ANNOUNCING–A NEW WHODUNNIT MYSTERY SERIES! Plus…a story for you!
Hi, friends! I’m so excited to announce that I’ve joined a band of marvelous Christian authors writing the newest series of Ever After Mysteries—novels based on fairytale plots, set in the 1940s. I’m a new kid on this block, and I’m having a blast getting to know these fine ladies and their work. A Troll Falls by Marji Laine is ready to read, released this month! You can read about it at the end of this blog, and don’t forget to enter the Giveaway and join the Facebook Readers Group, too!
But for starters, how about a mini-mystery for you today? Even better, a serial mystery?! If you want to start at the beginning, here are the links from some our fabulous authors:
Why Would Anyone Send Beautiful, Thorny Roses with Strange Messages?
Here’s my contribution…and wrap-up:
Weird.
I had heard the chatter from my writing buds—Marji Laine, Chautona Havig, Liz Tolsma, Kathleen Robison, and Joanne Markey—about receiving mysterious roses and strange notes. Messages like, “Your day has come.” “You’re next.” “Your turn is coming.” “Yours is coming.” “Coming, yours is.”
There could be a lot of mischief behind those threatening words. Perhaps sinister warnings of foul play. After all, we share a common interest in mayhem, right? Even though it’s all fictional and in good fun, ha ha….
But who knows what could be on those flowers and thorns…poison or bomb chemicals? What if this involved a conspiracy? I thought my friends were a little naïve to just pass this off as a harmless gesture. I didn’t want my amazing compatriots harmed in any way! My brain fried at the thought.
Me? If I had gotten an odd delivery like theirs, I’d have called in a report to the FBI (well, at least I’d have chatted with the secretary for our town’s police chief). I’d stay calm, collected, serious, alert.
And then…I stepped out onto my porch early this cool morning with a cup of tea in hand and stumbled across…a red rose. Like the ones my friends found. It had a note attached, too. Folded up, where I couldn’t see its contents.
I stood there trembling, my oversized tea mug sprinkling hot droplets in every direction. Wild thoughts pinged around inside my skull like Bumble Balls. “Okay, okay,” I said to myself. “Get a grip. Do I call the cops? Or read the note?”
I must’ve stood there a good ten minutes arguing with myself. Over a silly flower. I grabbed the barbecue tongs from our grill cabinet, picked up the rose with them, carried it to the porch table at arm’s length, and sat down. I carefully unfolded the paper.
Whew. It’s a good thing I chose to read the note, instead of calling 911. Turns out, the note for me was newsworthy. Things began to congeal in my morning-mush of cerebral cells.
“Yours is the last rose,” it began. “Your day is coming…but right now, it’s Marji’s day for murder. A Troll Falls is ready for readers, so scatter the news like rose petals. Or else.”
I guessed that the rose is a reminder…a not-so-subtle nudge from our publishing team, urging me to step up to the plate and spread the word about Ever After Mysteries. You see, I’ve joined forces with other authors at Celebrate Lit Publishing in this brand-new series of whodunnits. Our novels are based on fairytale plots, set in the 1940s, and the series has launched this month.
I finally had the good sense to look up from the note. Who’d brought this? Most of the Celebrate Lit folks are way out West, and I’m here in the mountains of Appalachia. FedEx isn’t in the habit of delivering single roses unless some kind of barcode is attached.
That’s when I saw him…a hunched-over figure, lurking in the shadows beyond the holly trees. He was clothed in black, hat pulled low, scarf across his face. But those eyes—creepy, with the merest hint of a smirk. A quick nod, a barely-audible cackle, and he bounded off into the still-dark woods across the street.
I shivered.
This wasn’t your usual book promotion. Who knew ogres delivered roses to unsuspecting authors? Has Amazon started hiring troll drivers? And what, of course, would my neighbors think if they saw all this going on??? Surely it’s all just innocent fun!
I know I’ll eventually get to the bottom of this, but for now, I can only assume it’s an unexpected little ploy from our impressive Celebrate Lit team, to keep all us authors on task, and serious, in supporting each other—giving us a “rose for a Rose.”
Marji Laine is our first author out of the gate, with her book A Troll Falls. It’s loosely based on a tale called Snow White and Rose Red, and there’s a sure-enough murder in it to keep readers on edge. Will the murderer turn out to be the duplicitous boyfriend? Or someone else in Marji’s covey of characters? Marji’s new book is a captivating story with romance, intrigue, and, of course, an evil villain. Check out the description down below!
Want your own FREE copy of this very first book in the series? Look no further than this little giveaway link—enter right now, and maybe you’ll get a winner’s email in your inbox…perhaps with the words, “Yours is coming!” This giveaway starts Sunday, March 12:
https://promosimple.com/ps/24b08/a-troll-falls-nancy
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A Troll Falls
Murder. Even the word sounds ugly. Almost as ugly as the corpse on the shore.
Dallas, Texas, 1948
Opal Stedman enjoys caring for old Mrs. Farnesworth. But keeping her sister Ruby out of trouble, well that is another issue entirely. Especially now that Ruby has stepped into high society with her new beau. A dubious man. Maybe even duplicitous.
Even the handsome security guard warns her sister about him.
When a body is dragged onto the shore of the lake that borders their home, rumors and worries over the new man become assurances. But why has he involved her household in these gruesome shenanigans?
And why are Opal’s loved ones suddenly having “accidents”?
Loosely based on the little-known fairy tale of “Snow White and Rose Red,” this mystery twists its way all along the banks of White Rock Lake during its heyday.
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You can order A Troll Falls right now from Amazon at this link: https://amzn.to/3Kb9XbN
And when you order, send your receipt and US shipping address to ATROLLFALLS@gmail.com for a special gift with purchase, while supplies last!
More Mysteries Ahead!
Thanks for scrolling through our little mini-mystery blogs, and if you have any questions or want to share your thoughts, please comment below. My Ever After Mystery comes out in November this year, To Love a Falcon. It’s based on an obscure Russian fairytale called Finist the Falcon, but it involves a real-life murder. I’m excited to share the story with you, and I’m eager to read each of the releases in this series as well. Join the Facebook Ever After Mysteries Readers Group below—happy reading!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1464998577367257
Nancy c. williams 