I’ve been reading about—and obsessed with—Tudor England since I was 14. Let me make this clear, though: I don’t generally read fiction about the Tudors. There’s really no need to, since the Tudors had more than enough drama than most novels could deliver.   My bookcase is filled with Tudor biographies, which made it difficult to choose only five for this list. But these, in particular, were instrumental in writing AN INCONVENIENT WIFE.   Catherine of Aragon: The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII by Giles Tremlett. Catherine, daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, was Henry’s first wife. She came to England to marry his brother Arthur, who was supposed to be king of England when his father Henry VII died. But Arthur died first, leaving 17-year-old Catherine a widow in a foreign country. When Henry VIII became king, one of the first things he did was marry his brother’s widow, and they were happy for years until the infamous Anne Boleyn turned Henry’s head—changing England’s history forever. Tremlett’s biography, the first full biography in decades, reads like a novel.   Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of Henry VIII by Gareth Russell. Catherine…

The Sunshine Court, Book 4, All for the Game Series by Nora Sakavic Slay King by Abbi Glines Just Like Magic, Book 1, Gossamer Falls Series by Tara Wyatt Marked, Book 5, Blood Brothers Series by Samantha Wilde The Fairy Wren by Ashley Capes The Dominator by DD Prince Avenging Angel by Kristen Ashley Cade: A Mail-Order Bride Paranormal Romance, Book 2, Alexander Shifter Brothers Series by Selina Coffey Ruin Me, Vegas Knights Series by Bella Love-Wins Urn For Me, Book 9, Royal Bastards MC Series by Winter Travers The Complete Sinner Saints Box Set by Adrienne Bell The Alpha’s Mystery, Book 6, Shifters of Grey Ridge Series by Reece Barden Deadly Gamble, Book 11, Deadly Series by Kate Parker Get In My Swamp: An Ogre Love Story, Book 1, Get In My Swamp Series by G.M. Fairy Europa, Book 1, Taxyon Space Series by Aurora Springer Royal, Grim Sinners Rebels Series by LeAnn Ashers Adrift in Cheshire Bay, Book 2, Cheshire Bay Series by H.M. Shander Knights in Time Boxed Set by Chris Karlsen On Thin Ice, Book 2, Lakeshore U Series by L. A. Cotton Escape, Book 1, The O’Brians Series by Jude McLean     Each Friday…

A few years back, emotional support pets became a thing. More recently, TikTok influencers gave rise to the concept of emotional support water bottles. And I have no problem with any of that. If Fluffy or Fido or a fifty-dollar water bottle is what it takes to get you through the day, it’s no skin off my nose. You do you, darlin’. However, on days when the car breaks down, or the kids miss the bus, or your boss starts talking about “doing more with less”, or you get an email saying that your personal financial information was reveals in a data hack (again!) and the news is so dang depressing you start googling for cheap real estate in foreign countries with good weather, the thing that gets booklovers like me (and like you) through the day is books. But not just any books; I’m talking about the special ones that wrap around your heart like a hug, stories offer a mental vacay on days when you just can’t adult anymore and the only thing you want to do is build a blanket fort and crawl inside with your flashlight, your book, and a box of ginger snaps. Books like…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Barbara Russell!   Writes: Kia ora! I’m Barbara, and I write historical romance, usually set in Victorian England because I love Victorian fashion and the Victorian Era.   My coming-soon novel, THE WRATH OF THE MARQUESS, is the third book in my Victorian Outcast series, and it’s the story of Cora, a countess trapped in an abusive marriage, and Ethan, the marquess who wishes to protect her. The theme of the story is all about finding the strength to get out of an oppressive situation and the fact that asking for help isn’t a weakness. Cora has a thirteen-year-old son, David, who will also form a bond with Ethan.   About: I live in the City of Sails (Auckland, New Zealand.) I was actually a soil biologist in my former life, which is a fancy way of saying that I dug in the dirt, looking for insects. But the job bugged me, haha. (I’m joking, I loved it.) I’m still an entomologist, but I…

Writer In The Dark – Lorde   An obvious first pick, perhaps, but it’s obvious for a reason; this song perfectly encapsulates so much of Kate and Finn’s story and was on my mind ever since I wrote about their first kiss in the dark. Listening back to it now, I realize that it describes so much more than just her relationship with him; every single line says something about who she is, how she loves, how she creates, how she heals. The line, “but in my darkest hour, I stumble on my secret power, I find a way to be without you,” is almost a synopsis for the whole book. And an answer to one of the questions I brought into this process, which was, what is the relationship between trauma and art? Can it be learned? Can it be inherited? Can it be the thing that saves us? This song is an anthem for artists everywhere, the ones who take their pain and transmute it into something beautiful in an attempt to understand themselves and the world around them. The more I listen, too, the more I realize she’s saying all this to Finn, knowing he’ll never truly…

Book Title:  A TWINKLE OF TROUBLE, the 5th Fairy Garden Mystery Character Name:  Courtney Kelly, owner of Open Your Imagination, a fairy garden shop   How would you describe your family or your childhood? My mother and I were best friends. She and I played in the garden and chatted with fairies. Sadly, when she died, I was ten and I lost my ability to see fairies.  After that, my father raised me. He did the best he could. He doesn’t have much of an imagination, but he is kind and stalwart. Although at one time he was on the police force, an injury sidelined him. Now he is a master gardener and owns a landscaping company. It is because of him that I became a gardener.   What is your greatest talent? I make fairy gardens and inspire others to do the same.   Significant other? Brady Chase is a restaurateur in Carmel-by-the-Sea. He and I have been dating for a short while. We met each other in high school and took photography classes together and played hoops, but at the time I had a boyfriend, so we never connected. It wasn’t until Brady bought Hideaway Café, which is…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Jaci Burton!   Writes: Contemporary romance with all the feels, like THE BACKUP BRIDE PROPOSAL, which features Mae Wallace, a bridal consultant who’s very happy in her work but suddenly thrust into the world of Hollywood when a movie production shows up to film at the vineyard and wedding venue where she works. When the lead actress is delayed, Mae’s suddenly thrust into the role of stand-in, working alongside Kane August, the hotshot famous actor who’s oh-so-gorgeous and a very obvious problem for her because she’s definitely not interested in romance, and especially not with Mr. Famous Actor.   About: Living my best life in Oklahoma with my husband, our dogs, and happily living very close to some of the grandkids, who keep me wide eyed and alert at all times. I’m constantly stalking social media for the best tips and tricks and lighting to give me that youthful, dewy glow (Ha!), as well as carving out time in my day to catch an…

The Marquess of Landon was her pirate. Myriad emotions flooded Phoebe at once. Shock. Disbelief. Curiosity. Even anger. He’d fooled her in the gardens the prior evening by not revealing his true identity. Today, he’d fooled everyone else into believing he’d just come back to Society. Why had he lurked in the gardens at last night’s masquerade? She’d searched for a black-clad pirate at the ball but hadn’t seen him. Why hadn’t he made his presence known then? What is his game? Landon was watching her. Phoebe placed her gloved hand on his forearm, and he escorted her across the gardens to where the players awaited. She was conscious of the gaze of the other guests, making her feel like a rare item in a curiosity cabinet. At the same time, she was aware of the muscles in Landon’s forearm, and the coiled strength beside her as he walked. Without a mask shielding part of his face, he was striking. Dark, curling hair, black eyes, a straight nose,  and full lips. Tall and broad-shouldered, he had an air of command, as if he knew his place in the world and dared anyone to question it. The scent of his cologne,…

Book Title: SWEET MEAD FOR LADY MARTINE Character Name: David Stone   How would you describe your family or your childhood? We are just commoners who work hard to earn a living. I grew up with my parents and two sisters. Being the only son, it was a given that I would follow in my father’s footsteps and someday take over the family business.   What was your greatest talent? I have people skills and have always been able to keep order at the inn. Plus, I pack a mean punch. Along with my cousin Dirk, we can handle any ruffian who comes into the tavern causing trouble.   Significant other? Well, I haven’t had a lot of free time to find a significant other since my father passed away and all my family’s problems have fallen into my lap. I will say though, that I have eyes for Lady Martine. However, she is out of my league. Nobles would never be interested in commoners. It isn’t allowed.   Biggest challenge in relationships? I would say being able to attract the right kind of girl. I mean, working in a tavern and also running our inn doesn’t give me much…

Museum of Murder, Book 30, Merry Wrath Mysteries by Leslie Langtry The Magic of Sunshine, Book 2, Love on Anchor Lane Series by Leeanna Morgan Dance On Ice by RJ Scott and V.L. Locey No One Else Can Have Her by Sam Crescent Kick – Fighting Fate #8 by Maree Green Remember Pompeii by Kika Emers The Queen of Midnight by Evangeline Anderson Their Rebellious Princess by Calista Jayne A Marriage of Necessity by Lisa Oliver Cookies & Chance Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. IV (Books 10-12) by Catherine Bruns     Each Monday the Smashwords store lists the top ten most highly anticipated indie fiction ebooks based on the previous week’s preorder accumulations. Each title on the list is scheduled to release within the next week. To help the talented authors on this list accumulate even more preorders, click the title of the book. The hyperlink will bring you to a Books2Read page where you can order from your preferred ebook retailer. If the preorder is part of a series, click the hyperlinked series title to learn about the other books in the series. Be sure to check back Friday for a list of the Top 25 Bestselling Indie Ebooks.