1–What is the title of your latest release? RECIPE FOR A CHARMED LIFE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Recipe for a Charmed Life is feel-good fiction that will appeal to readers who enjoy stories brimming with food, travel, romance, and a touch of magical realism. It’s a great book club or vacation read. The story revolves around Georgia, an up-and-coming American chef in Paris who, in one disastrous night, loses her sous chef position, her French boyfriend and her sense of taste! When she receives an unexpected invitation from her estranged mother, she flees to a beautiful remote island in the Pacific Northwest to reconnect with her mom and try to regain her spark in the kitchen. While there, Georgia uncovers an astonishing family secret and finds herself falling for the handsome, grumpy oyster farmer in bright orange rubber overalls next door! 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I like to set my book in places I’ve traveled to and genuinely loved. For this story, I set it half in Paris (one of my favorite cities) and the charming town of Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in the Pacific Northwest….

Did you publish a romance in 2023? Enter it in the Carolyn Readers’ Choice Award contest. Our contest has been running for 10 years and is judged exclusively by your target audience. Each novel is given to readers who prefer that genre and heat level. We host four categories: contemporary, romantic suspense, specialized, historical. LGBTQ+, multicultural, inspirational, and disability themes are welcome, and assigned to readers with those preferences. Each novel passes through four judges in the first round. If the book advances to the final round, it will be read by three new judges.   Winners in each category receive a $50 cash prize, a collective two-week Facebook ad, and a contest badge for their website. We’re accepting entries through March 1st.   For more information, visit: The CRCA General Contest Info | North Texas Romance Writers (ntrw.org)

1–What is the title of your latest release? NORTHWOODS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Northwoods is a contemporary mystery/thriller set in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  It follows a mother-son law enforcement team as they race to catch a killer, only to find themselves drawn into a conspiracy that has implications far beyond their sleepy lakeside community.  Think Dopesick meets Ozark meets The Firm. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? In a moment of boredom, I challenged myself to picture a scene – just the first thing to pop into my head – and it was the opening scene of Northwoods, nearly exactly as it’s written in the finished book.  It came to me in such vivid detail that I knew it was a story that was living in my head and demanded to be told. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely!  Marge and Eli are the best! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Kind, honest, broken 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Various law enforcement rules, like when a federal law enforcement agency might collaborate with local law enforcement. 7–Do you edit…

CHAPTER TEN   I hurried into the kitchen to get the coffee and find out if there really were security cameras watching over the guests. Em was waiting for me just out of sight in the kitchen. She herded me toward the far end of the room. I made her stop at the coffeemaker so I could set it up for a fresh pot. We ended up in the pantry, not out back on the veranda as I’d expected originally. Fortunately, there was more than enough room in there for me and both of my sisters. Five more people could have joined us, if they didn’t mind a little invasion of personal space. CJ was kneeling next to the bed occupied by the orange cat, with Noah on his stomach on the floor beside her, reading his book. CJ looked up to say, “Have you met Beam? He came with the house. His official name is Sunbeam, and maybe it fit his personality as a kitten, but now he’s more like bourbon—smooth, well aged, and a little reserved. He’s friendly with us but prefers to stay out of sight when there are guests around.” “We met this morning when I…

1–What is the title of your latest release? BLUE RIDGE   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? What would you do if you were planning to kill your brother—but someone beat you to it? After former Olympic contender turned burn-out horse trainer Cillian Clarke is framed for the murder of his identical twin Christopher, a rising-star Virginia politician, Cillian is forced to go on the lam. But when someone from Christopher’s past emerges and offers Cillian the chance to clear his name, Cillian is plunged headfirst into a sinister conspiracy that not only threatens the sanctity of democracy, but also promises to expose the devastating secret intertwining the brothers forever—the truth behind the death of a woman they both loved.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I was born and raised in Northern Virginia, just a short drive away from the mystical, mysterious magic that is the Blue Ridge Mountains. The haunting yet gorgeous scenery of that landscape has always held a special place in my heart. So, naturally, when I decided to write my debut novel, it was only appropriate that I set it there!   4–Would you hang out…

Witch Smuggled in Westerham, Book 21, Paranormal Investigation Bureau Cosy Mystery Series by Dionne Lister Ouch! My Vampire Doms Give Good Spankings, Book 5, My Vampire Doms Series by Calista Jayne Eagle, Book 2, The Biker Next Door Series by Tory Richards Belonging to the Rancher by Sam Crescent Cross, Book 2, Death Seekers MC Series by Winter Sloane Chains of Obsidian by Thomas K. Carpenter The Billionaire’s Florist by Stacey Espino Sticks and Stones by Mac Flynn Saving the Boxer, Book 3, Ormond Yard Romantic Adventures by Neil S. Plakcy Friday Harbor by D.C. Alexander   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…

Rook, Book 1, Chess Club Series by TK Eldridge His Christmas Family, Book 5, Mountain Rescue Romance Series by Melissa McClone Ashes by Abbi Glines Hunted by the Alien Berserker, Book 19, Warriors of the Lathar Series by Mina Carter The Alpha’s Quest, Book 5, Shifters of Grey Ridge Series by Reece Barden Midnight Creed, Book 8m, Ryder Creed Series by Alex Kava The Forbidden, Book 1, The Ancestors Saga by Lori Holmes Trials of Conviction, Book 5, The Firebird Chronicles by T.A. White Lovers Unmasked Boxed Set by Nicole Flockton Little Buried Secrets, Book 8, Georgiana Germaine Series by Cheryl Bradshaw Unlikely Omega, Book 1, Hunted Fae Series by Mona Black Earth – Last Sanctuary, Book 1, Universe in Flames Series by Christian Kallias Snowed in with Scrooge by Alexa Riley The Vampire’s Obsession, Book 12, The Moretti Blood Brothers Series by Juliette N Banks Sold to the Enemy, Book 5, Crave and Claimed Series by Sam Crescent The Witch Collector, Book 1, Witch Walker Series by Charissa Weaks The 5-Time Rejected Gamma & the Lycan King, Book 1, Coalescence of the Five Series by Stina’s Pen The Housemaid by Sarah A. Denzil Snared Rider, Book 1, Lost Saxons MC…

Hi! My name is Maud Woolf and I’m the author of THIRTEEN WAYS TO KILL LULABELLE ROCK, a novel set in Bubble City, a glittering metropolis of the near future. In Bubble City, celebrities make copies of themselves known as Portraits to carry out all the many tasks required of them. Jaded actress Lulabelle Rock has twelve of these Portraits running around Bubble City- but now she’s looking for a change. Her thirteenth clone is created for a single purpose: to seek out and destroy her predecessors. Now this is a long title to go through but there’s a reason it’s called a challenge! Having said that, I’m going to start off by cheating a little bit. It’s what Lulabelle would do after all.   13 is for our protagonist, the last of her kind.   W is for a weapon, designed with one purpose. A is for assassination. Y is for a yellow flower printed on a white van. S is for sticking to the plan.     T is for Tarot, the major arcana. O is for occupation; every Portrait has one.   K is for killing but killing with kindness. I is for an industry that makes…

1–What is the title of your latest release? LAST CALL AT THE LOCAL 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Opposites attract when a free-spirited American singer-songwriter with ADHD teams up with a charming Irishman with OCD to revitalize his family’s pub. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Our hero, Jack, is the brother of the hero of my second book, Luck and Last Resorts, so I really had no choice when I decided to write a book about him! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. Raine is bubbly, fun, musical, and the sweetest friend you could ask for! 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Irish, tattooed, cat dad 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I did a LOT of research on OCD for this one. The most fascinating information I learned was about how Exposure Response Prevention Therapy works. It is incredibly intense, challenging, and unorthodox at times, but highly effective. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? Edit as I draft! 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Extra toasty Cheez-Itz. I can’t say it’s really a “foodie”…

What is the title of your latest release? THE GOVERNESS AND THE DUKE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? When a precocious teenage girl conspires to get her governess and the nation’s most eligible duke to fall in love, everything goes spectacularly wrong and then oh-so-right. How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve always loved Gothic novels set in the north of England, so I knew I wanted that setting rather than London. I’m also partial to a castle, so a Gothic castle in Northumberland just had to be the choice. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! Viola is kind and very intelligent. She might be a little reserved at first, but I’m sure she’d loosen up with time. What are three words that describe your hero? Brooding, sexy, kind. What’s something you learned while writing this book? There’s a talking raven in this book, so I spent way too much time watching raven videos on YouTube. I’ve learned that ravens are not only intelligent but can also be quite petty. If you’re mean to one, they’ll remember and tell all their friends. Good to know! Do…