#20 Yule Be Sorry

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Writing this Christmas mystery whet my appetite for doing more set at this special time of year. I’m currently outlining a romantic suspense set on a Montana guest ranch and Christmas tree farm. But I digress. 😆 

Yule Be Sorry is the 9th book in the Scottish Bakehouse Mystery series I introduced yesterday.  

Inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas Song

Summary: 

On the first day of Christmas, Molly Ferris’s true love gave to her . . . one of many anonymous pranks leading up to Loch Mallaig’s upcoming Yule Festival, an annual tradition celebrating the Michigan town’s Scottish heritage. Initially, Molly and her best friends, Laura Donovan and Carol MacCallan, are charmed by the silly “Twelve Days of Christmas” gifts showing up at their Scottish bakehouse, Bread on Arrival. However, the fifth day presents ghastly tidings—the murder of local real estate agent Eric Wright, who’s found dead with five golden rings on his fingers.

Discovered by the bakehouse’s new delivery boy, whose girlfriend’s family was facing the loss of their home for the holidays, Wright’s homicide soon engulfs the entire village in suspicion and conjecture. With a history of shady deals, the murdered Scrooge had a seemingly endless naughty list of people who could have killed him—and perhaps it was someone Molly and her friends know and trust.

With their business’s wellbeing threatened by their ties to the murder, the Bakehouse Three resolve to solve the mystery of who silenced Wright’s night. Soon, the three Scottish hens realize that not only is their livelihood at stake but their lives as well. They must uncover the murderer before the killer gets to them—otherwise, they might be three bakers-a-dying. 

Find Scottish Bakehouse Mysteries at Annie’s Fiction. 

Subscribe to the Scottish Bakehouse Mysteries Bookclub to receive 1 hard cover book a month ($14.99) , or every two weeks ($10.99), or to receive 1 Ebook a month ($5.99). You can sometimes find individual books being sold second hand. 

I found several used copies of Yule Be Sorry for sale online at Amazon. But if you enjoy cozy mysteries and love everything Scottish, you’ll want to get the entire set of these! 

Our Next Two Complimentary Book Recipients are: 

Congratulations Velma and Marlene! I’ll be in touch.  

 

#19 ~ Lass and Found

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads! 

I’ll let you know our 10 winners of the rafflecopter, as soon as I receive the names from the coordinator!

On to the 19th book in my 25 book retrospective:

Lass and Found Is the fourth book in the 24-book, multi-author Scottish Bakehouse Mysteries, set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This was another super-fun series to write. It follows the exploits of three former college roommates, now in their fifties, as they reunite to open a bakery in bonny Loch Mallaig, Michigan, a place where the iconic sounds of Great Highland bagpipes fill the air, kilts never go out of fashion, and mysteries surface with curious regularity.

This particular story isn’t a murder mystery, but a missing person mystery.

Lass and Found Book Cover
Click the image to read the back cover blurb

I hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!

Day #18 ~ Absent Without Leaf

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

I live fairly close to the “Comfort Maple,” widely believed to be the oldest sugar maple tree in Canada, at 400-500 years old.  A bike ride to see the tree, combined with my granddaughter’s tales of her fun at a summer day camp, seeded the idea for this story. 

But of course, the mystery is far more sinister than it sounds. Or is it? 😎 

Click the image to read the book blurb

My research into old growth forests on Orcas Island was particularly fascinating. And as it turns out, Orcas Island is home to some of the few remaining in the state.

Last Chance:

Win 1 of 10 copies of Boughs of Folly

Day 17 ~ Weeds of Doubt

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Weeds of Doubt is my second contribution to the Victorian Mansion Mysteries. Kaylee Bleu, the sleuth in this cozy mystery series, is a former forensics botanist professor turned flower shop owner on beautiful Orcas Island.

For this particular story, spotting a potentially poisonous weed on the shoreline while out kayaking inspired this story. Then I tossed in a high school reunion, because… 

There’s always at least one former high school nemesis someone wants to murder, right? Not me, of course! 😳 

Click the image to read the back cover blurb

Last Day to Download A Fool and His Monet for FREE!

Get it for: Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Google Play, and iBook

Book Recipient # 10

A huge thanks to all those who are following along with these “25th Book Celebration” blogs and Facebook posts. Celebrating this milestone wouldn’t be any fun without you. 😀 

Congratulations to Eileen Astels, you’re our tenth book recipient. Please let me know which book you’d like me to send you.  

P.S. The rafflecopter giveaway closes to new entries Saturday at midnight. Enter here: Win 1 of 10 copies of Boughs of Folly

Day 16 ~ On Pens and Needles

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

On Pens and Needles is scary # 13 in the Secrets of Castleton Manor Library cozy mystery series from Annie’s Fiction. I LOVE this multi-author series. Before writing my contribution, I had the privilege of reading many of the earlier books to acquaint myself with the continuing characters and Cape Cod setting (picture Bitmore estate). 

Prefer listening to your books?

This is the second series Annie’s Fiction now offers as audio books. 

book cover art
Click the image to read the back cover blurb

Thanks for joining me in this daily retrospect of my first 25 novels. Just 9 more to go. But…

Tomorrow is the Last Day to Snag your Free Novel.

So don’t delay. Download your digital copy of A Fool and His Monet for free for:  Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Google Play, and iBook

If you missed my posts on this fun series, they start here: 

Day 11 ~ A Fool and His Monet

And there’s a couple of days left to enter the 10 book rafflecopter giveaway for Boughs of Folly. 

Today, I’m also being interviewed at: 

the Christian Authors Network. Please stop by and say hello. 🙂 

 

Day 15 ~ Digging Up Secrets

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Between my horticultural research for my Port Aster Secrets series and the endless challenges of maintaining our century farmhouse, I had plenty of creative fodder for the Victorian Mansion Flower Shop Mysteries Annie’s Fiction contracted me to write. 

Then it happened…

Our well stopped working. Only, the wellhead was buried and we didn’t know where it was! So…we started digging near where the pipe entered the basement wall. And by the time we found the wellhead, we’d dug a grave-size hole. 

Of course, then I’m thinking: What if we find a body in the hole?

And the plot for Digging Up Secrets was born. 

Click the image to read the back cover blurb.

Thankfully, we didn’t find a body, but poor Kaylee did at the flower shop she took over from her grandmother on beautiful Orcas Island, Washington.

Now that would’ve been a lovely spot to indulge in a research trip!  

Purchase Options for the Victorian Mansion Flower Shop Mysteries

I’ve written 3 novels in the 24-book series. They are available in hardcover or Ebook by subscription to Annie’s Fiction for the entire multi-author series. A limited number of one-time-purchase bundles (3, 6, and 12 book bundles) are also available for this series here: https://anniesfiction.com/shop#bundles and here: https://anniescatalog.com/arts_and_crafts/list.html?cat_id=2528 The second site also features Annie’s magazines and crafts, and often has sales. For example, yesterday they were offering 20% off everything on the site.

Twenty-plus years ago I subscribed to Annie’s CrossStitch magazine. I never imagined that one day I’d be writing for them! 

Book Giveaway #9 

Congratulations to Barbara Raymond, your name was drawn from amongst the commenters on this blog since May 30th. I’ll send you your choice of one of my first 24 books (some titles have limited availability). Email me to let me know your choice and mailing address. 

For Everyone else…there’s more giveaways to come. 

Be sure to download your free copy of A Fool and His Monet before Friday. 

And enter the rafflecopter giveaway for my newest release, Boughs of Folly.Boughs of Folly cozy mystery 

 

Day 14 ~ The Hound and the Fury

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Lots of Firsts

The Hound and the Fury was my first Annie’s Fiction title, my first cozy mystery, my first audio book, and my first Amish setting, although the main character isn’t Amish. 

cover art for the Hound and the Fury

Audio Books

I discovered last night, while writing this post, that I now have books in audio! How cool is that?

They’re reasonably priced too. You can subscribe to receive one audio book in the Amish Inn Mysteries every three weeks for $5.99, (same price as Ebooks). The Hound and The Fury is #17 of 24. 

Back Cover Blurb:

A dog show has come to Pleasant Creek, and Liz Eckardt is hosting both two- and four-footed guests at the Olde Mansion Inn. After a busy day of Christmas preparations, a visit to the dog show seems like the perfect way to unwind. 

But more than a few people are barking mad at one of the judges. It seems he has a predilection for pets of the toy variety, and owners of the big dogs may not be getting a fair shake. When the judge goes belly-up, stabbed with Liz’s knife, Liz knows she must jump into action. Someone’s committed murder in the first pedigree, but who? 

Meanwhile, one of Liz’s guests has hightailed it out of town. Convinced her guest’s disappearance is not just a clever trick, Liz can’t help but nose around. Turns out the murdered man had more than one enemy willing to fight tooth and nail to see him dead–and some of them lie sleeping under Liz’s own roof. 

Can Liz and her pack of pals, Amy, Beans, and the Material Girls, collar a criminal before more trouble is unleashed?

The Inspiration

This is Bella and that’s the acting award she won for a production my daughter produced. She doesn’t actually do that many tricks, but she does them with enthusiasm! 😆 And her love of doing anything for a cookie, along with a neighbour’s yard full of dog agility equipment inspired the dog competition venue for this murder mystery. 

I’m still giving away books

I still have 17 more books to give away in my 25-book giveaway in celebration of the release of my 25th novel this month, so if The Hound and the Fury sounds like a book you’d like to read, let me know in the comments.  

Ten of the books left to give away will be through this rafflecopter giveaway. There’s only 4 days left to enter, so don’t delay! 

Win 1 of 10 copies of Boughs of Folly

Today is the LAST Day: 

Download Identity Withheld for only $1.99 for:

Kindle from Amazon US, from Amazon Canada , iBook from Apple, Nook,  EPub from HQN, GooglePlay, and Kobo 

You can also still…

Download A Fool and His Monet for free. Get it for: Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Google Play, and iBook

Day 13 ~ Over Maya Dead Body

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

As you can tell, my editorial team and I had a lot of fun creating punny titles for my Serena Jones Mysteries. Over Maya Dead Body, about smuggled Mayan antiquities, was the final instalment in the series…at least for now.

I sincerely still hope to write Easy Come Easy Go, A Cezanne for Love, and whatever other fun titles present themselves. 🙂 

Midwest books review: another deftly crafted masterpiece

The Spoilers Facebook Chat Group

After Over Maya Dead Body released, an awesome Serena fan from Australia, Katie Donovan, suggested we start a Facebook group where readers could discuss the books, and commiserate over broken dreams (if Serena didn’t choose their male pick). She even volunteered to be the group’s admin with me, and so the “Let’s Chat About Serena Spoiler Group” was born!

It’s on Facebook and to join the group, you need to answer 3 questions to prove you’ve read the books, (or at least the final one), because we sure don’t want to spoil the ending for you. 😆 

Since it’s been 5 years since Over Maya Dead Body released, we don’t chat much these days. But new readers, who hear about the group, trickle in from time to time, and it’s always fun to hear what they thought about the ending. I’ve also shared deleted scenes there that I didn’t want to share publicly, because they’d be spoilers to those who haven’t read the books. There’s even a fan fiction proposal from one of our members for the opening of the next Serena Jones mystery. 😎 

So…if you’re reading A Fool and His Monet for the first time, or the hundredth…

You do know A Fool and His Monet is FREE this week, right? 

Get it for your favourite device or all of them:

Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Google Play, and iBook

…when you finish the series, consider joining the chat group. You’ll be the first to hear when that elusive next instalment finally comes to fruition. 

Our Eighth Book Recipient: 

In honour of the chat group, today’s recipient was randomly chosen from that group. Congratulations Pam Kellogg! Let me know which book you’d like. And as a special thank you, Katie Donovan and Laurie Benner, I want to send you books too. Let me know your picks. (We won’t count those 2 toward the 25 book giveaway 😉 )

In other News…

Tomorrow is the last day to get Identity Withheld at the special $1.99 price. 

And you still have all this week to enter the rafflecopter giveaway for Boughs of Folly. 10 books to be given away!

 

Day 12 ~ Another Day Another Dali

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Kirkus Review of Another Day Another Dali

 

When Life and Fiction Intersect

My favourite scene from this book depicts Serena babysitting a friend’s toddler, by the name of Jed. My own grandson was the inspiration for this scene, and I loved the scene so much, I dedicated the book to him. But the very night after I submitted my draft to the editor, complete with its dedication, I received the scariest call of my life and feared the dedication would be to my sweet grandson’s memory. 

Thankfully, that night and through the many weeks that followed, the Lord mightily answered our prayers (and those of thousands upon thousands of friends of friends of friends around the world), and Jed is growing into a fine young man. 

 

But there’s another eerie connection between that same scene in the story and my life that summer–a connection I didn’t realize until I reviewed Another Day Another Dali’s bonus features while writing this blog. 

Serena’s response to Matt’s plea for her to babysit was:

“…someone tried to make a bus sandwich out of my car last night. You don’t want me anywhere near your child right now.”

Matt’s face went pasty, but he shook his head. “It can’t be helped. I’ve got no one else close enough. I’ve got to get Tracey to the hospital. There’s something wrong, but she refuses to go in with Jed along. She doesn’t want him to be frightened. She almost died with the last—” His voice faltered.  

A month and a half after Jed’s near fatal accident, my daughter-in-law experienced Matt’s pregnant wife’s scenario. Once again, our prayers were thankfully answered. Mom and baby (born under 2 lbs) survived and thrived. And we celebrated blessings upon blessings. 

Now whenever I hear Cory Asbury’s “Death Where is Thy Sting” song, I’m immediately transported back to that summer. 

Death, where is your sting?
Grave, where is your victory?
He’s alive, He’s alive
He’s risen

 

Have a wonderful Sunday! 

Check out yesterday’s post for current freebies, deals and giveaways. Tomorrow, I’ll post the next book recipient in my 25 book giveaway to celebrate the release of my 25th book. 

Day 11 ~ A Fool and His Monet

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

Funnest Story to Write Ever!

I absolutely loved every aspect of writing A Fool and HIs Monet, about FBI Special Agent Serena Jones and the art crimes she investigates.  

First of all, St. Louis–Serena’s hometown–is an amazing city to explore. 

My friend Vicki McCollum and her sister-in-law treated me to an in-depth tour of the city’s neighborhoods, eateries, famous places, hospitals, the art museum and all the other awesome destinations within the amazing Forest Park. We explored potential locations for Serena’s apartment, her folks’ home, the locales of various crimes and so much more. 

Secondly, I was permitted to visit Serena’s workplace, the FBI headquarters in St. Louis, and interview her real world counterpart. What an enlightening experience that was. 

Then there was the fascinating research into art crimes and how they’re investigated. 

We all lose a piece of our common heritage when art is stolen.

Creating Serena Jones

Lastly, creating the character of Serena Jones was a delicious escapade all its own!

her quirky characters are laugh-out-loud funny and reminiscent of...

 

The Serena Jones Mysteries were my first foray into writing in first person, and I discovered I really enjoy writing in that point of view. Of course, it helps when the character has as active a thought life as Serena. The two great–and seemingly opposite–guys in her life helps too. 😆 

I'm pretty sure this is not what my mom meant when she said I needed more men in my life.

Serena’s personality is partly based on my experience growing up as the daughter of British parents and is partly inspired by my friend Laurie Benner’s quirks and wit. I affectionately call Laurie Serena’s alter ego. 😎 

We spent many laughter-filled evenings hashing out several scenes.

Did I mention the guys in Serena’s life? 😉 

Their relationships are strictly friends, but I invited readers to tell me which of the two she should end up with at the end of the series. Unfortunately, my publisher decided to end the series after only three books, which meant mere months after this book released, the tally had to be taken. 

And what a heated race it was! 

His gaze skittered from my Glock to my face...

Download A Fool and His Monet for FREE

The best news of all is that for the next 6 days, you can download a digital copy of A Fool and His Monet for free!

Get it for: Kindle, Kobo, Nook, Google Play, and iBook

Although if you prefer holding a book in your hands, some retailers still have print copies for sale. 

If you missed downloading Deadly Devotion for FREE, today is your last day. 

You can also still enter: the rafflecopter giveaway for Boughs of Folly. 

Your Turn:

Are you a Serena Jones fan? 

P.S. Our 7th book recipient is…

Randomly selected from amongst newsletter subscribers, today’s recipient is: “jers1958.” Congratulations! I’ve sent you an email to ask you which book you’d like mailed.