1–What’s the title of your latest release? FORGED IN LOVE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new novel? Mariah survives a stagecoach robbery by a gang who leaves no witnesses. Then she starts having “accidents.” Clint wants to get close to Mariah and finds himself standing between her and the ruthless gang who wants her dead. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? The book is set in Wyoming against the backdrop of the women’s suffrage movement. Wyoming was the first state in the Union to grant women the right to vote, and this attracted tough, independent women and the men who respected them. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Oh, yes. Mariah is both tough and vulnerable. She’s grieving her father and brother, who died in the holdup that almost killed her. She’s strong enough to take over her father’s blacksmith shop but woman enough to be interested when Clint, who runs the town’s diner, becomes her champion. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Strong, sweet, and loyal. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? The research was fascinating. Once I started reading about the fight for…

1–What is the title of your latest release? BARBARIAN’S PRIZE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Tiffany doesn’t want love or resonance because she’s traumatized. Salukh wants to be exactly what she needs. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? It seemed the logical next step after book 4 (Harlow’s book). 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Yes! 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Patient. Understanding. Brawny. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? That it’s hard to be sexy when you have a pet colt staring at you. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I’m a little bit of both. I draft, but I also go back and add in bits here and there as I draft. Never full scenes, just bits of conversation or worldbuilding. So I’m more of a pepperer I guess? 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Lately it’s macarons! When they’re done right, they’re delicious. When they’re too dry, they make me sad. 9–Describe your writing space/office! Right now, it is an absolute mess with promo materials for an upcoming convention, two upcoming print book…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE FIREFIGHTER’S DILEMMA   2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?  When two frenemy firefighters team up to compete in a reality game web show, the sizzling attraction they’ve ignored for years threatens to explode, putting the game and their future at risk.   3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?  It’s the third book in the Mile High Firefighter series (all books can be read as standalones) and set in Colorado like the others. I live in Colorado, so I love representing my home state in my stories.   4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?  Oh, heck yeah! Díaz is awesome and I would love to hang with her.   5–What are three words that describe your hero? Funny, Sweet, Sexy.   6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?  Most of the book is set at the edge of the Rocky Mountain National Park. I’ve been there dozens of times, but I learned a ton about the history and wildlife as I was researching for this book.   7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally…

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 Kristina Forest!   Writes: Hi! I’m Kristina Forest and I write contemporary romance novels with heart and humor, like my upcoming novel, THE NEIGHBOR FAVOR, about Lily, a shy bookworm, who enlists her charming neighbor, Nick, to help her score a date to her sister’s wedding, not knowing he’s the obscure fantasy author she’s been corresponding with online.   About: I’m a born and raised Jersey girl and I love the east coast. I love to read (not surprising), bake (mostly cakes and pies) and last year, I finally taught myself how to cook. I’m a Capricorn sun and Capricorn rising, which means I’m either extremely type A or just very pragmatic, depending on your perspective. I’m a Beyoncé stan and spend way too much time wondering when she’s going to drop the Renaissance visuals. I genuinely believe in soulmates.   I’m looking for readers who enjoy: Mistaken identity Forced proximity Close knit sisters Character who are book lovers A NYC setting Epistolary plots…

We met over a dead body, it was definitely not a meet-cute. – Kat from Too Wrong to be Right   Meet Awkward? Meet Disaster? Meet Catastrophe? These are some of the expressions that come to mind when I think about how to describe the moment the two main characters in TOO WRONG TO BE RIGHT, my new release from St. Martin’s Press, cross paths for the first time. It’s the moment romantic comedies often refer to as the ‘Meet Cute.’ And I’m obsessed. It’s true. I can’t get enough of them. I love meet cute stories so much I host an Instagram chat series, Mad About Meet Cutes, dedicated to talking to other romance authors about all things meet cute. I also teach a workshop called “Building a Meet Cute from the Inside Out,” that deconstructs and examines the elements of this quintessential piece of storytelling. And of course, I gleefully plot the meet cutes in my own romance novels. So how did my two romantic leads wind up meeting each other over a corpse? *Taps fingers like an evil mastermind* No, I wasn’t channeling my inner Wednesday Addams, though I bet she could write some killer meet cutes….

1–What is the title of your latest release? STORM WATCH, the 23rd book in my Joe Pickett series 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? During a series of severe spring snowstorms, Joe Pickett discovers a body near a remote high-tech facility.  His investigation is opposed by local law enforcement, federal agents, and even the governor.  The more he digs, the more he uncovers. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I lived my whole life in Wyoming and Joe Pickett is a Wyoming game warden, so all the novels take place in there. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Yes.  He’s pretty easy to get along with. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Dogged, loyal, misunderstood. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Mining crypto currency can take place anywhere there is a reliable power source.  And crypto mining used A LOT of power. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? I edit as I write. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Chicken fried elk steak.  My wife makes the best there is. 9–Describe your writing space/office! My office is located…

The position of governesses within the 19th century and the surrounding years just fascinates me. The governess was, in a way, a liminal person – neither one of the servants nor one of the masters, a paid employee but also a lady. She wasn’t one of the family, but she knew things about the family. That’s why I love a governess novel, in both classics and historical fiction. That’s why my debut novel, THE SECRETS OF HARTWOOD HALL, is about a governess.   So, here are a few fascinating governesses from literature. These are all great creations, so instead of ranking them as characters, I’m going to rank them as governesses – by how good they are at teaching their pupils!   10. Madame de la Rougierre from Uncle Silas, J. Sheridan Le Fanu (1864) Madame de la Rougierre is probably the most evil fictional governess I’ve come across. She is a perfect gothic creation, depicted almost as a fairy tale witch – she literally cackles the first time she appears. She terrifies her teenaged pupil Maud, our protagonist, making up ghost stories to scare her, then starting to plot far worse.   9. Becky Sharp from Vanity Fair, William…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE FOREIGN EXCHANGE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A Vodou priestess turned amateur sleuth investigating a ritual murder is embroiled in an insidious case of corruption that reaches beyond the shadows of New Orleans. It’s the 2nd book in the Mambo Reina series (The first is The Quarter Storm) 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? After visiting New Orleans, I knew it was a place that I’d like to set a story in. Subsequent research proved it was a place rich in history and tradition. I knew I’d be able to pull on that to help craft a compelling narrative. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Reina Dumond is what you’d call an old soul. That means she’s wise, street-smart, and prone to being opinionated. But Reina is also a very caring and loyal person. She’s definitely someone I’d make a point of befriending. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Loyal, traditional, curious. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? One of the most fascinating things I learned is that during the Civil War, Audubon Park…

  Gotta Dig Deep by MariaLisa deMora The Mafia’s Desire, Book 7, Maclean Mafia Men series by Lila Fox Zero Expectations by M.E. Clayton The Distant Hills and Other Stories by Kaje Harper Murder at the Movie Theater by Kelly Hashway Block’s Road, Book 6, Riot MC Biloxi series by Karen Renee Blood of the Basilisk by Molly J. Bragg No Smoke Without Flames by Geonn Cannon The Tourist by Clare London The Doors We Open by Donna Jay   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.

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE FAMILY MORFAWITZ 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A retelling of Greek myth as a multigenerational Jewish family saga 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? There are scenes in Russia, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Italy, New York, Israel, Vietnam and the open sea…so I guess I didn’t. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? I would not approach either of them with a ten-foot pole. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Ambitious, tyrannical, implacable 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot about the history of the Jewish-America mafia, as well as Portuguese-style bullfighting. 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? A little bit of both. I line-edit as I go, because I’m very particular about sentence rhythm, how the syllables line up, etc., but I typically wait until a full section is complete before going back and editing plot points. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Chicken liver mousse. 9–Describe your writing space/office! I do the bulk of my raw creative work in notes, which I take while walking…