From Blue Christmas Bones by Carolyn Haines. Copyright © 2024 by the author and reprinted by permission of St. Martin’s Publishing Group. 2 We finished lunch and walked over to the Cadence Bank Arena, where the competitions and festivities would be centered. Tupelo’s downtown was blocked off to cars, and folks were milling about. Elvises—some the spitting image of the King, and some so far from the svelte Elvis of my dreams that it took a moment for their posture and pose to convey the essence of the singer—performed wherever they could drum up an audience. Some signed autographs as if they were really the King. It was all about believing in oneself and the power of the Elvis transformation. At the Arena Center, we went inside to view the incredible bejeweled belt that a local woman had allowed the festival to display. It was a perfect replica of Elvis’s Las Vegas belt and was worth a fortune. We gathered around the glass case and inspected the work of art. “Who owns this?” Cece asked as she walked around the display with her camera on. She was filming for a newspaper story. I knew how her brain worked. “Someone local,”…

D is for Deceased.  Which, unfortunately, both of our main character’s parents are. E is for Eliza, our main character A is for Alone, which is how Eliza feels in the predicament her mom’s letter leaves her in. R is for Relationships, which are at the center of Eliza’s story. E is for Education, which is the focus of the non-profit Eliza works for. L is for Love, which Eliza doesn’t entirely believe she deserves. I is for Intoxicated, which is the state Eliza is in when she blurts out something she doesn’t mean to at her father’s shiva. Z is for Zero, the number of cups of coffee that tea-loving Eliza drinks! A is for Abandonment, the fear of which is what keeps Eliza from getting too close to people. DEAR ELIZA by Andrea J. Stein Ten years after her mother’s death, Eliza Levinger never imagined she’d hear from her again. But then The Letter arrived.  Eliza’s world broke apart when she was sixteen and her mom died of cancer. Now, years later, she has rebuilt her life to include a director-of-development job at a nonprofit, a Manhattan apartment, and an easy-on-the-eyes bedroom buddy—just the kind of no-strings relationship she wants,…

It should be said that I love music. I am almost never without it playing, including when I write. In fact, I’ve written all my novels to the same Pandora station that I created way back in 2008, when I wrote the first one. Perhaps it’s superstition, perhaps it’s Pavlovian, but I write better when those same songs are filling my mind and fueling my words. Today I am sharing five songs that in some way tie into my latest novel, EVERY MOMENT SINCE. The Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News In the book an 11-year-old boy named Davy goes missing in the fall of 1985 and is never seen again. At the time of his disappearance, he is wearing a jacket his mother made for him, meant to match the one Marty McFly wore in Davy’s favorite movie Back to the Future. It is that same jacket that is discovered at the beginning of the book, igniting the cold case investigation and affecting four people who have lasting ties to the night Davy disappeared. While writing, any time I heard this song I felt that little nudge to keep at it, to keep believing in this…

HARRISON HYDE And the RUNAWAY BRIDE MAGGIE SHAYNE Copright MS Lewis, 2024 All rights reserved CHAPTER 2 The place with the best tacos in Texas was a Cantina called Manuel’s. Harrison knew that because it was painted on a big wooden sign atop the brown adobe building. CANTINA MANUEL, it said in green lettering outlined in black. They entered through batwing doors. The place wasn’t busy in the middle of a Saturday afternoon, but it was open. The inside was painted with green, white, and red, the familiar colors of the Mexican flag. A lone man sat at a table with a nearly empty bottle and a half-full glass in front of him. He was white, his bushy beard was blond, and he wore a sombrero and a woven poncho. He sat so low in his chair, Harrison wondered if he was going to slide onto the floor. He looked as if he was melting in extreme slow motion. A middle-aged Mexican couple sat at another table eating quesadillas. Regulars, he’d bet. They were dressed down, comfortable, making themselves at home. The happiness between them was palpable in the way they smiled into each other’s eyes. Harrison watched them for…

Book Title: Not Yours to Keep Character Name: Anna Newman 1. How would you describe your family or your childhood? My childhood was pretty lonely and unhappy until eighth grade. That’s when this one boy started being nice to me. Then something happened. An unexpected turn, you might say. I’ve never talked about it to anyone, and I won’t tell you now either. You know what, though? I never thought I’d see that boy again, but I never stopped loving him. 2. What was your greatest talent? I didn’t really have any specific talent, but I had a special way with animals. They’re much kinder than humans. 3. Significant other? I couldn’t have the significant other I wanted. Without him, I’ve just floated between guys, never really caring about any of them, which works out fine because they don’t care either. 4. Biggest challenge in relationships? The biggest challenge in relationships is giving a crap. I don’t. Though I suppose it would be cool if someone treated me like I mattered. Only one guy ever did. It’s been decades since I’ve seen him, but now I know just where to find him. 5. Where do you live? How do you…

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.

Welcome, book lovers, to this week’s edition of Jen’s Jewels! Today, we’re diving into the captivating world of THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN by Lynda Cohen Loigman. Imagine a tale that spans decades, from the vibrant streets of 1920s Brooklyn to a lively Florida retirement community in the 1980s. At its heart is Augusta Stern, a remarkable 80-year-old protagonist whose journey of love, loss, and unexpected second chances will leave you spellbound. With a dash of magical realism, a sprinkle of historical intrigue, and a heap of heart, Loigman’s novel promises to be a literary elixir you won’t want to miss. Join me as we uncover the inspiration behind this enchanting story, explore the intricate research that brings its settings to life, and discover why it’s never too late for love or redemption. Get ready for a conversation as rich and complex as Augusta herself! Jen: Augusta Stern is a fascinating character, balancing her past and present while navigating life’s unexpected turns. What inspired you to create a protagonist who is on the cusp of turning eighty, and how did you approach writing her journey of self-discovery? Lynda: The inspiration for Augusta came from stories I had heard about…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE BOOK OF WITCHING 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A dual narrative gothic thriller set on Orkney about a real-life witch trial from 1594 and a book that contains the history of evil, found by a girl in the present-day. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I have wanted to write about the witch trial of Alison Balfour for the longest time, so it made sense that I base the book in Orkney. I went there for research and absolutely loved it. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes! Alison is a true hero. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Alison is steadfast, courageous, and full of integrity 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot about 16th century Orcadian politics! I became fascinated by the social context at the time of the witch trial and am really, really glad I followed my hunch, because it turns out that this played into the real-life  narrative a lot more than I had expected. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are…

THE PROPHECY – Taylor Swift This song has defined A REIGN OF ROSE the most for me. Not only does the title speak to fundamental crucible Arwen will have to face—the unavoidable prophecy that’s irrevocably shaped the last year of her life—but the lyrics tell the story of a woman begging to be freed from a fate she fears. Though Taylor is singing about failed love, it sounds like Arwen’s inner monologue to me. “I guess a lesser woman would’ve lost hope. A greater woman wouldn’t beg, but I looked to the sky and said, please. I’ve been on my knees, change the prophecy.” EMPIRE NOW – Hozier If I ever share a book playlist that doesn’t have Hozier, Taylor, or Florence on it, you’ll know that was made an imposter. And this one happens to have all three! This is Hozier’s most A Reign of Rose song. He sings about how past informs to future, history is doomed to repeat itself unless someone is brave enough to make a change, and the power of revolution. It’s a hopeful song lyrically, but the melody reminds us that to get to that brighter future, we must make sacrifices. Arwen and Kane…

I never listen to music while I’m writing. But that doesn’t mean music isn’t an integral part of my writing process. Far from it…I always assign songs to specific chapters or certain events set within a chapter. Sometimes the song comes first and inspires me as a write a scene, while other times I’ve already written something and then I hear a song and know it perfectly captures the mood I’m trying to convey. To celebrate the publication of REALM UNITED, the final book in my YA romantasy Felserpent Chronicles series, I’d love to share 5 songs and tell you how they tie into the book. There won’t be any spoilers from REALM UNITED, but there are small spoilers from the previous two books. Song #1: Sibling Rivalry by PUP Goes with Chapter 5: Kyra and Seren’s fight We get a lot more of Kyra’s family in this book, and we delve pretty deep into Kyra’s relationship with her younger sister, Seren. Even when they’re filled with love, sibling relationships aren’t always easy. Seren has kept a lot of things inside her that explode in this chapter, and the lyrics of this song perfectly capture her feelings: I’m not tryna…