Cover blurb:
When Zoe Mack moves in with her grandparents to start college, she's thrown into more mystery than she bargained for. Her cousin, Emma, is terrorized by a stalker who breaks into her house and leaves a photo-shopped image of Emma hanging from a tree. Nothing is as it seems and Emma soon learns that even the man she thinks she can trust is suspect.
Zoe can't wait to reunite with Nate, the bad boy who doesn't talk about his feelings much, but the passionate kiss he gave her last summer had to have meant something. When she arrives back in town and discovers that he's in trouble with the law, she must take matters into her own hands in order to clear his name. She has her hands full with a needy Emma, a cop who gives her the creeps, and Nate, the guy she desperately wants to call her own. Can Zoe solve the mystery, clear Nate's name, and make him fall in love with her?
Writing Mysteries
Thanks for hosting me! You asked how it came about that I wrote a mystery. Zoe Mack and The Secret of the Love Letters is the first book in a new young adult mystery series. I like to call it, mystery heavy on the romance.
I grew up with Nancy Drew books. I must have read every one in the school library. Twice. The first Nancy Drew books I owned were a paperback collection in a special slipcase that were given to me as a gift by an elderly friend of the family. I still have those books and they're a prized part of my collection. At last count, I had over 1,000 Nancy Drew books, many of them dating back to the 1930s.
I love a good mystery, but I love romance also. Unfortunately, there aren't that many books that combine the two. Also, I like to read about characters who are little older than high school. That said, I wrote what I like to read.
Zoe Mack and her boyfriend, Nate Neitch, have graduated high school and are waiting to start college when Love Letters begins. Since I believe there's something missing from any book that doesn't have a good romance, going I wrote quite a bit of romance into the series.
I just finished the second book, Zoe Mack & A Case of Fatal Attraction, which will be out in June. The third book in the series, as yet unnamed, will release in December.
I've written a little bit of everything. Romantic suspense. Historical (WWII) romantic suspense. Contemporary romance. Young adult romance. I have to say, that mysteries are the most challenging to write. Everything has to come together like jigsaw puzzle. There must be clues, suspects, red herrings, and main characters who are believable, likeable, and capable.
I appreciate Martha so much and her getting together the cozy basket that will go to one lucky winner. In addition, I'll throw in a free download of Zoe Mack and The Secret of the Love Letters.
The "basket" is one to cozy up with on a winter's night. Cozy socks, a mug, tea bags, hot chocolate, instant coffee giving you a choice of beverages as well as cozy mytery or two to curl up and read are among the items to be included. The drawing will take place Friday. Have fun.
To register to win, please answer this question in the comment section, What is your favorite genre to read and why?
22 comments:
KDawn's writings are among my favorite. Easy to read and always well structured. My favorite genre is historical fiction. Inspirational writing of course. Thank you for this giveaway and the opportunity to win something very nice.
Blessings,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10 at tx dot rr dot com
I really love mysteries, I always have. I use to read a lot of Mary Higgins Clark's books. Also books by Colleen Coble, Dee Henderson, Mindy Starns Clark, and K. Dawn Byrd to name a few. I love mysteries because I pride myself on trying to solve the mystery before the end of the book! Sometimes I'm successful, sometimes I'm not! I just love a good edge of your seat mystery!!
Blessings!
Judy
judyjohn2004[at]yahoo[dot]com
Hey, Barb! It's good to see you here. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for the comment, Judy. I read more romantic suspense than anything, but I also enjoy a good mystery.
This sounds like a great new series! I love romantic suspense - a combination of all the best things about books. :)
Brooke
iblog4books [at] gmail [dot] com
What a fun contest. Thanks for the chance to enter. :)
Ann
Ann_Lee_Miller[at]msn[dot]com
Thanks so much for the comment, Brooke. It was a lot of fun to write.
Enjoyed reading the comments. I like reading mysteries and your book sounds really good.
JWisley@aol.com
I started out reading the Dana Girls mystery books when I was about 7 or 8. My sister had a large collection already and I would "stealthily sneak" into her room, grab a book, and hide in my closet with a flashlight! I was really into the sleuthing :) So, my first love was a good mystery, but I now enjoy Regency Era the best. Since you can't get an influx of those, I read and review a lot of historical fiction, and contemporary suspense.
Thanks, Martha for putting together a terrific sounding basket!
homesteading[at]charter[dot]net
I personally love a good mystery! Nothing better than trying to figure out whodunnit:) This sounds like a very interesting series! Thanks for the giveaway.
esterried[at]yahoo[dot]com
Romantic suspense is my favorite genre. I also enjoyed Nancy Drew books when I was growing up. I've got a couple from the 1930s also.
I remember saving up my money just so the next time we went to Louisville (the nearest city with a book store), I could buy my next Nancy Drew book.
Thanks for sharing today. i really enjoyed your post.
Joyfully,
Jackie
joyfuljel(at)gmaIL(DOT)com
Anne:
I don't read historicals unless they're WWII. I just can't get into them.
Jackie:
I also have a collection of Dana Girls, Hardy Boys, Blythe Girls, Judy Bolton, Connie Blair, etc. At last count, I was working on 21 different children's series. I haven't bought any in a long time.
Hi Martha and K. Dawn,
I enjoyed reading about your new book series. I love romantic suspense, but love a lot of other genre's as well (strictly mysteries, historical romance (mainly about the West), modern day romance, etc. I had read some Nancy Drew Mysteries when I was a kid and enjoyed them. I also loved Mary Higgins Clark's books as well. I will have to tell my teenage niece about your series - she loves the mystery/romance also. Thank you for the opportunity to win your giveaway!
God's Blessings,
Lori
triplel(at)evertek(dot)net
I'm having a hard time telling which is my favorite genre to read. I absolutely LOVE mystery but also romance and suspense. I think mystery and suspense go hand in hand, don't you? Mystery is NOT calm and easy going. Many times it is white-knuckle tense reading which feels a lot like suspense to me. I love other genres too, which makes this question even more hard to answer. Maybe you should let me answer which I don't like... uh, I haven't thought of one yet unless it is biographies or autobiographies about a sports hero.
Thanks for entering my in your drawing.
purensimplenatural at gmail dot com
I really love mysteries and especially the cozies as they are not quite as deep. This sounds like such a great book and am so thankful for the opportunity to be in the drawing. Thanks for entering me.
Blessings,
Jo
ladijo40(at)aol(dot)com
Pamela J:
I so agree that mystery and suspense go hand in hand. I like books that keep me guessing and on the edge of my seat.
I've written many genres and I have to say that mysteries are the hardest to write.
If I had to pick just one favorite genre, it would have to be Romance..because I enjoy Historical Romance, Contemporary Romance..anything romance! angadair@nwcable.net
Looks great, please add me to the drawing!
Librarybooks@religious.com
Hi K Dawn, I have been reading for over 60 yrs and the first books I read and remember were Nancy Drew so I have always loved mystery but I also love romance and still love Cinderella. A romance book with mystery is my favorite kind of book to read. With mystery I try to solve the mystery (love cozies) and with romance I just enjoy the story. I also like humor in my books.
Thanks for stopping by to chat and share with us and for opportunity to enter giveaway.
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
So glad everyone dropped in. My favorites are mystery and suspense. I love Brandilyn Collins' books as well as good murder mysteries.
Congratulations to Pamela J. You won the "cozy" prize.
Thanks for all the comments. You guys make me want to read something really good, but I don't have time right now because I'm on a tight deadline for the second Zoe Mack book.
WOW!! Thanks! Please let me know where to send my mailing address to. I'm REALLY looking forward to curling up and reading while sipping on the variety of beverages. We still have plenty of cold weather coming to enjoy them. (though don't need cold weather to enjoy sipping or reading, right?)
purensimplenatural at gmail dot com
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