One of Hope Early’s Christmas traditions is hanging a wreath on the old red barn. Every year since moving back to Jefferson, she has called on Ethan Cahill to help hang the wreath—a small gesture, but one that brings warmth and memories of Christmases past. It’s moments like these, filled with simple joys and the comfort of community, that make the holiday season truly magical. What are your favorite holiday traditions? Share in the comments.
I can’t wait for you to join Hope and the gang in this cozy holiday mystery! Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the release date!
If you pre-order your copy of A CORPSE AMONG THE CAROLERS, you’ll receive a special gift. To receive yours, send a copy of your receipt to the email address [email protected] and then you’ll receive Hope’s holiday playlist, her holiday prep list and her Hope’s Cozy Kitchen recipe booklet filled with ten recipes. Offer expires on 11/11/24
For A CORPSE AMONG THE CAROLERS I put a call out for volunteers to test the recipes in the book and The Recipe Review Crew was born.
I’d like to take this moment and give a BIG shout-out to my amazing Recipe Review Crew—Tammy Barker, Maria Reyes Doktor, Chelsea Hatfield, Shannon Malloy, Donna Page, Debra Derbyshire, Kathleen Kendler, and Marijo Yates!
I’m thrilled to announce that A CORPSE AMONG THE CAROLERS, the seventh installment in the Food Blogger Mystery series, will be hitting shelves on November 12, 2024! Can you believe this is my 14th book? It’s surreal to think I’ve written that many stories, each one special in its own way. However, this upcoming release holds a particularly dear spot in my heart—primarily because it’s set during my favorite season: Christmas!
I absolutely adore everything about Christmas—the vibrant red ribbons, the charmingly imperfect gifts, and, of course, the endless variety of cookies. The holiday season is filled with joyful chaos, and while it can be a bit of a juggling act to get everything done, it’s all part of the fun. That got me wondering how my protagonist, Hope Early, would navigate her own holiday celebrations while also solving a murder mystery.
It’s release day for A CORPSE AT THE WITCHING HOUR, book six in the Food Blogger Mystery series and my thirteenth published book! Lucky 13.
I always have fun writing my books but this one was exceptionally fun because it takes place at Halloween and there’s a beautiful Victorian house that is rumored to be cursed. So. Much. Fun.
Hope Early has to contend with ghosts, a fatal curse, and a decades-old family secret to catch a killer in the new Food Blogger Mystery . . .
When her best friend’s Aunt Issy falls ill, food blogger Hope Early agrees to help him hand out Halloween candy at his aunt’s house, which is rumored to be cursed. A murder-suicide took place there a century ago, and legend has it that a woman has died there every twenty years since—on Halloween. Hope doesn’t really believe in curses or ghosts, but when all the trick-or-treaters are gone and she discovers a woman’s dead body on the front lawn, she wonders if the curse might be real after all.
Then Hope and her friend discover a cache of love letters linking the dead woman to Aunt Issy’s husband years ago, and Hope is certain they’ve uncovered the motive for murder—and the police are certain Aunt Issy is their main suspect. Determined to prove Issy’s innocence and nab the real culprit, Hope starts shaking other branches of the family tree. But she forgets that Halloween isn’t the only day people hide behind masks, and if she’s not careful, Hope will come face-to-face with a ghoulish fiend who’s not afraid to kill again . . .
Recipes included!
I have a favor to ask, after you read the book, please consider leaving a review of it at your preferred retailer’s website or on Goodreads or BookBub? Not sure how to write a review? Well, I have a post and a PDF that can help right here for you. Thank you!!!!
In my March newsletter I asked my readers what their favorite Food Blogger mystery novel was and my inbox was overflowing with replies. To date, there are five Food Blogger mysteries released. They are THE UNINVITED CORPSE, THE HIDDEN CORPSE, THREE WIDOWS AND A CORPSE, THE CORPSE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH and THE CORPSE IN THE GAZEBO.
Reading each email I received, I started seeing that the most favorite books among my readers were mine also! Now, as an author, I do love every book I write but I can’t help but have favorites.
Today I’ll share with you the top three books and why they’re my faves.
THE UNINVITED CORPSE –
This is the first book in the series and the first book I sold. It will always hold a special place in my heart. In this book, Hope Early is settling into her new life back in her hometown of Jefferson, CT. When her sister is accused of killing a rival real estate agent, Hope has no choice but to do a little of her own sleuthing to clear her sister.
As I wrote the first draft of this book, I created characters that I love and enjoy writing so much. Sally and Jane Merrifield are two characters that are a pure joy to write. There’s also Hope’s bestie, Drew Adams. When I plot out scenes that include the Merrifields with Hope and Drew, I know it’s going to be a great writing day. Then there’s Ethan Cahill, the police chief and longtime friend of Hope’s. They have a solid foundation and a mutual attraction.
Another character that was fun to create was Maretta Kingston. She’s such a sour person but she does love her hometown. Then there’s Elaine Whitcomb. What a hoot to write, especially the cooking lesson scene. There are so many more reasons why I love this book, but I don’t want to write…well a novel here. If you haven’t read THE UNINVITED CORPSE, I hope you’ll add it to your TBR.
THREE WIDOWS AND A CORPSE –
All I had when I sat down to write this book was an idea about a scavenger hunt and three widows bickering with each other and all three under the suspicion of murder.
When I began outlining the book, the scene where the bigamist is found dead and his widows are there, was a scene I was so looking forward to writing. But, as the plotting continued, another scene when the widows show up at Hope’s house quickly became my most anticipated scene to write. This book was so much fun to write that I was a little sad when I typed, The End.
THE CORPSE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH –
In this book, I loved connecting a twenty-year missing person’s case with a present-day murder. The book also includes a true crime podcast which gave me an opportunity to weave it into the story.
I felt as I was writing the book that there was a sinister vibe to it, not too much to make the story uncozy (yeah, that’s not a word, you understand what I’m talking about). For some reason, I think the killer reveal really underscored how we really don’t know people. Fun fact – my local library was used as the inspiration for the cover of the book.
To read more about the Food Blogger Mystery books click here and you’ll be directed to the series page.
If you haven’t tried the series yet, I hope you’ll give it a chance. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite book. Also, another Food Blogger mystery is coming this fall. More info on that will be coming soon.
If you have read the series, which book is your favorite?
It’s moments like these, filled with simple joys and the comfort of community, that make the holiday season truly magical. What are your favorite holiday traditions? Share in the comments.
