What Gardening & Mysteries Have in Common (& Fashion Video!)

by Ellen Byerrum It’s summer. How does your garden grow? This year our pink roses look pretty spectacular,  and our lilacs were lovely and fragrant. Still, we lost other flowers to a late spring freeze.     In many ways, I suppose, cultivating a garden is like writing a book. It takes time for everything to bloom. If you force it, it won’t flower in the right … Continue reading What Gardening & Mysteries Have in Common (& Fashion Video!)

Thieves… plagiarists and scammers — sisterhood of suspense

We welcome to Book Smart suspense author, Kathryn Jane, who wrote the following heartfelt piece about the cost of book piracy.  For another riveting account of how even best selling authors can end up being plagiarized by other best selling authors and the wild wild west rules of the book world, also see this piece by Nora Roberts by clicking HERE. Thieves … plagiarists and … Continue reading Thieves… plagiarists and scammers — sisterhood of suspense

A Norwegian Town with More Books than People

By CAILEY RIZZO at Travelandleisure.com For travelers who wish to escape humanity, there’s a remote village in Norway that officially has more books than people. Mundal, in western Norway, is an introverted bibliophile’s dream. There are only 280 people but more than 150,000 books. In fact, the country often refers to Mundal as “The Norwegian Booktown.” Between secondhand shops, roadside stalls and bookshelves along the coast … Continue reading A Norwegian Town with More Books than People

Newfoundland Sweet and Crummey Reads

Newfoundland Sweet and Crummey Reads

Newfoundland’s Michael Crummey has a way of telling stories hat speak to the Newfoundland experience while also exploring universal themes that appeal to all readers. Awarded the Writer’s Trust Fellowship in 2015, Crummey’s poetry and prose – in multiple genres- have become some of the Canada’s best-loved works. Sweetland is a novel that takes the reader on a journey through a small town, showing the many characters that inhabit such a place. Some are delightful, others are infuriating. Moses himself walks that line throughout the novel. He is at once a sympathetic older man fighting for his right to live his life out in his hometown and a cantankerous old codger, spitting venom at those who cross him. Continue reading Newfoundland Sweet and Crummey Reads

Top 10 Ways to Embarrass Your Teen

Today’s guest, author Heather Balog, gives us a step-by-step guide on the art of how to truly embarrass your teen  Warning: BookSmart advises an empty bladder before reading 😉 Kids don’t come with a handbook, so sometimes it’s like I’m back in school. I feel like I’m learning something about parenting everyday. My latest educational experiences have led me to the conclusion that I, as … Continue reading Top 10 Ways to Embarrass Your Teen

Christopher Fowler Remembers Forgotten Authors

Author Cleo Bannister reviews The Book of Forgotten Authors by Christopher Fowler. Thanks to her and Cleopatta Loves Books for ferreting out this quirky find. If you are looking for a gift for a bibliophile you can’t go far wrong with this wonderful book that I know I will treasure and refer to for years to come. Christopher Fowler has collated ninety-nine authors who for … Continue reading Christopher Fowler Remembers Forgotten Authors

Ellen Byerrum is Well Suited

The fabulous Ellen Byerrum has a great new mystery out. The Masque of the Red Dress — a terrific play on the title of one of Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous stories. In celebration, Ellen has launched a fun series of fashion tips drawing from her own lifelong love of fashion, research for her character, and advice from the most interesting people. In this clip, … Continue reading Ellen Byerrum is Well Suited

A Victorian Era Criminal Leads Police on a High Speed Bicycle Chase

Diana Belchase here: Criminals, police, and bicycles? Mimi Matthews once again regales us with a funny story about mayhem in New Jersey as the law tries to keep up with the newest technology of the 19th Century. Enjoy! Welcome guest blogger, Mimi Matthews: In September of 1896, British newspapers reported the remarkable use of a bicycle in a New Jersey murder case.  The case involved … Continue reading A Victorian Era Criminal Leads Police on a High Speed Bicycle Chase

Once You’ve Flashed Your Podiatrist … You Can’t Help but Become a Writer

  Diana Belchase here: Today I’m super excited to welcome guest blogger Chris Campillo to BookSmart! Chris is the kind of person everyone loves — she’s the girl next door, a gal who always has your back, a phenomenal writer with a great sense of humor, and a stand up comic. When this Texas mom isn’t taking care of her kids, her home, and working … Continue reading Once You’ve Flashed Your Podiatrist … You Can’t Help but Become a Writer

Move over Jack Reacher…Enter Gil Malloy!

Diana here: Today one award-winning author interviews another! Join me in welcoming Lena Diaz as she interviews Gil Malloy, whose newest book, Blonde Ice, is heating up bookshelves everywhere. 😉 Don’t forget to leave a comment on the KissAndThrill.com website to be entered for a free copy of Blonde Ice! Take it away Lena Diaz! Meet Crime Fiction Novelist R.G. Belsky and the newest installment in the … Continue reading Move over Jack Reacher…Enter Gil Malloy!

Abbie Roads Does it Backwards

Hi everyone! Diana here. Today’s guest is Abbie Roads whose new, and fantastic thriller, Race the Darkness is out, TODAY! I got a chance to see it early as a reviewer, and I will say you’ll be up all night turning pages. She does an incredible job of meshing unforgettable characters, bound in their own pain, with gripping atmospheric settings. Against this eerie landscape, good … Continue reading Abbie Roads Does it Backwards

Nan Dixon on the Couch

Diana here: One of my favorite recurring features is Author on the Couch by Abbie Roads. A mental health counsellor by day, she writes incredible thrillers by night, and interviews authors on her cyber-couch in her spare time. In this post, she’s interviewing my Golden Heart sister and wonderful romance author, Nan Dixon, for the second time. Abbie, who is also a Golden Heart sister, really knows how to ask the … Continue reading Nan Dixon on the Couch

Death at the Needle

Author Mimi Matthews guests today, writing about the tragic life of the seamstresses who made those wonderful gowns we salivate over in historical romances. For those of you not familiar with Mimi Matthews’ blog, it’s one of the best researched historical fashion and culture websites out there. I’m a huge fan. Keep reading to see why. Death at the Needle: The Tragedy of Victorian Seamstress Mary Walkley … Continue reading Death at the Needle

Solving Cold Cases: One Match at a Time

Author S.A. Taylor shares important and mind-boggling information about solving cold cases with forensic evidence as she reports from the Killer Nashville conference.  Lost and Found: Solving Cold Cases One Match at a Time By S.A. Taylor When you hear about a mass disaster, what event comes to mind? Earthquake? Tsunami? Terrorist attack? That was my first thought until I attended the Killer Nashville writer’s conference in October. There I … Continue reading Solving Cold Cases: One Match at a Time

10 Reasons C3 is the Place to Be for Writers and Readers!

Austin Camacho is incredible. Not only is he former military and the author of ten gripping books, he is also the force behind the C3 Conference. C3 is short for Creatures, Crimes and Creativity — and the event is geared at writers, from those yet to pick up a pen to bestsellers, as well as fans of genre fiction. Whether you love horror, mystery, thriller, … Continue reading 10 Reasons C3 is the Place to Be for Writers and Readers!

Historical Novels and Proper Forms of Address

Whether you are a fan of Historical Novels or Regency Romances, the forms of British address for the aristocracy can confuse even the most seasoned anglomaniac. Author K.J. Charles has given us the ultimate guide and cheat sheet below, and her fans have added even more information in the comment section.  So if you are interested in understanding how Charles, William, and George get their … Continue reading Historical Novels and Proper Forms of Address

Every Follower Counts!

This is a great post by author Dan Blank. Enjoy! It’s really difficult to build an audience for your work, right? Often, I hear people bemoan how things were better in “the good old days.” When we didn’t Source: “I only have 60 followers” By Dan Blank It’s really difficult to build an audience for your work, right? Often, I hear people bemoan how things … Continue reading Every Follower Counts!