1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SPANISH DIPLOMAT’S SECRET 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Immigrant newlyweds Captain Jim and Lady Diana are on board an ocean liner bound for Liverpool when a Spanish diplomat is viciously killed. The distraught Captain seeks Jim’s help. To avert dire international consequences, Captain Jim must solve the mystery before they dock. But there are a thousand suspects on board…some with secrets they will kill to protect. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve had the idea for the locked cabin crime for a while. The early transatlantic steamships were magnificent floating hotels. Open air decks, luxurious furnishings, dressing formally for dinner, an international cohort of passengers and the high seas—it was an irresistible setting for working-man Captain Jim and his posh wife Diana. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? I do! Captain Jim often watches through my eyes and remarks upon things around me, but he’s such a gentleman, it’s never been a problem. Diana, now, she has a rather wicked sense of humor. 5–What are three words that describe your sleuth? Captain Jim is Determined, honorable, skeptical….

I’ve gotten to the sixth book in my cozy mystery series, and one of the most common questions I get is whether each book stands alone.  Yes, the mysteries in my books do each stand alone.  However, there’s character development that happens over the course of the series, as well as relationship building of both friends and romantic interests. I do my best to make the books enjoyable for a reader picking up in the middle, which means giving enough pieces of backstory and context for someone unfamiliar with the previous books to be able to keep up, without slowing down the pace of the current story.  It isn’t that different from what you do to introduce backstory in an initial book, and I think most readers are able to pick it up and move forward, as they would pick up any standalone that had a richly developed cast of characters.  And it doesn’t hurt for established readers to get little reminders of the hows and whys of the character relationships, in case it has been a while since they read the previous books.  One thing that helps is that, with a book set in a specific location with a…

Book Title: DEMANDING MOB BOSS Character Name: Cian It’s pronounced kee-an. Not sure why I needed to say that, but Anna thinks it’s important and what she wants, she gets.   How would you describe your family or your childhood? My sisters had a childhood, but I was raised to take over from my father as the mob boss. I trained on guns, not tinker toys. I liked guns better anyway.   Significant other? Anna is…necessary.   Biggest challenge in relationships? Getting enough cameras placed at the right angles.   I can’t hide my shock at this, but Anna smiles serenely and I decide to leave any follow up questions to that for another time.   Where do you live? Chicago. Wouldn’t live anywhere else.   Do you have any enemies? There are always enemies in the life. Right now, there’s this street gang that thinks they can infringe on mob territory. Probably shouldn’t say how I’m dealing with it. It’s not exactly PG.   What do you do for a living? You saying you don’t know that I’m the boss of the Byrne-Doyle Mob? I figured that’s why you asked for this interview.   Flustered, I rush into my…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SECOND CHANCE HOTEL 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Amelia Lang’s life is kind of a mess. She’s stuck living at home with her narcissistic mother. Her tech bro ex-boyfriend deliberately sabotages her at work, and she gets fired after throwing a mug at his head (it’s okay! She missed.) Then she has a major falling out with her best friend. So Amelia does what Amelia does best: She runs away. After traveling around Europe for three months, she settles on a small Greek island to reset her life and figure out what’s next. But after too much retsina, she gets tricked into marrying James, another guest at the hotel, who is perfectly nice—but perfectly boring. To top it off, they are gifted the very hotel they’re staying in—a hotel they don’t want that is in desperate need of some TLC. They agree to keep the hotel open through the busy summer season for the sake of the island’s quirky but well-meaning residents, after which Amelia plans to return home to start rebuilding her disastrous life. Amelia and James must work together to determine how to get out of their…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? It’s basically millennial Scream! If you’re into 90s slashers with a twist, then this is for you … it follows a late-night radio show host, Tinsel Munroe, who finds herself reluctantly drawn into a murder mystery. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Well, the story is set in and around pop culture – largely film – and Melbourne, Australia was one of the birthplaces of cinema. The very first full-length movie – The Story Of The Kelly Gang (1906) – came from here, so the location really selected itself. I also liked the idea of a film centric story not being set in Los Angeles/Hollywood, which is the immediate assumption. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Absolutely. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Final Girl. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned how to run an overnight radio show. As a former journalist, I’ve had a lot of media experience in the past but Tinsel – my main character – hosts a program called The Graveyard…

Seabreeze Honeymoon, Book 9, Summer Beach Series by Jan Moran Playing by Their Rules by Calista Jayne Homicide at High Noon, Book 2, Ghost Town Mysteries by Jamie L. Adams Like It Rough by Sam Crescent The Quiet by Linda Kage Forget Me: Max & Harper #1, Badger Creek Duet Series by Claire Raye Love the Way You Spy by Lexi Blake The Garden of Lavender and Time, Book 7, A Cornish Hotel by the Shore by Laura Briggs The Hitman’s Vice by Allegra Grey and Emily Sloan Rhiannon’s Revenge by Emily Bex     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…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE PLINKO BOUNCE   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? There are rare occasions when the legal system operates exactly as it should and everyone involved does quality work—there’s no corruption or fraud or wicked villain pulling strings—but yet the outcome doesn’t track the objective truth.  The most obvious examples:  A guilty defendant walks free or an innocent defendant is found guilty.  During nearly three decades as a judge, I experienced a tiny number of these unicorn aberrations where the Constitution or a particular statute limited the information a jury received at trial, and we wound up with a flawed verdict.  How we deal with these mistakes both inside and outside the courtroom makes for good fiction.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I live in Patrick County, Virginia, where the book is set.   4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes.  And I hope he’d like to hang out with me.  He’s a good guy.   5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Smart, principled, and weary.  He’s a single dad and a public defender with a huge caseload….

1–What is the title of your latest release? HOMICIDE AT HIGH NOON. It’s book two in the Ghost Town Mysteries series. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Ghost town manager, Lily Cranston, is under suspicion when money comes up missing. Lily goes to meet with the bank’s auditor, but discovers he’s been killed before she’s had a chance to plead her case! In danger of facing embezzlement charges, she’s now a prime murder suspect. Putting her skills to the test to find the guilty party, she uncovers shocking truths and unscrupulous practices along the way. Will she be able to find the missing money and the killer before it’s too late? Or will her time run out as the killer sets their sights on her… 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I enjoy visiting ghost towns and the series is set in a very active ghost town. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, she and her family are a great group of people. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Determined, trustworthy, and dedicated. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Most embezzlers are woman…

Book Title: THE STOCKWELL LETTERS  Character Name: Ann Phillips   How would you describe your family or your childhood? I was born into a wealthy family of Boston abolitionists. We were often shunned by other neighbors of means, as they were unfortunately, unable to understand our commitment to the abolitionist cause. My parents both died when I was still a child, and I lived my adolescence with my aunt and uncle, who had a gracious home not far from my parents’. They too were vehemently opposed to the institution of slavery, and they nurtured such sentiments in me, as well.   What was your greatest talent? Over the years, I have found myself to be a gifted speechwriter and helpmate to those who could benefit from my services.   Significant other? I married my dear Wendell less than a year after meeting him. Due to my poor health, we were never able to have a biological child, but we did take in dear Phebe when her own mother passed, and we made a perfect little family, the three of us.   Biggest challenge in relationships? (Sighs). Dear me. Perhaps the biggest challenge is making sure your significant other never realizes…

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