He looked huge. He looked like a monster. He looked like hers. ENSNARED BY THE ALIEN MEDIC by Nessa Claugh   I have been a paranormal romance fan for years. I always trace back my affection for paranormal romances to when I read the first vampire romance by Christine Feehan when it first came out. Over the years I have read books with assorted supernatural heroes like vampires, werewolves, psychics, and others. That’s different from the kind of hero I’m writing about here. Those heroes were ones who either could change shape from human to animal or were a vampire or something else otherworldly who mostly looked human – even if they weren’t at their core. The kind of hero I’m writing about today is one who has mostly unhuman-like physical characteristics. So much so, that I know there are readers – even devoted romance readers – who would be appalled and disgusted to have them be the hero of any story. I understand that initial reaction, but I think they need to read one of these books and re-evaluate. I have read some of these books and hope to read more soon. Though these characters may have fangs, fur,…

Danielle: Hi, Katee! Welcome back to Fresh Fiction and congrats on the release of NEON GODS! This is a Hades/Persephone retelling. What appealed to you about this classic Greek Myth?   Katee: Thank you so much for having me! I was really excited to write a Hades and Persephone story because it’s the framework for so many of the stories we tell today. You can see echoes of the dynamics in a good portion of dark romances, and I was really excited to intentionally retell the myth through that lens as a contemporary dark romance. One of the things I love about your novels is how unabashedly sexy they are! NEON GODS is no different, and there are some really poignant and frank discussions about consent, birth control, and boundaries—which I think many readers will appreciate and enjoy. How do you balance the fun sexytimes and the important conversations that go along with them?  Honestly, this might sound a little strange, but I view those conversations as a different sort of foreplay. To me, there’s nothing sexier than a partner (or several partners) discussing how to make the experience enjoyable and safe for everyone involved. There’s a level of caring there, even before…

Every year, when December rolls around, I find myself gravitating back toward the same books over and over again. They’re my ultimate comfort reads, the books I want to curl up with when the snow it falling and it’s bitterly cold outside. It’s been enough years at this point that it really feels like visiting old friends for the holidays, which just adds to the attraction of these particular rereads. What books are these? Of course, I’ll tell you! The Black Jewels series by Anne Bishop. I first discovered these books when I was in high school, and they only seem to get better with each reread. Anne Bishop doesn’t shy away from some truly dark topics, but she has this wonderful way of threading the darkness with amazing relationships, found families, and surprising humor. I love all her stuff, but the original Black Jewels trilogy is the one I gravitate back toward again and again. Kushiel’s Legacy trilogy by Jacqueline Carey. I’ve had the original trilogy so long that my paperback is starting to fall apart, and I’ve since re-purchased digital copies to save my arms (they’re VERY long books). Jacqueline Carey is straight up brilliant with how she…

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore ménage stories. There’s something just downright decadent about having three (or more) people getting hot and heavy in a relationship. The relationship arcs often take similar paths that you see in romances with two main characters, but a really good ménage has an extra level of depth because of the complicated relationship dynamics. It’s really four relationships in one! Each character must have a satisfying relationship with the other two members of the triad, and there’s the triad as a whole that needs to function smoothly. Whether these relationships are MMF (male-male- female; where the heroes are bisexual and intimate with each other as well as the heroine) or MFM (male-female-male; where the heroes share the heroine but aren’t intimate sexually with each other), they are so much fun to read! It’s definitely complicated, but when you find an author or book who pulls it off spectacularly, it’s one of the most rewarding reader experiences to have. You get the awesome relationships, and the opportunity to read some of the hottest sex scenes out there. Two is amazing, always and forever, but three (or more) just ups the game to a whole new…

I’ll be the first to admit that writing THE LAST KING was a labor of love—emphasis on the labor part. It’s always challenging to start a new series after spending years being in a different world, but this book had a very specific problem that it took me far too long to figure out. Beckett King, the hero, was a freaking jerk. Not a sexy jerk—just a flat out jerk. In the original version of the book, he’s washed his hands of his family and their money, left the woman he loves behind for her own good, and is essentially living on a beach out of the country. He was, to put it frankly, an insufferable ass. How do you fix a character like that? You break him down to his bare bones and rewrite from the ground up. Let me tell you, it hurts something fierce to take that drastic of a step, but the new Beckett King that emerged as a result is one of my favorite heroes I’ve written to date. He still doesn’t get along with his father, but he knows where his responsibilities lie and makes his moves in response to protecting the people he…

Every year I put together a list of books I’m already fangirling over before they even release. We all have those insta-buy authors, and I’m no exception. I’ve put together my top five books that I’m beside myself with anticipation waiting for! Sarah MacLean’s Wicked and the Wallflower – THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS was my favorite read of 2017, and getting Felicity’s story is enough to have me jumping up and down with glee. And that COVER! June cannot come around soon enough! Lisa Gardner’s Look for Me – Lisa Gardner is an author I’ve been reading since I was in junior high. Her book The Perfect Husband has stayed with me through the years and I reread on a semi-regular basis (and, for real, I’ll never look at my closet the same way after that book). I’m really excited for her to delve back in D.D. Warren’s life with this one! Jacqueline Carey’s Starless – This is another author I’ve been reading for over a decade. Her Kushiel’s Legacy series was phenomenal, and everything she’s done since has that same epic quality that’s so very relatable despite the truly outstanding adventures some of the characters go on. And…

THE DEVIL’S DAUGHTER is follows the story of Eden Collins, an FBI agent who grew up as the daughter of a cult leader. She escaped her mother’s control and made a life for herself, bringing down human monsters. When someone emails her a picture of a dead girl with tattoos that mark her as a member of Eden’s mother’s cult, she goes home—despite her misgivings—to help with the investigation. I can trace the origin of this story to one specific moment. That ah ha moment where everything clicks into place. I was reading FBI Agent John Douglas’s book, MIND HUNTER. Douglas was one of the founding members of the FBI’s serial crime unit and he did a ton of research in regards to serial murder, including many interviews with incarcerated serial killers. It’s very interesting reading, and I highly recommend it if you’re intrigued by that sort of thing. The part that triggered the concept of this book was Douglas’s interview with Charles Manson. He has some fascinating views of Manson, one of which was his opinion regarding the murders perpetuated by Manson’s cult. Douglas questioned whether Manson even knew about the initial murders—or intended them (no question that he…

It’s that time of year again—when families come together for various holiday celebrations and fill houses with laughter, bickering, and generally good times. Our holidays will be really low-key this year, which has me craving that loving chaos in any way I can get it—this year that means fictionally! I’ve put together five of my favorite family-based series that I love reading around this time of year (in no particular order): The SaDiablo family (The Black Jewels series, Anne Bishop). Revisiting Daemon, Lucivar, and Saetan every year in December is one of my favorite things to do. Their story is not an easy one, but it’s so rewarding and I’ve reread the books so many times, it’s like visiting old friends. The books are also great holiday reads because Winsol, their winter celebration, features heavily into many of the books. The Grey Family (Greys of Montana stories, Megan Crane). I first read Come Home for Christmas, Cowboy several years ago, and I was captivated by the Grey family. They’re so full of life and their history in Montanan is nothing short of spectacular. The entire series is a joy. The Sevenwaters family (The Sevenwaters Series, Juliet Marillier). The Sevenwaters is…

Stories are funny things. Some start with a character. Some with a plot. In the case of ANIMAL ATTRACTION, one of my Hot in Hollywood novellas, the book was inspired by a pin I saw on Pinterest. It depicted a Found flier with a picture of a cat and a guy wearing a ski mask. The caption read, “Have you seen your cat? He’s mine now. I love him.” It cracked me up so much, I got to thinking about what kind of man would not only steal a cat, but mock the original cat owner with a flier? And Levi was born. Every author has heroes who are close to their heart, and Levi Turnbull is one of those for me. He’s so unapologetic about what he likes and comfortable in his own skin. There’s no angst. No deep-seated issues. He’s a man who’s worked hard to get where he is, and he might be a little arrogant, but no one holds it against him too much since he’s so damn lovable. But every person has their hot button issues, and Levi’s love for animals means seeing one mistreated brings out the worst in him. So after his neighbor’s…

I am an indoor kid. I know this is a surprise for exactly zero people who know me, but I prefer some kind of barrier between me and anything resembling nature. I adore looking at it. It’s the being in it where things start to fall apart. While I was plotting and writing THE HUNTING GROUNDS I had to do a significant amount of research. I’ve visited Glacier National Park a few times when I was younger, and it made quite the impression on me, so it seemed natural enough to set the story there. It’s beautiful and sprawling and the perfect place to strand a group of hikers who won’t all make it back to civilization alive. Then there were the park rangers—in the course of my research and questions I posed, there is no way I’m not on some watch-list somewhere—and camping and all the nitty gritty details that need to go into a book to ground it effectively in reality. It was a total blast putting it together. Which is where this story starts to break down. In all my hours and days and weeks of research, I started to feel pretty on top of it. Surely…