Excerpted from FROST AND VENOM by Christine Feehan: Harlow cursed herself for being so emotional. She’d been raised to be stoic, to never show her feelings, but lately, she fell apart the moment she was alone. Now, Wilder had come at the worst possible time. She’d given herself permission to fall apart, to cry, scream, rail against injustice, believing she would be alone at three in the morning on a trail in the middle of nowhere. Still, she was a nurse, and a darned good one. The scandal didn’t matter, only the fact that this man was injured. She took a deep breath, forcing air through her lungs. She could handle this. More, it was Wilder, and he was injured. “Let’s get you to the garage. I can take you to the hospital.” She managed to keep her voice steady. In charge. She should have known it wouldn’t work. “Not going to the hospital, woman. If I wanted to go there, that’s where I’d be. I was coming to you so you could fix me up.” She matched her pace to his. Normally, Wilder moved with easy, fluid steps, but he was awkward. Hunched. Arms wrapped around his middle. One…

Welcome to Where Everybody Knows Your… Alibi— where we get to know the fictional towns we’d happily move to… if they didn’t have such a suspiciousbody count (but does that really matter?). This month, we’re heading to Virginia to chat with the fabulous Heather Weidner—a woman who knows her way around a mystery, a small town, and, perhaps most importantly, a perfectly timed meme. Heather is the author of not one, not two, but four cozy mystery series: the Pearly Girls Mysteries, Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. (Meanwhile, some of us are feeling accomplished when we remember why we walked into a room.) Her short stories have appeared in numerous mystery anthologies. She’s also contributed nonfiction works and blogs regularly with Writers Who Kill, as well as her own fantastic blog on her website! And if you follow Heather on social media, you already know she holds another very important title: Queen of Memes. Seriously. The woman can find a meme for anything. Writing deadline? Meme. Murder? Meme. Author life spiraling out of control? Oh, she’s got you covered. So grab a coffee and let’s head to Fern Valley, Virginia, home of…

What is the title of your latest release?WITHER What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A marketing analyst in the Ozarks becomes obsessed with a data-harvesting technology that promises to build perfect digital twins of everyone on Earth, but when every other person in town vanishes, he suspects that the technology has instead become obsessed with him. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?San Francisco gets enough attention. I wanted an AI/tech horror story about the downstream impacts on those of us outside of the tech bubble. When technology is produced irresponsibly (can you imagine such a thing??) we all suffer. I also live in St. Louis and have spent plenty of time in small towns in rural Missouri, and this area holds an underappreciated natural beauty that is a good contrast to all the technology. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?I would totally hang out with Mick, until I got to know him. When you scratch someone’s surface, you might dig up something disturbing. What are three words that describe your hero?Insecure, ambitious, funny What’s something you learned while writing this book?I researched consciousness and machine learning, octopus intelligence, survivalism,…

Welcome back to Jen’s Jewels, your weekly must-read for all things fiction. Today, I am shining the spotlight on THE REFUGE by Carly Hillman. Set against the breathtaking Montana wilderness, this story is filled with mystery, secrets, and a woman determined to uncover the truth. If you love atmospheric settings and stories that keep you turning the pages, this one is for you. Read on! LIGHTNING ROUND What’s your favorite way to spend a crisp September afternoon?My favorite activity in the world is walking around my local park with my husband, my daughter, and a fresh hot coffee in hand. This September, the walks are a bit slower than normal because I’m eight months pregnant—but that’s still where you can find us most weekend afternoons. What simple ritual helps you settle into a productive writing day?I am a procrastinator, so creating a ritual was vital to my writing routine. Otherwise, I would intend to write then distract myself with random tasks and suddenly look up hours later with a newly organized junk drawer and not a single word written. So, I created a system: on writing mornings, I put on music that reminds me of whatever character I’ll be focusing…

What is the title of your latest release?WITCH TRIAL What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?It’s the story of a modern-day murder trial of two teenage girls who believe they are witches. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Edinburgh was the perfect setting because it has a long and fascinating history of witch trials and also because it’s a very beautiful place. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?No chance. What are three words that describe your hero?Flawed, arrogant, troubled. What’s something you learned while writing this book?There are no opening speeches in criminal trials in Scotland. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?A little as I go along but the main edit happens after I’ve finished the first draft. That’s when the real work begins. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?Dark chocolate. Describe your writing space/office!I write in bed! My office is a lovely space full of books and plants, but I find bed the best space for inspiration. Who is an author you admire?Muriel Spark Is there a book that changed your life?APPLE TREE YARD by Louise Doughty because it made me realize that…

Denise Swanson is living the dream. As a New York Times best-selling mystery author, she makes her home in sunny Florida where she conjures up plot ideas for her popular novels. I discovered her Devereaux Dime Store Mysteries several years ago and was happy to have the chance to finally interview her. What prompted you to write about a heroine who gives up her big city career in investments to flee to a small town and open a five and dine? Is it the fish out of water theme or something more?   I’ve always been festinated with the idea of fresh starts and recreating yourself. I also wonder just how many people are like me in that I couldn’t wait to leave my small hometown, but after a few years, I really missed the human connection you feel in a small town versus life in the suburbs or city.  Was it hard to keep a love triangle going? In book six, LIONS and TIGERS and MURDER, OH MY, both Noah and Jake are battling for Dev’s affections. The tension is on every page and there was a “will she or won’t she” suspense that kept me guessing.  I started out…

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 Ellie Alexander!  Ellie Alexander Writes: The long-running Bakeshop Mysteries feature a romantic pastry chef, Juliet Montague Capshaw (but please call her Jules), who returns home to her charming hamlet of Ashland, Oregon, to heal her broken heart and run her family bakeshop, Torte. THE PUMPKIN VICE CAFE is the 23rd book in the series, which finds Jules preparing a bevy of delectable fall bakes when she stumbles upon a body in Ashland Creek and is suddenly wrapped up in a murder investigation.  Meet Ellie:  I’m a voracious storyteller and a lover of words and all things bookish. I believe stories have the ability to transport and transform us. With over forty-five published novels and counting, my goal is to tell stories that provide points of connection, escape, and understanding.  I love inhabiting someone else’s skin through the pages of a book and am passionate about helping writers find their unique storytelling lens. My books have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Russian, Czech, Slovakian, French,…

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.

This week’s Jen’s Jewels spotlight is shining brightly on WITCH TRIAL by Harriet Tyce. This gripping and clever legal thriller, about two girls accused of murder, will have you turning pages and staying up well past your bedtime. If you like dark, twisty suspense packed with secrets and surprises, this one is for you. Read on!    LIGHTNING ROUND  What’s your favorite way to spend a crisp September afternoon? Walking in the woods as the color of the leaves starts to turn. What’s your go-to fall drink, snack, or sweet treat while writing? Black coffee, dark chocolate, warm cinnamon buns. If your main character could plan the perfect early autumn getaway, where would they go?  Matthew is a sophisticated man – I can see him on a street in Florence, Italy, or looking at a Venetian canal. THE FALL INSPIRATION September often feels like a fresh start. Did writing this book mark a new beginning or challenge for you as an author? This book is the first of mine with a male narrator, which was an interesting challenge to set myself. It also has several other voices, and plays with form in a way that I haven’t done before. What was…

What is the title of your latest release? TO OUR UNTAMED CORE What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A boy survives by hiding his truth until his boyfriend is sentenced to El Torneo—a brutal, fight-to-the-death game—where he must risk everything to save him. How did you decide where your book was going to take place? I always knew it was going to be a completely made-up world. From the beginning, this book was inspired by The Hunger Games, but with a Mexican twist, where the “Capitol” is more like the conquistadores. I wanted this world to have very Catholic-coded world-building, without being actually Catholic or named as any currently existing religion, and the only way to do that was to completely make up my own world. Would you hang out with your hero in real life? If I was able to bring Temo into this world for a day, I would love to! I would give him the hug he’d never admit he needs and tell him he’s doing great. Only if he can come here, though. I’m sure he would be a delight, but there’s no way I’m willingly going to his world to hang out. Sorry,…