Excerpt from THE CHRISTMAS YES LIST by Melissa Ferguson: Back to the point, though. “The point is,” I say, “people don’t just do what you do. They don’t just comfortably sit back and go ‘along for the ride.’” “I agree,” he says, which, quite frankly, is surprising. “And they certainly don’t just hang out in silence like we’re doing.” “Does it bother you?” he asks. “Yes!” “Why?” “Because how can I possibly sit here with you without worrying that you’re bored out of your mind if you don’t talk? People talk. People make small talk about the weather—” “We’ve already discussed the weather. It’s clearly snowing.” “And they talk about . . . about shoes,” I sputter, reaching for the first object that comes to mind. “You . . . want to talk about shoes?” “And they spout boring little facts about their lives and ask boring little questions about each other simply because, well, because silence is scary.” As I end this little rant, he gazes at me silently, taking everything in. “Hmm.” He’s doing it on purpose, isn’t he? He’s just making the silence last an eternity for a science experiment, to see how long before I bust. To get back at me for…

Some characters haunt you long after a book is done, especially when they’re ghosts. Here are five (5) reasons why we think you’ll love being haunted by the characters in our new release, THE GHOST AND THE DEAD LIBRARIAN, recently honored as a Library Journal “Mystery Pick of the Month” and one of Brodart’s Top Adult Titles. #1 PENELOPE, THE BOOKSELLER A young widow with a growing son and busy life, Penelope Thornton-McClure didn’t believe in ghosts. Oh, sure, she knew locals gossiped about her family’s shop being haunted, but she never believed it, not until one horrible night when everything went wrong and she was under a great deal of stress. That’s when he spoke to her. The Ghost. From then on, Jack speaks to Pen at will—his will, not hers—blowing in and out of her head like a blustery gale. Despite his troubled spirit, Jack has a wicked sense of humor, and after everything they go through together, Pen is amazed at the strangest irony of all, one that uplifts her own spirit: The Ghost believes in her. #2 JACK, THE HARDBOILED GHOST A tough PI with an acre of shoulders and an iron jaw, Jack Shepard lived a…

Excerpted from MEET ME ON MISTLETOE LANE by Cassie Miller: “Have they heard anything else regarding Mr. Paxton and The Market?” I asked her. “Not really, other than the back taxes being really bad.” She grabbed her cocoa and reclined in her chair. “They did say that Mr. Bailey came in a couple days ago while on a phone call, and that he was talking about an ‘outdated gem of a property’ in a town that held ‘potential.’ ” “Potential,” Sam grumbled while flipping through his flash cards. “Well then, I guess it’s good that I’ve agreed to this whole fake-­dating thing with James,” I said while logging into my school account. Another customer entered, bringing in a chilly breeze with her, as Eve switched her music over to an acoustic Christmas station. An older couple I didn’t recognize settled in at a table on the opposite side of the café, pointing to the black-and-white framed pictures from our town’s history decorating the walls. Sam’s eyes searched my face. “You don’t have to do this, you know.” I avoided his stare and opened our Government Google Classroom instead. “I said I’d come up with something, and I did. Or he did.”…

What is the title of your latest release?THE HAUNTED LIBRARIAN What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A lonely night-time librarian must help three ghosts find peace and move on or lose the library she loves. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?My last book THE LATE-NIGHT WITCHES, featuring both witches and vampires, took place in PEI, so my editor and I decided to expand the story world and add ghosts to it as well! Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Yes, but we would probably just read silently together. What are three words that describe your hero?Smart, lonely, and a tiny bit abrasive. She has a very good heart, though. What’s something you learned while writing this book?That many famous literary quotes fall in the realm of urban legends. They can’t be attributed to the author at all! So, authors, think twice before you begin each chapter with a so-called quote. Your copyeditor will thank you. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I wait until I’m done. Then I edit…again, and again, and again… What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Miss Vickie’s Salt and Malt Vinegar Chips…

Excerpt from SOLAR ECLIPSE OF THE HEART by Kate Robb: 4 Years ago, I wrote a paper on the human brain’s instinctive patterns when faced with an emergency situation. Despite evolutionary advancements, when faced with danger, the hu-man brain recesses to its primitive, mammalian roots and de-faults to one of two behaviors. It either shifts into fight-mode and finds a way to battle the perceived threat, or it flees. I have often wondered which of my instincts would kick in if faced with a bona fide threat. Turns out, the answer is flight—it’s not even a contest. I don’t even look for a weapon as I sprint at full speed toward my bedroom and slam the door behind me. The moment I’m inside, I drop my towel and reach for the lock, only realizing as my hand closes over the cool metal handle that there is no lock—there has never been one. Barricade. I look at my IKEA desk, wondering how much of a fight the particleboard would put up against a man his size. He was sitting, but he looked big. He felt big. My defense plan is interrupted by a soft knock on the door and the sound…

Today’s Jen’s Jewels author spotlight is shining on COZY LITTLE CHRISTMAS by New York Times bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne. If you love second-chance romance, small-town charm, and plenty of holiday sparkle, this festive new read belongs on your Christmas TBR! Read on. LIGHTNING ROUND What’s your favorite way to spend an autumn afternoon?I’m lucky enough to live in the Rocky Mountains with beautiful trails close to my house. After a day of writing, I love taking my dog and exploring our favorite trails to enjoy the fall display and the crisp mountain air. If your main character could plan the perfect early autumn getaway, where would they go?Both of my characters grew up near the beautiful Lake Haven in central Idaho, a setting I first created in my Haven Point series and have carried through in my Shelter Springs series. I believe they would both enjoy hiking into the mountains around the lake to steal one last outing before winter snows cover everything. What simple ritual helps you settle into a productive writing day?I love to light a scented candle that evokes the season I’m writing about. If it’s a summer book, I have beach-scented candles or scents that remind…

What is the title of your latest release?THE HOUSE BUILT ON ALLIGATOR BONES What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A woman fights to claim her inheritance – an alligator farming empire – and uncovers a cursed legacy in this Southern Gothic novel for fans of Starling House and Sharp Objects. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I grew up in Central Florida, which is what most people picture when they think of the state: think pastel houses and strip malls and Disney. When I was in college, my brother got married on Amelia Island, and Fernandina Beach (the island’s historic downtown) was like no Floridian city I’d ever visited. There are Victorian Era houses and brick streets and alligators right next to the ocean! Amelia Island was in the back of my mind for a decade, and when I started writing my novel, it immediately came to mind. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Probably not. At the beginning of the novel, she’s a little grim and desperate for friendship. Outsiders can sense that she’s repressing a lot, which makes them uneasy. In real life, I wouldn’t have access to her…

What is the title of your latest release?THE UNDERCOVER BOOKSHOP What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?During the winter of 1950 in the small Cotswold village of Great Rollright, amateur sleuth Gemma Brown starts to suspect that her friend and the town’s best baker, Ursula Beurton, is a Soviet spy — tumbling Gemma headlong into a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse that ends with a decision that not only leads her to The Undercover Bookshop but changes her life forever. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The village was set because it’s where the real-life spy who the novel is based on lived (Ursula Kuczynski Beurton, aka Agent Sonya). It was so freeing in many ways to have those real touchpoints and the timeline of the historical events as a framework for the story. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?I would. Oftentimes, authors comment that we would hang out with our characters after the story is finished, as characters undergo such wonderful changes. But there is an eagerness for life and an innocence that makes Gemma appealing from the first page. What are three words that describe your hero?Loyal, observant, hopeful….

Everyone has experienced that spooky house in town. The one kids whisper about and parents warn to them to keep their distance from. The house that has been the scene of a murder, at least in the imaginations of every kid old enough to grasp the idea that the boogeyman is real. But what if you had the opportunity to buy that house. Live in it. Experience the secrets first-hand? Debut author Kate Mooney did just that in her new book THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE. And of course, I had to interview her! Kym: Welcome to the Cozy Corner, Kate!Kate: Hello! Thank you so much for having me! Kym: Tell us about your writing journey and how THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE landed on your editor’s desk.Kate: I started writing THE WOMAN OF THE HOUSE during the pandemic. At that time, I was fortunate enough to stay at my dad’s house in Wisconsin, and I made it a habit of walking the path around the lake, which is lined with beautiful, expensive homes. I wondered, what if the interior of the house didn’t match the perfect exterior? What if, something sinister was hiding beneath that new coat of paint?…

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.