Episodes
Sunday Jan 01, 2023
Faves of 2022 + Gift Exchange
Sunday Jan 01, 2023
Sunday Jan 01, 2023
Vibe Check
We’re ready for the holidays! Also, it’s COLD. Danielle has finished her Christmas shopping and Gwen attended TWO Christmas markets.
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Faves of 2022
Both of your girls are dealing with feelings about media consumption—being okay with being behind and not being the target audience for everything anymore.
TV
Danielle: The Bear on FX/Hulu, Heartstopper on Netflix, Ms. Marvel on Disney+, Abbott Elementary on ABC, My Brilliant Friend on HBO Max, Miss Scarlett and the Duke on PBS
Gwen: The Bear, The White Lotus, The Handmaid’s Tale, Harry and Meghan doc, Rick and Morty, Abbott Elementary, Hacks, Bad Sisters, Yellowjackets, Wednesday, The Dropout, WeCrashed
MOVIES
Danielle: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Turning Red, Catherine Called Birdy
Gwen: Everything, Everywhere, All at Once; Turning Red, The Princess, Barbarian
BOOKS
Danielle: Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron, After Hours on Milagro Street by Angelina M Lopez, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt, Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley, Stirring Up Love by Chandra Blumberg, Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne, My Aunt is a Monster by Reimena Yee, Wash Day Diaries by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith
Gwen: A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera, Meet Me in the Bathroom by Lizzy Goodman, The Accidental Pinup by Danielle Jackson
MISC.
Danielle: Vitamin String Quartet (music), Renaissance by Beyonce (music), It’s Been a Minute with new host Brittany Luse (podcast)
Gwen: Wet Leg by Wet Leg (music); I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi (podcast), Articles of Interest (podcast, specifically the Prep season); You Must Remember This (podcast, erotic 80s); Spectacle (podcast, true crime); The Missing Pages (podcast, literary scandals); The Pixies (music)
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Host Gift Exchange!
Danielle’s gift from Gwen: a LizzyKate tea sampler: St. Nick’s Tea, Cranberry Hibiscus, Masala Chai, and Moroccan Mint and a tea-tasting notebook!
Gwen’s gift from Danielle: You Already Have the Answers: A Gratitude Journal by Amanda Deibert and a Felt Flower Making Kit
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Last ep, Danielle said she needed to clean her desk. She actually cleaned her desk and her entire house, but now her desk is a mess again. This week, she needs to do ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE copyedits! She has also been enjoying Doritos 3D Crunch snacks.
Gwen wanted to get into a better nighttime face washing routine so she could use her new, fancy La Mer product, and she has started! This time, Gwen wants to start prepping for her big 2023 project: making all of the recipes in America’s Test Kitchen Cooking for Two Cookbook! Gwen is also having all the egg nog lattes (and neither host likes egg nog on its own).
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Monday Sep 26, 2022
What We’re Looking Forward To for Fall 2022!
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Hi, It’s future Gwen. Danielle and I planned to take the month of September off, but leave you with a few episodes before the hiatus. Life got in the way of our plans, and due to hectic travel and writing schedules, and attempting to spend time with family before the end of the summer – we had to take a longer break than we originally expected. We’re back with three brand-new episodes this month, including interviews with Denise Williams and Celestine Martin. But first, Danielle and I share our most anticipated fall entertainment. Just for some context, we recorded this conversation before TIFF and the Venice Film Festival.
Vibe Check
Danielle and Gwen are out here surviving and thriving! It was Danielle’s daughter’s 8th birthday and Gwen did ALL OF HER LAUNDRY. Please clap.
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Main Discussion
Danielle’s 4th Quarter Goal/Intention: Get back on a regular writing schedule
Gwen’s 4th Quarter Goal/Intention: Intermittent Fasting + Fall activities (apple picking!)
Danielle’s Favorite Fall Recipe: Pumpkin Pie Cobbler (I used 1 TBSP of pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices and leave out the orange extract)
Gwen’s Favorite Fall Recipe: Shepherd’s Pie
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Fall 2022 Recs!
SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER
Danielle: Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power (9/2 Amazon Prime), the return of Abbot Elementary (9/21; Quinta Burnson Awards Chatter podcast interview), Celebrity Jeopardy and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune, the return of Miss Scarlett and the Duke (10/16, PBS), The Woman King (9/16), Blonde (9/23, Netflix), Don’t Worry Darling (9/23), Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams (9/6), The Caretaker by Alyssa Cole (9/6); On the Hustle by Adriana Herrera (10/11), The Belle of Bellgrave Square by Mimi Matthews (10/11)
Gwen: Celebrity Jeopardy (9/25); Monarch (9/20 Fox); So Help Me Todd (9/29 CBS); Alaska Daily (10/6 ABC); Young Rock (11/4 NBC); Interview with the Vampire (10/2 AMC); A League of Their Own (August Amazon), The Silent Twins (9/16); Bros (9/30); Ticket to Paradise (10/21); New season of You Must Remember This; Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Cool It Down”
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
Danielle: A Knives Out Mystery (November), Amsterdam (11/4), Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (11/11), Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne (11/15); Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca (12/6)
Gwen: The Menu (11/18); She Said (11/18); Empire of Light (12/9); I Wanna Dance with Somebody (12/21)
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle FINALLY cleaned her house and needs to drink more water after a very busy publication month. She has been finding immense joy in Nothing Bundt Cakes confetti buntinis.
Gwen is continuing to potty train her puppy and would like to work on her squats. The Bellevue Candle in Vanilla and Monk Fruit (from our beloved Costco) is the perfect scent to bring a sense of comfort.
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Tuesday Jul 26, 2022
The Accidental Pinup is Here! + Interview with Danielle Jackson
Tuesday Jul 26, 2022
Tuesday Jul 26, 2022
Vibe Check
We took a break and feel great! But we’re so happy to be back!!
Danielle is attempting to go on vacation and release a book and work at the bookshop all at the same time. But she actually updated the News and Events sections of her website—go look at them!
Gwen got a NEW PUPPY (who is noisily chewing/playing with her bone throughout this episode)! That is both her vibe and her achievement this week, and we are here for it.
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What pop culture have we been consuming this summer?
We both HIGHLY recommend The Bear (FX on Hulu).
What Gwen is watching: Loot (Apple TV+), Barry (HBO Max)
What Danielle is watching: Heartstopper (Netflix), Ms. Marvel (Disney+) Queen Sugar (OWN/Hulu), Wimbledon
What Gwen is reading: Meet Me in The Bathroom by Lizzie Goodman
What Danielle is reading: Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley, Heartbreaker by Sara MacLean (August), Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng (October); re-reads: the entire Reluctant Royals Series by Alyssa Cole, all of Lore Olympus on Webtoons
What Gwen is listening to: Podcasts: You Must Remember This, Spectacle podcast, You’re Wrong About (Go Ask Alice); Music: Wet Leg, WILLOW, Beyonce, Bob Moses
What Danielle is listening to: Podcasts: Newcomers (MCU season), Wait is This a Date w/ Drew Gregory and Christina Tucker; Music: Harry’s House
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Interview with Danielle Jackson (we know her!)
THE ACCIDENTAL PINUP hits stores on July 19th!
For buy links and info to order personalized, signed copies from independent bookstores: https://daniellejacksonbooks.com/books
Website: https://daniellejacksonbooks.com/
https://twitter.com/DJacksonBooks
https://www.instagram.com/djacksonbooks/
https://www.goodreads.com/daniellejackson
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle didn’t really spend a ton of time outside like she wanted to (plans to make up for this in FL!)… This week, Danielle wants to focus on enjoying vacation and her book launch week!!!! She has found immense comfort in Ben & Jerry’s Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream Ice Cream and Pilot Acroball Fine Point ballpoint pens (Gwen recommends Pentel Energel RTX pens as well)
Gwen did cook for herself while her husband was on a business trip, but then her fridge died, so... This week, Gwen wants to potty train her new pup, Aria! Her comfort this week comes from La Colombe Coffee (found at our beloved Costco, natch)
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Saturday Mar 19, 2022
Oscar Predictions + Kristy Woodson Harvey Interview
Saturday Mar 19, 2022
Saturday Mar 19, 2022
Vibe Check
It’s cold and dreary in both Washington and Illinois. Gwen has found a new apartment and Danielle hosted two events: a virtual event with Lauren Kate and a sold-out in-person event with Bob Odenkirk.
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Main Discussion
In just a few short weeks, this year’s Academy Awards will be handed out. Gwen and Danielle discuss if the Oscaras “matter” anymore, what goes into Oscar campaigns, and of course, our predictions for this year’s winners! We don’t over all the categories, but you can find a full list of nominees here: https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/2022.
Danielle mentioned the podcast Fat Mascara, and in particular episodes with Cruella makeup artist Nadia Stacey and Gwen Stefani.
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Interview with Kristy Woodson Harvey
THE WEDDING VEIL will be in stores on March 29th! It is set at the legendary Biltmore Estate.
Kristy’s Peachtree Bluff series has been optioned to be adapted into a TV series! She told us about helping write the pilot and more exclusive details.
Reading is Kristy’s self-care! She recommends GILT by Jamie Brenner, REMINDERS OF HIM by Colleen Hoover, ONCE UPON A WARDROBE by Patty Callahan, THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews, and books by William Kent Kreuger.
Head to Kristy’s website, sign up for her newsletter, and find her on Instagram and Facebook. She’s also a part of the Friends & Fiction Facebook group!
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
We gave ourselves a break from goals last time! This week, Gwen wants to clean out her closet and Danielle needs to clean her desk! Danielle bought a huge tub of Stonefire Naan Dippers from Costco and has been enjoying them immensely. Gwen is loving the Salt & Straw Pot of Rainbows cereal-flavored ice cream.
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
Quote-Unquote Cool Girls + Mia P. Manansala Interview
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
Saturday Mar 05, 2022
Vibe Check
It has been... a week, LOL!
Gwen is going to her first concert in a while—Eddie Vedder!
Danielle did a virtual event with friend of the pod Jessica P. Pryde with Books are Magic last week. Follow her on social media for the link the replay!
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Main Discussion
Some of the cool girls we discussed:
Gone Girl, and the Salon article
Everyone on Euphoria
Julia Gardner/Anna from Inventing Anna
Anne Hathaway/Rivka in We Crashed
Sarah Michelle Gellar/Katherine in Cruel Intentions
Mila Kunis/ Rachel in Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Megan Fox/Reagan from New Girl
Celebs: Glen Close, Olivia Coleman, Jennifer Lawrence, Zendaya, Billie Eilish, Betty White, Dionne Warwick
Books: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake, Not the Girl You Marry by Andie J. Christopher
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Recs from Mia P. Manansala
Website: https://www.miapmanansala.com/ (sign up for her newsletter!)
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPMtheWriter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MPMtheWriter/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mpmthewriter/
All the food!
Celebration/common Filipino dishes: Adobo, Lumpia, Pancit
Unheard of dishes: Ginataang Bilo-bilo
Good starter dish for the home cook: Sinigang
Mia’s website has a ton of recipes from and inspired by her book!
Cozy mystery series Mia and her mom enjoy: Joanna Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series, Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop Mysteries, Raquel V. Reyes’s Caribbean Mystery series
Mia LOVES candles. Bath & Body Works are among her favorites, but she also mentioned two small Filiapina-owned candle makers: Terra and Kilig
Mia is also a new romance reader and enjoys novels by Talia Hibbert, Alyssa Cole, and Sherry Thomas!
Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle has succeeded in making her lunch for work! Gwen hasn’t gotten around to exploring her neighborhood, but she has been taking Ronin (her dog!) on new walking routes.
And... we are taking a break from goals this week!
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson Dresser
Fresh Fiction
Friday Oct 22, 2021
A Riches of Witches + Lana Harper!
Friday Oct 22, 2021
Friday Oct 22, 2021
Vibe Check
We want to hear from you! For our Thanksgiving episode, we want our listeners to tell us what to talk about! Email podcast@freshfiction.com with your ideas/requests/topics/questions and we’ll yammer on about it at the end of November.
Gwen has made a ton of soup. She is really proud that she had a game night with some of their new friends, and played Abandon All Artichokes, Betrayal at Baldur’s Gate, and Clank. Danielle has a wild plan to finish her current WIP and maybe (possibly) write another book before the end of the year...
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Main Discussion
We both love witches and the broad scope they cover in entertainment. We both hold the 1996 film THE CRAFT close to our hearts. And we loved the trajectory of a character like the Wicked Witch of the West, who we grew up with in The Wizard of Oz, then saw the flip side of in WICKED by Gregory Macguire, and again with the musical.
Gwen’s recs: Hocus Pocus, The VVitch, Tara and Willow on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Fear Street 1666, Lore Podcast, American Horror Story (Coven and Apocalypse), and Ursula the Sea Witch from The Little Mermaid
Danielle’s recs: The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Scarlett Witch from WandaVision, The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, Witch Please by Anne Aguirre, Big Witch Energy by Kelly Jamieson, Alexis Daria’s Audible original: What the Hex, Witches of Brooklyn series by Sophie Escabasse (middle grade), Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis (YA)
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Recs from LANA HARPER
Lana has written in different genres! Be sure to check out all of her books on her website: https://www.lanapopovicbooks.com/
Lana’s Favorite Pop Culture Witches: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Magicians, True Blood. Danielle mentioned the Wicked Witch of the West but also brought up Gregory McGuire’s WICKED and the Broadway Musical; Gwen brought up Hocus Pocus and American Horror Story: Coven. Then we all remembered Practical Magic and The Craft!!
Lana finds immense comfort in perfume! She’s also enjoying The L Word: Generation Q and For All Mankind.
Look for Lana’s next witchy romance, FROM BAD TO CURSED, in Spring 2022.
Follow Lana on Twitter, @LanaPopovicLit, and Instagram, @LanaLyte. For more info, go to her website: https://www.lanapopovicbooks.com/.
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Goals/Comfort & Joy
Gwen made so much soup with the stock she made last week! This week she wants to wake up by 6:30am. And she finally got a cozy “shacket,” aka a Plush Shirt Jacket from Costco.
Danielle turned in her copyedits! This week she wants to start prepping for NaNoWriMo. And she made Double Chocolate Coffee Addict Cookies by Sweet & Simple Kitchen.
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EMAIL US!
Thoughts or questions? Email us at podcast@freshfiction.com.
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Find us on the Socials!
Gwen Reyes
Danielle Jackson
Fresh Fiction
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Trope Madness! (Romance Tropes + Reese Ryan)
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Thursday Jun 24, 2021
Vibe Check
The Type-A Queen of our hearts: Gwen has created a spreadsheet for her new local dining options!
Actual human interaction!?! Danielle hosted an in-person event to celebrate Love’s Sweet Arrow’s 2nd anniversary! Our pal, @TheLindaShow, took some fun photos!!
Romance Tropes
If you are interested in more in-depth coverage of Romance Tropes and what they mean and why romance readers love them, check out these great podcasts: Fated Mates, Learning the Tropes, Whoa!mance, and Shelf Love.
Our Faves and Recs!
Danielle's favorite tropes and recs:
Second chance romance: Reese Ryans's A Reunion of Rivals and Second Chance on Cypress Lane, Naima Simone's The Road to Rose Bend
Enemies to lovers: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, The Ex-Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon, The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa
Grumpy/Sunshine: Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert, Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur, Managed by Kristin Callihan
Gwen's favorite tropes and recs:
Second chance romance: the Netflix movie, Always Be My Maybe (come for feelings, but stay for KEANU!)
One-night-stand who ends up being the boss/co-worker/neighbor: Mer-Der on Grey's Anatomy (this EXACT moment, LOL)
Love triangle: Vampire Diaries (Danielle snuck in a rec for One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London!)
Recs from REESE RYAN
Reese has all the books out: WAKING UP MARRIED, SECOND CHANCE ON CYPRESS LANE, SOMETHING ABOUT YOU.
She’s been using Sarra Cannon’s HB90 organization bootcamp plan to stay focused.
Authors she enjoys reading: Rochelle Alers, Maisey Yates, Kathy Douglass
Check out her YouTube chat show, The Story Behind the Story (and so you can see her cute nose ring).Some of her favorite chats have been with Beverley Jenkins and Brenda Jackson and she’s excited to talk to Talia Hibbert and Donna Hill
Look for a new continuity series by Reese, Karen Booth, and Joss Wood about foster brothers this fall: HOMECOMING HEARTBREAKER by Joss Wood (July), BEST LAID WEDDING PLANS by Karen Booth (August), and JUST A LITTLE MARRIED by Reese Ryan (September)
Visit https://www.reeseryan.com/ for more information and to sign up for Reese’s newsletter. You can follow her on Twitter, Facebook, Facebook Reader Group, and Instagram.
Goals/Comfort & Joy
Danielle’s (almost) no-coffee experiment continues, and now she wants to travel safely to see her family. She’s also obsessed with the Etsy shop, Fugly Barbie! Some of her faves: Cute Spooky Vibes sweatshirt, Romance Noves are My Therapy sticker, Support Your Local Coven tee, and Hot and Steamy mug.
Gwen did not unpack, but she does have to do it... eventually. She’d like to stop crossing her legs under her while she works at her desk, and has enjoyed watching In The Heights and Hacks, both of which are on HBO Max.
Find us on the Socials!
Gwen @ReelVixen
Danielle @dj_dresser
Fresh Fiction @FreshFiction
Tuesday Jun 19, 2018
Episode 0108: Interview with Jocelyn Green
Tuesday Jun 19, 2018
Tuesday Jun 19, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL BOOKS and BETHANY HOUSE, publishers of the new books A REFUGE ASSURED by Jocelyn Green. I’m your host Gwen Reyes and I recently chatted with Jocelyn about A REFUGE ASSURED, writing historical romances set in the colonial times, and how watching PARKS AND RECREATION with her husband after a long day is the perfect way to unwind.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by subscribing and rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
A REFUGE ASSURED by Jocelyn Green
Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia but finds the same dangers lurking in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers threaten the life of a young boy left in her care, who some suspect to be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement, Azilum, offer permanent refuge?
Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate the land of his hard-won farm near Azilum, but soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they will be drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long.
Inspirational Historical | Romance Historical [Bethany House, On Sale: February 6, 2018, Paperback, ISBN: 9780764219078 / eISBN: 9781493413690]
Buy A REFUGE ASSURED: Amazon.com | BN.com | iTunes/iBooks | Kobo | Google Play | Powell's Books | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Ripped Bodice |
Wednesday May 23, 2018
Episode 0104: 'First Burn,' BOOK CLUB, and an interview with Lynette Eason
Wednesday May 23, 2018
Wednesday May 23, 2018
The Fresh Fiction Podcast is brought to you by REVELL and BETHANY HOUSE BOOKS, who are celebrating the release of THE ACCIDENTAL GUARDIAN by Mary Connealy.
Hi guys! Welcome back to the Fresh Fiction Podcast, where we break down all the fun things we’ve watched, read, and listened to this week. I’m your new best friend, Gwen Reyes. Today I’m digging into the latest Hamildrop from Lin-Manuel Miranda called FIRST BURN. I also fell in love with the new movie, BOOK CLUB (read my review).
Also on today’s episode, I chatted with Lynette Eason, author of OATH OF HONOR. We talked about how she creates high suspense with great romances, her love of WHEN CALLS THE HEART, and how reading in her genre makes her a better writer.
If you love what you hear, don’t forget to subscribe to the Fresh Fiction Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play – or any of your favorite podcast apps. You can also follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
We’re still growing, so please help us out by rating the podcast, leaving a comment, or even just sharing it on social media. You can find us on twitter, Instagram, and on Facebook. I’ll be back next time with something new to watch, read, and listen to!
OATH OF HONOR by Lynette Eason
When police officer Isabelle St. John's partner is murdered, she must work with Detective Ryan Marshall to solve a case that may force her to choose between family and justice.
Police officer Isabelle St. John loves her crazy, loud, law-enforcement family. With three brothers and two sisters, she's never without someone to hang out with--or fight with. And she knows they'll be there for her when things get tough. Like when her partner is murdered and she barely escapes with her own life.
Determined to discover exactly what happened, Izzy's investigation sends her headfirst into a criminal organization, possibly with cops on the payroll--including someone from her own family. With her dead partner's handsome homicide detective brother Ryan shadowing her every move, Izzy's head is spinning. How can she secure justice for her partner when doing so could mean sending someone she loves to prison? And how will she guard her heart when the man she's had a secret crush on for years won't leave her side?
With her signature fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat action, Lynette Eason invites readers into a captivating new series where justice is a family affair.
Romance Suspense | Inspirational Romance [Revell, On Sale: January 2, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800727215 / eISBN: 9781493412532]
Can a murder be solved or will secrets be reveal that puts others in danger?