Fresh FIction Box Not To Miss
Vanessa Barneveld | Title Challenge: UNDER THE MILKY WAY
Author Guest / August 12, 2021

I’m Vanessa Barneveld, and I’m so excited take on the famous Fresh Fiction Title Challenge! UNDER THE MILKY WAY is a paranormal YA romance that’ll make you believe in – and fall in love with – aliens. I can’t wait for you to meet the stars of my book, Cassidy and Hayden.    U is for unidentified flying object. Also more fashionably known as unidentified aerial phenomena. N is for nefarious black-ops projects, the kind that seem too outlandish to be true… D is for dance floor. When Hayden takes Cassidy for a spin at the homecoming dance, it’s not his two left feet that freak her out. Nope, she sees something much more frightening and otherworldly.  E is for extraspecialterrestrials, aka humans, who believe we are not alone in the universe. R is for risk. By getting involved with Cassidy, Hayden puts his whole existence at risk. At first, he vows to keep her at arm’s length, but… * T is for the virtual tractor beam that draws Hayden to Cassidy. He can’t drag himself away from her. But sticking together could endanger them both. H is for Hayden, who’ll move galaxies to save Cassidy. E is for extra-special-terrestrials…

Amber Mitchell | Author-Reader Match: ROOTS OF RUIN
Author Guest / August 6, 2021

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 Amber Mitchell! Writes: I write young adult fantasy with cinnamon roll boys and determined teen girls, who understand the power of good female friendships! ROOTS OF RUIN is the final novel in the Garden of Thorns series, featuring sixteen-year-old Rose’s struggle to escape a slave dance troupe, take revenge on those that enslaved her, accept her destiny and fight alongside the current emperor of a foreign land to free her people in a neighboring kingdom. About: An amateur cooking enthusiast, travel addict, and history junkie author with a passion for stories in all forms, whether that be books, t.v., online gaming, or tabletop gaming. I met my husband as a teen and begin taking writing seriously which led me to realize that teenagers can do anything. When I’m not gushing about my newest fandom or latest book crush, I’m looking up pictures of future destinations I plan to explore. Must love to hear about the “stories” behind each travel site and constantly be willing to answer if…

Debbie Wiley | Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, and Steampunk Book Recs
Author Guest / December 10, 2020

Debbie Wiley is a senior reviewer at Fresh Fiction.  The last days and weeks of 2020 are thankfully drawing to a close, leaving folks with a lot of emotional turmoil. Yes, 2020 has been challenging at best, and heartbreaking if you are one of the many directly impacted by Covid-19. In the midst of the pain and distress, we’ve seen heroes rise to the occasion. First and foremost, our health care workers, but also the many grocery store workers, teachers, food bank volunteers, and so many others who have quietly provided essential services to people in the midst of a global pandemic. It makes me reflect about the heroes and heroines of the urban fantasy, fantasy, and steampunk books I read, and I’d like to share a few of those heroes and heroines with you today. THE AWAKENING by Nora Roberts, features Breen Kelly, a young lady who has lived her life feeling “less than”. Her mother constantly berates or belittles her, she works a job she hates, she has a mountain of student debt, and she even hides her flaming red hair under dark hair dye to keep from being noticed. All of that is about to change, however,…

Sara Wolf | 20 Questions: SEND ME THEIR SOULS
Author Guest / November 5, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release? SEND ME THEIR SOULS! 2–What is it about? Zera, a Heartless who can’t die, races to save the world from an incursion of mythical wyrms with her love Prince Lucien and her friends by her side. 3–What word best describes your heroine? Sassy, for sure. 4–What makes your hero irresistible? Lucien is kind, caring, and fiercely devoted to protecting those he loves! 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help? Zera really hates asking for help, but in this book she’s finally learned to accept it from Lucien and her friends. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book? Arathess is just such a cool fantasy world – floating witch-cities, subterranean cities made of gems, a library made out of a hollowed-out volcano! 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? I’m absolutely a pantser! Plotting bores me and makes me feel like I’ve already written the book – a dangerous pitfall! 8–What is an ideal writing day for you? A quiet one, with lots of tea and pastries. 9–Do you listen to music while you write,…

Annie Sullivan | Author-Reader Match: A CURSE OF GOLD
Author Guest / September 22, 2020

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Annie Sullivan! Writes: Young adult fantasy and fairytale retellings A TOUCH OF GOLD and TIGER QUEEN, with my latest release A CURSE OF GOLD, book 2 in my A Touch of Gold series, hitting shelves on September 22, 2020. About: Thirty-something young adult author seeks readers who want to leave this world behind to enter one full of adventure, high seas battles, Greek mythology, and princesses with magic powers. Must be young at heart, willing to believe in magic, like handsome sea captains with a heart of gold, and want a happy ever after. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Their idea of the perfect date includes a Saturday aboard ship sailing toward an island most people don’t believe exists Loves a strong heroine and fun supporting cast Likes action-packed adventures with touches of humor Dreams of facing the unknown horizon Falls in love easily with seafaring heroes Wants to learn to love themselves, flaws and all Not afraid…

MarcyKate Connolly | Author-Reader Match: TWIN DAGGERS
Author Guest / August 27, 2020

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 MarcyKate Connolly! Writes: Fantasy novels with undertones of classic stories. MarcyKate’s most recent book, TWIN DAGGERS (out August 25!), is a fantasy spin on Romeo + Juliet . . . if Juliet and her twin sister were magic-wielding spies out for revenge in a world of magic versus machines. About: MarcyKate loves books, dogs (especially pugs!), and caffeine, and has minor obsessions with Jane Austen, Shakespeare, and Grimm’s fairytales. She’s a night owl who enjoys staying up late plotting all the terrible twists that will befall her characters, researching strange and/or paranormal things, or reading an unputdownable book until dawn. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: • Loves confident, mission-driven girls • Enjoys being immersed in complex fantasy worlds • Sucker for star-crossed lovers • Doesn’t mind a betrayal or two What to expect if we’re compatible: • Feminist spins on classic stories • Girls who know their own worth and the boys who love them • Ancient conspiracies…

Hanna C. Howard | Author-Reader Match: IGNITE THE SUN
Author Guest / August 18, 2020

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 Hanna C. Howard! Writes: Young Adult Fantasy: My debut novel, IGNITE THE SUN, is on sale everywhere on August 18! About: Thirty-something YA author seeks readers for her fairy-tale-esque fantasy novel which includes: a heroine morphing from insecure and afraid to bold and self-assured; an ensemble cast featuring a mage, an elf, a naiad, and a banshee; a cross-map journey; lots of elemental magic; a literal spin on the light and dark theme; a splash of romance; a witchy, heart-devouring bad gal. What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Loves traditional fantasy (think Tolkien, Rowling, and C.S. Lewis) Is fond of curling up with a cup of tea and a book on dark, atmospheric days Falls for best friend/boy next-door type of heroes Wants to see personal growth in their heroine Likes a powerful, strong leading lady Has dealt with anxiety, depression, or SAD Likes being outdoors Goes for fast-paced action Enjoys a complex fantasy world with a unique magic…

Lindsey Duga | ROARING’s Origins
Author Guest / August 6, 2020

The idea of ROARING was very simple at first. I wanted to write a book in the 1920s and I had it in my head that I wanted the main character to be a singer in a speakeasy. But what gave it that special twist? What made it fantastical and not just historical? Then came the idea of using one of my favorite things ever–mythology. What if she was a siren? That monster in greek myths that lured sailors to their deaths. That’s when I realized I had a book… . . a siren in a speakeasy! Her siren song could lure patrons to her bar and keep them coming back, which is, of course, good for business. From there, I knew I wanted to weave in more monsters and create a historical world rife with the paranormal. I had ideas to use monsters like dragons, werewolves, minotaurs, krakens, gorgons, and the like. But they weren’t all from Greek mythology and I knew I needed something that tied this paranormal world together. I had to answer questions like…why were all these monsters running around in the world? What was their purpose? The more research I put into learning about these…

Kate Cornell | 20 Questions: LIVE LIKE LEGENDS
Author Guest / June 4, 2020

1–What’s the name of your latest release?  My latest release is called Live Like Legends. 2–What is it about?  Princess Kalista finds herself married to a man she’s never met. She has nothing in common with Prince Carson, including language. They must find a way to communicate if they can overcome the threats facing their nation. 3–What word best describes your heroine?  Intellectual 4–What makes your hero irresistible?  He has infinite patience and a passionate love for the people he rules. 5–Who are the people your main characters turn to when they need help?  Kalista relies on her mentor, a monk named Emmett. But, he’s hiding secrets of his own. 6–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Kalista is new to the nation and isn’t used to the weather or the people. She gets to explore it. She’s set to become the queen of the country and she learns to appreciate and love its unique attributes. 7–Are you a plotter (follow an outline) or a pantster (write by the seat of your pants)? I’m a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll. I tend to pants for a bit, the first several chapters, and outline…

Jeff Wheeler | 5 Questions with Jeff Wheeler About Working & Writing from Home
Author Guest / April 30, 2020

Before launching your career as a full-time author, you worked at Intel Corporation. What has your experience working from home been like in each of these fields? During the two decades I worked at Intel Corporation, I saw how working from home went from impossible to expected. Back when I first started at Intel in the early ‘90s, if I got sick I couldn’t work from home because my computer was strapped down at a desk in a cubicle. By the time I left in 2014, it was mostly expected that you’d work from home if you had the sniffles. As a full-time author, I’ve been working from home for almost six years and I know a thing or two about how to stay productive when there are so many distractions—like incoming texts, social media, and now with the fear and uncertainty of a global pandemic.  We’re certainly working under logistically and emotionally challenging circumstances right now. How do you maintain productivity and momentum while working from home at a time like this? A lesson that might be helpful when it comes to re-thinking where you’re at during this crisis comes from the business author Jim Collins, and it’s about…