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

Check out this New Romantic Suspense Book Club

Posted on: by Sandra Orchard

2021 marks the beginning of a new series from Annie’s Fiction

The series is called Sweet Intrigue and features standalone romantic suspense. I’m super-excited to be amongst the many authors writing for this 12-book club.  

When you subscribe to the club, you’ll receive one hardcover book every four weeks (or an Ebook if you prefer), starting with Betrayal of Trust by DeAnna Julie Dodson.

About Betrayal of Trust:

Grieving widow Julianne Montgomery is starting over in the Midwest town where she grew up. Still reeling from the recent death of her husband, nothing could’ve prepared her for the shock of seeing him show up at her door late one night, very much alive, injured, and insistent that she’s in danger.

Are you intrigued? 

My first contribution to the series is Dangerous at Heart . I don’t have the cover art or official book blurb to share with you yet, but those details will be coming soon. The book releases April 16th, 2021

About Dangerous at Heart by Sandra Orchard: 

After the police pin the fatal hit-and-run of their town’s beloved doctor on a dead man, witness Laura Brennan teams up with the doc’s nephew, Garrett Simons, to find the real killer. But when Laura asks her cousin, an aide to the state senator, to use her political pull to help them, her cousin disappears. What they discover in their search for her cousin, and for the truth, is a web of lies, corruption and coverups, surrounding the state’s largest manufacturer and perhaps the senator herself. But can they ferret out the facts and figure out who can be trusted to bring the perpetrators to justice, before they’re silenced too.

If stay-at-home orders have you down,

this might be just the series you need to get your blood pumping. Best of all, it will be delivered right to your mailbox, or inbox. 🙂 You can also cancel at anytime. 

Go to Annie’s Fiction for all the details about how to join the club.