What is the title of your latest release?DANCE IN A MADHOUSE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?DANCE IN A MADHOUSE is a gripping historical mystery that takes readers inside an early twentieth-century asylum where secrets, courage, and danger collide. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I chose Philadelphia because it has a unique character and a fascinating history. I was a medical student in Philadelphia and know the city well. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?I am a seasoned psychiatrist, and the heroine is a young woman who is struggling to repair the damage from a postpartum psychosis. I might have her as a patient, but I wouldn’t hang out with her. What are three words that describe your hero?Smart, resilient, courageous What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned about “lunatic balls” that were held in mental asylums during the early part of the twentieth century. George Bellows depicted the scene of psychiatric patients dancing while onlookers gawked at them in DANCE IN A MADHOUSE – a work in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This searing example of stigmatization and mistreatment provided the title…

What is the title of your latest release?IF NOT YOU What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Rival copywriters with years of contentious history get stuck together on a month-long work trip as their advertising agencies compete on a career-defining pitch for a luxury resort brand. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?IF NOT YOU is a travel book – to four locations, though one is a bit of a spoiler and doesn’t get featured on the book’s gorgeous three-panel cover. The three primary settings are Chicago, where Mattie and Campbell live and work, plus Aspen, Colorado and Bodega Bay, California, where they travel for a client pitch. I used to work in the advertising industry in Chicago myself, so that felt like a natural backdrop for their careers, and I loved both the juxtaposition and the cinematic nature of taking them to the mountains and the ocean. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?100%! Mattie is ambitious and direct and fiercely loyal, three things I love in a woman. What are three words that describe your hero?Campbell is a smart-alecky secret softie. What’s something you learned while writing this book?That it…

I’ll admit it: I have a favorite part of writing a book, and it’s the beginning. The first act is where I shine. Ideas come fast, the story can go in so many directions, yet it feels like something big is taking shape, and the possibilities feel endless. It’s not quite drafting and it’s not quite planning – it’s both, happening at the same time. I’m writing scenes with one hand while I’m still building the story with the other, figuring out who these people are as I put them on the page. It’s a little chaotic. But it’s fun. At least until I hit the middle. (We don’t need to talk about the middle today.) Right now, what’s keeping me entertained is my suspects. In my current work-in-progress, my suspects are a tangle of social media influencers – each with their own secrets, their own tangled connections to each other, their own very good reasons for being exactly where they were when everything went sideways. And building that group is one of my favorite parts of writing a mystery, because here’s the thing about suspects: the good ones aren’t just people who could have done it. They’re people with…

P.I. Margo Angelhart has never believed her father guilty of murder – even though he confessed. But for the last three years she’s hit roadblocks and dead ends. Now she has a clue from a nurse who used to work with her dad … only to find the nurse dead, leaving her with far more questions than answers. I’LL BE WATCHING YOU is the third book in the Angelhart Investigations series, but can be read as a standalone. I – Innocent. Margo believes her father is innocent of a murder he confessed to. L – Love. Even though Margo and her family have been at odds for three years, they still love each other and will be there for each other. L – Luisa Angelhart, the youngest sibling, finally has a strong supporting storyline in the series. B – Betrayal. There is more than one type of betrayal. E – Electronic medical records …. Which become an important clue for my investigators. W – Wounded Warrior. Dr. Cooper Angelhart worked at the VA hospital in Phoenix and our wounded veterans play an important role in this story. A – Angelhart Investigations is a family-run PI firm in Phoenix, Arizona. T…

What is the title of your latest release?A BEAUTIFUL LIE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?In A BEAUTIFUL LIE, a YOU x SALTBURN psychological thriller, home organizer Emily becomes obsessed with her latest client, a beautiful and wealthy heiress. When their professional relationship turns into friendship and Emily scores an invite to Cap’s coastal Gilded Age mansion for the summer, she soon realizes that she doesn’t just want Cap – she also wants her life. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I wanted a location that combined a sense of history with a feeling of extreme, unobtainable wealth. The Gilded Age mansions in Newport, Rhode Island felt like a natural fit, though most of the buildings have since been turned into museums. During my research, however, I came across one of the last “cottages” that remained in private hands, and suddenly, I had my location! I was lucky enough that one of the mansions was for sale, and I spent a lot of time virtually walking through its rooms to get a feel for the location. On a trip to Newport, I also got to swing by the property, which was a treat….

Margot Baxter Harriman and Loretta “Rett” Mancini are shown into a private dining room in the Exeter Club, the women’s club in Manhattan where Margot is a member. They are seated at a well-appointed table where the Interviewer waits. The Interviewer stands and shakes each of their hands. The ladies smile, Rett’s coming off as almost a smirk. Interviewer: Thank you for seeing me, Miss Harriman, Miss Mancini. I’m sure our readers will be delighted to get to know you a little better.Margot: (takes a chair and waits for Rett to sit as well) Our pleasure. Please, call me Margot.Rett: I love coming here. So swanky. (She grins at Margot, who rolls her eyes but also grins.) Oh, and yeah, just Rett. I: I’ve taken the liberty of ordering coffee. I’m afraid it isn’t a B&H brand.R: Castor’s is better. (She winks at Margot while she pours out three cups.)M: We’re working on the roasting process. (She smiles at the Interviewer.) I have a meeting with marketers in an hour. (It’s a gentle nudge to get on with the interview.) I: Of course, of course. This is a getting to know you piece, so we’ll start at the beginning. Tell…

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.

Welcome back to Jen’s Jewels, your go-to destination for the hottest new releases in fiction. Today’s book pick is A TIME OF WITCHES by Madeline Martin, a haunting gothic historical mystery filled with family secrets, witchcraft, and a story that spans centuries. From Savannah to England, Madeline weaves together two timelines, a centuries-old mystery, and a touch of magic into a spellbinding tale that will have you turning pages late into the night. LIGHTNING ROUND What’s your favorite way to spend a crisp September afternoon?I love to brew a fresh cup of tea or coffee and settle into my favorite reading chair with a good book and one of my cats snuggled up at my side. What’s your go-to fall drink, snack, or sweet treat while writing?If it’s daytime, definitely coffee, but if it’s the evening, I love a good herbal tea. What simple ritual helps you settle into a productive writing day?I light a candle and pop on my headphones with gothic library playlists in the background. THE FALL INSPIRATION September often feels like a fresh start. Did writing this book mark a new beginning or challenge for you as an author?This was absolutely a challenge as I have…

Each Friday the Smashwords store reports the bestselling indie fiction titles based on the previous week’s sales. If an author has more than one title eligible for the list, only the highest performing title will be included. This ensures high-performing titles receive the accolades they deserve, while providing up-and-coming authors the visibility they have earned. Don’t miss Monday’s Top 10 Hot Preorders List, where Smashwords will provide a list of the most highly anticipated ebook preorders.

Excerpt from THE CHINESE LADY by Bo Wang: The year Margaret went to Canton, William allowed it only because of Julia. He and the Carnes brothers had decided to bring a Chinese lady back this time to take center stage in a grand exhibition of oriental goods. Apparently, the sight of an authentic Chinese lady taking tea amidst a display of the Carneses’ imported porcelain, ivory, and silks would drive the ladies of New York into a frenzy of covetousness. But there was the matter of keeping everything respectable. “I suggested to the Carneses that you come along as chaperone,” William said over breakfast. “When we get back to New York, I said, the Chinese lady can stay with us, instead of at a boardinghouse. Nobody will be able to criticize, I said, with my Meg involved.” “A Chinese lady!” Margaret said. “What am I supposed to do with her?” “She’ll be company for you,” William said. “I don’t know how she can be,” Margaret said. “I don’t speak Chinese.” “She may speak a little pidgin. And you can teach her English. Isn’t that what you did before I saved you? Poor little Miss Haskell! The overworked governess.” “I was a…