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Canadian Thanksgiving was this week, so I am in a grateful state of mind as I write this blog. As an independent writer and publisher, I am very thankful for the opportunities and freedom that come with being able to pursue my passion for writing and publishing. I am grateful for the ability to express myself creatively and share my thoughts and ideas through my writing.I am also grateful for the support and encouragement I receive from my readers. Knowing that my words have resonated with someone and positively impacted their lives (whether by reaching someone who has been feeling marginalized or just providing stress relief and entertainment) is incredibly rewarding and fuels my passion for writing.I have been a writer from a very young age, and I am thankful for the ability to create something new and see it come to shape under my pen (computer). The modern technology and platforms that allow me to publish it and bring it to my readers are miraculous. They allow me to leave a lasting legacy and make a difference in the world.This October is special for another reason as well—it is my tenth bookiversary—the anniversary of the publication of my first book. During that time, as one of Canada's most prolific authors, I have been able to publish:WhatNumberBooks:103Translations:22Cowritten:1Short Stories:4Collections/Bundles:34Audiobooks:6Accessibility packs:26Annotated classics:10Annotated classic bundles:2Total works published:213Scheduled for publication:11Number of Series:9Multi-author series:1I have also published 1300 blog posts and opened my own ebook store to offer you my books directly from the author rather than through retailers. I have set up subscriptions for those who want to get my content into their inboxes every month.What a journey! I hope you will stick with me as I continue to write and publish for the next ten years! It's hard to predict where technology and publishing platforms will take us during that time, but I'm sure it will be exciting.Let's celebrate! Here are some great deals.Use the coupon code BOOKIVERSARY10 to get $2.00 off your purchase in my estore!NEW! BUY NOWBUY 100 BOOKSRelated posts

Well, the clock has chimed midnight, the bell has rung, the ball has dropped, and we have been launched into 2023. So let's talk about some bookish ways to celebrate the new year. Forget about wild parties and loud music and think about a get together where you swap books or settling into a comfy nook to read the evening away.What are some of the ways that you might make books part of your new year or the new year part of your reading?Reading resolutionsGoodreads hosts a reading challenge every year. If you want to set a goal for the number of books you would like to read, Goodreads will keep track of them and let you know when you have met your reading goal.As of the day of writing this post, 2.408.157 people have joined the Goodreads reading challenge, with an average of 44 books pledged. Maybe you would aim for more than that number, maybe fewer. Setting and writing down your goal is a good incentive to complete it. And if you're reading my blog, chances are, you love to read. (Why else are you here?)You can also set up a Goodreads shelf of books to be read in 2023, with the top 12 (or more) books you plan to read.Books about making resolutionsI have written before about some of my favourite books about goal setting or planning for a new year. It's not too late to start now!And if you are looking for a calendar or planner, check out my Calgary park themed offerings:Host a book club this yearInvite friends, family, or coworkers to join you in reading and discussing a specific book or set of books. This can be a great way to connect with others and explore new ideas.Donate booksConsider donating books to a local library, school, or community center. This is a great way to give back and share the joy of reading with others. Or maybe there is a Little Free Library in your neighbourhood. Some of them are registered through the Little Free Library website. Give some and get some!Throw a literary-themed party- Host a book swap: Invite guests to bring a book they love and are willing to trade with others. Set up a table for the books and let guests choose a new one to take home.- Plan a book club party: Invite guests to come prepared to discuss a specific book or set of books. You could also provide snacks and drinks that are mentioned in the book to add to the theme.- Set up a reading room: Create a cozy and comfortable space for guests to relax and read. You could also provide blankets, pillows, and other cozy touches to make it feel like a literary retreat.- Play literary trivia: Create a list of trivia questions about classic literature and divide guests into teams to see who knows the most about books.- Have a book character costume party: Encourage guests to dress up as their favorite book characters. This can be a fun and creative way to celebrate literature.- Host a poetry night: Invite guests to bring their favorite poems to share, or have a poetry open mic night where anyone can read their own work.Read a Book Centered Around New Year's Eve/DayI couldn't think of a lot of New Year's themed mystery books, but I have managed to dig a few up for you.The first book in my Zachary Goldman Mysteries private investigator series has a timeline that runs from December through January, with a major event taking place on New Year's Eve.And a few more I found...New Year's Eve MurderAfter the annual parade of Christmas presents in Tinker's Cove has ended, Lucy Stone and her daughter Elizabeth are ready to ring in the new year in style. Elizabeth has won mother/daughter winter makeovers in Manhattan from Jolie magazine! But the all-expenses-paid trip is bound to have some hidden costs--and one of them is murder. . .After finally arriving at the offices of Jolie, meeting their fellow makeover candidates, and being treated to a fashion show, Elizabeth is enamored of the extreme outfits and stick-thin models--while Lucy's having some misgivings. The pampering is nice and the glitz and glamour of haute couture is bizarrely fascinating, but bitterness and aggression lurk behind Jolie's hipper-than-thou façade. And things turn downright ugly when self-absorbed fashion editor Nadine Nelson falls mysteriously ill and then dies. . .Lucy saw first-hand some of the backstabbing going on at Jolie. And the red-hot rumor mill soon reveals that the cliquish connection among the magazine's cabal of high-style executives has stirred up plenty of bad blood over the years. But this Manhattan murder mystery hits too close to home when Elizabeth gets rushed to the hospital with symptoms that are disturbingly similar to Nadine's. Now, it's up to Lucy to dress down a killer before the ball drops in Times Square. . .Fantastic FictionLet Dead Enough AloneCapt. M. L. Heimrich of the New York State Police may not have the flash of hard-boiled city detectives, but there’s no lead the intrepid investigator won’t follow until his every hunch is satisfied . . . A New Year’s Eve party should be filled with champagne, laughter, and the good company of others. And the Halley’s celebration at their country house is exactly that. But the next day has barely dawned when a shocking discovery begins the new year with a dreadful bang. Psychologist Margaret Halley is convinced her depressed husband drowned himself in the lake. But why would a man intent on suicide walk through a hundred yards of deep snow to jump into a freezing lake when there was a bottle of sleeping pills next to his bed? As Captain Heimrich investigates the Halleys—and their guests—he has a sinking feeling that someone must have sent John Halley to his watery grave.AmazonThe Right MurderA dozen murders and counting—and any one of them could lead a Chicago attorney to a hotheaded female tycoon. It’s 11:59 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and criminal lawyer John J. Malone is nursing his blues in a Chicago dive bar. He’s been two-timed by his inamorata and abandoned by his favorite gumshoe partners, crime reporter Jake Justus and socialite Helene Brand, for their Bermuda honeymoon. But Malone’s not lonely for long. Suddenly, a stranger staggers into the bar, calls out the attorney’s name, and drops dead—stabbed in the back. In his possession is a key that could unlock the cold heart of Mona McClane, a wealthy and beautiful thrill-seeker who once challenged Jake in a high-stakes gamble: She’d bet him she could get away with murder. Is this dead man a pawn in Mona’s game? If so, thank goodness Jake and Helene’s honeymoon turned as a sour as a margarita. They’re already back in town, at odds, yet ready to play. With a crazy wager like Mona’s, Malone fears they’ll be ringing in the New Year with a countdown of corpses.The Clock Strikes TwelveWhen a British industrialist is murdered on New Year’s Eve, his wealthy family members are the prime suspects.Though they share a manor house, the Paradines are not close, and their patriarch does nothing to discourage the petty jealousies that divide wealthy families. A cold figure, James Paradine prefers work to his relations, but on New Year’s Eve he convenes the household. Valuable plans have been stolen from his office, and only one person could be to blame. He knows the culprit’s name, and gives the thief until midnight to come forward. By midnight, James Paradine is dead. Was it the thief who killed him, or could it have been someone else, acting on different motives entirely? The local constables are baffled, and it is left to prim detective Maud Silver to out the murderer.AmazonAuld Lang SyneNo. 6 in The Kate Lawrence Mysteries. It’s almost New Year’s Eve, and Kate finds herself at her 35th high school reunion, where she is confronted by The Mean Girls, circa 1978. Worse yet, she’s put on a little weight, and her high school steady is expected to show. Strutter’s teenage son faces a personal dilemma, and one of Margo’s clients is in big trouble. Should auld acquaintance be forgot? If only that were possible.AmazonAnd still more...And here are a few blog posts to direct you to some other New Year's books not on my list:- 16 Best Books Set on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day- New Year’s Mystery Book List- New Year's Mysteries/New Year's Eve Crime FictionRelated posts

Writing a novel in a month, whether for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) or another reason can be a daunting task—especially if you’ve never done so before. It doesn’t have to be difficult, however; with the right advice and steps, you can pull together a full-length book by November 30. The following ten tips will help you achieve success!Do not be misled by romantic movies about blocked novelists who are inspired by a new person in their lives or by a holiday or by facing their biggest fear or regret. They pound out the next great American novel in a couple of hours during the night. To pound out a short novel of 50,000 words in eight hours, you would have to type at a sustained rate of 104 wpm, with no time for thinking about or planning the next sentence, let alone the plot of the novel, no time for bathroom breaks, and no time for (horror!) snacks.That's not going to happen. Approach writing your next novel with a plan of attack, and you will be far more likely to succeed.These are some of my words of wisdom, but I acknowledge that no two writers are the same and no two books are the same. Pick out what works for you and leave the rest.And yes, I am writing this blog post a third of the way through the month. While it is certainly possible to plan and write a novel in 20 days, I wouldn't recommend it for your first time. But you can use this guide for whenever you decide to take on this undertaking, whether you are writing on your own, for Camp Nano in April or July, or November a year or two down the line.Decide on your genreThis may seem like a no-brainer, but a lot of writers get stuck on this step. What is it you are writing? What genre will it fit into (even if it is a genre mashup)? Who is your audience? What are they expecting to see in a book categorized in this genre? What are the tropes? What is the central conflict in this genre? Are you writing about characters who solve a mystery? Go on an adventure? Fall in love? Learn magic?Or are you a NaNo rebel and you're going to write a non-fiction book this month. Or write a blog a day or a short story a day? Nail down the basic question of what first.Set a word count goalThe usual word count goal for NaNo is 50,000 words, which is about the lowest count as a traditional publisher will consider counts as a "novel." This works out to 1667 words per day if you write every day of November. But many stories take longer than that to tell, and a lot of writers end up putting their half-complete NaNo novel aside at the end of the month and never taking it up again. If you decide to take a break in December because you are burned out, it will be much harder to get back into your book again. So start with a plan now. Will your book be longer than 50,000 words? Will you confine your writing to November, or go into December? Think about what will work for you.Clear the DecksNovember is a terrible month to write a full novel. Thanksgiving, preparations for Christmas and the beginning of office Christmas parties, long dark nights and short days... There are a hundred reasons not to write a book in November. But the same is true of any month. So let's prepare by clearing the decks to write in November.When I did NaNo the first few times, one of the things that I liked most was being able to make writing my priority for a month. Sure, I still had responsibilities in other areas of my life, but I would say "no" to any extras. I would tell people that I was writing a book that month. I would tell my family that I couldn't do this or that until I had hit my word count. That they could make their own dinners and fine their own entertainment. I was NaNoing.So if you are planning to NaNo, start saying "no" to anything extra and moving some of those responsibilities that you can back to October or forward into December. Yes, December will be busy, but December will always be busy.Choose your main characterEven those who write "by the seat of their pants" (pantser or discovery writer) usually have a character in mind when they begin writing a book. Here is a person, caught in a situation. What kind of a person? What kind of a situations? What are some conflicts that they are going to run into? How will their background and present situation affect the outcome? Maybe you are not someone who plots out any detail. Maybe you don't know where the storyline is going or where it will end, but you can think about who you are going to write about.Develop a plot outlineI am not going to tell the pantsers that they have to learn how to plot. Or that they have to write down at least a beginning, middle, and end for their book. Remember, every writer is different and every book is different. Some benefit from starting at the beginning, and plotting through in chronological order to the end. Some start in the middle and work outward. Some come in pieces that need to be assembled.If you are a plotter, or a planster, or whatever other name that means you like to have something a little more structured before you begin to write, then spend part of October prepping. (Referred to by NaNo's as "Preptober"). Whether you spend all of October, or just a few days or hours, start to sketch out the bits of the plot that will help you to write the book in NaNo. For planners, having a good plot structure in place can help prevent you from getting bogged down mid-month with a "saggy middle."Write every dayOr not. I actually don't. What is your goal here? Others do it to establish a daily writing habit, and the number of words doesn't matter. For others, it is to hit a minimum of 1,667 words each and every day so that they will hit 50,000 by the end of November. Others just want to enjoy making writing a bigger priority for the month, and end up stressed and blocked if they are penned into a certain number of words or writing every day. So don't write every day if that's not what works for you. I write six days a week and take Sunday off. If I was writing a 50,000 word novel, that would mean writing 1,923 words per day six days a week instead of 1,667 words seven days a week. And for some people, being able to take a break for one day a week could mean the difference between success and failure.Establish your intermediate/daily goals. Find what works for you. Plan for success, and then adjust.It's time to start writing! For most people, this is the fun part.Don't edit as you writeOr do. You will often hear this piece of advice given, particularly to newbies. The goal is not to get bogged down with writing and rewriting passages to be perfect, but instead to get momentum going and write down the structure of your story. You can go back later to tweak and polish it. Some writers are very militant about this. Don't even press the backspace key if you make a typo. Just keep moving forward. Vomit words onto the page.People are much more relaxed, just telling you not to get stuck in the minutia, and to just keep moving forward. And there are many writers in between. I use my backspace key. I rephrase a sentence or rewrite a paragraph where I need to. I re-read part of what I read yesterday before I start writing today. I know I can do all of that and still hit my daily quotas. Your experience may be different.So instead, I would say look forward. Think about the next sentence, the next paragraph, the next plot point or chapter. If something needs to be fixed, it's okay to just mark it with ** or // or 999 or to come back to later, and keep moving on for now. Feel free to make notes to yourself and go back to it later. For now, forward is generally the best way to get to the end of your book.Set a deadline for yourselfIf you are doing NaNo, your deadline is probably November 30. But it might not be. That might be your halfway point and your goal is to finish by December 31. Or some other date. You might not have a "final" deadline, but a daily quota. Or certain milestones that you will celebrate. Set deadlines in the way that works for you. Some people love working up against a hard deadline. Others freak out or melt down. What kind of goal works for you? Look back at past accomplishments for hints.Take a break before editingWhen you are finished with your first draft, chances are, you are going to need to do a second draft. And a third. Who knows how many? If it is your first book, you might have a lot of drafts before you get to the point that you are comfortable with your story. Nanowrimo pushes December as the month to edit your NaNo book (mainly, I think, because publishers hate being inundated with unedited manuscripts on December first.)But it can also be helpful to put your manuscript away to "season" for thirty days after writing it. This gives you a chance to look at it with fresh eyes. You'll discover things that you didn't remember you wrote. You'll spot plot holes that you were blind to before. And it's really kind of fun to go back to your NaNo novel to read it later and see how it really turned out.A little bit of seasoning time can be very beneficial. I highly recommend it. (Note that I process all of my notes to myself and do one full edit immediately after writing. Then I put it away to season for 30 days. Find what works for you!)Have fun!The best thing about Nanowrimo is the community. The NaNo website is, unfortunately, not as conducive as it once was to meet and talk with your new writer buddies on the site. But NaNo communities have sprung up on Facebook and Discord, you may have local community groups led by a municipal liaison, you may participate in meetups and writing sprints with professional organizations like Sisters in Crime. It is a lot of fun to be surrounded by other people who are just as crazy as you are, all striving toward similar goals, all raising the priority of writing in their lives for the month of November. You can write a novel any month of the year, but there is nothing like being surrounded by other people doing the same thing.If you can, find some locals and join a meetup. Do a Zoom or Discord sprint session. Talk to other writers in your genre about what they are doing. Listen to the advice of oldsters who have been doing NaNo for years. Be buoyed up by the newbies who are excited to try it for the first time.Don't get so serious about meeting your quotas and achieving your goals that you lose sight of having fun along the way.Okay, that wraps it up! I hope some of these tips are valuable to you. Feel free to comment below and let me know what you're doing for NaNo and whether you love it—or hate it.Related posts

Yes, we are coming up on the anniversary of the release of the first book I published, Looking Over Your Shoulder. Nine years ago, I waded into the independent publishing waters and launched the first of many (currently 88 released) books. It has been an interesting journey and I have learned a lot! I thought I would feature my various series here today. If you've only tried one or two, maybe you would like to explore a new series. But first, I hear you asking where are the deals to mark this special occasion? So here are a couple of sales that I have running right now.I just released Book #11 in this series, He Drowned in Memory. Books #12 and #13 are available for preorder now: Their Walls Were Empty and They Came for Him. So why don't I start off the introductions with the Zachary Goldman Mysteries series:Zachary Goldman MysteriesPrivate Investigator SeriesZachary Goldman, Private Investigator, is flawed with a capital F. Shattered by the tragedies of his own life, he will somehow still manage to pick himself up and dig just a little bit deeper than anyone else to find the vital clues. Maybe being broken makes it easier for others who have faced tragedy to trust him. Walk with Zachary as he solves cases that will stretch his abilities to the limit. Even with his own life in shambles, Zachary Goldman is still the one you want on the case. A case is only unsolvable as long as it remains unsolved.Series PageKenzie Kirsch Medical ThrillersIf you are a reader of the Zachary Goldman Mysteries series, you have already met Kenzie Kirsch. This series is a spinoff from Zachary Goldman Mysteries, giving Kenzie a front-and-center position in solving medical mysteries.Book #1, Unlawful Harvest, is a prequel to both, describing events that happened before Zachary and Kenzie met.Book #2, Doctored Death, (and 3 and 4) fall after She Was At Risk, book #10 in the Zachary Goldman Mysteries in its timeline.So hop right in and join Kenzie as she uncovers mysteries, conspiracies, and thrills!Series PageAuntie Clem's BakeryCulinary and Pet Cozy MysteriesErin Price is a baker, not a sleuth. It’s really not her fault that mysteries keep landing in her lap while she’s trying to run Auntie Clem’s Bakery and make a living from baking gluten-free and specialty goods.Sink your teeth into these sweet mysteries!“I just wanted you to know how much I adore this series. I can’t wait for the next one to come out ! I told my boyfriend that this series is my “Game of Thrones” and I don’t even know how to deal with my life while I wait for the next one!”Series PageReg Rawlins Psychic InvestigatorParanormal Mystery and AdventureA paranormal spin-off from the Auntie Clem’s Bakery series Reg Rawlins doesn’t believe in psychic phenomenon. Or at least, she didn’t used to. Since starting a con as a fortune teller in Black Sands, strange things have been happening. Reg is about to discover a whole new world.Explore a world filled with magical people, cats, fairies, pixies, elves, and more!Series PageParks Pat MysteriesPolice Procedural Series Set in CanadaThese short mysteries are just right for those days when you could use a break from your busy life. Take a walk in a Calgary park with Parks Pat. Detective “Parks” Pat — Margie Patenaude — is a new Calgary homicide detective. Being Métis and a single mom, she has a few things on her plate. Working on a spate of murders in Calgary and area parks earns Margie her nickname.Series PageMedical Kidnap FilesYA SuspenseAwareness is increasing about medical kidnap, the practice of children being apprehended from their parents due to medical conditions. It is happening far more often than you would like to think. This fiction series is about the children who fall victim to this practice, their families, and a small group of teens who are fighting back! Follow Gabriel and Renata as they fight against an unfair and corrupt system, trying to save themselves and others from doctors, social workers, and judges who are more interested in profit than justice and the safety of their charges.Series PageTamara's TeardropsYA Contemporary CrimeFollow Tamara French as she struggles to overcome the challenges of her past and reintegrate into the normal world. It isn’t as easy as she thought it would be.Readers will appreciate the realistic details about Tamara’s release, her issues dealing with a foster family, her emotional triggers, and the challenges facing someone trying to maintain the conditions of parole. For those teens who love books where all that can go wrong does go wrong (isn’t that almost all of them?), this is a winner. – School Library JournalP.D. Workman’s fictional Tattooed Teardrops and Tewhan Butler’s nonfiction title America’s Massacre: The Audacity of Despair and a Message of Hope top this year’s In the Margins (ITM) Book Awards. The selection committee, operating under Library Services for Youth in Custody, selected these winning works among books by, for, and about kids living in the margins. – Library Services for Youth in CustodySeries PageBetween the CracksYA Contemporary Crime Family SagaFollow the lives of the Simpson family, their lives torn apart by abuse and neglect. Ruby, Between the Cracks, was awarded a place in the Top Ten Books for Teens 2015. Chloe placed on the In the Margins recommended reading list 2018 and Ronnie in 2019.If I could rate a book 10 stars outta 5, I would… This book was absolutely amazing and I would go through everything I loved about it if I could, but that’s the thing—I loved EVERYTHING. Every single last detail… Definitely one of the best books I have EVER read. —Britt, Goodreads reviewerI sure would love to see this book as a movie. Her stories are so believable and you can’t help but feel like you know these people. You find your self crying, laughing and feeling the characters emotions. Now if an author can make you cry and feel every emotion in a story, she is one hell of an author. —Pamela, Goodreads reviewerSeries PageBreaking the PatternYA Contemporary Crime A heartwarming, sad, intense story that will keep you turning pages until the end…"Follow the lives of Henry, Sandy, and Bobby as they struggle to break free from the cycles of abuse, poverty, and mental illness that plague their families.By the author of Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the Top Fiction Award, In the Margins Committee, 2016, this poignant account of Henry’s descent into darkness will touch your heart and challenge you to look at youth crime in another light.If you enjoy gritty contemporary young adult books like those by John Green and Stephen Chbosky, give P.D. Workman’s Breaking the Pattern series a try.Series PageRelated posts

It is release day for Fail, Medical Kidnap Files #6. If you are not familiar with the series, it is about the children who fall victim to the practice of social services apprehended children due to medical conditions practice, their families, and a small group of teens who are fighting back! Follow Gabriel and Renata as they fight against an unfair and corrupt system, trying to save themselves and others from the doctors, social workers, and judges who endanger rather than protect their charges.Fail can be read as a stand-alone adventure, but if you would like to start with book one, pick up Mito!https://pdworkman.com/mito-medical-kidnap-files-1/And more new releasesThe DoctorBe careful who you trust.The Mailer family are oblivious to the terrible danger that enters their lives when seven-year-old Anthony is referred to the child guidance service by the family GP following the breakdown of his parents' marriage.Fifty-eight year old Dr. David Galbraith, a sadistic, predatory paedophile employed as a consultant child psychiatrist, has already murdered one child in the soundproofed cellar below the South Wales Georgian townhouse he shares with his wife and two young daughters.Anthony becomes Galbraith's latest obsession and he will stop at nothing to make his grotesque fantasies reality.KindleNothing More to TellFour years ago, Brynn left Saint Ambrose School following the shocking murder of her favorite teacher—a story that made headlines after the teacher’s body was found by three Saint Ambrose students in the woods behind their school. The case was never solved. Now that Brynn is moving home and starting her dream internship at a true-crime show, she’s determined to find out what really happened. The kids who found Mr. Larkin are her way in, and her ex–best friend, Tripp Talbot, was one of them. Without his account of events, the other two kids might have gone down for Mr. Larkin’s murder—but instead, thanks to Tripp, they're now at the top of the Saint Ambrose social pyramid. Tripp’s friends have never forgotten what Tripp did for them that day, and neither has he. Just like he hasn’t forgotten that everything he told the police was a lie.Digging into the past is bound to shake up the present, and when Brynn begins to investigate what happened in the woods that day, she uncovers secrets that might change everything—about Saint Ambrose, about Mr. Larkin, and about her ex-best friend, Tripp Talbot.KindleSmokeSixteen-year-old Honor Augustine never set out to become a felon. As an academic all-star, avid recycler, and dedicated daughter to her PTSD-afflicted father, she's always been the literal embodiment of her name. Coloring inside the lines is what keeps Honor's chaotic existence orderly.But when she discovers her father's VA benefits drying up, coupled with a terrifying bank letter threatening the family's greenhouse business--Honor vows to find a solution. She just doesn't expect to spot it on the dry erase board of English lit--"Nature's first green is gold."The quote by Frost becomes the seed of an idea. An idea that--with patience and care--could germinate into a means of survival. Maybe marijuana could be more than the medicinal plant that helps quiet her father's demons. Maybe, it could save them all.KindleCode Name Verity (Anniversary Edition)October 11th, 1943 -- A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy?KindleThe CounselorsCamp Alpine Lake is the only place where Goldie Easton feels safe. She’s always had a special connection to the place, even before she was old enough to attend. The camp is the lifeline of Roxwood, the small town she lives in. Alpine Lake provides jobs, money and prestige to the region. Few Roxwood locals, though, get to reap the rewards of living so close to the glam summer that camp, with its five-figure tuition and rich kids who have been dumped there for eight weeks by their powerful parents. Goldie's one of them. Even with her "townie" background, Goldie has never felt more at home at camp and now she’s back as a counselor, desperate for summer to start and her best friends, Ava and Imogen, to arrive. Because Goldie has a terrible dark secret she’s been keeping and she is more in need of the comfort than ever. But Goldie’s not the only person at camp who has been lying. When a teen turns up dead in the lake late one night, she knows that the death couldn’t have been an accident. She also knows that Ava was at the lake that same night.KindleNever Coming HomeEveryone knows Unknown Island—it’s the world’s most exclusive destination. Think white sand beaches, turquoise seas, and luxury accommodations. Plus, it’s invite only, no one over twenty-one allowed, and it’s absolutely free. Who wouldn’t want to go? The mysterious resort launched with a viral marketing campaign, and now the whole world is watching as the mysterious resort opens its doors to the First Ten, the ten elite influencers specifically chosen to be the first to experience everything Unknown Island has to offer. You know them. There’s the gamer, the beauty blogger, the rich girl, the superstar, the junior politician, the environmentalist, the DJ, the CEO, the chef, and the athlete. What they don’t know is that they weren’t invited to Unknown Island for their following—they were invited for their secrets. Everyone is hiding a deadly one, and it looks like someone’s decided it’s payback time. Unknown Island isn’t a vacation, it’s a trap. And it’s beginning to look like the First Ten—no matter how influential—are never coming home.KindleThe Meow GuardiansThis Christmas the holiday spirit is under threat and only a special stray can save it!The name's Ginger, AKA Agent Meow 01. Usually, I spend my free time searching for scraps and getting chased by dogs, like the stray cat that I am.But this Christmas, everything changes.When the dog agents from PAWs mess up and leave the human world hanging by a thread, it's Ginger to the rescue. With my combination of brains, stealth, and daring, I’m the agent they call when the fur starts to fly. Except this time, I've got a new partner.A house cat.With the clock ticking, this mission seems doomed to failure with so many pheromones about.Will the Christmas spirit be saved, or will we turn our tails and let the world burn?Multiple StoresTo Bark or Not to BarkJust because you’re paranoid...Service dog trainer Marcia Banks-Haines tackles a locked room mystery in a haunted house, while training the recipient of her latest dog.The border collie, Dolly has been trained to clear rooms for an agoraphobic Marine who was ambushed in a bombed-out building in Syria. But the phantom attackers in his psyche turn out to be the least of his troubles when Marcia finds his ex-wife’s corpse in his master bedroom, with the door bolted from the inside.Was it suicide or murder? Marcia can’t see her client as a killer, but the local sheriff can.Then the Marine reports hearing his ex calling for him to join her on the other side of the grave. Is his house really haunted, or is he hallucinating?Marcia has lost a client to suicide before. She’s not going to lose another!Multiple StoresSugar & SlicedDid she fall or was she pushed?A world away from small town Maple Falls where she grew up, Madeline Flynn is working in a bakery in Manhattan. Baking is her dream come true—but not everyone is happy for her.When a body lands at her feet, Maddie is suddenly thrown into the investigation. The death is literally too close to home and things don't add up with the crime. With his uncanny sense of who is good and who isn't, even Big Red, her larger-than-life Maine coon, is seeing things in the shadows.Will she be the next victim? And what does an angry contestant have to do with a kidnapping?Do you love Murder, She Wrote? Then you’ll enjoy Maddie’s style because she’s not taking no for an answer either.The Maple Lane Mysteries are light, cozy mysteries featuring a quirky cat-loving bakery owner who discovers she’s a talented amateur sleuth.Each book contains an easy recipe!KindleMurder Among FriendsFive friends went into the woods. Only four came back.If something ails you, Charlie Kingsley likely has a tea to fix it.So, when Charlie witnesses a young woman faint on the side of the road, she has no choice but to offer her services. (Along with a cup of her famous tea, of course.)In no time at all, the young woman is back to normal, which is good news, as she's about to go camping with her friends.Charlie thinks that will be the last of it … so imagine her surprise when she gets a phone call that one of the friends is missing.Is the friend simply lost? Or did something more disturbing happen?Luckily, Charlie is not only on the case, but fueled with tea, as this will prove to be one of her most puzzling crimes to date.Kindle

It seems like everyone I talk to is dealing with high summer temperatures right now. Do you ever dream of winter evenings toasting your toes by a roaring fire? With a good book, of course. Well, I can't supply the cool evenings and toasty fire, but I can suggest some books to take your mind off of the heat. Lose yourself in the cold of winter with these Christmas and winter holiday reads! And how about some Christmas treats?And still more books!The Meow GuardiansThis Christmas the holiday spirit is under threat and only a special stray can save it!The name's Ginger, AKA Agent Meow 01. Usually, I spend my free time searching for scraps and getting chased by dogs, like the stray cat that I am.But this Christmas, everything changes.When the dog agents from PAWs mess up and leave the human world hanging by a thread, it's Ginger to the rescue. With my combination of brains, stealth, and daring, I’m the agent they call when the fur starts to fly. Except this time, I've got a new partner.A house cat.With the clock ticking, this mission seems doomed to failure with so many pheromones about.Will the Christmas spirit be saved, or will we turn our tails and let the world burn?Multiple StoresChristmas CorpseWelcome to Candy Cane Hollow, where every day feels like Christmas!Holly Wood (yes, that's her real name) is driving home for Christmas and not feeling too happy about the empty house waiting for her. When her car skids into a snow bank, she's rescued by a sweet old lady who promises her name is Mrs Claus. Holly is taken to Candy Cane Hollow to recover, and finds herself in a genuine winter wonderland. As Christmas Day approaches, the grouchy medical receptionist appears to have been poisoned by a mince pie.And to Holly's surprise, Mrs Claus is the prime suspect. With Mrs Claus under suspicion, Holly vows to return the woman's generosity by clearing her name.Maybe it will impress Mrs Claus' dimpled dish of a son, too? Free KindleA Mayfair Christmas CarolA Christmas extravaganza in Mayfair, Florida, complete with an ice skating rink. What could go wrong?When Mayfair’s newly-minted Chamber of Commerce goes off the rails and decides to build an ice skating rink, a decades-old skeleton is uncovered. The secrets it reveals threaten more than the town’s Christmas plans. Feeling responsible since the let’s-attract-more-tourists idea was hers initially, service dog trainer Marcia Banks is determined to help her police detective boyfriend solve the mystery—whether he wants her help or not. Maybe she can wheedle more out of the townspeople than he can.Will she and her Black Lab, Buddy, keep the ghost of Christmas past from destroying what is left of Mayfair’s founding family, or will her meddling make things worse?This novella is Book 4 in the series. While the characters grow and change over the course of the series, each book contains its own stand-alone mystery.$0.99 Multiple StoresSanta's HatChristmas. Music. Gifts. Explosions.Picking up the last of her presents, Talia "Colt" Levin witnesses something that can only lead to one thing. A plot to ruin Christmas. Abandoning her own plans, Colt makes a promise to herself to help Santa.She's got a trigger-happy elf, an Aston Martin instead of a sleigh, and no chimney in sight. Will Colt be able to help Santa save Christmas, or will the holidays end in a bang?Free with sign-upTwelve Slays of ChristmasWhen Holly White’s fiancé cancels their Christmas Eve wedding with less than two weeks to go, Holly heads home with a broken heart. Lucky for her, home in historic Mistletoe, Maine is magical during Christmastime—exactly what the doctor prescribed. Except her plan to drown her troubles in peppermints and snickerdoodles is upended when local grouch and president of the Mistletoe Historical Society Margaret Fenwick is bludgeoned and left in the sleigh display at Reindeer Games, Holly’s family tree farm.When the murder weapon is revealed as one of the wooden stakes used to identify trees on the farm, Sheriff Evan Grey turns to Holly’s father, Bud, and the Reindeer Games staff. And it doesn’t help that Bud and the reindeer keeper were each seen arguing with Margaret just before her death. But Holly knows her father, and is determined to exonerate him.The jingle bells are ringing, the clock is ticking, and if Holly doesn't watch out, she'll end up on Santa's naughty list in Twelve Slays of Christmas, Jacqueline Frost’s jolly series debut.KindleAn Unsaintly Season in St. AugustineEven on vacation, Kate Huntington can’t seem to avoid other people’s troubles. While in St. Augustine, Florida for the Christmas holidays, she and her PI husband get caught up in trying to find a friend of Kate’s parents who’s gone missing. They soon discover that this isn’t just a case of a senior citizen wandering off. Can they reunite the elderly man with his wife before Christmas, or will others who mean him harm find him first?This is the first of a series of novella-length mysteries with a cozy flavor to them. They feature the same characters from the Kate Huntington Mystery series. These are intended to be light, suspenseful reads that also allow the reader to travel vicariously to interesting and sometimes exotic places.$0.99 Multiple Stores Murder at the Christmas Cookie Bake-OffTucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewellis ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe . . . With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever—winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition . . . Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake‑off, and she’s not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone’s stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead—and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s signature cookie! Solving a murder was never on Lindsey’s wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she’ll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.KindleChristmas PresenceFour Christmas mysteries to bring good cheerWhat makes Christmas special?- Is it the tree and the decorations?- Is it the excitement of giving and receiving presents?- Is it the gathering of family and friends?Experience four different takes on Christmas: the pleasure of shutting up shop and exchanging gifts, the whirl of Christmas shopping in London, a present hunt in nineteenth-century India, and a Sherlock Holmes tale featuring a pudding with a twist! Each story links to a different mystery series, but the stories can stand alone too.This short, feel-good collection is perfect for enjoying with a slice of Christmas cake, or for reading with your feet up after a session of Christmas shopping or present wrapping – or for popping under the tree!KindleA Christmas MysteryProfessor Elizabeth Green, a professor of poisons, has travelled to Oxford to deliver a keynote speech at Catte College when Father Christmas bursts into a formal supper, leaving a woman dead. It is not long before Elizabeth herself is in the firing line with the local Oxford Inspector, as more bodies start to fall. Meanwhile as the snow comes down and suspects mount, Inspector Abley and Sergeant Lemon are finding it hard to communicate. Will Professor Elizabeth Green help solve the puzzle before Christmas Day? Join her at Christmas as she navigates festivities among the dead bodies.KindleThe Christmas MysteryDetective Luc Moncrief races through New York and Paris to track down a killer . . . and find out who is stealing the world's greatest art.In the heart of the holiday season, priceless paintings have vanished from a Park Avenue murder scene. Now, dashing French detective Luc Moncrief must become a quick study in the art of the steal . . . before a cold-blooded killer paints the town red. Merry Christmas, Detective.KindleMurder at an Irish ChristmasThis December in Kilbane, if you’re planning to warm up with a cuppa tea at Naomi’s Bistro, you may have a bit of a wait—the entire O’Sullivan brood has gone off to West Cork to spend the holidays with brother James’s fiancée Elise’s family, including her grandfather, the famous orchestral conductor Enda Elliot. Siobhán is so happy for James and Elise but also quietly disappointed that she must put her own wedding to fellow garda Macdara Flannery on hold. Mac will have to join them later, so he can spend part of the holidays with his mam. When the O’Sullivans learn everyone will choose a name from a hat to buy a music-related Christmas gift for someone else at the gathering, it seems like their greatest concern—until the cantankerous conductor is discovered crushed under a ninety-pound harp in a local concert hall.With the extended family—including Enda’s much-younger new wife Leah, a virtuoso violinist—suspected in his murder, it's up to Siobhán to ensure the guilty party faces the music before the killer orchestrates another untimely demise . . .KindleChristmas Cookies MysteriesEverybody loves Christmas … and mysteries. And now the two of them have been combined. We hope you’ll enjoy this fun little project revisiting the Christmas Cookies CD. — Joe Bonsall, The Oak Ridge BoysChristmas is magical and includes many traditions like decorating the tree, giving gifts, baking cookies … and murder and mayhem?!?! Join in the fun this season and create a new holiday tradition with mysteries from more than a baker’s dozen of award winning authors—all inspired by the songs of The Oak Ridge Boys' Christmas Cookies CD.Hark the Herald Angels Sing—Patricia BradleyOllie Bramlett—Joseph S. BonsallFrom Love to Love—Lisa PrestonAway in a Manger —Beth PughAunt Elvira’s Jewels (aka Hay Baby)—D. L. HavlinLittle Annie’s Christmas Wish—Christine ClemetsonI’ll be Home for Christmas—Don BrunsBlessed Be the Day of Our Savior’s Birth—Kathy HarrisJingle Bells Murder All the Way—Kelly IrvinOrdinary Days—Delores TopliffUncle Luther Made the Stuffing—Vanessa M. KnightBack to Tennessee—Danielle M HaasThe Warmest Night of the Year—Kaye D. SchmitzO, Come All Ye Faithful— M.M. ChouinardO Come All Ye Faithful (Reprise)—Mindy SteeleKindleA Cotswold Christmas MysteryIt's Christmas, and things are looking good at the Slocombe house. Thea's daughter Jessica has come to stay, much to her stepdaughter Stephanie's delight. But then things take a turn for the worse. A local family, the Frowses, find themselves increasingly harassed by an aggressive landlord. When Beverley Frowse goes missing, Thea and Stephanie both feel they should do their best to help her husband and son to solve the mystery.Christmas Day arrives. There are presents, a turkey, and general goodwill, despite Thea's suppressed hankering to be involved in events at the Frowses' house, where a dead man has been discovered ...Kindle

I hope you enjoyed my birthday last week! Some of the books in my birthday blog post will still be on sale, so head over and grab them while you can.If you're looking for suspense, check out Hairpin Bridge by Taylor Adams. Protagonist Lena Nguyen is looking for answers in the death of her twin sister. She suspects police corporal Raycevic of being complicit in her death—even being the direct cause of it. And there is definitely something going on with Raycevic. He is not all he seems to be. He is hiding some pretty big secrets and I'm not convinced that a single word that comes out of his mouth is the truth. Lena has her work cut out for her in sorting it all out. I don't think I've read anything else by Taylor Adams. I only see a couple of other books on Amazon. But I would definitely check out others. Don't get comfortable. Don't let your guard down.Not even for a second.Taylor Adams, Hairpin BridgeThree months ago, Lena Nguyen’s estranged twin sister, Cambry, drove to a remote bridge seventy miles outside of Missoula, Montana, and jumped two hundred feet to her death. At least, that is the official police version.But Lena isn’t buying it.Now she’s come to that very bridge, driving her dead twin’s car and armed with a cassette recorder, determined to find out what really happened by interviewing the highway patrolman who allegedly discovered her sister’s body.Corporal Raymond Raycevic has agreed to meet Lena at the scene. He is sympathetic, forthright, and professional. But his story still seems a bit off. For one thing, he stopped Cambry for speeding just an hour before she supposedly leaped to her death. Then there are the sixteen attempted 911 calls from her cell phone, made in what was unfortunately a dead zone.But perhaps most troubling of all, the state trooper is referred to by name in Cambry’s final enigmatic text to her sister: Please Forgive Me. Lena will do anything to uncover the truth. But as her twin’s final hours come into focus, Lena’s search turns into a harrowing tooth-and-nail fight for her own survival—one that will test everything she thought she knew about her sister and herself...Related posts