Sci-fi romance Author Cara Bristol interviewed the hero of ESCAPE CLAUSE (Cosmic Mates 1), Governor-General Krogan of planet Caradonia.   Cara Bristol: Thank you for meeting with me today, Governor-General. The galaxy is abuzz about the Cosmic Mates interplanetary matchmaking program you started. Krogan: Please, call me Krogan. Caradonia started the program out of necessity. A nano-virus brought to our planet from another world devastated our population.  All our women of childbearing age were afflicted. Half of them died. The survivors are now in stasis while we try to develop a cure. But even if all the women survive, we may not have enough females to ensure the survival of our species. So, Cosmic Mates will bring in alien women. Cara: I’m so sorry. That’s devastating. How has the program been working out? Krogan: It hasn’t been. The men aren’t signing up. We had identified five species who are biologically compatible, but they look so alien, the men aren’t attracted to them. My vice governor-general identified another alien species, humans, from Terra Nova who are more similar. They’re not blue-skinned like us—they’re rather blah, ranging from beige to brown, but they have two arms, two legs, similar facial features. We’re…

1–What is the title of your latest release? ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE BOURNE SHADOW 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When Jason Bourne meets a stranger who recognizes him from his forgotten past, he’s forced into a labyrinth of lies and betrayal. At the end of the maze is the truth about how he became the man he is. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I like to use destinations I love and make terrible things happen there! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Hmmm, hang out with Jason Bourne? No, I don’t think so. Too many people are trying to kill him. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Skilled.  Passionate.  Conflicted. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Life really does imitate art. The political backdrop of the novel is a French election in which a fringe right-wing group is scheming to take power. Does that sound familiar? 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I’m always editing! I edit as I go, and I edit when I’m done. Editing is part of the writing process because it immerses…

Book Title: SHADES OF MERCY Character Name: Porter Beck   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Up until a couple of years ago, I would have been able describe my family easily and with lots of fond memories. But it turns out I’m not who I really thought I was. What I can tell you is that I spent more than twenty years in the army, and about three years ago I returned to the place I grew up, Lincoln County, Nevada. My mother died when I was a boy. Like a lot of folks who grew up downwind of all the above-ground nuclear tests in the 1950s, she got cancer. Pop is still kicking, though he has dementia now, and I took over the job as sheriff here, a job he held for more than thirty years. My adopted sister, Brinley, who knows more about guns than anyone I know, swings in and out of our lives like a pendulum, going from one extreme to the next. Our childhood was spent in the high desert here, in a county the size of Maryland but with only about 6,000 people. And while you might think things would…

Author: Hayley Krischer Book Title: WHERE ARE YOU, ECHO BLUE? Character Name: Echo Blue How would you describe your family or your childhood? My family is complicated. My mom was a famous child star, but that experience haunted her and now she’s a recluse and a recovering addict. My father Jamie Blue is also a famous movie star. He’s what you would call a Hollywood hunk. A Brad Pitt type. But he’s an A-class narcissist. I got into acting so I could be closer to my father, but that all seemed to backfire.   What was your greatest talent? Acting.   Significant other? I fell in love with someone much older than me on the set of my movie, Emma. We were only 17 when we met. He was 28. I promised my agent that I would keep it under wraps from the paparazzi until I was 18. I was deeply in love with him, but we’re no longer together. I was much too young for him. Much too unstable. He should have known better.   Biggest challenge in relationships? I’m too famous. I don’t trust anyone because I don’t know if they want to be my friend because of…

Music is an integral part of my writing process! Usually before I’ve even started drafting, I’ve built the beginning of a playlist. Though my official playlist for THE EX VOWS has dozens of songs, these are the songs that most accurately capture the spirit of Georgia, the main character, Eli, her love interest, and the book as a whole.   “Forever” by Noah Kahan When I listen to this song, I think of it being told from Eli’s POV. There’s so much nostalgia attached to it, which aligns perfectly with Eli and Georgia’s past. They met at fifteen and were best friends for years before they got into a relationship, so I always think of Eli looking back on all of that with the same kind of wistfulness and fondness that we see throughout Georgia’s narration. Eli and Georgia both have to work through a lot of loneliness in their lives, and I love the line “I won’t be alone for the rest of my life/I’ll build a boat for when the river gets high/And I’ll meet a girl in the heat of July/And I’ll tell her so she knows.” To me, it represents this idea that he’ll never give…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE DESIGN OF US 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? One impulsive lie leads to a weeklong adventure of fake dating for two bickering coworkers in this swoony destination wedding rom-com by Sajni Patel, author of The Trouble with Hating You. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My book is set in locations where I’ve lived and am currently living: the Seattle/Tacoma area and Hawai’i! I’m really excited to bring readers to some of my favorite spots..mixed with a bit of imagination, of course. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I would absolutely hang out with Bhanu! In some regards, we’re so alike—introverted, lover of sweatpants, weakened by cake—but she can be so bubbly and fun. Willing to go out but comfortable in silence, yet she’s a barrel of laughs with close friends and family. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Introverted, witty, thoughtful 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a bit more about current trends in UX (user experience), which is my MC’s primary role. I’d studied UX several years ago. While researching…

Tin God, Book 5, Elemental Covenant Series by Elizabeth Hunter Drift Would, Book 2, Dauntless Cyborgs Series by Cynthia Sax Mistaken Identity Murder, Book 31, Merry Wrath Mysteries by Leslie Langtry The Blossoming of the Wallflower by Jude Knight Secret Sweets: A Sweet’s Sweets Bakery Mystery, Book 18, Samantha Sweet Magical Cozy Mystery Series by Connie Shelton Their Ruined Princess by Calista Jayne Once an Alpha by Kaje Harper A Sudden Response by R.L. Mathewson Blackmailed Marriage by Sam Crescent Building Courage (SEAL Team Heartbreakers) by Teresa J. Reasor     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.

Book Title: A CONTROVERSIAL COVER Character Name: David Price   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Extremely happy. I’m the youngest of two boys and have a great relationship with my parents. I wish my girlfriend, Tricia Miles, could say the same—but then she’s close to her sister, Angelica.   What was your greatest talent? Pivoting. When things take a turn, I can pivot and handle it. Well, so far, at least.   Significant other? Tricia Miles.   Biggest challenge in relationships? There’s a bit of an age gap. What’s twenty years between lovers? But I love that despite my lack of years, we have so much in common. And we’ve never not had something to talk about. These days, the art of conversation seems to be slipping away, but not with us. I can’t imagine ever being bored by such a fascinating woman.   Where do you live? I live in Milford, New Hampshire, the next town over from Stoneham where Tricia lives and works in her mystery bookstore, Haven’t Got a Clue. I was never much of a mystery lover, but she’s been educating me on the classics, and I’ve enjoyed just about every book…

Into the Fire, Book 1, Ray Wyatt Series by Rick Mofina Whiskey, Book 7, The Alpha Elite Series by Sybil Bartel Captured by Lauren Biel Escape Mission, Book 1, Alpha Tactical Ops Series by Kendall Talbot Shot Taker, Book 2, King of the Court Series by Piper Lawson Banic, Book 1, Alien Berserkers of Izaea Series by Mina Carter The Bodyguard, Book 2, Black Hawke Security Series by Juliette N Banks Nasty Alpha by Sam Crescent Special Agent Hunter, Book 10, Undercover FBI Series by Mimi Barbour Nighthawks MC Entire Series by C.J. Pinard August, Book 18, Were Zoo Series by R.E. Butler The Housemaid by Sarah A. Denzil The Lord and the Frenchman, Book 2, Ormond Yard Romantic Adventures by Neil S. Plakcy Sawyer and the Bookworms: Contemporary Sweet RH Omegaverse, Book 3, The Candyverse Series by Mona Black First Strike – The 21st Spider Shepherd Novel by Stephen Leather Fractured, Book 2, Lucian & Lia/Pierced Series by Sydney Landon The Ice Duchess, Book 2, Scandalous Regency Widows by Amy Rose Bennett Chosen by the Chimera by Evangeline Anderson The Woman by the Lake by Kristen Ashley Make Me Fall, Book 2, Bayshore Series by Ember Leigh    …

Book Title: THE HEDGEROW Character Name: Edith Sloan   How would you describe your family or your childhood? I grew up in Urbana, Illinois, as an only child. My mother was a housewife, and my father was a professor of Mathematics at the University of Illinois. Those were unhappy years for me. My father was cruel and overly strict. My mother couldn’t protect me from his rage and abuse.   What was your greatest talent? I’d say understanding the limitations of others, particularly men. They’re usually unaware of their shortcomings, or if they are, try to compensate for them in ridiculous ways. Have you ever noticed how the most insecure man is the one who brags the most about his accomplishments? Men seem to be perpetually off-balance, between their need to impress women and also to control them.   Significant other? Oh, there have been a small handful. My ex-husband, Walter, of course, then there’s my fiancé, Henry McCormick. I’m embarrassed to mention a Mr. Philip Green, with whom my relationship was brief and purely romantic, and a professor when I was an undergraduate. He turned out to be married, more’s the pity.   Biggest challenge in relationships? Not losing…