A Stone’s Throw, the first book of my Cobble Cove cozy mystery series, is on sale for Mother’s Day weekend, Friday, May 6 through my birthday on Monday, May 9.
Check out the reviews:
*****5-stars “A Stone’s Throw is an engaging mystery and I was hooked from page one. At first, the ease and flow of the writing and the well-rounded characters kept my interest. Soon, the suspense took over and drew me in completely.”
*****5-stars “There are twists and turns which will throw you off–the ending will astonish you!”
*****5-stars “Just loved this story and characters.”
*****5-stars “Superb read that I highly recommend. Looking forward to continuing the books.”
*****5-stars “I read this book in a little over 2 days because I had to get answers. I simply couldn’t put it down. I just know you will love this book as much as I did.”
Keep an eye out for updates on my two upcoming new releases, Sneaky’s Supernatural Mystery and Other Cobble Cove Stories, and The Case of the Cat Crazy Lady, the first book of my Buttercup Bend cozy mystery series.
It happens every 7 years. My birthday falls on Mother’s Day. 2021 is one of those years. To celebrate my joint Mother’s Day birthday, I’m offering two of my books free and one at the special sale price of 99 cent. All 3 books will be on sale from May 7 to May 10.
Widowed librarian Alicia Fairmont needs answers…
After her husband is killed in a hit and run accident, Alicia travels upstate to his hometown of Cobble Cove, New York. She hopes to locate his estranged family and shed light on his mysterious past. Anticipating staying only a weekend, her visit is extended when she accepts a job at the town’s library.
Secrets stretch decades into the past…
Assisted by handsome newspaper publisher and aspiring novelist, John McKinney, Alicia discovers a connection between her absent in-laws and a secret John’s father has kept for over sixty years. Her investigation is interrupted when she receives word her house has burned and arson is suspected, sending her rushing back to Long Island, accompanied by John.
Back in Cobble Cove, cryptic clues are uncovered…
When Alicia returns, she finds a strange diary, confiscated letters, and a digital audio device containing a recording made the day her husband was killed. Anonymous notes warn Alicia to leave town, but she can’t turn her back on the mystery—or her attraction to John. As the pieces fall into place, evidence points to John’s involvement in her husband’s accident. The past and present threaten to collide, and Alicia confronts her fears…
Librarian Alicia McKinney has put the past behind her…
Two years ago, Alicia discovered both a terrible truth and lasting love with John McKinney in the small town of Cobble Cove, New York. Now a busy mother of twin babies and co-author of a mystery series, Alicia couldn’t be happier.
Alicia’s contentment and safety are challenged…
Walking home alone from the library, Alicia senses someone following her, and on more than one occasion, she believes she is being watched. Does she have a stalker? When the local gift shop is burglarized, the troubling event causes unrest among Alicia and the residents of the quiet town.
John and Alicia receive an offer they can’t refuse…
When John’s sister offers to babysit while she and John take a much-needed vacation in New York City, Alicia is reluctant to leave her children because of the disturbances in Cobble Cove. John assures her the town is safe in the hands of Sheriff-elect Ramsay. Although Alicia’s experience with and dislike of the former Long Island detective don’t alleviate her concern, she and John take their trip.
Alicia faces her worst nightmare…
The McKinneys’ vacation is cut short when they learn their babies have been kidnapped and John’s sister shot. Alicia and John’s situation puts them between a rock and a hard place when the main suspect is found dead before the ransom is paid. In order to save their children, the McKinneys race against the clock to solve a mystery more puzzling than those found in their own books. Can they do it before time runs out?
Someone is strangling disabled people in the small town of Baxter, Connecticut. Detective Courtney Lang and her ex-partner and ex-lover, wheelchair-bound Bill Thompson, are paired up again and put in charge of the investigation. During the course of their search, Courtney uncovers information that points toward a connection between the murders and an unsolved series of muggings by a masked man, the same man who shot and disabled Bill a year ago on the night he proposed marriage to her.
Complicating matters for Courtney is her guilt about Thompson’s shooting, her affair with her new partner, Mark Farrell, and her unresolved feelings over the deaths of her mother and sister who perished in a fire while she was away from home.
As the deaths accrue and the “Handicapped Strangler” as the killer is coined by the press continues to rampage the town adding victims of different ages, sex, and disabilities to the murder count, Courtney discovers a clue that could crack open the case but may put her and Bill’s life in jeopardy. Get this book on sale here: mybook.to/RTD
Thanks to those who followed the blog tour for TIME’S RELATIVE, my new time-travel thriller. The cover has been chosen by AllAuthor to run in the May Cover of the Month Contest. Voting to include it in the second round ends on May 7. If you like this cover and think it could be a winner, please vote here: https://allauthor.com/cover-of-the-month/11629/
There are a lot of sayings about getting older — “Age is only a number.” “You’re only as old as you feel.” “You’re not getting older, you’re getting better.” “Aging is better than the alternative.”
People spend time and money trying to avoid getting old. They work out at gyms, eat healthy food, meditate, and avoid habits that can age and harm them such as smoking, but you can’t stop the clock. Still, it’s true that people age differently because of a variety of factors due to genetics, environment, and social attitudes. They say people who attend church, have a network of close friends, keep physically and mentally active, have hobbies that they enjoy and that relaxes them, and are pet owners are less likely to suffer from chronic illness and have a lower rate of heart attacks and strokes. However, each year we move closer to that final curtain. So “Happy birthdays” tend to be less happy after you’ve grown up. So why do people continue to celebrate birthdays? We all know that you don’t have to be old to die. Just check out the dates on headstones in any cemetery. We also know that life is too short even if you attain a ripe old age.
This year is a special birthday for me, and I plan to celebrate it in a special way even though I won’t be traveling somewhere exotic, having a big party, or even going out to eat in a nice restaurant. Because of COVID 19, I’ll be staying home with my husband, daughter, and cats. We’ll have food and a cake delivered. We might play a few games, watch a TV show or movie, or just talk. The main thing is that we’re all doing okay and are able to be together.
Me with my friend, Clare in 2016 in the Milleridge Village near the holidays.
A few weeks ago, I learned a long-time friend of mine passed away from Covid-19. Clare was a decade older than me and had diabetes and heart issues. She’d been in a rehab after a stroke but was getting better and would’ve been released if she hadn’t caught the virus. She’d survived heart attacks and a minor stroke, but she was no match for the Coronavirus. I miss her very much.
My wedding photo. (1992)
My graduation from L.I.U./C.W. Post and the Palmer School of Library and Information Science. (1989)
Proof that I was a cat lover even at 6 years old. (1966)
My High School graduation with my older brother, Jack, and my dad. (1978)
Birthdays are times to plan the years ahead and also to look back at those that have passed. Our lives are a series of chapters, much like a book. We’re born, spend our childhood learning and growing, graduate from school, work, sometimes marry and have a family along the way, and then retire, and die (not necessarily in that order). I’ve been lucky to have done all that except the last two during my 60 years on this planet.
So as I blow out the candles on my cake on Saturday, I’ll be thankful for another year that passed and hopefully the next one to come. The only wish I’ll make is for an end to the virus that has changed the world and for a new beginning. I’ll wish that my family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances stay healthy and safe. That’s what will make this birthday happy.
Ruff Drafts 