1–What is the title of your latest release? VERA WONG’S GUIDE TO SNOOPING (ON A DEAD MAN) 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? High on the success of her first ever murder case, Vera Wong is determined to find yet another case to solve, even if it means harassing a whole new group of people. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Pretty simple, really. I don’t like having to do too much research, so I set it in places I know well. In this case, San Francisco! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Definitely. I wish she’d adopt me, honestly. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Meddlesome, well-meaning, unstoppable. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Human trafficking is far more prevalent than I thought it was. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I wait until I’m totally done, otherwise I would be stuck editing the first chapter over and over again, ad infinitum. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? A good white cheddar. 9–Describe your writing space/office! I write in the dining room because it’s the sunniest room…

It’s time for another trip to Hope Harbor! Welcome to Book 11 in my long-running, bestselling series set in a charming town on the Oregon coast, where hearts heal…and love blooms. If you’re a first-time visitor, no worries. All the main characters in every book are new, and the storyline begins and ends in each book. There are no hanging plot threads from book to book in any of my novels. In SUNRISE REEF, you’ll meet Bren Ryan, an independent woman who marches to the beat of her own drummer and has found her place in the welcoming community of Hope Harbor. She does not need a man in her life. And she most especially doesn’t need stuffy CPA Noah Ward, who’s in town to convince his widowed father to move back to the Midwest. So what’s with the sparks that begin to fly whenever they’re together…apparently on both sides? You’ll have to read the story to find out where this seemingly odd pairing leads! S is for sum. As a CPA, Noah prefers to live a logical life in which everything adds up. His growing feelings for Bren don’t, however. So what’s he supposed to do about that? U…

Nearly every writer stalls, panics, and wrestles with self-doubt at one time or another. But here’s the question of the day. Can a writer’s struggles lead to a deadly end? Reverse the words “writer’s block” to “blocked writer”—as in thwarted, stymied, stonewalled—and you may have an even stronger motive for murder. At least, that’s what my husband and I pondered as we set out to pen our latest Coffeehouse Mystery, NO ROAST FOR THE WEARY. Ironically, though the anguish of the dreaded “writer’s block” has sent fear into the hearts of many a scribe, that same literary affliction has also propelled entertaining plotlines in novels and films. There’s The Shining, of course; more recently The Plot; and the Nicolas Cage film Adaptation to name a few. We were similarly inspired as we sat down to write our newest Coffeehouse Mystery, NO ROAST FOR THE WEARY. Given the looming deadline for the 21st title in our long-running series, we stared at blank screens for a time and then—EUREKA!—our stalled progress itself became the inspiration. The idea of writer’s block felt perfect for our Coffeehouse series. After all, coffee itself is known as “writer’s fuel,” and the notion of writers scribbling (or…

“The Highwayman” by Loreena McKennitt The title of book seven in my House Flipper series, Dead Post Society, is a nod to “Dead Poets Society,” one of my favorite movies. In this book, carpenter Whitney Flynn and her cousin Buck remodel the former headmaster’s house at a defunct boarding school not far from Nashville. Poems play a big part in the movie, so it’s probably no surprise that I begin each chapter of this book with a quote from a poem. Loreena McKennitt put the famous poem “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes to music, and her haunting voice is perfect. You can listen to the song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGFo0xn4JeY “If” by Anthony Clohesy When I still had a day job, I shared an office with a one-of-a-kind real-life character named Gene Edwards. Gene was an incredibly intelligent and wise guy with a unique, sometimes dark sense of humor, and he became like a big brother to me. He’d hung the poem “If” by Rudyard Kipling on his wall. The choice of that poem said a lot about Gene, who he was and who he aspired to be. In honor of Gene, I included the poem in the book. A singer named…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SWEPT AWAY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Two strangers end up lost at sea together after a one-night stand on a houseboat that is swept out to open ocean 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The houseboat setting came about because I was playing around with some classic romance tropes, including the idea of being stranded together on a desert island/remote location, and at the same time, there was a real trend over here in the UK to move into a houseboat! A lot of (slightly clueless) millennials were buying houseboats as a way to own a property in a city when flats were so prohibitively expensive. It didn’t always go as idyllically as planned (houseboat life is not for everyone, I’ve learned, while researching this book!). I loved the idea of a houseboat setting for two stranded strangers because it was hilariously unglamorous but also felt unique and contemporary. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely – both Lexi and Zeke. Though I think Lexi would probably take a while to warm to me… 5–What are three words…

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.

Book Title: FALLS TO PIECES Character Name: Mac – The aging enigmatic bouncer from Kati’s college bar in rural Pennsylvania What was your greatest talent? I was a good cop once. Then things went sideways, and I found myself off the force and behind bars for aggravated manslaughter. My talents went to waste in the joint, unless you count my talent for survival. Once I got out, I put my talents to good use to protect people important to me. Kati Dawes and her daughter Zoe are two of those people. I’d go to hell and back for either one of them. Biggest challenge in relationships? In my experience, there are two types of people who make poor partners in relationships – ex-cops and ex-cons. I’m both. Now, I’m also an ex-husband. But even I can’t put all the blame on me for our marriage going to hell while we were still in the honeymoon phase. There was a lot my bride never told me, a lot she probably didn’t recognize herself. All of it was too much for any relationship to survive.  Where do you live? I’m originally from Philly but moved to Center Valley, Pennsylvania, 20 years ago…

1–What is the title of your latest release? FOLLOW ME 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? FOLLOW ME is a dark comedy/thriller skewering toxic Instagram Motherhood – think HEATHERS meets THE STEPFORD WIVES but in the age of social media. After her sister goes missing at a Mommy Influencer Weekend, childless burnout Adrienne must go undercover to try to find out what happened before the other perfect psycho mommies or her own demons catch up with her.  3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I am a Northern California Girl, and if anyone is going to suck me into a cult atmosphere, that’s where I will be most susceptible. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I would definitely hang out with Bautista and Chiara! Adrienne and I would have gotten along in my 20s, but I am too old for her now. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Dedicated, distrustful, sensitive. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned that even though I felt so fragile after I had a baby, I was in fact stronger than I had ever been. And in sharing this…

Time for another romance trope round-up! Each month in 2025, I thought I would talk about a favorite romance trope.  This time, I’m chatting about a classic favorite for many…the amnesia trope.  Full confession—I super love this trope. I used it in one of my fav books, REMEMBER RAMSEY. In that romance, the heroine had been attacked, and at the beginning of the book, she had zero clue that she and the anti-hero were hot and heavy lovers.  The poor guy had to completely woo her again…Ah, amnesia romance. I do enjoy those stories! Corrine Michaels wrote a fabulous amnesia romance, HELP ME REMEMBER. I found this tale to be sexy and swoony, and I thought it held a fun amount of romantic suspense, too.  Plus, it had the added element of utilizing the “brother’s best friend” trope, too—extra awesomeness for the win! Rebecca Zanetti gave her hero amnesia is her sexy romantic suspense, FORGOTTEN SINS.  He wants the heroine desperately, even if he can’t remember their past together. I love the emotional angst that can come when one partner remembers EVERYTHING, but the other partner is walking through the dark (so to speak!) in the pages of the book….

This week’s Jen’s Jewels features a brilliantly unconventional story about an obituary writer who accidentally publishes his own obituary. Can you imagine the mortification (pun intended)? While death isn’t everyone’s favorite conversation topic, John Kenney tackles it with the perfect blend of humor and poignant reality, creating a read you won’t want to miss. If you’re searching for something refreshingly different to add to your reading list, this gem is absolutely for you! Jennifer Vido: What sparked the idea for this novel? Was there a particular moment or experience that led you to explore the life of an obituary writer? John Kenney: There was. It was the last time I saw my brother, Tom. He was in the final stages of cancer, but home, well cared for. My four other brothers and I planned a final visit. I arrived first. Tom was in a lounge chair, too thin now but smiling. We talked for a bit when I heard a car pull into the driveway and looked out the window. “The others are here,” I said to Tom. With Buster Keaton timing, stone-faced, Tom dropped an arm over the side of the chair, let his head fall to one side,…