Thanks so much for having me on Fresh Fiction! My debut romcom, MY SWEET ENEMY, just came out yesterday, so I’ve been eating celebratory chocolate cake and toasting with some bubbly. I’m thrilled to continue celebrating here with you all! My enemies-to-lovers romcom features a sweetheart chocolatier and a stiff MBA competing in a reality contest for a position at a luxe chocolate company who find the only thing tempering their insta-hate is their heart-melting attraction. Bitter rivalry, sweet attraction! Oo la la! And here we go with the title challenge. M-My inspiration: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inspired this story of a gourmet chocolate company that offers 5 social media applicants an internship and a competition between them with the winner getting a high-level job. Y-Yummy treats: I adore chocolate, and there are a lot of scenes where the characters are eating truffles, chocolate bars, and other confections. My research at two local gourmet chocolate companies (with samples) was pretty amazing. * S-Stuck in a walk-in cooler: In my favorite scene, the hero and heroine get stuck in a walk-in cooler together and have to snuggle to preserve body heat. Why wear a sweater when a hunky man will…

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 Laura Brown! Writes: I write romances featuring characters with hearing loss. ABOUT THAT NIGHT is an unplanned pregnancy romcom between a hearing heroine and a Deaf hero. Izzy never caught the name of her one-night stand, due to her newbie ASL status. A year and half later she finally finds him, in the role of her new boss. She not only has to figure out how to tell him about the son he doesn’t know he has, but also navigate their agency’s no dating policy. About: A homebody by nature, I love curling up with a good book. Coffee dates are a must. As I’m Hard of Hearing, ASL knowledge is a bonus. Besides books, my conversations will include my three cats, kid, and the current state of my out of control TBR list. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: *Fan of the unplanned pregnancy trope *Enjoys a diverse cast *Funny bone intact *Enjoys some realism mixed into the fantasy and comedy of romance What to…

There’s a lot going on in our house, how about yours? My husband and I have two little girls, ages 7 and 11. They talk non-stop. He and I have to text one another if we have something to say, that’s how bad it is. When school started up again, we had the choice–to send them back full time with masks or to keep them home for distance learning. At the last second, fully intending to send them back, we decided to keep them home. So, my husband goes off to work in the morning and I am home, helping my 7-year-old with place value and my 6th grader with simplifying fractions. I have my own job, too, in the freelance writing world, writing blogs for clients numbering into the hundreds each month. Oh, and I dabble in fiction writing as an author as well. There are days when all goes well, and everyone gets everything done and we’re all happy. And then there are days when things go, well. . . not so well. You know what I mean. It doesn’t matter what your life looks like, you have great days and you have days where all you want…

Hi all! My Name is Mariah Ankenman and I’m so excited to be here today to share a little bit about my new book The Roommate Problem with the Title Challenge. This opposites-attract, sunshine-and-grump romcom will have you laughing out loud and falling in love! So let’s get to it! T is for Tired. What August is after hours of driving to his new apartment only to find out his new roommate is a woman! H is for Happy. Mo radiates happiness at all times from what August can tell, seriously does the woman eat rainbows for breakfast or what? E is for Early riser. Which Mo is not. How the heck does August get up so early without a caffeine IV? * R is for Roommate. She really needs one to help pay the rent, but she never expected her new one to be such a grump…or so sexy! O is for Opposites. From their cleaning style, to their extrovert/introvert tendencies to their taste in pizza, Mo and August couldn’t be more opposite. O is for Oops! Living with a roommate is tough, especially when you accidentally catch them in an…indecent situation. M is for Moira. Mo to her…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-ReaderMatch” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Sarah Ballance! Writes: Finding Mr. Right Next Door, a smoldering friends-to-lovers firefighter romance filled with banter, swoon-worthy moments, kitchen fails, dating disasters, and hilariously inappropriate comments from a grandma who tells it like it is. About: Sarah Ballance is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and supernatural romance and romantic suspense. She’s been married to her own romantic hero for what he calls a “long, long time” (and no, he’ll never hear the end of saying that). Together they have six children. . . and clearly too much time on their hands. She currently writes for Entangled Publishing and enjoys long quarantine-inspired walks from one end of the house to the other, dodging the dog’s overzealous morning zoomies, and removing the used coffee pods her husband leaves in the machine. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must be able to laugh at yourself, even (okay, especially) in the bedroom Must tolerate relentless banter from adoring friends Must love takeout (real food stands no chance in…

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 Laura Brown! Writes: Laura writes romances featuring characters with hearing loss, ranging from New Adult, to Contemporary, to Romantic Comedies. Matzah Ball Surprise is her first romantic comedy, featuring a fake date for Passover! About: A self-professed introvert, Laura becomes outgoing in quiet environments. She loves to read, and all things cats, and like many parents will enjoy child-free time, but may also talk about her son! Willingness to repeat is a must, as Laura’s hearing loss selectively misses words without her permission. Knowledge of ASL a bonus! What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: *Desire to learn ASL *Willingness to try matzah *Enjoys the fake date/only one bed trope *Ogles the gym buffs with Gaby (heroine) *Enjoys dogs with a penchant for mischief What to expect if we’re compatible: *Fulfilling HEA *Heroes who stumble over their emotions. *Lots of little hearing loss references *Supportive yet overwhelming families *Food as foreplay — FOR A CHANCE TO WIN: Rafflecopter Giveaway – $10 Amazon Gift Card & digital Copy…

What is a perfect day? It’s a different answer for everyone. For some, it’s a thrilling adventure at an amusement park with friends while for others it’s a quiet day at home in solitude. I think a perfect day is one that allows for resting and recharging, but also leaves time to enjoy the company of loved ones. If I had to choose, here is what my perfect day would look like: It would start with sleeping in as late as I want. I have two kids in the single digits so the “I’m hungry. She hit me. Mooooooomy wake upppppp!” Start early. After waking up I’d enjoy a warm cup of coffee and a yummy breakfast of fruit and cheese while reading a few chapters of a favorite book while the kiddos snuggle at my side with their own books. Reading doesn’t have to be a solitary enjoyment. Even if you’re reading different things, when you read together, it’s great family time. After enjoying a relaxing morning it would be time for a sandwich and snacks party with my friends where we’d munch while playing Tabletop games. Because it’s my day, the games on the docket would be Betrayal…

As one of five sisters (yes, you read that right, five) it’s very important to me to have strong female friendships in all my books, whether they are biological sister or sisters of the heart. I can’t count all the times my sisters have had my back. I also can’t count all the times they “borrowed” my stuff and never returned it, but that’s another post for another time. Female friendship is so important, especially when the media tries to convince women we should all be competing against each other. As if there’s only one ‘top woman’ prize and we have to “catfight” to get it. Well, these claws will come out, but only if someone messes with my ladies because the great Beyoncé is right, girls run the world and it’s about time we started seeing healthy, positive female friendships represented in media. So on that note, let me gush about my favorite female buddy movies. The Spy Who Dumped Me: I have informed my husband that Kate McKinnon is on my Hollywood Freebie list, because that woman is beautiful, smart, and funny. My true love trifecta. So many moments in this movie made me laugh including Audrey’s secret…

(This article is dedicated to my sister-in-law, who for the past ten years single-handedly prepared the traditional Seven Fishes of Christmas Eve for her husband and his family, cleaned her house top to bottom, worked full-time and did all the Christmas shopping while being a super mom to her twins. This year, she is going out to eat. Buon Natale, Lisa!) Some people are just so organized. Bless their hearts! I found this out while I was trying to decide what to write about for Fresh Fiction. So many authors write about their books or writing—and that’s fine. But, I’m thinking—it’s close to the holidays! Who’s got time to think about books when there are meals to be prepared and houses to clean and most of all, guests coming to your home? Seriously. Even now, your family may be preparing to descend upon you and yours, like D-Day, only with in-laws and cousins.  The most wonderful time of the year? For who? Apparently, it can be that way for you. Do you know, not everyone is up until 2:00 am the night before Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? (I know! It’s shocking.) There are some things which can be…