Welcome to Jen’s Jewels, where each week I highlight a story I loved and the author behind the words. Today, I’m featuring TRACK OF COURAGE by Susan May Warren. Let’s kick things off with a quick Lightning Round before digging deeper into the story. LIGHTNING ROUND 1. In three words, describe the vibe of your book. Redemptive. Suspenseful. Hope-filled. 2. What’s your ideal writing fuel: coffee, tea, wine, or chaos? Coffee—and lots of it! Especially when I’m deep in a blizzard scene or working out a rescue sequence with my husband (he was a mechanic, so he gets all my “how would you sabotage a snowmobile?” questions). 3. If your book had a theme song, what would it be? Something that captures both vulnerability and courage—maybe “Rescue” by Lauren Daigle. It speaks to that moment when you realize you can’t save yourself, and someone shows up exactly when you need them most. THE DEEP DIVE 4. Every book has an origin story. What was the “lightning strike” moment that made you say, “I have to write this”? My editor Andrea Doering asked me, “Why don’t you write a book about dogs?” And suddenly everything clicked. I’d been wanting to explore…

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.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve been over here at Fresh Fiction. Some of you might even remember my name. Once upon a time I wrote historical romance full-time. It was and remains to be my first love when it comes to romance subgenres. But I’ve been living a secret life.  In 2020 my whole world changed, much like everyone else’s. The day before the world shut down my mother passed away. If you knew me back then, you would remember she was my constant companion at writing conferences and booksignings. She was my number one fan and my greatest supporter. Losing a parent is never easy, but grieving in the midst of a global pandemic was weird.  My concentration was gone. I’m still not sure if it was mostly the grief or if it was having my entire family home with me negating any of my usual alone time. As an introvert, I need the quiet, calm time with just myself. Well, I’m sure y’all remember, there wasn’t much of that to be found during the lock-down.  Like many authors, during that time, my writing suffered. Well, at least my writing of historical romance suffered. Not only that,…

Lilac Wine – Nina Simone In INTO THE MIDNIGHT WOOD, differing music tastes are a point of contention between David and Meredith, with Meredith disparaging David’s “French ladies” such as Edith Piaf, and David scoffing at Meredith’s somewhat eclectic postpunk record collection. However, the two of them do find some common ground when they share a tender moment dancing to Nina Simone’s cover of “Lilac Wine.” Though there are many versions of the song, I chose this one since David names Nina Simone as his favorite singer. The narrator pines for an absent lover, while the imagery of a “cool damp night” and “misty light” evoke the Midnight Wood, and the narrator preparing lilac wine parallels Meredith’s ongoing quest to gather the sweet woodruff plant needed for making May wine.  (I Want to Be an) Anglepoise Lamp – The Soft Boys This song is also directly referenced in the story as the one that Meredith regularly attempts to get bands at the local music venue to play. They don’t, of course, because it’s a decades-old non-album single from a short-lived UK band that recorded only two albums. With its surreal imagery and delightful gender anarchy, it seemed especially appropriate to…

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,…