The Fresh Fiction Podcast

200 episodes, 1 missing author, 14 incredible readers

200: 14 Readers, 40+ Books, and One Missing CIA Novelist

Episode 200 of the Fresh Fiction Podcast is here.  200 episodes. Evolving from chat, to film and television, to books and authors. Hundreds of author conversations. Thousands of book recommendations. And one community that shows up, week after week, for the love of reading.  Thank you for being part of this. Here’s to the next 200.  → freshfiction.com/newsletters.php

25 Years, 40+ Books, and One Story She Wasn't Supposed to Tell Yet — Julianne MacLean on What Tomorrow Will Be

Julianne MacLean has been writing heartbreak and hope for 25 years — and she's just getting started. Host Samantha Tennant sits down with the USA Today bestselling author of What Tomorrow Will Be to talk about first loves, falling down and getting back up, and a brand-new chapter she wasn't supposed to announce yet. Plus Jane Eyre, Skittles, and a rescue dog named Rosie.

Such Sheltered Lives: Alyssa Sheinmel on Celebrity Secrets, Dead Bodies, and Her Adult Fiction Debut

What happens when three celebrities land in the same ultra-exclusive rehab — and someone ends up dead? That's the opening of Such Sheltered Lives, the electric adult debut from New York Times bestselling author Alyssa Sheinmel.

Host Samantha Tennant sits down with Alyssa for a wide-ranging conversation about the leap from YA to adult fiction, the joys and challenges of writing multiple narrators, and how she crafts twists that feel both surprising and inevitable on the second read.

They also dig into Alyssa's fascinating work as a collaborative and ghost writer — including her official novels for Umbrella Academy, Outer Banks, and The Haunting of Sunshine Girl — and what it means to inhabit characters you didn't create. Plus: Fresh Fiction Facts, dream casting, and a very strong case for Birkenstock clogs.

From Bartender to Bestseller: Annabelle Anders on Self-Publishing, Rejection, and 40+ Novels

Romance author Annabelle Anders joins Samantha Tennant to talk about her unlikely path to publishing, the Regency series that almost never was, and why she finally wrote the curvy heroine she had long avoided — and what that choice taught her about herself.

Demons, Dynasties, and 24 Books: Inside the Stone Slayer Epic with Candace Lynn Talmadge

Candace Lynn Talmadge didn’t just imagine the Stone Slayer series — she believes she lived it. A former business journalist turned dark high fantasy author, Candace joins Samantha Tennant on the Fresh Fiction Video Book Club to talk about the obsession that’s driven her since childhood, the literal demon she had to add to her nine-book-and-counting series, and why the fictional society of Asgard feels uncomfortably familiar right now. With four generations of fierce women, 24 planned books, and a story rooted in past-life healing, this is a conversation about what it truly means to be called to write.

Fairytales, Dark Romance & Writing from the Heart with Naima Simone

USA Today bestselling author Naima Simone joins Samantha Tennant to talk about her journey from writing New Edition fan fiction in seventh grade to crafting some of the most emotionally layered romance series in the genre today. From the beloved Rose Bend small-town series to her boldly dark Huntsman fairytale reimaginings, Naima shares what drives her to write complex, unforgettable characters — and why fear is never a good enough reason to say no to a new creative challenge.

Kirsten Pursell on Heartbreak, Midlife, and Writing the Women We Actually Are

Bestselling author Kirsten Pursell joins Samantha Tennant to talk about THE UNABRIDGED LIFE OF MISSY KINCAID — an emotionally raw, ultimately uplifting novel about a woman who rises from her lowest point. Kirsten opens up about the real heartbreak and grief that shaped Missy's story, why she writes imperfect women who refuse to quit, and what's coming next in the Scarlet's Harlots trilogy.

Grumpy Dukes, Busty Bodices & Body-Positive Romance: A Conversation with Eliana Piers

In this episode of the Fresh Fiction Video Book Club, host Samantha Tennant sits down with award-winning bestselling historical romance author Eliana Piers to talk all things steamy Regency romance—and the bold multi-author series she dreamed up from scratch.

How does Hank Phillippi Ryan write her thriller novels? Process, Plotting & Publishing Revealed

Emmy Award–winning investigative journalist turned thriller novelist Hank Phillippi Ryan joins Fresh Fiction to talk about her USA Today bestselling novel All This Could Be Yours — a spine-tingling thriller set on a book tour from hell. Hank reveals her unique 'discovery writing' process, what it's like to write 20 novels without an outline, and why she considers every reader a partner in bringing a story to life. A must-listen for fans of suspense, storytelling craft, and strong women who fight back.

Forgotten Women of WWII: The Real WASP Pilots Behind AMERICAN SKY

Carolyn Dasher joins Fresh Fiction to discuss AMERICAN SKY, her debut historical novel inspired by the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II. In this episode, she shares the real history behind these groundbreaking female pilots, the emotional cost of their post-war dismissal, and how she crafted a multi-generational story spanning WWII and Vietnam. A must-listen for fans of historical fiction, women’s history, and powerful mother-daughter narratives.