There is something timeless about settling down with a good cozy mystery. These stories invite readers into charming communities filled with memorable characters, hidden secrets, and clever puzzles that keep the pages turning. While a crime is at the center of the story, the focus is rarely on violence. Instead, the heart of a cozy mystery is the journey of uncovering the truth. One of the defining features of the genre is the amateur sleuth. Rather than a professional detective, mystery is often solved by someone with an everyday career, such as a bookstore owner, baker, gardener, or librarian. Their curiosity, determination, and knowledge of their community allow them to notice clues that others overlook. The setting is just as important as the mystery itself. Cozy mysteries often take place in small towns, villages, or unique vacation destinations where everyone knows one another. These close-knit communities create an atmosphere that feels welcoming while also providing plenty of suspects, secrets, and unexpected twists. As both a reader and a writer, I appreciate what makes this genre so special. I am currently working on my own cozy mystery and have gained an even greater appreciation for the careful balance of clues, suspects,…

Music is one theme that resonates consistently throughout my multicultural coming-of-age novel, RAINS OF MERCY. This is understandable because the male protagonist is a young teenager who sings in the choir and one who turns out to be a famous afrogospel artist much later in the story. As a lover of afrogospel music myself (although my voice is far from pitch-perfect), I was careful deciding what songs would be best suited for RAINS OF MERCY’s playlist. I wanted songs that would convey the heart of the book, as well as remind the readers of the peculiarities of the culture through which the story is told. So, I knew, in the middle of an autumn night, whilst contending against sleep as I remained determined to hit my set word count, the first song on my list would have to be I Am Your Beloved by Jonathan and Melissa Helser. I Am Your Beloved is one song that has blessed me personally in too many ways to count, and it perfectly encapsulates the heart of RAINS OF MERCY. I Am Your Beloved carries a soft tenderness that reminds us of God’s love for us, and it reminds us that God is eager…

Welcome back to Jen’s Jewels, your weekly must-read featuring the hottest fiction! This week, I’m thrilled to share MY SISTER IS GOING TO KILL ME by Nina Simon. I read an early copy of this book while vacationing in Santa Fe, New Mexico – and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The wild, rugged setting of the story felt surprisingly close to where I was reading, and I couldn’t help but imagine myself right alongside these sisters as they found themselves in one dangerous situation after another. If you love family drama, adventure, and a thriller that will keep you turning the pages, MY SISTER IS GOING TO KILL ME belongs on your TBR. You can thank me later. Read on! LIGHTNING ROUND What’s your favorite way to spend a slow August afternoon?Reading a library book while lounging in a net woven into a redwood tree by my house… 80 feet up in the air. What snack, drink, or sweet treat always finds its way to your desk when writing?Yorkshire Gold black tea with half-and-half. What’s one thing that instantly helps you slip into a creative mindset?Sitting down at my kitchen table on a quiet morning as the fog…

Book Title: THINGS WE CANNOT KEEPCharacter Name: Tess Holcomb (aka Teresa Baker) How would you describe your family or your childhood?I grew up between a rock and a hard place. My childhood had its bright spots though. Granny Baker’s warm hugs, biscuits and gravy, and her childhood memories of Gulf Shores. When she died, my only safe place disappeared with her. I left my hometown in Wilder, Tennessee the night I turned eighteen and never looked back. I’ve always said it was my choice. But sometimes I wonder if I was just escaping something I didn’t know how to survive. What was your greatest talent?Fixing heirloom timepieces. There’s nothing I love more than taking apart all the delicate instrumentation, cleaning it, and making it run right again. Those gears and springs are comforting in their predictability. Significant other?I let myself fall in love once. With someone who knew how to make promises sound permanent. That story gets filed under “greatest disappointment”. Biggest challenge in relationships?Considering I’ve been living under an assumed name for nearly two decades, I’d say it’s hard to let people close when you can’t even tell them your real name. Where do you live?Fairhope, Alabama in an…

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.

(In the fourth book of the Stoneslayer dark fantasy series, Helen Andros awakens her spiritual mastery to gain the skills and power she needs to survive a death mark. Following is an excerpt.) The red haze dissipated and she released a bit of her tension. But her misery lingered. It was not easy to be civil to the family who had taken her, a fugitive from a death mark, into their home. The despairing part of her wanted to withdraw and weep nonstop, as she had when she first arrived in Azgard all those years ago. That part of her, she knew, made her vulnerable to the Stoneslayer. And despite the green stone’s warmth, her terrors taunted her. She would never again be with her father, her Andros family, her husband, or her friends. The unwelcome red glow again flashed in her inner vision. You are going to die here, alone and forgotten. No! Liar! I told you to go away! Go! Helen jumped to her feet and pounded her palms against her upper arms, trying to chase away all thoughts of the Stoneslayer who haunted her, trying to keep at bay the bite of winter in the mountains. Colonel…

What is the title of your latest release?THE DIVINE GARDENER’S HANDBOOK: OR WHAT TO DO IF YOUR GIRLFRIEND ACCIDENTALLY TURNS OFF THE SUN What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Two rival gardeners stop at nothing to secure the top spot in the Divine Gardens, including overthrowing God, destroying the sun, and running afoul of a brewing rebellion, all while the attraction between them blooms. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?DGH accurately reflects how often I watch Gardening Australia and Bladerunner. Would you hang out with your heroines in real life?Absolutely not. I’m a homebody and not prone to running about destroying stuff. What are three words that describe your heroines?Innovative, determined, spiteful. What’s something you learned while writing this book?That I’d better say “potted plants” instead of “pot plants” for an American audience. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I am a terror who constantly adds jokes for my own amusement. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Chocolate. Describe your writing space/office!My desk has been taken over by cats. One sits on a little cushion where my laptop should go and the other has a special pod attached to…

Music is a key component of my writing process, and I love finding songs that fit the mood and vibes of my books. While drafting and editing SHE HAUNTS ME STILL, my upcoming dark academia novel about three university theatre students tied together by a curse dating back to the New England vampire panic, I surrounded myself with songs that encompass drama, yearning, and dangerous love. Here’s six songs that are on my personal playlist for SHE HAUNTS ME STILL, along with key lyrics for each. “Verona” by Lydia von Hofhttps://open.spotify.com/track/63D6TFRnoRAv4P5HhpuBIL Because SHE HAUNTS ME STILL is set against the backdrop of a university theatre production of Romeo and Juliet, “Verona” by Lydia von Hof is the perfect song to listen to while diving into the pages. Not only is it completely catchy, but the opening verse feels like it’s meant to introduce readers to the world of Shore College and our protagonist, a haunted actress named Mallory Webb. Key Lyrics: Well, listen up real good /Won’t you come along with me /Through a lover’s tale and fair Verona’s where we lay our scene, and it’s not /The one you’ve heard /A million different times /It’s a story that is…

Interview Begin: Book Title: THE MINDLESS: A Futurist NovelCharacter: VenzBook Role: Supporting Character / AntagonistJob: Overseer of Dios: A domed city for the 1% built on the ruins of Los AngelesYear: 2283 First off, before we begin, if I may. I’m simply delighted to have the chance to speak with you all today. The fact that you and your readers are interested in the goings-on of our glorious and mysterious domed city, Dios, proves you’re worthy of my time. You seek knowledge. You ask questions about the world beyond yours. You dare to dream of a day when you might even walk our golden streets. I admire that. With that being said, I’m one of many Overseers for humanity’s last, great city, and I take my job seriously. Confidentiality is a currency we don’t toss around lightly, so whatever you may learn today, you’ll find it best to keep it to yourself. We are, after all, watching each and every one of you. But I don’t foresee any issues, haha. Purely a formality, I assure you. Please… ask away. How would you describe your family or your childhood?You certainly aren’t wasting any time poking around, are you? Very well… I’ll…

Ah, summer reading! A chance to escape the worries of work and school and immerse ourselves in . . . whatever tickles our fancy! And yes, I know that many of us, myself included, don’t really get to escape, but having a good book to get lost in, even for a short time, is a gift. Two recently published books provide a radical escape route, and though they’re profoundly different, I loved them both. I’ll turn first to terror. Louise Penny is best known for her Three Pines series featuring Inspector Gamache, but this spring she joined forces with Mellissa Fung to bring us the frightening (and all too timely), THE LAST MANDARIN: A NOVEL. The title says definitively that it’s a novel, but the story might as well have been torn from the headlines (Ms. Penny is scarily good at this) since it involves horribly realistic bad guys and AI. An oximeter reader would have started beeping in alarm as I came close to the end and essentially stopped breathing, but have no fear; you will be both breathing again and shaking your head in amazed wonder when you reach the last page. One recommendation: if the characters don’t…