For those of you who’ve been yearning to return to my little seaside Oregon town of Hope Harbor—the wait is over! If you haven’t visited, I hope you’ll stop by. Starfish Pier is Book 6, but every story stands alone. So please drop in! In my latest novel you’ll meet Holly Miller, who’s new in town. Moving to Hope Harbor was a big step for her for several reasons, but she’s settling in as a first-grade teacher. Life is good…but a little romance wouldn’t hurt. Enter Steven Roark, who’s left the military behind and now runs fishing charters. He’s in town on a mission—a personal one this time—but his take-charge manner isn’t helping him achieve his goal. And he definitely isn’t looking for romance. Funny how that works, though. Sometimes when you least expect it Ms. Right can show up—even if she’s nothing like the kind of woman you thought you’d fall for! So let’s see where this game takes us. S is for Starfish. Matchmakers don’t always have to be human. 🙂 T is for traumatic. Holly and Steven have both had their share of tough times. A is for antagonistic. Which captures the mood of their first meeting….

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  Silent Shadows 2–What is it about?  Pecca Gallegos moved to the tiny town of Walton, Georgia, to protect her son and escape the dangerous lifestyle that once defined her. When a series of strange circumstances evolve into threats, Pecca finds herself confiding in an unlikely ally–her stubborn patient. Army veteran Colton Crawford is desperate to recover from the undiagnosed disorder that is ruining his life, and his instincts are on high alert when threats against his nurse and her son force him to take action. But Colton’s involvement only ramps up the danger when he uncovers a family secret revealing that whoever is after Pecca is closer–and more deadly–than they realized. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Feisty. 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  His vulnerability. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Pecca turns to her friends in Walton, who have become like family: Lane, Sheriff Huggins, Ms. Byrdie. Colton turns to his Uncle Jack and friends, Kekoa Young and Vincent St. James. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Sometimes smalltown living can feel claustrophobic or like a fishbowl, everyone knowing your business…

Aubrey leaned back against the side of the boat, working to loosen her hands while her captor steered the boat through the narrow inlet. Her head pounded, and she’d sliced her leg on something, but at least she was still alive. She couldn’t say that about Papps. If his family hadn’t found him by now, she knew he would have already bled out. A sick feeling snaked through her as her mind continued to replay what had happened and what she could have done differently. But they’d been ambushed by a sniper. She’d done what she’d been trained to do—­try and neutralize the threat. Having failed that, the only thing she could do now was pray that Papps’s sons had heard her scream. But her captor had timed his dirty deed well. Duck hunting wasn’t like deer hunting, which was more of a solitary pursuit. And for the McKenna family, it had always been a social event. It had been the same every year for as long as she could remember. She knew exactly what had been going on at the blind. Until the birds landed, there would be no shortage of conversation. They’d watch the sunrise break through the…

I fell in love with the Bible when I was sixteen years old. I read the Bible before that time, but it was a biblical novel, Two From Galilee by Marjorie Holmes, that caused me to realize that the people in the Scriptures were real. I never looked at God’s Word quite the same way again. Suddenly, the stories in the Old and New Testaments had names and faces and situations that I could understand and relate to. Of course, not everything in ancient times can compare to what we face today, but though the cultures are different, human nature does not change. Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, which, yes, I believe were real people and the Garden a real place, we have all struggled with a nature that is no longer perfect. We don’t have to teach a child to lie or take something that isn’t theirs or be selfish with their toys. We don’t improve much with age either, I’m sorry to say. The women of the Bible struggled with this same sin nature. Impatience, greed, anger, bitterness, ingratitude, worry, faithlessness, controlling attitudes, manipulation, and so much more afflicted them just…

Welcome back to Fresh Fiction, Melody! Can you tell us about yourself and your new book, THE HAPPY CAMPER?         I’m a writer who loves camping. <grin> Also, I love restoration and décor. So anyway, a few years ago, I was a bit writing-weary when I happened to notice an old vintage trailer ‘for sale’ by the side of the road. The price was right and the 1963 camp trailer was cute…so I bought it and began to restore it. While restoring it, the idea for this book began to tickle my brain. Shortly afterward, I was writing THE HAPPY CAMPER.  Dillon Michaels makes a major life change by moving to her grandfather’s farm, and then into his old camper. What do you think readers will find relatable in Dillon’s choices to change her life? I think we’ve all hit crossroads in life–times when either circumstances or desires nudge us in a new direction. Both are the case for Dillon. She’s disenchanted with her demanding job, non-committal boyfriend, small shared apartment…and ripe for a change. She thinks Grandpa’s farm and his need for help is the answer, but when she arrives the situation has changed. Dillon has…

From Chapter Twelve State Route 123 Langley, Virginia Jordan had played her. Talia’s mind spun as her Civic clanked over the flattened hydraulic barriers of Langley’s southern gate. How foolish she’d been. No conversation with Jordan was ever just a conversation. “Leave them wondering how much you know,” Jordan had told her moments before Talia walked into her first mock interrogation back at the Farm. “That’s the key.” The Art of Interrogation–one of Talia’s worst memories from her training despite a syllabus that included Arctic Survival and Sewer Navigation. The memory filled her with regret. “But how?” she had asked Jordan. “Scott won the toss and played interrogator first. He has the advantage.” Talia watched him twiddle his thumbs on the other side of a two-way mirror. “The information is new, but the format is the same. The game favors Player One.” All Farm students spent time on both sides of the table in a two-player game. Each had to extract a set of unique, fictional information from the other. The more information extracted, the higher the score. Talia held up well under Scott’s shouting, but he had gained enough points to take the lead in the class. “Then think…

Jimmy led Prince back into his stall for supper and smiled when he saw Joey slip into the barn to follow along as he did the evening chores. It was becoming a habit, this shadowing by the boy, and Jimmy loved it. They had a little game they played together. Jimmy called it “Did you know?” Joey always started it off. “Did you know horse’s teeth never stop growing?” “Like a beaver?” “Yup. Did you know that horses have the biggest eyes of any animal?” “Hmm,” Jimmy said. “They do seem bigger than a whale’s eyes, I’ll grant you that.” When Joey had run out of the day’s newest horse facts, it was Jimmy’s turn. “Did you know that a horse’s whiskers are sensitive?” Joey peered at him. “Are yours?” Jimmy rubbed his chin, feeling the roughness of a five o’clock shadow. “Nope. But for a horse, those whiskers detect what eyes can’t see.” Joey rubbed his chin too. “Here’s another one for you. Did you know that a horse’s lips are loaded with nerve endings?” The boy wiggled his lips, pondering that fact. “Last one for the day. Did you know that a horse’s hooves are shock absorbers?” Joey…

Amara scanned the long list of agencies who participated in the crash investigation. It’d be easier to name who wasn’t involved. The National Transportation Safety Board had coordinated the inquiry, but the FBI and virtually every state and local resource had been active as well. With fewer than ten thousand people in Cotulla’s county, their limited resources meant they needed all the help they could get. Because the bus driver was a veteran, even the Department of Defense had stepped into the fray. When everybody’d had their say, the crash boiled down to one finding: suicide-murder. No charges were filed since the lone culprit was already dead. The Feds promised to do more for PTSD victims. The railroad put up crossing gates at every intersection in the county. The elementary school students planted seventeen trees in memory of their friends. The community grieved. And the Reyeses still mourned. All the families probably did. Amara dragged her finger across the screen and leaned closer. Who’d done the body IDs? She jerked when Sergeant Norwood popped his bubble gum. “Whatcha working today, Alvarez?” “Paperwork on the Leon Valley burglaries mostly.” She shrunk her internet window and grabbed a pen. “Then I’ve got…

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 Susan May Warren! Writes: Susan loves to get people in trouble, and then rescue them! With sexy, strong and honorable heroes (and brave, smart and beautiful heroines!). She writes in a sub-genre of Romantic Suspense she titles Epic Romantic Adventure, and her gig is Search and Rescue teams. Because we all secretly want to be rescued…(or maybe do the rescuing, right?) In The Way of the Brave, three amazing women decide to climb Denali, in Alaska. But when a gale force wind causes an avalanche, they find themselves blown into trouble—the kind of trouble that needs, ahem, rescuers. Enter the Global Search and Rescue team of Jones, Inc, three former military heroes who will do anything to bring the lost home… Even when they find themselves in trouble, too. So, really, who is rescuing whom? About: Susan May Warren is the kind of person that says, yes, let’s go jump out of a plane—wanna join me? It’ll be fun! A skier, a…

Asher paced from one end of Heather’s living area to the other as he debated the events of this endless day. First Sharon’s death, then Mario Ricci had tried to kill him and Brooke. His friend from the hospital had called him ten minutes ago to let him know that Ricci’s prognosis had taken a nosedive. He was now in a medically induced coma, so getting answers wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. Which meant he and Brooke needed to find someone who knew what he was up to and why he’d been searching Brooke’s home. They needed to link him to . . . something recent. Someone current. They needed to know where he was living and who he was living with and if he was working with anyone. His phone buzzed and he pulled it from his pocket. Newell was finally calling him back. “Captain, thanks for returning my call.” “James, it’s been a good while. How are you doing?” “I’m hanging in there.” “Tough to transition back, isn’t it?” “Yes, sir.” “You’re always welcome to come back. It’s not the same without you and Black.” Asher shut his eyes. “Thank you, sir, I’ll keep that in mind.” Talking to…