1–What is the title of your latest release? DIAGNOSIS ATTRACTION, the fourth book in my Soulmated series 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? As a doctor tries to help a woman with amnesia, unexpected sexual attraction flares between them. But his medical ethics get in the way of his desires. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’m familiar with the city of Baltimore, and it seemed like a good place for this gritty story. Also, the port of Baltimore is an important element in the story. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yeah, since I always like my protagonists. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Dr. Matthew Delano is honorable, life-hardened, and competent. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned once again that while amnesia is a tempting trope, it’s always hard to write about a person who doesn’t remember her past. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit as I go along, then edit a lot more when I have it all in black and white. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? I would kill…

I hadn’t really known that the great city of Edinburgh was broken up into so many gorgeous little neighborhoods, each one with its one culture and its own place of being. After all our ladies had left, and I’d cried all my tears, Robbie and I had one day left to spend together. One full day to pretend that I wasn’t leaving. One more day to say all the things that we needed to say. One more day to wander the cobbled streets, hand in hand with our fingers intertwined. So here’s our itinerary, in a list form:  Wake up in Old Town Edinburgh and eventually get out of bed We slept in late at my hotel room in the grass market, threw on some clothes, took those clothes back off, and then put them back on again at a somewhat later time and emerged from the hotel ready to embrace what was left of the day. We climbed the elegant curve of the West Bow with its two-story stonework and fancifully colored shop fronts. Unable to take another step without sustenance, we grabbed some very fancy avo toast at Hula, then crossed the Royal Mile, down the mound, and…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE ENDS OF THINGS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When a solo female traveler disappears from a lux beach resort in the Bahamas, fellow vacationer Laura Phillips becomes obsessed with the missing woman and embroiled in the police investigation that unfolds. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? A few years ago, I vacationed with my boyfriend at a couples beach resort on the island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas, where I observed a woman vacationing alone. Like the heroine of my novel, I was intrigued by this solo traveler—why had she come to a romantic resort by herself? This question sparked the idea (and setting) for my novel. 4—Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I would. I find Laura, with her many flaws, insecurities, and penchant for self-doubt, very relatable, so I think we’d have a lot to talk about. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? A nostalgic, introspective, catastrophizer. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I discovered that I, like my heroine, tend to catastrophize. I don’t think I was aware of this before…

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…