Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Kerrigan! Can you give us a little bit of background on the Devil You Know series and what you’re most excited about in book 2, ALL SCOT AND BOTHERED?   Hi! I have to say this is one of my favorite places in the world to virtually be! Here at Fresh Fiction with you guys. The Devil You Know Series follows three rebellious, red-headed girls who demand the same privileges, freedoms, and education as men. So, in finishing school they formed a society called “The Red Rogues” where they dressed in trousers, read banned books, drank like they weren’t supposed to, and promised never to marry. Of course, they meet the man who entices them to go back on their word! Now, what I love about All Scot and Bothered is that it might be the most fun I’ve ever had with enemies to lovers and opposites attract. Ramsay (the hero) is the opposite of the anti-heroes I’m used to in that he never bends the rules. He’s a perfectionist. He’s grumpy, critical, dangerous, and it was OH SO satisfying to watch as Cecelia unravels his entire world and makes him lose control. At a surface level, Cecelia…

Tell us a little about your latest project, the upcoming YA science fiction novel, DEVASTATION CLASS.  EM: The book is set in the distant future, with seven military cadets and seventy civilian students aboard a starship on a mission of science and learning. When most of the adults are off-ship, the ship is attacked by the Kastazi, a vicious enemy alien race thought vanquished. Our protagonists–best friends and cadets JD and Viv–are forced to make an impossible choice that will change their lives forever: obey their superiors and die, or mutiny to save the ship and the lives of everyone aboard. But that’s just the beginning. What at first looks like an obvious re-invasion by a former enemy turns out to be something much darker and shocking, and a mystery eons in the making will have to be unraveled for them to have any hope of surviving. GZ: Devastation Class is a multi-POV story, so we get to spend time in the heads of more than one character. Viv and JD are trying to succeed under the weight and long shadows of their war hero parents. There’s Nicholas, a cypher whose intentions and motivations are shrouded in mystery, and who…

Hi, Naima! Welcome back to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your new book, TRUST FUND FIANCE.   Thank you so much for having me back! I love Fresh Fiction! And I love talking about TRUST FUND FIANCE. LOL! This release is Book 4 in the new Texas Cattleman’s Club series, Rags to Riches. The Wingate nephew, Ezekiel “Zeke” Holloway volunteers to help his friend and Royal socialite Reagan Sinclair access her trust fund by marrying her. But this supposedly platonic marriage of convenience becomes anything but convenient, thanks to a particularly hot case of passion and need. Plus, throw in the intrigue and scandal that continues to plague the Wingate family and their company, and this book is full of mystery, romance and hot times! Before we dive into questions about the book, can I just say how much I adore this cover? What was it like opening up your email and seeing it for the first time?  Oh wow. Is saying “angels wept” being overly dramatic? LOL! Seriously, though, I was stunned. Not just by the beauty and elegance of it–which, let’s be honest, has an overabundance of both. But by the attention to detail. The…

Hi, Bea! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your new book, MAD AND BAD: REAL HEROINES OF THE REGENCY.   Hi! I’m one of the co-owners of The Ripped Bodice (the one not allowed on a ladder). I’m a romance fan and a historian. Those two things have always been tied together for me. I’ve been reading Regency romance novels since I can remember. This book is a love letter to the Regency time period and the fascinating, rule-breaking women who lived and loved then.   The Regency is an interesting time in England’s history. What made you focus on it? I grew up with the Regency. All those early 19th-century romance novels showed me that this was a time period worthy of study because it had inspired this enormous fictional response. Jane Austen is perennially popular. Byron is always a good time. The Regency is full of so many characters we’re familiar with, and then there is also this world of just as exciting characters (many of them women) who haven’t enjoyed as much recognition from historians and pop culture. I wanted to spend time with those women.   There are so many different women represented…

Hi, Elissa! Thank you for joining us today on Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and your debut novel, THE UNRAVELING OF CASSIDY HOLMES. Hi! Thanks so much for having me. I’m a Japanese-American Texan who has been writing short stories since I was in elementary school. THE UNRAVELING OF CASSIDY HOLMES is the story of a pop act that is seemingly on top of the world in 2002 — until one of their members inexplicably leaves at the height of their popularity, imploding the group. Fifteen years later, that same member, Cassidy, dies by suicide and the other estranged members come together before her funeral to figure out what went wrong all those years ago. It’s a novel about secrets, friendship, loyalty, betrayal, trust, and love.  This is your debut novel! Congratulations! Can you tell us about your journey into publishing? I started writing this book in 2014 after a long period of not writing creatively at all. I am a slow writer and it took three years to finish the first draft. I realized what was wrong with it, chopped off the second half, and began drafting again, then revised for another year. This entire time I didn’t…

“I’m not asking you to forgive me, only to trust me that this was necessary. For both of our safety.” Her vision blurred with instant, furious tears. Helpless anguish. “I can never trust you. Do you realize that? How could you even suggest it?” “Have I ever hurt you?” he demanded tightly, then swore and looked away, seeming to realize as he said it that he was inviting the vitriol that climbed like bile into her throat. “I meant physically. Look, I’ve been waiting for the right time to resurface. I need to know you’re safe when word gets out that I’m alive. As of today’s debacle, it’s out. Please come with me and let me explain.” She realized the ache in her other hand was from gripping her phone this whole time. All those people inside this tiny rectangle, all those “friends” who’d been so sympathetic, eating up her grief like bitter chocolate bonbons. Where were they now, when she was in real trouble? Not here. She fingered her pendant, thinking of Nels. He was a reliable friend, but they weren’t exactly soul mates. She didn’t have anyone. That’s what she’d come to terms with since Giovanni’s disappearance. For…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Kathryne! Please tell us about yourself and a little bit about your new book, HIGHLAND GLADIATOR. Thank you so much for having me! I’m a 19-time USA Today Bestselling author in Medieval Historical Romance. Think knights in shining (or dented) armor, and that’s me. This book was both a blast and a challenge to write for a couple of reasons – first, this is Highlander and I normally write everything set in Medieval England. I swear I know Medieval England better than I know my home state of California, so working in Scotland was an interesting challenge. Second – this isn’t Medieval, but Tudor, so it was a little more advanced time-wise than my usual 13th century domain. During this period in time, there was still the usual Scotland vs. England stuff going on, but there were some external politics going on as well when it came to Scotland and how it dealt with England. It made for interesting reading. This is the start of a new Highlander series, called Scots and Swords, and has been described as “Gladiator meets Fight Club.” Can you tell us about the inspiration behind this new series? What do you love most…

Hi, Roan! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Thanks for visiting with us today. Will you tell us about yourself and a little bit about your new book, BETTER THAN PEOPLE? Hi! Thanks so much for having me :-). I am extremely into cooking and baking, plants and gardening, Halloween, horror movies, DIY projects out of random stuff I find, and exploring abandoned buildings. I live in West Philadelphia with my magical cat, Dorian Gray, where I bake a lot and write queer love stories about people who feel like home to one another. BETTER THAN PEOPLE is the first in my cozy new series, Garnet Run, and the whole series is my love letter to animals. BETTER THAN PEOPLE is about Jack, a grouchy children’s book illustrator, who eschews other people in favor of a pack of stray animals he’s collected. Jack’s favorite thing is walking his pack of dogs (and Pirate the cat, who leads the way). But one evening, chasing after Puddles, a jittery dog, he breaks his leg and needs someone to walk the animals for him. Enter Simon, an animal lover with no animals and intense anxiety around people. The more Jack and Simon know about each other,…

Hi, T. I.! Welcome back to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and a little bit about your new book, SEA GLASS CASTLE. Thank you for inviting me again! I’m a storyteller and a daydreamer, and I have promised to never apologize for either. I’m from coastal South Carolina, so yes, I have a thick Southern twang and walk around barefoot more often than not. As you can imagine, Sea Glass Castle comes from my roots. Even though the Southern beach setting was easy enough, the characters weren’t so much. This story is the first one where I explore a divorcee and a widower. Sophia and Wes were a unique challenge, and it was so satisfying to give them a second chance at love. This is the final book in the Carolina Coast series. What has writing this series meant to you and what do you hope readers get out of it? This series explores romance, of course, but it also explores strong bonds of friendship. Readers will meet a young trio of women called the Sand Queens and also an older group called the Knitting Club. The two groups are quite different in dynamics, but the key elements of…

Hi, Liz! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please tell us about yourself and a little bit about your new book, A DAZZLE OF DIAMONDS. Sometimes I can’t believe that A Dazzle of Diamonds is my 19th book! My first book released more than ten years ago, but I started writing long before that. I wrote my first novel–a western romance–when I was twelve. It’ll stay tucked in its drawer forever while I keep writing new books in my free time. By day I work in marketing for a non-profit in Phoenix. I find time to write on my lunch breaks and weekends. And I loved writing A Dazzle of Diamonds about Penelope and Tucker, best friends since childhood. But when Tucker’s family name is muddied, they set out to find a 150-year-old treasure and the truth. What they find is much more unexpected–and delightful.   This is the third book in your Georgia Coast Romance series. What has been fun about creating this world? What do you want readers to know about it if they’re reading this series for the first time? I’ve absolutely loved spending three books on the Georgia coast, unpacking a bit of the history and a whole…