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 Annabeth Albert! Writes: I write hot men in dangerous situations! More specifically, I write contemporary LGBTQ romance, mainly m/m pairings with bi/pan/ace/demi rep and more.  I love books with heat, heart, and feels amid exciting backdrops. In my latest, BURN ZONE, I’m launching my HOTSHOTS series about smoke jumpers and wildfire fighters in Central Oregon. This series features burning hot chemistry, some of my favorite tropes with fresh twists, and a dedicated community of first responders who band together to keep the place they love safe. Fans of my OUT OF UNIFORM series will like the “band of brothers” feel here! And book one, BURN ZONE, is an older brother’s best friend romance with a forbidden twist as an upbeat newbie smoke jumper takes on the older, grumpy veteran he’s crushed on for years. About: Like long reads and deep feels that linger after the last page? Like your authors with bulging backlists and well-honed plots? Want sexy excitement without sacrificing…

“Why are you out of practice?” Gabe pursed his lips. “Is the rigor of vet school enough of an answer?” “If you need it to be.” He looked her way, his bright hazel-green eyes standing out starkly from the gray skies behind him. “If you’d said anything but that, that’s the only answer you’d have gotten.” “My sister tells me I’m good at cutting through the bull.” “I’ve got no reason to disagree.” He drummed his thumb on the steering wheel. “Aside from a close friend who went to vet school with me, you’re the only girl who’s been in that seat for a while. By design.” Olivia waited to see if he’d offer more. She had so many questions. They’d reached the end of the road, but the parking lot to the river access was a hundred feet away and underwater. The floodwater was flowing over the road, swallowing it up and reaching halfway up a signpost. If the dog had come this way, most certainly he’d angled off in another direction away from the river. “I had a fiancée,” Gabe added after a bit of silence. “A serious one. Before I entered vet school. I was a firefighter-EMT…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Wild Love 2–What is it about?  My hero, Colin Brooks, has returned to Antero Brewing, but it’s not exactly the homecoming he was hoping for. His partners no longer trust him, and the building where he lives and brews his honey-sweetened beer is little more than a shack. The only one who gives him any affection is his hound-dog puppy, but he’d like to change that with the luscious cook at the corner deli. My heroine, Peaches Guidry, doesn’t trust good-looking charmers like Colin. Besides, she’s got enough on her plate managing the Salty Goat deli and dealing with her underhanded assistant. But Colin’s admiration for her cinnamon rolls expands to Peaches herself. And the soft-hearted baker finds herself falling for the last man she should be interested in. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Determined 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  He’s a reformed bad boy, trying to win back his place at the local brewery. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Well, Colin turns to Peaches, since she’s the only one who’ll talk to him at first. Peaches turns to her boss, Ruth Colbert, and…

Writing for Harlequin Presents, I always know my hero will be exceptionally wealthy. It’s part of the promise to our reader that she will be swept into a glamorous world of luxury, visit exotic locations, and have a passionate encounter with a hero who is lord of all he surveys. These powerful men believe they’re impervious to love, or at least that they can control whom they love the way they control everything else. That arrogance has been winning my heart since I found Harlequin Presents. (Which was in high school! I won’t tell you how long ago that was, but I married my high school sweetheart and our kids are now grown). I have always adored the ruthless, embittered heroes who take an entire book to let down their guard and admit they’re falling for their plucky heroine. It makes the way they turn to mush when a baby is in the picture all the more satisfying! (Think of the old cartoon with the bulldog and the wide-eyed kitten.) I swoon when they discover they are hopelessly ill-equipped to look after a baby, yet suffer a surge of protectiveness that forces them to rise to the challenge. When I…

I didn’t really get to speak with Trade on the first night that I met him, because all the members of the MC were there, but tonight it’s just him and his kids having dinner with us, giving a more personal and intimate setting. His son, AJ, is such a bright kid, and with his dark hair tied up in a man bun just like his dad’s, and his long lashes and cute dimpled smile, he is definitely going to be a heartbreaker. “This is so yummy, Uncle Tommy,” he says to Temper, beaming. Trade’s kids are the only ones I’ve ever heard calling Temper by his real name, and it’s a little weird to hear, but also super cute. “Is it? I made it myself,” Temper says to his nephew, grinning. AJ eyes the chocolate cake. “No you didn’t. I bet you bought it at the store. I’ve never seen you bake a day in your life.” “He made me a cake once,” Alia adds, licking the chocolate from her fingers. “Well, at least he tried to make me a cake.” “Hey, that was an artistic creation,” Temper says to his niece, pretending to be offended. “It came straight…

Hi! MK here! I had so much fun writing Let Me Stay. I am so ready for it to be out in the world because I can’t wait for readers to read it. Let Me Stay loosely connects with my novellas Mobbed Up Love, Don’t You Know, and Don’t You See. I love writing mobster with a heart! Thanks for having me here, Fresh Fiction! My favorite neighbor in the 425 Madison building: Gwen from Must Love Coffee by Leigh Lennon; she is totally awesome! My favorite mode of transportation around NYC: The Subway for sure!  My favorite or must-see NYC landmark: Times Square! It has that “bright lights, big city” vibe that I love! My favorite thing about “city” life: The different types of food that are pretty available 24/7! My favorite thing about being a part of the 425 Madison world: I love being a part of this series because of the writer friends I’ve gained. I also love the atmosphere 425 Madison provides. So many different kinds of stories to be told there. — COMMENT TO WIN: What’s your favorite thing about where you live? Tell us in the comments and you’ll be entered to win a…

I love a magical first meeting between a hero and heroine in romance, but there’s a lot to be said for a story with two main characters with a shared history together. I’m always intrigued by these kinds of stories but I’m very particular. Some readers love an abundance of drama and angst. I usually prefer lighter fare with a minimum of angst. Of course, there are always exceptions that prove the rule. One of my favorite authors is Lorraine Heath and her stories are often littered with characters who have tangled and passion-filled histories together and a few bad decisions under their belts. However, Heath masterfully and almost inexplicably wraps things up and any angst is deliciously painful rather than tedious. If I can’t root for a couple to iron out their issues and get together, I give up on the story. In this article, I discuss some books with characters who have a past, but who don’t let their past determine their future. In SHE LOVES ME by Melissa Foster, Piper Dalton and Harley Dutch are BFFs who are thrown together when Harley is injured and Piper comes to look after him. Melissa Foster dispenses with typical gender…

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 Anne Harper! Writes: Romantic comedy with relatable romance and shenanigans galore! Fake It Till You Make It is Book #1 in the Accidentally Viral series and is the first look into small-town Arbor Bay, Alabama, and at all of its hilarious, intrusive, and wild residents. About: Anne believes in coffee, chocolate, and the power of being awkward. When she isn’t binge-watching Netflix and Hulu, she’s hanging out with her sassy husband, yelling at her neighbor (who is also her Dad), and posting videos about her life that will undoubtedly embarrass her future children. Her special skills include being able to sing all the words to R.E.M.’s It’s the End of the World while running on the treadmill and the ability to quote almost every episode of Parks and Recreation by heart. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must have felt or done something awkward in your life and are willing to use that experience to relate to others Must love characters with quirks, flaws, and relatable…

My newest release is Betting on Love, Book 2 in the Ellis Family Saga. Whitney Carroll is back home in Gatlinburg, Tennessee after divorcing her low-down, cheating husband. First thing on the to-do list: Get a job. Second thing: Just say no to men. Third thing: Don’t fall for the boss. One out of three’s not too bad, right? For Sam Ellis, his to-do list is always work, work, work, trying to keep his family’s legacy alive. Now, out of concern, his siblings bet he can’t keep a girl happy for thirty days, and if he loses, he’s out as CEO. No problem, he can fake a relationship. And he knows just who to ask…his new man-vegan assistant. Yet Whitney’s sexy boss—secret singer and Skee-Ball champion—is definitely NOT boring, and their connection is undeniable. But when a disaster strikes at work, Sam will have to decide if he’s willing to trade in his job for his heart. B is for Bet. But winning means Sam might lose everything. E is for Employment. Whitney needs it. T is for Time. Thirty days and it runs out. T is for Temptation. Their relationship might be fake but a real one tempts them…

We are hip-deep in a pandemic as I write this, and my youngest daughter is currently singing/shouting Beauty and the Beast for the fifth time today. I don’t hate it. She squeezed into an old costume, pulled out her “makeup” and asked for extra glitter. I complied of course and decided to paint her nails and curl her hair, too. ‘Cause getting on your glam is never a bad idea. I might even pull out the good china for lunch and serve the grilled cheese and grapes properly. These are unprecedented times and I’m doing everything I can to focus on the many positive ways we humans are pulling together. And not the news updates, I check obsessively. Some days are better than others, and today thankfully, has been a good one. Glitter and all. And it is with that spirit that I’d like to offer my writer/introvert life hacks that have kept me (mostly) sane. Make a plan. A loosy-goosy (yes, that’s a technical term) agenda will only make you feel unaccomplished at day’s end. May happen anyway but at least putting the right foot forward gives you a fighting chance of winning the war of laundry. I usually…