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…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DEADLY REVENGE, Book 3 in the Pearl River Series 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Deputy Jenna Hart has vowed to never date a cop again…a fireman maybe, but not a cop. All bets are off when she’s thrown together with TBI, Agent Maxwell Anderson, her old flame from Chattanooga, to stop a madman from destroying her town. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’d wanted to set a book around Chattanooga for a while since I loved the area. It’s a fascinating and beautiful Tennessee setting. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Definitely! I’ve loved horses since I was a kid and when Jenna isn’t working, she loves to ride her horse, Ace, a Dutch Warmblood. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Gutsy, fearless, and smart 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned how to blow up a dam. Fascinating subject…I called a friend who blows up beaver dams (same principle) and he explained what I needed to do and where to put the charge. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE IMPROVISERS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A barnstorming pilot turned magical investigator crisscrosses the country to puzzle out a mystery in a magical version of the 1930s. Featuring peril, deadly enchantments, murder, and the company of the most annoying reporter around. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The Improvisers is partially a travel story at\s the main character, Velma Frye, flies her plane across the country. The locations that mark her travels were inspired by historical facts I wanted to highlight. Outside of her travels, the key settings in the book are “homebase” for her, which is Chicago, Philadelphia, and the fictional Bramble Crescent that’s loosely based on Oak Bluffs. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Sure. Velma may get in trouble at times, but she’s take you on amazing journey! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Adventurous. Impulsive. Caring. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? In my final passes with this book, I listen to it using the speech-to-text feature. I’ve done this before but done chores while listening and it wasn’t always…

I’m one of those people who listen to music to get in the right headspace for writing a book. MR. NICE SPY was no exception. I had a whole playlist of songs that reminded me of characters and situations to evoke the right feeling, and here are just a few from that list. I Am by CRMNL I don’t think CRMNL is an especially well-known group, but if you ever need an anthem for doing what it takes to get the job done, this song is for you. MR. NICE SPY starts off with Andee and Chan being kidnapped by an international weapons dealer (who just so happens to be Andee’s father), and she learns throughout the book that she has what it takes to take him down. Till the Sun Burns Out by (SEBELL) This song is all about loving someone until the sun burns out, and if you were to approach this book from Chan’s perspective, you can see how he always puts Andee first and helps her overcome her worries whenever things get too dark in the catacombs where they’re imprisoned. He comes back for Andee even when things look grim and puts her life above his…

Hi! I’m Aleeza Kassam! First a bit about me— I’m a first-year student at Toronto City University studying journalism because I want to be an investigative journalist one day. I love octopuses, old-school mystery novels, movies, and salad bowls (and curry bowls, grain bowls, and really any food all mixed together in a big bowl). Today I’m going to tell you a bit about the amazing city I live in, Toronto! I didn’t grow up here— I grew up in a small town— Alderville, Ontario, which is on the Bay of Quinte. My mom is a librarian there, and I spent a lot of time reading everything the library while she worked. Isn’t it the cutest library you’ve ever seen? Alderville is quiet and gorgeous, and I miss it, but I never really fit in there. Probably because we were one of the only Indian families in town, and it’s hard being one of the only person of color when you’re also kind of an awkward nerd. But I live in Toronto now. My university campus is downtown, right in the busiest part of the city. It’s just a block from Yonge and Dundas, which is the busiest intersection in…

1–What is the title of your latest release? PONY CONFIDENTIAL 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In this one-of-a-kind mystery with heart and humor, a hilariously grumpy pony must save the only human he’s ever loved after discovering she stands accused of a murder, he knows she didn’t commit. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It’s inspired by The Odyssey, so I knew Ithaca should be the ending point, though it’s Ithaca, New York, not the one in Greece. The pony travels back and forth across America, tossed on the sea of human whims, so I set it in all the places a pony might end up, from a highway rest stop in the Great Plains to an island off the Atlantic seaboard to a skyscraper in Chicago, and many more. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? LOL –  I do! After I wrote the book, I adopted an elderly retired small pony who now lives thirty feet from my back door. He has turned out to be EXACTLY like the pony in my book, right down to his grumpy obsession with carrots and a highly manipulative personality….

1–What is the title of your latest release? A VERY BAD THING 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Who Killed Columbia Jones? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? This one’s set in Colorado, New York, Nashville, and a very cool island off the coast of Maine—each chosen for the specific scenarios it provides. New York, especially—sometimes, a character just needs to get lost in the crowds! And of course, I have to have a Nashville connection. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. Killing her was unbelievably hard. Columbia was a challenge to write because she’s gone. She couldn’t speak to me in the way the other characters do. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Elegant. Driven. Duplicitous. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Oddly enough, that Mark Rothko committed suicide. I love his work, and every time we go to New York, I make it a practice to go to MoMA and look at his paintings in person. But I had no idea how he suffered for his art. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? Both….

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.