In UNBREAK ME, LJ Delisle is a Haitian-Creole cowboy with a heart as big as his smile. When he meets Andra Lawler, she’s living like a hermit on her family’s horse ranch and has barely spoken to a man in years. She’s been through hell, and when LJ shows up in her life, a girl might be forgiven for thinking he was a gift from the karma fairy, here to make up for all the hard knocks she took in her early twenties. Here are five ways he turns the head of a woman who had sworn off men for life: He knows his way around a kitchen When LJ wants to make friends, he takes a tack few men ever try: he bakes her a cake. When he sees her collection of TV dinners, he’s so horrified he makes her dinner and spaghetti spins quickly into cooking lessons that start out with warm companionship and start to spark into flirtation. But ladies, how can you resist a man who can cook? Andra sure can’t. Animals love him LJ and Andra meet when he gets a job training her horses: specifically her baby horses! She’s won over by how gentle…

Deadlines seem far enough away in theory, but in the end, there never seems to be enough time. Days before I have to hit ‘send’ for the next finished book or the latest edits, you’ll find me invisibly tied to a chair in front of my computer. But food can’t come in second or third place behind coffee or the next full can of my favorite energy drink. Here are a few of my favorite go-to foods that keep me from face planting into my keyboard. Pancakes In college, my friends and I would wake up late after a night out and make pancakes. The fluffier the better, and they had to be round or one of my friends wouldn’t eat them. Hey, she was a loveable culinary major with perfectionist issues, but the habit stuck along with enjoying pancakes at any time of the day. One of my favorite Fluffy Pancake recipes can be found at the Taste of Home website. Buddha Bowl I ordered this salad at a local restaurant. I loved it so much, I started making it at home. It’s so easy. Roasted garbanzo beans, hummus, grape or cherry tomatoes, quinoa or couscous with pine nuts,…

“What is that?” He stepped closer, and the pungent odor of poop hit him like a gust of rancid wind. He gagged, pointing to the baby’s back and trying to speak at the same time. But all that came out was dry heaves. “What?” Aurelia lifted her hand, and the mess was on her forearm, her shirt, and the front of the baby’s legs. “Gross! Help me!” She held the wailing baby away from her body as if it were a ticking time bomb. Ben pulled off his shirt, answering Aurelia’s perplexed expression with, “I’m not getting that on my shirt.” He reached for the baby, holding his breath. She shoved the baby into his hands, and he held her away from his body, trying to get his dry heaves under control. Aurelia tore her shirt over her head–drawing Ben’s attention and immediately remedying his gags. He had a screaming baby in his hands and his eyes were riveted to Aurelia’s breasts, which were practically popping out of a sexy lace bra. “What are you doing, Rels? This isn’t exactly the best time to try to turn me on.” She shot him a death glare, using the shirt to wipe…

Hello Fresh Fiction fans! I’m thrilled to be here today celebrating my latest release The Nanny Rules! Tropes come and go, but there are a few favorites that are timeless. Who doesn’t love a hot and steamy forbidden romance? In one way or another, aren’t we all guilty of wanting what we can’t have? This makes our characters relatable and real, and readers desperately hungry to turn the next page. Romance feeds our soul and the forbidden sparks that secret desire inside of us to be just a little bit naughty. Rules. . . We all live by them–societal and self-imposed. But sometimes we’re the greatest obstacle standing in the way of our happiness? Screw the rules. . .  The Nanny Rules delves into the challenges of wanting what we can’t have while letting go of the past and learning to love again. This was one of my bucket-list books and I’m so excited to finally see it come to fruition. I’m an avid reader of category romance and over the years I’ve read and enjoyed many Brazen titles. I was super excited when my agent contacted me about an opportunity to write a book for the Brazen line. I…

Bookworms know that books make great gifts. Reaching out to someone with a story provides a way for them to enjoy the present long after the occasion on which it’s given. But where should you begin? If you’ve ever been tempted to give a book but have hesitated, here are some tips to help. 1)      Time to judge a book by its cover. Cover art is labeled “art” for a reason: it’s an artistic expression that gives a taste of what’s between the covers. The same is true of the book title. So let the cover art and title guide you into choosing a book that matches your recipient’s taste, mood, or the gift-giving occasion. 2)      Look for books with extra content. Whether it’s a novel with a bonus chapter, a special edition, or a book with recipes in the back, extra content gives the recipient one additional reason to love the gift. Read through the full book description online or explore books in a brick-and-mortar store to find the perfect one. 3)      Personalize. Write an inscription in the book, add a handwritten note on nice stationery with a celebratory message, or slip a pretty bookmark inside. It doesn’t take much time to…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction! Can you tell us about the Broken Pieces series, and your latest novel, NOTHING BUT THIS?  Hello. Thank you so much for having me back to chat about my new release. The Broken Pieces series is a duet set on the same timeline. Each book focuses on a different couple and their stories, while separate, occur at the same time, around the same events. It was challenging to write because while some conversations are repeated, they’re shown from different points of view in each book and the emotions surrounding them are definitely not the same. The stories are also very different and can be read as standalone novels. NOTHING BUT THIS focuses on Greyson and Libby, the events surrounding their daughter’s birth is what kickstarts the series. Greyson doesn’t believe the baby is his and says some extremely hurtful and unforgivable things at the start of this book. Libby leaves him and promises him that he will come to regret what he has said. Her words prove to be prophetic because Greyson’s regret and remorse sets in almost immediately. This story tells of Greyson’s fight to win his family back. NOTHING BUT THIS is a second-chance…

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 ASHLEY HASTINGS!  What I Write About: I write contemporary and new adult fiction that leans to towards the humorous side. My version of romance is steamy with a lot of hearts and flowers. My goal when writing is to rev up your libido while tugging at your heartstrings! All of my books are set in the small, fictional town of Peacock, and my characters cross over from book to book. Although the books are linked, they are all stand-alones, so you can jump in and start reading with any book. About Me: Lifelong romantic seeks readers who appreciate heroines who are facing change in their lives with courage and a sense of humor. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must appreciate witty banter. Stray animals who show up and move in. Whimsical, over-the-top characters and predicaments. Must also love an Alpha male and the women who keep them in check. What to expect: Jaw-dropping plot twists. Swoon-worthy love scenes….

I walk onto the floor of Apropos. The light is dim and filtered a pale blue. It’s crowded tonight for a Thursday. Some women dance on the floor while men sit around the outside near the bar area, unwinding after a long day, wondering if they have a shot at a one-night stand with any of them. Their ties are pulled looser, sleeves are rolled up some, and jackets are hung on the backs of barstools. I move up the stairs to the pods where I typically work. The top tier overlooks the dance floor, but it is divided up into twelve private areas called pods. Each server is responsible for three pods at a time. These areas are reserved in advance and are typically booked by repeat customers here to relax under the guise of a business meeting, almost always to cater to their clients’ needs that they don’t always subscribe to themselves personally. Either that or to screw around on their significant others. Privacy and service is what they pay for. Privacy and service is what I give them. Moving into the Seven Pod, I assess the two men in deep conversation, one obviously angry despite the two…

There are so many things I love to do with my dogs, it’s hard to pick, but snuggling definitely tops the list. I have two rescues, Hazel (9) and Nala (3), and their personalities couldn’t be more different. Hazel, the border collie mix, is independent and task-oriented. Nala, who was DNA tested and found to be a mix of pit bull, Basset hound, Rottweiler, and Newfoundland mastiff, is a 55-pound, squat-legged companion dog…and the family snuggler. As soon as one of us sits on the couch, she’s up there with us and as close as can be. She doesn’t understand boundaries…at all! She sleeps on my bed most nights, and once in a while, I will wake up to find she’s using me as a pillow. Experiencing that quiet, unspoken trust makes my morning. My second favorite activity is the twice-daily walks around the neighborhood or to the park with Nala and Hazel. Sometimes we all three have different motivations—Hazel is on the lookout for squirrels and rabbits, Nala is all about other dogs and people, and I’m always hoping to work in some real cardio. We each make concessions, and I find these walks to be disjointedly peaceful. Any…

As a born and raised Montana rancher and rodeo cowgirl, I am immersed in my subject matter—often literally in the case of mud, manure, and bovine amniotic fluid. Yeah, I see that face you’re making. I do occasionally get a little too real and my editor has to explain that not only is she baffled when I say a horse ‘broke in two’, but the visual is extremely disturbing. (For the record, it is a synonym for suddenly starting to buck, also known as ‘bogged his head’ and ‘blew up’.) Beyond the language and the technical details, though, I find a writer is most likely to miss the mark by failing to understand that this is a culture unto itself. Regular folks tend to find our values and priorities a tad difficult to comprehend. First, and most awesome, is the way in which women tend to be perceived. Imagine a world where you are routinely praised for being strong, aggressive, independent, and competitive. Where on a day to day basis you are valued for what you can do versus how you look and complimented for kicking ass. Imagine being in a relationship with a man who is utterly baffled if…