You know that wonderful feeling you get when you taste something delicious that you haven’t had in a while, and you think to yourself, “Why in the world have I let so much time pass?” That’s how I felt reading Suzanne Enoch’s new book, BETTER THAN A DUKE. We historical romance addicts know that a duke (especially an historically inaccurate young, fit, handsome, and kind one!) is always the sought-after catch. In Ms. Enoch’s story, however, the duke is everything history remembers old, fat, many-times widowed, and as nasty as one would expect from a life-long diet of privilege. But Iris has been left penniless by her now dead gambling husband, and she has to provide for her 10-year-old son. Too bad her next-door neighbor, a mere marquis, has complications of his own, including his nine-year-old daughter and his mother’s machinations. (And yes, the many similarities to “The Parent Trap” mentioned positively in other reviews are merited!) Ms. Enoch tells her tale with lots of humor, a great cast of secondary characters, and of course, a tear-worthy happy ending. THIS STORY MIGHT SAVE YOUR LIFE, a debut novel by Tiffany Crum, will probably not save your life, but it will…

Dear Mr. Chicago, You likely don’t remember me. After all, I was just another guest at the hotel bar who you happened to sit next to. We said our obligatory hellos, you ordered your rum and Coke, and I continued to sip my cosmopolitan as I typed away on my laptop. Not much happened beyond that. Not much, other than a spark (and I don’t mean the romantic kind). Maybe it was something about your presence, your standard small talk, maybe the atmosphere of the lounge with the folk singer strumming his guitar in the corner. Whatever it was, a creative spark ignited and it nestled inside of me like a seed taking root. “What’s your name?” you had asked. Make something up, I thought. Why would I think that? I do not know. Diane. Elsie. Jill. “I’m Laura.” “What are you working on?” I’m a lawyer poring over a murder case. This is a letter I’m sending to the sister I just learned I have. I’m applying to Cirque du Soleil, and they require a personal essay. “I’m writing a book.” And so it went. We exchanged a few niceties. You told me about your ageing father and how…

What is the title of your latest release?QUEEN OF THE NIGHT SKY What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?QUEEN OF THE NIGHT SKY is the epic conclusion in the Starkeeper duet. After Suraya Saab unites with her chosen love, King Roshan Acharia, to save Oryndhr from subjugation, her greatest fear is realized when her power is weaponized. After an assassination attempt, Suraya escapes with an imprisoned azdaha – a mythical dragon – only to find herself in Everlea, the realm of the Night King, Darrius Nightsong…the shadow man from her dreams who just might be her soul-fated mate. An unhinged Roshan will stop at nothing to get her back, and as war looms between the realms, new prophecies of ruthless gods will rise. Torn between two kings – her chosen and her fated – Suraya must free her trapped magic to fight an ancient evil before it’s too late. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The fictional fantasy realm of Endara draws from many different global influences, including Persian, Indian, European, and Caribbean. I wanted to bring some of my own lived experience as well as my personal background to the page with respect…

What is the title of your latest release?A LATTE LIKE LOVE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Love is brewing as a barista falls for a reclusive artist struggling with the tragic aftermath of an accident in this charming, epic romance. Or: what if the two sweetest people on the planet, who had both been through therapy, met and actually worked with one another on moving through grief and overcoming their greatest emotional challenges? How did you decide where your book was going to take place?You know, I didn’t really think much about it – I knew it was in Brooklyn during the fall, but I couldn’t honestly tell you why, other than I was absolutely correct to set it there. There’s just something about fall foliage paired with brownstones and cute cafés that makes it really cozy. We don’t get those kinds of seasons in Texas, and it wouldn’t have made for the same story. New York City is always kind of a character of its own rather than a setting. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Absolutely. I would be friends with both Audrey and Theo. They’re so nice! Audrey and I would spend…

What is the title of your latest release?LUCIEN What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A talented artist at Harvard falls under the sway of his charming, dangerous roommate and becomes a reluctant accomplice in a scheme to sell forged paintings. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I wanted to write a campus novel. Harvard was a setting I knew very well, and a world I felt readers might be curious about. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Of course. What are three words that describe your hero?Lucien: charismatic, reckless, opportunistic.Atlas: insecure, lonely, loyal What’s something you learned while writing this book?How to paint a forgery Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I completed a skeleton first draft of the entire novel with large sections left blank and then went back and started research (on painting, art forgery etc.) What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Cotoletta Milanese Describe your writing space/office!It’s pretty simple. I have a small room in my apartment with some bookshelves and a desk that faces a window. I bought a bunch of old Penguin paperbacks from the 1950s on eBay and organized them by…

Town: Paradise Springs, FloridaAuthor: J.C. Kenney Small-Town Life & Community What’s the very first thing a newcomer learns about this town… whether they want to or not?There are a lot of unusual residents, shall we say. The guy who runs the bodega at the Paradise Springs Marina may be 100 years old, but nobody really knows. There’s a recluse who lives on the edge of town who goes around after dark collecting recyclables who’s rumored to be a vampire. Oh, and don’t forget about the three sisters who own the Magnificent Marlin restaurant and entertainment center. Rumor has it that they may be witches. Who unofficially runs the town, and do they know it?I don’t know that he officially runs the town, but Goob’s been behind the counter at his bodega for as long as anyone can remember. Folks come to him for advice and to catch up on the latest news. His influence has been literally decades in the making, so when he speaks, people listen. If the town had a motto, what would it really be?“Welcome to Paradise Springs, where being weird is normal.” What smells, sounds, or sights instantly tell you that this place is home?Ah, the…

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.

Welcome to Jen’s Jewels, where each week I highlight a story I loved and the author behind the words. Today’s gem is ALL BOOKED UP by Melody Carlson. Let’s kick things off with a quick Lightning Round before digging deeper into the story. LIGHTNING ROUND • In three words, describe the vibe of your book. Quirky, heartfelt, humorous. • What’s your ideal writing fuel: coffee, tea, wine, or chaos? Coffee, which must be good beans, freshly ground, sometimes with a bit of cream, sometimes just black. • Plotter, pantser, or organized mess? Absolutely pantster. And a bit of a mess too. The closest I come to plotting is toward the end of a book when I might use one liners for each of the chapters – just to remind myself it’s time to wind this thing down. • If your book had a theme song, what would it be? Maybe I’d steal the theme song from the old Golden Girls sitcom – Thank You for Being a Friend. THE DEEP DIVE • Every book has an origin story. What was the “lightning strike” moment that made you say, “I have to write this”? I was sitting with a friend in…

What is the title of your latest release?UNDER AN AFRICAN SKY What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?In 1989, South Africa is a deeply divided country standing on the brink of democracy but unrest is never far away. The country’s struggle is reflected in the lives of two ordinary women from different backgrounds who become caught in the crosscurrents of extraordinary times. This turmoil threatens not only their friendship but also the future each has imagined for her children. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I didn’t decide. The story itself decided. In a way, South Africa became not only the setting for the story, but also the character who wouldn’t leave me alone. This land is embedded in my heart because it’s where I was born. After I left my birthplace, the country began to live in my imagination like a character in its own right. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely, yes. And in fact, because I use a dual narrative, the novel has two heroines: Sofia, a wealthy Greek-Cypriot immigrant living in South Africa, her second homeland, and Grace, South African by birth and Sofia’s loyal housekeeper….

What is the title of your latest release?STRANGE GIRLS What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?STRANGE GIRLS is about Aliya and Ava. At university, they meet and fall deeply into their own world, teaching each other how to be women and how to be writers, how to live in the world. They become everything to each other. But can it sustain? Years later, they meet again at a friend’s hen party to confront what happened between them. What happens to a love story with nowhere to go? And who has the right to tell a story that happens between two people? How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The book takes place mostly in and around London, which is now both my home and muse. Aliya and Ava are both strangers to England, as I was once. I wanted to write about it through the eyes of two people who are discovering it for the first time. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Both of them would be fun lunch company though maybe not that at the same time! I’d feel like a third wheel. Martinis with Ava, dinner with Aliya. What…