1–What is the title of your latest release? OLD-FASHIONED HOLIDAY HOMICIDE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Three sisters who run a B&B struggle to keep a murder investigation from landing one of them in jail or ruining their guests’ unrealistic expectations for a perfect family holiday. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It was part and parcel of the original premise, a B&B in bourbon country. Kentucky seems to be under-represented in the cozy world, and it’s a beautiful place, with so much to offer. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Probably not with Jess, because she’s a little too much like me in some ways (lawyer, oldest sibling, bossy), so we’d probably clash, but it would be great fun to try to keep up with CJ, the youngest, who’s as adventurous as I am cautious. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Jess is smart, organized, and bossy. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? During background research to start the series, I learned a lot about bourbon and the aging barrels. I’m not a drinker, so even the basics were new to me,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WE THREE QUEENS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Royal tensions surround Lady Georgie in real life as well as in a movie being shot at her house. There are too many would-be queens! 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? This is book 18 in my Royal Spyness series. The drama takes place at the estate where Lady Georgie now lives and had to tie in with the abdication of King Edward VIII. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh, absolutely. She’s delightful. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Smart, brave, naïve. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? The naivete of Mrs. Simpson and King Edward who believed they could bypass parliament and convince the British people to let them marry, when there was no way the country would accept a divorced American woman as queen. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? Every day I go through what I wrote the day before and polish it before I move on. Then I go through a do a complete edit,…

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.

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.

1–What is the title of your latest release? A ROGUE’S CHRISTMAS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? From the moment she saw him, Flora Conway knew that Jack Balfour was the Scotsman for her. Tall and dark, witty and charming, he’s a rogue who sets her senses aflame like no other man. A ROGUE’S CHRSTMAS is the last installment of the Highland Brides, where the women are daring, resourceful, and extraordinary, and their handsome, roguish grooms are irresistible. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? This story is the final book in my Highland Brides series, so the series was already entrenched in the city of Edinburgh, Scotland. But I also added a little time in the port of Portsmouth, England, to add a little naval flair to our Royal Navy hero’s story. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Miss Flora Conway—and indeed all my heroines—are friends I have invented specifically so I could spend all my time with them. Flora is loyal and resourceful and loves to flirt, so she says all sorts of wonderfully witty, fun things. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Witty,…

Music plays a huge role in THEN, AGAIN, both setting the scene and serving as commentary to various goings-on in the life of Asha, THEN, AGAIN’s protagonist. Here are five important songs to the story: “SexyBack,” by Justin Timberlake. Asha and Charlie dance to this at their wedding, and it becomes the defacto song of their relationship. This is especially important during the Autumn chapters in the novel, those set in the present day, because they provide a peek into what Asha’s and Charlie’s marriage is like: playful, passionate, a little silly. The song’s meaning is something for Asha to cling to while she’s managing life with a comatose husband. “Nobody Knows,” by Tony Rich Project. Asha’s song with Jason is a huge contrast to “SexyBack.” Its themes of breaking up, missing an old love, and sadness at a dissolved relationship are underlined throughout Asha’s and Jason’s on-again-off-again situation. When the two are off-again, the lyrics make sense. When they’re on-again, “Nobody Knows” serves as a nod to youthful love that doesn’t have a clue what a healthy relationship actually looks like. “2 Become 1,” by the Spice Girls. Two of the Summer scenes—those set in Asha’s childhood—take place at…

What happens when you wake up to a life you don’t recognize—or like? Bestselling author Emma Grey explores this haunting question in her powerful new novel PICTURES OF YOU, a story that will stay with readers long after the final page. Fresh off the remarkable success of THE LAST LOVE NOTE, Emma sits down with me to share the deeply personal inspirations behind her latest work, including the real-life conversations and relationships that shaped this unforgettable tale of loss, hope, and second chances. Pour yourself a cup of tea and join us for this week’s heartfelt Jen’s Jewels author interview. Jennifer Vido: PICTURES OF YOU has such an emotional depth. What inspired you to write about a character dealing with memory loss and second chances? Emma Grey: Evie has woken up in a life she doesn’t recognize — or like — after the car accident that killed her husband. Amnesia heightens her sense of confusion and loss and, as the writer, it kept me guessing as I explored the story, desperate to discover what went so wrong in her marriage. I think many of us hold a “what if?” question from our past, whether it’s about a relationship, a career…

by CJ Holmes Where to start with fantasy and paranormal romance… I thought I’d start by delving into the difference between fantasy romance and paranormal romance. There’s a fine line between fantasy and paranormal romance, and fantasy romance books often have paranormal elements and characters in them. As a reader, I love both genres, but I want to know what I’m getting into before I sit down with a book, so my expectations are set and the book stands the best chance of doing what it’s supposed to do – captivating me, thrilling me, taking me into a world I don’t want to leave and introducing me to characters I’m sad to leave. On a technical (and dare I say it boring) level, fantasy romance arose from the fantasy genre, whereas paranormal romance was born from romance. I expect fantasy romance to have a lot more epic or high fantasy in it, so when I read a book that’s marketed as fantasy romance I’m prepared for complex world-building, intricate rules about magic, and hierarchy systems for any creatures or characters in them. The romance is important, but I’m expecting pages of detail that plunge me into this world and make me…

Book Title: TOTO Character Name: Toto How would you describe your family or your childhood? Listen, I came from humble beginnings. Eight brothers and sisters all whelped in the same potato crate gets crowded, I tell you! We were a surprise, too. Well, I mean, not to Ma–she knew we were coming, but I guess her human was pretty clueless. I can’t be too mad at him though, because if he hadn’t put a ‘free puppies’ sign on the highway, then I wouldn’t have found my Dorothy. I would have probably ended up with some goofy farm dog name like…Hank or Blue or Strawberry or something. I don’t like to brag, but life got pretty good after that. Dorothy also lives on a farm, but it’s the best one, obviously. There’s hogs and farmhands to bother, which counts as high entertainment in a place as boring as Kansas, let me tell you. But my favorite time had to be bedtime, when Dorothy and I would indulge in some good cuddles and watch the people on her little pocket glass. The little glass-people are great, and I’ve learned most of what I know about humans from them. Things like how important…

Book Title: HER KNIGHT AT THE MUSEUM Character Name: Sir Griffin de Beauford Interviewer: Griffin, I understand that you’re a knight who was born in England in 1428. Is that correct? Griffin: Aye, my lady. Interviewer: But you were turned into a stone statue…and you were stuck that way for centuries. How long has it been since the curse was broken and you came back to life? Griffin: It has been three days since I breathed the free air again, here in the vast city of Chicago. Interviewer: Amazing. Well, let’s learn a little bit more about you. How would you describe your childhood? Griffin: As the son of an earl, I trained from boyhood to be a warrior. My father could be a hard man, and he expected me to prevail over all challengers… But it was a good life, too. I rambled in the forest, fished, trapped eels, hunted…and got into every manner of mischief. (laughs) With my parents and my younger sister, I celebrated dozens of feast days every year, and went to fairs. Interviewer: Do you know how to read and write? Griffin: Aye, from my tutors, I learned to speak, read, and write in French…