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.

In this week’s Jen’s Jewels, I’m delighted to chat with bestselling authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White, who joined forces to create THE AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO MURDER, a riveting mystery set in the atmospheric Castle Kinloch. This locked-room whodunit brings readers deep into a shadowy, satirical world where the lines between truth and fiction blur, inspired by their own experiences within the publishing industry. From Brett Saffron Presley, a character who exposes the eccentricities of literary fame, to the nuanced bonds between three unforgettable heroines, each page is packed with intrigue and wit. Join us as they share the real-life inspirations behind this unique novel, their approach to balancing humor with suspense, and what’s next for this powerhouse trio! Jen: Castle Kinloch is a gothic, atmospheric setting that plays a crucial role in the mystery. How did you three collaborate to create the setting, and did any real-life locations inspire it? Team W: All three of us have visited Scotland more than once, and two of us have actually stayed in a fourteenth-century castle near the Culloden battlefield, so that was definitely in our minds when we created Kinloch.  Of course, the castle in the book is a…

Most likely to be underestimated: Lizzy. Because of her quiet nature, people assume she’s a bit of a doormat. In reality, she is taking everything in. Estimating. Turning facts and situations over in her mind. Don’t mess with her – or her family. She’s got claws and she’s not afraid to use them. Most likely to throw their loved ones under the bus: The Mother. Gabriela Holländer. Shocker, I know. Born a snake. Married a snake. Surrounded herself with conniving people to further her station in life. Get in her way and you won’t feel the knife in your back until its sunk in to the hilt. Most likely to tell convincing lies: Kate. I mean… come on. Most likely to play by the rules: Selene. Knowing her own history, she has a need for a life lived with honesty and openness. She knew the effects of her grandmother’s transgressions on her heart. The regrets. She is steady in nature, and never falls off the path. Most likely to blurt out the secret plan: Willa. Having lived a life with a mother who kept many secrets in her life – Willa would be compelled to share all. Most likely to…

1–What is the title of your latest release?TINY TIME MACHINE: THE COMPLETE TRILOGY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?All life on Earth will die of thirst unless a couple of loners on the run from cops can use a strange time machine to stop a secret project 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?In TTM, the oceans of the future have coagulated into a Jell-O like substance, so I wanted most of the action to take place on the coast, where that spectacle would be visible. Once I narrowed the choices down to coastal cities in the US, San Francisco is be loaded with interesting locations. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?You bet. I have a granddaughter who shares some characteristics with the lead character in TTM, including a sense of humor. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?Fearless, intelligent, independent 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?Trickier to write, time-travel stories are, than linear stories. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?A little of both, but not at the same time. I try to get my ideas into words first…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader–Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Raquel Vasquez Gilliland! Writes: Magical realism romance, which is often categorized as romantasy. In my latest book, LIGHTNING IN HER HANDS, Teal Flores’ emotions control the weather, to her dismay. She needs to find her mother to figure out how to control her magical gift. Enter Carter Velasquez, her former childhood best friend. He needs a fake marriage to secure a familiar inheritance, offering Teal enough so she can afford a private investigator to find her mother. Win/win, right? Not exactly, considering Teal’s growing attraction to Carter, who is hot one minute, then cold the next. Being with Carter makes her feel like she’s made of lightning—and the weather reflects this every time. About: I’m an autistic Latina with about one thousand special interests that I love to research for fun including but not limited to: decolonizing gardening and landscaping, breeding flowers, witchery, and plant consciousness. I love to spend my free time organizing and decluttering, hosting romance book clubs, and getting together with my…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Legends & Lattes with Ghibli vibes and diaspora feelings. It’s a cozy fantasy about an immigrant fortune teller who tells only small and inconsequential fortunes that nonetheless always come true. But she’s on the run from secrets of her past, and when she finds herself recruited into searching for a mercenary’s lost daughter, she’ll have to decide whether confronting that past is worth reuniting a family. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The world came together organically as I wrote the story. I knew I wanted a familiar sort of villages-and-castles fantasy setting, but told from the point of view of an immigrant to that kingdom. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely; I’d want her to tell my fortune. (Or would I?) 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Wary, brave, and kind. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned that it’s historically inaccurate to have potatoes in Western Europe during medieval times, as they weren’t brought there by traders from the New World…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE AUTHOR’S GUIDE TO MURDER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Monarch of the Glen meets Murder She Wrote!  Three American authors arrive at a Scottish castle to write a novel about a century-old murder…but when the current owner turns up dead, all may not be what it seems in this mystery-meets-literary satire. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Years ago (in 2012, in fact) the three of us were boozing it up at a conference and agreed our lives would be infinitely better if we could hang out more often—clearly, we should write a book together, so our publisher would send us on book tour.  In a haze of espresso martinis, we started throwing around ideas for a book set in Scotland, packed with men in kilts and playful sheep.  In the end, we wound up writing a book set in New York—and then one on the Lusitania—and one in France—and one in Newport.  But with this book, we decided it was finally time to return to our original inspiration and write that book set in Scotland! 4–Would you hang out with your…

Hi Everyone, My name is Shelley Shepard Gray and I’ve written a lot of books about the Amish. Some are sweet romances, some are family dramas, others lean a little bit darker and might seem a little bit edgier. That is where my new series from Revell is firmly set. This trilogy of novels all take place in Crittenden County, KY and feature both English and Amish characters. All the characters seem to have a few secrets, and there’s always an element of danger and suspense. UNFORGOTTEN, my November release, is one of my favorites and I’m so excited to share more about the novel with you~one letter at a time! U is for ‘Unforgiven’. It’s the first book in the series, and it’s where readers first meet this novel’s Amish heroine, Bethanne Hostetler. N is for ‘Never Say Never’. The novel begins with Bethanne watching her English cousin compete in the Miss Crittenden County pageant. That was definitely something Bethanne never expected to do. F is for ‘Fear’. Bethanne’s cousin Candice might look like she doesn’t have a care in the world, but she has a stalker and he’s getting very bold. O is for ‘Overcome’. Years ago, Bethanne…

The Memory Dress is my fourth novel and possibly my most glamorous story yet. Its opening scene takes place at Christie’s auction house in New York in 1997 during the sale of Princess Diana’s dresses. Eighty dresses were listed to sell that evening but only 79 did. One of them is missing and it is what happened to this missing dress that is the central mystery of my novel and the love story that unfolds over thirty years across its pages. Here is my title challenge to introduce you to some of the book’s key themes and characters. T: Timelines There are two in this book. The almost-present day in the Georgian city of Bath and London in the late eighties and early nineties. H: Home This is a key theme in the book. As my story opens, we meet my cast of characters who all have their own apartment in the same beautiful townhouse. They are strangers to each other at the beginning of the story, something that will have to change if they are going to save the one resident who really needs their help. Some very famous homes also feature in this book. The Holburne Museum in…

Most likely to be overlooked and underestimated? Answer: Elliot Sturgis (The Blooming of Delphinium). The man looks a bit uptight and could be easily overlooked because of his stern yet shy demeanor. However, there is a warrior under that suit. His moral compass and code of wanting to do good is so admirable. His unrelenting virtuous work will ultimately always make him a hero in any story. Most likely to be misunderstood? Answer: Mimi Morgan (On Moonberry Lake). Readers think she is such a prude grump, but there is so much that lurks under the surface. She puts on a front of being critical, but she is fiercely protective of those in her inner circle. She may come across as eccentric with all her animal print clothing, cat glasses, and flashy jewelry, but there is a story to this interesting woman. Her true heart will eventually be revealed. Most likely to make you wish you were their friend?  Answer: Delphinium Hayes! (The Blooming of Delphinium). She is so authentic and truly follows her heart. She’s okay with the fact that she’s viewed as a bit different, and embraces her creativity and quirky style. Anyone would be lucky to have her…