I am very excited to be getting closer to the release of Gladwynn Grant Shakes the Family Tree.
I don’t have an exact release date just yet but the manuscript is in the editing stage with corrections being made.
From there it will go through another round of edits and another round of corrections and read throughs by beta readers, formatting, etc. etc.
It is all very exciting and overwhelming at the same time but I’m leaning more toward exciting at the time of writing this post.
Maybe you’re new to the blog and don’t know that I write books and self-publish them. Sometimes I share chapters on here, but I haven’t been doing that recently.
Instead, my books are available on Kindle Unlimited and for reasonable prices on Amazon at this time.
Self-publishing books is not a lucrative business for me.
I am also not a famous author (not that was ever my goal).
Sometimes people complain I have a typo or suggest that I am endorsing something I am not endorsing and that gets weird and makes writing books not so fun.
I like sharing stories that I have crafted in my own brain.
I like when people like my creations.
I have especially been blown away by the support of my Gladwynn Grant Mystery books.
If you don’t know, Gladwynn Grant is the main character of the series and she’s loosely based on my grandmother, whose middle and maiden name she bears.
Gladwynn’s grandmother, Lucinda, who she lives with, is based on a combination of both of my grandmothers.
Gladwynn is a reporter at a small town newspaper, which is a job I did for 14 years at four different newspapers. Gladwynn, however, is not me.
She is very different from me.
She is tall, brunette, beautiful, loves fashion and makeup, and full of confidence.
I am none of those things. I like to look at fashion but I never really worried much about how I look. How I ever landed my husband I have no idea. I guess he’s attracted to troll-like women wearing baggy clothes who don’t know how to brush or fix her hair.
So Gladwynn is based loosely on me but only on the part that she works at a small town newspaper.
A lot of people think that the reviews on a self-published/indie book are from friends and family of the author. This was actually said one time in a reading group I used to be a part of.
My family and friends have not reviewed my books. Actually, most of my family and friends have not even read my books. That hurts a little but people are busy. I’m not going to say that none of the reviews I have on the Gladwynn books are from friends because that would not be true. There are two or three reviews from friends I’ve connected with online.
There are also reviews from people I have never met or even heard of in my life and those are the reviews that have blown me away.
People really like my book? Wow. That’s super mind-blowing to me.
My books are simple stories, sometimes cheesy. They are not award winning. They are not the best written and even when they are edited I somehow seem to mess up on making the corrections and eliminating the typos.
Yet people have supported them and have said they look forward to more.
I would love to write books and just share them on Amazon for 99 cents since I don’t know how to share them for free, so people can read them and just have fun reading them or not reading them. After all, they only spent 99 cents on it so if they don’t like the book then they aren’t out much.
Charging only a dollar for a book makes a book look cheap, though, so I’ve been told, so I charge a little more.
If I make money from the sale of the books it does help my family. I’m able to put a little money toward groceries or a bill and that helps.
But people reading my book and saying they like it is like getting paid in a different way. It’s paying me back for all the long hours of writing, the nights laying awake with ideas prodding my subconscious, begging to be written down. The time I asked my children if I could have some time to finish the story I’d started because I wanted to see how it finished. The time I took suggestions from early readers on how to fix a plot hole. The time I took to fix all the edits my editor (ahem..husband) and Mom suggested.
When readers tell me they liked my book it’s like someone saying, “Your ideas weren’t stupid. Your love of writing is something I’m glad you have because I’ve benefited from it too by reading a story I enjoyed.”
If you’re one of those people who have enjoyed my little stories – thank you for taking the time to read them! If you’re one of those who left me a review on Amazon or Goodreads or sent me a note to tell me you liked them – thank you!
This week the topic is: Top Ten Tuesday Anticipated books for the second half of 2024.
This one is hard for me because I read a lot of older books and because I am always behind on finding out about new releases, even though I am on Netgalley. I don’t have ten books here, but I have seven, and many of these I either have an ARC of (through Netgalley) or hope to get ARC copies of. I also haven’t read books by most of these authors yet, but the plots sound good or I have heard a lot about them.
1. The Gardener’s Plot by Deborah J. Benoit (November 5)
I was approved for this ARC and it looks very good.
Description:
A woman helps set up a community garden in the Berkshires, only to find a body in one of the plots on opening day.
After life threw Maggie Walker a few curveballs, she’s happy to be back in the small, Berkshires town where she spent so much time as a child. Marlowe holds many memories for her, and now it also offers a fresh start. Maggie has always loved gardening, so it’s only natural to sign on to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden.
When opening day arrives, Violet is nowhere to be found, and the gardeners are restless. Things go from bad to worse when Maggie finds a boot buried in one of the plots… and there’s a body attached to it. Suddenly, the police are looking for a killer and they keep asking questions about Violet. Maggie doesn’t believe her friend could do this, and she’s going to dig up the dirt needed to prove it.
The Gardener’s Plot takes readers to the heart of the Berkshires and introduces amateur sleuth Maggie Walker in Deborah J. Benoit’s Minotaur Books/Mystery Writers of America First Crime Novel Award-winning debut.
2. The Author’s Guide to Murder by Beatriz Williams; Lauren Willig; Karen White (November 5)
This just sounded very good to me. I have not been approved for the ARC, but I’ll read it eventually.
Agatha Christie meets Murder, She Wrote in this witty locked room mystery and literary satire by New York Times bestselling team of novelists: Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White.
There’s been a sensational murder at historic Castle Kinloch, a gothic fantasy of grey granite on a remote island in the Highlands of Scotland. Literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley has been found dead—under bizarre circumstances—in the castle tower’s book-lined study. Years ago, Presley purchased the castle as a showpiece for his brand and to lure paying guests with a taste for writerly glamour. Now it seems, the castle has done him in…or, possibly, one of the castle’s guests has. Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, a local with no love for literary Americans, finds himself with the unenviable task of extracting statements from three American lady novelists.
The prime suspects are Kat de Noir, a slinky erotica writer; Cassie Pringle, a Southern mom of six juggling multiple cozy mystery series; and Emma Endicott, a New England blue blood and author of critically acclaimed historical fiction. The women claim to be best friends writing a book together, but the authors’ stories about how they know Brett Saffron Presley don’t quite line up, and the detective is getting increasingly suspicious.
Why did the authors really come to Castle Kinloch? And what really happened the night of the great Kinloch ceilidh, when Brett Saffron Presley skipped the folk dancing for a rendezvous with death?
A crafty locked-room mystery, a pointed satire about the literary world, and a tale of unexpected friendship and romance—this novel has it all, as only three bestselling authors can tell it!
3. Murder, She Wrote: A Killer Christmas by Jessica Fletcher; Terrie Farley Moran (October 8, 2024)
I have never read one of these but I’ve heard good things about them. I may end up hating it. Ha!
Description:
It’s Christmastime in Cabot Cove, but there’s more homicide than ho-ho-ho in the newest entry in the USA Today bestselling Murder, She Wrote series.
Christmas is not an easy time to sell a house, but in Boston tycoon John Bragdon, Cabot Cove Realtor Eve Simpson has found a buyer for the old Jarvis homestead. Unfortunately, Eve gets a lump of coal in her stocking in the form of Kenny Jarvis, who has been missing for years and presumed dead but has now come back to stop his sister from selling their childhood home.
Eve presses on, organizing a welcome dinner for Bragdon and his wife, Marlene, to meet the leading citizens of the town, including Jessica Fletcher. Dinner is interrupted by an uninvited guest—not Santa but Kenny, who threateningly promises Marlene she will never live in his house.
When Marlene is found dead a few days later, Kenny is the natural suspect. But Jessica isn′t so sure he′s on the naughty list . . .
4. Tracking Tilly by Janice Thompson (August 1)
I just received my approval for this ARC and I am looking forward to it!
Description:
Who Stole Tilly from the Auction Block? Breathe in the nostalgia of everything old red truck in book one of a new cozy mystery series. The Hadley family ranch is struggling, so RaeLyn, her parents, and brothers decide to turn the old barn into an antique store. The only thing missing to go with the marketing of the store is Grandpa’s old red truck, Tilly, that was sold several years ago. Now coming back up on the auction block, Tilly would need a lot of work, but RaeLyn is sure it will be worth it—if only she can beat out other bidders and find out who stole Tilly after the auction ends. Hadley finds herself in the role of amateur sleuth, and the outcome could make or break the new family venture.
5. Queen of Hearts: A Gripping Psychological Thriller with a Twist by Heather Day Gilbert (July 23)
I may regret it because this is not really the genre of books I read, but I was approved this morning for this ARC.
Her readers love her…but one has gotten a little too attached.
Alexandra Dubois, a NYT bestselling author, has made a name for herself by crafting twisted serial killers in her romantic suspense series. When threatening notes from an “invested reader” escalate into violence, Alex has to admit she’s not safe in her own home. Although her autism makes any changes to her routine difficult, she reluctantly accepts her editor’s advice to fly to his sprawling vacation home in West Virginia so she can focus on her looming deadline.
Fighting paranoia that the stalker has discovered her mountain hideaway, Alex still forces herself to write several chapters in her novel. But when a thunderstorm leaves her stranded and she hears a knock at her door, she’s about to discover that life truly is stranger than fiction.
Fans of Alfred Hitchcock, Mary Higgins Clark, and Misery are sure to be hooked by this clean, fast-paced domestic thriller by RWA Daphne Award-winning author Heather Day Gilbert.
6. The Red House Mystery by A.A. Milne (Sept. 3)
I’ve always wanted to read some of A.A. Milne’s work beyond Winnie The Pooh. I know I’ve read that it drove him nuts that Winnie The Pooh took off and none of his more serious work.
A classic Golden Age locked-room cozy mystery by the author of Winnie-the-Pooh — hailed as one of the “20 Best Classic Murder Mystery Books of All Time (Town & Country, 2023)
“Has the pacing equivalent of perfect pitch . . . and spiced with funny comments on the clichés of the mystery novel” — Molly Young, The New York Times (2024)
In a quaint English country house, the exuberant Mark Ablett has been entertaining a house party, but the festivities are rudely interrupted by the arrival of Mark’s wayward brother, Robert, home from Austalia. Even worse, not long after his arrival the long-lost brother is found dead, shot through the head, and Mark is nowhere to be found. It is up to amateur detective Tony Gillingham and his pal Bill to investigate.
Between games of billiards and bowls, the taking of tea and other genteel pursuits, Tony and Bill attempt to crack the perplexing case of their host’s disappearance and its connection to the mysterious shooting. Can the pair of sleuths solve the Red House mystery in time for their afternoon game of croquet?
The Red House Mystery marked Milne’s first and final venture into the detective genre, despite the book’s immediate success. Praised by Raymond Chandler and renowned critic Alexander Woolcott, this gem of classic Golden Age crime sparkles with witty dialogue, an intriguing cast of characters, and a brilliant plot.
7. Sticks and Scones: A Bakeshop Mystery by Ellie Alexander (August 20)
I have read one of the others in this series so this one might need to wait for me but I hope to read it eventually anyhow.
Another delicious installment in the Bakeshop Series set in Ashland, OR!
It’s late spring in Juliet’s charming hamlet of Ashland. Spotted deer are nibbling on lush green grasses in Lithia Park, the Japanese maples are blooming, and Torte is baking a bevy of spring delights—lemon curd cupcakes, mini coconut cream pies, grapefruit tartlets, and chocolate dipped almond Tuiles.
Meanwhile, Juliet’s friend Lance, the artistic director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, is taking center stage with his new theater troupe—the Fair Verona Players. Their performance in Uva’s vineyard promises to be a modern, gender-bending twist on “The Taming of the Shrew,” but as the curtain rises, so do the strange occurrences. Stage mishaps and internal bickering threaten to derail the production. But the real show begins when the leading actor, Jimmy Paxton, meets his final curtain call. Now, Jules is not only in the mix, but she’s going to need to craft the perfect recipe for solving this theatrical whodunit.
What books are on your list for the most anticipated books for the second half of the year? Let me know in the comments.
Note: This is my monthly author newsletter because Substack kept freezing my posts and not letting me edit them after I had them completely written and ready to go. I am not sure what I am going to do for a newsletter right now, but for now I’ll place my updates on my blog. If you don’t care a bit about my writing, interviews with other authors or book and bookish things giveaways, please just ignore this post and return for my other mundane ramblings *wink*
I almost died on the Fourth of July.
This might not be completely true, but it’s how it felt to me. My family and I went to a local fireworks display, put on by professionals, but not a public show. It was fantastic but toward the end, my 16-year-old son and I realized we were way too close as several explosions and flash bangs went off while they lit the fireworks for the finale. My daughter and husband had already gone back to our van, but the problem was, I never heard them say that because the explosions at the end were so loud.
As the flashing and explosions continued, I looked for them frantically.
I started to worry that pieces of fireworks were going to fall on me and my family so I tried to stand, but now there was a strobe effect going on and the ground was moving and shaking for me. I tried to stand up, but couldn’t tell where the ground was part of the time so I kept falling back down to a kneeling position, all the while yelling at my son to stop looking at the lights because I was certain it was going to blind him.
Looking over my shoulder I caught him laughing at me but the lights were still moving all over and I was sure something was going to fall on us so I just sat and put my hands over my head and prayed. We finally managed to stand and make our way back to our van and later my son said he was watching me and wondering if I was eventually going to stop trying to stand up after the second time I fell over.
By the time we were walking to the van I was laughing pretty hard and even harder when he told me how silly I had looked trying to stand up over and over. For your amusement, I am attaching the video where you can hear me telling him not to look at the lights.
Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing Released
Luckily, I survived our fireworks display because last week, July 11th to be exact, I released Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing a week early. This is the first book in my Gladwynn Grant Mysteries series, which is a series of cozy mysteries.
Not sure what a cozy mystery is? Read on.
Cozy mysteries are usually fun reads with an amateur sleuth as the main character. That sleuth usually has no connection to law enforcement other than trying to tell the police about what she (or he, but it is often she) has discovered about a crime.
Cozy mysteries are not hard-hitting thrillers or mysteries. They are free of graphic descriptions of murder or death or sex. There is almost never sex, but if there is, it is always “closed door”, which means there may be suggestions that sex happened, but the reader doesn’t see it. My books won’t even discuss main characters having sex, just an FYI.
These types of mysteries usually take place in a small town or village, have lots of quirky characters, and are sometimes slowly-paced and sometimes fast-paced. It all depends on the author.
Here is what readers are saying about Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing:
“If you like mysteries with a slower pace, you’ll enjoy the small-town adventures awaiting Gladwynn, amateur journalist-sleuth.” – Alicia G.
“The characters are rich and full, just like in her other series. The small-town antics reminded me of the several small towns I’ve lived in. And her plot line kept me guessing all the way to the very end.” – Bettie G.
“Intrigue, mystery, cold case, attempted murder all with a side of humor, new relationships and letting go of the past…..this author has a way with words, literally!! I love her style, her creativity in not just writing an incredible story but in the depiction of each wonderfully devised character so easily brought to life! A treasure for the TBR list for any and every reader!” – Evelyn F.
In case you’d like to know what you can expect from Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing, here is a small list:
A slightly introverted, sometimes extroverted main character
For a little change of pace for this newsletter, I’m featuring an interview with an author I am familiar with and whose work I have read and enjoyed.
An interview with Danielle Grandinetti, Christian Historical Romance Author
Read on to learn more about Danielle and for a chance to win a copy of her latest book!
1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
I wrote my first story in third grade and never looked back. I love telling stories as much as I love reading them, and it is a delight to share mine with such amazing readers.
2. Tell us a little about your already completed/published projects.
Refuge for the Archaeologist is my fifth historical romance, second in the Harbored in Crow’s Nest series. My first series, Strike to the Heart, centers around the 1930 Wisconsin Dairy strikes. In August, my debut Love Inspired contemporary sweet romance releases. I’m thrilled!
3. What are the main themes of your novels or stories?
I love telling stories about finding home in hard times. Whether historical or contemporary, with or without suspense, life can be hard … but there is hope and home to be found.
4. What advice would you give to other writers who hope to someday write and publish a book?
Keep reading in your genre, especially new releases. Learn all you can from those who’ve been there. Keep learning by studying books on writing to find the system that works for you. And most of all, keep writing. The more you apply what you read and learn, the better your writing will become.
5. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
Read! But I also love to tinker in my veggie/herb garden or take nature pictures, especially of Lake Michigan. Being a mom of young boys, I don’t have all that much free time, but I love the opportunity to introduce my boys to the joys of creativity – whether through my writing, reading, or God’s creation.
6. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?
Surprised isn’t quite the right word, but I’m not sure I was fully prepared for how blessed I’d feel by my readers. Their encouragement, kindness, and excitement over my books is both humbling and inestimable.
7. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
I wanted to be a missionary, or a better way to say it was that I wanted to share the story of hope with those who desired to hear it. And guess what? I may not travel to other countries anymore to do so, but I still get to share that hope within the pages of my stories. And I pray they are a blessing to those who read them.
8. For fun, what’s your favorite snack when you’re writing?
There’s nothing like writing beside a big teapot filled with Chai.
9. Share a little more about yourself outside of your writing.
Though originally from the Chicagoland area, I now live along Lake Michigan’s Wisconsin shoreline with my husband and our two young sons (and Penny our Labrador). I have a Master of Arts degree in Communication and Culture, and spent twenty years in various educational fields, including as a middle school writing coach and an adjunct professor, teaching intercultural communication. I love learning about other people and their cultures and am privileged to have visited a handful of countries on four different continents.
10. Where can people learn more about your work and connect with you?
I’d love to keep in touch! The best way is to join my Fireside News email community. I send out weekly emails with all sorts of bookish fun. New subscribers receive a complimentary ebook. Sign up here.
Thank you for visiting with me today!
Giveaways
Danielle has graciously agreed to give one commenter here one paperback copy of her latest book, Refuge for the Archaeologist. Simply subscribe to my newsletter and leave a comment about one thing you remember about Danielle’s answers above and you’re entered.
Here is a description of the book:
Will uncovering the truth set them free or destroy what they hold most dear?
Wisconsin, 1930—With her health in shambles and her archaeological career on the line, Cora Davis retreats to Crow’s Nest and the home of her great aunt to heal. She doesn’t think much of the missing memories from between the earthquake that caused her dizzy spells and her trip home. Until she begins remembering the danger that sent her fleeing her last dig and the person responsible.
After a decade as a ranch hand, Silas Ward returned to Crow’s Nest to provide for the women in his life. That same protective instinct propels him to Cora’s aid. But when finances dwindle, the lies and greed of others threaten to ruin his family. Unless Silas can walk the thin line of compromise. A choice that might cost him Cora’s affection.
As winter’s chill threatens, will Crow’s Nest prove a refuge, or will both Cora and Silas have no choice but to sacrifice their chance at happiness to save those they love?
Welcome to Crow’s Nest, where danger and romance meet at the water’s edge.
Bookmark Giveaway
This month I am also giving away a bookmark designed by Sara The Book Lady who is @her.novel.opinion on Instagram.
She offers up very honest, but polite book reviews on Instagram, and, obviously, also designs bookmarks.
To win a bookmark comment that you are interested in the bookmark and please subscribe to my blog for more writing updates (or just sometimes silly posts!).
Learn about a contemporary author’s new book series and get a free novella.
I recently read a book by author Maryanne Landers that I will be endorsing. Maryanne has a Kickstarter for the book that you can learn about HERE.
Here is a quick description of the book:
“She’s detached in a stormy marriage because of both of their unfaithfulness. Now she faces the aftermath of her compromise with an unwanted pregnancy. Will fleeing bring her the freedom she yearns for?
Emily Corentin wants to escape the jagged edges of her brokenness. She believes the only option she has is to take her young daughter, leave her husband, and end the unintended pregnancy with an abortion. But her plans take an unexpected turn when the homeless shelter she finds is not the type of help she wanted. She’d buried religion years ago with the death of her Gran. Any God-fearing place will only confirm how much God abandoned her.
An offer from a shelter volunteer may be the lifeline she and her daughter need, but Emily only sees it as a means to an end. The unlikely friendship that follows, draws her closer to the answers she may have carried with her all along. But rash decisions bring new challenges that drag her further into a sea of helplessness.
When all hope is lost in despair will she be washed away by the patterns of her past? Or will she answer the call to embrace the mercy of the cross and in turn bring reconciliation to her marriage?”
If you would like to receive a free short story that kicks off the series you can scroll down to the bottom of the above linked page.
And finally, Thank You!
Thank you to all of you who keep up with my writing adventures and for anyone who subscribed to my newsletter on substack. I hope you will look around my blog and hang out and then subscribe so you will receive my monthly writing updates here.
You can also find me on the following social media sites:
I am excited to announce that Gladwynn Grant Gets Her Footing is out a week early! It is now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback on Amazon. You can order it HERE and pre-order book two, which will be out November 21, for 99 cents for a limited time HERE.
DESCRIPTION:
A little bit of mystery, a dash of romance, and a whole lot of heart
After being laid off from her job as a librarian at a small college, Gladwynn Grant isn’t sure what her next step in life is. When a job as a small-town newspaper reporter opens up in the town her grandmother Lucinda Grant lives in, she decides to take it to get away from a lot of things – Bennett Steele for one.
Lucinda has been living alone since Gladwynn’s grandfather passed away six years ago and she isn’t a take-it-easy, rock-on-your-front-porch kind of grandma. She’s always on the go and lately, she’s been on the go with a man who Gladwynn doesn’t know.
Gladwynn thought Brookstone was a small, quiet town, but within a few days of being there, she has to rethink that notion. Someone has cut the bank loan officer’s brakes, threatening letters are being sent, and memories of a jewelry theft from the 1990s have everyone looking at the cold case again.
What, if anything, will Gladwynn uncover about her new hometown and her grandmother’s new male friend? And what will she do about her grandmother’s attempt to set her up with the handsome Pastor Luke Callahan?
Find out in this modern mystery with a vintage feel.
