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 Meghan Quinn. Writes:  Hi pretties! I write romantic comedies and contemporary romance full of heart, humor, and heat. I love to make you, laugh, swoon, and fill you up with all the feels. That Second Chance is my newest release which touches upon my classic humor, my steaminess, and an addictive small town that you wish was real. It release May 7th. About: Peanut butter enthusiast and tea addict, Meghan Quinn resides in Colorado with her family, two adopted kids, and the love of her life. She grew up in Southern California where she learned a cheeseburger from In and Out will always be hard to beat—always order it animal style. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Someone not afraid to pee their pants from laughter. A spouse they can wake up in the middle of the night because they happen to snort while reading. Appreciates a sassy female lead, but swoons for an alpha with a heart of…

My latest book, Under the Northern Lights, is about Mallory Reynolds, a driven, passionate woman who is pursuing her dream of photographing wild animals in remote locations. On the way to her favorite spot in the Alaskan wilderness, the unthinkable happens—the engine on her plane stalls and she crashes. Mallory survives the crash only to find herself injured with limited supplies and no hope of returning home. Just when all seems lost, Michael Bradley, a mysterious mountain man, comes to her rescue. Mallory soon discovers that she has to spend the entire winter in a small, isolated cabin with a stranger. The remoteness, the caregiving, the constant threat of danger—it all creates a near-instant intimacy between the characters that is both real and understandable. I love writing tension between characters, so having them stuck together for months was a writing playground for me. It led to some great interactions early in the story, keeping the pace flowing in a fun and realistic way. Here is one of my favorite interactions between my hero and heroine from Under the Northern Lights: “How was work?” I jokingly asked. A brief laugh escaped him. “Good and bad.” “Oh, how so?” I asked, amused that he…

I’m a Kansas farm girl at heart, and I love a great cowboy romance. Throw in a quirky small town and a dog, and I’m sold. That’s why I write small town stories filled with humor and heart. And I love when a western romance does something unexpected, like when Colorado cowboy heroes also play hockey. Oh wait, I know that series. And if you love the idea of cowboys who are as hot on horseback as they are on the ice, then you need to check out the Cowboys of Creedence. The third book in the series, It Started With a Cowboy, is just releasing now, and in this one, Colt, the youngest James brother, talks shy schoolteacher, Chloe Bishop, into helping him coach a youth hockey team of rowdy eight years olds. Being so close to the cowboy she’s crushing on is dangerous territory for Chloe. But when a real enemy threatens her, Colt will do anything to protect her. Even if it means risking himself—and his heart. Once you’ve devoured the James brothers and made Colt James your newest book boyfriend, here are five other great cowboy books to sink your spurs into. It was so hard to pick just five,…

Romance tropes, cute dogs, and Scottish vacations – oh my! Enjoy the chat between author Talia Hibbert and editorial manager Danielle Dresser! Welcome to the Fresh Fiction blog! Can you tell us a little bit about the Ravenswood series? Hi! Thanks so much for having me. ☺ Ravenswood is a small English town where things aren’t as sweet and simple as they seem. The series follows four prickly, guarded women who have become Ravenswood’s outcasts, and the strong, loving heroes who support them on their journey to happiness. I’d say the Ravenswood series is very steamy, very tropey, funny and mildly dramatic. It also features issues like family illness and looking after your mental health in a compassionate way. As a woman of color, I love and appreciate the diversity among your characters and couples! Rae and Zach have different backgrounds, life experiences, and not to mention a significant age difference – how did their love story develop for you? Thank you! Diversity of all kinds is very important to me. I knew from the moment I introduced Zach in A Girl Like Her (Ravenswood book 1) that he would have his own story, but I didn’t know who his heroine…

Hello, hello! My new release, Boyfriend Maintenance, might not be about hot gamer boys, but it stays true to my tagline, Nerdy and Flirty. I wanted to highlight a few things I totally nerded out to in the book. There are few definitions for the word nerd, but I like “a single-minded expert in a particular technical field” the best. With that being said, the following topics that are absolutely nerd-worthy from Boyfriend Maintenance… 1) Skee-Ball The popular arcade game is so much fun I have to play it whenever I’m someplace that has it. The carnival, any arcade, the bowling ally (yeah I know, but honestly, I’d rather Skee-Ball than bowl). I don’t remember how my love for Skee-Ball came up in a group chat between myself and the other 425 Madison authors, but somehow I was challenged to write Skee-Ball into my story. Challenge accepted. The whole premise of Boyfriend Maintenance starts and ends with Skee-Ball. 2) Grilled Cheese I love giving my characters a favorite food. The only downfall to this is because I write about the food obsession I end up obsessing about it as well. In this case, Emmy King was utterly in love with…

We’ve all met those couples who met, fell in love, and are living happily ever after, right? I think it’s awesome when it happens and while I love hearing about it – briefly – their story isn’t one you could make a romance novel out of. I mean, you could, but why? Angst and beating the odds in one way or another make for an emotional story and that’s what keeps you turning the pages. For those of you who’ve read my books, you know I tend to be fairly light on the angst, but that doesn’t mean my couples have it easy. I’ve had things as easy as couples having to deal with living far apart and figuring out logistically how they can be together, to couples where fertility is an issue and the heroine sacrifices her chance of a future with the hero because he desperately wants a large family. Opposites attract, dating the best friend’s older brother, office romances, enemies to lovers – all of these tropes bring conflict into a story and if we’re honest, we love it! We want the struggle, we want our couple to have to fight for their happily ever after! I…

AUTHOR-READER MATCH Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Melonie Johnson! Writes: Fun, flirty, contemporary romances with delicious heroes, strong female friendships, plenty of banter, and a dash of wish fulfillment. A debut author, her Sometimes in Love series launches April 30 with GETTING HOT WITH THE SCOT, followed quickly by SMITTEN BY THE BRIT on May 28, and ONCE UPON A BAD BOY on June 25. About: This lifelong romance reader decided to take her favorite tropes from historical romances and play with them in the modern day. She’s learned the road to a happy ending is rarely smooth and enjoys discovering the twists and turns along the way. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Believes modern girls need kilts and dukes and rogues too Likes to see the heroine hanging out with friends, going after her career goals, and doing more than spending time with the hero Appreciates the spicy side of the salsa scale (wink wink) Enjoys seeing lots of affectionate nods…

I love cowboys! I’m not talking about the guys who dress up in western garb during rodeo season, but the real men who put on their Wranglers and boots, live on a ranch and work hard every day. Growing up in the country, where everyone knows you and your family for several generations, gives you a different slant on life. The cowboys of the Dark Horse Cowboys series are based on these men. 1) I love cowboy books because their world is very familiar to me. The smell of rain on freshly turned soil. The sound of horses nickering. This is home. 2) Cowboys are generally nice guys. They love their mothers, are generally respectful, and are loyal to their friends. The woman who wins the cowboy’s heart will always be cherished. 3) I love when cowboys work hard all day and then spiff up to go into town on a Saturday night. Their Wranglers are pressed. Their boots are shined. And they’re ready to two-step. Cowboy up! 4) I’m an animal lover so I enjoy reading about the cowboy’s relationship with his own animals: his horse and he probably has at least one dog too. They are a team….

I’d love to hear about your wildest weekend away with your friends. Where did you go, what did you do, what silly things happen, and does somebody need bail money? LOL just kidding. My time away with friends are usually twofold. The rowdiest times are usually with my friends when we are conferences, we have the absolute best times! Dancing, partying, eating, drinking, laughing, just being silly and having a blast. A few years ago in NYC, a bunch of us were headed to lunch and came across a fire station. One of the firemen was changing, so of course, I had to get his photo and then wrangled everyone up for a photo op. Conferences are such a great way to see my friends that are scattered across the globe when we all congregate in one place. For when I go away with my girlfriends, a weekend away at a house, cottage, or an overnight stay at a hotel, where we all meet up and have fun. Sometimes just a night in with a glass of wine and nibblies or simply going out for dinner is such a great way to reconnect. I realize how important girlfriends were to…

The not-so-tough go to the beach, which is exactly where my main character Celeste Jones in The Summer Retreat goes after her latest true love turns out not to be so true. This is another story set in my new fictional town of Moonlight Harbor, which I based loosely on the charming beach town of Ocean Shores, Washington. Ocean Shores offers visitors an impressive system of canals for kayaking and a funky downtown that is a mix of both new and vintage buildings, many leftover from the sixties when the town first came into being. You’ll find any number of shops, including one with a storefront shaped like a giant shark. Shoppers enter through the shark’s mouth. You can enjoy an ice cream cone at the ice cream parlor, then ride bumper cars or go-carts, play miniature golf or enjoy a full-sized golf course. Tennis and pickleball courts abound as well, and locals who join the community club (almost anyone who buys property there can join the club) can choose between two outdoor pools or one indoor pool for swimming. Then, of course, you have the beach and those gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. Beach fires, surfing, storm watching, beach combing,…