Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Danielle Dresser | Writing Advice from My Five-Year-Old (or How to Actually Deal with the #RWAShitShow)
Author Guest / January 13, 2020

Back in November, I explained the concept of NaNoWriMo to my five-year-old daughter, who stared blankly at me for a moment and then declared, “I can do that!” and started drawing pictures on paper, begging me to staple them together, and then dictating the words to me. Readers, she has written no less than 50 short books about two characters named Stick and Pinecone (TM to come) in a little over two months. The best part is, however, after all of her dictation, as well as her growing comfort with reading and writing sentences on her own, she now writes her own books start to finish, and we are both so proud. Now, while I barely wrote 20,000 words during the month of November – and not very much since then – I can’t help but be inspired by my daughter’s tenacity, drive, and creativity. But cut to the recent events surrounding RWA, it’s questionable current and former leadership, the unfair takedown of Courtney Milan, and the countless writers who have come forward with their own unjust and malicious treatment by the organization, it’s HARD out here for aspiring authors to find the motivation to continue. And for marginalized writers…

Tracey Livesay | Exclusive Interview: SWEET TALKIN’ LOVER
Author Guest / December 27, 2019

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Tracey! Please tell us about yourself and your latest book, SWEET TALKIN’ LOVER. Thank you for having me! I write contemporary romance novels with interracial couples. I live in Virginia with my husband and three kids and I’m a designer purse and planner addict! Sweet Talkin’ Lover is the first book in my new Girls Trip series which revolves around a group of four women who met during their first year of college and go on vacation together every year. Grief over her beloved grandfather’s death leads marketing director Caila Harris to make several catastrophic work decisions. Devastated, she’s given one final chance to prove herself: shut down an unprofitable factory in a small Southern town. But as soon as she arrives in Bradleton, she meets one outsized problem: the town’s gorgeous mayor, Wyatt Bradley, aka “Mayor McHottie,” who insists on acting as Caila’s personal escort during her stay. Hijinks, sexy times and falling in love ensues. Caila Harris is due for a promotion at work and wants nothing more than to prove to her boss that she has what it takes. She faces a devastating loss at the beginning of this novel, and it affects her…

Danielle Dresser | Fresh Fiction Reviewer Top Reads of 2019
Author Guest / December 16, 2019

Some of our reviewers will be sharing their top reads of 2019 from now through the end of the year! Today’s list is from Fresh Fiction Editorial Manager Danielle Dresser. 2019 was an awesome year for books. I’m grateful I have the opportunity to work with books every single day. In additional to being the editorial manager of Fresh Fiction, I’ve also started working closely with Love’s Sweet Arrow, the romance independent bookstore outside of Chicago. I’ve taken my love of books and cultivated a fulfilling career within the world of literature, and I’m so pleased to be able to share with you some of my favorite reads of the year.  I did my best to read widely and outside of my comfort zone – for me, that meant reading nonfiction and graphic novels (which I did do! Check out my Good Reads page here: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/35789908-danielle-dresser). But I couldn’t stray too far away from my love of romance and literary fiction, which is what makes up the majority of my Top Reads of 2019.  Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – This has to be, hands-down, the book I’ve recommended the most this year. Featuring a uniquely grumpy…

Natasha Anders | Exclusive Interview: NOTHING BUT THIS
Author Guest , Interviews / August 2, 2019

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…

Sariah Wilson | Exclusive Interview: THE FRIEND ZONE
Author Guest / June 21, 2019

Welcome back to Fresh Fiction! Can you tell us about your new End of the Line series, and the first book, The Friend Zone? I got inspired to write the “End of the Line” series after seeing the Netflix documentary Last Chance U. I loved the idea of a junior college that gave Division 1 football players a second chance at the NFL or to play for a Division 1 school again after they’d screwed up their scholarships. I chose football because while my family is not a typical sports family (my husband doesn’t watch at all), my oldest son played football all four years of high school and I’ve always enjoyed watching the game. Plus, isn’t there something just inherently appealing about football players? THE FRIEND ZONE is a story about Logan Hunt, a disgraced football player being given a second chance to play and graduate from college, which he is determined to do. His new coach has a lot of rules he expects his players to follow, including no dating. Jess is Logan’s math tutor and off limits, especially since she’s the coach’s daughter. They decide to stay just friends and try to fight off their growing attraction to one…

Jennifer Ashley | Exclusive Interview: DEATH IN KEW GARDENS
Author Guest / June 3, 2019

We are so excited to share this interview with New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Ashley and Fresh Fiction Editorial Manager, Danielle Dresser! Thanks for coming to Fresh Fiction! Can you tell us about your Kat Holloway Mystery series and the latest book, Death in Kew Gardens?  The Kat Holloway series revolves around a cook in Victorian England. Kat is young for a cook, but she’s the best, and she knows it (though she strives to be modest about this). She’s also a very curious person and gets involved in solving murders and ferreting out secrets. In Death in Kew Gardens, Kat becomes distressed when the police accuse a Chinese gentleman who has been kind to her of murdering her employer’s next-door neighbor. Convinced the man is innocent, Kat sets out to prove her new friend, Mr. Li, couldn’t possibly have done it.  One of my favorite things about accomplished cook/ amateur sleuth Kat Holloway is how steadfast and hardworking she is, but she still has moments of vulnerability and even some fun now and then. What are some of your favorite qualities about Kat, and how has she changed since book one, Death Below Stairs? Kat is a woman of her time…

Danielle Dresser | Cinematic in Scope: Why the Rom-Com is Making a Comeback
Author Guest / May 13, 2019

At the KissCon Weekend Affaire last month, there was an entire panel devoted to romantic comedies, or rom-coms, delightfully called “To All the Books I’ve Loved Before,” a nod to the very successful Netflix movie based on the YA novel To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before. Tessa Bailey, Alyssa Cole, Tracey Livesay, Mia Sosa, and Sally Thorne all sat and chatted about their favorite romantic comedies – both books and movies – and what made them so special. From When Harry Met Sally to Boomerang to Bridget Jones’ Diary, these contemporary romance authors told us what makes rom-coms so enjoyable, as well as what they are looking for in new rom-coms. Rom-coms have the perfect balance of comedy, drama, and of course, a loveable love story. If the lead characters start out hating each other or know from the time they’re in preschool it’s meant to be, rom-coms have a way of making us all smile. Some of my all-time favorite books are romantic comedies, and this spring and summer we are lucky to have a bounty of rom-coms hitting bookshelves, all that I think feel like the blueprints for movies or TV adaptations! Rebekah Weatherspoon – Rafe (October…

Danielle Dresser | My Year in Reading: 2018
Author Guest / November 29, 2018

**Today we are joined by Fresh Fiction Reviewer Danielle Dresser and what she’s noticed about her reading trends over the last year.** Between reviewing for Fresh Fiction, belonging to a book club, and being an all around avid reader, I’ve read a LOT of books this year. It’s the time of year when bloggers, reviewers, and publications are releasing their “Best Books” of the year lists, and while I don’t always think it’s super fair to do that (I’m too indecisive to be so definitive), I did notice some things about my 100+ books read this year… I read almost exclusively female authors. Call me biased or my little way of sticking it to the patriarchy, but aside from a few books in my book club, over 90% of the books I read were by women/female-identifying authors. It wasn’t totally on purpose, but when I noticed this over the summer, I made an extra effort to make sure I was reading books by women. A lot of the books I review for Fresh Fiction are romance novels, which is a genre mostly written by and for women, and I think that’s pretty bad-ass. It also leaves a ton of room for…

Danielle Dresser | Books I’m Thankful For…
Author Guest / November 20, 2018

Welcome Fresh Fiction reviewer and Blog Coordinator, Danielle Dresser, sharing the books she’s thankful for… Stay tuned for more articles from our reviewers in the near future! I’ve always been a big reader. Anyone in my family will tell you that while I was growing up, we could be a block or two away from our house, but I wouldn’t be able to tell you how to get home because if I had a free moment – in the car after soccer practice, on the way to school, running errands with my parents – I was reading, and oblivious to everything around me if I was invested in a good book. So you can imagine, later this week when we’re sitting around Thanksgiving dinner and everyone is reflecting on the things we’re thankful for, I will definitely be saying books! Here are a few books I’m thankful for (from an ever-changing and ever-expanding list), and why they mean so much to me. Born in Fire by Nora Roberts This was one of the first romance novels my mom every recommended to me. My mom reads everything from medical journals to the latest bestsellers to the romance novels that line the…