If you love small town romances, this book is for you!  Sweetwater, Kentucky has fallen on hard times, but its stalwart residents are fighting to keep it alive.  Taylor Mulvaney runs the Sweetheart Bake Shop on Main Street, making only heart-shaped baked goods.  Her best friend, Caroline Loder, owns Sweet Caroline’s Deli across the street.  And you can still get a milkshake or a cone at the Little Dipper down the road or take in the river view from the historic Sweetwater Inn.  But it’s when Luke Montgomery comes home to his family’s horse farm for this father’s funeral that things really begin to change for the little riverside town.  Whether those changes are good or bad hinges on Luke himself.  When he finds himself unwittingly holding the fate of his beloved hometown in his hands, he has some monumental decisions to make. Taylor Mulvaney isn’t your typical romance heroine.  Her freckles, red hair, glasses, and corkscrew curls always made her feel like the odd girl out, but over the course of her life she’s learned to embrace that.  And knowing how hard it can be to fit in is what makes her adopt the blind, scruffy little pooch that…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE LOVE LYRIC 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A career focused young widow and beauty executive travels for work with a popular R&B singer and finds herself falling for him along the way. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? This is the third book in a series, and in book one, I’d established where the main character Iris lives, so I had to stay true to that setting in this novel. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, I’d hang out with both Iris and Angel. I think they’re both great! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Iris- ambitious, orderly, responsible Angel- carefree, creative, optimistic 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Sometimes with inspiration doesn’t strike, you can rely on skill to carry you through. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit as I draft and then do another edit on my own once the first draft is done. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? I love Goobers. 9–Describe your writing space/office! I write at a desk in…

AISHA AS A CHILD, Aisha opened the carved wooden shutters each morn- ing, letting light stream in. Strings of dried fish hung from the ceil- ing, glass jars filled with healing herbs sat on the shelf, and a mortar, yellowed with turmeric, lay next to the stove. She bent over the stove to light it. Flames burst forth, reaching toward her as if she were ker- osene to feed on. “Aisha.” Her mother’s voice made her jump. She hadn’t heard her enter the room. “You will go to school today. I’ll finish the breakfast.” Aisha turned toward her mother in shock. Her cousins were returning to school after the winter closure, but she’d assumed that she’d stay with her mother. “Why didn’t you tell me before?” “You’d just worry yourself thinking about it.” Her parents had always fought about school. It was the fight that caused the fire. Aisha was sure of it. Her mother’s shrill voice rose above her father’s. Her father insisted that Aisha was too young for school. Her father was right. A year after the fire, at eight years old, Aisha still wasn’t ready for school. She should stay with her mother. She’d already learned how…

1–What is the title of your latest release? GRACE OF THE EMPIRE STATE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In New York, 1930, a young dancer, Grace, has to take her twin brother’s place working on the construction of the Empire State Building. She must impersonate him as a riveter, to save their family from financial ruin and prevent them all from becoming homeless.  3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I always knew I wanted to write about New York in this time period, the late 1920s or early 1930s, and I also wanted to use a very specific moment in history for this novel, so when I discovered that the iconic Empire State Building was constructed in 1930, it was the perfect fit. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? She is only twenty-one, so I’m not sure she’d want to hang out with me! But if we existed in the same time and place and were a similar age, then yes, absolutely. Grace would be a good friend to have. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Brave, caring, and loyal. 6–What’s something you learned while…

I love to start every new year reading a book by an author who’s new to me. Some years, the books have been written by debut authors. Others have involved writers kickstarting a new genre or new series. Yet for the past several years, I’ve found authors who have been out there writing book after incredible book and for some blasted reason, they haven’t hit my radar! I might wonder how that’s possible if I didn’t know how many books were published weekly, the number is truly out of this world. So I thank my stars I found such a fabulous author like I did this January. A.N. Sage (Inessa) is my fantastic find for 2025. She’s creative, refreshing and just an all-around fabulous writer I had to interview. Luckily, she agreed;) Kym:   Welcome to the Cozy Corner Inessa and congratulations on your brand-new release in your new series, A VERY FAIRY FUNERAL, Mistbrook Manor Book 1 featuring: “An introverted fairy, a secret society of undertakers, and a talking cat—what a deadly combination!”  That is the best tagline! Where in the world did you come up with the idea for a fairy hiding in the guise of being an…

1–What is the title of your latest release? BEAST OF THE NORTH WOODS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A cryptozoologist, accompanied by her trusty dog, investigates the death of a man from a supposedly mythical beast, hoping to prove the beast is real in an effort to exonerate the nephew of her beloved employee because he’s been charged with the man’s murder. Think The X-Files meets Scooby-Doo. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Wisconsin is strangely rich with cryptid lore and the Hodag is such a famous part of Rhinelander, Wisconsin and Wisconsin history. You can hardly turn around in Rhinelander without bumping into a Hodag statue or seeing a Hodag on a sign somewhere. The city has a huge country music festival every year with the Hodag as a centerpiece. You have to love and respect the way the folks in Rhinelander embraced the Hodag as their city mascot rather than getting angry after a con artist duped them all by claiming the creature was real. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Not only does she hunt for cryptids and have the coolest doggo ever,…

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.

Step into the world of suspense and secrets with this week’s Jen’s Jewels on FreshFiction.com! I’m sitting down with Liza North to unravel the dark twists of THE WEEKEND GUESTS, a gripping thriller where a seemingly perfect reunion among old university friends takes a chilling turn. Set against the dramatic cliffs of Dorset, this novel blends past regrets, hidden agendas, and a sinister mystery that will keep you turning pages. Join me as Liza shares the inspiration behind her eerie setting, the psychology of friendships that evolve over time, and the unsettling power of a simple postcard. Don’t miss it! Jennifer Vido: THE WEEKEND GUESTS brings together old university friends with a dark past. What about this specific time in their lives made it ripe for a mystery? Liza North: University is when you try out new versions of yourself, take risks, push yourself intellectually, build friendships with people you might not have connected with at home. It’s exciting and daunting. That’s one of the reasons dark academia works so well as a genre. I was intrigued by the contrast between that intense but experimental time and the pressured stage in your late thirties, where there are often partners, kids,…

In this month’s Women’s Fiction Column, I’m talking with author Jenni L. Walsh. Jenni is the bestselling author of fourteen books for adults and children, including Unsinkable, a novel about the Titanic disaster, which became an instant USA Today bestseller.  Her passion lies in transporting readers to another world, be it in historical or contemporary settings. Her newest novel ACE, MARVEL, SPY, was released on January 14th. Marie: Thanks for take the time to talk with me today, Jenni! Please give us a quick synopsis of your new book, ACE, MARVEL, SPY. Jenni: ACE, MARVEL, SPY is about a real-life woman named Alice Marble that really rings true with the adage that sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Alice’s story is truly spectacular with so many unbelievable twists and turns. During the 30’s she was the “it” girl in tennis, winning 18 grand slams. She was also a singer, a designer, and most notably a writer for the Wonder Women comics. All of that seems pretty normal. But then, when the Second World War begins, Alice is asked to become an international spy, with an ex-lover as her mark, under the guise of playing tennis. Hence the title: Ace, Marvel, Spy. Marie:…

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.