Our selections this month are all stories set in the aftermath of World War II, two dealing with women who retrace ground from the war to solve mysteries left after its ending, two that deal with exceptional women whose groundbreaking work was so overlooked few would recognize their names—something that the authors of their stories want to make impossible in future! We begin with LAST TWILIGHT IN PARIS by Pam Jenoff.  During the war, Louise served as a Red Cross volunteer delivering packages to prisoners.  Now back in England, a housewife and mother of two, she is catapulted into memories of the past when in a second-hand store, she discovers a necklace she remembers from her war work.  Still haunted by the death of her friend Fanny, a death she suspects was not the accident it was reported to be, she returns to Paris to try to find the owner of the necklace—and is flung into the mystery of a famous department store, the Lévitan.  Helaine holds another key to the story; exiled from her husband when the Nazis invaded France, along with other Jewish women, she was imprisoned in the store, which the Nazi turned into a storehouse and…

Winter is fading to memory for those of us in the northern hemisphere, and I for one am ecstatic. Why then, did I find myself immersed in a frigid, frightening, story that “with it” readers discovered years ago? I’ve no idea, but I can most heartily recommend ICE by beloved romance author Linda Howard. ICE had me glued to both the page and my phone (I alternated reading and listening) while Lolly, in Maine to close up her parent’s old home, was beset by drug-addled home invaders intent on wreaking destruction in the midst of an historic ice storm. Luckily for her, a boy she sparred with as a child is now all grown up, in town with his motherless son, and sent by his father, the sheriff, to make sure Lolly’s okay. Granted, we all know how this will turn out, but getting there is a breathtaking and freezing cold wild ride. I was literally surprised when I looked up and saw the sun shining outside, as I was convinced a storm was raging! And I’m so happy there are still more Linda Howard titles for me to discover. Jumping ahead to books written more recently, I was enchanted…

1–What is the title of your latest release? FLORA FLOWERDEW AN THE SECRET OF THE SARCOPHAGUS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? 1889. With the winter season, Flora’s séance society is quiet and life looking dull. A late-night visit from the too-handsome Benedict, Duke of Everton, and his aunt Lady Imogen changes all that. Imogen’s long-ago lover, the renowned archaeologist Lord Crosbie, is missing, and she fears the worst. Flora agrees to accompany them to a mummy unwrapping at the British Museum to see if anyone knows about the disappearance. It’s the shock of the town when Crosbie himself is found in the ancient sarcophagus—murdered! Adventure awaits when Flora, Benedict, Imogen, the faithful Pomeranian Chou-Chou, and Mary the Cockney maidservant, set off for Egypt—and find a large cast of suspects who all had good reason to send the archaeologist off to his own underworld. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve always loved archaeology and stories of ancient Egypt, as well as Victorian lady explorers!  It all seemed to come together perfectly for Flora’s new story.  I enjoyed the research on Egyptian river voyages and ancient temples so much 4–Would you hang…

Beach Vibes – Exclusive Excerpt for Fresh Fiction Aunt Agatha drew in a breath. “How are you feeling?” “Lost,” she said without thinking. “Confused. It’s been a year since the divorce, and I haven’t done anything to have a personal life..” Agatha touched her hand. “You’re lonely. I’m here for you always, but you need more than that. Friends your own age, a man or two.” Despite the emotions swirling inside of her, Beth smiled. “Definitely not two men. Unlike you, I’m not interested in playing the field.” Her aunt raised her eyebrows. “So you’d like to be in a relationship. Intriguing. Last time we talked about your love life, you weren’t interested.” “Last time I hadn’t scrolled through my ex’s Instagram account and been slapped by the realization that I’m drifting through my days rather than being proactive. I want to do things and travel. I didn’t just lose Ian in the divorce. I lost myself. I don’t regret the end of our marriage, but what about me? Why have I let it be okay to not take care of myself emotionally?” “When you knew better, you did better,” Agatha told her. “One of my favorite quotes.” “I know….

1–What is the title of your latest release? CODE WORD ROMANCE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When Max is hired by the CIA to impersonate Europe’s youngest female prime minister on an Italian vacation, it sounds like a dream—until assassins and her ridiculously hot handler, Flynn, complicate things. If you loved The Lizzie McGuire movie (ah, nostalgia!), this one’s for you! 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I knew I wanted this book to feel summery and cinematic. Italy perfectly fit the bill! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh, absolutely. She’s a chef, so I think we could have some great conversations over dinner—maybe about the time she impersonated a prime minister. Or, I don’t know, the best places to find potato donuts in Maine. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Relatable, daring, foodie 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I did a lot of research into luxury hotels on the Amalfi Coast, so I learned a lot about the types of rooms those hotels offer. Oh! And I had a great time learning about all the different flavors of gelato Max…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SUMMER GUESTS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? “The Martini club,” a group of retired spies in Maine, teams up with the local police chief to investigate the disappearance of a teenage girl. When the pond is dragged, looking for the girl’s body, they instead drag up the decades-old remains of a young woman. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The town of Purity, Maine, is a fictionalized version of my own hometown, where we have quite a few retirees who once worked for the CIA. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh, yes. I love my Martini Club characters and wish I could hang out with them and hear gossip about their spying days! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Maggie Bird: Smart. Resourceful. Loyal. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned about MKULTRA, the CIA’s research program during the 1950s-70s, which tested various psychoactive drugs on human guinea pigs – some of whom were unaware they were being drugged.  7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I wait…

1–What is the title of your latest release?  SONGS MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A young mother, lawyer, and musician freshly divorced from an abusive husband remarries and builds a new life with her second husband. Marriage, home, family, career–all is well. When life suddenly and unexpectedly falls apart again, our heroine, Kim, is forced to re-confront that painful question “What do you do when things that only happen to other people happen to you?” for a second time around, after the passage of years, and with so much more at stake. In her struggle to find healing for herself and her large family, she comes to see that her greatest strength lies in her growing and deepening relationships with her mother, her sister and her own teenage daughter.  3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Geography is a character in this book. I needed John and Kim to begin their married life on their own and far from family, and then move closer as their priorities shifted. Kim has a strong sense of place and we watch her grappling with it. Where is home, where do I belong,…

She’s determined to make an impact in her community. He’s determined to make sure she lives long enough to do it. Dr. Meredith Quinn always planned to return to Gossamer Falls to practice dentistry. Now that she’s back home, she’s made it a point to offer clinics to children and adults in nearby underserved areas. Unfortunately, those same areas are known to harbor drug traffickers, and Police Chief Grayson Ward suspects that local law enforcement is looking the other way. After too many losses, Grayson has closed off his heart. But with Meredith in his life, he feels his walls crumbling, leaving him exposed and vulnerable. To keep her alive, he must keep her close, but that makes it impossible for him to retreat and rebuild. Will she be the one who finally helps him emerge from isolation? Or will this force of nature leave him shattered? B is for Brutal and Bloodthirsty criminals. R is for Racing down the mountain. E is for Epic apologies. And Explosions. Several explosions. A is for Arranging flowers made from wood. It’s a thing. A gorgeous thing. K is for Kissing. Lots of kissing. M is for Mountains. The Western North Carolina mountains. …

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! And what better way to celebrate than with an Irish mystery series (and a bottle of Bailey’s/Jameson/Guiness – your choice)? I’ll be curled up in my reading chair, avoiding my mother’s corned beef and cabbage, and tippling with a little Baileys as I’m working my way through the latest Carlene O’Connor book! MURDER IN AN IRISH VILLAGE is the first book in a series by Carlene O’Connor, and it’s one of my favorites. I was lucky enough to participate in a signing with Carlene in Chicago and she’s a lot of fun to hang with. Her books are charming, unputdownable, and my mother’s favorites! There are eleven books in the series, which makes it totally bingeable: In the small village of Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland, Naomi’s Bistro has always been a warm and welcoming spot to visit with neighbors and share a cup o’ tea. But murder has a way of killing business . . .   Nowadays Siobhán O’Sullivan, along with her five siblings, runs the family bistro named for their mother. It’s been a rough year for the O’Sullivans, but it’s about to get rougher. One morning, as they’re opening the bistro, they discover a man…

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.