What is the title of your latest release?STORYBOOK ENDING What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Short version: It’s a romantic triangle that no member of the trio realizes they’re in. Slightly longer version: STORYBOOK ENDING is a contemporary comedy of manners in which a lonely remote worker, intrigued by the handsome staffer at her neighborhood bookstore, decides to leave him a note in a book inviting him to correspond. However, the wrong person finds it . . . How did you decide where your book was going to take place?The idea came to me during one of my many visits to my neighborhood bookstore (Ravenna Third Place Books, in Seattle), so clearly the novel needed to take place in a fictional version of the store. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?There are two of them, but yes, absolutely! I kind of feel like I did hang out with them; while I was writing the book, it was as if they walked around with me, suggesting what I should wear and what I should read. What are three words that describe your hero?Introverted, bookish, distracted What’s something you learned while writing this book?When writing fiction, keep…

Book Title: ASCENDANTSCharacter Name: Maya Teller How would you describe your family or your childhood?I love my sister. Hannah is sweet, innocent. Oddly quiet at times, which is nice compared to my mother, who won’t get off my back. I’m not going to talk about my dad. You’ll have to grill my mother on that one. My childhood? At first, I was as ignorant as everyone else. But then those kids and teachers at Jacobs Academy showed me what the real world is like. Cruel. Cold. Callous. They kicked me out and tease my sister mercilessly. Then the Bombing. I was thirteen. I can still see it when I close my eyes. The fires. The people falling. They haunt me still, and I deserve it. What was your greatest talent?I can survive, no matter what. Throw me into a room full of Breeders or Institute cronies and I’ll show them hell. Most people crumble the moment the system turns on them. Not me. I taught myself to restore a .38 revolver using nail files and a week of patience. I hacked my first slate before I was fifteen. When you’re a Biomass in a world built for Ascendants, you learn…

What is the title of your latest release?A CRIME THROUGH TIME What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?PRIDE AND PREJUDICE meets Enola Holmes, with a time travel twist. The amateur detective is Georgiana Darcy – little sister of Mr. Darcy from PRIDE AND PREJUDICE – and her adventures begin when she finds a curious artefact in the woods of Pemberley that transports her almost two hundred years into the future… How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Purely by chance, I completed my high school work experience at Saltram House in Devon, in spring 1995, around the time that the Hollywood adaptation of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY (with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant) was being filmed there. When I needed a location to send my baffled 1799 heroine, I remembered that film production in 1995 and it seemed perfect! Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely. Georgiana has led a sheltered, privileged life, but she is very curious about the wider world, and I would love to hear her opinions on social advancements and modern science. What are three words that describe your hero?My hero is Quinn Quinlan and he is…

Eve, one of the main characters of my novel LOVE IS AN ALGORITHM, is a musician. Which meant I spent a lot of time reading Pitchfork, listening to Popcast, and, of course, making playlists. Pravda, Vampire Weekend I know what lies beneath ManhattanI know what’s buried in Grant’s Tomb Eve grows up in Manhattan and writes about it often; when Danny, the other main character of the book, listens to Eve’s music, he longs for her insidery perspective on New York. I love “Pravda” because it gives me that sense of New York insiderness. What does lie beneath Manhattan? Can someone show me? The Kill, Maggie Rogers I was all the way in, you were halfway out the doorI was an animal making my way up the hillAnd you were going in for the kill This is a book about music, but it’s also a book about dating. Primarily, it’s a book about wanting to crawl into your partner’s head to know if they love you as much as you love them; if you are safe putting your heart on the line. I love that this song is about heartbreak while remaining undeniably bright and assured. I Guess Time Just…

Excerpt from PURSUED ON THE RUN by Terri Reed: As she settled in the rocker for lullaby time with Charlie, a pounding at her door shattered the peaceful moment. Her stomach lurched in surprise. Had her thoughts somehow brought her ex to her door? No, he wouldn’t be banging on her door like that. He’d always been so considerate of her. A true gentleman. Debating not answering, she waited, hugging Charlie tight until he squirmed in her arms. The pounding continued. More insistent. Whoever was at her door wanted in desperately. Was someone hurt? In trouble? Or was there danger lurking outside? With her heart in her throat, she laid Charlie in the crib and set the circus animal mobile over his head to spin, with a soft, soothing tune filling the nursery. She hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Not willing to take any chances, she went to her bedroom safe, where she retrieved her handgun. Even before everything that had happened with Sean, her boss had insisted she learn to shoot. Sean had been the one to teach her how to handle a weapon. Sean had been the one to set her up with…

What is the title of your latest release?THE BARN IDENTITY. It was fun to spoof the movie title “The Bourne Identity.” What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Carpenter Whitney Whitaker Flynn is ecstatic to renovate an antebellum barn that once served as a livery stable and a station on the Underground Railroad, but when a local journalist reporting on the renovation is found dead on the property, she’ll also have to nail a killer. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I lived in Nashville from 2014 – 2016 and felt so at home there. The people are friendly, the rolling hills are gorgeous, and the region offers four seasons to enjoy. I loved it so much I knew I had to write a series set there. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Definitely! I would love to help her scout potential flip properties and work on the renovations. She’d have a lot to teach me. What are three words that describe your hero?Creative. Tenacious. Down-to-earth. What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned that prior to the Civil War, people would hang quilts outside ostensibly to air out, but that…

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.

I once wrote and recorded an NPR piece on South Beach novels. I featured Caridad Pineiro, Barbara Parker and Brian Antoni; it was one of the most downloaded pieces on the NPR website. Why was it so popular? There’s something magical about the Florida vibe; the lush, tropical settings, the dizzying excitement of sultry nights, the glitzy hotels and resorts. And of course, an assortment of fascinating characters. Roberta Isleib (writing as Lucy Burdette) has captured all the Florida magic in her entertaining mystery series, A Key West Food Critic Mysteries. I read the first book, AN APPETITE FOR MURDER and was hooked. The series has since snowballed into sixteen books, building on the exploits of Hayley Snow, the endearing heroine.I sat down with Roberta to find out more about how she developed the series and her plans for the future. The Key West Food Critic Mysteries capture the Key West vibe and I wonder how you came to choose that terrific setting. I felt like I was back there – the sights, the sounds, the excitement.What you’ve described is exactly what appeals to many people about our island. When I was searching for something new to write about 15…

Each Friday the Smashwords store reports the bestselling indie fiction titles based on the previous week’s sales. If an author has more than one title eligible for the list, only the highest performing title will be included. This ensures high-performing titles receive the accolades they deserve, while providing up-and-coming authors the visibility they have earned. Don’t miss Monday’s Top 10 Hot Preorders List, where Smashwords will provide a list of the most highly anticipated ebook preorders.

What is the title of your latest release?RECIPE FOR JOY What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?RECIPE FOR JOY is about a book of cherished family recipes, a series of letters sent by a mysterious hand, and two sisters who need directions back to one another. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?This came organically while I was writing the book. At the time we were living in Gates Mills, Ohio, which is the loveliest town on the east side of Cleveland. I knew this was the town I wanted to nestle my story in. The charming village, the memories, and meaningful time spent there…it’s all layered into my novel along with so much love. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely. She’s a good soul who appreciates delicious food, so at the very least, we’d eat well. But I suspect we’d have some really connective conversations as well. What are three words that describe your hero?Loving, searching, tender What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned the importance of writing longhand. It was actually my way into this novel. Since then, I’ve incorporated writing longhand into everything, even if…