In SPRING HARVEST, my latest thriller, a group of friends travel to a remote farm town to attend a music festival only to discover the town has been overrun by vampires. Music isn’t just a backdrop in the book; it’s a vibrant, living character that embodies the chaotic beauty of the novel’s setting. The music festival the characters attend—called the Garlic Groove Food and Music Festival—mirrors the likes of well-known festivals like the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the Electric Daisy Carnival, and the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. To further enhance the reader experience, I even incorporated fictional bands within the story that could rival any real-life headline act, and I also included a “Garlic Groove Playlist” at the very end of the book. Below are five of the songs I included in my book’s playlist along with my reasoning and thoughts as to why they fit so well within SPRING HARVEST.   I Knew You Were Trouble (Taylor’s Version) — Taylor Swift When Spring Harvest first opens, we’re thrust into a tense road trip to the Garlic Groove Festival, with main character Alix Summerlin and her sweet by bitter ex-boyfriend Logan navigating the fresh wounds of a…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE KISS COUNTDOWN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When a struggling event planner and a sinfully hot astronaut strike a deal to fake date for three months, they must decide if a real relationship is worth a shot at happily-ever-after. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? While NASA has quite a few space centers in the US, Houston with its Johnson Space Center has always held a special place in my heart. I love the culture and food, and have visited often since I was a kid, so it was an easy decision to set the story there! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes! I think my main character, Amerie, would be a lot of fun to be around. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Cautious, snarky, loving. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned about the rigorous training astronauts have to endure. They put in so many hours, so they’ll be able to perform not only physically, but mentally as well. And many of them know Russian! 7–Do you edit as you…

Book Title: HAPPY MEDIUM Character Name: Everett   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Borrrrring. It was just farm work, sun up to sun down. Only time I had any fun was when I got to go to the pictures in town.   What was your greatest talent? Besides charming ladies? Acting, of course! I was born for the silver screen.   Significant other? I wasn’t one for going steady.   Biggest challenge in relationships? Well, nowadays the fact that no one except Gretchen can see or hear me, and that I can’t make physical contact with anyone without temporarily disappearing. That definitely gets in the way of things.   Where do you live? Gilded Creek Goat Farm. Forever and ever. Thanks a lot, Great Aunt Lucretia.   Do you have any enemies? I mean, I wouldn’t have many nice things to say to Aunt Lucretia if she reappeared, that’s for sure. Also dead remote batteries. And that one goat that always stares at me funny. I don’t like her either.   How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this…

1–What is the title of your latest release? WOOING THE DEVIL. It is book 3 in the Noble Norsemen series. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When two free spirits meet one wild night, sparks fly. But Rune and Eowyn will soon get to see that what is between them could be much more than a fling. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It takes place in the same village as the other books in the series. I have no idea why I thought about doing a Viking series, other than I write medieval romance and I like to vary periods a bit. I am currently writing book 5 and I feel as if I live in that village myself! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Err……. YES! But my poor heroine Eowyn might not be happy about that. If I get hang out with Rune, I would definitely do all I can to win him over. He’s the stuff of dreams, but it’s not surprising he should appeal to me as I created him… 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Cheeky, sensual, protective. 6–What’s something…

1–What is the title of your latest release? UNDER THE PAPER MOON 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Set in Los Angeles in 1948, the story follows two spies, Evelyn and Nick, who fell in love while working behind enemy lines.  When the war ended, Nick betrayed Evelyn and broke her heart.  Now they’re both back in Los Angeles working as private investigators.   When the husband Evelyn is following is murdered, she finds Nick at the crime scene.  They team up to solve one last case. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve lived in Los Angeles for the past twenty years.  When I first moved out from New York, I thought it was going to be a soulless jungle of strip malls.  However, the longer I’m here, the more I fall in love with the city.  The afternoon light, about an hour before sunset, is magical and makes me feel like anything is possible.  There is nothing better than driving through Laurel Canyon, on the rare occasion when there’s no traffic, with the windows rolled down and a really good song on the radio.  And, of course, the food is incredible….

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 Jessica R. Patch!   Writes: Jessica R. Patch writes bestselling, award-winning thrillers and romantic suspense. If you enjoy books that give you Criminal Minds vibes, jaw-dropping twists, and leave you with thoughts like, “What just happened?” “How did I not see that coming?” then the FBI: Strange Crimes Unit series is going to be your jam. With a hurricane approaching the Outer Banks coastal setting, a wicked serial killer collecting prized specimens on his private island, and a personal connection to the Religious Behavioral Analyst on the specialized FBI taskforce, THE GARDEN GIRLS is going to give you all the feels, keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you with a hopeful ending where justice is served and light shines in the darkness.   About: A lover of the horror genre (pointing to you Scream franchise), all things true crime, and tacos, Jessica loves penning thrillers that blend elements of crime fiction, psychological suspense, and horror—but let’s leave out the creepy…

Sylas’s Captivating Mate, Book 7, Saber Chronicles by R.E. Butler The Magic of Sunshine: A Sweet Small Town Romance, Book 2, Love on Anchor Lane Series by Leeanna Morgan The Coxswain, Book 22, E. Macdonnell’s Royal Australian Navy World War II Fiction Series by J.E. Macdonnell Remember Pompeii by Kika Emers Their Rebellious Princess by Calista Jayne Cookies & Chance Mysteries Boxed Set Vol. IV (Books 10-12) by Catherine Bruns It’s Never Not Been You by M.E. Clayton The Ghost and the Poltergeist, Book 34, Haunting Danielle Series by Anna J McIntyre and Bobbi Ann Johnson Holmes Serve, Book 4, White House Men Series by Nora Phoenix Stormforged by Eric Asher   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…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SOMEONE SAW SOMETHING 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The six-year-old son of a network news anchor vanishes in New York’s Central Park. Secrets held by the boy’s family unravel as time ticks down on his life. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My protagonist, Corina Corado, has worked her way to the top of her profession as a TV news journalist with a major network, so it was easy to see how she’d be based in Manhattan. Central Park is glorious and a great setting to launch the story. I actually walked and studied the area where my fictional incident happens. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes. If she had the time, maybe we could have lunch together. I’d love to hear her stories on what’s going on. In fact, I know two former news colleagues, who are with major news outlets based in New York. Maybe they’d join us. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Loving. Brilliant. Unbreakable. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? After more than 30 books, I’ve come to learn…

I love writing (and reading!) romantic suspense books. There is just something so appealing about the fast-paced and intense blend of romance and suspense. The couple is falling in love…and, ahem, usually trying to stay alive at the same time. Here are a few of my favorite romantic suspense tropes: The ticking clock. I love it when the hero and heroine have to race against the clock in order to save the day. Maybe they have twenty-four hours to find a missing hostage. Or maybe in forty-eight hours the heroine will be arrested for a crime she didn’t commit…time is of the essence, so the story always has to move FAST. Woman (or man!) in jeopardy. When the heroine is being stalked by a serial killer…or if the hero is in the killer sights, I find myself on the edge of my seat. I want to know when the next attack will be coming. I tense up as I get ready for danger. Oh, but I do love those protective bodyguards. In my own books, I’ve had both the hero and the heroine act as a bodyguard. A bodyguard has to be super protective and ready to take a bullet…

I’ve been reading about—and obsessed with—Tudor England since I was 14. Let me make this clear, though: I don’t generally read fiction about the Tudors. There’s really no need to, since the Tudors had more than enough drama than most novels could deliver.   My bookcase is filled with Tudor biographies, which made it difficult to choose only five for this list. But these, in particular, were instrumental in writing AN INCONVENIENT WIFE.   Catherine of Aragon: The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII by Giles Tremlett. Catherine, daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain, was Henry’s first wife. She came to England to marry his brother Arthur, who was supposed to be king of England when his father Henry VII died. But Arthur died first, leaving 17-year-old Catherine a widow in a foreign country. When Henry VIII became king, one of the first things he did was marry his brother’s widow, and they were happy for years until the infamous Anne Boleyn turned Henry’s head—changing England’s history forever. Tremlett’s biography, the first full biography in decades, reads like a novel.   Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of Henry VIII by Gareth Russell. Catherine…