1–What is the title of your latest release? CAN’T WE BE FRIENDS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? We teamed up to collaborate on an exciting novel that uncovers the boundary-breaking, genuine friendship between Ella Fitzgerald, the Queen of Jazz, and iconic movie star Marilyn Monroe. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? We started to research the idea in 2019. On a Friday afternoon in 2019, we were together for one of our monthly write-ins, having some lunch and contemplating Hollywood, actors, musicians, and all the drama that has unfolded throughout history. Something sparked that day, and as we leapt down research rabbit hole in search of an idea, we stumbled on the friendship between Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe, a story we felt compelled to write. From the moment we learned about these two women, the friendship they forged, and how much people didn’t know about it, there was no stopping us! And for about two years, we were reading and digging into their story while we worked on our solo projects. Then, in 2021, we decided it was time to buckle down. Over the next year, we worked on plots,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE OTHER PRINCESS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Inspired by the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, an Egbado Princess, who was “gifted” to Queen Victoria when she was rescued from enslavement by a British Naval Officer 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? As a work of Historical Biographical fiction, the locations, time periods, names, and other historical benchmarks were already in place. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh, my. A tough question for parts of her life were unimaginably difficult, still, her tremendous zeal for life is inspirational. I would have enjoyed spending time with her in two places: Brighton and The Lagos Colony in the 1860s. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Brilliant, strong-willed, optimistic 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? So much about West Africa and England during the Victoria Era. Mary Seacole was loved and admired by British soldiers for her work during the Crimean War. They sponsored a huge fundraiser for her in London after the war ended. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are…

Here we are at the end of 2020 and I, for one, am ready to ring in 2021! That being said, 2020 was a F A B U L O U S year for books. I’m a few books away from my reading goal of 130 books and I am so excited to say that I read some amazing books by some of my favorite authors as well as a bunch of great debuts that make me so excited for what they have next. Part of my job as Editorial Manager for Fresh Fiction means I get to find out about—and read—books months before they are out in the world. There are so many intriguing and innovative titles for us to enjoy… here are a few that I am particularly excited about! — JANUARY 2021   SCANDAL IN THE VIP SUITE by Nadine Gonzalez When a decadent suite at an exclusive Miami hotel is double-booked, a movie star and author decide to share the suite for the next few days until another room opens. While they spend time together, they discover there’s more to the other person than they initially thought. Then, they decide to work on a passion project…