in love with the little town of Ido, Texas. The whole town is like one big family who’s come together to try to revamp their struggling economy. They love harder, smile longer, and stick up for one another in Ido. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Delilah has spent her entire life trying to please her mother. I enjoyed her journey from people pleaser to standing up for herself and figuring out what she wants out of life. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Jasper is the total package. He’s loyal to his family and friends, devoted to the woman he adores, and is willing to put everything on the line and do what it takes to take care of those he loves. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while…

Michelle Major | Exclusive Interview: WILDFLOWER SEASON
Author Guest / May 25, 2021

Danielle: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Michelle! We are excited to chat with you today. Please tell us a bit about your new series, Carolina Girls.   Michelle: Thank you so much for having me visit today—I’m excited to be here! The Carolina Girls series is a fun spinoff from the original Magnolia Sisters series set in the fictional town of Magnolia, North Carolina. The series features an unlikely friendship between three women all working to start over and create a new life for themselves. The stories are romances at their heart but also explore the importance of friendship, community and finding the right place to call home.  We love a smalltown setting! What do you love most about Magnolia, North Carolina? If you were to spend a day there, where would you visit?       Well, since I currently live in Colorado, which is a beautiful—but very landlocked state—I’d definitely make a trip to the beach outside of Magnolia. The town is based on a few coastal towns we visited when I was a kid vacationing every year in the Outer Banks area of North Carolina and also further south to Hilton Head, South Carolina. I hope I’ve been able to infuse Magnolia with…

Kim Redford | Author-Reader Match: COWBOY FIRE
Author Guest / May 25, 2021

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 Kim Redford. Writes: Oh wow, I just write about life…fascinating, intriguing, exciting life with all the quirky characters, small town community and deep emotions that fuel my novels. Laughter. I’d rather laugh than cry, although those two frequently go together. Cowboy Fire took a funny turn at the end that surprised me, so I bet it’ll surprise readers too. Did I say I like surprises, particular funny ones? And heat. Those sexy cowboy firefighters know how to put out fires, but they definitely know how to start them too. About: Chocolate. Cats. Comedy. All those come together late nights at the keyboard. Days, I like a little adventure. I might ride horses with cousins or go to a rodeo or kickback at a pond and pretend I’m fishing when I’m really plotting the next scene in my novel. Of course, I like a good book…write, read, discuss, contemplate, you-name-it. I’m all about books. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader…