1–What is the title of your latest release? THE FIREFIGHTER’S DILEMMA   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  When two frenemy firefighters team up to compete in a reality game web show, the sizzling attraction they’ve ignored for years threatens to explode, putting the game and their future at risk.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  It’s the third book in the Mile High Firefighter series (all books can be read as standalones) and set in Colorado like the others. I live in Colorado, so I love representing my home state in my stories.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Oh, heck yeah! Díaz is awesome and I would love to hang with her.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Funny, Sweet, Sexy.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  Most of the book is set at the edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park. I’ve been there dozens of times, but I learned a ton about the history and wildlife as I was researching for this book.   7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally…

Danielle Jackson: Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Mariah! We are happy to have you hear and celebrate the release of THE DATING DILEMMA with you. Before we chat about your book, I have to say—I love all of your TikTok and Instagram videos. They are so much fun! What do you think it is about romance writing that lends it so well to your videos? Do you have a couple of favorites you’ve made (feel free to link to them)?  Mariah Anekenman:  Thank you so much! I’m excited to be here and more excited to talk about my Tiktok addiction, lol. I have a background in theater and was raised by a professional clown so point me to an audience and I am geared up to entertain! My favorite thing about the romance genre is how vast it is. There’s a romance out there for everyone! So I like to include that in my videos and just celebrate the joy and inclusion of romance. Plus it’s always fun to take the hate this genre gets and turn it around into a celebration of success because as we all know romance is a billion-dollar industry, can’t get numbers like that unless you’re…

1–What is the title of your latest release? The Wedding Dilemma 2–What is it about? An accident-prone artist is rescued from a failed body cast art project by a sexy firefighter, only to discover he’s going to be her new stepbrother! They have to help plan wedding parties together while fighting off the volcanic attraction they feel, but he’s keeping a secret that could ruin everyone’s happily ever after. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  It’s set in the Mile High City, aka Denver, Colorado, the best place to live (I might be a little bias since I live here, lol). 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  She was much more afraid of love than I first thought. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  He’s a Cinnamon Roll firefighter, what’s not to love;) 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  Researching all the firefighting facts. I did interviews with firefighters and my own personal research, but as I’ve never been a firefighter, I’m sure I made a mistake somewhere (my apologies for any mistakes made). 7–Do you look forward to or do you dread the revision process?  I dread…

Hi all! My Name is Mariah Ankenman and I’m so excited to be here today to share a little bit about my new book The Roommate Problem with the Title Challenge. This opposites-attract, sunshine-and-grump romcom will have you laughing out loud and falling in love! So let’s get to it! T is for Tired. What August is after hours of driving to his new apartment only to find out his new roommate is a woman! H is for Happy. Mo radiates happiness at all times from what August can tell, seriously does the woman eat rainbows for breakfast or what? E is for Early riser. Which Mo is not. How the heck does August get up so early without a caffeine IV? * R is for Roommate. She really needs one to help pay the rent, but she never expected her new one to be such a grump…or so sexy! O is for Opposites. From their cleaning style, to their extrovert/introvert tendencies to their taste in pizza, Mo and August couldn’t be more opposite. O is for Oops! Living with a roommate is tough, especially when you accidentally catch them in an…indecent situation. M is for Moira. Mo to her…

What is a perfect day? It’s a different answer for everyone. For some, it’s a thrilling adventure at an amusement park with friends while for others it’s a quiet day at home in solitude. I think a perfect day is one that allows for resting and recharging, but also leaves time to enjoy the company of loved ones. If I had to choose, here is what my perfect day would look like: It would start with sleeping in as late as I want. I have two kids in the single digits so the “I’m hungry. She hit me. Mooooooomy wake upppppp!” Start early. After waking up I’d enjoy a warm cup of coffee and a yummy breakfast of fruit and cheese while reading a few chapters of a favorite book while the kiddos snuggle at my side with their own books. Reading doesn’t have to be a solitary enjoyment. Even if you’re reading different things, when you read together, it’s great family time. After enjoying a relaxing morning it would be time for a sandwich and snacks party with my friends where we’d munch while playing Tabletop games. Because it’s my day, the games on the docket would be Betrayal…

As one of five sisters (yes, you read that right, five) it’s very important to me to have strong female friendships in all my books, whether they are biological sister or sisters of the heart. I can’t count all the times my sisters have had my back. I also can’t count all the times they “borrowed” my stuff and never returned it, but that’s another post for another time. Female friendship is so important, especially when the media tries to convince women we should all be competing against each other. As if there’s only one ‘top woman’ prize and we have to “catfight” to get it. Well, these claws will come out, but only if someone messes with my ladies because the great Beyoncé is right, girls run the world and it’s about time we started seeing healthy, positive female friendships represented in media. So on that note, let me gush about my favorite female buddy movies. The Spy Who Dumped Me: I have informed my husband that Kate McKinnon is on my Hollywood Freebie list, because that woman is beautiful, smart, and funny. My true love trifecta. So many moments in this movie made me laugh including Audrey’s secret…