Chapter 10 Excerpt from ALMOST BY DESIGN by Jenny Erlingsson: Kenya snapped her mouth shut, disbelief locking her eyes with his. Her mother used to tell her opening her mouth so wide was like keeping the front door open. She’d let in all kinds of flies and nasties. And she sure didn’t need another sting from the man sitting next to her, who so sweetly nestled her aching foot in a bed of heavenly elevation. Yet, she couldn’t deny that she was absolutely flabbergasted by what he’d just said. “Explain what you mean by dating me . . . kind of.” She didn’t need to tell him how much his prior rejection had affected her. She had dared to hope that somehow all the things she did, all the people she knew and the connections she’d made, could measure up to someone as successful as he appeared to be. But when he never got back to her, she convinced herself that he’d seen something in her during their first date that he didn’t want to continue with. And now, all of a sudden, he’d galloped back into her life like some hero, being exactly what she didn’t want to need and acting…

Book: SCENT OF HOPECharacter: Jericho Bowie How would you describe your family or your childhood?(runs hand through hair) My family… we were the Bowie brothers. Four of us – me, Sully, Hudson, and Malachi. We grew up running the family resort in Copper Mountain. Dad was a state senator, too, and loved this small town. Mom kept us all from killing each other. (slight smile) Dad used to drag us all into different parts of the business – I handed him tools in the workshop, Sully climbed under cars in the snow, Hudson worked the front desk. He wanted us all to take over someday. We were happy. Close. Until tragedy struck. He and Mom were killed in a plane crash with Sheriff Tatum and his wife not long after. Sully took off. Hudson and Malachi have been running the resort ever since. It’s been hard to come home. What was your greatest talent?SAR work. Search and rescue. I can read terrain, track movement, coordinate complex rescues. Did two tours in Afghanistan in combat SAR – got good at bringing people home alive from situations that should’ve killed them. I’m also a decent climber. Dad taught me that. And I…

In sticking with the ranch theme of the book, I’ve selected a few from country singers to represent the book. “Home on the Range,” Roy RogersWell, I think it’s obvious. This is the perfect song to sing as you’re riding horses on a Montana dude ranch, and I’m quite positive Tessa and Freddie do sing it as they take their first ride. In Homicide on the Range, several of the regular Hometown Mysteries characters leave their town of New Oslo, Idaho, and head to a ranch in Montana for a working vacation. The dude ranch is the home of a veterans program run by their friend Jaime Juarez (JJ) and everyone there – minus the elderly Prunn sisters, who have tagged along – are veterans. Most of them are combat veterans, and many of them have lingering effects of serving. “Wide Open Spaces,” The ChicksThis song always makes me think of the open range of the American West. This would also be great to belt out while riding a horse through the countryside. Don’t worry, my singing will scare the bears away. “Some Gave All,” Billy Ray CyrusAlmost every single character in the book was a veteran. This song speaks…

It wasn’t supposed to be a trilogy. Scarlet makes a bold move across the country to Sullivan’s Island after her thirty-year marriage ends in Finding Scarlet. Open to new beginnings, she discovers love and friendship. While sharing her divorce experiences, Scarlet realizes that the women around her each have their own perspectives. After completing Finding Scarlet, I realized there were more stories waiting to be told within its pages.A reader’s review became the spark: “I want to know Missy’s story.” And a second novel was born. Not just any novel, though. One that would tell the story of a strong woman who had to rise and fall, overcome, and persevere in her story’s telling. She was unapologetic, seemingly unflappable. And utterly imperfect. Her cousin, Margo, was always there – more menace as they aged, but family. Witty, raw, and emotionally layered, THE UNABRIDGED LIFE OF MISSY KINKAID explores the complicated life of a strong, unfiltered woman navigating life in her fifties, unwilling to conform to societal expectations. Scarlet and Missy find themselves kindred spirits, sharing stories that set them apart from the other women of the Divorced Women’s Book Club. Missy’s cousin, Margo, has a complicated story that deeply intertwines…

Excerpted from THE RAINY DAY BOOKSHOP, by RaeAnne Thayne. MIRA Books, 2026. Reprinted with permission. Oh man, he had it bad. Bryce walked through the cramped bookstore aisle, hardly aware of where he was. After all these years, Emma Lucas was actually here, within the same four dingy walls. He had known she was coming back. Rosie had talked of little else for the past week, ever since Sylvia’s accident when Emma had finally agreed to return to Wood Briar. He had worked long hours to finish upgrading the two guest bedrooms and bathroom at Rosie’s comfortable house overlooking Crescent Beach, aware with each nail he pounded and each board he measured that this would be for Emma. Seeing her again felt like a punch to the gut. His heart raced, and his palms grew sweaty. He had wanted her for so long, dreamed of her countless nights, and now she was here, flesh and blood, more beautiful than he remembered. The yearning he thought he had buried years ago came rushing back with a vengeance, threatening to overwhelm him. She had certainly changed in eight years, since the last time he had seen her in person. That moment seemed…

There is a diva in every profession. An individual recognized for their vast skills in their field of expertise, and the hours of dedicated hard work to back up the confidence they wear like Prada. Yet despite all of their talent, every now and then you just can’t hold back an eye-roll when dealing with their idiosyncrasies and demanding natures. If you didn’t you might let it go, you just strangle them. Liza Tully has captured that personality perfectly in her Merritt and Blunt Mystery series. Kym: Welcome to the Cozy Corner, Liza!Liza: Hi! Thanks for inviting me! Kym: People have a love/hate relationship with reunions and chapter one of THE FORTY YEAR GRUDGE describes those two point of views perfectly. Did a reunion spark your inspiration for your second Merritt and Blunt Mystery? And if so, who’s the suspect from your reunion?Liza: Yes, actually it did. I went to my college reunion and was struck by how little anyone had changed. I started to think about personality – about whatever it is that remains constant in each of us throughout our lives. And then I thought about all the triumphs, failures, joys, and sorrows that each of us had…

What is the title of your latest release?THE DOGWALKERS’ DETECTIVE AGENCY What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?It’s a cozy crime mystery which opens with dogwalker Charlie Boardman and Ruby, his beloved Staffordshire Bull Terrier, stumbling across a dead body in the woods. The sleepy English seaside town of Framstone is rocked by news that a local pub landlord has been murdered. Charlie and his fellow dogwalkers take it upon themselves to sniff out any clues that might help the police. They have a lot of leads – but can they collar a killer? The wet-nosed, waggy-tailed investigation comes even closer to home when Charlie receives anonymous threats warning him off the case. After a second body washes up on the beach, can Charlie hunt down the culprit before he becomes the next victim? How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I live in London now but grew up in a coastal town called Felixstowe, which was the main inspiration for Framstone. I often think too many novels are set in cities, whereas a more provincial location lends a mystery a whole different dynamic. You can reveal the darkness beneath the surface of these seemingly…

Excerpt from DEFROSTED by Dr. Cristina LePort: Chapter 1: the entity TWO HUNDRED YEARS LATER Alaska, 7/13/2220 Dr. Ralph Clifford could already taste the liquor. He looked at the frosted, cone-shaped glass inside the synthesizing-bar and anticipated the pleasant buzz that would pervade his brain like a fog and bury the annoying warning signals. A gin Martini beat dying any time. As if he had a choice. For the past few weeks, the thought of death and dying kept on resurfacing in his mind with increasing and ominous frequency. This was new to him. During his 95 years of life, using his medical knowledge, he had challenged death often by the use of uppers and downers. The guilt of using drugs while occupying a high-ranking political office had worn thin a long time ago. He had the right to do what he did. How could drugs be legal and tolerated for the general public, but lethal for a political career, despite the stress of carrying on such a profession? How in the hell was he supposed to cope with his everyday challenges of pleasing his superiors while keeping his subordinates on track? The thrill he experienced waking up alive after…

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.

Irritating, heartbreaking, or Fate being a total jerk. It’s an infinite list. The reaction to disappointment is my focus. According to me, the five stages are sadness, surprise, resignation, avoidance, and anger. I will stay angry forever. Resolution doesn’t enter my vocabulary until much later, if at all. A friend is going through a profound period of disappointment. Many people have been piling up on her since January. Family, on a generational level, boyfriend that has been her ex twice, and endless work are all taking a mounting toll. Her reaction is to super focus on ridiculous things, namely co-workers’ work ethic. Trying to change others’ behavior to conform to her own isn’t going to work. It only draws out the pain. I’ve asked her to take each problem, address it as much as possible or move on. Please note, I’m giving advice I rarely follow. Unfortunately, or reasonably, she wants everyone to stop disappointing her. That’s impossible. Whether it is the grocery store not having your favorite ice cream in stock, catching every red light, or stubbing your big toe twice in one day, life is disappointment. Trying to sort through big and little disappointments is a process I’ve…