1–What is the title of your latest release? THE FRIENDSHIP BREAKUP 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Bad Moms meets Mean Girls in this fresh, clever, and complex “mom-com” about the ups and downs of friendship. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I decided to make it a suburb of Chicago because I’m from the area, and I love the Midwest except in winter. I despise cold weather. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes, I would hang out with Fallon. She is a good friend, and she makes chocolate. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Overwhelmed, entrepreneur, and self-help book junkie. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned about pacing and cutting scenes to make the story flow better. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit while I draft. I don’t like having grammatical errors or sentence fragments. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Chocolate, of course! It’s in my book. 9–Describe your writing space/office! My office is in the front of the house with three windows that let in lots of natural light. I…

What is the title of your latest release? My latest Tea Shop Mystery (#25 in the Tea Shop Mystery series) is LEMON CURD KILLER.   What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Tea shop entrepreneur Theodosia Browning hosts a fancy Limón Tea in an actual lemon grove as the kickoff to Charleston Fashion Week. But as fairy lights twinkle and teacups clink, a designer is brutally murdered, leading her grieving daughter to beg for Theodosia’s help in solving this very strange case.   How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My Tea Shop Mysteries always take place in Charleston, SC because that’s where Theodosia’s quaint little tea shop is located. This particular mystery is set in a lemon grove because it seemed like a lovely place in which to cause total disruption.   Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? Absolutely. My main character, Theodosia Browning, is smart, sassy, and kind of a daredevil when it coming to jumping in and solving a mystery. Plus she has a dog named Earl Grey and I just love dogs.   What are three words that describe your sleuth? Curious, smart, entrepreneurial.   What’s…

1–What is the title of your latest release? A DEATH IN DENMARK 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Meet Gabriel Præst, an ex-Copenhagen cop (who dresses with panache), jazz aficionado, and relentless pursuer of truth as he explores Denmark’s Nazi-collaborator past and anti-Muslim present in a page-turning Nordic murder mystery with a cosmopolitan vibe. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It was the pandemic. I was missing my favorite city in the world, Copenhagen, where I had lived for over a decade before moving to California in 2016. I wanted to visit the city and decided to take Gabriel Præst’s to all my favorite places as he investigated a hairy case. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? ABSOLUTELY!! Gabriel loves good food and wine. Dresses well. Has an excellent sense of humor. AND he plays the blues and jazz. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Kind. Moral. Fun. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? A lot about Denmark’s World War II history. Here are a few nuggets: King Christian X did not wear the Star of David in solidarity with the Danish Jews after…

“We will always live in Paris,” Rick says to Ilsa at the end of Casablanca. We may not have each other, he is saying, but we will always have our memories.   So many memories in real life—not just in the movies—are bittersweet. The good and the bad, the gains and the losses, the tragedies and the recoveries are all woven together. Sometimes preserving them can be daunting. What do we treasure? What do we discard? Years ago, as a museum curator for the Southern Oregon Historical Society, I conducted oral histories, researched pioneer families extensively, and planned and orchestrated exhibits about those families. Most recently, in this phase of my twenty-year novel-writing career, I’ve been researching and writing dual-time novels (sometimes called time-slips) centered around family memories and generational stories. Through both experiences, I’ve learned a few things about family stories. First, family stories can shape subsequent generations. We do learn from the past. That said, I’m unabashedly grateful to be writing fiction, even after curating historical exhibits and being fascinated by generational history. “Facts” and “memories” can be inaccurate—ask any three “eyewitnesses” of the same event, or even three people who grew up in the same family. In…

  The Guardian, Book 4, Ruthless Regency Dukes series by Carole Mortimer Damaged Souls Book 2, Chaos and Carnage series by Sam Crescent The Mafia Princess, Book 8, Maclean Mafia Men series by Lila Fox Noctis by M.E. Clayton Pride, Book 6, Single Dads series by RJ Scott Too Late for Sorry, Book 3, Romancing the 60s series by Mildred Colvin Compulsion by Clare London Wicked Beauty by Candace Blevins Make You Feel My Love, Book 2, The Bittersweet Duet by Carla Krae The Transported Duke, Book 2 Roguish Gentlemen series by Lisa Torquay   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? FREE RADICALS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Afghan-American Mafi’s sophomore year gets a whole lot more complicated when she accidentally exposes family secrets, putting her family back in Afghanistan in danger. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve lived in Southern California on and off for nearly seven years and thought it’d be the perfect setting for this YA novel. While SoCal is generally an open-minded and diverse place to live, there are pockets—cities—that have some work to do. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Good question, and it’s a difficult one, because she—in a lot of ways—resembles me. Mafi has some growing up to do, but her heart’s in the right place. I can’t say I’d ever like to go back to my teen years. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Witty, crafty, secretive 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Before this book, I was writing a ton of fantasy that never really had much heart or purpose. For this novel, learned to be brave and write from the heart. 7–Do you edit as…

1–What is the title of your latest release? TILL DEATH DO US PORT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Till Death Do Us Port is the fourth book in my Colorado Wine Mystery series, which follows vintner Parker Valentine who expertly pairs wine with solving murder. In this installment, she’s in charge of the libations for her cousin’s wedding, although the happy occasion quickly sours when the fussy wedding planner is found dead midway through the ceremony and Parker takes it upon herself to get the weekend back on track. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Boulder, Colorado will always have a special place in my heart—it’s where I attended college, had my first apartment, fell in love, and eventually got married. The mountainous backdrop, quirky vibes, and sense of community lend itself well to a cozy setting. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? Absolutely! I would love to go rock climbing with Parker and then enjoy a glass of wine with her afterward while her chef boyfriend whips up a delectable meal for us at his hit restaurant. 5–What are three words that describe your sleuth? Dreamer,…

  What is the title of your latest release THE WOMAN BEYOND THE SEA   What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Three unforgettable women are at the heart of the novel The Woman Beyond the Sea, which spans three generations and reveals a story of female strength and courage. My heroines face challenges and torments that their lives or the gods of fate have showered upon them, yet they each meet a great love that can make them win against all odds to live fulfilling lives.   How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I never decide in advance, the story unfolds and leads me as I write it.   Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I wouldn’t want to hang out with any of the heroines, they’ve had difficult lives. But I would like to get to know them personally because each of the heroines is a woman who is strong and victorious and unique, even in her weakness.   What are three words that describe your protagonist? Compassion, love, courage.   What’s something you learned while writing this book? If there is no forgiveness, there is no…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE EX SPY WHO MAYBE LOVED ME   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  What happens when your off-the-charts hot, one-night stand…shows up at your office? Find out in this small-town rom-com with a buttoned-up STEM heroine and a hero who was a spy until 4 days ago!   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  This is book 2 in my Swan Cove series. Book 1 features a small-town mayor, so the first requirement for the setting was, yup, a small town (fictional, based on Camden, Maine). I wanted it on the coast because I love the beach and writing about it every night helps me survive until my next trip. I already had a small-town series (Bad Boys Gone Good) on the Oregon coast. Going to the opposite side of the country felt like a good way to keep it fresh for my readers.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Maybe? She loves musicals, like I do, but she is super obsessed with her molecular genetics research and in all honesty, most of that (while awesome) goes right…

Book Title: AN ARTFUL LIE Character Name: Aidan Nowlton   How would you describe your family or your childhood? My father, the late Bertram Nowlton, was the Duke of Malmsby. The Nowltons are a family of multi-talented individuals. I had four older siblings. I was an after-thought, ten years younger than my sister Catherine. As a young boy I would follow them and try to do what they did. They asked me to help them sometimes and I enjoyed that. It wasn’t long until my helping the family instead of doing something unique for myself became my life. What was your greatest talent? You could say I am the black sheep in the family as I never had a talent. I helped my siblings with their talent endeavors, but never had a recognized talent. Where do you live? London, just outside of Mayfair. I have a townhouse with an Art Gallery on the ground floor. Do you have any enemies? No, though I don’t get along with Lord William Candelstone, my sister Catherine’s husband. He is a spymaster whose mantra is “For King and Country.” What do you do for a living? I own an Art Gallery. Greatest disappointment? Courting…