CHAPTER ONE No one is more patient than the dead. —Auverrani proverb   Every month, Michal claimed he’d struck a deal with the landlord, and every month, Nicolas sent one of his sons to collect anyway. The sons must’ve drawn straws—this month’s unfortunate was Pierre, the youngest and spottiest of the bunch, and he trudged up the street of Dellaire’s Harbor District with the air of one approaching a guillotine. Lore could work with that. A dressing gown that had seen better days dripped off one shoulder as Lore leaned against the doorframe and watched him approach. Pierre’s eyes kept drifting to where the fabric gaped, and she kept having to bite the inside of her cheek so she didn’t laugh. Apparently, a crosshatch of silvery scars from back-alley knife fights didn’t deter the man when presented with bare skin. She had other, more interesting scars. But she kept her palm closed tight. A cool breeze blew off the ocean, and Lore suppressed a shiver. Pierre didn’t seem to spare any thought for why she’d exited the house barely dressed when mornings near the harbor always carried a chill, even in summer. An easy mark in more ways than one. “Pierre!”…

To celebrate Jennifer Estep’s new “Gargoyle Queen” book CONQUER THE KINGDOM, we here at Fresh Fiction thought it would be a fun way for readers to get to know her characters better (from her many many fab books) to play a little game we call “The Character Most Likely”. I love this because it satisfies my romance nerd self. If you’re new to her Gargoyle Queen series – It’s a mix of magic, adventure, and romance. The result often combines chaos and eroticism in a satisfying way. Jennifer is free to select her answers from any of her paranormal series. Most likely to figure out a way to use an enemy’s strength against him? ANSWER: Vesper Quill from ONLY BAD OPTIONS. Vesper is an inventor/engineer who works in the research and development lab for a large corporation, so she is always dreaming up ways to make brewmakers, blasters, and other objects better, faster, and stronger. Sooner or later, she would figure out how to turn her enemy’s strength into a weakness.   Most likely to prefer using strategy or magic rather than swords or other instruments of battle? ANSWER: Reiko Yamato from CONQUER THE KINGDOM. Reiko is a spy at…

1–What is the title of your latest release? FORTRESS OF THE LOST AMULET 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Indiana Jones meets Percy Jackson. It’s a YA treasure-hunting fantasy adventure filled with magic, lost artifacts, maps, clues, and found family. It’s easy to read, fun, and evokes feelings of the Goonies or National Treasure while in a setting like Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My other book series (Shadow Knights Trilogy) takes place in the fantasy world of Terrenor. I wanted the new series to share the same world, so I can incorporate tieins between the stories. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! He’ll do anything for his friends and family but also likes to have fun. His idea of a good time is exploring and adventuring while looking for lost treasure. Sounds like a great day to me! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Loyal, Adventurous, Kind 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? People get excited about treasure hunting. Haha…but seriously, everyone I’ve told about the book has gotten incredibly excited and can’t wait…

Time reverses, the Hero of old returns Enchanted weapons   Stolen from the temple Hero of a new age struck down Accursed sword nearly brings Death Only the Goddess’s Will could undo the sorcery of   Old From far away   True love appears. How will Lysandro Escape the growing danger Reveal himself, without his mask Overcome his fear and face his Nemesis THE SHADOW OF THERON by Kathryn Troy The Three-Faced Goddess has always protected Theron. Now, it’s the Shadow’s turn.   To protect her people from Argoss, the Three-Faced Goddess forged enchanted weapons powerful enough to defeat the wicked sorcerer.   Now, ages later, those relics are disappearing.   Lysadro knows the village magistrate Marek is responsible, and he searches for proof disguised as the masked protector the Shadow of Theron. But when Marek wounds him with an accursed sword that shouldn’t exist, Lysandro must find a way to stop Marek from gaining any more sacred artifacts.   As the feud between Lysandro and Marek throws Lighura into chaos, and the appearance of the beautiful Seraphine complicates matters, Lysadro tries to find the courage to protect her from Marek and win her heart.   Just as the danger mounts, the sacred…

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 you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Maci Aurora!   Maci Aurora writes: IN THE SHADOW OF A HOAX is the second book in the Fareview Fairytales series which begins with In the Shadow of a Wish. In the Shadow of a Hoax comes out January 24, 2023. A spicy, adult, fantasy, romance, In the Shadow of a Hoax is about Tarley, who is forced to hide in the woods disguised as a boy. When she stumbles upon a dying stranger, she must choose to leave him or help him. Despite the risk to herself in a land that would imprison her for being a woman alone, she chooses to save him. Only, who he is has the power to change everything, including what she believes about love.     About: I’m Maci Aurora. Okay. Look, that’s sort of a falsehood. That’s my spicy, adult fiction pen name. My real name is Cami. I’m the girl with her nose in a book, content to be at home reading that never-ending TBR,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? FOREVER BOUND   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  Outlander meets Miss Marple – part paranormal romance, part mystery, all fun   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  I was lucky enough to have the chance to take a trip to Ireland in 2018, and I absolutely loved the experience. From there, the creative wheels just kept turning.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Definitely. She’s a big personality, and I think would be a ton of fun to go out on the town with.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Secret softy, brooding   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  I learned a ton about Irish culture (since, amazingly, nine days in the country for vacation wasn’t enough to let me realistically portray Irish characters!) I also spent a good deal of time trying to work out what would be the correct slang for someone who lives in the north versus someone who’s spent time in Dublin versus… At least all the research made it really easy to follow “Derry Girls” when I started…

1–What is the title of your latest release? The book is called PEARL SKY, and it’s part of my Elemental Legacy series. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Two mated wind vampires go home for the holidays, but home is a secretive hidden island off the coast of China. Ben and Tenzin immediately get recruited to solve an art heist that could have serious political consequences for the immortal world. And if you think finding presents for your parents is difficult, finding the right present for a 5000-year-old ancient vampire lord is way harder. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Penglai Island is a location that has shown up in other books in this series, but it was really fun to dig deeper into the secrets and behind-the-scenes of this mythic location. It’s almost like a bottle episode for TV, which felt really perfect for a holiday book. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I would absolutely hang with both Ben and Tenzin in real life, but I would also expect violence or to be pulled into a questionable ethical situation. Put it this way, I’d hang with…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DOUBLE-BOOKED, A Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. Adventure 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The eighth book in the zany humorous horror series featuring Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I. He’s back from the dead and back on the case, with werewolves, zombies, mummies, vampires, ghosts…and any other unnatural who needs a crime solved. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? In this series, all of the resurrected monsters live in the Unnatural Quarter…like Sesame Street with ghosts and goblins. A hilarious noir version of New Orleans. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Dan Shamble is a great guy to have a beer with, though I’d prefer to sit at the bar stool at the Goblin Tavern upwind! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Determined, clueless …. Dead. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I write big, epic science fiction and huge doorstop fantasies. The Dan Shamble series allows me to embrace my silly side.  I have so much fun writing these books. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I’m a fast…

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 you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Tracey Martin!   Writes: Tracey Martin writes action-packed urban fantasy with heroines who know how to kick ass and the people who love them for it. In DARKEST MISERY, the fourth book in the Miss Misery series, the race to stop the apocalypse is on. Series heroine, Jessica Moore, leads an unlikely (and unwilling) group of allies in a race from Boston to Phoenix to the French countryside to keep key people and magical artifacts out of the enemies’ hands—but they might just kill each other first.   About: Tracey Martin lives in New England where she collects pen names, tattoos, and hoodies in shades of gray and black. Under the name Alanna Martin, she’s the author of the Hearts of Alaska contemporary romance series. If you can’t find her online, it’s because she’s lost in the woods, probably with a large cup of coffee.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Must love a strong, snarky heroine Likes lots of…

Excerpt from Archangel’s Resurrection by Nalini Singh Copyright © 2022   Alexander was already a seasoned member of a junior squadron under Akhia-Solay when he graduated to adulthood at a hundred years of age. Callie, having hit the century milestone before him, was also well established—as an angelic courier for another court. Not Rumaia’s, for Callie was too clever not to see the fetid corrosion of that court. No, she flew under the banner of Archangel Sha-yi, she who was old enough to be termed an Ancient, and who had eyes so deep and wise that even Alexander found himself unsettled around her. “You’re not in a squadron?” he’d asked when Callie first told him of her position. “Every fledgling warrior that joins my sire’s court must first serve a decade as a courier alongside our usual physical training,” she’d explained. “It’s to ensure that we know all flight paths inside out, and have scouted our own emergency landing sites when it comes to the longer flights over water.” Struck by the importance of both pieces of knowledge, Alexander made sure to volunteer as a courier for his court when the call went out. And he didn’t only take from…