Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Cari Z | Exclusive Excerpt: HIS HOLIDAY CRUSH
Author Guest / December 18, 2020

Chapter Two Dominic Dinah’s Diner was the first place you saw coming into Edgewood, and the last place you passed leaving it. It was the unofficial hangout of the force, with good food that was fairly cheap, as long as you didn’t mind Dinah listening over your shoulder as calls came in over the radio. I was halfway through a plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes when I got the call from dispatch with word of a car accident on Route Ten. No injuries, but the car was undriveable, from the sound of things, and the guy needed someone to come and pick him up. I sighed and put my fork down. I was the only person in the diner tonight other than Dinah and her husband Troy, who doubled as the line cook. It was just seven-thirty, but with this weather, nobody else was dumb enough to be out and about. As Edgewood’s officer on call until tomorrow morning, it meant that this and whatever any other unlucky soul or drunk dumbass decided to do in the next twelve hours was all on me. Dinah, a plump redhead in her sixties wearing a handmade gingham apron over her Metallica…

Cole McCade | Exclusive Excerpt: JUST LIKE THIS
Author Guest / November 24, 2020

Damon Louis couldn’t quite believe Rian Falwell had just thrown a f*cking balled-up paper towel at his head, like they were in grade school trading spitballs. But then he couldn’t believe Falwell was staring at him like he’d happily gut Damon, too, his imperious little pale mouth twisted in a knot and his previously bone-white cheeks flushed with anger that reflected in glittering hazel eyes. People didn’t glare at Damon. They didn’t even make eye contact. But Falwell didn’t have the slightest qualms about glaring at him, standing there like the lord of his five by five domain, slender presence bristling fit to fill the tiny cubicle he’d commandeered as his… Damon didn’t even know what to call it. Studio. Workroom. Junk closet. Dumpster. Especially when Falwell had cluttered it wall to wall with kitsch, this kind of…whirlwind of clay and paint and pictures and deli­cate bits of papercraft that fit together in a bizarre aesthetic chaos, where it all coalesced in an esoteric pattern like some strange art installation in and of itself. While Rian himself was part of it, lit in white and amber by the single naked bulb hanging from the ceiling and the golden sunlight falling…

Jayce Ellis | Author-Reader Match: LEARNED BEHAVIORS
Author Guest / November 13, 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 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…

Shae Connor | 20 Questions: ROUGH AND TUMBLE
Author Guest / November 10, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Rough and Tumble 2–What is it about?  Grant and Darryn, two friends, college roommates, and gymnastics teammates who discover they’ve fallen for each other–but one of them has already moved on with someone else. What happens when that relationship turns sour? 3–What word best describes your POV hero?  Snarky! 4–What makes your love interest hero irresistible?  Sweetness. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Grant turns to his twin sister, Annie, his parents–and Darryn. Darryn turns to Grant and to his parents. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  It’s in my city, Atlanta! The University of Atlanta is fictional, but its location is near where another college sits, and I used to live across the street. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? I’m a plantser. I do some planning/plotting before I start writing, but then I make changes and add/remove elements while I’m writing. 8–What is an ideal writing day for you?  A quiet cabin in the woods or a beach house. 9–Do you listen to music while you write, need total…

Adriana Herrera | Exclusive Excerpt: AMERICAN CHRISTMAS
Author Guest / November 3, 2020

“Bébé, what are you doing?” I called from the bed as I looked at Yin fussing around in our little kitchen on the other side of our studio apartment. I bit back a smile when he whipped around toting two mugs in a candy cane motif. “I was trying to bring you some coffee with peppermint creamer, Mr. Sleepy Head.” The attempt at sounding stern was thwarted by the grin on his face. He closed the space between us in a few steps and handed me the steaming mug. I reached out for the drink knowing it would probably be too sweet. And that I would drink it anyway, because how could I not, when it was made for me with such love? It was still hard to believe sometimes that I had this life. I patted the spot on the bed next to me, as Yin blew on his own cup. “Come sit with me.” He held up a finger and looked down at his drink. “Let me wait until this cools down, because you know me, I’ll probably spill this all over the bed and then we’ll spend Christmas at the ER.” I had to bite back a…

K.D. Fisher | Exclusive Excerpt: THE SECRET INGREDIENT
Author Guest / October 27, 2020

Hi, everyone! I’m thrilled to share an excerpt from THE SECRET INGREDIENT, my queer rivals-to-lovers foodie romance. When classically trained chef Adah Campbell and intuitive baker Beth Summers meet, their attraction. . . and rivalry. . . is immediate. The two women couldn’t be more different, but their intense passion for food and undeniable chemistry draws them together. Below is a sneak-peak of Adah and Beth’s meet-cute (in this case more of a meet tense…that’s a thing, right?) THE SECRET INGREDIENT is available now. Thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy! Excerpt: The woman stepped forward without missing a beat, extending her hand. I closed the gap between us, shivering as her long fingers brushed my palm. Her skin was warm and a little work-rough. A heavy quiet settled over me as we shook hands. I had the strange thought that I could have held her hand all day. Up close I realized her narrow, wary eyes were a soft shade of green. They widened for a fraction of a second before she stepped back, shoving her hands into her pockets. “I’m Adah Campbell, the new executive chef at Bella Vista. This is Sean Jacobs, our GM, and…

Annabeth Albert | Title Challenge: FEEL THE FIRE
Author Guest / October 26, 2020

Hey Fresh Fiction readers! I’m so happy to be here participating in the title challenge for my new release, FEEL THE FIRE. This is book 3 in my Hotshots series about smoke jumpers and wildfire fighters, but it also stands alone well. We met Tucker briefly in book 2, HIGH HEAT, and you’ll see small easter eggs from the couples of books 1 and 2 in FEEL THE FIRE. In FEEL THE FIRE, I wanted to look at some of the people behind the scenes in Wildfire Fighting—the people calling the shots, arranging logistics, and deciding how best to approach a fire season. This year Oregon has been in the news with a very active and heartbreaking fire season that claimed over a million acres. While FEEL THE FIRE includes a number of the realities of fighting wildfires, it centers around the reunion romance of two childhood sweethearts meeting again as adults and coworkers. There’s lots of family and feels and sexy tension! F is for First Kisses E is for Eating, shared meals and long talks E is for Each moment counts L is for Longing * T is for Trust, both past and present H is for Home,…

Annabelle Greene | Author-Reader Match: THE VICAR AND THE RAKE
Author Guest / October 14, 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 Annabelle Greene! Writes: Annabelle writes hot, heartwarming m/m romances set in the Regency period. Her debut novel, The Vicar and the Rake, is the story of the romance between Gabriel Winters and Edward Stanhope, Duke of Caddonfell. Gabriel’s a repressed vicar, Edward practically invented the word ‘scandal’, and their adolescent friendship abruptly ended when Edward abandoned him. But now Edward’s back in his childhood home, hiding from someone who wants him dead, and Gabriel needs to face his hidden feelings for his oldest friend. There’s also a secret society, a kitten named Buttons and a blackmailer brother who steals every scene he’s in. About: Annabelle has had a book in her hand ever since she learned the alphabet, and retains a special love for the Mills and Boon romances she used to sneakily read while volunteering at the local library. She lives in Italy, where she’s in a perfect relationship with pasta and an adequate relationship with a human. One day…

Kris Ripper | Author-Reader Match: THE LOVE STUDY
Author Guest / October 2, 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 Kris Ripper! Writes: I write stories about queer folks finding love and discovering themselves along the way! Also there’s usually coffee. My newest book is The Love Study. What do you get when you combine a goofy, commitment-phobic office temp with a thoughtfully non-dating YouTuber? The Love Study. Declan swore off dating after he left his last boyfriend at the altar, but Sidney isn’t interested in altars. They’re interested in humans. Specifically, they’re interested in Declan, who agrees to go out with people and discuss his dates on Sidney’s YouTube channel. Awkwardness, chocolate, and giggling ensue. About: Hi, I’m Kris! I like long walks on the beach (actually I prefer running–oooh, the running-in-sand muscle burn!), candlelit dinners (…that should probably read “screen-lit” but I’m trying to stop eating in front of the computer so much!) and curling up with a cup of tea and a good book (oh good, that one’s accurate as-is). I also love romantic stories that challenge traditional…

Fall Recipe Potluck | THE SECRET INGREDIENT by K.D Fisher
Author Guest / September 10, 2020

Another day, another recipe… Our Fall Recipe Potluck continues with more books, more recipes, and another fabulous featured author! I hope you are enjoying these awesome posts and opportunities to win great books. Don’t forget to take a look at what else has posted: Day 1: SECOND CHANCE ON CYPRESS LAND by Reese Ryan Day 2: THE SECRET FRENCH RECIPES OF SOPHIE VALROUX by Samantha Verant Day 3: SIMMER DOWN by Sarah Smith This autumnal roasted delicata squash is exactly the kind of dish Beth would serve at her Yellow House restaurant. It’s simple, seasonal, and very tasty. Feel free to use any winter squash you’d like, but delicata is my favorite because it looks fancy, you don’t have to peel it, and it gets extra crispy and caramelized in the oven. The Italian-style herb salsa verde is wonderful with any roasted vegetables or meat.  You can eat this as a side dish with your favorite fall meal (it’s excellent with roasted chicken) or enjoy it as a vegetarian main course with some sautéed greens, fresh bread, and a glass of wine (optional but highly recommended!) Roasted Delicata Squash with Sage Salsa Verde For the squash 3 medium delicata squash,…