What is the title of your latest release?LEGACY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?LEGACY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW is the world-shaking conclusion to my epic fantasy series following a pair of siblings over the course of generations. The war they’ve been fighting their whole lives is coming to a conclusion, leaving the fate of their family and their world at stake. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?This book had several primary settings, mostly inspired by my travels. The home of the enemy in this story was inspired by my time in the Egyptian desert, and the lands wandered by my protagonists was inspired by the midwestern prairie I grew up in. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Some of them! I think I’d really have a good time with Elian and Samora if I met them in person. What are three words that describe your protagonist?Strong, wounded, and hopeful. What’s something you learned while writing this book?More than most books, I had a hard time ensuring that what I saw in my head was making it onto the page. Given the scope and power of…

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.

Book Title: THE SECRET ORPHANAGECharacter Name: Celina Cassin How would you describe your family or your childhood?I had a very privileged upbringing in a suburb of Baltimore, in the U.S. I was born in 1922, the baby of the family, and with three older brothers, I was the only daughter. My father called me his princess, and my brothers teased me about it. My father expected that I would marry young, and that I’d go along with his choice of a suitable husband. When I was eighteen, though, I convinced him to let me travel to Paris before I settled down. I promised I would only stay there for a year. But things changed when I fell in love with a young French illustrator named Emile. This was in 1940. Within a few short months, France would fall to the Nazis and my life would change in ways I never could have imagined. What was your greatest talent?I found my true calling when I worked as a teacher when I first arrived in Paris. I loved seeing the children overflowing with the joy of learning. People said I had a real gift for this work. But I didn’t see it…

To cool down Northern Hemisphere readers enduring the heat of summer, we’ll turn to August-wintery Down Under in this month’s selection of books set in Australia. We begin with a little-known story from the Great Potato Famine in THE FAMINE ORPHANS by Patricia Falvey. With thousands of Irish crowding workhouses after the devastation of the potato crop led to farm failures and famine, in 1848, English stateman Earl Grey proposed a solution: orphaned Irish girls would be sent to Australia to be domestic workers, available to become brides for the convicts previously settled in this raw land. Kate Gilvarry is one of the orphan girls who agrees to take part, dreaming of a better life and a new start. During the harrowing sea voyage, she bonds with fellow travelers Patsy, Mary, Lizzie, Bridie and Sheila and begins a romance with the shipboard doctor. But the girls’ hazy dreams of a rosy future collide with grim reality once they land in Australia and are transported to Hyde Park Barracks to await their fate. Though Kate lands a job, she’s immediately confronted by virulent anti-Irish feeling and a demanding, unsympathetic employer. Despairing of seeing her doctor again, she marries former convict Luke…

While fires, floods, and high temperatures have battled for headline supremacy this summer, the abundance of great books, new and old, continues to amaze and delight me. As an avid reader, I’m always a sucker for books about books, and THE LOST BOOK OF FIRST LOVES by RaeAnne Thayne grabbed my attention and didn’t let go. Its beginning is intriguing: Alison’s obviously ill-suited for her intern position, but during a performance review, she saves her boss’s life by administering CPR after a cardiac arrest and then insists that her boss, Juniper, accompany her back to her Wyoming home to recuperate. Turns out Alison never cared about that silly internship; a DNA test had revealed that Juniper was actually her half-sister, and Alison is determined to learn how their famous writer father had a child he apparently never knew about. The book explores family ties, secrets, love of books and writing, and—happily for this always greedy romance junkie—it also includes not one, but two peripheral love stories. Bethany Turner has many titles listed under her name, but she’s hit a home run with WES AND ADDIE HAD THEIR CHANCE. I’ve enjoyed Ms. Turner’s earlier books, but this second chance love story…

MURDER BY THE BOOK is a story about art, literature…and murder. But more than that, it’s a story about how our passions help us find meaning even when the world feels unknowable. As a writer and English professor, books have long been my passion. Words have been my hope, my solace, my future, and my past. And there’s no better accompaniment for words, of course, than music. This list is eclectic, sincere, referential, a little odd, probably over-analyzed, and—like my book—a peek into my brain, which is, itself, all those things. “Riverside” by Agnes ObelBoth of the main characters in Murder by the Book are searching for something that goes beyond just the solution to a crime. Emma Reilly, a literature professor, is searching for a sense of belonging. Ian Carter, a homicide detective, is searching for a sense of hope. Riverside, with its moody piano and restless lyrics, captures that sense of longing for something more, something bigger. The speaker goes again and again to the riverside looking for peace, for freedom, for community—but every time she finds disappointment, crying out in the chorus, “Oh, my god, I see how everything is torn in the river deep, and I…

What is the title of your latest release?A LADY’S DANGEROUS SECRET, the first book of the Scandalous Secrets series. What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Lady Charlotte Tipton is an unexpected London debutante with a dangerous secret. To save her life, will she make the practical choice and marry a duke or take a risk on the dashing Captain James Hughes? How did you decide where your book was going to take place?I had just reread Jane Austen’s novels, so I was in a Regency mindset when I started to think about a story. Given the drama that occurs during the London Season for the ton (the upper echelon of Regency-era English Society), I set A LADY’S DANGEROUS SECRET in London. I love subplots, so readers will find that other locations, including countries, are mentioned in the book. There will be plenty of twists and turns that incorporate these places in the subsequent Scandalous Secrets books. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Definitely. Lady Charlotte Tipton is intelligent and resourceful. She also has grit. Plus, she’s unconventional for her time given that she had a rather hands-off upbringing, which allowed her to learn about subjects and…

What is the title of your latest release?AFTERNOON DELIGHT What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?A nearly-forty divorcee abandons her accounting career to run her friend’s adult toy shop. She wants to try new things, but does that include ‘sampling the merchandise’ with her charming new landlord? How did you decide where your book was going to take place?Originally, I was going to set it in Spokane WA, which is two hours from my home in Canada. I had an agent at the time and thought she would be pitching it to traditional publishers, so I thought a US setting was more marketable. While still writing the book, I wound up parting ways with my agent. I decided to self-publish so I moved the book to a Canadian setting, Victoria BC, on Vancouver Island. Along with being a very familiar setting to me (my sister once lived there) I liked it for its history and eclectic demographic, mixing retired seniors with families, students, and politicians.It’s one of Canada’s nicest climates and has its own Westcoast, island-mindset subculture. It’s also very beautiful and outdoorsy—all things I love. Would you hang out with your heroine in real life?Absolutely! What are three…

What is the title of your latest release?BETTER THAN GELATO What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?Juliet Evans is business major who dreams of being a photographer moves to Italy for the year, falls in love with a nerdy scientist, and must figure out what she truly wants in life, andwhat she’s willing to give up to get it. How did you decide where your book was going to take place?BETTER THAN GELATO is based on my personal experience living as a nanny in Milan, so I knew from the beginning that my story would take place there. Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?Yes! Juliet and I would go shopping at the market, then dinner at a delicious restaurant, and dancing at Calypso. What are three words that describe your protagonist?Juliet is Funny, loyal, determined, What’s something you learned while writing this book?It’s hard to write based on real places and personal experiences. I prefer making everything up! Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?My first (and second and third) drafts are a mess! I don’t edit until I’ve told myself the story a couple of times. Then I…

Book Title: THE GIRL WITHOUT A VOICECharacter Name: Alice Jenkins How would you describe your family or your childhood?I grew up in relative isolation in my parents’ home. My father was a traveling salesman and was only home on weekends, while my mother took care of me during the week. Although I loved her, she wasn’t very communicative and had struggles of her own. Being unable to speak, I tried to express myself using American Sign Language (ASL), but it was difficult, as neither of my parents was receptive to that form of communication. What was your greatest talent?I’m not sure I’d call it a talent, but I’ve become quite skilled with ASL. I didn’t have many hobbies or opportunities to develop other interests, so signing became my lifeline. Significant other?Since Hailey moved in next door, I’ve felt something shift. She’s become someone very important to me. I don’t yet know if this is what people call love, but I hope it might be. I’m still discovering what that means. Biggest challenge in relationships?I have a hard time communicating with others, which makes forming connections difficult. Sometimes I wonder if I’m capable of truly being with someone, or if I’m…