Many avid readers often imagine writing books themselves one day. The old saying about there being a book inside each person is clichéd exactly because there is a grain of truth in it. One of my close friends from the seventh grade loved the idea of being a writer. When we grew to be young adults, she talked my ear off about Stephen King, who was just taking off back then as a horror writer mega seller. (I didn’t especially want to write horror. I read Dracula and H.P. Lovecraft short stories and had a hard time getting to sleep. Moral of this soggy saga: Do not read good horror fiction in bed at night before trying to nod off.) Anyway, my dear friend also chatted about the writer’s life as though it were something glamorous and exciting. Huh. Some plot twist. I have lived the professional writer’s life for close to five decades now.  It’s far from glitzy or glorious for most of us scribes, formerly ink-stained, now pixelated.  A few (like King) reach fame/fortune, giving hope to the rest of us. But most scribes do not attain that level of remuneration for their considerable efforts, although some online…

Book title? THEY COULD BE SAVIORS What is your elevator pitch?   A sisterhood of psychedelic-assisted therapists risks everything to forcibly disrupt the lives of the world’s most powerful men. Not to punish them, but to demand humility and responsibility. THEY COULD BE SAVIORS asks what happens when the people who helped break the world are made to confront the consequences of their power.  How did you choose the setting?  There are really two settings layered together. The facility is a high-tech luxury prison hidden in the Canadian prairies. Geographically, it’s a space readers would believe a structure of that size could be built without being noticed. It also needed a climate that allowed the characters to go outside so their transformations weren’t confined to four walls. The concealment technology may not exist yet, but the luxury of it matters. I wanted to be clear the men aren’t being punished, rather they’re being guided. The environment gives them every reason to cooperate with the women while also reflecting the women’s belief the men are human beings, not villains. Three words to describe your book. The main word I want readers to come away with is “hopeful”. So many speculative, dystopian novels…

What is the title of your latest release? THE YOUNGER GODS What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? An Orpheus + Eurydice-inspired romantasy about a woman who sails to the Underworld to rescue her fallen lover, only to discover he wasn’t who she thought he was.  How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I was inspired by the Roman Orpheus myth, so the world is very Roman in terms of technology and culture. But when I tried to write the hero as wearing a toga, I realized that I like a man in pants. So I narrowed the world to more specifically resemble Roman-era Gaul so that his muscular thighs were not just open to the breeze.  Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Oh sure, she’s a wonderful musician. I’d be lucky to hear her perform, so long as she wasn’t setting something on fire at the time.   What are three words that describe your hero? Secret trickster god What’s something you learned while writing this book? The heroine plays the kithara, which is an ancient instrument a little like the lyre, but with more strings. I spent a lot…

What is the title of your latest release? MOST ELIGIBLE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A journalist goes undercover on a reality dating show, only to discover that the host is her country star one-night stand from the year before. How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I always knew I wanted this book to take place on reality TV. It’s such a juicy setting with so many opportunities for shenanigans and drama. Plus, I love the added dynamic of not knowing what’s for the cameras and what’s “real.” Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Absolutely, but I hope she’d want to hang out with me! We’re both late sleepers, so maybe we could grab a mid-morning coffee or tea and talk about what’s on our Spotify rotation. What are three words that describe your hero? Thoughtful, suave, tortured (and hot) What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot of fun facts about The Bachelor, for example: If the women get cold on set, the producers don’t want the lead to give them their jacket, because it’ll look too bulky on camera! Do you…

What is the title of your latest release? FOR OUR NEXT SONG What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? The decade-long friendship between two rock goddesses is thrust into the spotlight after their mutual desire strikes a perfect—and very public—chord. How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Since this is a follow up to my debut, FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, it made sense for this book to also take place in the greater Los Angeles area! That felt like a natural location for characters who work in the entertainment industry. But I also got to do a little research for a songwriting-retreat-turned-accidental-romantic-getaway for my leads on a luxury ranch in Montana, and it was really fun to play with their dynamic in a more remote location. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? I have two heroines (since this book is F/F) and I’d hang out with both of them! But Jane is deeply kind, always expects the best in people, and she’s a great listener—honestly, hanging out with her would hopefully make me a better person!  What are three words that describe your hero? I’ll answer this one for my…

Dream casting for Wreck My Plans! One of the most fun things about writing Wreck My Plans, my book about a woman who loses her job and ends up at an active retirement community, is that it felt like I was hanging out with a bunch of rambunctious grandmas. I picked inspirations and wouldn’t it be fun if one day they portrayed my characters? Mia – Zoey Deutch. I’ve watched her in a few romcoms and love her!  Grandma Helen – Helen Mirren. Yes, that’s why I named her Grandma Helen. Wanda – Goldie Hawn. That’s who I pictured whenever I wrote Wanda. And she’s always chewing gum.  Vonetta Harris-Wagner – Oprah  Gertie Harris-Wagner – Lily Tomlin Sophia – Sophia Loren Noah – Davey Fisher (shoutout for blond heroes)  Carlos – Taylor Zakhar Perez Here’s a fun excerpt with several of the grandmas to give you a better idea of the hijinks. 😊  Excerpt:  “If we’re talking regrets…” Chair legs scrape cement as Arlene scoots into the outermost ring of porch light.  Wanda lunges across the table, dipping one braless boob in the puddle of salsa on my plate as she snags Arlene’s hand. “Don’t you dare say your divorce,…

Welcome to a new year! Here are some fun older books to take a look at if you need some escape! FLARED STIFF by Julie Anne LindseyFirst up is Julia Anne Lindsey’s Bonnie and Clyde series. The laughs, the hijinks, the relationships, and solved murders. It’s all a recipe for me to be pulled right into this series and away from anything I’m actually supposed to be doing. I love the setting, the charm, and the way that the author gives us such a view right into the living room of Bonnie and her cat Clyde so that I want to go see if she’s available for a quick dinner! After she finds the killer, of course. CROUCHING LIZARD LEAPING LOON by Donna AndrewsDonna Andrews is next with her delightful Meg Langslow Mysteries. Crouching Lizard Leaping Loon was the first book I read in this series and then I had to go back and start from the beginning and wait (im)patiently between each release for the next one. I love the way Meg handles things and how she puts the pieces together. I often finish the books in this series and think “I could have figured it out if I…

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.

What is the title of your latest release?BEHIND THESE FOUR WALLS What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A woman sets out to uncover the truth behind her best friend’s disappearance and expose the power family she knows is behind it. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I decided where the book would take place as soon as I started thinking about the story. The setting is one of the first things I think about after the idea of a story or character takes hold of me. Then, I start thinking about what area would be the best backdrop for the story. I needed a place that was heavily secluded, beautiful, where a very wealthy family could have their property and kind of run the town around it without too much worry. My sister lives in Charlottesville and when I went to visit her there, traveling up the mountain to see her…yeah that image and fear of falling down the edge stuck with me and I knew I’d set this story there. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?I’d definitely hang out with Isla. I think she’s really cool and a survivor….

This week’s Jen’s Jewels column takes readers to the island of Hawai’i. In THE SHARK HOUSE, Sara Ackerman weaves a haunting mystery as a string of rare shark attacks draws marine biologist Minnow Gray back to the Kohala coast and to a devastating secret from her past involving her father and a great white shark. LIGHTNING ROUND In three words, describe the vibe of your book.Sharky, mysterious, soulful Plotter, pantser, or “organized mess”?Converted plotter. What time of day does your creativity peak?Early morning, soon after waking, is my favorite time to write. THE DEEP DIVE Every book has an origin story. What was the “lightning strike” moment that made you say, “I have to write this”?It was when I was snorkeling around these graceful white tip reef sharks down in south Kona (in the wild, not on a shark tour) a few years back, and I was surpised at how uninterested in us they were. They were just doing their thing. I thought, I need to write a shark novel. It sort of just popped into my head. It seemed essential that I do this and I was so happy my agent was on board. Your protagonist: Did they arrive…