Hey, everyone! I’m Emma Barry, and my newest book is FUNNY GUY. Sam Leyland might be the funniest guy on television, but he hates being the butt of the joke. Except when his ex-fiancée releases a hit song extolling his flaws to the world, that’s exactly what happens. To get away from the unwanted attention, Sam hides out with his childhood best friend. Bree is the calm center of his world, and they know everything about each other—almost. Bree’s never told Sam that she applied for dream job across the country, nor has she spilled the beans that she’s in love with him. But it’s pretty hard to keep secrets in a 500-square foot New York City apartment, and now, it’s this stand up guy’s time to fall.   F is for feelings. Yes, there are moments of caustic wit and humor in the book. But there’s loads of angst, joy, pining, and heartbreak too. At one point, Bree compares Sam’s emotions to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day balloons, but that’s true for both of them. Bree simply hides it better.  U is for unexpected, because Bree most definitely does not expect that her romantic longing will ever be reciprocated.  N is…

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 as a reader you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Diana Lloyd!   Writes:  Hi (waves in Midwest friendly), I write historical romance with heart and humor where characters work together to find their happily ever after.   About: It might not be my circus, but I’m acquainted with the clowns. I prefer to observe drama rather than be a participant; I think that’s why I write. In my books I like to throw two imperfect people together on the page and make them deal with each other until they fall in love. I’m a sucker for a happy ending because life can be messy and hard, and books are an escape. If you like your history with large doses of heart and humor, I’m the author for you.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: Enjoys being transported to another place in another time Sees and appreciates the humor and absurdity of everyday situations and isn’t afraid to laugh Finds a certain amount of sarcasm sexy Notices…

1–What is the title of your latest release? RETURN TO HUMMINGBIRD WAY 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In this heartwarming small‑town romance, can three months, two planning projects, and a meddling grandmother finally make two high school hate crushes see just how right they are for each other? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? On my first visit to the Outer Banks, I was sitting in this cute little seating area on the second floor of the Sanderling Resort in Duck, North Carolina staring out at the water, and suddenly I just knew that I wanted to write a series set in the Outer Banks. I immediately started drafting the ideas for a multi-book series. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely! Sinclair actually reminds me a lot of one of my best childhood friends. She’s supportive, ride-or-die, and will do anything for her friends and family. She’s a focused, ambitious businesswoman with plans to conquer her industry. Bonus: Sin’s love language is cooking amazing Southern cuisine and caring for the people she loves. Yes, Sin might bruise your ego telling you the straight-up truth about yourself,…

1–What is the title of your latest release? LOVE BETRAYAL MURDER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Office romance turns bad, with deadly results, and no one is telling the truth. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Most of my books take place in New York City, where I’ve lived most of my life. The law firm in the book is modeled on the places where I’ve worked. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, no, and maybe. Yes, because he’s named after my best friend. No, at the start of the book because he’s all about himself and work. Maybe, at the end of the book, just to hear his story. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Smart, lonely, hopeful. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That people have very strong feelings regarding Me Too and they’re not always what you think they’ll be. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit as I draft, nearly a page at a time. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? I look forward to my first cup of coffee every…

1–What is the title of your latest release? MARIGOLDS, MISCHIEF, AND MURDER 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Gwen Stevens will do just about anything to prove she’s ready to take the reins of the family business, Camelot Flowers. But when Gwen stumbles on the dead body of a high school friend, everything else in her life suddenly takes a backseat. Between a corpse, an attraction to two different inconvenient men, and slew of suspects, can Gwen find the killer…before they have her pushing up daisies? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I grew up in rural Wisconsin and knew I wanted to have this book take place in a rural midwestern town. Setting it in rural Illinois was a nod to the years I spent attending college in a suburb of Chicago. Small towns are rich with a sense of history and community, and I wanted to capture all of that in this book. The name Star Junction sounded magical to me, and that’s what I worked to create—a magical, but not perfect small town set in the heartland of America. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life?…

Greg: Welcome back to the Cross-Canada Society for Mental Health video blog and podcast. I’m your host Greg Dumont and, for the next few episodes I’ll be talking to the stars of our upcoming Calgary fundraiser, A Big Night for Mental Health. As always, I’ll post a transcript on the website. Today I’m speaking with one of Canada’s best-known musicians, an international chart-topper with fans around the world… it’s Jack Lowe! Jack, welcome to the show. Jack: Thanks. It’s great to be here.   Greg: And I see your partner Ben Ames is with us. Ben: No, I’m not. Jack: I told him I had this interview and had to get home and he said we had time to get an oil change and now we’re stuck in the car waiting to get in, so I said fine, you’ll be in the interview and he said do not drag me into this and that’s where you came in.   Greg: Do we need to reschedule? Jack: Not at all. This is Ben, everyone. You might remember him from catching a murderer in Kananaskis last fall. Greg: It sounds exciting, dating a private investigator. Do you often get involved in Ben’s…

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 Patricia Bradley!   Writes: Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stuart started my love affair with romantic suspense. It had everything I loved—mystery, suspense, love, Lipizzaners…I can still remember the way it made me feel.   Mary Stuart and the authors in that genre who followed like Mary Higgins Clark, Phyllis Whitney, Ken Follett…they all were amazing. They all inspired me to write fast-paced romantic suspense.   Two of my romantic suspense series are set in small deep-Southern towns, and one is a cold case series set in Memphis. Then, I wanted to move to the mountains…the Cumberland Plateau up around Chattanooga. Still the South, but different scenery. Instead of rolling hills or flat delta, Counter Attack is set in a small one-stoplight-town at the western edge of the Great Smokey Mountains. The area is filled with caves and legends and…a serial killer. I love writing about forgiveness and second chances, and chess! Counter Attack has all three. Forgiveness, because we all need to…

  A Caffeine Hit, Book 6, Haunting Avery Winters Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Dionne Lister An Oath at Midnight, Book 4, The Thornheart Trials series by Sherilee Gray The Thirteenth Month, Book 1, Seba Segel series by Elizabeth Hunter Yearn by R.E. Butler Tiny Problem, Book 7, Riot MC Biloxi series by Karen Renee Murder of a Misfit, Book 9, Jamie Winters Mysteries by Kelly Rey Zombie Fallout 20: Shores of Despair by Mark Tufo Team Orders by RJ Scott Where Promises Remain by Heidi Chiavaroli Take a Chance on Me, Book 2, Seasoned Romance series by Elizabeth Kelly     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…

  The Laird’s Prize, Book 1, Highland Lairds series by Eliza Knight Razor Rocks, Book 13, Paradise Crime Mysteries by Toby Neal SEAL’s Claiming, Coronado Team 2 series by Makenna Jameison Omega’s Choice, Book 1, The Black Ridge Wolf Pack series by Lilli Carlisle Stealing the Bride by Alexa Riley Don’t Look Back, Book 1, Wright’s Island series by Vicki Tharp Wickedly Trapped, Book 1, The Wicked Series by A.E. Nalle The Sinners of Saint Amos by Logan Fox The Bucket List by Rachel Hanna The Score, Book 3, Off-Campus series by Elle Kennedy One by Mari Arden Game Changer, Book 1, King of the Court series by Piper Lawson Taking the Handoff, Book 4, LA Wolves series by Cadence Keys Alien Prince’s Mate by Mina Carter Filthy Fiction, Book 1, Their Little Liar series by Calista Jayne Substitute Bride, Book 2, Beaufort Brides series by Noelle Adams Saving Easton, Book 2, Oakside Military Heroes series by Kaci Rose Roman’s War, Book 3, Riot MC Biloxi series by Karen Renee If Only You, Book 6, Bergman Brothers series by Chloe Liese Desire Unbound, Book 4, The Dufort Dynasty series by Juliette N Banks Trapped: Brides of the Kindred Book 29…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE DAYDREAMS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The Daydreams is about the stars of an early 2000s teen TV show who implode on live TV at the height of their fame in the most scandalous way, and what happens when they reunite 13 years later for a reunion special that could offer them redemption or destroy them all completely. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? As soon as I knew it would be about early 2000s TV stars, Los Angeles was the place that made the most sense! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh, absolutely. I’d want to hear all her stories. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Talented, no-nonsense, insecure 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot more about what young women in the spotlight went through in the early 2000s, and the immense pressures they were under 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I try to wait! But I often can’t entirely help myself from tinkering a bit. 8–What’s your favorite foodie…