1–What is the title of your latest release? ACE, MARVEL, SPY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? ACE, MARVEL, SPY about a real-life woman named Alice Marble, who was a tennis champion, editor for Wonder Woman, and an American spy during WWII. Billie Jean King calls the novel “a smashing success” and who am I to argue with a sports icon. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? With ACE, MARVEL, SPY being inspired by real life, I’ve put Alice in various places she’s been—Wimbledon, Zurich, New York, San Francisco, military bases, Hearst Castle, and many, many tennis courts. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. Alice seems like one of those people who could get along with just about anybody. I may not join her on the courts, though. She’d whoop me. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Determined, Driven, Dominant 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I’ve learned about Alice Marble, in general. I was surprised to find that even some tennis enthusiasts have never heard of Alice and that she’s been largely lost to history. It’s been incredible to bring her story…

by Misty Simon Happy New Year! First month of the year calls for First book in a series! Who doesn’t love finding a brand-new series that they want to dive headlong into? Just for you, I have put together a list of some things you might want to spend all those gift cards on. First, we have A NEW LEASE ON DEATH: A Mystery (The Ruby and Cordelia Mysteries Book 1) by Olivia Blacke. Can I just tell you that I desperately hope there are a ton more books in this series and I would like them now. How about now? Now? This darkly funny supernatural mystery introduces the unlikely crime-solving duo of Ruby Young and Cordelia Graves. I laughed, I cried, I shuddered in support when Cordelia has to deal with the eternally perky (and living) girl who just moved into her place after Cordelia died and is still hanging around. It tickled my fancy and made me fiend for more. Next up, I absolutely loved INSTAGONER: A Bark and Blog Mystery by Sydney Leigh. This twisty, fast-paced murder mystery had me hooked from the very first page. Emily Dalle is a lifestyle blogger all afire about the latest trends….

1–What is the title of your latest release? CLEVER LITTLE THING 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? It’s about a mother who must confront a sudden and terrifying change in her young daughter after the abrupt death of their babysitter. Think Ashley Audrain’s The Push meets Zoje Stage’s Baby Teeth. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My book is partly about the anxiety of privilege, so I needed a wealthy suburb as the setting. I picked Muswell Hill, the north London suburb where I grew up, which has exponentially gentrified since my childhood. It feels like a new patisserie has appeared every time I go back. I could have set my book in an American suburb, but my ghost story needed the perpetual rain and winter darkness of the UK. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, because Charlotte is great at observing people and analyzing social situations, and I love discussing what makes people tick. But since her anxiety is off the charts, she’d need a couple of margaritas in order to let loose. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Stressed, devoted, determined. 6–What’s something…

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 to my first Jen’s Jewels column of 2025! Award-winning novelist Fiona Davis takes readers on a thrilling journey through time in her latest masterpiece, THE STOLEN QUEEN, weaving together the stories of two remarkable women connected by a mysterious Egyptian artifact at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Blending the glittering world of the 1978 Met Gala with ancient Egyptian archaeology, Davis crafts a tale of curses, repatriation, and unexpected friendship as her protagonists race from Manhattan to Egypt in search of a priceless treasure. In our conversation, Davis reveals the fascinating real-life inspiration behind her novel—including a viral Kim Kardashian photo that led to the recovery of a stolen sarcophagus—and shares how she brought both the glamorous Diana Vreeland era and the legacy of a forgotten female pharaoh to vivid life. Read on to discover the stories behind one of this winter’s most anticipated historical novels. Jennifer Vido: What inspired you to weave the lives of Charlotte Cross and Annie Jenkins across two distinct timelines, and how did you balance their stories to create such an engaging narrative? Fiona Davis: I loved the idea of two very different women – in terms of age, temperament, and interests – being…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE LOTUS SHOES 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In 1800s China, gentle but brave Little Flower becomes self-centered Linjing’s slave-maid. When scandal strikes Linjing’s family, both women are forced to join a Celibate Sisterhood. Little Flower wants dignity, love and independence. Can she escape Linjing’s tenacious grip? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The Lotus Shoes is based on family lore past down from my grandmothers. They came from the Pearl River Delta of southern China. The Celibate Sisterhood also originated in this region—this under explored feminist movement is a pivotal focus in the second half of the story. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I can imagine sitting in a sewing circle with Little Flower—we both love embroidery, though my stitches are more like Linjing’s pedestrian ones. As research for The Lotus Shoes, I learned the satin stitch and the Peking knot. Embroidery is fun and very relaxing, almost like meditation. If that’s what you’re looking for, give it a go! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Innovative, brave, resilient. 6–What’s something you learned while writing…

Greetings readers, I am Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, an American singer. Or was. I did perish in 1876, but here I am being called back from eternity and the land of the ancestors to grace you all with my presence. I was asked to give my opinion about a book that’s been written about me, called THE UNEXPECTED DIVA, by an author named Tiffany L. Warren. I’m told it’s in a category called historical fiction, which leaves me a bit befuddled, because I certainly am not fictitious. So, that is my first thought. This diva is real, and with a three-octave voice, what about me should have ever been unexpected? Perhaps the individuals responsible for selecting book titles were alluding to the fact that no American Black woman had ever gone on a singing tour before me. That is true. I toured all over North America and even Canada. The free states, of course. I wasn’t going south to put on a concert. I am pleased at the gifted beauties that have followed in my footsteps, Marian Anderson, Leontyne Pryce, Beyoncé, Cynthia Erivo, and I am especially fond of a buxom songstress named Madelyn Brené. I claim them all. Every fearless…

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.

by CJ Holmes We have to talk about dragons. ONYX STORM is book three in Rebecca Yarros‘s Empyrean series, and it’s releasing on 21st January. This book is one of the biggest romantasy releases scheduled for 2025 – and I can guarantee there will be a social media takeover, and more than a few bookshops will be holding all night long publishing events. Not sure what this series is? You’ve probably heard of book one, FOURTH WING. It’s been a huge publishing phenomenon in romantasy and this book has caught the imagination of a whole new generation of readers. Is it perfect? No. But no book is and if this has inspired a whole load of people to pick up books and become readers, then I’m all for it! THE EMPYREAN SERIES has also brought dragons out of hibernation, and there’s been a surge of readers wanting books about these amazing fantasy creatures. In the world of fantasy romance, they come in three broad flavors: evil villains who need to be defeated, magical beasts with fantastic riders they’re somehow connected to, and dragon shifters. What’s a dragon shifter, I hear some of you ask… It’s a creature that shifts between…

Nestled in a little scooped out valley in the Appalachian Mountains and surrounded by the National Forest like a giant maw waiting to snap closed and swallow us whole, Caball Hollow, West Virginia is a hard town to get to and, with the switchback that washes out every time it rains, an even harder town to leave. We have one stoplight and two restaurants. The Pub and Grub, is primarily a bar, complete with sticky floors and a menu that tastes mostly like old fryer grease. And I’m not just saying that because the other restaurant is my family’s diner. The Harvest Moon serves breakfast and lunch six days a week, from fried green tomatoes and grits, to cathead biscuits and red-eye gravy. Each recipe was perfected by the generations of James women who came before and faithfully recorded in our family books of mountain wisdom, alongside the best places to find paw paws and what to plant by the phases of the moon. And these days, my younger sister, Linden, has taken to supplementing our menu with a selection of baked goods that make use of her special talents, like lavender shortbread to ease conversation and chess cake for…