From A LEGEND IN THE BAKING by Jamie Wesley. Copyright © 2024 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group. Chapter Three August Hodges blew out a breath as soon as the door shut behind Sloane. Maybe his heart rate could return to normal now. Maybe. He gripped the counter and let out another breath. His day wasn’t going bad—at least it hadn’t been until he noticed the small leak in the pipe under the sink. He had no reason to complain. His careers—as the starting fullback for the San Diego Knights and one of the co-owners of the cupcake shop—were going well. And even a minor leak wasn’t that big of a problem. He’d fixed similar issues with no problems since he was a kid. But this little fucker wanted to be stubborn. No matter how much he cursed and yanked, a bit of water trickled out. He hadn’t wanted to believe it, but he needed a new repair clamp. It didn’t matter that he’d replaced it last month. To make matters worse, just when he’d thought he’d asserted his dominance over the inanimate object, he’d heard it. It being the magical voice. The voice…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE MASQUERADING TWIN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? You’ve been on the run for years after killing your twin sister in a police raid gone wrong. Your past just returned, and it seems to be wearing the same face as yours. That’s impossible, right? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Since THE MASQUERADING TWIN is the fifth book in the series, it was inevitable that it would take place in Minnesota. This book visits several towns along the Mississippi River. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes! Selina is mysterious but also kind, easy to talk to, determined, and likes to have fun with her friends. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Determined, intelligent, exhausted. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot about the hierarchy of the mafia and just how wrong authors get it when writing books about them. I also learned just how difficult it is to bury your past and become someone else without the help of witness protection. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you…

Hello fans of mystery, murder and mayhem! Allow me to introduce myself: I’m Leslie Langtry, and I’ll be your host here at Fresh Fiction, every week for Mondays are Murder! To get the ball rolling for something like this, I’d usually do an ice breaker like, “Ideas on how to kill with vegetables,” or “How would you introduce a blue ringed octopus to a victim who wasn’t in Australia and make it look like an accident?” Unfortunately, we can’t really do that here, so you’ll just have to settle for a plain old intro. About me, I’m a USA Today best selling author and was first published in 2007 when my first book, ‘SCUSE ME WHILE I KILL THIS GUY, (a dark comedy about a family of assassins) came out. I wrote four books for that publisher before striking out on my own for a time in 2011, and landing with another publisher in 2014 with my next (and longest series) the Merry Wrath Cozy Comedies – first book – MERIT BADGE MURDER (a comedy about an ex-CIA agent turned small town Girl Scout leader). There are currently 34 books in the Merry Wrath series because 1) they’re fun to…

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…