Another day, another recipe… Our Fall Recipe Potluck continues with more books, more recipes, and another fabulous featured author! I hope you are enjoying these awesome posts and opportunities to win great books. Don’t forget to take a look at what else has posted: Day 1: SECOND CHANCE ON CYPRESS LAND by Reese Ryan Day 2: THE SECRET FRENCH RECIPES OF SOPHIE VALROUX by Samantha Verant Day 3: SIMMER DOWN by Sarah Smith This autumnal roasted delicata squash is exactly the kind of dish Beth would serve at her Yellow House restaurant. It’s simple, seasonal, and very tasty. Feel free to use any winter squash you’d like, but delicata is my favorite because it looks fancy, you don’t have to peel it, and it gets extra crispy and caramelized in the oven. The Italian-style herb salsa verde is wonderful with any roasted vegetables or meat.  You can eat this as a side dish with your favorite fall meal (it’s excellent with roasted chicken) or enjoy it as a vegetarian main course with some sautéed greens, fresh bread, and a glass of wine (optional but highly recommended!) Roasted Delicata Squash with Sage Salsa Verde For the squash 3 medium delicata squash,…

We have MORE fabulous books and awesome recipes to share! We’ll be here all week, LOL. Also, check out the other posts that have gone up so far and check out the giveaways: Day 1: SECOND CHANCE ON CYPRESS LAND by Reese Ryan Day 2: THE SECRET FRENCH RECIPES OF SOPHIE VALROUX by Samantha Verant *** My new book Simmer Down is a rivals-to-lovers romance between two competing food truck owners Nikki and Callum, who are fighting over the same coveted parking spot near one of Maui’s most beautiful beaches. After a whole lot of bickering and sabotaging, Nikki and Callum realize they have sizzling chemistry. Like in any good romance, they end up in bed together. A lot. When they’re not getting physical, these two are both capable of whipping up endless mouth-watering specialties. You can count on British hunk Callum to cook scrumptious English recipes, while Nikki has spent a lifetime perfecting her mom’s delicious Filipino dishes. Once these two finally get their happily ever after, they’ll be spending loads of time in the bedroom, as any newly in-love couple would. But that doesn’t mean cooking will be put on the backburner. Nikki would figure out a way…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  The Wreckage of Us 2–What is it about?  It’s a story about two young individuals with dreams and ambitions to get away from the small-town life of Eres, Nebraska to find themselves. On the way to their escapes, they find one another and form a beautiful friendship that shifts into love. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Powerful. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  His ability to not give up on the people he loves the most.   5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Hazel turns to her new friend, Leah, and Ian turns to his bandmates, who are his best friends. Then, of course, they turn to one another. They also have Ian’s grandparents who are great role models for both of the main characters. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love the small-town world that I was able to create with the dirt roads and Big Paw’s ranch. I loved the moments my hero and heroines shared staring up at the stars each night. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your…

Hi, Naima! Welcome back to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your new book, TRUST FUND FIANCE.   Thank you so much for having me back! I love Fresh Fiction! And I love talking about TRUST FUND FIANCE. LOL! This release is Book 4 in the new Texas Cattleman’s Club series, Rags to Riches. The Wingate nephew, Ezekiel “Zeke” Holloway volunteers to help his friend and Royal socialite Reagan Sinclair access her trust fund by marrying her. But this supposedly platonic marriage of convenience becomes anything but convenient, thanks to a particularly hot case of passion and need. Plus, throw in the intrigue and scandal that continues to plague the Wingate family and their company, and this book is full of mystery, romance and hot times! Before we dive into questions about the book, can I just say how much I adore this cover? What was it like opening up your email and seeing it for the first time?  Oh wow. Is saying “angels wept” being overly dramatic? LOL! Seriously, though, I was stunned. Not just by the beauty and elegance of it–which, let’s be honest, has an overabundance of both. But by the attention to detail. The…

Welcome to the First Day of our Fall Recipe Potluck! We have an awesome lineup of authors telling about their new books coming out this fall and sharing delicious recipes–perfect for the cooler weather and cozy nights. Be sure to check back all week long for posts every morning. Also! Comment to enter to win a copy of the book featured each day. We hope you enjoy this potluck and find some new books and recipes to try. *** In my upcoming release, SECOND CHANCE ON CYPRESS LANE, rising star reporter Dakota Jones is inadvertently caught up in an international scandal that derails her promising career. She returns to the small town of Holly Grove Island to lick her wounds and regroup after spending the better part of two decades in New York City. The island town no longer feels like home, or so she thinks. But Dakota quickly begins to discover all of the things she’s been missing during the five years that she’d been actively avoiding the island since the death of her mother. Dakota discovers a new appreciation for her family and friends; the beach; the townsfolk who will always consider her one of their own. And…

There’s a lot going on in our house, how about yours? My husband and I have two little girls, ages 7 and 11. They talk non-stop. He and I have to text one another if we have something to say, that’s how bad it is. When school started up again, we had the choice–to send them back full time with masks or to keep them home for distance learning. At the last second, fully intending to send them back, we decided to keep them home. So, my husband goes off to work in the morning and I am home, helping my 7-year-old with place value and my 6th grader with simplifying fractions. I have my own job, too, in the freelance writing world, writing blogs for clients numbering into the hundreds each month. Oh, and I dabble in fiction writing as an author as well. There are days when all goes well, and everyone gets everything done and we’re all happy. And then there are days when things go, well. . . not so well. You know what I mean. It doesn’t matter what your life looks like, you have great days and you have days where all you want…

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 Michelle Major! Writes: THE LAST MAN SHE EXPECTED: Falling for her arch-nemesis isn’t going to happen. Moving to Starlight was Mara Reed’s first step forward after her devastating divorce. But had she known she’d find Parker Johnson, her ex-husband’s ruthless divorce attorney, there, she might have gone in a different direction. Away from the big city, Mara is seeing Parker in a new light—but is it enough for her to set aside her anger? About:  Animal-loving, chocoholic, and outdoorsy author looking for readers who share a love of smart heroines, sexy heroes, and always a happily ever after. Laughter is a definite and please know that I love to share pics of my menagerie of dogs, cats, and a constant array of adorable foster kittens. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must love second chances and starting over on the way to true love. Must appreciate the charm of small towns and all their quirky characters Must love…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Reckless Envy, which is book five in the Harlequin Desire continuity series, Dynasties: Seven Sins 2–What is it about?  Matt Velez has everything a man could want: money, success and his pick of gorgeous women. Well, almost everything. The affections of tantalizingly sexy good girl Emily Arnott remain strictly off-limits–because she’s engaged to Matt’s bitterest rival. Will jealousy consume him. . . or does Emily hold the secret key to set them both free? 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Emily is beautiful, but she’s also smart. And thanks to her parents, she’s also a little emotionally damaged and very self-sufficient–she’ll resolve her own problems, thank you very much. Her unwanted engagement is a huge obstacle to overcome. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Ah, Matt. . . well, he’s tough and strong and very alpha, but underneath his hard exterior is a man who has never known love and acceptance.   5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Matt has his personal assistant Vee, who is sassy and bossy. She has the disposition of a Victorian butler and the work ethic, and personality, of a fire-ant. Matt adores…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Her Aussie Holiday 2–What is it about?  Her Aussie Holiday is about a house-swap that gives an American woman more than she bargained for! Wanting to escape a failed relationship, her parents public divorce and career dissatisfaction, Cora Cabot decides to swap houses with her Aussie BFF. Only, when she arrives in Patterson’s Bluff, her friend’s older brother is camped out in the house and . . . well, hilarity and trouble ensue. At the heart of it, this story is about following your dreams, taking risks and learning to believe in yourself. It’s emotional, has loads of comic relief (including a potty-mouthed cockatoo named Joe) and definitely delivers a feel-good happily ever after. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Resilient! Cora is the kind of woman who gets knocked down but keeps getting back up again. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  Everything! Seriously, Trent is one of those heroes who has it all. Hot, blue-collar body, charming smile, sense of humour and a big golden heart that he wears on display at all times. Oh, and a delicious Aussie accent. Who says you can’t have it all? 5–Who are the people your…

My favorite tropes to write have traditionally been Friends-to-Lovers and Second Chance romance. The reason is, out of all those familiar tropes, those are the two I’ve seen played out in reality most. There’s something hopeful about them, and while not every pair of friends can morph their relationship into a healthy romantic one, and not every relationship deserves a second chance, there’s definitely some appeal there. More than tropes, though, I have favorite themes. My main one is redemption because I believe that those who truly want to right the wrongs of the past should have a chance to do so when that redemption doesn’t lead to the ill effects for someone else. Another theme I often write about is self-discovery. That’s been a big theme in my life, especially over the last few years. My characters are just imperfect people, looking to be loved in a healthy, fulfilling way and that something I think we all want, regardless of orientation, gender, race, color, or creed. When reading romance, which I don’t get to do as much as I’d like, I read pretty widely, without regard to trope. I do have a few tropes I won’t read, including racists…