Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: High Meadow by Freya Barker

Book Description

An emergency call to pick up an injured stallion on the side of the road sends Alexandra Hart, the new owner of Hart’s Horse Rescue, into action. A recent addition to the area, she is not impressed when the animal’s taciturn owner shows up. With his less-than-stellar disposition, he’s the kind of man she normally avoids at all costs, unfortunately, he owns the ranch just down the road.

However, when the manhunt for a pair of escaped prisoners gets a little too close for comfort, Jonas turns out to be a better neighbor than she expected.

The Alex who shows up at his ranch to help with his prize stud’s recovery is not exactly who Jonas Harvey expected. This is the same bleeding heart he met on the side of the road. Worried she’s not up for the job, he’d prefer to keep a close eye on her but his High Mountain Trackers team gets called in to track down a group of domestic terrorists.

But the slip of a woman proves him wrong. On all fronts. Alex not only charms his horses but him as well, and when trouble comes calling she proves to be a worthy ally to boot.

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Elise’s Thoughts

High Meadow by Freya Barker has strong independent women facing off against alpha-males. It is a modern-day western suspense with added doses of romance.

The story is set in Libby Montana where Jonas Harvey has the High Meadow Stud Horse Ranch, which neighbors with Hart’s Horse Rescue.  When one of Jonas’ horses goes lame with a leg injury, Alex Hart is asked to help heal him. Jonas did not expect Alex to be a female but finds a woman who is confident in her abilities to heal horses a la the Heartland TV show.

The suspense comes when two escaped convicts begin working with nationalists and homesteaders who are setting bombs. Because Jonas also has a business, the High Mountain Trackers, they are asked to find the domestic terrorists and help to assist the arrogant FBI and DHS agents. After retiring from the Special Forces Jonas had set up the High Mountain Trackers with his ex-military buddies, Fletch, Sully and Bo.  This elite team uses all the special talents and knowledge acquired during their military careers to track and rescue, or recover, the lost, or the hiding.

Alex and her friend Lucy have a business that rescues abandoned and abused horses as well as dogs and a donkey. New to the area, they would have to build the rehabilitation reputation of their farm. But everything is put on hold until the convicts are found because they have decided to set up their terrorism operations on Alex’s land.

The hero and heroine are respectively in their fifties and forties.  While working together both Jonas and Alex realize there is a chemistry between them.  Although they did not seek out a romance it seems to have found them. Now Jonas must use his gruff skills to protect her, while she shows him that nobody will push her around and she will not avert danger. Readers will enjoy learning about the characters while getting a riveting mystery/thriller.  This first in a four-book series is filled with action and great banter between the characters.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Why the setting?

Freya Barker: My daughter lives out in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, and she does a lot of camping down into Montana. Most of my writing takes place in the Colorado area, but I thought Montana would be interesting to write about, especially since it is a place I always wanted to go. A photographer friend of mine showed me a picture she had taken of a rancher, that became the cover for High Meadow. I decided to write about Lincoln County in Montana. The homesteader idea came from discussions with my son, an avid hunter.

EC:  Why a horse rescue for the female lead, Alex?

FB:  I always dreamed of having one when I was younger.  As a three-year-old growing up in Holland I saw a functioning farm behind us. At that age I was put on a Belgium horse.  I had no fear and loved the experience.  I had been around horses my entire young life. I adore horses.  My dream growing up was to come to Canada to have enough space to own a horse.  I emigrated to Canada when I was twenty-seven with my young children.  LOL, I have lived in Canada for over thirty years and still do not have a horse.

EC:  How would you describe Alex?

FB:  Independent, motivated by idealism, emotional, passionate, strong, determined, big-hearted, and pragmatic. She is a bit of an earth-mother type. She has preconceived ideas which can make her a bit naïve.  She relocated herself to a place where she knew nobody so I would say she is also adventurous. The main drives in her life were to raise her son after her husband was killed and to build up a business.

EC:  How would you describe Jonas?

FB:  He is a traditionalist and old fashioned. He has lived in a male dominated environment, being surrounded by ranchers and having been in Special Forces. He is considerate and can be a charmer when he wants to be. Jonas can also be open-minded.

EC:  What about the relationship?

FB:  It is a mature relationship.  Neither is looking for a partner, yet there was some chemistry both could not ignore.  There is not a lot of angst, emotional situations, in the relationship, but more a cerebral approach. I am not a fairy tale writer and want it to be real.  I hope I reflected that they could talk about misunderstandings and their feelings. I put in my books how others see the relationship before the hero and heroine and will tease them. Because they are slightly older characters people around them can see what is happening first.  In the beginning Alex is guarded but not for long, because she was willing to open to a possibility.

EC:  Ama/Jonas relationship versus Lucy/Alex?

FB:  They both behave as siblings.  With Lucy and Alex there is friendship, a little bit of big sister, and nurturing from Alex to Lucy.  With Ama/Jonas she is the nurturer. Both Lucy and Ama are direct and blunt. Lucy has a defense mechanism because of what happened to her that makes her more abrasive. Ama is also loving, and the directness is part of her personality.  Both control the household.

EC:  Why the military angle?

FB:  I have had military angles before.  I group of my friends are ex-military.  I use the veteran component.  Readers get a certain picture of an alpha male.  It is a quick way for people to identify with the characters.  It is also a way to honor them.  A lot of skills learned in the military can be used, for example tracking. Jonas was in Afghanistan, Alex’s late husband fought in Afghanistan, and Alex’s son is fighting in Iraq.  It made for a credible source since they step up to the plate and would not sit by the sidelines.  I also tried to make it realistic. I asked people who knew and did research to find out information.

EC:  The thriller end has a lot of 3-letter agencies?

FB:  There are jurisdictional issues.  It can be different from state-to-state and county-to-county.  In this case I researched the town and county. I found out how the departments worked.

EC:  Next books?

FB:  The book just out, book two, is High Stakes.  The hero is Fletch who is a broody individual and likes to be in the shadows.  He has spent some time in Canada and was found there by Jonas when assembling his team.  Fletch lives off the grid. Because he is a tracker he was approached by a woman, Nella, whose sister, Fili, is missing. There is a lot of wildernesses involved as with tracking, tracing, adventure, and hiking. Book 3 called High Ground comes out in August.  The hero and heroine are Sully and Fili.  Book 4 will be released in December.  The hero and heroine are Bo and Lucy.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Book Review: High Stakes by Freya Barker

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HIGH STAKES (High Mountain Trackers Book #2) by Freya Barker is an action-packed romantic suspense featuring another of the High Mountain Trackers meeting his match in the strong-willed older sister looking for her missing younger sister. This book can be read as a standalone even with the carryover of characters from book one.

Antonella “Nella” Freling is a research librarian for a Canadian university who has not heard from her younger sister Filipa “Fili” who was supposed to be at Nella’s home over a week ago. They are never out of touch, even though Fili wonders the country in her mobile home. When the authorities seem to be ignoring her, she takes matters into her own hands and travels to Montana to hire a tracker her friends have recommended.

Fletcher Boone is a team member on the High Mountain Trackers due to the persistence of Jonas, his ex-military superior. Her prefers his own company and has been known as Mr. Grumpy, but he has his reasons. Fletch and Nella do not hit it off in the beginning of their search, but Nella soon sees Fletch is concerned with her safety and Fletch discovers the determined side of Nella.

As Nella and Fletch search for the missing sister, Fletch has his hands full with the head-strong Nella who will do anything to find her sister even as she places herself in danger.

This book is another exciting romantic suspense in the High Mountain Trackers series. Nella and Fletch have a slow burn romance intertwined in a search and rescue and crime suspense plot that is full of twists. I found Nella and Fletch to be believable in their dance from self-protection to trust and love. All the characters from book one are back to watch Mr. Grumpy fall and provide some entertaining dialogue. This is a cast of characters that pull you right into their stories and I cannot wait for more.

I highly recommend this exciting romantic suspense, this series, and all the books by this author!

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Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebookTwitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

Book Review: High Meadow by Freya Barker

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

HIGH MEADOW (High Mountain Trackers Book #1) by Freya Barker is the exciting start to a new romantic suspense series. This series is set in Montana and features a group of ex-military men who served together and now are using their skills as a team called the High Mountain Trackers.

Alexandra “Alex” Hart has recently moved to Montana and started Hart’s Horse Rescue with a friend. Even though she has a less than favorable start with the man who runs a large ranch down the road, she is hired to help with his prize stud’s recovery from an injury.

Jonas Harvey is surprised when Alex shows up to help with his horse. He was expecting a man, not the woman from down the road. As he keeps a close eye on her work, he comes to admire her skill.

When two prisoners escape from U.S. Marshals during transport, the High Mountain trackers are hired to help find them. The prisoners are a part of a domestic terrorist group and no one in the area is safe. As the sparks fly between Jonas and Alex, the danger intensifies, and Jonas learns that Alex has his back and is a worthy ally.

When I see Ms. Barker’s name on a book, I know I am going to fall in love with a new mature couple who are meant for each other, even if they don’t know it at first. I just fall into her stories and do not get back up until “The End”. The suspense keeps you turning the pages and her H/h are realistic, believable and a couple you grow to love. I am always sad when these books end, but since most are tied to a series, I know more great stories will be coming. Freya Barker is an automatic “buy” for me.

I highly recommend this romantic suspense and this author!

***

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebookTwitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Watching Trin by Freya Barker

Hi, everyone!

Today I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for the Release Blitz of WATCHING TRIN (On Call Book #7)(Police and Fire Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker.

Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Freelance journalist and single mom, Katrina (Trin) Paige, has recently returned to her hometown to help her sister care for their elderly father. They’ve barely settled back into Durango’s daily life when her rebellious teenage son gets himself in tumultuous waters. While being rescued by the local fire department, he unwittingly uncovers a decades-old crime hidden underneath the churning rapids of the Animas River. 

Once Trin’s life is back on an even keel, her sharp nose for a compelling story starts twitching and she dives headfirst into an investigation of her own. The more she uncovers, the closer she gets to the firefighter who not only pulled her son from the river, but who also seems present everywhere she turns.

Bodhi (Roadkill) Jones doesn’t believe in things like fate, although, he can’t deny the way his life seems to be entwined with the spunky redhead is more than mere coincidence. In fact, he’s been wondering how it is possible she escaped his attention growing up in the same town, even though she is a few years older. Swept up in an unfamiliar current, he finds himself looking for ways to spend time with her and her family. 

However, when a murder investigation touches his personal life, it invades Trin’s as well, leaving him scrambling to make sure the woman he’s fast falling for is protected.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58646877-watching-trin?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=q2HJoDXZ8d&rank=1

Watching Trin (On Call, #7)

Author: Freya Barker

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: September 14th

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zUTa4x

Start the series: https://amzn.to/3C7FdBh

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

WATCHING TRIN (On Call Book #7)( Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker is the latest romantic suspense and wonderful new couple in the On Call series to follow. While this is book #7 and some of characters crossover between books, it can be easily read as a standalone. I have read the whole series and anxiously wait for each of Ms. Barker’s mature, intelligent, and sexy heroes and heroines.

Katrina “Trin” Paige has returned to her hometown to help her sister with their father who has dementia. Single mom Trin is a freelance journalist so it is easy to relocate to Durango, and she hopes the move will be good for her rebellious fourteen-year-old son, Tucker.

Barely settled in, Tucker must be rescued by the local fire department from the Animas River in the middle of the night when the stolen raft he and his friends stole capsize in the rapids. During his rescue, the firefighter who pulls him out discovers an old crime scene.

Bodhi “Roadkill” Jones is surprised by his instant attraction to the spunky mother and sister to one of his fellow firefighters. As he finds ways to spend time with Trin, her investigation into the old crime scene he discovered seems to be placing her life in danger. He discovers he will do anything to protect her and her son, but will it be enough?

I always enjoy Ms. Barker’s characters and writing style. The romance between Bodhi and Trin is realistically paced and believable. The sex scenes are hot, but never gratuitous. The secondary characters all add to the story and never feel like placeholders. The scenes dealing with Trin’s father’s dementia were heartbreaking and from friends with a similar situation, were handled with empathy and honesty, as well as the problems Tucker was dealing with as a bi-racial child. I did figure out the way the suspense plot was going very early on in the story, but it did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the story.

I recommend this addition to the On Call series and all the books written by this author.

***

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebook

Twitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter

Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram

BookBub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Lost & Found by Freya Barker

Hi, everyone!

I am very excited to share my Feature Post and Book Review on the Buoni Amici Press Release Blitz for LOST & FOUND (PASS Series Book #4) by Freya Barker.

Below you will find a book description, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Description

Even with a degree in psychology and a keen ability to read people, security specialist Bree Graves can’t seem to get a bead on her boss. There was a time she thought she had him figured out but she’d been wrong. Still, she loves her job with PASS and her team has become her family. However, she doesn’t realize how much she needs them until her latest assignment puts her on the radar of a dangerous stalker.

For Yanis Mazur the safety of his PASS team is paramount. Even if that means sacrificing his personal life. Not only did he spend years building his security firm, but also the shield protecting his emotions. Yet when the one person who could breach his walls goes missing during an assignment he sent her on, he’s willing to risk both his business and his heart to get her back.

A victim of obsession, betrayal, and violence, Bree has no choice but to put her faith in the man who almost broke her.

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58078861-lost-found

Title: Lost&Found (PASS, #4)

Author: Freya Barker 

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: July 12, 2021

Photographer: Jean Maureen Woodfin—JW Photography

Models: Hayley Stavenger and Charles Smith

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

LOST & FOUND (PASS Series Book #4) by Freya Barker is an action and romance filled thrill ride romantic suspense. This is the couple I have been waiting for and it was worth it. This book can be read as a standalone for the crime and suspense plot, but the PASS characters work together and have evolved as characters over the four books.

Briane “Bree” Graves loves working at PASS. She is a five-foot two spitfire who can hang with all the big boys. She has an emotional past with her boss, Yanis, but she loves her job more and buries any personal feelings between the two. Her latest assignment puts her in the path of dangerous stalker and after she is injured, she finds that she may have been wrong about her and Yanis’ past relationship. Yanis wants her back, but he is the one person who could destroy her.

Yanis Mazur has given up a lot as he has built up PASS Security including a personal life. He has shielded his emotions since a he broke off his relationship with Bree. When Bree is targeted, it wakes him up to what he has been missing and what he wants back. Can he protect Bree and get her to trust him again?

I LOVE Bree and Yanis! They have so much past baggage to overcome and all while just trying to stay alive. The romance works well since they are both 15 years older since their breakup and more mature. They are more willing to talk through their problems and misunderstandings. The build up to their reuniting and the sex scenes progresses at a realistic pace with everything else that is happening in the suspense plot. The sex scenes are perfectly hot and never gratuitous. The suspense plot has many surprises and keeps the characters and readers on their toes right up to the climax. I enjoyed catching up with all that is happening with the other men of PASS and their significant others.

I highly recommend Bree and Yanis’ story, the entire series and all of Ms. Barker’s romantic suspense books!

***

Author Bio

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebook

Twitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter

Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram

Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads

Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter

Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub

Buy Links

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3otgQIu\

Nook: https://bit.ly/2Rlz4zG 

Apple Books: https://apple.co/3eXTGqm

Kobo: https://bit.ly/3hxY7dd

Release Blitz/Feature Post and Book Review: Dissecting Meredith by Freya Barker

Hi, everyone!

Today I am excited to be sharing my Feature Post and Book Review on this Release Blitz from Buoni Amici Press. DISSECTING MEREDITH (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha Series, On Call Book #6) by Freya Barker is another wonderful addition to this series!

Below you will find a book blurb, my book review, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!

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Book Blurb

Since taking over the county coroner’s office, Meredith “Doc” Carter has been working hard to gain the respect of both her peers and local authorities.  Reporting the circumstances surrounding the death of a loved one is often a thankless part of her job. Still, those are the easier cases. Random body parts turning up are substantially more troublesome, and when the facts don’t line up Meredith reaches out to entomologist, Casey Shea for answers. 

Detective Jay VanDyken has admired Doc from the sidelines. His recent promotion comes with the added benefit of dealing directly with the silver-haired forensic pathologist, an opportunity he doesn’t plan on wasting. The discovery of partial remains have Jay and Meredith working closely together, but breaking down the pieces to build their case is not the only challenge. Their developing relationship has its own share of problems.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56883089-dissecting-meredith?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=jr8YHvEYS2&rank=1

Dissecting Meredith (Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) (On Call, #6)

Author: Freya Barker

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release Date: March 9, 2021

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3uaK95b

Start the series on #KU: https://amzn.to/2ObyOkG

***

My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5Stars

DISSECTING MEREDITH (Police and Fire Operation Alpha Series, On Call Book #6) by Freya Barker is another great addition to the On Call series. Ms. Barker once again delivers an interesting crime investigation, suspense that keeps you turning the pages and a realistic, mature romance. This book is easily read as a standalone, but there is crossover of characters from other books.

Detective Jay VanDyken may be a new detective, but he has been a uniform cop for almost twenty years. Jay was comfortable in his previous position, but decides he needs to move up in the force to be worthy of a silver haired coroner he finds intriguing. The discovery of partial remains allows Jay to work closely with Meredith and he is determined to not only solve the case, but to build a relationship with Meredith.

Meredith Carter is independent, intelligent and has worked hard to gain the respect of her employees and local law enforcement since taking over the Durango Coroner’s Office. She is intrigued by the partial remains and the quiet VanDyken, but she is worried about remaining professional and respected by her peers.

As Meredith investigates the body parts for clues, they pile up and the more she learns, the more danger she is in. Can Jay keep this independent woman safe while working the case and attempting to build a relationship?

I am always excited to get my hands on the latest Freya Barker romantic suspense. The characters are mature and realistically written and I want to be friends with them all. I love Meredith and Jay together! They both are so independent and yet they are perfect together. Their romance grows at a believable pace. Since they have already been eyeing each other for the last few years, their dialogue and romance flows naturally on the page. Add in the suspense of an interesting investigation and good friends from previous books and you have a great read.

I highly recommend this latest On Call romantic suspense and all the books in this series!

***

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. 

Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.

Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, and Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Social Media Links

Facebook: http://bit.ly/FreyaFacebookTwitter: http://bit.ly/FreyaTwitter
Instagram: http://bit.ly/FreyaInstagram
Web: http://bit.ly/FreyaWeb
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/FreyaGoodreads
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/Freya_Newsletter Bookbub: http://bit.ly/FreyaBookBub