1–What is the title of your latest release? MAGICIAN AND FOOL – Book One, Arcana Oracle Series 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Pamela, a seer and empath hired by a cult to design tarot cards, must summon the muses of her cards, High Priestess and Empress, to help her thwart Aleister’s demons and stop the Carlists from trying to destroy all female rulers. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Magician and Fool is based on the real-life Pamela Colman Smith who lived in London, Jamaica, and New York in the later part of the 19th century, so I was lucky to have lush, exotic and fascinating environments already suggested. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I would have loved to attend one of Pamela’s Bohemian Soirees that she held in her flat in Chelsea in the early 1900s. Part-performance, part-social event, these soirees were attended by some of the most fascinating artists and authors of the day. I would have been there in a New York minute! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Talented, psychic and ambitious describes Pamela Colman Smith. 6–What’s something you learned…
1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SECRET TO HAPPINESS, book 2 in the Cape Cod Creamery series. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Fired from her dream job after making a huge mistake, Callie Dixon lands at her aunt’s Cape Cod ice cream shop, hoping that in time, she’ll bounce back. But she made that mistake for a reason that time won’t help. When her cousin drags her to a class on happiness, the instructor – curiously gloomy and demanding – has a way of turning her feelings upside down. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My editor made that call! She wanted a book about ice cream, and she wanted Cape Cod. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Definitely. When you hang out with Callie Dixon, you start thinking you can do anything! She has that kind of positive effect on others. Callie is inspired by my niece, Hilary, who is one-of-a-kind! My sister called her “Hurricane Hilary.” Everyone adores her. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Vivacious, optimistic, enthusiastic. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I studied quite a…
1–What is the title of your latest release? TO DIE BEAUTIFUL 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? In Nazi-occupied Holland, shy law student Hannie Schaft surprises herself by joining the armed resistance to save her Jewish friends, becoming the Most Wanted Woman in Holland and risking everything to do the right thing for the people she loves. Based on the true story of Hannie Schaft. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Hannie Schaft (and most of the other characters in the novel) were real people, and although Hannie is not well known outside The Netherlands, she is a hero there. I discovered her story on a visit to Amsterdam and, once I began working on the book, traveled to the real locations in the book to do research. Although my book is a novel, I tried to stick to the real places and events as much as possible, so they dictated the setting. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh yes – it would be an honor to know someone as brave, smart, and big-hearted as Hannie Schaft, not to mention Truus and Freddy Oversteegen, the amazing young…
1–What is the title of your latest release? BEST MEN 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? BEST MEN is a romantic comedy about a gay guy named Max Moody who’s a 34-year-old hopeless romantic living in New York City. His world is turned upside down when his bestie, Paige, tells him that she’s getting married and wants Max to be her man of honor. Max quietly spins out of control because he’d always thought he would get married before the serial dater and life of the party, Paige. Then Max meets the man of honor on the groom’s side – an impossibly handsome and charming gay guy named Chasten. Even though Max and Chasten are both gay, they’re polar opposites. Max is introverted, Midwestern and can’t stand Madonna or the word “brunch,” while Chasten is wildly outgoing, East Coaster and worships Taylor Swift and fashion. The two really don’t like each other at first but learn to get along for the sake of Paige’s wedding and eventually a romance blooms between them. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I’ve lived in New York for several years and wanted to express the range…
1–What is the title of your latest release? STARS COLLIDE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Stars Collide is a grumpy/sunshine celebrity romance between an up-and-coming young pop star with a very bubbly, very queer brand, and a reserved legend of pop music who’s lonely and jaded after twenty years of stardom. She’s always assumed she was straight but never understood why she’s never had much passion in her life. When they’re teamed up for a duet at the Grammy’s, well, it’s safe to say that both of their worlds will be rocked that night… 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It’s a celebrity romance, so I wanted to set it somewhere exciting, and I’d just done two series in New York City, so I decided to have Eden and Anna live in LA. For the second half of the book, they’re on tour together, which gave me a chance to visit a lot of new locales as they travel the country. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh my God, yes! I tend to always write characters I’d want to know in real life, but I’m also…
1–What is the title of your latest release? MEET ME AT THE LAKE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Fern and Will are strangers who spend a magical, life-changing day together in the city in their early twenties—then make a promise to meet one year later. Fern shows up; Will doesn’t. Now thirty-two, Fern is back home running her family’s struggling resort when Will shows up, offering to help. Will is very different from the idealistic artist Fern once knew, and it’s clear he’s keeping something from her – she’s not sure she wants to find out what it is. But ten years ago, Will helped rescue Fern. Can she do the same for him? 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The book is told in now and then timelines. In the past, you spend twenty-four hours with Fern and Will in Toronto. In the present, you spend a summer with them at Fern’s lakeside resort in Muskoka, a popular cottaging area north of the city. The idea for the resort came to me in the middle of the night during a bout of postpartum insomnia. I was fretting over what I…
Book Title: THE BRIDE WORE WHITE Character Name: Prudence Ryland How would you describe your family or your childhood? Interesting. Not every little girl grows up in the household of a professional psychic. What was your greatest talent? Dream readings. There’s good money in it if you know what you’re doing. Significant other? My first marriage didn’t end well. Let’s just say there was an annulment involved. Biggest challenge in relationships? Turns out not every man wants to date a psychic and the ones who do tend to be weird. Where do you live? Currently residing in Burning Cove, California. Do you have any enemies? I just found out the press has labeled me the Killer Bride so it looks like I do have some enemies. How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place? Burning Cove is a lovely, glamorous seaside town. Unfortunately, someone is trying to kill me. Do you have children, pets, both, or neither? Neither. What do you do for a living? Currently unemployed. I used to be a psychic dream reader but a client tried to murder…
“It’s a sordid life, but I’m used to it.” —Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye I opened my eyes to find myself standing in front of a rain-streaked apartment window… “Welcome to my world, baby.” When I turned around, I was facing him, though facing was far from accurate. The tall private detective with the acre of shoulders was standing so close that my nose was practically hitting his chest. His bare chest. “You okay, doll? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Jack was teasing, of course, but I didn’t laugh. After the intimacy of hearing his voice in my head for so long, actually seeing this towering, vital man in his prime—which he’d been before his premature death—always gave me somewhat of a shock. To top it off, in all the times he’d taken me back to his past, I’d never before confronted Jack in this state of undress. Embarrassed, I stepped back, touched my suddenly hot cheeks, and realized my hands were wearing white cotton gloves. Glancing down, I saw my nightgown was gone, replaced by a blouse with red polka dots, and a pencil skirt that fell below my knees. My legs were encased in stockings,…
1–What is the title of your latest release? DRESSED TO DRILL 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Contractor Shannon Hammer and her crew have been hired to renovate Lighthouse Cove’s Gothic Victorian church into a world-class art museum, but work comes to a screeching halt when they discover the body of a young woman in one of the chapels. With the help of her boyfriend, thriller writer Mac Sullivan, and her closest friends, Shannon will follow the clues to stop the killer from striking again. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? All the Fixer-Upper Mysteries take place in Lighthouse Cove. If you haven’t read the books yet but that sounds familiar, you probably caught the movies on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries. Lighthouse Cove is a quaint Victorian small town in northern California, with incredible ocean views and a few too many murders per capita. 4–Would you hang out with your sleuth in real life? Absolutely! Shannon is the kind of woman I admire—she’s smart, observant, and hard-working, and she’s also one of the most loyal friends you could ever have. In fact, she’s the kind of friend who, if you were suspected…
Release Me Not: Ethan & Zoey, Book 2, Badger Creek Duet series by Claire Raye Moonlight and Storm, Book 1, Australian Supernatural: High Country series by Nicole R. Taylor Tempting Jada, Book 10, Devil’s Sons MC series by Lila Fox Dionysus by Eva Pohler Let the Torrent Dance Three Down by Sherwood Smith Amaretto and Arson by Kelly Hashway Rhinestone Ransom by Jennifer Fischetto Built for Pleasure by T.O. Smith The Shadow Prophecy by Rae Egan City of Dawn, Book 4, Nightmarked series by Kat Ross 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.