Book Title: THE BERLIN LETTERS Character Name: Luisa Voekler   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Dull. Or maybe gray is a more appropriate description. I was raised by my grandparents, who brought me from West Berlin, and they were afraid in many ways and that translated into strict rules for me and, for what I imagined to be, little fun. But I can’t discount the love they showered on me – they even left West Berlin just to give me a better life. I also can’t forget the fun riddles and puzzles my Opa constantly created for me. I guess I shouldn’t be too critical about my childhood. It’s all about perspective, isn’t it?   What was your greatest talent? I suppose cracking all those riddles, codes, and puzzles my Opa made for me. I couldn’t find a birthday gift without solving a complicated maze of clues. It was fun, really, and I loved him for making all those efforts to spend time with me. Now – it’s my career. It’s odd, but true – my childhood game and the acumen I developed has turned into an amazing profession at the CIA. Most days on the…

Welcome to Mount Orange, Florida, home to a couple thousand living people that nobody’s ever heard of and two really famous dead girls. Downtown Mount Orange is a three-block strip of insurance offices, real estate offices, and four or five junk stores that call themselves “antique shops.” Other than the memorials to Bailey and Celeste scattered around town, and the old crime scene out at Hidden Glen Springs where they died, the only real things of interest are an old-fashioned ice cream parlor called The Cone Zone and a beauty salon called Kurl up and Dye. Every business sports a dark green awning out front, and big planters of ferns and pink hibiscus line the sidewalks. It would be picturesque, probably, if you didn’t live here. But I do. My name is Tru, but more and more often these days, I find myself being less than honest. For instance, I haven’t told my boyfriend that I’m not going to FSU with him in the fall. And I haven’t told anyone that I’m seeing long-dead Bailey and Celeste everywhere I look lately. I spend as much time as I can escaping from all of that by freediving out at Hidden Glen…

Book Title: WOMEN OF GOOD FORTUNE Character Name: Jane Tian   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Terrible. I don’t talk to my mother if I can help it.   What was your greatest talent? I know fashion. I was the one who told Lulu not to wear this horrendous sequined maxi skirt to her first date with Harv.   And now look! She’s getting married.   Significant other? Don’t even get me started on Zihao. He’s still ignoring me because I threw away his favorite shirt, even though it was basically see-through.   Biggest challenge in relationships? Agreeing on anything.   Where do you live? In the house my parents bought me in Shanghai. I had to get married to get the deed, but I guess that’s just the price you have to pay sometimes.   Do you have any enemies? So many.   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 place? I love being close to my best friends. I love how I haven’t run out of hotpot restaurants to try. But sometimes I get so tired…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE BLACK CRESCENT   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? 1950s Morocco, a young man finds himself caught between love and war as the country rises against the French protectorate.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve spent 18 years living between Cornwall and Morocco, and I know and love the country and its people well. I’d come upon a photo of a stunning young woman in immodest dress in Casablanca and wanted to tell her story.   4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I may have married my protagonist! Joking aside, Hamou shares a lot of Abdel’s characteristics: I love him.   5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Charismatic, decent, conflicted.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That the French built a kitsch Moroccan theme park in Casablanca that served as a brothel for its soldiers and administrators.   7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? As a professional editor, I find it hard not to nitpick at my drafts as I go. I am trying to…

Book Title: MARRYING THE NANNY Character Name: Emma Wright   How would you describe your family or your childhood? In a lot of ways, I had a very privileged upbringing. The northern tip of the South Island in New Zealand is a beautiful part of the world. My parents were professionals, so we had all the perks of upper-middle class—a sailboat and a membership at the club. That wealth and status turned my brother into the biggest d!ckhead alive. He teased (bullied) me constantly and encouraged his wife to use me as unpaid daycare. I did all the running around for our parents, but I thought that was just part of being a family. Then I learned that my brother knew my husband was cheating on me and never told me. I might have got over that eventually, but our parents were friends with my ex’s parents, so it turned into a whole thing at Christmas. I was the excluded from my brother’s ‘so it wouldn’t be awkward.’ That was the last straw. I sold everything and moved to Canada.   What was your greatest talent? At the time? I was pretty good at selling houses, but I walked away…

1–What is the title of your latest release? KILT TRIP 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? All travel consultant Addie needs is one glance at Logan in a kilt to realize how she’s going to save his sightseeing company—did somebody say, Outlander Tour? But Logan isn’t handing over the reins of his family’s business to anyone, least of all a tartan-drunk American his father hired. Sparks fly in a castle with dark corners, blurring Addie and Logan’s battle lines. They can’t afford distractions, but how can Addie do her job if she hasn’t explored all Scotland—and Logan—have to offer? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I studied abroad in Scotland, and it was one of the most magical experiences of my life. I fell deeply in love with Edinburgh and the Highlands and while it was many years before I even dreamed of writing a book, I knew without a doubt, my first stories would be set in Scotland. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Addie would be the perfect travel buddy! 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Rugged, thoughtful, earnest 6–What’s something you learned while…

Ode to my Family by the Cranberries This song has the most direct connection to the book since it’s a favorite of the character Brett. It’s mentioned several times throughout the novel, and not only do I think that it’s a truly beautiful song, but it’s also perfect in terms of the themes of THE HAUNTING OF VELKWOOD. This is a novel all about family: our connections to the people and places we come from and also the painful mark those people can leave on us (and we can leave on them). This particular tune carries all those themes so well. Sadly, it’s also a haunting tune of its own now since the loss of lead singer Dolores O’Riordan. I still miss her, and I’m still so sad that she left us far too soon. At least we all have her legacy of such gorgeous music and such a gorgeous voice to cherish.   The Other Side by Sirenia My husband introduced me to this song, specifically because it reminded him of the relationship between the main character Talitha who escaped her ghostly neighborhood and her little sister Sophie who’s still trapped there. It’s such an evocative tune, and although…

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 Kevin G. Chapman.   Writes: I write mystery/suspense/thrillers, always with elements of humor (and often romance), and usually including subtle (and often not so subtle) commentary on social justice issues. My latest, THE OTHER MURDER, is a murder (obviously) mystery featuring two journalists as well as a pair of homicide detectives. Cable-TV producer Hannah Hawthorne scores a scoop the night of Angelica Monroe’s murder in Washington Square Park. She and her network light the flame of a media frenzy as every news outlet latches onto the tragic story of the 19-year-old NYU student who was brutally gunned down on a warm spring evening. It’s a coup for Hannah, who runs with the story, looking for the next angle. Meanwhile, on the other side of the park, an 18-year-old Latino basketball player with a history of gang membership is also gunned down. While the national media pours over Angelica Monroe’s murder, Javier Estrada is ignored, except by Paulo Richardson, a print journalist from a neighborhood…

The Wickedness of a Highlander, Book 4, Midnight in Scotland Series by Elisa Braden Zombie Fallout 22: Bridging the Gap by Mark Tufo Cruises Can Be Murder: A Girl and Her Dog Cozy Mystery, Book 22, Charlie Parker New Mexico Mystery Series by Connie Shelton The Last Duke She’d Marry, Book 3, Scoundrels of Mayfair Series by Anna Campbell The Empty Throne by Megan Derr Nerdy Boy, Book 3, More Than Two Series by West Greene Caution Contents Are Hot by Sandra Alex In Her Name: Red Legion by Michael R. Hicks Lust: A Vampire and Werewolf Power-Couple Romance by Candace Blevins Creeps, Cache, & Corpses, Book 7, Katie and Maverick Cozy Mysteries by Mary Seifert     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…

Military Men, Military Men Series by Shelley Munro Silver Spoon MC Collection: Loni’s Crew by Loni Ree Already Gone by Diane Benefiel The Offer (Books 1-3), Book 2, The Billionaire’s Love Story Series by Lily Zante His Diamond, Book 3, His & Hers Series by Charlotte Russell Darcy and the Enchanted Library: A Pride and Prejudice Variation by Monica Fairview Bombshell by Abbi Glines Secrets of the Specter by Molly Fitz No Man’s Bride, Book 1, Misadventures in Matrimony Series by Shana Galen Spicetopia Collection (Books 1-4) by Phoebe Alexander The Housemaid by Sarah A. Denzil Betting On Her by Alexa Riley The Protectors Unlimited, Shifter Protectors Box Sets by Keira Blackwood The Stone of Knowing Complete Set by Allan N. Packer Whispered Words, Book 3, PowerUp! Series by Marie Harte Kilo, Book 9, The Alpha Elite Series by Sybil Bartel Never Bet a Duke: Dukes and Wallflowers, Book 7, Wayward Dukes’ Alliance Series by Alyssa Drake The Alpha’s Inferno, Book 2, Shifters of Grey Ridge Series by Reece Barden The Witch Collector, Book 1, Witch Walker Series by Charissa Weaks The Marcia Banks and Buddy Mystery Collection II, Books 5-7 by Kassandra Lamb   Each Friday the Smashwords store…