1–What is the title of your latest release? WILDERNESS REFORM 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A diverse group of teens from around the country find themselves in the remote wilderness – having been sentenced to attend a wilderness reform school for criminally “troubled” youth. Upon their arrival they find that, in addition to the danger attendant to the remote wilderness landscape, there is a sinister truth about this reform camp which will test the limits of their abilities and will to survive. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? These kinds of reform programs for kids on the wrong path – the kind where you’re snatched out of bed and sent away to the mountains for months at a time – were very familiar to us growing up. Our misbehavior was never severe enough to have us sent to a camp like this ourselves – or perhaps we were just better about not getting caught – but we had a lot of friends who dealt with this and came back with stories about these environments and the counselors who run the show. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?…

Book Title: BOSS LADY Character Name: Antonia “Toni” Arroyo   How would you describe your family or your childhood? My childhood was defined by our tight knit Afro-Puerto Rican family of five and welcoming community events. We had little money so even small affairs at our church and around our neighborhood made big impacts on me. Some of my fondest memories include sitting on the couch trying to keep my younger twin brothers quiet while my parents entertained friends and danced salsa until I thought they’d tap and flick a hole in the living room rug to the music of Martin Santiago. Before my father died, our lives were simple and safe, and I never wanted any material thing more than I wanted the love of mi familia.   What was your greatest talent? Curiosity is my greatest talent. I was a scientist even as a kid, and no one could tell me different. I remained a scientist as an adult even though I didn’t have letters of degree behind my name. Though I was forced to leave college because my family needed me at home, I never lost my sense of wonder and my urge to discover what knowledge…

1–What is the title of your latest release? YOU’VE GOT MALE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? YOU’VE GOT MALE is a timely twist on Gilmore Girls meets Sleepless in Seattle where three generations of women navigate life, love and dating in the modern-day world of apps, snaps and social media. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I chose Colorado because I wanted the backdrop of the beautiful Rockies and Denver specifically because of the coffee and art scene there. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. I love how quirky and loyal she is. She is a perfectionist whose life is one Xanax from falling apart—kind of like mine. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Independent, witty, stubborn. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That when you decide to become a parent it’s okay for other things to slide through the cracks. We can’t be perfect at everything. As long as we love our kids and are there for them, we’re doing a great job. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit as I go….

Book Title: A NOVEL LOVE STORY Character Name: Anders and Elsy   What are your names, and do they have any significance? Elsy: Eileen Merriweather, but everyone calls me Elsy. (rolls her eyes) In the delivery room, “Come On Eileen” was on the radio, so my mom thought it’d be fun to name me after it. My best friend’s name is Prudence. So, I might’ve gotten the better end of the stick there. Anders: Anders. Elsy: Really, no last name? Anders: Book boyfriends need to be enigmatic, sweetheart. What fun would it be if you knew everything up front?   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Elsy: Oh, it was full of books. My mom was a librarian, so she was a huge reader. On my summer breaks, I’d hole up in a quiet part of the library and read everything. Anders: Everything? Elsy: What, do you think I just read Romance, Anders? Anders: Perish the thought, I just can’t imagine you reading about The Great Emu War. Elsy: Please tell me it was about two faction of emus warring over a farm. Anders: Ah, so you haven’t read everything. Elsy: How was your childhood, Anders? Anders:…

I look out the bus window and start to notice the landscape changing. The ochre tone of the horizon, the red of the sky that burns the skin like fire. Everything is dry around here: the vegetation is thirsty and low, the animals are so thin that we can see the shape of their bones. A cloud of dust hangs in the air as our vehicle charges, and, after that, everything returns to silence. I am more than two thousand kilometers from my home in Rio de Janeiro, heading to the city of my ancestors in the interior of Brazil. A journey that began when a few weeks ago I received a lace veil as a family heirloom. Or perhaps it began even earlier. Much earlier, before my birth, when this veil, which I now am carrying in my lap, was laced by my ancestors. I feel the relief of the sequence of stitches at the tips of my fingers. Together, they tell a story of violence. The first women of the Flores family were skilled lace makers and created a lace code to communicate in secret and save a dear friend who was promised to a powerful and violent…

1–What is the title of your latest release? SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, inspired by the feeling of being apologetic for anything and everything (i.e. existing). 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A memoir, covering the span of over thirteen years, about impossible loss and finding love where you’d least expect. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Since it was a memoir, the decision was made for me! Most of my life has taken place in the Philadelphia area, but there are also a few portions that take place in New York City and Portland, Oregon. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I love this question because there is no protagonist–it’s just me. But yes, I think hanging out with myself could be a very interesting experience (most days). At the very least, we could pull off some excellent pranks–and perhaps I could convince her to write my books for me. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Chaotic, sensitive, silly 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Your life is made of the people you keep. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE LOVE OF MY AFTERLIFE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? After choking on a hamburger and dying, a cynical virgin is sent back to Earth and given ten days to get a kiss from her soulmate to stay alive or fail and work for a dating service for the dead. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I had just moved to London after years of living in the north of England. I fell so in love with London that summer that I wanted to write a book set around where I lived! A love letter, I suppose. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Ha! Not at first. But when she starts to unclench a bit? Definitely. She’s so firmly herself it’s very endearing. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Kind, straightforward, particular 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That entire books can be written in 20-minute bursts, just so long as you have regular dance breaks! 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? Oh gosh, wait until I’ve done. By force, though. I’m…

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 Laurie Devore!   Writes: Fast-paced dramedy at the crossroads of women’s fiction and contemporary romance. THE VILLAIN EDIT is a black comedy that looks behind-the-scenes of a Bachelor-like reality television show in the vein of UNREAL. Jac Matthis is a cynical romance author who joins the cast of the 1 to boost her career. Only, it turns out the one night stand she had the night before leaving the show was with her producer, the equally misanthropic Henry Foster. And Henry, along with the other producers, has slated Jac to be the villain of the season. Juggling both the show’s lead, Marcus, and her growing feelings for Henry turns out to be more than Jac can handle… and this show may lead to her career’s demise instead of her hoped for revitalization.   About: Laurie Devore is a southerner with a love for sports and prestige television. She believes the beach is the only place to live and her dog Wrigley is both a…

1–What is the title of your latest release? DISHONESTLY YOURS. It’s the first novel in a new romance series from us called the Webs We Weave. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Born into two families of con artists, Phoebe decides to follow her best friend on a new path of honesty by leaving her life of deceit behind. Only problem, her best friend’s older brother tags along to make sure they both don’t get into trouble—and their complicated history becomes even more complicated in this small coastal town. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? We love cozy coastal New England towns, and Phoebe’s best friend Hailey has a love for the film Mystic Pizza so we wanted to set it in Connecticut. A lot of our inspiration for the small-town setting comes from classic WB shows we watched growing up like Gilmore Girls, Everwood, and One Tree Hill. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes! Phoebe is a loyal best friend and would do anything to protect Hailey (a true BFF), and we also have a love for horror flicks like Phoebe, so we’d be down to…

August, Book 18, Were Zoo Series by R.E. Butler Nasty Alpha by Sam Crescent The Upwelling by F. Paul Wilson Crimes and Confections by Catherine Bruns Alien’s Luck by Nancey Cummings Voices in the Vapors by Eva Pohler Murder in the Library, Book 2, Pineapple Grove Cozy Murder Mystery Series by Brenda Kennedy and Kayden Keaton Every Corpse Has A Silver Aura (Piper Ashwell Psychic P.I. #22) by Kelly Hashway Dead, White, and Blue, Book 2, Northwoods Mysteries by Annie McEwen Hood’s Caper Book 1 Fairytale Bureau by Eve Langlais   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.