Book Title: THE FAKE MATE Character Name: Noah Taylor   How would you describe your family or your childhood? It was…fine? I’ve never been the sort of person that needs an abundance of attention, to the dismay of my mother. I would say that I was a quiet child. I didn’t have very many friends, but I suppose that’s because I was always more focused on my schoolwork.   What is your greatest talent? I can recall most city capitals from memory. Foreign ones too.   Significant other? No. Why is that relevant?   Biggest challenge in relationships? I’m not the best at reading people, so I have often been told that I’m oblivious when it comes to a woman’s feelings. I don’t mean to be. And also, ah, well. Given what I am—this is confidential, right? Anyway, given that I’m alpha, there are certain parts of my anatomy that make physical relationships…difficult. At times. I’ve been told that I’m…much larger than most.   Where do you live? Denver, Colorado   Do you have any enemies? I can’t exactly give you a headcount, but it’s my understanding that I am not the most…liked person in the hospital. I don’t really…

Book Title: RAIDERS OF THE LOST HEART Character Name: Dr. Socorro “Corrie” Mejía   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Aside from my brother making fun of my laugh (he thinks it’s hilarious to call me “Corrito Burrito”), my family is the best. Familia is the most important thing in my life, which is why I didn’t hesitate to move closer to home when my mom got sick and why ever since my grandfather traced our lineage to the Aztec warrior, Chimalli, I’ve been determined to be the one to discover his remains. Finding him will settle the debate on my family’s ancestry and silence the haters and non-believers. And it will show all the girls who taunted me in high school that they didn’t break me.   What was your greatest talent? I’m a damn good archaeologist. The people who came before us left pieces of themselves on this earth. If you listen closely, you can hear them. If you stop to touch the dirt, you can feel their spirits. When I’m on an expedition, I’m not there just to dig up some artifacts and call it a day. I’m there to learn about those people…

Hi, I’m Caz Frear! I’m delighted to be here today to introduce my latest novel, FIVE BAD DEEDS, which tells the story of Ellen Walsh – an “everywoman” who truly believes she’s a good person until five events come back to haunt her in the most devastating of ways.  F is for family. Ellen was born into a very different family to the one she’s come to create.   I is for income. Money, and what it means to different people, is a key theme of the book.  V is for vicious – these characters don’t hold back on saying what they think!   E is for Ellen. The heroine of the story (or ‘anti-heroine’ might be more accurate!)     B is for bohemian – Ellen’s sister, Kristy, is a free spirit.  A is for Adam – Ellen’s husband is hiding secrets and resentments of his own.   D is for dream house. Ellen’s got everything she ever wanted, or has she?    D is for dark humor – there’s definitely an undercurrent of this throughout the whole mystery.  E is for Esme – the best friend of Ellen’s teenage daughter. While she isn’t exactly the best influence, she was lots…

Fangs, Frost, and Folios: A New Elemental Mysteries Adventure by Elizabeth Hunter Kingston’s Obsession, Book 6, Kingston Security Series by Carole Mortimer Merry Christmas Murder, Book 29, Merry Wrath Mysteries by Leslie Langtry The Alpha’s Daughter, Book 20, The Alpha Shifter Collection by Sam Crescent Ending the Fight, Book 4, Gloves Off – Next Generation Series by L.P. Dover Ouch! My Vampire Doms Have Really Long…Fangs, Book 4, My Vampire Doms Series by Calista Jayne Creatus Unyielding, Book 6, Creatus Series, by Carmen DeSousa Twisted Magic by Jeffe Kennedy Murder at the Polo Club, Book 7, Cleopatra Fox Mysteries by C.J. Archer Ruin and Afterlight, Book 4, Australian Supernatural: High Country Series by Nicole R. Taylor   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…

Book Title: HERO’S STRENGTH, Song of Prophecy series Book 10 Character Name: Aila Ven   How would describe yourself? Me? Psht. Look at me. I’m adorable, sexy, and irresistible.   Is that it? Well, I’m also easy to get along with. Most of the time, anyway. If someone is being stupid, maybe not so much, but otherwise, I’m all sunshine and rainbows. I am also very good at killing things, if I do say so myself. Not just for the sake of it, of course, but when it’s necessary, I have the skills to defend myself and others. Did I mention how much of a pleasure I am to deal with?   What was your greatest talent? There’s my combat prowess, as I mentioned, but even more than that, my ability to think on my feet is up there high on the list. You can’t really do great things in life if all you are is a weapon. You have to be able to figure things out, outthink your opponents, be skillful in all things. So, yeah, I guess my greatest talent is being good at everything. Does that make sense?   Significant other? Please. I have men, and some…

1–What is the title of your latest release? In North America, THE BUTTERFLY COLLECTOR. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A botanical illustration of a butterfly, a missing baby, and a twisty mystery fifty years in the making. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Like most of my books, THE BUTTERFLY COLLECTOR is a mixture of fact and fiction. The facts dictated where the story would take place—Sydney Artists Masquerade Ball in 1922 and the first sighting of the Monarch butterfly in Australia in 1868. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely! THE BUTTERFLY COLLECTOR is a dual timeline—so two protagonists! Verity Binks is a would-be journalist and Theodora Breckenridge a botanical artist who learnt her skills from renowned Australian naturalist painters Harriet and Helena Scott. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Verity has an insatiable curiosity, an enquiring mind and a thirst for knowledge. Theodora has artistic vision, a commitment to botanical accuracy, a compassionate nature, and a kind heart. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? All about the Monarch butterfly and its accidental migration to Australia on the winds of a series…

What is the title of your latest release? A LADY’S RULES FOR RUIN   What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A Lady’s Rules for Ruin is about a Regency lady who has zero interest in getting married, even though her family (and society) keeps pressuring her to do just that. So she comes up with a great solution to her dilemma: she devises a plot for her own ruination!   How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Most of my books take place in London, at least partially, because that was “the center of the world” in the Regency period. But a lot of my books also contain a least a little bit of traveling: In this one, the characters journey north to the beautiful Lake District of England.   Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Of course! Although I’m not sure if she’d like hanging out with me! We’d definitely find common ground in our love of books, though!   What are three words that describe your hero? Hot, honorable, and head-over-heels   What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned that modern readers will see things…

Take Me To The Edge, Book 7, Mountain Men of Whiskey River Series by Kaci Rose Bang the Boss by Elizabeth Kelly The Wilder Brothers Collection by Carrie Ann Ryan The Ice Bridge by Kathryn Meyer Griffith Savor, Twisted Vines Series by Isabel Jolie The Bodyguard, Book 1, The Nate Thrower Series by Mike Ryan Naughty Festivities, Book 7, The Dufort Dynasty Series by Juliette N Banks The Book Of Death, Book 1, Simon Turing Series by Jack Treby Romancing Paradise, Book 8, Brothers in Arms Series by Kate Aster The Book of Never, Volumes 1-5 by Ashley Capes Small Town Billionaires Complete Series by April Murdock High Heels and Mistletoe by C.A. King An Accidental Fling, Book 2, Green Valley Series by Noelle Adams Unholy Night, Book 1, Noctes Magicae Series by Karpov Kinrade Intrepid Encounter, Book 5, Cyborg Unity Series by Cynthia Sax Out of Sight by Cleo White Radio Silent, Book 1, Paige Turner Mysteries by T.E. Robins Starlight Hollow by Yasmine Galenorn A New Life, Book 1, Charleston Hearts Series by Melissa Storm She’s Got a Duke to Keep Her Warm by Sandra Sookoo     Each Friday the Smashwords store reports the bestselling indie fiction…

            Pliny the Younger, a Roman writer and historian, wrote that his house in Athens was being haunted by an old man with a gray beard. Pliny’s account may be the earliest literary ghost story, but it was far from being the last. My own passion for ghost stories was conceived when I read The Haunting of Hill House as a girl. It terrified me! but I wanted more. Ghost stories fall into two categories, as I see it. The first category, obviously, is the fictional ghost story: The Turn of the Screw, The Shining, The Woman in Black, and many more. The second, and the one which prompted me to write my own ghost novel, is the first-person account of an actual extranormal experience. (I don’t love the way “paranormal” has been turned into a word that means “fake,” so . . . I made up my own.) When someone has a personal experience they can’t explain, whether it’s an apparition, a poltergeist, a presence, or some other manifestation, I think it’s a mistake to discount it. We may try to talk ourselves out of whatever we saw, or heard, or felt, but that’s invalidating our own witness. My…

What is the title of your latest release? TO KILL A SHADOW   What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? To bring the sun back to her cursed kingdom, a warrior and a handsome commander must venture into a monster-ridden fog in the first installment of this sweeping, romantic fantasy.   How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I love the nighttime—the peace and softness of it—so when I began writing, I imagined a world without the sun, and a curse where the moon reigned eternal.   Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Yes, but she might scare me lol. She’s way more confident than I am—and she’s deadly with a sword.   What are three words that describe your hero? Jude: Brooding Protective Grumpy (to everyone but Kiara, of course)   What’s something you learned while writing this book? Our past doesn’t define us.   Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I tend to mix it up! I’m all over the place with editing.   What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Only my husband knows this dark secret, but I can eat a…