by CJ Holmes As a Brit, I’m obsessed about the weather, and winter has set in here. The nights are dark, the evenings are cold, and the mornings are frostbitten but the ice looks rather beautiful in the sunrise. It’s the perfect season for snuggling up inside with at least one good book, and I’m spending my evenings curled up in front of a fire with some spectacular reads. It’s also the time of year for gifting, and with Christmas on the horizon (where did the year go??!!?? And how are my kids growing up this fast??!!??), I thought I’d focus this month’s column around some fantasy romance gift recommendations that will make the dreams of fantasy and paranormal romance readers come true. You can expect captivating worlds, enthralling plots, and romance that’ll sweep you off your feet and leave you more than a little breathless from all of these series – and they’re a guaranteed hit with any romantasy reader. They’re also a great place to start if you’re dipping your toe into the water or want something to try. I own a lot of these books and I’m a huge fan of many of these authors… so just…

Book Title: MAYBE THIS TIME Character Name: Rose Schafer Hello! I’m Rose, and I’m ready for your questions. Fire away. How would you describe your family or your childhood? Messy. My parents worked a lot and used much of their free time partying and fighting with each other. They didn’t spend much time with me or my sister Vi. She’s five years older and pretty much raised me. Mom and dad divorced when I was nine. Finally! Our gran moved in with mom and us girls, and things settled down some. Next question. Who is your significant other? I had my share of boyfriends before I met Peter. He’s a respected surgeon at Port Simms Hospital. A workaholic, too. I’m his third wife, and we’ve been married almost two years. But now, he … (sniffles) Never mind. Can we please move to the next question? Where do you live? In Port Simms, Washington. I’ve lived here the entire twenty-six years of my life. It’s a small town in the Pacific Northwest on the east side of the Olympic Peninsula and about two hours’ drive north of Seattle. It’s beautiful here. You’d love it. How do you feel about the place…

I’ve never been someone who can listen to music while writing, so the following songs are less of an author-curated track list than they are a collection of tunes that go along with the events and personalities of the characters in BENEATH THE POET’S HOUSE. Enjoy, and be warned, the vibe is suitably dark and overwhelmingly emo… what else would you expect from the Poe-and-Whitman-inspired tastes of main characters Saoirse White and Emmit Powell?  “Helena,” My Chemical Romance Are you even allowed to be a writer of dark thrillers and horror novels, set your opening scene in a graveyard, and not chose “Helena” as the first track on your novel’s playlist? I think not. I have a theory that fans of MCR’s music and Edgar Allan Poe’s poetry overlap significantly, so I’m confident “Helena” (named after band members Gerard and Mikey Way’s late grandmother, Elena Lee Rus, or, “Helen,” as she was known, similar to Sarah Whitman being called “Helen” by her friends) sets the stage for the themes explored within Beneath the Poet’s House. The music video’s black and red aesthetic are a perfect match for the novel’s cover, and its subject matter, about a young woman (the “queenliest…

A is for Answers, what Kat McCann, the novel’s teenage protagonist, is desperate to get, specifically answers about her mother’s murder from the man who solved the case, internationally famous detective Alik Lisser.  S is for Secrets, because everyone in this novel has secrets. Kat has secrets. Alik has secrets. There’s even a secret character hiding in plain sight.  S is also for Suspense, as in the growing dread you will feel when you realize just how much danger Kat has gotten herself in. U is for Undercover, because one of the characters is not whom or what they seem to be… M is for Massachusetts, the doughnut-kissed state in which most of the novel takes place.  E is for England, the fog-kissed country in which the rest of the chapters of the novel take place.  N is for the Nineties, as in the 1990s, the decade in which our tale of suspense and mystery is set.  O is for Obstinate, because Kat will stubbornly refuse to give up in her search for justice…no matter what.  T is for Tension, close cousin of suspense, here guaranteeing that almost every chapter ends with a cliffhanger. H is for Humor, an important…

Book: A HUSBAND FOR ESYLLT Character: Connor Hunter, Lord Sheridan On this cold February night, in the year of our Lord 1296, we meet with Connor Hunter, Lord Sheridan, who he is about to leave for Wales, to marry his second wife on the king’s orders. How would you describe your childhood, my lord? Like that of any nobleman you can imagine. I was my parents’ only child, and a son, so I trained to be a knight. My days were spent riding, training with a sword and learning how to take care of our estate. Matthew, my milk brother, and I were always getting ourselves involved into all sorts of mischief whenever we could escape the castle. I owe him what little joy I got while growing up. What is your greatest talent? I am a knight, so naturally I am skilled at riding, sword fighting, jousting, hand to hand combat, but I like to think I’m also rather adept at hide and seek. Can you tell us more about your wife to be? My wife Helen recently died. (A distant look appears in his pale green eyes.) It was a marriage of convenience and I’m about to go…

by Misty Simon For this month, I went searching for holiday themed cozies and I found myself way overwhelmed by the awesome variety and talent in this particular lane! Woohoo! Of course, we have quite a few Christmas themed cozies, my own included with VARNISHED WITHOUT A TRACE and FIDDLE ME THIS, but even more so I loved that I found books that included Hanukkah as well as Kwanzaa. I love reading books involving characters who are different than me or celebrate holidays outside my own experience! Let’s dive in! First up, we have THE GIFT OF MURDER. This is a wonderful compilation of short stories from nineteen authors covering so many holidays and such great stories. I laughed, I cringed, my heart was warmed, and my desire for the ultimate justice was satisfied. Check it out! Next, join me in cackling with glee over an older book from the delightful Vicki Delany! Year-Round Christmas? Yes, please! I love the premise of this whole series, and I particularly enjoyed this installment, DYING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND. Who doesn’t love an awesome mystery with a wonderful Christmas flavor? I zipped right through this one as I laughed and enjoyed being with…

1–What is the title of your latest release? HOME FOR THE HOMICIDES, book 4 in the Hometown Mystery series. It is out now in ebook and paperback! 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? It’s Christmastime in Army retiree Tessa Treslow’s small Idaho hometown of New Oslo, but someone is determined to play a grinch this season with as a string of unfortunate incidents disrupts the holiday spirit. Progressing from broken windows to then progresses to car theft, assault, and arson, each instance is accompanied by a clue that clearly ties the crimes together. Then, at one of the arson sites, there is a body…and it is clear to Tessa that the woman was already dead before the fire was set. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? When I was writing the first of the series, I struggled to decide where to set it – until I went home to visit my family, who had recently moved back to my birthplace. I realized that a series that became the Hometown Mysteries would be best set in my hometown! “New Oslo” is a thinly fictionalized version of my birthplace. 4–Would you hang out with…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WHAT THE WIFE KNEW 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A woman blackmails a famous national hero into marriage, intending to ruin him but someone kills him first, which is a problem because that was her job 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I write thrillers set in real, bucolic areas as a reminder that terrible things happen in beautiful places. WHAT THE WIFE KNEW is set in Rye, New York. The whole upstate New York/Hudson Valley area is gorgeous. The perfect setting for something devious. I also looked through numerous real estate listings as part of my research into the area. That’s the best kind of research. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes! I love Addison. She’s seen some things. Lunch with her would not be dull. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Driven. Sarcastic. (Reluctantly) empathetic.  6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I’d never written a book in first-person point of view before WHAT THE WIFE KNEW. When the thriller starts, the husband is already dead and his wife, Addison, is not sad…

I don’t talk about KU that much. I much prefer Kobo Plus. However, I know a lot of you are subscribed to KU, and might, like me, be on a buying-things-for-yourself hiatus during the holiday shopping season. Therefore, I’m going to recommend 10 Rockstar romances on KU so you can still get your reading fix on! RHYTHM – Rocky Mountain Rockstars series, book 5, by Jade C. Jamison If you like small town vibes with steam and the get-it-out-of-our-systems trope, you’ll have fun with this one. ROCK GOD – Hearts of Metal series, book 3, but Brooklyn Ann Yeah, I know, I said I prefer Kobo Plus, but I figured I’d let some KU folk have a chance at some of my Hearts of Metal series for a limited time. If you like alpha heroes, hurt-comfort vibes, and opposites attract, you’ll love this standalone romance where a rockstar rescues a romance author and turns her life into a real romance. FLAWLESS RIOT – Rebel Riot series, book 4, by Connie La Fortune For all the friends to lovers, fake relationship goodness, definitely give this one a go! ELECTRIC TOUCH – Red Alert series, book 1, by Chris Reilly A steamy,…

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.