What is the title of your latest release?THE FRANCHISE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A film studio, after producing a fantasy film series for many decades, decides to create a “living set” of the franchise’s fantasy world and populate it with people whose memories have been changed so that they think they are really part of that world. The studio thinks it will be a great way to create more content. Surely, there won’t be any negative repercussions. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The fantasy world itself is a pretty generic, European medieval setting, so the film studio had to build their set somewhere that visually could stand-in for that while also keeping the characters isolated from the real world. In early drafts I had this simply be up in the Adirondacks, but ultimately it had to be on an island to keep everyone contained. But it couldn’t be a tropical one and couldn’t be too isolated itself. The island of Madeira met most of these plot requirements and also offered additional story opportunities. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Glenn is an actor who has been hired by…

On June 23, 2021, we made the scenic drive from Elkhorn Ridge RV Resort to the charming town of Keystone, South Dakota, our gateway to one of America’s most recognizable landmarks: Mount Rushmore National Memorial. The road into the Black Hills winds through pine-scented air and storybook curves, each mile building anticipation. We followed that road toward Keystone, the small town that serves as the gateway to Mount Rushmore. As we rolled through Keystone, we knew we were close. We skipped stopping for a selfie photo at the entrance sign as I snapped a shot of the sign instead, determined to beat the crowds we’d heard so much about. But as it turned out, we didn’t need to rush. An early start was unnecessary. Crowds and First Impressions Contrary to expectations and travel advice, Mount Rushmore in the summer of 2021 was surprisingly uncrowded. There were no lines and there were no crowds. Instead, there was plenty of room to walk around outside in the sunshine and fresh air. The open-air setting, combined with sunshine and fresh mountain air, made for a relaxed and enjoyable experience. One of the highlights? You don’t need to hike extensively to get great views….

What is the title of your latest release?THE FOURSOME What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Inspired by my own family history: the strange-but-true story of two sisters in nineteenth-century North Carolina (my distant cousins) who married Chang and Eng Bunker, the world-famous conjoined twins. Together, the two couples had twenty-one children. The twins’ lives are well documented; their wives’ are not. The Foursome imagines the inner life of Sarah Yates, a woman navigating loyalty and identity in a rigidly defined world – and asks how we reckon with a fraught and complicated time in American history. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The setting chose me. My mother’s entire family is from North Carolina, not far from the Bunker plantation, and I grew up hearing fragments of the story. Once I learned that Sarah Yates Bunker had been buried in an unmarked grave – not in the family plot, but beside formerly enslaved people and the four daughters she lost – I knew the book had to live in that landscape. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Sarah is the quieter sister, the one slowly waking up to what she’s been…

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 Cindy Brown! Writes:Mysteries for every mood. My new serious mystery, ECHOES OF THE LOST, is the story of a tired, shut-off man who must open himself up to life, of the mystery that compels him to re-engage with the world, and of the little boy who shows him that kindness is found in the most unexpected places. In the mood for something light? My Agatha-nominated Ivy Meadows series features a goofily endearing actress/PI-in-training, her pun-loving PI uncle, and a slightly silly look at the off, off, off Broadway world of theater. About:I am an optimist, always looking for the good in every situation. It may sound strange that a sunny soul like me loves mysteries, but they all do end with hope and justice (at least mine do). I live in my favorite city in the world, Portland, Oregon, with my husband and bigger-than-life terrier, among giant fir trees hundreds of years old. I love the rain, the quirky vibe of Portland, and my…

This week, I’m tickled pink to welcome back New York Times bestselling author Kristy Woodson Harvey. The undisputed queen of the beach read is kicking off the month with her new release, SUMMER STATE OF MIND. If you’re looking for a blend of heartfelt emotion and coastal charm, this one is for you. LIGHTNING ROUND What’s your favorite writing season: hopeful spring, beachy summer, reflective fall, or cozy winter, and why?Beachy summer! I’ve usually just finished with launching a new book and going on tour, and the stories are bursting out of me! What’s one snack or treat that always appears when you’re deep in writing mode?I love coffee with coconut milk a big scoop of chocolate protein powder blended in the blender. I drink way too much of it when I’m writing! What’s one small thing that instantly puts you in a creative mood?Going for a walk with no music, no headphones, just to clear my mind. THE SPRING SPARK May often signifies the start of something new. In what ways did this story represent a new chapter for you as a writer?This was an interesting book for me to write because, instead of opening when my protagonist’s life…

What is the title of your latest release?REALITY BITES What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A no-nonsense scientist is forced to go through her living hell – be a contestant on a trashy reality dating show – to save an endangered species. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I lived in Los Angeles for 15 years where I worked as a TV writer, so I wanted to write a love/hate letter to the City of Angels. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Yes, because I also love animals and like to geek out on science, but Grace would probably only want to hang out with me after her character arc. I’d probably be too “extra” for her at the start of the book. What are three words that describe your hero?Selfless, Underdog, Sardonic What’s something you learned while writing this book?I interviewed a biologist and toured a nature center as research and learned a lot about the world of animal conservation. It was fascinating and made me want to support it even more. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?Because I’m often working on several…

What is the title of your latest release?THE UNRAVELING OF MICHAEL GALLER What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?After observing multiple harmful effects of varying illnesses of those close to him that he perceives as different forms of cancer, Michael Galler gains a heightened cognizance of the physical threats that can grow unknowingly inside a person. As a result, he dedicates himself to healthily fortifying his body against any comparable assault. While growing up with his loving, widowed father and a younger brother he feels compelled to protect, Michael balances the pressures of his young life – academic achievement, high school athletic competition, and even training for the Boston Marathon. But as he moves toward college life, he develops a promising relationship with a girl who too easily fills the gaps of his motherless upbringing – and his long-held fear of what he now thinks of as capital-C Cancer begins to take over. Everything he experiences, he experiences through the filter of trying to outrun a disease he thinks is pursuing him. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The story is set between the contrasts of Boston’s unflinching city streets and the safety of…

Hi! I’m Melinda Leigh, author of YOU CAN TELL ME. I’m excited to be here today to tell you all about the story. YOU CAN TELL ME is the first book in my new Olivia Cruz Series. I’ve wanted to explore true crime writer Olivia Cruz’s character since I first created her in 2018 in WHAT I’VE DONE. She played a larger role in the final book of the Morgan Dane Series, SAVE YOUR BREATH, but I felt she had too much potential to let her go. She’d bold, resourceful, and wicked smart. I decided to give her some books of her own. I hope you all love her as much as I do! Y is for yoga, Olivia’s favorite exerciseO is for Olivia, the heroine of the storyU is for under. Olivia takes her niece, Nicki, under her wing when she shows interest—and promise—in investigating. C is for case. Which of podcaster Zoe March’s true crime cases is involved with her disappearance?A is for assault, which happens to NickiN is for niece. Olivia’s niece, Nicki, is her sassy sidekick for this adventure T is for true crime, the genre of book Olivia writes, also the subject of her missing…

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.

Excerpted from A FOUNDING MOTHER: A NOVEL OF ABIGAIL ADAMS, by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. William Morrow Paperbacks, 2026. Reprinted with permission. BRAINTREE Massachusetts Bay Colony April 1765 When I was first with child, revolution was not yet even a fever dream glistening on the perspiration of my brow. As the world came into bloom that spring—­my belly as swollen with possibility as the buds on the trees—­my worries were decidedly smaller: my mother was being overbearing. “Lord have mercy,” said my sister Elizabeth as she watched me waddle down the road. “Mother will give me an earful when she learns I permitted you out and about in your condition, Abigail.” “Permitted me?” I asked with exasperation. My wedding was six months past—­surely enough time to be treated as a grown woman of twenty who might come and go as she pleased. “I couldn’t bear to miss another market day,” I said, huffing and puffing past farmers as they bundled asparagus and radishes in their carts. “I could’ve done the shopping for you,” Elizabeth chirped, her lively eyes on the Middle Parish Meeting House, with its plain white walls and steeple—­more modest than the one our father, Parson Smith,…