What's Hot in April Urban Fantasy? You'd be surprised!

Urban Fantasy...April takes you to celebrity-mad London, to the boarding school where the students aren't quite just "normal" and roommates are hard-to-handle. Or take a trip to Georgia, it's different than expected. All this and more in April Urban Fantasy...

Richelle Mead, SUCCUBUS SHADOWS (Kensington, 3/30/2010, $15.00)

Georgina Kincaid's already complicated life just got a whole lot messier. Her new roommate is stirring all kinds of sexual tension. Adding to her angst, she's being recruited to help plan the wedding of her ex, Seth--and she keeps getting visited by a shadowy force trying to draw her into the dream world. When she finally succumbs, Georgina is captured by dream demons intent on sapping her power. But when Seth turns out to be the only one who can find Georgina and bring her back, all kinds of new questions arise. And the answers will change her world forever.

Patricia Briggs, SILVER BORNE (Ace, 3/30/2010, $24.95) (A Mercy Thompson Novel #5)

When mechanic and shape-shifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book she'd previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down. It seems the book contains secret knowledge--and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side--leaving Mercy to cover for him, lest his own father declare Sam's life forfeit. All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she might not have many more to live...

Ann Aguirre, HELL FIRE (Roc, 4/6/2010, )$6.99 (A Corine Solomon Novel #2)

As a handler, Corine Solomon can touch any object and know its history. It's too bad she can't seem to forget her own. With her ex-boyfriend Chance in tow-- lending his own supernatural brand of luck--Corine journeys back home to Kilmer, Georgia, in order to discover the truth behind her mother's death and the origins of "gift". But while trying to uncover the secrets in her past, Corine and Chance find that something is rotten in the state of Georgia. Inside Kilmer's borders there are signs of a dark curse affecting the town and all its residents--and it can only be satisfied with death.

L.A. Banks, NEVER CRY WEREWOLF (St Martins Press, 3/30/10, $7.99)

It's the case that has haunted Stride for thirty years; the brutal killing of his wife's older sister Laura. Now, Laura's best friend has returned to Duluth to write a book about the events surrounding her death. As he unearths the explosive events that led to Laura's murder, Stride discovers that the ripples of her death changed everyone's lives, including his own.

DD Barant, DEATH BLOWS (St Martins Press, 3/30/10, $7.99)

Jace Valchek is an FBI profiler pulled into an alternate world where vampires, lycanthropes and golems make up 99% of the population. She finds herself up against a killer who may be using a bizarre combination of ancient magic and comic book heroes from her world to kill some of the most powerful vampires and lycanthropes and steal their power.

Lisa Sherin, BEWITCHED & BETRAYED (Ace, 4/27/2010, $7.99) (Raine Benares, Book 4)

New from the national bestselling author of THE TROUBLE WITH DEMONS. Raine Benares is a seeker, finding lost things and missing people -- usually alive. Being bonded to the Saghred wasn't Raine's idea -- neither is hunting down its escapees. Especially not when one of them is also hunting her. He's regenerating his body by taking the lives of powerful victims, along with their memories, knowledge, and most important of all, their magic. The dark mage wants control of the Saghred, and if he gets it, he'll become an evil demigod whom no one can stop. The only thing in his way is Raine.

Suzanne McLeod, THE SWEET SCENT OF BLOOD (Ace, 4/27/2010, $7.99) (Spellcrackers.com #1)

Genny Taylor works for Spellcrackers.com. It's a great job, pays the rent, lets her do the thing she's good at -- finding magic and cracking it. The vampires have launched a slick PR campaign and are now sought-after celebrities, and Getting Fanged and taking the Gift are the new height of all things cool. But Genny is Sidhe fae and not fooled. When Mr October, a sexy calendar pin-up vamp, is accused of murdering his girlfriend, an old debt is called in and Genny is forced to help prove his innocence, risking her job and the protection it offers -- and threatening to expose her own dark secrets.

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Get Your Sizzle On... What's new in sensual romance... Sensual, Erotic and Romantic in April

The showers of April will probably be required when you take a look at some of the HOT books on sale now. From feral beasts to dangerous rakehells you'll find a little special treat.

Kate Douglas, Kathleen Dante, Devyn Quinn, SEXY BEAST VIII (Aphrodisia, 3/30/2010, $14.00)

Kate Douglas headlines a brand-new collection in which fierce, feral men aim to fulfill every woman's most carnal desires. In "Chanku Spirit," Anton travels to Florida with Stefan, his lover, and Matt, one of the newest Chanku in a quest to learn more about their sensual shapeshifter history. There they find the goddess who gives their erotic birthright meaning, but only Matt is powerful enough to discover the amazing secrets this mystical woman possesses.


Julia Templeton, VICTOR (Aphrodisia, 3/30/2010, $14.00) Rakehells of Rochester

In the second book in Julia Templeton Rakehells of Rochester trilogy, a rake without a conscience sets out to seduce a virtuous widow, but realizes it is he who has been seduced, heart and soul.


Jean Johnson, BEDTIME STORIES (Berkley Heat, 4/6/2010, $15.00)

Jean Johnson doesn't disappoint with her re-tellings of classics such as Beauty and the Beast, The Frog Prince, Puss n' Boots, and Sleeping Beauty. Jean Johnson reinvents classic fairytales adding futuristic and paranormal settings to the familiar stories. With an erotic undercurrent running through each tale, Bedtime Stories reveals a garden of sensual delights that gives new meaning to the term "happy ending."


Sheri Whitefeather, MASQUERADE (Berkley Heat, 4/6/2010, $15.00)

Amber Pontiero is a jet-setting, fashion heiress whose main priority in life is looking for fun, and knows she will find it in Luke and Jay. Amber, Luke, and Jay once engaged in one of the most erotic nights of her life, and Amber returns to her former lovers looking to complete the perfect threesome once again. But as their time continues together Amber realizes that she is developing deeper feelings for Luke, and when he starts delving into her family tree, the threesome soon realizes that history has a way of repeating itself.


Maya Banks, SWEET TEMPTATION (Berkley Heat, 4/6/2010, $15.00)

Maya Banks returns with a searingly romantic new novel about a by-the-book cop and the woman who knows his deepest secrets. When Angelina Moyano lost her brother, she lost the only family she had, but never gave up on the love she harbored for his best friend and fellow cop Micah Hudson. Now Angelina is running from a dangerous past, and finds herself running straight into the arms of Micah.


Sarah McCarty, JARED (Berkley Sensation Trade, 4/6/2010, $15.00) (The Shadow Wranglers #2)


Meet Jared--a cowboy with bit--in the latest paranormal romance from the national bestselling author. Jared Johnson has always been a force to be reckoned with, first as an outlaw and now as a vampire. Caught in a war between immortals, he doesn't have time to waste, but when a female vampire is attacked, he can't just walk away. He expects a quick good bye, but what he gets is a vulnerable woman who intrigues and seduces while giving away nothing of the secrets holding her hostage. Forced to accept Jared's protection, Raisa finds it increasingly hard to resist his forbidden allure while keeping the secret that could destroy them both.


Thea Devine, SEX, LIES & SECRET LIVES (Gallery, 04/27/10, $14.00)

When her identical twin sister disappears, Justine Durant slips into the sex- fueled, high-stakes life she never knew her sister lived. Jillian's missing and Justine immediately leaves her research job, frantic to discover what happened to her globe-trotting model sister. Searching for clues to her sister's disappearance, Justine masquerades as Jillian, plunging into a world of paid carnal extravagance and unleashing a side of herself she never knew existed. And Justine must play this dangerous game to perfection and win . . . if she and Jillian are to survive.

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Fresh Pick | DRIVE TIME by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Charlotte McNally Mystery #4

February 2010
On Sale: February 1, 2010
Featuring: Charlotte McNally
400 pages
ISBN: 0778327973
EAN: 9780778327974
Mass Market Paperback
$7.99

Romance Suspense, Mystery Amateur Sleuth
Buy at Amazon.com

Drive Time
by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Investigative reporter Charlotte McNally is an expert at keeping things confidential, but suddenly everyone has a secret—and it turns out it is possible to know too much.

Her latest scoop—an expose of a counterfeit car scam, complete with stakeouts, high-speed chases and hidden-camera footage—is ratings gold. But soon that leads her to a brand-new and diabolical scheme. Charlie’s personal and professional lives are on a collision course, too. Her fiancé is privy to information about threats at an elite private school that have turned deadly.

Charlie has never counted on happy endings. But now, just as she’s finally starting to believe in second chances, she realizes revenge, extortion and murder may leave her alone again—or even dead . . . .

An exciting and complex plot makes this thrilling mystery a must-read.

Excerpt

I can't wait to tell our secret. And I'll get to do it if we're not all killed first.

We're ten minutes away from Channel 3 when suddenly the Boston skyline disappears. Murky slush splatters across our windshield, kicked up from the tires of the rattletrap big rig that just swerved in front of us on the snow-slick highway. Eighteen wheels of obstacle, stubbornly obeying the Massachusetts Turnpike speed limit.

I brace myself once again. During this afternoon's teeth-clenching, bone-rattling, knuckle-whitening drive, I've learned how J.T. feels about speed limits.

"Fifty-five is for cowards!" he mutters. My new photographer powers our unmarked car into the passing lane, sloshing what's left of my coffee and almost throwing me across the backseat. Franklin, seemingly oblivious to our icy peril, is in Read More...

Previous Picks

Sara Reyes | To Read or Not To Read... Is It Work?

Reading...it's something I've had to do every day since before I can really remember. Reading is so fundamental, to quote a literacy ad campaign, I can't imagine life without it. In fact when my eyes shut down for a week I remember not the physical pain but the agony of not being able to read. I felt isolated, depressed, and very uneasy with life. So when I got a groaning sensation in my head because I had "mandatory reading" to do this week, it was time to reflect.

And also time to think about books...in general I always read at least one fiction book a day. It helps me settle down so I can go to sleep. This is my shut down period and I'm seldom so tired I can't read a good part of a book. Even if I'm up till 3am to finish some work. So. like so many addicted readers, I have a stash of books in most rooms I use in my house: kitchen, living room, family room, dining room, bedroom, bathrooms, and hall. You never know when you'll have a moment to read so better be prepared is my motto. And I take advantage of the stashes.

But I also read non-fiction, self-help books which are usually computer, technical or business centric. I need the computer stuff to make my business better (you know, Fresh Fiction and other sites), the business stuff on improving the company, and inspirational stuff to keep going. Also enjoy reading biographies and histories about people, events and cultures to help make sense of the world I live in.

So, this week I had to cross a line in my head, I had three books to read so I could be prepared for book signings and interviews. And the reading felt like work. I sorta groaned and forced myself to take time to read. It wasn't really hard but there was this part of me that just was stubborn and wanted to read something else. I even wanted to finish a book on how to make an iPhone app! Seriously, that is so wrong on so many levels.

My question or thought is ... do you have the same problem at times? Is there a book you bought and you feel obligated to finish? Does it feel like "work?" Do you just blow it off? Or are you slightly resentful?

Until next time...


Get out there and READ a book...
Sara Reyes
DFW Tea Readers Group
Join us at Readers 'n 'ritas November 12-14, 2010! with Sherrilyn Kenyon and more guests

See you on the Twitter (@FreshFiction)

PS comment and you could win signed books in this weekend's blog contest. Two WINNERS!!!

Sharon’s Cozy Corner | Author Interview with Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Sharon's Cozy Corner
All about the cozy mysteries: interviews, reviews, books

When women have a common interest, it is a delight to gather and discuss elements of that interest with each other. Book clubs, knitting groups, and sewing circles are just a few examples of these types of groups that encourage friendship and companionship.

Elizabeth Lynn Casey is the author of a delightful new series of cozy mysteries , the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries, that features a close-knit of vivacious ladies who stitch and solve crimes when they put their heads together! Elizabeth’s first book, SEW DEADLY, came out in August, 2009 to rave reviews. Her second novel, DEATH THREADS, is due to be released in May, 2010.

Elizabeth Lynn graciously agreed to be interview for this humble column as she was hurrying to the Southern Kentucky Book Festival in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and we talked about her books, her writing, and her influences.

Sharon: At what age did you know that you wanted to be a writer?

Elizabeth: I was just ten-years-old when I got bitten by the writing bug. And by bitten, I mean BITTEN. I was playing at a friend’s house on a rainy day. We'd run out of things to do and so she brought a stack of white paper to the kitchen table and said we were going to write children’s books. An hour or so later, I was hooked. It’s all I've ever wanted to be (other than a mom) since.

Sharon. How did you get interested in writing "cozy" mysteries?

Elizabeth: While I'd read Nancy Drew and the like as a child, I truly fell in love with the mystery genre compliments of Mary Higgins Clark. I think I was 14 when I read, WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN. I remember reading that book at my desk and nearly jumping out of my skin when someone tapped me on the shoulder. A CRY IN THE NIGHT sealed my fate as a mystery writer.

Now even though Mary Higgins Clark isn't a “cozy” writer, she wrote about real people, people I could identify with…and imagine.

Then, when it came time for me to actually give fiction a try, I guess I gravitated towards cozies because that’s what I like. I like the puzzle of figuring out whodunit rather than the gore. I don't need to see the murder, I just like to figure out who/why.

Sharon: What inspired the theme of your series, and is “Victoria "Tori" Sinclair” (the heroine/sleuth in the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries) based on anyone you know?

Elizabeth: While there are many “craft-related mysteries” on the shelves these days, what intrigued me about this series was the “circle” aspect. People flock together over common interests all across the country—bunko, knitting, sewing, writing, you name it. And these kinds of commonalities bringing together people that might not necessarily gravitate towards each other otherwise. Having such wide age ranges and backgrounds together in one place makes for great stories!

As for Tori, no, she’s not based on anyone I know.

Sharon: What appealed to you about the genre of cozy mysteries as opposed to hardcore mysteries or suspense stories?

Elizabeth: The puzzle aspect. I like the focus being on who/why. I think it calls to that former journalist in me.

Though, I have to admit, suspense calls to me. In fact, I have a suspense story living in my computer right now, waiting for a little time and attention from me.

Sharon: Your main character, Tori, is an accomplished seamstress - do you sew? And she is a librarian - did you want to be a librarian growing up?

Elizabeth: I don't sew. In fact, I liken myself more to “Leona Elkin”—the lone member of the Sweet Briar Ladies Society Sewing Circle who doesn't sew…though she’s learning (and so am I)…

I never considered being a librarian (probably because the writing bug took over so early), but I have always loved libraries and librarians. I mean, really, what’s better than a building devoted to nothing but books…and filled with people who love books as much as I do.

Sharon: With more and more series coming out in the cozy genre, do you see the competition for readership becoming more fierce? What do you do to keep your readers coming back for more?

Elizabeth: I guess I just hope that readers give my series a shot…and that I intrigue them enough (via fun stories) to keep coming back for more!! I've tried to create a cast of characters that people enjoy. Sure, there may be a member of the circle they don't like (that’s life, isn't it?), but whether you love, like, or even dislike someone, you tend to know what happens to them. And, eventually, as this series continues, all of the characters will have their time in the spotlight.

Sharon: The cover art on your books is just gorgeous - very eye-catching! Who does the artwork for each book, and are you consulted as to how it will look?

Elizabeth: I know! I am in love with both the artist and the designer Berkley has working on this series. They just get it. Every time I think I have a favorite, they come up with another one I like even more (wait until you see the artwork for PINNED FOR MURDER - due out in October)!

Sharon: Who are some of your favorite authors? Who inspires you?

Elizabeth: Mary Higgins Clark is my all-time favorite author—the one who made me turn my writing aspirations towards Mystery. Now that I’m there, I enjoy Harlan Coben, Hannah Dennison, Susan McBride, and many others!

Sharon: What do you have coming up in the future?

Elizabeth: Lots! PINNED FOR MURDER (the third in the Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series) will be out October, 5^th and this book will focus on Rose (the oldest member of the circle). DEADLY NOTIONS (the fourth book) will be out next spring. There will also be a # 5 and a # 6…and hopefully more!

I also recently started writing romance (under the name my real name, Laura Bradford). A MOM FOR CALLIE will debut with Harlequin American in July and MIRACLE BABY will follow in November.

Sharon: What advise would you have for anyone wanting to break into the "cozy mystery" genre?

Elizabeth: Write every day (even if it’s just 30 minutes). Read, read, read. And trust your gut (which is different than your pride).

Elizabeth has a lovely website (www.elizabethlynncasey.com) where she maintains a daily blog on the site (and it’s a hoot sometimes!). She also has a Facebook Fan Page under Elizabeth Lynn Casey as well as a website for alter-ego (real-life), the romantic Laura Bradford (www.laurabradford.com)

In celebration of the release of DEATH THREADS, Elizabeth will be holding a special launch-week contest at her website, starting May 3^rd, so be sure to check it out!

Many thanks to Elizabeth Lynn Casey for stopping by the Cozy Corner and sharing her love of writing with us! Watch for my review of DEATH THREADS here on Fresh Fiction in May!

Be sure to come back next month for my interview with Lila Dare, author of TRESSED TO KILL: A Southern Beauty Shop Mystery.

---

Sharon Chance has been a freelance entertainment journalist for the past fourteen years. As a regular contributor to the Wichita Falls Times Record News, she has written well over 1,600 articles covering everything from concert and movie reviews to museum openings to interviewing some of the top musicians performing today, including members of Bon Jovi and Guns and Roses.

But her true love lies in the world of books. A voracious reader from a young age, Sharon began reviewing books at the urging of her sister-in-law, who was a big fan of the Oprah Winfrey Book Club. What began as a simple fun attempt at sharing her views of books she enjoyed has developed into a work of passion for Sharon. In addition to being a senior book reviewer for the Times Record News, Sharon is also a regular guest contributor for the Las Vegas Review Journal’s Book Nook, as well as having written for several other publications.

A distant relative of the great Edgar Allan Poe, Sharon has a fondness for mysteries, especially those of the cozy kind. In her new column, Sharon’s Cozy Corner, Sharon hopes to bring news of the latest in the cozy mystery genre, as well as insightful interviews with the authors who write them.

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Welcome to the eReader...or, I'm not a Luddite, are you?

Shanna's Road Journal
Shanna Swendson's Observations ... On Line and On the Road

It's 2010, do you have your e-reader yet?

The iPad has made its appearance, joining the Kindle, the Sony e-reader, the Nook and a variety of other reading devices. While I'm far from a luddite, I don't have an e-reader yet, for a variety of reasons. One is price. I don't generally spend hundreds of dollars easily for much of anything. The other is that I have the kind of luck with technology that means that whatever I buy will turn out to be the equivalent of the Betamax, and it will be discontinued after I have about five books on it. I will likely wait for the next generation of devices to see how things shake out -- or until I write a bestseller and can buy lots of fun toys.

I generally think about e-readers when I'm packing to go on a trip, as I am today. I can't travel without at least one book, and for quick trips, I like to pack as little as possible. That means I have to pick just the right book to bring with me, something that will last me through my flights and any downtime, something I'm in the mood for, and something I'm sure I'll like. An e-reader eliminates that dilemma. In the space and weight of one book, I could have hundreds. If I had a flight delay that means I finished the book I brought, I'd have more. If I didn't like the first book I tried, I'd have more to choose from.

On the other hand, a paper book doesn't have to be turned off during takeoff and landing (when I usually want a bit of distraction). I can still read it if I drop it. If I forget and leave it behind, it's not a huge loss. I also like my home library. I like looking at my books on my shelves and remembering reading them or remembering meeting the authors. I imagine if I ever do join the e-reading revolution, I'll still end up buying paper copies of "keeper" books that I'll want to look at on my shelves, the books I like re-reading or thinking about.

Meanwhile, there's talk about using the iPad's capabilities for enhanced e-books, books that do things paper books can't. They might include video or sound, or links to the Internet. I'm not sure yet how that will work for fiction -- maybe you could buy the playlist that goes with the book so you could have the soundtrack the author had in mind when you read -- but I can see all sorts of ways that could work with non-fiction. Imagine a cookbook that incorporates how-to videos so you don't have to try to figure out a technique based on a series of small photos.

And now, since I haven't yet gone electronic, I have to figure out which one book will meet all of my travel needs this weekend.

---

Shanna Swendson writes "Fairy Tales for Modern Times" and is the author of the Enchanted, Inc. series about a Texan in New York City, a magical NYC. Visit her website or blog for more information.

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ANNA DESTEFANO |How does a story like The Firefighter's Secret Baby happen anyway???

I've been in love with heroes my whole life. Show me a romance fan who hasn't. We want to believe in the hero in all of us, and most especially in the hunky leading men that Harlequin and Silhouette bring to life on their covers every month, right? But how exactly does a novel like The Fireman's Secret Baby get dreamed into being???

My Atlanta Heroes series started as a challenge to myself to find a way to write action and suspense into my "home and family" Superromance stories--because I've also fallen in love with suspense and intrigue as I write more and more novels. Plus, I wanted to write about everyday heroes that a reader might see in her own life. Lawyers and nurses and doctors and public defenders who put so much on the line to help others, but don't always get their share of the drool-worthy romance novel covers. I've had a blast hearing from readers who've fallen hard for my "manly" Atlanta men and their feisty heroines. It's been a great three years--including winning last year's Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Book 2 of Atlanta Heroes, To Protect the Child.

Along the way, my series created a family of three firefighter brothers, yet they'd never gotten their own chance to save lives and dreams and hearts. Firefighters were too obvious, I guess, and I was looking for my everyday guys to step up and take charge of saving the day. To the point that my editor finally sat me down to ask--what gives?

"Why haven't you written the firemen? WHY? It's a heroes series, for heaven's sake."

It occurred to me that perhaps I'd teased everyone for far too long.

And she'd loved to see something with a rough rescue hero having to deal with a little baby.

"Baby's are always great. What do you have against babies?"

It occurred to me that I used to write a lot of babies but had gotten away from it when I started writing more suspense into my stories. And that keeping my editor entertained was important to my career...

So, firemen and babies (and why not a secret baby, I figured, while I was at it) and suspense, because that's what Atlanta Heroes has turned out to be--my own fun world of action and suspense within the Superromance line. Cool. And since I was falling in love with the USA network's In Plain Sight at the time, why not add a heroine on the run from the mob and her federal protection, and maybe that could be why the cute little baby turns up as a secret that knocks our hunky hero onto his fire and rescue butt?

"Sure," my brave editor said, "we can do that at Super--as long as you make all that come together in the first scene of the first chapter, because we want an opening that will rock!!!"

Long story short (too late???) that's how The Firefighter's Secret Baby came to be, so if you read it and become a fan, be sure to think kindly of my editor, because it was all her idea ;o)

Check out the excerpt in my April Fresh Fiction Contest (where you can win a $20 Amazon gift certificate) and let me know if I hit the mark with the opening. Or if I didn't. Or if you've been following Atlanta Heroes for a while now. Or if you have any questions at all. I love to hear what readers think of the creative writing process and the stories that somehow find their way onto the page and into readers' homes. You're the best for giving our heroes life, so they can live on in your imagination ;o)

Comment out here today to be in the running to win one of the FIVE signed copies of The Firefighter's Secret Baby I'm giving away.

Oh, and over at my author blog. I'm running a release contest for the rest of the month, where you can comment as often as you like for your chance to win more Atlanta Heroes and another gift certificate.

Atlanta Heroes goodies for everyone!

Because everyone's a hero in my book ;o)

--Anna


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Fresh Pick | TEASE ME by Tracy Wolff

April 2010
On Sale: April 6, 2010
Featuring: Byron Hawthorne; Lacey Richards
304 pages
ISBN: 0451229258
EAN: 9780451229250
Paperback
$15.00

Romance Erotica Sensual
Buy at Amazon.com

Tease Me
by Tracy Wolff

You can look but you can't touch

The "edgy and erotic" (Shannon McKenna, New York Times bestselling author of Tasting Fear) author of Tie Me Down and Full exposure offers another steamy novel of sex, lies, and sultry games.

Burned once too often, true crime writer Lacey Richards has sworn off love. Instead, she explores her deepest desires through her anonymous- and very provocative-blog. Anonymous, that is, until her dark and ultrasexy neighbor discovers her dirty secret.

Stockbrocker-turned-carpenter Byron Hawthorne gave up life in the fast lane, hoping to start over in a new city. When he learns his alluring neighbor is the one writing the sizzling blog that keeps him up all night, he can't resist offering to fulfill her fantasies in the flesh. But Byron isn't the only man provoked by Lacey's writing. Now Lacey doesn't know who she can trust-and who she can dare to tease.

Drama, action, seduction, intrigue, romance and sexy hot scenes make this a great read.

Previous Picks

Mary Eason | The Dark Side of Writing Dark, Romantic Suspense

Do you ever wonder what it would be like to look into the mind of a killer?

What would you do if a killer were hunting you? What if you’re child was the target? What if the killer was someone you knew?

To quote Friedrich Nietzsche:

He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.

In SILENT WITNESS, my Cerridwen Press release, the killer was someone who loved the story’s heroine, Faith McKenzie obsessively, and was willing to do anything to make her his, even if it meant killing her to keep her from belonging to anyone else.

Ask any author who writes dark romantic suspense and they’ll tell you, it ain’t no walk in the park at times.

I think even for writers who create fictitious killers it’s still disturbing to consider that there are really such depraved people living in the world amongst us. To make a believable killer you have to do your homework.

For me, I love to watch Forensic Files and 48 Hours Mystery on TV. You can gain a great deal of knowledge simply by studying old case files. So why do people kill? Well, most psychologists will tell you there are two fundamental reasons someone will take another life. Love and money.

Both truly are the root of all evil. But there is another type of killer that is far more evil and cunning than all others. He’s extremely intelligent, he can blend into society well enough to be the neighbor next door, the unassuming man at work, the grocery delivery boy, and he lacks anything resembling a conscience. He’s a sociopath known as the serial killer. He kills for the thrill of it.

In DON’T CLOSE YOUR EYES, my first release from Cerridwen Press, my heroine, Megan Beaumont's psychic powers allowed her to witness the unimaginable pain inflicted by the Angel of Death serial killer on his victims, and it almost cost Megan her life when she became the Angel's final victim.

The FBI estimates that today there are some 50 active serial killers working among us in the US alone. That’s a frightening statistic to consider.

In ROOT OF ALL EVIL, my latest release from Cerridwen Press, my heroine, Anna Sorenson comes face to face with a serial killer like none other. Anna tries to escape his deadly trap. She walks from everything to gain redemption. But she doesn’t quite leave the past behind and as Anna soon learns, even in paradise evil still exists.

But I think I would be remiss if I left out another type of killer. The one who kills not for money, not for the love of another human, but for the love of a cause. I’m talking about the terrorist who justifies killing innocent victims in the name of patriotism.

In SHADOW GAMES. my latest release through Champagne Books, my heroine, Rachel Weiss, thought she’d left the shadowy world of espionage behind three years earlier until she received a text message from a stranger asking her if she knows where her former partner and lover Booth Tanner is. In an instant, Rachel is unwillingly plunged back into the murky world of danger an intrigue.

For me, writing about the dark side of romance is both rewarding and challenging. The characters leave their mark on you and make it hard to move on to the next story. And if they’re really chilling, they make it hard to sleep with the lights off at night.

All the best...
Mary Eason

Mary Eason writes both contemporary romances and dark, romantic suspense. Her latest release, Shadow Games, is available through Champagne Books.

Mary's website
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Fresh Pick | SCANDAL SHEET by Gemma Halliday

Hollywood Headlines #1

November 2009
On Sale: October 27, 2009
Featuring: Calvin Dean; Felix Dunn; Tina Bender
320 pages
ISBN: 0505528053
EAN: 9780505528056
Mass Market Paperback
$6.99

Contemporary Women's Fiction, Romance Suspense, Mystery Woman Sleuth
Buy at Amazon.com

Scandal Sheet
by Gemma Halliday

The L.A. Informer is Los Angeles's premier tabloid magazine, reporting on all the latest celebrity gossip, scandals and dirt. They're not above a little sensational exaggeration and have even been known, on occasion, to bend the law in pursuit of a hot story. Their ace reporter, Felix Dunn, has just been promoted to managing editor. Now, he's got his work cut out for him keeping the magazine running smoothly while keeping his staff in line…

Tina Bender is the Informer's gossip columnist extraordinaire. She knows everything about everyone who's anyone. And she's not afraid to print it. That is, until she receives a threatening note, promising, "If you don't stop writing about me, you're dead." Teaming with a built bodyguard, a bubbly blonde, and an alcoholic obituary writer, Tina sets out to uncover just which juicy piece of Hollywood gossip is worth killing over.

From gossip to murder -- this writer is not afraid to print news that may get her killed.

The first book in the Hollywood Headlines Mystery Series!!!

Excerpt

TEEN SENSATION ON MORAL VACATION:

LAST NIGHT THE INFORMER CAUGHT EVERYONE’S FAVORITE TEEN ACTRESS, JENNIFER WOOD, AT THE HOLLYWOOD MARTINI ROOM WITH A MEMBER OF A BOY BAND IN ONE HAND AND MARY JANE IN THE OTHER -

“Sh*t!”

“Tina!”

I swiveled in my chair to face my boss, Felix Dunn, standing in the doorway to his office, hands on hips.

“What?”

“Swear Pig.”

I pursed my lips together. “That doesn’t count.”

“I just heard you say ‘sh*t.’”

“It was computer related. Everyone knows computer related swearing doesn’t count.”

He narrowed his eyes. Clearly my argument wasn’t cutting it.

“It’s your own fault, you know,” I protested, changing tactics. I looked down at my computer. I’d been working on a juicy Read More...

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Jessica Andersen | Who's Your Favorite?

Mayan lore and modern science warn that 12/21/2012 could bring a global cataclysm ... a threat that is far more real than we imagine. Dark forces stand poised to overrun the earth and crush humanity beneath a vicious rule of terror and blood sacrifice. Our only hope rests with a group of saviors living in secret among us: modern magic-wielding warriors called the Nightkeepers.

Now, in the last few years before the 2012 doomsday, these magi must find and win their destined mates in order to protect the barrier of psi energy that forms humanity’s last line of defense against an ancient and powerful enemy.

Greetings, Fresh Fictioners!

I’m often asked, "Who is your favorite hero so far in the Nightkeeper books?" And when I’m asked that, I usually do a lost sort of guppy-gaping routine while I try to come up with a witty answer. But really, there’s only one answer to that question for me: I love each of them for different reasons. Every time I sit down to write, I fall in love with my hero and heroine, and get to watch them fall in love with each other.

The first book in the series, Nightkeepers, introduces almost all of the characters who will be in the nine-book series arc (each book stands alone as a romance, but they’re tied together in the overall save-the-world story).

Because there are so many characters are on the page, I worked to make them very different from each other, each with distinct flaws and virtues. And because of that, each of my heroes (and heroines, and supporting cast), have different things to like--and sometimes dislike--about them.

The hero of Nightkeepers, Strike, is a reluctant king who has to grow into his responsibilities ... and in the process falls for a woman the gods have chosen as their next sacrifice. In Dawnkeepers, shapeshifter Nate struggles against the idea of predestiny, refusing to let the gods define his life. I think perhaps the most sexual hero so far has been Michael, the hero of Skykeepers. He’s very dark, very dangerous, and very hooked in to his own sensuality.

But for me, perhaps one of the most lovable characters is Lucius, the hero of my new release, Demonkeepers. He’s my ‘nerd that roared’ character; he’s not the biggest or strongest among the Nightkeepers, and he doesn’t even have true magic (at least not at first), but he’s always wanted to be a hero.

But when demonic possession and a twist of magic leaves him with the powers of a prophet and he becomes the swashbuckling, magic-wielding Indiana Jones he’s always wanted to be, he quickly realizes that being a Nightkeeper isn’t the solution to all his problems ... it’s the start of a whole new set of them!

I love watching him grow into the hero he’s always wanted to be, even though he makes some really Big Mistakes along the way.

Then again, ask me the same question in a few months, and I’ll probably say that Brandt or Dez are my new favorite heroes. Part of my writing process is falling in love with each of these guys, and loving who they become with their heroines.

***

Today I’m giving away a signed copy of Demonkeepers, which is in stores now. All comments are entered to win--tell me who’s your favorite Nightkeeper, ask me a question, comment on the books, or just say ‘hi.’ I’ll be here all day, and would love to hear from you!

For more information on Demonkeepers and the other Nightkeeper novels, please check out my website.

To comment for a chance to win on Who's Your Favorite please click here.

Fresh Pick | FINAL SCREAM by Lisa Jackson

previously published as INTIMACIES

August 2005
Featuring: Cassidy Buchanan; Brig McKenzie
496 pages
ISBN: 0821777122
Paperback (reprint)
$7.99

Romance Suspense, Mystery, Suspense
Buy at Amazon.com

Now available in Kindle format.

Final Scream
by Lisa Jackson

The sound every killer waits for...

When there’s no escape from a cold-blooded killer, scream, scream as loud as you can…or it might be the last sound you ever make . . . .

As white-hot flames sear the dark night, a killer waits in the trees, watching the mill burn, listening for the screams—the only proof that justice has finally begun for the sins of long-ago.

For journalist Cassidy Buchanan, this inferno is a living nightmare: a reminder of the horrible, mysterious fire that destroyed her wealthy family seventeen years ago—and of Brig McKenzie, the handsome hellraiser accused of setting the blaze.

That tragic crime has never been solved, and already the whispers have begun in Prosperity, Oregon: Another fire, more deaths, and one common denominator—Cassidy herself.

Cassidy came home to Prosperity to put the past behind her, but it seems the past isn’t finished with Cassidy. Someone doesn’t want her to uncover the chilling truth…someone who has killed before and will kill again…a cold-blooded psychopath who is only waiting to hear her….FINAL SCREAM.

This extensive rewrite of an earlier book is compelling and suspenseful.

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Fresh Pick | FIRE AND ICE by Julie Garwood

January 2010
On Sale: December 29, 2009
Featuring: Jack MacAlister; Sophie Rose
400 pages
ISBN: 0345500768
EAN: 9780345500762
Mass Market Paperback (reprint)
$7.99

Romance Suspense
Buy at Amazon.com

Fire and Ice
by Julie Garwood

Sophie Rose is a crime reporter at a major Chicago newspaper and the daughter of Bobby Rose, a charming gentleman and big-time thief. When asked to write an exposé about her notorious father, Sophie quits and goes to work at a small newspaper, covering local personalities such as William Harrington, the 5K runner whose trademark is red socks. Those socks—with Sophie's business card tucked inside—are practically all that's found after Harrington is killed near Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, seemingly in a brutal polar bear attack.

Sophie heads north to investigate, but danger follows in her wake. After one attempt on her life, she's assigned brash but sexy Jack MacAlister as a bodyguard. But Sophie and Jack will soon be fighting more than their growing passion for each other. Powerful forces will stop at nothing to prevent the exposure of the sinister conspiracy Sophie and Jack are about to uncover.

A fast-paced romantic suspense filled with lots of excitement, thrills and chills.

Previous Picks