Some Behind the Scenes Secrets...

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I love finding Easter eggs (surprises hidden by the developers) in software and bloopers in films. Here are a few secrets from my mysteries that you may not have known about…

In the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, I often named police, waiters, EMTs, lawyers, and other minor characters after some of my favorite pop culture folks. You’ll see some 80s rockers and 70s TV characters serving some amazing dishes or keeping law and order.

In the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, Jules themes the vintage trailers and the tiny houses. Her special décor ties in with the camper like the 1947 Robin Hood Trailer that is decked out in honor of its namesake, the 1959 Sunliner Caravan that sported a posh pink Barbie fashion design in honor of the year that the camper and the doll debuted, and the 1953 Redman New Moon, decorated in honor of Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball’s movie from the same year, The Long, Long Trailer. The tiny houses all have a book or author themes and fun amenities like a revolving bookcase or a reading nook for the guests to enjoy. These are named for Beatrix Potter, Bram Stoker, A. A. Milne, and L. Frank Baum. (And I may have been watching The Tiger King at the beginning of the pandemic when I wrote Christmas Lights and Cat Fights.)

I am a huge 80s pop culture fan. Jules is named for Demi Moore’s character in St. Elmo’s Fire. Her last name is a tribute to all the women who wrote the Nancy Drew mysteries under the pseudonym of Carolyn Keene. Jake is named for Jake Ryan from Sixteen Candles.

In the Pearly Girls Mysteries (May 2024), the bigger-than-life Chihuahua (at least in his own mind) is named for the one and only Elvis. The four “Golden Girls” who help Cassidy with her event planning business (and her love life) are named for my grandmothers, great-grandmother, and my grandmother’s best friend. And the handsome new bartender in town is named after Austin Butler (who recently played Elvis). I know, there’s a pattern here.

What Have You Been Reading This Fall?

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What have you been reading this fall? I’ve been in my editing cave a lot lately with the two books that are coming out early next year, so I haven’t been reading as much as I like to. And there are so many new books out there that look like a lot of fun. So far this fall, I’ve been reading Eve Calder, Catherine Bruns, Julie Anne Lindsey, Jenn McKinlay, Spencer Quinn, Vivien Chien, Lee Goldberg, Kristin Kisska, Libby Klein, Tina Kashian, Sarah Fox, and Paige Shelton. All are great reads. If you haven’t already, add them to your TBR list.

Recently I finished John Grisham’s THE EXCHANGE and Janet Evanovich’s DIRTY THIRTY. I recently found Eve Calder’s series on the Cookie House. What fun. I can’t wait to read more.

What has been your fall favorite?

What Happened to Summer?

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I was so busy this summer with the day-gig thing and some upcoming book projects that the time and warm weather slipped away from me.

What did you do on your summer vacation? I wrote a lot of recommendations and proposals and did a boatload of end-of-year performance reviews. I also wrote two short stories for two anthology projects, and I completed two novels. They are the sixth book in the Jules Keene Glamping series and the second one in the Pearly Girls Mystery series. (And as of this morning, I’m almost at the half-way point for the third Pearly Girls one.)

I’m gearing up for some book launches, too. Christmas Lights and Catfights comes out in October. That’s the third in the Jules Keene series. The second in the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries, Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir drops in January. And the brand new Pearly Girls Mystery launches in the spring. It’s called Murder Strikes a Chord.

What have you been up to? I’ve got a lot of fall events scheduled, and I think I may need to plan an autumn vacation.

What Have You Been Reading This Summer?

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What were your favorite summer reads? I love all kinds of books, but I always gravitate to mysteries and thrillers. Lee Goldberg is one of my new favorites.

This summer, I went back and read all of the Michael Connelly books I had missed. I am such a fan of Bosch and the Lincoln Lawyer. And I like how his Renee Ballard character is evolving. Now, I am all caught up and can’t wait for the next one.

I am such a fan girl of S. A. Cosby. I love his stories, and I get so excited every time a new one comes out. He is a must read if you like southern suspense.

Some of my favorite cozy mysteries this summer were by Maddie Day, Vicki Delany, Barbara Ross, Mindy Quigley, and Maria DiRico.

What’s your next read?

Squeeee! I'm so excited about my new series!

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I am so excited. My new cozy mystery series by Level Best Books is launching in January, and it’s the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries.

I am a beach girl, so this has been so much fun to write. Jade Hicks is the owner of ‘Tis the Season, a Christmas shoppe in the tiny town of Mermaid Bay, Virginia. It’s near the Historic Triangle on the coast near Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. Jade spends most of her days (and nights) striving to keep the store viable in today’s crazy world.

Jade has a great team who helps her keep the brick-and-mortar store open year-round to cater to tourists during beach season. They are Peppermint Patti Hall, the bubbly ball of energy who has the world’s largest Ugly Christmas Sweater collection, Lorelei Tucker, the fashion plate of an aunt who keeps her ear close to the Mermaid Bay gossip mill, and Bernie Nash, Jade’s part-time handyman and Santa doppelganger. They help her share the Christmas spirit with the locals and thousands of visitors who flock to our town that prides itself in preserving the historic traditions of a bygone era.

Jade’s trusty sidekick and faithful companion is Chloe, a French bulldog who likes long walks on the beach, frequent naps, and plenty of snacks. She’s a good ambassador for the store. Though she grudgingly shares that role with the tuxedo cat, Neville (the Devil Cat) who really rules the showrooms with his iron paw.

Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones is the first in the series. They will be followed by Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir and A Tisket a Tasket Not Another Casket.

Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones opens with the town’s big Christmas in July festivities that include a lighted boat parade, a fun run in the sand, and a Christmas craft show. Before all the hubbub starts, Jade and Chloe start their day with a quiet walk on the beach to enjoy the sounds and smells of the shore. It was the perfect beach day. The puffy white clouds floated above the bay, dotted with a few ships on the horizon. Seagulls and sandpipers outnumbered the people, and the lapping of the waves on the wet sand provided a soothing soundtrack. All was quiet until a scream rang out and shattered the peace.

An early morning jogger tripped over something in the sand that turned out to be a suitcase that had washed ashore. Its contents, a collection of bones, a skull, and rusty pistol spilled out onto the sand and drew a small crowd of gawkers. The gruesome discovery, along with some cryptic warning notes that some of the local business owners received a few days earlier, rock the small community. Word spreads like wildfire, and the town leaders schedule an emergency meeting to decide what to do about the weekend’s festivities and the macabre find.

Thankfully, calmer heads prevail, and the Sheriff (and Jade’s handsome boyfriend) Nick Driscoll reminds everyone that his office had stepped up security. There didn’t seem to be any imminent threats, and he warns everyone to be cautious. His investigation is ongoing, so he didn’t offer any more details, and unfortunately, that didn’t calm some of the jangled nerves. In the absence of an explanation, rumors about mob hits and murders fly around faster than a pickup game of Frisbee.

Jade and most of the other business owners in town are excited about the upcoming festivities. The hope is that this will be the start of a new annual tradition for Mermaid Bay, and a night that everyone in the town will never forget.

Here’s the cover of the first book in the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. I am so excited that Chloe made the cover. (Neville the Devil Cat will be jealous when he finds out.)

 

What's in your TBR Pile?

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What have you been reading lately? I have finally caught up to present day with Louise Penny and Robert Crais’s novels. I love them all.

I’m still working my way through Michael Connelly’s series, but I’m getting closer. I love Harry Bosch, Mickey Haller, and Renee Ballard. All of his novels are well worth the read (and the TV/movie interpretations are good, too.)

I also found a Patricia Cornwell novel that I hadn’t read, BLACK NOTICE. It was good. She was living in Richmond when we moved here, and I remember driving around town looking for the local spots in her books.

Recently, I read Mia Manansala’s ARSENIC AND ADOBO. What a great mystery, and I can’t wait to read more of her work. I also forgot how funny Laura Levine is. Her mysteries are engaging, fast reads.

And on the thriller side, I absolutely loved Steve Berry’s THE OMEGA FACTOR. This heist story with religious and historic implications has so many twists and turns. It’s fast-paced and packed full of adventure.

What have you been reading lately?

Using Nonfiction Hooks in Your Book Promotion

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When you’re planning your book promotion strategy, make sure to include the nonfiction elements that would be of interest to readers. The goal is to always expand your audience, and this can help you look for areas where you can promote your work. Here are some ideas.

  • Make a list of the things and places in your book. This will give you some ideas for creative promotion.

    • These are examples from my glamping series: Blue Ridge Mountains, Glamping, Virginia, Camping, Tiny Houses, and Jack Russell Terriers.

    • More examples from my Delanie Fitzgerald Private Eye Series: Private Eye, Sears Catalog Home, Larping, Roller Derby, Edgar Allan Poe, English Bulldogs, Mustangs, and Drag Queens.

  • Look for social media groups and hashtags that relate to your nonfiction topics. When I launched my first Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, I found a group on Facebook that promotes Sears Catalog Homes, and I joined. The members were helpful with research ideas, and when the book came out, they promoted it to their followers.

  • You may want to do a postcard or an email campaign to businesses that are related to your topics. Many shops and museum gift shops may be interested in your book.

  • Look for groups, professional organizations, and clubs (related to your topic) that have newsletters or blogs. There may be opportunities for you to do an article or a guest post.

  • Find out if there are professional organizations related to your topic. You can pitch a guest article or interview them for their newsletter or website.

  • Look for businesses related to your theme and approach them about doing an event or a book signing. I’ve been part of several Virginia and wine-themed anthologies through the years. We did a lot of signings at museums and wineries.

  • Make sure to use your personal groups, clubs, professional organizations, and alumni groups. Most have newsletters or announcements that are willing to share your celebrations.

Book promotion is work, but sometimes it takes a little creativity to find new outlets to share your books.

What I've Been Reading Recently

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My TBR piles grow every week. Every time I think I’ve made a dent, there are so many new things to add. Here’s what I’ve been reading so far this summer. It’s an eclectic mix of mysteries, suspense, thrillers, police procedurals, and classics.

I have finally caught up with all of Louise Penny’s novels. I love all of my visits to Three Pines. The stories are well done, and the characters are old friends by now.

After watching the new Lincoln Lawyer and the Bosch reboot, I realized that I haven’t read all of the Michael Connelly books. I love the Lincoln Lawyer and Harry Bosch. Renee Ballard is growing on me. Connelly is a master with characters and action, and I’m working my way through his collection.

Elle Cosimono’s Finlay Donovan is a very funny character. Her adventures are fun reads. Nancy Cole Silveman’s The Navigator’s Daughter, is a page-turning historical mystery.

My favorite cozies this spring/summer are from Ellen Byron’s new Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, Julie Anne Lindsey/Bree Baker, Sherry Harris’s Chloe Jackson Mysteries, Libby Klein’s Poppy McAllister Mysteries, anything by Diane Kelly, and Jackie Layton.

I track my recent reads on Goodreads and BookBub. Hop over for the reviews and favs. Follow me there. I’d love to keep up with what you’re reading.

Goodreads

BookBub

What are your recent recommendations?