1–What is the title of your latest release? HOW TO LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  When Noah Jansen can’t convince his neighbor, Grace Travis, to sell her home to him, he has some not so neighborly ways to change her mind. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  Noah Jansen is the brother of Chris Jansen from TEN RULES FOR FAKING IT. He moves to California to be closer to Chris. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Yes! I absolutely would. I’d also let her design my home. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Charming, Funny, Stubborn 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  Writing-wise, I learned more about the editing process. I find it challenging but with this one, I really learned to get into the groove of improving what already existed. Non-writing wise, I learned some of the laws around the removal of palm trees in California 😉 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I do edit as I draft. My typical process when I open up my computer is to re-read what…

The Palais Garnier sat fat and contented after its opening night. The final trickle of theatergoers making their way from the building had stopped, and women with scarves tied around their heads pushed brooms and mops across the front steps. The light from the theater, which had poured golden and fizzy like champagne at the beginning of the night, was slowly being extinguished, one window at a time. On a cold, iron bench, Benedict stared up at the single room at the very top of the building. It was still lit—a pale, watery light that spread mere feet across the domed roof beyond its windows. She wouldn’t be there. He doubted she could even climb the stairs after tonight’s performance, with her hip in that condition. She’d danced perfectly tonight. No one would have noticed the injury—even he had sensed rather than seen it. He didn’t know how she was dancing on it. The pain must be unimaginable. Perfect. A strangely unpleasant word. He shivered and pulled his coat closer. After the performance, he and Victor and Camille had gone to a late supper, and then to a bar. After the three had drunk several bottles of champagne (and two…

Danielle: Hi, Helena! Welcome back to Fresh Fiction. Can you give us the quick elevator pitch for your new book, WHEN SPARKS FLY?   Helena:  When Avery has an accident that puts her out of commission for weeks, her best friend and roommate, Declan, steps in to take care of her. As they grow closer, lines blur and they take their friendship to the next level, but Avery’s past and Declan’s relationship baggage threatens to destroy everything. I love the setting of Colorado Springs for this book, as well as the backdrop of an event planning business for your heroine. What made you decide to set your books here and give your character such a high-pressure job?  Back in 2018, I attended a Book Bonanza, a book convention in Colorado. My family attended and afterward we took the opportunity to travel and see more of the state. I discovered that I’m not a fan of driving on the sides of mountains, but I did love the backdrop and wanted to set the story in Colorado. As far as a high-pressure job, when Avery and her sisters took over Spark House it was manageable, but when the backbone of the event hotel—Avery—is confined…

Hi, Opal! Welcome to Fresh Fiction. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest book, STROKE OF LUCK.  Hi. Thank you for inviting me! It’s always a pleasure! I’m Opal Carew and I’ve been writing erotic romance for over 20 years. I’m a cat-loving, artistic, romantic sort, but I spent most of my career as a high-tech professional. I dyed my hair pink (or purple or blue) 30 years ago before it was popular. I don’t like to live in a box or colour within the lines. Well, I do the latter when I’m actually colouring, but I like to draw my own lines. 😉 April, the heroine of Stroke of Luck, has always tried to stay within the lines and do what is expected of her, and it got her into a big mess. To get her life back on track, she needs to do something unexpected and a little crazy so that she can take back the control she’s lost. April starts out down on her luck–she thinks she’s going to Vegas to get married, but gets cheated on, left, and has to foot the hotel bill. What do you think readers will love about April?      I…

From Chapter 3 of  AN EVERYDAY HERO  Greer pumped the brakes as she approached the narrow lane that led off the main road to Emmett Lawson’s cabin. A gate blocked the entrance and a fence stretched to either side. As if that wasn’t enough to deter visitors, a No Trespassing sign swung in the slight breeze from the rusty top rail of the gate. She tapped her thumbs on the steering wheel to the beat of the music on her radio, a catchy pop song with inane lyrics involving booty shaking. Without guilt, she could turn around and claim she couldn’t reach Emmett. Except Amelia’s offer of double hours was too much to resist. A summer stroll through the woods would net her at least an hour. She parked on the side of the two-lane country road, half blocking one lane. Not that she was worried about causing a traffic jam. She looked in either direction. Nothing but bees traveled across the road. Greer fanned herself with her straw cowboy hat and pulled at the lock and chain on the gate, hoping they were just for show, but the chain had been looped twice and the lock was heavy duty….

Welcome to Fresh Fiction! Can you tell us a little bit about your new historical mystery, THE WIDOW OF ROSE HOUSE? Someone recently described THE WIDOW OF ROSE HOUSE as a gothic rom-com and I think that’s absolutely perfect. It’s about a scandalous widow, Alva Webster, who badly needs a fresh start. After her (terrible) husband is murdered in Europe, she returns to New York, buys a decrepit mansion, and decides to use its renovation as the basis for a home decorating book. Unfortunately, it may be haunted. Enter Professor Samuel Moore, scientist and inventor extraordinaire, who is fascinated both by the possible ghosts and by Alva herself. It’s a love story, a ghost story, and a story about learning to laugh again. Alva Webster is a determined woman with a scandalous past that both hinders her and works to her advantage. She buys the supposedly haunted Liefdehuis mansion and brokers a publishing deal to write a book about restoring it and giving interior design tips. But New York society – including her own parents – won’t speak to her or invite her back into polite company. So, on the one hand, Alva wants to be welcomed home, but she also…

Today, Editorial Manager Danielle Dresser welcomes award-winning author Laura Trentham! The first book in her new Heart of a Hero series, THE MILITARY WIFE, is available now. One aspect that I found interesting in the military life you portrayed was how lonely it could be, but also at the same time, there’s a support network of people who will go above and beyond to be there when someone needs help. Can you talk a little bit about these “found” families, and how they formed among your characters? My best friend is a military wife, so I’ve had a front-row seat to the spouse experience for two decades. Military bases are their own communities and only the women (and men) who walk the experience can ever truly understand what it’s like to have a spouse deploy for months at a time, especially when you have kids. It really does take a village. In The Military Wife, the friendship between Harper and Allison is sisterly. Allison is Harper’s guide into a strange new world and gives her some good, but tough advice. Then, when Allison needs support, Harper is ready and willing to step up. I loved how their friendship weathered time…