1–What is the title of your latest release? LOVE SPELLS AND OTHER DISASTERS 2–What is it about? This is an ooey-gooey romance about a girl who writes some love spells for a class project then discovers they actually work! 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  I love the Marshall mansion with all of its ghostly appeal. I love the candle store, Scents and Things, where Rowan and Abby get one of their spells from –it’s modeled after some of the stores I’ve visited in Salem, Massachusetts. I love the Grady Farm and the renovated barn that Luca takes Rowan for a romantic evening. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  I created Rowan to be the embodiment of so many of my past students that she has all of the parts that I loved the most. While it didn’t surprise me, I love that she finds the strength to reconnect with her mom and through their bond, find a solution to her love spell dilemma. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Luca is caring and respectful. He understands consent and doesn’t push Rowan into doing anything she isn’t comfortable with. He knows what he wants to do…

1–What is the title of your latest release? The Afterlife of the Party, out Feb. 2 with Entangled Teen 2–What is it about? The Afterlife of the Party is the first book in a teen vampire trilogy. Tansy’s life changes  when Tansy goes to a party with her crush/friend Vaughn and her best friend Skyler. Shed ends up on the road with Vaughn, chasing after a vampire band called The Drainers to save Skyler from the lead singer. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  It’s set in sunny Southern California, which is where I live, and I love the idea of vampires having to deal with all that sunshine. 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Tansy surprised me by the lengths she would go to save her friend. And when I started writing the book, I didn’t know that she had a crush on Vaughn, but then again, how could she resist him? 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Vaughn’s a cinnamon roll with a hot bod and musical talent. He’s a good friend, loyal and funny. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  You know that phrase, kill…

Thanks so much for featuring us on Fresh Fiction! We love your blog and are so excited to have the opportunity to talk about our sweet YA romance, IN THE PENALTY BOX! Before we get started on our post, don’t forget to enter the giveaway! Details are at the bottom of the post. Below we’ve shared our top five movies for Brodie and Willow’s characters. Do you have a favorite movie? If so, leave it in a comment below! Brodie’s got quite a list, and as he and Willow get to know each other, he realizes they have a few in common! Which makes her all that more irresistible. 1–Fast and Furious 8: The Fate of the Furious. I mean a sub crashing through the ice? That’s just plain rad. 2–Young Blood: Best hockey movie ever…even if it’s from a hundred years ago. 3–The Avengers – all of them. No way can I choose just one. 4–The Terminator Series: Yep, even the non-Arnold ones. 5–Elf: Who wouldn’t like a movie that has the longest belch ever recorded? Willow loves streaming movies! After tearing her Achilles tendon while figure skating, Willow had loads of rehab time, which meant hours on end…

Picture a Reptile House. An enclosed space, just a guy and a girl. Low lights. Cool air. Soft music. Kind of romantic. If not for the snakes. If not for the fact that Mai is deathly afraid of snakes. And if not for the fact that Anthony and Mai are both intent on crushing their crushes on each other. 🙂 Here’s a scene from How to Quit Your Crush. Happy Reading! *** “I don’t like thinking about my future, but I like thinking about yours,” Anthony says. “Picturing you with Petri dishes and eyedroppers like in middle school.” “Can they be really good Petri dishes–not the plastic ones?” “They’re primo Petri. And you’re working late one night and all of a sudden, you stand up and cry, ‘Eureka.’” “I have never once in my life cried Eureka.” “Quiet. This is my vision.” “Fine.” I gesture for him to continue. “What have I done?” “You’ve cured cancer. All kinds of it.” “In one Petri dish?” “I said it was a really good one.” “That’s quite the vision.” But I’m smiling because it really is. “And where will you be?” “Like I said, I don’t like thinking about my future.” “Give it…

Another day, another fabulous author and book to feature on our Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup. . . Let’s see what Joanna Hathaway has to offer us!  Romantic dinners are tough when you’re in a forbidden romance with the son of your family’s greatest enemy. For princess Aurelia Isendare, it would take a Romeo-and-Juliet worthy effort to arrange a simple date night with her beau fighter pilot Athan Dakar–especially since war has broken out and he’s invading the kingdom she has sworn to protect. But if the stars align, they might just manage to sneak away and savor a moment of peace, forgetting the rest of the world behind (and how much their parents would hate this traitorous kissing!). Since wartime is rough and leads to rationing, something simple and quick is in order. . . How about War Cake? This aptly named treat is a recipe from WWII, when many ingredients were scarce, and it’s made without dairy or eggs. But don’t let the simplicity scare you! It still tastes good, and it’s easy to throw together. It also allows for some creativity, which both Aurelia and Athan appreciate as artists who enjoy experimentation. This cake (with an almost muffin-like…

When I sat down to write my first book as an adult, I had no idea what I was doing or where it would lead. I ended up with a hot mess of a young adult romance mixed with a dash of dystopian. Since then I’ve gone on to write roughly twenty books, ten of them published, and none of them YA. My first series (The Broadway Series) follows a group of thirty-somethings as they fall in love and start families. My second series (The Shores) is a pair of best friends, starting their lives after college and falling for the last men they’d ever expect.  I love to read stories like this, but there is still something that pulls me back to the young adult genre every time.  There is something nostalgic about young love that I just can’t get enough of. Recipe for Disaster has it all when it comes to a YA romance. Whether I’m reading or writing, there are so many reasons to love a good YA romance: All the firsts. YA romance often features first loves, first kisses, first dates, and all the other first that come with being a teen. In Recipe for Disaster,…