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?A MURDEROUS BUSINESS What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Two queer women in early 20th century NY push against the heteropatriarchy as they investigate nefarious deeds that have occurred at one’s company. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?New York City in the early 20th century would give my characters the career and lifestyle opportunities I wanted for them, plus I’m somewhat familiar with NYC. What I didn’t know, I found with digging into some great historical sites. There’s a lot of information for larger cities in that time period. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?I would love to hang out with either Margot or Rett, though I’d probably feel more comfortable social status-wise with Rett. Margot is down to earth, but a wee too fancy for me. What are three words that describe your protagonist?Both Margot and Rett can be described similarly: Determined. Stubborn. Passionate. They constantly have to prove themselves and don’t take no for an answer. Their careers are very important to them, but so is their sense of what’s right. What’s something you learned while writing this book?How to…

Title: THE PRINCESS AND THE PI Elevator pitch:A Ghanaian-American Reddit sleuth with more theories than social skills collides with a jaded PI in Prince George’s County. They’re trying to clear her name, but mostly trying desperately not to make out during stakeouts. How did you choose the setting?PG County is my backyard—it’s diverse, complicated, and crabs are a major plot point. It deserved its moment on the page. Would I hang with Fiona IRL?Yes, though she probably knows all about me from my cringe millennial Facebook post. Nikki is feeling… Three words for Fiona:Smart. Sheltered. Spicy. Something I learned writing this book:Church culture can build community and create dangerous enclaves that protect leadership. Edit-as-you-draft or wait?I edit while I draft. My delete key is both my best friend and my therapist. Favorite foodie indulgence:Plantain chips. The crunchy kind that cut your gums a little. Writing space:It’s chaos with candles. A desk covered in notebooks and drinks…like so many drinks, and one chair on its last legs Author I admire:Beverly Jenkins. If romance were the Avengers, she’s Freaking Iron Man and Regina Black. She’s an absolute powerhouse. A Nick Fury if you will. Sorry, Avengers is on the brain now. Book…

What is the title of your latest release?MIDNIGHT BURNING What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?When American Nazis conspire to assassinate twenty celebrities and ignite an insurrection, the world’s two most famous men—Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin—fight back, armed only with ingenuity, raw courage, and the iron resolve of the LAPD’s first Black female officer. Inspired by a true story. It’s the first of a series featuring the Genius and the Tramp. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Los Angeles was a hotbed of fascist groups in the 1930s. The Silver Legion of America, run by William Dudley Pelley who called himself the “American Hitler,” assembled a paramilitary force with the aim of overthrowing the U.S. government. That true story is the underpinning of the novel and reminds us that the struggle between democracy and tyranny never ends. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Oh, I’d love to hang out with Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin! What a dinner party it would be.What are three words that describe your protagonist?Einstein: Brilliant. Compassionate. Witty.Chaplin: Timeless. Mischievous. Humanitarian. What’s something you learned while writing this book?World War Two was so all-encompassing it virtually…

Step into the rugged beauty of Alaska with this week’s Jen’s Jewels, where I chat with Jessica Bryant Klagmann about her mesmerizing new novel, NORTH OF THE SUNLIT RIVER. Blending grief, mystery, and the raw power of nature, Jessica invites readers on a journey through Fairbanks that’s as emotionally stirring as it is breathtakingly atmospheric. With characters shaped by loss, resilience, and discovery, her story asks what it means to truly live in harmony with the cycles of joy and sorrow. If you’ve ever wondered how a place can become a character in its own right—or how music, memory, and wilderness intertwine—you won’t want to miss this conversation. Jen: What first sparked the idea for North of the Sunlit River? Was there a particular moment or “what if” question that inspired the story?Jessica: This story started with wanting to write about Fairbanks, Alaska. My time living there, while working on my MFA, was truly special, and I wanted to capture the feel of it. This was a different process for me, because I usually start any story with an idea for a character. After the finding the setting, I thought about who might be living there and what their stories…

Book Title: A LOVER FOR LADY JANECharacter Name: Griffin ap Madoc. We interview him just days after his wedding to Lady Jane Hunter, Lord Sheridan’s daughter. How would you describe your family or your childhood?Hard, even if my parents loved me. In time when such unions are seen with suspicion, I am the son of an English maid and a Welsh farmer. As a result, I was often despised, mocked or even harassed growing up. What is your greatest talent?I don’t know that it’s a talent, but I speak both English and Welsh equally well. I’m also good with my hands, or so my wife tells me. He reddens. I can repair a damaged door in my sleep, for example, is what I mean. Significant other?I just mentioned her, my wife, Jane, the most amazing woman in Christendom who, like me, is half-Welsh, half-English. Biggest challenge in relationships?Accepting that you really are enough for the person you love. It’s not always easy, especially for someone in my situation, as you can imagine. Where do you live?In Wales, just outside Castell Esgyrn, in a little cottage not far from my sister-in-law and her husband. Do you have any enemies?His face darkens….

What is the title of your latest release?ONE OF THEM What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Two young women meet at Vassar in the later 1940s and begin to form a friendship. Both are Jewish but one hides her identity because she thinks doing that will solve all her social problems. Guess what? It doesn’t. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I went to Vassar and so it was a place both familiar and dear. I knew I could write about it with conviction, affection and authority. And Paris is my dream city; I loved getting to write about it. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Yes. What are three words that describe your protagonist?Delia: brave, bold, Parisian.Anne: sensitive, empathetic, strong What’s something you learned while writing this book?I learned that I could go wider in scope than I had before, and that I could tackle bigger issues. Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?I need to get the whole thing down before I can start to edit. I tend to work quickly but have to do many drafts. What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?I do…

When I start a new book, two things are essential to the process. First, a Pinterest board with images that I turn into a wallpaper collage for my desktop/laptop, and secondly a playlist. While I don’t necessarily listen to the playlist while I’m drafting, I listen while I’m doing other things (dishes, laundry), to keep my brain in the world of the story and puzzle out any plot problems I may have. Here’s a selection of songs from the GHOST BUSINESS playlist! “Cool Little Bars” by Ashley McBrydeSophie meets Tristan at The Haunt, Boneyard Key’s local watering hole/oyster bar/steel drum karaoke venue. They build a flirty rapport that would be great if Tristan didn’t find out later that night that they’re business rivals. There’s still a cigarette machine by the shuffleboardA coin-drop jukebox full of songs you don’t hear much anymoreNames and dates carved right into the tabletopsAn old pickle jar sittin’ on the bar where your money goes “Guilty as Sin?” by Taylor SwiftThe only thing worse than having some stranger come to town to try and steal Sophie’s livelihood? Having dirty dreams about him. Dreams that linger the next day, making it super awkward when she runs into him. And worse still…

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 Ann Rose! Writes:I write stories about complicated women finding love in sometimes unusual situations. I love playing with structure and time, and I always hope to include something surprising in the end. If readers figure out that twist ahead of time? Bravo! They get a gold star. My current novel, A HEXCELLENT CHANCE TO FALL IN LOVE, is a cozy sapphic Halloween story where time is definitely of the essence. (Can she break the curse before her seasonal Halloween store vanishes for the year along with everyone’s memories of her?) About:As for me… what’s there to say? I’m a California native who lives in Texas, but you can’t take the California out of the girl. I left my heart behind and miss it very much. Which is probably why most of my books are set there. I love iced coffee, tacos, cozy blankets, quiet moments, and according to the group chat my best friends are some of my best assets—which I cannot argue with….

Alice’s Theme by Danny ElfmanNo shocker here! With HOUSE OF HEARTS being so heavily inspired by Alice in Wonderland, it would be borderline illegal for me not to include at least one Alice song in my playlist! This song is truly perfect—it’s haunting and whimsical, and I love the way the intensity builds throughout the piece’s progression. Without getting into spoiler territory, I can tell you that it was heavy in my soundtrack rotation for Act Three! Symphony No.6, op.74, TH 30, B minor (Pathétique)Calvin actually plays this in the book! It’s one of the first instances where Violet glimpses the real him. In many ways, Calvin tries to control his “persona” and keep his more vulnerable self at bay, but he’s an open book when he’s behind the keys: The overall composition has “Calvin” written all over it. Dramatic, consuming, maudlin. (…) His fingers fly across the keys in a Dionysian riot and the music produced is equal measures haunting and romantic. (…) Somewhere within the third movement the melody falls off. The piece collapses in on itself like a house of cards and Calvin pushes away from the keys with a snarl. “Pathetic is right,” he mutters beneath…