CHAPTER 2 Marin Shaw would never forget the sound of prison doors locking behind her—the whoosh and heavy thud, the dungeon scrape, the almost medieval clunk of the metal workings, or the slow slide of the impenetrable barrier, its opening preceded by a warning blare, a Klaxon cry, when a prisoner was on the move. She knew those sounds, as desolate as a catacomb, as devoid of life as death itself, would wake her in the night in a cold, hard sweat for as long as she lived. The sound of the cell door had already nested in her gut like a watchful raven with twitchy eyes, taunting her, not letting her forget for even a second how she’d thrown her life away for $5,000, a two-martini lunch, and a lie. “Sign here,” the incurious clerk at the prison-release window said, her blank expression proof that she had become inured to the routine of the turnout process. Prisoners came and went like trains on a track, like loaves of bread down a conveyor belt. The only things that changed were the day and the time and the signature on the form. The clerk pushed a large plastic bag toward Marin….

Book Title: ART OF THE CHASE – Book 1 of the Bostwicks of Trillium Bay series Character Name: Emerson Joan McKenna… um…Talbot   How would you describe your family or your childhood? My childhood? Hmm, I suppose that depends on whether I deliver the unvarnished truth or provide you with my standard, slightly-less-than-honest answer. I have a reputation to protect, you see, and a lady is entitled to her secrets. However, I can tell you that my father was a well-respected portraitist with an eye for the ladies he painted. They didn’t seem to mind. My mother was not a part of our lives because she passed away soon after I was born. (Pssst… that’s not true. She abandoned us, leaving my father to raise me on his own.) Growing up in 1880 Chicago was an exciting time. The city was burgeoning with new industry (especially after the great fire) and although our home was modest, we had a fair number of well-to-do friends. Still… I often felt as if was on the outside looking in.   What was your greatest talent? Ah, that one is much easier to answer! I’m an artist, just like my father. I could hold…

1–What is the title of your latest release? UNDEROVER CHRISTMAS ESCAPE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Undercover as Santa and Mrs. Claus, DEA agent Duncan O’Brien and deputy US marshal Sera Morales must expose money laundering and bring down a drug cartel. But armed thieves steal the incriminating evidence forcing Duncan and Sera to protect long-lost family members before this Christmas becomes their last. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My US Marshal series is set mostly in Texas so I wanted to set the book in Dallas. I took inspiration from the Christmas movie DIE HARD. I wanted the opening of Undercover Christmas Escape to be in a high rise and Dallas had several to choose from. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, I think Sera Morales would be interesting to spend time with. She’s bold, brash and the exact opposite of me. LOL 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Sera is bold, brash and determined. Duncan is courageous, by-the-book, and protective. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a great deal about the US Marshals while writing this and…

I love rom-com movies. I always have. I love the iconic scenes you’ll never forget once you’ve seen the movie. Like when two people are running through a field of flowers, arms outstretched, finally realizing that the person they are in love with has been right in front of them all the time. Or when they have been strangers throughout the movie only to agree to meet and realize they have known each other all along. Admit it. Don’t you feel the tug on your heartstrings?  In some instances, don’t you feel like your own heart will break if they don’t get together? The dawning awareness for the hero and heroine is my favorite moment in any movie. When the flirting or fighting is over and they admit their love with such passion that you know their fate is sealed. This was one of the most important moments I wanted to craft in my Christmas romance, HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS. As a tribute to rom-coms and lovers everywhere, here are my top five favorite dawning moments from movies: In It Happened One Night, Ellie Andrews (Claudette Colbert) and Peter Warne (Clark Gable) are once again in the ramshackle hotel room….

1–What is the title of your latest release? HOUSEBROKE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Down on her luck divorcee meets guy who renovates houses. They move in together in a mutually beneficial relationship that doesn’t involve sex. In the beginning anyway. And there are multiple rescue dogs! 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I wanted HEA, humidity and sunshine with occasional storms and lots of pretty houses near the ocean. Florida just seemed like a good idea. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Of course. By the time I finish a book I know everything there is to know about my characters. We could definitely hang out and have long talks. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Independent. Caring. Determined. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot about rescue dogs, though I’ve always had rescue dogs of my own. But the process of fostering a rescue dog is quite different. And it’s hard to let them go! 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I don’t edit the book until I’ve finished it, though…

Book Title: THE GENTLEMAN’S GAMBIT  Character Name: Lady Catriona   How would you describe your family or your childhood? I loved my childhood, at first. My parents were academics, and I was part of their excursions and research activities since I took my first steps. It was always the three of us. Then my mother did during childbirth when I was nine years old. Everything changed. My father drifted into his own world, and I was alone in a Scottish castle. I fell into books. Books became my friends, my solace, and my teachers. I did have one real-life friend, Charlie, but he turned out to be a massive disappointment. I suppose you can say I wasn’t properly socialized. By the time my father noticed I was peculiar and needed guidance to become a lady, the ship had sailed. I did not last long at Mrs. Keller’s Swiss boarding school. My father and I are on good terms now, but it was a journey.   What was your greatest talent? I have an extraordinarily high pattern recognition. It has enabled me to teach myself languages from books by myself and to become a proficient linguist. It also means I can…

What if I told you one of the most exciting thrillers I ever read was about the passage of the 19th Amendment that finally gave women the vote in 1920? It’s true! That book is The Woman’s Hour by Elaine F. Weiss. Even though I knew the amendment passed –women have had the vote since 1920—I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, wondering how on earth it managed to pass when so many people were determined it would not. When the US congress finally passed the amendment in June of 1919, it seemed an easy task to get 36 of the then-48 states to ratify it so it would become the law of the land. If it was not ratified, the amendment would die, and the Suffragists would have to start their 80-year fight all over again.  But passing it wasn’t easy. A year later, only 35 states had ratified.  Twelve states had either voted not to ratify or their governors had refused to call a legislative session to even consider ratification. That left only one state, Tennessee, to turn the tide, but could they do it? Every other Southern state had already refused to ratify….

A Promise of Ashes, Book 5, The Thornheart Trials Series by Sherilee Gray Coral Celebration, Book 5, Coral Cottage Series by Jan Moran Match Box Murder, Book 60, Merry Wrath Mysteries by Leslie Langtry Naughty and Nice by Sam Crescent The Mafia’s Vendetta, Book 9, Maclean Mafia Men Series by Lila Fox Forbidden Desire by Evangeline Anderson Rogue: Assembly by Randolph Lalonde Vacancy by Linda Kage Hammer & Powder by Megan Derr Unlikely Sacrifice (An Amish Christmas Story) by Jennifer (J.E.B.) Spredemann     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.

Finding Kassie, Book 1, Serenity Mountain Series by Cassie Colton Daddy, M.D. by Jacqueline Diamond Sleepless in Saunton, Book 4, Inconvenient Brides Series by Nina Jarrett Every Fear, Book 2, Jason Wade Series by Rick Mofina Bang the Boss by Elizabeth Kelly The Story of Evil – An Epic Fantasy Saga (Vol. I-V) by Tony Johnson Seduced By Flames, Book 2, Hidden Realms of Silver Lake Series by Vella Day The Alpha’s Daughter, Book 20, The Alpha Shifter Collection by Sam Crescent The Namatjira Connection, Book 16, Genevieve Lenard Series by Estelle Ryan A Most Efficient Murder, Book 1, The Mr. Quayle Mysteries by Anthony Slayton MetroGen After Hours, MetroGen After Hours Series by Carina Alyce Thirty Day Boss, Book 1, Thirty Days To Love Series by J. S. Cooper Hot Nights with the Boss by Kameron Claire The Witch Collector, Book 1, Witch Walker Series by Charissa Weaks My Romeo, Book 3, Iron Fiends MC Series by Winter Travers The Thousand Doors of Midnight Manor by S.A. Price Murder on the Geneva Express, Book 6, Mac and Millie Mysteries by JB Michaels Get In My Swamp: An Ogre Love Story by G.M. Fairy Kingston’s Obsession, Book 6, Kingston Security…

1–What is the title of your latest release? Book One of the Series is titled DESCENDANTS OF FIRE AND WATER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? What might the world be like if Africa had never been colonized and trafficked? How might the country have developed? What might the African nation be like today? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve always been very interested in indigenous tribes of Africa. I wanted to go back to the origins of humankind, the origins of civilization, and find what stories there might be to tell that hadn’t been told before. I wanted to rewrite history and retell it in a new way, and the most poignant history of the modern world is that of Africa. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I would love to hang out with Essien. She could probably help me come up with a consistent workout routine and teach me to perfect my aim. She’s such a dedicated soldier, and that kind of commitment can be contagious or inspirational. At the same time, she tries to make ethical and moral decisions, which is a trait I…