1–What is the title of your latest release? SECOND CHANCE ALASKA 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A lighthouse keeper who lost his family at sea finds a second chance at love and happiness with the local bookstore and museum owner, who happens to be his best friend. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? This is the third full book in the Wild Coast, Alaska series and this series is a spin-off series to my Wild River, Alaska series. But originally, I decided to set these stories in Alaska because of its rugged beauty and mysterious charm. It was the perfect place to set a fictional town famed for its mythology. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? She owns a bookstore…so YAY! 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Dependable, kind-hearted and protector. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? The research on the history of lighthouse keeping was truly fascinating! I learned so much more than I could ever include in the book, but I’ve definitely added snippets of what I learned. For example, the real reason some lighthouse keepers went ‘mad’. It’s not what…

1–What is the title of your latest release? HER LOST WORDS 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? From A Vindication of the Rights of Woman to Frankenstein, Her Lost Words is a tale of two literary legends—a mother and daughter—discovering each other and finding themselves along the way. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Both Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley lived in England and traveled extensively throughout Europe, so I was happy to trace the map of their wanderlust. 4–Would you hang out with your protagonists in real life? Absolutely! 5–What are three words that describe your protagonists? Brilliant. Feminist. Authors. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? Mary Shelley kept her husband’s embalmed heart in her desk drawer. (You can’t make this stuff up!) 7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done? Definitely wait until I’m totally done. 8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence? Champagne and strawberry cake. 9–Describe your writing space/office! My sunroom doubles as my writing space and has a great view of Alaskan mountains and Cook Inlet. 10–Who is an author you admire? Kate Quinn and Kristin Harmel are both two of the busiest—and most generous—historical…

1–What is the title of your latest release? BAYOU BELOVED 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Two rival lawyers in a quirky small-town battle it out in court, but behind the scenes, each is falling for the enemy. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I think small town Louisiana is the perfect place for this book. I’ve written several books set in fictional Papillon, Louisiana, and Quaid, the hero, has been a part of all of them. For the heroine, this is a coming home book. A small town feels warm but for the heroine, this relationship with her family and the town is complex. 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely. Jayna is very serious but she’s also fun. I think we would have a lot to talk about. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Loyal, loving, funny 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot about the law. Specifically, property laws in Louisiana. The case they’re deeply involved in concerns property laws. It sounds dry and boring, but this is a quirky small town and the way they solve it…

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,…