Music has played such a big role in the writing of this book, probably more than any other book I’ve worked on. The idea of narrowing it down to a list of five feels nearly impossible, but here are some that were on repeat as I got to know the characters and their story! Bad Reputation by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts This song is Thea. The Best I Never Had is dedicated to my short fuse girlies, the ones who were always told to calm down and that they didn’t need to be so angry and aggressive all the time. These are the women who watched 10 Things I Hate About You and felt viscerally seen by Kat Stratford. Those who want to be loved because of their fire and passion, not in spite of it. Y’all are badasses, and so is Thea. Nervous by Shawn Mendes I like to do interviews where I ask the ‘characters’ questions to get to know them before I start drafting, and as I got to know Owen, this song just felt so right. He’s this gorgeous, competent, kind man, but when he looks at Thea, he can barely string two words together….

What is the title of your latest release?MUTUAL DISCORD What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A girl’s girl influencer is in for a serious reality check when she discovers she’d fallen for her best friend’s boyfriend. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Since this is my first dip into contemporary romance, I wanted to set the story in a place I knew well. So I had Sofia live in the Phoenix area, where I live, and have her attend the University of Arizona, which is my alma mater! Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely! Sofia is witty and easy-going, ready for whatever her friends are interested in. She’s also incredibly loyal…which proves problematic when she realizes she’s falling for her best friend’s boyfriend. What are three words that describe your hero?Alex is self-aware, thoughtful, and cheeky! What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned about so many phenomenal, accomplished women in history! Sofia has a popular TikTok series called The Matildas – named after the Matilda Effect – which highlights women in history who have been erased from their discoveries or never received their flowers. Women who had amazing…

What is the title of your latest release?HOW TO FIND A ROMANCE IN A BOOKSHOP What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Failed novelist meets failed literary agent, in a bookshop. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?That was easy! In my head I live in Portneath ALL the time. Plus, when I created Capelthorne’s bookshop for my previous novel I just couldn’t bear it to be the setting for just one book. It was too good to waste! Capelthorne’s is a PROPER bookshop, with wonky beams inside and one of those curved bay windows, with lots of individual panes of glass, and “Capelthorne’s” picked out in gold on the sign above. Oh, and that smell! The smell of books, new and old. Your readers totally know what I mean. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Yes, poor Petra, I really feel for her. I think we can all imagine making one of those social media gaffes, the very thought of which makes us wake up sweating in the wee small hours. Well, with Petra, she wakes up in the wee small hours and remembers that she ACTUALLY DID DO IT! She…

Excerpt from pages 44-47 of FATAL FINALE by Nancy Mehl: “You need to wake up. You’re in a lot of trouble.” Kaely tried to open her eyes, but it was difficult. She felt odd. Not herself. Where was she? Did she have a bad dream? Was Noah lying in bed next to her? But when she finally forced her eyes open, she saw the yellow walls and the cot with the blue blanket. It hadn’t been a dream. It was real. She struggled to sit upright, swinging her legs over the side of the cot and her feet onto the floor. Her head was still tender, but the pain had subsided quite a bit. Her tongue still hurt, but it was better too. She realized suddenly that someone had just spoken to her. Was that part of her dream? It was then that she saw a figure perched on the chair that she’d pushed back against the far wall before she’d fallen asleep. Could it really be . . . “Georgie?” she asked. Her voice sounded odd to her. Hoarse. She cleared her throat. “You can’t be here.” “But yet, here I am.” Georgie’s curly brown hair framed her face….

What is the title of your latest release?A NUMBERS GAME What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A fake psychic medium and his loan-shark best friend get caught between a missing lottery ticket and a gang war neither of them wanted – a laugh-out-loud, blood-soaked buddy crime novel for fans of Mick Herron and Robert Crais. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Blades Edge, the council estate, or if you’re in the US you might say Projects, where A Numbers Game takes place has always been in my head. It’s not where I grew up, but it is kind of close to where I grew up. With added bits of other places from my life thrown in. I wanted to write something that felt true to what I knew and Blades Edge feels very real to me. It’s part of England, but also something very self-contained. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Well. Mal, in many ways, is quite close to me in personality, though I was never a drug addict. So we would probably get on reasonably well. As for Jackie, well, he’s one of those people that would not take…

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.

Welcome to Where Everybody Knows Your… Alibi— where we get to know the fictional towns we’d happily move to… if they didn’t have such a suspicious body count (but does that really matter?). This month’s guest is the talented (and one of the most genuinely caring people I know) Ruth J. Hartman. Ruth is the author of multiple delightful cozy mystery series which are set in our shared home state of Indiana. She’s also a proud self-proclaimed cat-herder, so it’s no surprise why there’s at least one furry feline stealing the spotlight in her mysteries! Ruth is a founding member and contributor of the Facebook group Murder, They Write, and is active on her author Facebook page where she loves connecting with readers and sharing her cozy world. Now, purr yourself something yummy, and let’s flutter over to quaint Maple Junction, Indiana, home of the Seneca James Mysteries and the Majestic Monarch Butterfly Farm. First of all, who unofficially runs the town… and do they know it, or does everyone just naturally look to them as a leader?Cody Bales is Seneca James’ best friend and Maple Junction’s town sheriff. If there’s ever any kind of problem, people know who to…

What is the title of your latest release?THE SCALLOP PLOT What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?It’s a thriller in which a feisty scallop fisherwoman and a persistent female journalist join forces to stop an evil offshore wind developer, during which the nasty right-wind anti-wind folks get their due. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I’ve lived near Provincetown MA for years and love the place. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely. What are three words that describe your hero?There are actually three heroines, and I’d describe all three as brave, smart and very heroic. What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned a lot about both the good and bad sides of offshore wind – how much we need it and how bad it can be in some cases for the marine environment. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?Kind of both. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Brownies, homemade. I have a great recipe! Describe your writing space/office!It looks out on the wonderful Charles River in Cambridge, MA. The walls are filled with family pictures, and the bookshelves are crammed full of books…

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 Del Sandeen! Writes:Horror! Don’t worry. I’m not here to jump scare you or gross you out. Instead, I’d rather crawl in during the night, when you’re lying in bed and about to drift off into sweet dreams…or nightmares. My latest novel, THESE WALLS REMEMBER, is about two feuding sisters who inherit a distant relative’s home in Savannah, Georgia, only to discover that they—and the home—are having a hard time letting go of the past. About:I’m a lifelong horror fan who never expected to write horror. As a kid, many of my Saturday afternoons were spent watching scary movies with my dad, and Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing quickly became familiar faces. I’m a U.S. Southerner, but British company Hammer Film Productions had a hold on me! When I’m not reading or writing, I’m learning Spanish, doing needlecrafts, putting together puzzles, enjoying the outdoors (especially the beach), or planning my next trip (ghost tours, anyone?). For my ideal reader for my latest novel,…

From July 14 through July 18, 2021, we stayed at Clearwater Crossing RV Park in Orofino, Idaho beside the Clearwater River. When my husband chose the park, I was excited about spending a few quiet days beside a beautiful river. And it was beautiful. But look closely at the sky in my photographs. There is almost no blue. Wildfire smoke had turned the sky hazy and reminded us that, although we were enjoying a peaceful riverside campsite, firefighters were working hard in the surrounding forests. Helicopters Over the Clearwater River One evening, I was outside beside the river talking to my mother on the phone when I heard a helicopter overhead. I looked up. My husband had already noticed the helicopters flying over the Clearwater River and told me they were dipping buckets into the water to carry water to the fires. I reassured my mother that we were not near the fires, and we were safe. For a while that evening, we listened to the helicopters coming and going. It was an unusual soundtrack for a peaceful riverside vacation. Yet somehow, the two things existed together: the quiet beauty of the Clearwater River and the urgency of wildfire crews…