Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
SUMMER BBQ RECIPE ROUNDUP | A Duke, the Lady, and A Baby by Vanessa Riley
Author Guest / June 18, 2020

The Summer BBQ Recipe Roundup continues with another scrumptious recipe! Today, Vanessa Riley shares an amazing coconut bread recipes, which is also featured in her new historical romance, A DUKE, THE LADY, AND A BABY. And check out our earlier recipes from earlier this week: Day 1, an appetizer with Lynn Austin: https://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10708 Day 2, a main course with Dylann Crush: https://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10709 Day 3, a side dish with Elise Hooper: https://freshfiction.com/page.php?id=10710 Vanessa Riley here, Patience Jordan is the fierce heroine of A Duke, The Lady, And A Baby. As the newest recruit to the Widow’s Grace, she’s undercover in her old house, trying to find evidence of the plot which caused her husband’s death and restore her custody of her infant son, Lionel. The Duke of Repington has command of her house and dictated the care of her son, his new ward. The handsome man demands order but from Nanny Patience, but she quick to discover his secrets. To protect Lionel from his late cousin’s conspiracy, the wily duke has filled Patience’s home with soldiers, wounded warriors recovering from the Peninsula War. To keep the peace, Patience bakes Coconut Bread. If the boys are good and put away their canons…

Dana Dratch | Present Imperfect + Giveaway!
Author Guest / June 8, 2020

When I sit down to write a book, part of the process involves thinking about the future. To make the stories pop, I like to imagine what will be going on in the world when a reader finally curls up with this book. Everything from the weather and the seasons to real-life events. Boy, did I get it wrong this time. And I’m guessing that pretty much none of my fellow cozy mystery writers had “global pandemic,” “social unrest,” “economic crisis,” and “political protests” on their backstory bingo cards. As a result, there’s a whole spate of mysteries coming out that bear little resemblance to the world we now see out the window. And maybe that’s a good thing. From the beginning, cozies and mysteries have served as an escape. So as we worry about a deadly virus with no vaccine and the racism that has no place in our world, books provide an off-ramp from reality. A chance to see the world the way we want it to be. An opportunity to drop our problems for a few moments. Imagine a world where you can eat, mask free, in a restaurant without a second thought. Or sit at a…

Rochelle Alers | Author-Reader Match: THE SEASIDE CAFE
Author Guest / May 26, 2020

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 ROCHELLE ALERS! Writes: I write series, contemporary, and women’s fiction.  My diverse characters range in age from late-20s to early 60s.  I also focus on women of a certain age that are starting over and during their journey willingly embrace their happily ever after.  This is the recurring theme in The Innkeepers series and currently in The Book Club series. About: THE SEASIDE CAFE: Hospital psychiatric social worker Kayana Johnson is living her best life.  She is the envy of most women in Atlanta.  She lives in a mini-mansion with her renowned surgeon-husband, but gives it all up when she discovers he has been having an affair with one of his colleagues. She returns to Coates Island, North Carolina to help her brother run the family-owned Seaside Café,  moves into the apartment above the restaurant while sharing cooking duties, and befriends two vacationing women that share her love of books, and encounters a man destined to change her future. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader…

Mary B. Morrison | 20 Questions: CAREFUL WHAT YOU CLICK FOR
Author Guest / May 25, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Careful What You Click For 2–What is it about?  Online dating. Four church members–in their quest for lust and love–do the unimaginable. Blinded by desire, the characters are determined to sex the lover of their choice. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Fallible. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  There is no hero in Careful What You Click For. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Loved ones. Law enforcers. In some instances, as church members and friends, they depend upon one another. In a particular situation, one character has no means to communicate with the outside world and must rely upon God to deliver him from evil. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Atlanta, Georgia, is intriguing. Churchgoers and politicians often share the same bed. I enjoy taking the characters from Sunday service to the bar to show how Christians are sinners. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? I’m an artist first. My characters are real to me. I don’t like to get ahead of them and dictate their direction. I outline four chapters at…

Sharina Harris | 20 Questions: (IM)PERFECTLY HAPPY
Author Guest / May 1, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release? (Im)perfectly Happy  2–What is it about? (Im)perfectly Happy tells the story of four friends who formed an accountability group to follow their dreams in college. However, ten years later, they can’t help wondering what happened to the hopeful, confident, driven women they used to be. Now, they are determined to get them back. Kara, Nikki, Raina, and Sienna: a wine expert, musician, radiotherapist, and an attorney have distinctly different dreams and issues to resolve. One is a mother, two are married and one…well, she’s avoiding the whole love and marriage thing. If you’re a fan of romance, friendship, and happy endings, I would be so pleased to share my book with you. 3–What word best describes your heroine? There are four of them. Kara is cautious, Sienna is a sweetheart, Nikki is spunky, and Raina is sarcastic. 4–What makes your hero irresistible? The focus of this book is on the heroines. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? They are friends and turn to each other. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? It’s set in Atlanta which is where I live. It’s fun…

Rosemarie Ross | Exclusive Interview: COBBLERED TO DEATH
Author Guest / November 18, 2019

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Rosemarie! Please tell us about yourself and your latest novel, COBBLERED TO DEATH. I’ve been married for 37 years. We have one son, one daughter-in-law and two granddarlings. I’ve been writing since 1991. I focused on short stories early in my career then graduated to books when I became an empty nester. COBBLERED TO DEATH is a food-themed cozy and my first foray into the mystery genre. The main character, Courtney Archer, is a cooking show star asked to co-host The American Baking Battle which is supposed to be a genteel competition like The Great British Baking Show. Behind the scenes, egos and tempers flare. When a contestant is bludgeoned to death with Courtney’s cast-iron fry pan of cherry cobbler, Courtney becomes the main suspect in the murder. To clear her name and find the real killer, Courtney sifts through clues all while smiling for the camera. Your lead character, Courtney Archer, is the star of her own show Cooking with the Farmer’s Daughter, as well as co-host of The American Baking Battle, a new cooking competition show. She has a lot on her plate, so to speak! Where did your inspiration come for this new series,…

Lauren Elliott | Exclusive Interview: MURDER IN THE FIRST EDITION
Author Guest / November 6, 2019

Fresh Fiction Senior Reviewer Debbie Wiley Hi Lauren! Thank you for joining us today at Fresh Fiction! I love cozy mysteries, especially ones centered around a bookstore so MURDER IN THE FIRST EDITION is a real treat for me to read. Can you tell our readers a little something about the storyline and the inspiration behind it? Hi, thank you for inviting me. It’s a pleasure to be here. The inspiration behind my Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series came to me a number of years ago. I had a good friend who owned a small used bookshop and being the book lover I am. It became my second home.  Her shop was my vision of the perfect bookstore–old and rare books, a reading corner, charming knick-knacks, and a bay window display that she decorated to highlight the season and one that never failed to attract passersby.  When I had more time to devote to writing, my old reading friend, Agatha Christie emerged, and the first image that came to mind was my real-life friend Maggie and her bookshop. From there, Addie’s was born. Even though, Beyond the Page Books & Curios is an expanded version of my friends, it’s…

Victoria Laurie | Exclusive Excerpt: COACHED TO DEATH
Author Guest / October 28, 2019

EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER 2 The group parted to allow Heather to pass, and she walked toward me with the practiced bounce of a model. Opening her arms wide, she pushed a giant smile to her lips. I didn’t trust her for a second. “Catherine!” she said warmly. “Don’t you ‘Catherine’ me,” I growled, my hands finding my hips. No way was I going to allow any kind of friendly embrace. Heather stopped in front of me and allowed her arms to hang there awkwardly for a moment. The women she’d just left were watching us, and I could see the puzzled expressions on their faces too. “You set me up!” I hissed. Heather’s arms dropped dramatically. “Catherine, whatever are you talking about?” I waved a hand down my front. “This.” “It’s a lovely suit, dear, but why would you come wearing black and white to a jewel-tone themed luncheon?” The ladies behind Heather edged closer toward us, completely engrossed in what was obviously about to become a scene. “I’m wearing this because you told me this was a black and white themed affair.” I was aware that I was speaking through clenched teeth, likely giving me the appearance of snarling…

Debra Sennefelder | Creating My Amateur Sleuth
Author Guest / October 28, 2019

There are so many things I love about cozy mysteries, it’s hard picking just one, but if I had to, I would say it is the amateur sleuth. Most people would equate the amateur sleuth as to being a busybody, someone who sticks her nose into other people’s business, nosey about the lives of her neighbors. But when I created Hope Early, the protagonist in my Food Blogger mystery series, I had a different view of her role in the series. When I was fleshing Hope’s character out, I knew she would be a strong, independent woman. She had to be because she would risk friendships, family relationships, and possibly her life in search of the truth and for justice. Hope isn’t a character willing to stand by while someone is being accused or when the victim doesn’t seem worthy of justice being sought. After I wrote the first manuscript, I came to refer to Hope as a Boss Sleuth because she takes ownership of what she does, and she doesn’t give up until the truth is revealed. There are a few things Hope has learned since her first foray into sleuthing. She learned early on to doubt everyone’s alibi….

Julie Anne Lindsey | Exclusive Interview: APPLE CIDER SLAYING
Author Guest / October 28, 2019

Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Julie Anne! Please tell us about your new Cider Shop cozy mystery series and the first book, APPLE CIDER SLAYING. Hi! Thank you SO crazy much for having me back!! I’m really amped up about this new release! APPLE CIDER SLAYING is near and dear to my heart, set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern West Virginia, an area I know well. Winnie lives with her Granny Smythe on the family apple orchard and becomes entangled in a murder investigation when Granny’s arch-nemesis is found lodged in the apple press, and the new sheriff names Granny as his number one suspect. Winnie Montgomery is just trying to keep her family’s apple orchard in business, but when her beloved grandmother is accused of murder, Winnie is having a hard time keeping things in order and just wants to prove her grandmother’s innocence. What do you think made Winnie a good amateur detective? Winnie is the best. Her natural curiosity gives her the little push she needs to get started once the urge hits. Before that, her big heart gets her started. Anytime Winnie sees an injustice or an underdog, she’s nearly compelled to jump in…