Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Melissa MacKinnon | Exclusive Excerpt: THE DO-OVER
Author Guest / July 13, 2021

“Why did you marry me, Maggie?” His voice was gritty and dripped with raw vulnerability. She whipped around to face him. He stood just out of reach with arms splayed gently to his sides. Sweat and sawdust glistened on his skin and thin lines of wet dampened his shirt where it clung against the curves of his chest. “It was the first thing I ever did for myself,” she whispered to him. Her honesty hit her in the gut. Her only taste of freedom had been with him. Free to make her own choices and to love unequivocally, even in the most profound ways. “Love” was a strong word. But so was “forever.” She stepped forward. The harsh light made the edges of his face sharp and distorted, and she found herself reaching up to brush away the hard shadow from his chin with the tips of her fingers. He caught them with his own and held them for a moment, pressing them against the angle of his jaw. The hair there prickled the tender skin of her wrist and she pulled back slightly, unsure as to why she’d done that in the first place. “I’d never pushed boundaries like…

Traci Hall | Ten Famous Kisses
Author Guest / January 15, 2021

Ten Famous Kisses, from fictional to real–how would you put these in order? The Obamas on Kiss Cam–simply adorable when they kissed on-screen at a basketball game in Washington DC. Ghost–very sexy, despite the super-fake spectral mist between Demi and Patrick. Lady and the Tramp–iconic noodle-slurping kiss. So cute. Madonna and Britney Spears–this kiss between pop goddesses was shocking at the time! Princess Diana and Prince Charles–their wedding day was very romantic and sparked an interest in all things royal. Sleeping Beauty–the prince brings Aurora to life! Gotta love the guy for that. Romeo and Juliet–young love. So young. Too young? Titanic–doomed love. Rose should have made room for Jack on the door. V-J Day in Times Square World War II–a kiss of peace and hope and joy. Terrific shot by photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt! Scarlett and Rhett from Gone with the Wind–a primal kiss. I really feel for Rhett. Scarlet needed a little more time to grow up 🙂 Possible number eleven? Grace and Sawyer in JUST ONE KISS–check out the kiss in the Ferris wheel! <3 In JUST ONE KISS, Grace Sheldon is a freelance photographer with a laid-back lifestyle put to the test in order to pay the…

Sean D. Young | The Importance of Family
Author Guest / December 8, 2020

I find joy in writing romance novels about families. Showing those get-togethers, siblings that are friends, cooking in the kitchen with a family member, be it mother, father, sister, aunt… you get the idea. They are there when we triumph and when we fall. Banning together to face whatever comes. 1 Corinthians 12:26 reads…and whether one member suffers, all members suffer with it. Whether one member be honored, all members rejoice with it… Family is our foundation, our beginning. It’s the place where we learn to give and receive genuine love, support, and nurturing. You learn how to be loyal and the relationships we have with our family members shape us into the persons we are right now. For me, my family are some of the most important people in my life. I have a huge extended family with over fifty first cousins on my father’s side and fifteen on my mother’s. But I only have one sister. It’s just me and her. My mother made sure that we grew up loving each other. Telling us how important we were to one another. I also knew both sets of grandparents and loved them to the utmost. What a blessing. I…

Victoria James | Author-Reader Match: SNOWED IN WITH THE FIREFIGHTER
Author Guest / November 17, 2020

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 Victoria James! Writes: Snowed in with the Firefighter: When Melanie travels to her sister’s remote cabin in Montana to escape the holidays, she doesn’t expect to walk in on her brother-in-law who is also escaping family. They figure out their families are trying to play matchmaker, they decide they’ll play along. Except these two opposites find themselves falling for each other for real! About:  Holiday-movie-loving, sweet romance author looking for readers who love escaping the big city for heartwarming stories featuring wounded characters with big hearts, and happily-ever-afters, guaranteed. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must love warm and cozy cabins in the middle of the nowhere Must be okay with roads not getting ploughed for days after a big blizzard Must love opposites attract with two very stubborn characters Must love a heroine who’s a perfectionist on the outside and vulnerable on the inside-but who figures out the hero is worth the risk-in the nick of time! Must love a hero who’s wounded…

Elsie Davis | Exclusive Excerpt: SMALL TOWN, BIG SECRETS
Author Guest / June 9, 2020

“I thought most women wanted happily ever after?” His gaze never left her face, the scrutiny making her uncomfortable. Becky pulled her hand away and turned to watch Byron. She didn’t like anyone looking too closely into what made her tick. “Maybe when they start out as little girls reading fairytales. But then real life happens, and they grow up. Some faster than others.” And it’s not that she didn’t want it. The plain and simple truth was that true love hadn’t come knocking at her door. “That’s a very cynical approach.” Better to let him believe she was cynical rather than a disappointed little girl who grew up but never let go of her fairy tale ending. “No different than your own.” She shrugged, looking back at him. “Well, okay, then. I’ve been thinking this through, and I believe it’s important for us to move fast but to make it look real. It’s a matter of finding the right balance, and that’s what we need to discuss to land on the same page.” Steve lowered his voice as a mother walked by pushing a baby stroller. “I’m listening.” Fast worked for her when it came to getting Byron healthcare…

Jennifer Hoopes | Title Challenge: BETTING ON LOVE
Author Guest / April 17, 2020

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…

Traci Douglass | 20 Questions: WORTH THE WAIT
Author Guest / March 13, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Worth the Wait 2–What is it about?  It’s about a flighty actress who returns to her hometown after her mother passes away and discovers she’s inherited half a house with the ex-stepbrother she hasn’t seen in ten years. They each have different goals for the house. She wants to sell it and use the money to move to Hollywood. He wants to keep it and renovate it to prove he’s still capable after a life-altering injury shattered the future he’d had planned for himself. There’s a definite opposites-attract vibe to the story, but it also deal with some complex issues like grief and mental illness and how sometimes the things you least expect are the ones that make all the difference. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Optimistic 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  He’s got that whole brooding, wounded-warrior alpha-male thing going on. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  For my heroine, it’s her half-sister, Gina. For my hero, it’s his siblings-Dave and Nicole, and also his two best friends-Mark and Jack. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Heavenly Falls, the fictional…

Sonya Weiss | 20 Questions: THE KISS LIST
Author Guest / February 15, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release? The Kiss List 2–What is it about? All Haley Bowman has ever wanted was her One True Love. But now, with her cousin getting married and Haley back in her small town, the pressure is on. Good thing she’s got a foolproof Kiss List, full of potential OTLs. Her parents knew they were soul mates at their first kiss, so surely Haley will know the same. All she needs to do is…well, kiss each of these guys… Enter Max Gallagher: bane of Haley’s existence, her nemesis since childhood, and, unfortunately, as a local, her way in with all the guys on the Kiss List. Max wants nothing to do with love and certainly nothing to do with Haley, but he can clear the way for her to get to know the guys on the list. Of course, he wants something in return: to be made a partner in Haley’s family’s business. One kiss for relinquishing her hold-out vote on Max. But the more time Max and Haley spend together, the clearer it is that there’s a paper-thin line between love and hate. Max will have to decide between the job he’s always dreamed…

Jennifer Hoopes | Title Challenge: HIS REASON TO STAY
Author Guest / December 13, 2019

My new release is HIS REASON TO STAY, the first book in my Ellis Family Saga series. Award-winning wildlife photographer, Elijah Ellis, has come back home due to the tragic accident that killed members of both his and his best friend Tabitha Brodie’s family. Despite their grief, Eli hopes that he and Tabby can pick up their familiar friendship. He’s never forgotten the way Tabby makes him feel—full of hope and a sense of home—but she seems determined to keep him at arm’s length. Tabby has always loved Eli. He’s everything she wants in a man. But he left Gatlinburg to make a name for himself outside of his famous family.  Even though there’s no one better to help her through this time, she refuses to be an anchor to a life he never wanted. Not to mention Tabby’s hiding a secret that will change all of their lives. As Eli and Tabby spend more time together, he’s determined to show her they could be perfect together. Too bad she’s spent years building her walls against him… H is for History…Theirs is long and full of unrequited love, at least on her side. I is for Ideal…As in Eli is…

Viv Royce | I Heart Christmas: Four Super Seasonal Things to Escape Into!
Author Guest / October 25, 2019

You know how they say that preparing for something is almost more fun than actually doing it? All those hours spent to find the perfect holiday destination, crossing off the days until you’re leaving, the nerves in your stomach when the big day has arrived. . . It’s just like that with Christmas! No matter how many ornaments there are, neatly wrapped in tissue paper in the boxes in the attic, the cellar or the garage, it’s always a good idea to buy some more. Advent calendars are a fun way to count down to Christmas, and when certain smells invade the house – pine, cranberry, gingerbread – you know the time is coming near. . . I wanted to capture all that and more in my very first Christmas romance, A Family by Christmas, just released from Entangled Bliss. My heroine Emma is a bonbon maker whose agenda is over-full in the runup to Christmas. Her whole life seems to consist of work, really, as she’s an orphan with no siblings and not a lot of new friends yet in Wood Creek, the small New Hampshire town she moved to, to open up her very own chocolate-making business. But…