1–What is the title of your latest release? IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING 2–What is it about? DeShawn, who was raised by his grandmother, learns that her cancer has returned and she’s not going to pursue further treatment. In her will, she decides to leave part of her estate to DeShawn’s ex-husband, Malik. Except it turns out Malik isn’t his ex at all, because the divorce never went through (this happens more than you might think). DeShawn’s Uncle Robert ends up suing Malik, and that pushes them together. You’ll have to read to figure out the rest. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love that this is more DC-adjacent than fully focused in city. So many people are just outside DC, but live and work and love there. So there are moments in Upper Marlboro and Baltimore that hold just as much weight as being in DC proper. 4–How did DeShawn surprise you?  I don’t think I quite expected the arc DeShawn went on, and his final decisions about what he wanted to do career-wise. It was a way for him to have the best of both worlds, and I was thrilled to give it to…

Welcome to LEARNED REACTIONS, the second in my Higher Education series. You got a chance to meet Carlton and get a brief glimpse into Deion in LEARNED BEHAVIORS, but there’s a lot of emotional turmoil mixed up in their almost twenty-year friendship. Carlton is convinced all he wants from Deion is friendship…until Deion takes him at his word. Playing like everything is okay is the name of Carlton’s game, and as you can see below, Deion’s not sure whether to pay attention to Carlton’s words or his actions. Enjoy! Excerpt: He must’ve gotten lost in the conversation, because he didn’t hear the door open until Carlton dropped his keys in a bowl. Deion startled and dropped the phone. It landed face-up, the profile picture of the guy smil­ing up at them. Carlton frowned, crossed the short distance to the couch, picked up the phone and glanced at it, his brow furrowing slightly. “Everything okay?” Carlton asked, his hand outstretched. Deion snagged the phone and sat up to make room for Carlton next to him. “Yeah.” His voice sounded like he’d gargled with glass. He coughed, trying desperately to clear his throat, then spoke again. “Yeah, I’m fine. Really.” Carlton’s disbelief…

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 Jayce Ellis! Writes: Hey y’all! I’m Jayce, and I write super sensual, contemporary Black and IR queer romance. What does that mean? All pairings, but at least one, if not both (or more. . .) MCs will be LGBTQ+. I write real people, living real lives, that don’t end just because romance is in the air. In my latest, LEARNED BEHAVIORS, JaQuan–Jaq to his friends–has just dropped his daughter off for her freshman year of college, and is ready to figure out the next stage of his life. That gets rudely interrupted when his company lands a major project, and he’s forced to work with the irritatingly sexy, hyper-business-focused Matt Donaldson, up close and in person, for the next three months to get it ready. Matt is determined to keep their relationship strictly business, but their personal lives collide, that becomes impossible, and they find that maybe, if they work at it, they can truly have it all. About: You’ve got…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? High Rise: Andre 2–What is it about? One-night-stand turned employer-intern turned omg I think I’m in love. 3–What word best describes Andre? Confused. Poor baby is so confused. 4–What makes Marcus irresistible? He’s so focused, and he knows what he wants. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? For Andre, his friend Fiona. For Marcus, his boy Jake. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? Honestly, I love the familiarity of it. I can go out and scout the locations, and they’re places that are comfortable, welcoming, where you don’t have to feel on edge the entire time. It feels more like home. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants) Plotter all day long! I tried pantsing once, and after a tantrum to rival that of any two-year-old told “no,” realized the error of my ways. 8–What is an ideal writing day for you? On my balcony with either my papers or laptop, a cup of Earl Grey tea in hand, at 6:00 a.m., for two and a half hours of uninterrupted work. Summer…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Jayce! Please tell us about yourself and your new book, Jeremiah. Thank you so much for having me. I’m a California native who found her way to the East Coast for undergrad and law school, met a boy, and stayed. I still shake my head at myself for that one, but we’re disgustingly happily married so I guess it worked out okay. Before our wedding a few years back, I said, I’m going to write a love letter to my husband in the form of a story! And that spawned the idea of Jeremiah, which is my first full-length novel. Because apparently, I’m a bit long-winded. . . Jeremiah Stewart is a young gay man who is still in the closet, but when he meets Collin, an enigmatic hot guy, he wonders if he’s ready to finally come out and live his life freely. What are some of your favorite things about Jeremiah? What surprised you about him while writing this book? Jeremiah is, at his core, a mama’s boy. He adores her and doesn’t want to do anything to upset her or make her life difficult or put more on her plate, and I love…