If I was putting together the definitive playlist for A HAPPIER LIFE, it could go on forever. Half of this novel takes place during the 1970s, and, if there was a better decade for music, I haven’t found it yet. But, beyond that, to me, this book feels a little like a summer beach day filled with carefree feelings and sun on the tide and boat days with champagne that seem to never end. But this book is also the embodiment of every song both about new love—the beginning part when everything is so exciting—and real, true, forever love that Rebecca and Townsend Saint James personify in this book. But, well, for the sake of brevity, (and understanding the assignment!) I have narrowed it down to five favorites that I highly recommend you listen to while reading this novel. I hope you enjoy every word of the book, every note of the music and that, together, they add up to A HAPPIER LIFE! Carolina in My Mind, James Taylor. At the beginning of this novel, Keaton Smith isn’t only going to Carolina in her mind; she’s going in real life to clean out her grandparents’ house and put it…
1–What is the title of your latest release? LOVE LETTERS TO A SERIAL KILLER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A woman falls in love with an accused serial killer after writing him letters and has to figure out whether he committed the crimes that he’s been accused of doing. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota and recently moved back after spending more than a decade in Alabama. Like a lot of media, literature tends to be coast-centric so I always try to set books within the Midwest or South. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. Hannah and I both love brunch and I imagine she would have great gossip considering that she’s corresponding with an accused serial killer. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Desperate, curious, millennial. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I had no intention of starting a novel when I started this one. It called to me, and I answered. I wrote it thinking that it would never be published. It’s a good reminder to follow your instincts. 7–Do you edit as…
Melinda Curtis here to share a scene from my latest book in the Love in Harmony Valley series – A SMALL TOWN WEDDING. In this book, Vince is invited home for his younger brother Joe’s wedding. Vince hasn’t been home since he left town years ago, not wanting to relive bad memories. His brothers have been worried about Vince and nagging him to find a woman and get settled down. That’s why he’s been telling them he has a girlfriend. But now, they expect a girlfriend to show up at the wedding. Hence his bargain with his ex-girlfriend, Harley, to travel back home with him in the role of girlfriend of good standing. This series is about the connections of community and family. I chose this excerpt because it shows the love between Vince and his brothers as well as some of the scars of the past. Copyright Melinda Curtis 2024 The closer Vince had come to Harmony Valley, the more he’d wanted to turn around. Harley’s joking banter had helped, but she couldn’t keep him from falling into the past, not when he stood on the property he’d grown up on. He’d learned to ride a…
1–What is the title of your latest release? THE YEAR OF WHAT IF 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When dating expert Carla Carter visits a fortune teller several weeks before her wedding, she’s astonished to learn that her fiancé, Tom, isn’t the man she’s supposed to marry. Instead, the man with the key to her heart is apparently someone she met during her gap year travels around Europe, twenty-one years ago. Fearful that a relationship curse within her family is about to strike again, Carla sets off to revisit her exes in Barcelona, Sardinia, Amsterdam, Paris and Portugal, to find her special someone. But who will it be, and can Carla re-write her entire family history, forever? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted to take Carla Carter to some iconic places across Europe, so she can re-visit romances she enjoyed two decades earlier, and I thought readers might love to visit these beautiful destinations, too. I’ve personally holidayed in each of the countries featured in the book, except for Sardinia. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes. I think Carla would be a fun, caring…
As a fan of your books, I particularly love your multifaceted characters and dialogue. As a writer, what part of building a story is your favorite? Exploring the characters, writing the dialogue, or something else? Oh man, I kind of want to say all the above? I love writing dialogue in particular because I think a lot of characterization comes through in the way characters talk and the way they interact with each other. There’s something so satisfying about figuring out how they’re going to reveal something, how they might flirt, how they might respond in a way that’s opposite from the way they truly feel. It’s really fun! How would you describe your two main characters in THE ART OF CATCHING FEELINGS to readers? Daphne Brink is caring and funny and sweet but has a hang-up about not being particularly special – her ex-husband took her for granted, her freelance writer job doesn’t fulfill her, even her fledgling bookstagram account gets no traction. She has a hard time seeing that generous heart is part of what does make her special. Chris Kepler is a hard worker and a good teammate – he’s devoted his life to putting his head…
Grace paused outside the maw of the Central Police Station. She’d passed this station five days a week going to and from work, but had never been inside. From the bus, Grace had admired its colonial architecture: the arched entrance, the imposing columns, and the white, sweeping stairway that gleamed in the early morning sun. Now, surveying the building from up close, she could see that this once-grand building had gone to seed. Termites had cracked the facade and left dirty brown trails across the walls, weeds poked out of cracks and crevices in the stairs, and a determined ivy had crept halfway up one of the columns. The decrepit building did nothing to dampen Grace’s excitement. She had spent four years studying law, and the last five months at the firm of DB & Associates proofing legal documents. Now, finally, she had been given a case. It was a pro-bono criminal case that no one else wanted but still… Grace suppressed a smile and stepped from the sunlight into the building’s gloomy entrance. A policeman sat in the foyer behind a mukwa wood desk, almost hidden behind manila folders in messy piles. “I’m here to see my client, Willbess…
Hi, this is Sherry Thomas and I am so excited to share with you a bit about my new book A RUSE OF SHADOWS, the eighth outing for Charlotte Holmes, whose life has been very busy and adventurous indeed since she first established herself as sister and oracle to that sadly debilitated—and nonexistent—sage Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective. Charlotte is in a bit of a pickle this time as she finds herself the only suspect in a murder investigation. Can she wriggle off the hook? And what about the plans she has to free the man her sister loves from Moriarty’s deadly grip? A is for August. High summer, the Season is almost finished, most of the Ton has left for the country, yet Charlotte is forced back to London. R is for Revenge. Someone has retribution in mind for Charlotte Holmes, consulting detective—and she knows it. U is for Us. Charlotte and Lord Ingram, friends since adolescence, have grown closer and closer. Is this the book when they go from “you and me” to “us”? S is for Sponsor. Charlotte is looking for a missing man who sponsors young boxers. Where is the man? Why does he sponsor…
Book Title: YOU’LL NEVER FIND ME Character Name: Margo Angelhart How would you describe your family or your childhood? I was born into a huge Irish-Mexican family in Phoenix, Arizona and would have it no other way. I’m the middle child in a family of five with both an older and younger brother and sister. My dad is an only child, but my mom is the oldest of seven. My dad is a doctor and worked at the VA Hospital and he always wanted to help people and save lives; and my mom is a lawyer and also wants to help people—first as a prosecutor, now in private practice. I’m close to all my siblings – Jack, who used to be a cop. Tess, who is engaged to be married but won’t set the date. Nico, a forensic scientist for the crime lab. And Lulu – I mean, Luisa (she hates when we call her Lulu in public) who is the smartest of all of us. She’s now in college, after a six-year stint in the Marines. We had a lot of freedom growing up and a lot of responsibilities. And a lot of cousins. What was your…
Fresh on the heels of watching The Ministry of UnGentlemanly Warfare, (I highly recommend it) I thought of the perfect book that would allow me to step into the shoes of an imaginary World War II heroine. Author Ashley Weaver based the development of her characters on real life heroes who helped changed the tides of the devastating time in world history. Her extraordinary cast creates the perfect British spy ring; in fact, her series would be absolutely phenomenal as a television series. (No joke, people) Her writing would easily translate to the screen and she’s always a joy to have in our Cozy Corner. Kym: Welcome back to the Cozy Corner, Ashley! Ashley: Thank you! So happy to be here again! Kym: Congrats on another fabulous Electra McDonnell release, LOCKED IN PURSUIT. Set in England during WWII, the book opens with a line that grabs the readers’ attention with an accusation of treason by way of spying for the Germans. The suspect, unfortunately, is Electra’s father. That secret becomes brilliantly embroiled in the story arc despite it not being part of the actual mystery. If Ellie confessed everything to Major Ramsey from the start, how would…
Boss Billionaire by Sia Sage Dragon of Her Dreams, Book 20, Dragon Knights Series by Bianca D’Arc Webb by Mike Mason Convoy (A World War 2 Naval Adventure), Book 24, J.E. Macdonnell’s Royal Australian Navy World War II Fiction by J.E. Macdonnell Nasty Alpha by Sam Crescent Storm by Abbi Glines Fox of Fox Hall by R. Cooper The Sartori Duet by M.E. Clayton An Seaside Amish Courtship by Jennifer (J.E.B.) Spredemann Captive Consort by Jade Marshall and Rose Wulf 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.