Danielle Jackson: Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Chandra, and congrats on your debut novel, DIGGING UP LOVE! Can you tell us your “journey into publishing” story?   Chandra Blumberg: Thank you, Danielle! I always dreamed of becoming an author, but for a long time, I bought into the mistaken belief that writing wasn’t a viable career and getting a book published was as unlikely as hitting the lottery. While I continued to write—mostly short stories and essays I never planned to show anyone—I didn’t seek publication until a few years ago. I started off writing parenthood essays and was in the midst of querying a non-fiction humor manuscript about motherhood when the March 2020 pandemic shutdown hit. At that point, with all the uncertainty in the world and the chaos of a family of six living in quarantine, I was ready to switch gears from writing about my daily life and delve back into fiction. I drafted DIGGING UP LOVE during the covid shutdown as an escape of sorts and got so much joy from spending time with my characters and story. The adage about writing the book you want to read really held true for me. I took what I’d…

“Come on, Oliver. Just give me an inch,” I muttered, trying to drag him up the front steps of my apartment building. Bringing the rock star to my apartment was my last resort. I tried to get him to tell me where he lived, but he couldn’t even form a coherent sentence for me to do so. All he did was mumble and drool. Then, I grabbed his phone to see if I could get a number to call, but his phone was dead, and I didn’t have the type of charger needed to charge his. Therefore, all I could think was to bring him to my apartment for the night. Getting him out of the car was a headache of its own kind, and now trying to get him to move his feet was a nightmare.  “I’ll give you a few inches,” he mumbled back.  I wondered how horrified the shy, distant Oliver would’ve been by his comments that night.  I wrapped his arms around me and pulled him to the best of my ability. He had the hiccups, and kept muttering something under his breath, but it wasn’t clear what he was saying. Honestly, I wasn’t even interested…

The announcer started the final countdown, and a buzz went up among the hovering guests. Claire smiled at people as they stepped in front of her, but then looked around them to lay eyes on one of three extremely pricey items up for auction. Items that were small enough for someone to walk away with. A man stood in front of the pair of diamond earrings. The woman with him smiled as he wrote his name slowly. Next was a sapphire-and-diamond tennis bracelet where a lone woman was also writing her name. Then there was a Victorian brooch that was previously owned by some famous woman Claire didn’t know. The starting bid was twenty thousand dollars. But at last look, the bid was nearly double that. It, too, was where it needed to be. “Three, two, one. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to step away from the auction to enjoy the rest of the evening.” With the final direction from the announcer, she heard the first chords of a guitar strummed from the stage. The band hired for the evening welcomed everyone. The coordinators for the event started to push in as the guests dispersed. Her gaze ignored…

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 BROOKE BURROUGHS! Writes: I write rom-coms starring women who have a heart for adventure, even if they don’t know it yet! THE MARRIAGE CODE, which takes place in Seattle and Bangalore, India, is my debut novel which comes out on January 1st, 2021. About: THE MARRIAGE CODE is inspired by my experience working in the tech industry, and moving to India, where I met my husband. When I’m not writing, I conduct experiments in vegetarian cooking, perform with a Bollywood dance troupe, travel whenever I can, and am frequently seen at the dog park with my Great Dane which is often mistaken for a horse. I now live in Austin, Texas with my husband and our two dogs, and often miss my mother-in-law’s delicious South Indian cooking. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: You’re always rooting for the romance in any TV show, movie, or book—even if it’s not actually a romance. I mean, Godzilla and Mothra—couldn’t you see…

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  The Wreckage of Us 2–What is it about?  It’s a story about two young individuals with dreams and ambitions to get away from the small-town life of Eres, Nebraska to find themselves. On the way to their escapes, they find one another and form a beautiful friendship that shifts into love. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Powerful. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  His ability to not give up on the people he loves the most.   5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Hazel turns to her new friend, Leah, and Ian turns to his bandmates, who are his best friends. Then, of course, they turn to one another. They also have Ian’s grandparents who are great role models for both of the main characters. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love the small-town world that I was able to create with the dirt roads and Big Paw’s ranch. I loved the moments my hero and heroines shared staring up at the stars each night. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your…

Meet the Sisters in Jamie Beck’s If You Must Know Your newest series, Potomac Point, releases this week with If You Must Know. Please tell us about the sisters that are at the center of your novel.  Amanda is the middle child. She’s diligent, earnest, hard-working, and generous. She wants the people she loves to be happy and feel her love. Her weakness is a deep-seated insecurity—a sense that she is not interesting enough to be lovable. This leads her to overlook when she is being taken for granted because her need to be pleasing is omnipresent. Erin is the baby of the family and her late-father’s pet. She is outgoing, fun-loving, and views her average intelligence as a blessing (rather than lamenting that her siblings are smarter). She is willful and has her own way of moving through the world. The big weakness she has is her impulsiveness, whether with jobs or relationships. As she approaches her 30th birthday, she’s looking to mature and create a more stable life for herself. Arguably, Amanda has led a pretty charmed life – no real worries about money, no problems in her relationships, a big house, doting husband… Then her world comes crashing…

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 Christi Caldwell! Writes: It’s SO wonderful joining you!! Thank you for having me here at Fresh Fiction! I write historical romance novels set in the Regency, late Regency, or early Victorian era. My latest book, In Bed With the Earl, features a lost lord, who’d been kidnapped as a child, and is now returning to his previous world, and who of course, finds love along the way! About: I blame Julie Garwood and Judith McNaught for luring me into the world of historical romance. While I was in grad school at the University of Connecticut, I set aside my school notes and picked up my laptop to try my hand at romance. I believe the most perfect heroes and heroines have imperfections, and I rather enjoy torturing them before crafting them a well deserved happily ever after! What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: • You LOVE a flawed or imperfect hero and heroine. • You devour deeply emotional reads that have you…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-ReaderMatch” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Catherine Bybee! Writes: My newest novel, My Way To You, has a central romance between Parker, a strong, independent heroine and Colin a man who helps her get through the tragedies she faces. But beyond that, it’s about the journey of allowing Parker to love herself. About: I was born in Southern California. However, my parents divorced when I was two and my mother moved us to Washington State where I was raised. Four days after I graduated from high school I returned to So. Cal and never left. I was an RN who spent the majority of my career in a level 2 trauma center until a career ending injury.  I have always been a gifted storyteller. But it wasn’t until I was back in school to become a nurse that I was told I had the ability to ‘write’ a story. I had taken a creative writing course in college for my English credit and it was that teacher who pulled me aside and told me I should…

1–What’s the name of your latest release? Yours in Scandal (one of my favorite of my book titles, if I do say so myself!)  2–What is it about? The series features three men who are named “Man of the Year” (think: People’s Sexiest Man Alive) and the unexpected ramifications that come with that! Yours in Scandal kicks off the series with a young, wealthy mayor of NYC who falls for his political rival’s daughter. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Conflicted–she’s been taught to be ashamed of who she really is, and she’s got a lot of self-discovery to do! 4–What makes your hero irresistible? Where to start! Robert is wealthy, powerful, and um, hot, so there’s that. But more than that, he’s good–just a really, truly great guy. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Both hero and heroine have an amazing support group! Robert has the undying loyalty of his sarcastic chief-of-staff, and Addie has two ride-or-die best friends. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? It’s in my own backyard! I live in Manhattan, and I love setting books here amidst the glamour and energy of the city….

Never Enough is book one in the Meet Me in Montana series. I have had the idea for this book floating in my head for a few years. I went up to a PBR event in Tacoma, Washington and was able to get a behind the scenes tour of what happens during an event. I was so inspired I went back to my hotel and wrote for two days straight. When I got home the words kept flowing and two weeks later Never Enough was written.  What are my favorite traits for Brock? Let me list them! He is passionate, caring, fiercely protective, and stubborn as all get out. He is also romantic and when he loves, he truly loves. I think readers will love to see all the sides of Brock. He is passionate about his career and how he wants to build a future for his son. He is so caring and compassionate, and you get to see that from him in the very beginning of the book. When he finally allows himself to fall for Lincoln he falls so hard and you can feel the love he has for her. Oh…and let’s not forget romantic. Who doesn’t love…