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.

This time of year, gift buying guides are everywhere. This one I’ve come up with is a little more personal. Every Christmas and birthday, I get my sister-in-law something – with a healthy helping of books I think she might like as well. There are a lot of things I might not do well, but I can usually make a good book recommendation. This particular list is full of paranormal romances I may or may not have gotten her (hopefully she’s not reading this), along with a few classics that I would recommend to anybody. These are books that might chase the winter blues away. This first book is not the first book in the series, but I will die on the rock that some series have books that can be read in any order. I firmly believe that Shelly Laurenston’s Pride series is one of those. The other day, a library patron was relentlessly berating me over the availability of free candy at the circulation desk. The tone took a turn toward the personally offensive. A co-worker remarked “How rude!”, after hearing my tale of woe. That instantly made me think of one of the shifter characters from Laurenston’s Pride series. Hybrid wild dog…

Welcome to this week’s edition of Jen’s Jewels, where we dive into the heartwarming and adventurous world of Megan Tady’s latest novel, BLUEBIRD DAY. Set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Swiss Alps, this compelling story blends humor, heart, and high stakes as a mother and daughter tackle their estranged relationship amidst a whirlwind of skiing competitions and an unexpected avalanche. With themes of ambition, reconciliation, and the power of shared experiences, Megan offers readers a captivating tale of family, resilience, and self-discovery. Don’t miss this behind-the-scenes glimpse into her creative process and the inspirations that brought BLUEBIRD DAY to life! Jen: What inspired you to write BLUEBIRD DAY? Are you a skier yourself, or did you have to dive into the world of competitive skiing through research? Megan: I liked the idea of exploring a mother and daughter working through an estrangement, but I wanted to give them something to do together besides just hash out their grievances. Walls can unwittingly come down when you’re working toward a shared goal—especially a physical goal that requires sweat and strength—which is why I chose a fitness contest as the impetus for getting them back together. And then, when their trip takes a turn,…

The Most Beautiful of All Possible Worlds Don’t tell me life is short. With the benefit of my considerable experience, or should I say in spite of it, I’m still willing to buy that life is beautiful if you dress it up right, that people are basically good, or that love can save you. I still want to believe. Tell me that life is meaningful, and you’ve got my ear. Tell me that life is a journey, and I’ll nod in agreement. But try convincing me that said journey is short, and you’ve lost me; that’s one cliché I can’t abide. If you think life is short, just wait. One of these days it might not end for you; it’ll just keep going and going and you’ll see that life is not a breathless sprint to the grave, gone in a heartbeat, but an odyssey that stretches on and on into eternity. Once it starts, it never ends, not even if you want it to. I should know. I have gone by other names: Euric, Pietro, Kiri, Amura, York, and Whiskers. Currently I answer to the name of Eugene, though the attendants here at Desert Greens call me Mr. Miles….

Greetings from Texas! I’m Karen Witemeyer, and I love word games, which is why I’m looking forward to some title acrostic fun in this post. But first . . . a little background on my story. CLOAKED IN BEAUTY is a sweet western romance filled with fairy-tale flair. Think Little Red Riding Hood meets Sleeping Beauty in an 1800’s Texas setting. For more story details, see the title acrostic below. C – Courageous Pinkerton hero L – Leads a reclusive, missing heroine O – On a clandestine A – Adventure, K – Kindling romance as they E – Evade D – Danger and race to claim her I – Inheritance for N – Noble purposes B – Before her E – Evil, A – Avaricious U – Uncle T – Takes her life and forces her family to Y – Yield to his despicable machinations. CLOAKED IN BEAUTY by Karen Witemeyer Texas Ever After #3 A Christian Western Historical Romance Fairy Tale Retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and Sleeping Beauty Trust no one in the shadows of the piney woods . . . Letty Hood has spent the last fifteen years of her life hidden away with her grandmother in the…

Book Title: ONLY FOR THE WEEK Character Name: Janelle Cross How would you describe your family or your childhood? Oooh ummm my family is…let’s call them interesting. Complicated, I guess. My childhood was…fine. What was your greatest talent? As a kid? I was really good at hula hooping and I was really good at football. I used to play with my dad all the time. Significant other? Haha his name is Rome. He’s wonderful Biggest challenge in relationships? Having time for them…although that hasn’t been an issue so far in this one Where do you live? Baltimore stand up! Do you have any enemies? Hmmm I don’t think so. Enemy is a strong word. How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place? You know what, I feel fantastic about where I am now. I’m really proud of myself not just in my career but in my personal life and that’s an amazing feeling. Do you have children, pets, both, or neither? Neither. But I’d like both…one day. What do you do for a living? I’m an OBGYN. I have my own birthing…

It’s that most frustrating time of the year! Guests, gifts, meals…the number of things to keep track of can be staggering. If you’re anything like me, what you really want to do is curl up with a good book! Allow me to offer a few suggestions which take time and attention limitations into consideration. If you’re in the mood for a bit of terror with your winter chill, THE GREY WOLF, by Louise Penny, provides a comforting reunion with the characters (Armand and Reine-Marie Gamache, among other residents of Three Pines,) millions have come to love. Of course, along with that sense of familiarity comes a bone-chilling tale. As often happens with Ms. Penny’s books, the story is left both partially resolved and nail-bitingly unresolved. Will next October’s THE BLACK WOLF answer all our questions? Only the gifted author knows for sure, and she’s making us wait. Holidays bring families together, and the new book by Kate Storey, THE MEMORY LIBRARY, reminds us how meaningful those familial bonds can be. Ella has righteously kept her mother, Sally, at a distance for years, angry at her callous behavior when Ella was young. When Sally falls and needs help, Ella must leave…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WHEN WE HAD FOREVER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Mina Drake is a young widow who embarks on a heart-wrenching journey to uncover her late husband’s secrets, but in the process, she ignites an unexpected connection with the enigmatic twin brother he left behind. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? WHEN WE HAD FOREVER is set in the Pacific Northwest—a place that, for me, is inextricably tied to feelings of freedom and the headiness of new love. Before I got married, my husband and I spent 7 months living in our van up in Washington State, British Columbia, and Alaska, and it was a magical time in my life. I was in my first truly healthy relationship, and it felt like a new part of me was waking up every day. For me, that’s what WHEN WE HAD FOREVER is about—living well, and fully, and boldly—so it felt natural to me to set the book in the place in which I’d opened my eyes to that. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Funny enough, probably not, at least at…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ROSENFELD 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A GROWN-UP LOVE STORY FOR GROWN-UPS: A filmmaker falls madly in love with a successful, older CEO, because she believes he can handle the aggression she’s been carrying since childhood. And she’s right, he can. In the most sexy way imaginable. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I keep my characters close to me — so where I live is where I placed them. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! Mostly, I’d like to hang out with her when she’s out and about with Teddy. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Witty, broken and talented. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? To trust the process. And to avoid overthinking feedback. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit as I go. An author has two roles — writer and editor — and each demands a different mindset. So, every time I sit down to work, I try to figure out what’s right for me to do at that moment: create something…

Description: On a visit to a print shop, Bella and Lord Brooke discover there’s a humorous caricature of Bella’s disastrous dance with Mr. Peckham posted for all of London society to see. Lord Brooke buys every copy before escorting Bella home. After they dropped Catherine off at her home, Bella thanked him for what he had done. “It was very kind of you to try to protect my reputation in such a manner by purchasing those ridiculous prints, but I think this might be a case of shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Too many people have already seen it,” she told him. “I know. But it was a very small thing to do and it relieved some of my anger at the situation. I agree with your Miss Adams, you know. It was not the act of a gentleman for Peckham to expose you to ridicule as he did. But I think that he’s been punished more than enough,” he said, glancing at the stack of papers on the seat next to him. “I agree. And at least the artist did not draw me in an unflattering manner, as he did poor Mr. Peckham.” She reached…