Author of paranormal and romantic suspense. Follow her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alicia-Dean/131939826889437) or twiiter (https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_)
I do paranormal investigations with a group near where I live, and I attended my very first ghost hunt with them a few nights before Halloween. About ten of us visited Old Dunstable Cemetery where some victims of a 1702 Indian massacre are buried. It’s the oldest cemetery in Nashua, dating back from when the land was part of Massachusetts. The earliest burial dates from 1687. Researchers had found the victims’ names, so we were able to locate their gravestones. The only equipment I had at the time were my dowsing rods and a digital camera. While others in the group made their attempts to contact spirits, I stood before a gravestone that read: this Man, with Seven more, that lies in this Grave; was Slew, All in a day, by the Indiens.
Holding my rods, I asked a few questions: Did you die in the massacre? Were you born here? You can only ask simple yes or no questions and ask the rods to cross for yes and separate for no. I got answers to all my questions. I then stood before another stone reading:
Rev. Thomas Weld, Born June 1653, Settled as the first minister of the church in Dunstable Dec. 1685
probably massacred by the Indians while defending the settlement June 7, 1702, age 49. All the while, I felt a strong presence, and immediately began feeling dizzy and lightheaded. I found that this happens quite frequently when I ghost hunt. I’ve never seen a ghost, but have felt presences near me, and always get dizzy when I sense someone is nearby. I took several photos throughout the cemetery, and some came out with brightly colored arcs among the tombstones. I didn’t dare visit that graveyard on Halloween night!
How a Ghost Helped Solve a Murder in FROM HERE TO FOURTEENTH STREET
My heroine Vita Caputo lived on Mott Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. In 1894, her fiancé Tom’s cousin Mike was found murdered in an alley next to her tenement building. Prejudice against Italian immigrants and the generally corrupt police force went to work accusing and convicting Vita’s father and brother of the crime. As they languished in The Tombs, the infamous prison, Vita, Tom, and gifted medium Jadwiga Wisen held a seance with a Ouija board that spelled out “frame” when Jadwiga asked who the true killer was. Frame? Yes, of course, Vita’s dad and brother were framed–they were innocent. But when Tom went home and looked at his window frame, it gave him an idea–there’s more than one kind of frame. He went to Vita’s apartment, inspected her window frame, and discovered clues that led to the arrest of the true killer of his cousin–I won’t give away any more!
Ingredients: 3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese 2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt 1 tbsp. flour (gluten free if need be) 2 tbsp. honey 1/4 tsp. salt 4 egg whites 2 tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, no sugar added
Directions:
Place everything in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a greased or parchment lined cake pan or a mini scone pan.
The thirteenth of thirteen creepy tales of murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th…
Blurb:
Is the ghostly figure haunting a long-forgotten cemetery a restless spirit or a cruel prank?
Passaway, a small town that embodies Old Florida, is quickly developing a reputation as one of the most haunted locations in the Sunshine State, much to the dismay of its close-knit residents. The discovery of a long-forgotten cemetery with a dark history attracts the attention of a well-known ghosthunter, who launches an unauthorized investigation into the town and its past.
When shocking footage of an eerie shrouded figure wandering through the crypts and headstones goes viral, Police Chief Michael Ligon and his wife, Ivy, must contend with an influx of supernatural enthusiasts and the celebrity ghosthunter who’s hellbent on making a name for himself at the town’s expense.
Is the specter really a ghost, another of Passaway’s tortured spirits, or just an elaborate hoax? In a town where the unexplained has a way of demanding explanation, the truth will reveal itself but there are some who won’t like it when the past gives up its secrets.
The twelfth of thirteen creepy tales of murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th…
Blurb:
Detective Eric Guilliot has time on his hands. Lots of it. Mainly because he’s dead, and only a select few of the Living can see him, especially those with demon blood. One exception is his non-demon ex, Elaine, but their friendship is newly mended, and he can’t burden her with his troubles. For one thing, she’s happily married. For another, her mafia family, the Bunofiglios, are the ones who forced Eric to abandon her and their son twenty years ago, and who more recently caused Eric’s death.
So when he discovers Elaine’s niece can see him and wants his help solving a decades-old family mystery, it seems like a fun way to pass part of eternity. But as they unravel the scandal of a pregnant nun, her baby, and an attempt to infuse demon blood into the Buonfiglio Family, will the secrets they unearth bring justice…or destroy more lives?
Please help me welcome today’s guest, Mary Ann Jacobs with The Berkshire Mystery series: Don’t Mess With Me and Peril in Pitman
Welcome, Mary Ann…please tell us a little about yourself.
I was born in Ohio and lived in Detroit, Chicago, and California. I now live in Kentucky where I raised my two children.
My father was Lebanese, and this background influenced the character of Sadie, who is a refugee from Lebanon and works in her Aunt Florence’s restaurant in Pittman.
I spend my time writing, running a Writers’ Workshop, keeping tabs on my five grandchildren, playing bridge, and participating in many clubs in our area.
Where did you get the idea for the title for Don’t Mess with Me in the Berkshire Mystery Series?
The title for Don’t Mess with Me was based on the character of Sadie who is feisty and stands for all women who are not meek and mild. The title for Peril in Pittman was dictated by the action of the ISIS character who was tracking down former members of the Resistance movement in Lebanon who had settled in this small Berkshire Mountain town.
I picked this cozy mystery genre because I was going crazy during the isolation of covid. I walked, wrote poetry and sent out a poem a day to my friends. I read cozy mysteries because they made me feel good and watched Hallmark mysteries because of the happy endings. I finally decided to try my own hand at the cozy mystery genre.
The most difficult thing about writing a book is finding the time to write for long periods of time. I was used to writing in short periods of time.
Do you have another occupation, other than writer? If so, what is it and do you like it?
I have taught all grades from kindergarten to college. I thoroughly enjoyed discovering the uniqueness of the students at each grade level. Just to keep my skills sharp, I will occasionally assess students who though I don’t have much time for that.are struggling to learn and sometimes tutor,
What do you love that most people don’t like and wouldn’t understand why you do?
Now that I’m retired, people don’t understand why I keep so busy. My calendar is fuller than ever, and I love every minute of it, except for doctor appointments.
Do you collect anything?
Just rejections for my writings over the years
What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?
Interruptions. I’ve always said I need to go to a quiet secluded cabin in the woods for a month each year.
What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?
Charlotte’s Web is my favorite book of all time. Any book by Dr. Seuss is a favorite childhood book. The fact that Dr. Seuss had 37 rejections for And to Think that I Saw It on Mulberry Street gives me hope to keep on writing.
What do you want readers to come away with after they read Don’t Mess with Me and Peril in Pittman?
I want my readers to have a sense of accomplishment that they have unraveled a complicated plot with characters who have come to life and grown before their eyes. I want readers to feel that they have been an active part of the Super Sleuths and enjoyed themselves along the way by learning all about the Berkshire Mountains’ many festivals and entertainment and even enjoyed the characters’ hints of romance.
Have you written any other books that are not published?
I have written many children’s books, including a collection of modern fables but haven’t had any luck with publishing them. I also wrote a book teaching people of all ages how to write poetry called So You Want to Write Poetry.
How did you come up with the title?
I came up with the title for Don’t Mess with Me because of the main character of Sadie, who is a feisty and accomplished young woman. I came up with the title for book 2 Peril in Pittman because an assassin is stalking people who were in the Resistance in Lebanon and have come to live in the small town of Pittman in the Berkshire Mountains.
Was there anything unusual, any anecdote about this book, the characters, title, process, etc. you’d like to share?
I have always believed that my characters dictate the story. Unfortunately, they tend to wait until I am asleep to wake me and make themselves known. When I was writing Don’t Mess with me, my muse woke me, so I got out my notebook in the dark so as to not wake my husband. When I woke the next day and went to transfer the story to the computer, I found that I had written on top of another writing and couldn’t decipher the night’s inspiration.
When I was writing Peril in Pittman, I was awakened by my character telling me in no uncertain words that I couldn’t make him my assassin because he was too nice. It seemed so real that I went back the next morning, reread that chapter, and realized he was right. I had to find another assassin because the first one was too likeable.
What is the most difficult thing about writing a book? What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?
When I wrote the first book, I made a timeline and followed it diligently. When I wrote the second, I cut corners by deciding I didn’t need the timeline, so when my first editors were reading the first draft, they would say things like, “This hasn’t happened yet. The character hasn’t heard about this, etc.” Needless to say, it took me more time to correct the timeline that it would have to create a timeline before writing.
Book 2 in the Berkshire Mystery Series, Peril in Pittman
Fear has engulfed the tight-knit community of Pittman. Join the Super Sleuths as they unmask a thief and not 1 but 3 hitmen. Meet the members of the Geezer Book Club and discover the future plans of the characters you first met and loved in Don’t Mess with Me, Book 1 in the BerkshireMystery Series.
Excerpt:
Chapter 11
Another Secret
After the fest planning meeting, Lola left the bookstore and went to the town square. She sat on her thinking bench as the cool breezes invaded her lightweight jacket and leaves blew around like a flock of colorful butterflies. She couldn’t enjoy the scene because her mind was reeling, and she was afraid that someone would discover the one secret that she had never shared with anyone.
After Mr. Brump announced that he was an ex-cop from Chicago, Lola flinched. Mr. Brump was staring at her. Lola had first met him in Grant Park in Chicago. She recognized him when he first came into the Bookworm Shop. She didn’t think he recognized her then. Did Mr. Brump recognize her now?
Lola remembered it well. Mr. Brump was one of the officers present when I went to Grant Park to identify my mom’s body. Now I’m in trouble. Does he have any idea about my secret?
The eleventh of thirteen creepy tales of murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th…
Crow Girl by Alicia Dean
Fun Fact:
I am obsessed with Mr. Ballen. If you aren’t familiar with him, you should definitely check out his YouTube channel and podcasts. He tells all sorts of fascinating, often crazy and creepy tales. And he’s a fabulous story teller. He’s also not bad-looking and is a former navy seal, so there is that… 🙂
Many of his stories have given me plot ideas but I hadn’t actually written books from any of those ideas…until now. I got the idea for Crow Girl from an incredible story about a young girl who was befriended by crows (see the video below). Now, of course, in my book, things don’t turn out as heartwarming as they did in the true story.
Ten-year-old Twyla Gillette was abandoned by her mother and placed in an abusive foster home. Teased unmercifully by her classmates, she has no friends—other than the crows. As a toddler, she shared her food with the birds and they befriended her, bringing her gifts and always looking out for her, protecting her.
When the teasing turns to vicious bullying, and her foster family’s abuse becomes more relentless, Twyla relies on the crows to make things right.
It’s not that she wants her friends to hurt anyone…but sometimes wicked people have to learn a lesson.
Excerpt:
When Mr. Lambert got home that night, Twyla was in big trouble. Everybody was talking about Braden being missing, so they were occupied with that and, instead of a spanking, she just got yelled at. The worst thing, though…they took her Raggedy Ann doll away from her. They told her she would get it back when she learned how to behave. She did her best to hold back her tears but couldn’t. She cried and begged, but they didn’t give in. Ms. Lambert snatched the doll from her bed and stalked down the hallway, disappearing into her room with Twyla’s prized possession. How would she sleep at night without her doll to cuddle?
After Twyla finished washing the supper dishes, she went out into the back yard. It was dusk but still fairly light outside. She looked up in the sky for the birds, but they were nowhere around. No doll…no birds. She was feeling very alone. And, other than at school, it would probably be a while before she could see Hester, with the Lamberts being so angry with her. When she got close to the bird bath, she noticed something new lying in the center of it. She frowned, trying to figure out what it was. She drew closer and saw that it was a round whiteish object with red stringy things hanging off of it. Putting her face closer to it, but not wanting to touch it, she got a really good look. She slapped her hand over her mouth to stifle a scream. The thing lying in the center of the birdbath, looking up toward the sky, was an eyeball.
About the Author:
At age 10, Alicia Dean wrote her first ever romance (featuring a hero who looked just like Elvis Presley and who shared the name of Elvis’ character in the movie, Tickle Me), and she still has the tattered, pencil-written copy. Alicia lives in Edmond, Oklahoma, where she enjoys reading, writing, MLB, NFL and watching (and rewatching) her favorite television shows like Dexter, Justified, and Breaking Bad. Some of her favorite authors are Michael Connelly, Dennis Lehane, Lee Child, Lisa Gardner, Ridley Pearson, Joseph Finder, and Jonathan Kellerman…to name a few.
The tenth of thirteen creepy tales of murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th…
PRISM by Wendy W Webb
Fun Fact:
(photo by Nadine Doerle)
I love gargoyles. I’ve admired them on the Munsterplatz in Freiburg, Germany, on the cathedral of St. John the Divine in NYC, watching over the Washington National Cathedral and even the great Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. Some gargoyles represent mythological creatures and animals, and some embody people—or is it some people embody gargoyles? PRISM explores human transfiguration in a few different ways, but you know what? There are plenty more where those came from!
Find Wendy’s Friday the 13th story here…
Blurb:
At first they hid in the dark, as she did now. Then some of them stepped forth. They didn’t speak to her at first. They didn’t kill. At first.
She retreated deeper into the darkest place she could go—in case they killed again. From the dark she could watch them. In the dark she was safe. At least she imagined she was safe.
And there, she whisper her stories.
Excerpt:
The Girl shivered more from fear than cold, then retreated even deeper into her mind….
Delicate instruments and tiny probes replaced picks and shovels. They found row after row of heads erupted from the floor of the earthen pit. These were more than mere artifacts. Much more.
There, in her mind, she could escape, even briefly….
Encircling the pointed arch of the entrance were faces with their grotesque features forever captured in stone. A one-eyed animal bore sharp teeth. A human-like face was caught in a battle of emotions between sadistic humor and excruciating pain.
And hide in one of her made-up stories….
Mama lay still and pale on the handmade wooden kitchen table while Grandmama Geum stirred the mixture until it became a red-brown paste. “Rub this on them cuts. Be quick about it, girl. There’s so little time left it’s nearly none at all.”
Since all of them, together, would kill her if they could.
About the Author:
Wendy W. Webb has published dark fantasy short stories, supernatural-humor murder mystery novels, and stage plays for adults and children. She’s discovered that writing scary stuff and funny stuff is a great excuse to avoid vacuuming, phone scams, and losing precious minutes of her life waiting for someone to back their truck into a parking spot.
She loves animals, Bordeaux wine, theatre, and traveling.
The ninth of thirteen creepy tales of murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th…
Meet me in the Night by Tamrie Foxtail
Fun Fact:
I don’t like mirrors. There are very few mirrors in the house. It’s not a phobia. I’m not afraid to look in a mirror—they just strike me as slightly disturbing. It’s as if I might see something that isn’t there standing just behind me.
When I was trying to come up with the September 2024 story I started thinking about mirrors. I was going through a rough spot missing my husband who passed away a few years ago. I decided to add the fox in the story because they always feel like a link to my husband. And no—my love of foxes did not lead to my last name. My last name led to my love of foxes.
Those three things: mirrors, the loss of my husband, and foxes, all came together in this story.
Find Tamrie’s Friday the 13th story here…
Blurb:
Kacie Halloran is still grieving the death of her fiancé, Seamus. She finds reminders of him everywhere, but most of all in the antique mirror that draws her into a mysterious realm each night. Half-hidden in the shadows is a figure who offers to lead Kacie to her lover. If she can find Seamus in that dark otherworld, can she bring him back to the world of the living? Or will the other realm claim her life and her soul?
Excerpt:
“Kacie.”
She opened her eyes. The voice had been little more than a scratchy whisper. Had she imagined it? Could someone be in the apartment? Her heart slammed against her chest. She felt the pounding of it in her ears.
She pushed back the covers, sat on the edge of the bed, and listened. Nothing. Was someone in her home? She didn’t want to turn on a light, didn’t want to call attention to her bedroom if there was someone in her apartment. Kacie reached for her phone, her fingers brushing an empty spot on the nightstand. She’d left her phone in the living room. She couldn’t call for help and there was no lock on the bedroom door. Was there anything she could use for a weapon?
She stood up. Keeping one trembling hand on the edge of the nightstand she used the other to trace the cord of the lamp. The little touch lamp was the only weapon she could think of.
Wait. The voice had called her name. If there was someone in the apartment, it must be Kevin. Her brother had a key. But why would he be there in the middle of the night?
She crept to the bedroom door, turned the knob slowly, and listened. Nothing. She must have imagined it, but if she didn’t check it out, she’d lay there all-night worrying.
The hall was dark, but not as dark as it should have been. The antique mirror, now hanging in the hallway, glowed with a pale, amethyst light in the darkness.
She stepped up to it. Deep purples and blues swirled in the glass. She stroked the cool glass with her fingertips, her eyes closing of their own volition.
About the Author:
Tamrie Foxtail was raised in the sunshine state. She married an Okie who brought her to the Sooner State.
She now works with children in Special Education and is currently working on a cozy mystery series set in Oklahoma.
The eighth of thirteen creepy tales of murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th…
Flies on the Wall by Jon Minton
Fun Fact:
In the story, the villain uses technology to spy on and manipulate the lives of his coworkers. I wish I could say this was some speculative work of horrors yet to come, but I didn’t have to look far for inspiration.
In 2018, a new law established the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency – https://www.cisa.gov
If that’s as terrifying to you as it is to me, check out my horrifying techno-thriller.
Find Jon’s Friday the 13th story here…
Blurb
Rosalind Clark works for Panoptic Finance, an industry leader who takes its motto, “We see the big picture,” very seriously. They utilize cutting-edge technology to keep the money flowing and their investors happy.
Rosalind is driven and successful, but her focus on work and a new promotion are causing friction in her marriage. Things get complicated when she runs into James, an old friend, and unintended sparks fly.
Bill is a senior member of the company’s cybersecurity division. The company sent people to work from home during COVID-19 and implemented spyware to keep their employees on task. It caused technical issues and elevated the risk of ransomware attacks. In response, Bill’s team received remote access to company devices, everything from phones to company cars.
Bill discovers Rosalind’s affair because she’s using her work phone to keep her secret from her husband. What starts as voyeurism turns into manipulation of Rosalind’s life. How far will Bill’s obsession go?
Excerpt:
Bill poured scotch into a tumbler and used mini tongs to drop in a single ice sphere. He grabbed his drink and a Charcuterie board and headed to the living room. He placed the board on the coffee table, next to his laptop, sat in his leather recliner, then hit the button on the side to pop his feet up.
The laptop played a hacked feed from Rosalind and Craig’s home security cameras. Rosalind used her private cell for personal calls except for the affair, but she installed personal apps on her work phone. Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp. The gem was when Bill found the app for her home’s camera system, HD color cameras in every room of the house, and four external.
“Stream to the living room.”
The laptop obeyed, and his TV played a mirror of the stream. There wasn’t any audio, which was a bummer, but Rosalind wasn’t home anyway. He let the motion capture auto-switch cameras as Craig moved through the house, eventually stopping in the kitchen as he fixed dinner.
The camera feed split, showing an external camera as Rosalind’s car pulled into the drive. Bill’s heartbeat quickened. The love triangle had been heating up over the last few days, and Bill thought this was the day she would talk to Craig. Maybe not confess to the affair, but at least begin the initial divorce talks.
Bill pushed the footrest down and leaned over to use his laptop. He accessed the audio on Rosalind’s work phone, surprised at how clear it was.
God bless technology and the geniuses that gifted us with it.
About the Author:
Jon Minton is an American speculative fiction writer based in Oklahoma City. He is a software developer but has always been passionate about a great story.
He reads and writes everything from horror to historical, but his primary genres are science-fiction and fantasy. A few of his favorite authors include Stephen King, Anne Rice, James S.A. Corey, N.K. Jemisin, and George R.R. Martin.
He is the vice president of the Central Region Oklahoma Writers.
The seventh of thirteen creepy tales of murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th…
Retribution by Fire by Krysta Scott
Fun Fact:
I got the idea for this story during a writer’s retreat. We were doing writing exercises base off a picture. Mine was of an angel standing in a meadow in a storm. On that day the angel of justice was born. I originally indented for this character to have a romance arc and learn something important. The story took a darker turn and she ended up being a much different character in Retribution by Fire.
Find Krysta’s Friday the 13th story here…
Blurb:
Haunted by visions of an avenging angel, Eleanor Turner escapes into the bottle. One night in a drunken stupor, she gets behind the wheel and rams into a vehicle, killing the driver. In order to avoid prison, she voluntarily signs up for Dr. Dunkeld’s therapy group. The other members appear to benefit from the interventions, but the therapy only intensifies her visions.
Jax Dunkeld narrowly avoided career suicide when he faced disciplinary action from the psychology board. All he has to do to make things right is counsel a group of men and woman who have committed violent crimes. As he learns more about his patients, he becomes consumed with dread that helping them is not the board’s true objective. When his patients begin to mysteriously die, he realizes he’s stepped into a dire situation…one he may not survive.
Excerpt:
Leora’s head snapped up and her body went rigid. She fixed her gaze on Nathan. “Liar!”
Nathan stared Leora down completely dropping the scrawny wet mouse look. His eyes sparked with rage and his lips curled into a snarl. “Shut up, bitch. What the hell could you possibly know?”
Leora tilted her head, her eyes narrowing.
Joan gasped. “Nathan, watch what you say. You just got here but there are things you just don’t know.”
“So, a bunch of psychobabblers,” Nathan made air quotes with his fingers. “freaked out and left. Big deal. A bunch of wimps, if you ask me.”
Rose glared at him. “Be careful, it’s Friday the 13th.”
“Who cares?” Nathan looked around the circle. “What? Are you all superstitious or something?”
“It’s not that,” Rose spoke in a stage whisper. “Strange things have been happening. And we think its…”
“Shhhh.” Danny placed his finger to his lips. Rose went silent.
About the Author:
Krysta Scott is the author of the novel, Shadow Dancer. Since publishing her first book through the Wild Rose Press, she has since published two novellas in the Martini Club 4 series and three four novellas in the Friday the Thirteenth series. She lives in Oklahoma with her husband and dog.
A letter, sealed with blood red wax, arrives in a small coastal town. Samantha’s hopes of a new, quiet life are shattered. The killer is back. Like years before, the crime scenes mimic classic mysteries Samantha once taught in her English Lit class—The Art of Detection. Is one murder staged from an Ellery Queen novel? P.D. James? Sherlock Holmes? Maybe more!
Five years ago, strangers died. This time—friends. As the body count climbs, this menace must be found, or the killings may never stop. What’s hidden in the tiny details? Why is the killer taunting her? As the killer closes in, does she once again cut and run or stand and fight? What will Sam risk to bring this nightmare to an end?
Excerpt:
Just past the coffee station stood a large whiteboard. A young, tall officer paced in front of it as he made notes and pinned up photos. A photo of a sea chest caught Samantha’s attention. Her head spun to the next picture which showed the same chest with a body inside. The note written alongside the image read, “killed by a sharp weapon—run through trunk into body.” Her eyes scanned the top of the board and then stopped on the photo and the words written below—Victim Robert Brignone.
Samantha shoved herself away from the counter, then turned and ran back into the conference room. She wrenched the door wide open, raced inside, and slammed it shut. The three investigators huddled around the letter on the table, stared up in alarm.
“Was that trunk found in a museum?” Sam demanded.
Detective Jessica Noguchi’s face looked confused. “What trunk?”
“The body in the trunk!” Sam shouted and pointed to the room behind her. “On the whiteboard. Was it found in a museum?”
Jessica squinted through the window to the squad room and then her eyes darted back to Sam. Oh, crap! She’s seen the incident board. Even though it contained details of an unrelated crime scene, she didn’t want to discuss an ongoing case with a civilian.
Before Jess could respond, Criminal Profiler, Colin Davies, stood up. “No, not in a museum exactly, but…” There, he thought as his voice trailed off, a spark of recognition in Sam’s eyes behind the fear.
The pitch of her voice rose. She turned toward Colin. “Then…a-a-a party? Was there a party in the room with the ch-ch-ch-chest?”
Jess and Police Chief Marlene Porter stared at her stunned. Colin answered again. “Yes.” He walked over toward the door. “He was found in an old sea trunk two days after a party at his home.”
Sam’s next words came out as a whisper. “It’s the killer.”
Cyndi didn’t start out life as a mystery writer. But one day something unexpected happened—she became a woman of a certain age.
“What in the world are you waiting for?” said the voice in her head as she woke up on her fiftieth birthday. “That novel isn’t going to write itself! And YOU, sweet pea, are NOT getting any younger.”
So, after years spent as a naturalist on the north Oregon coast and PNW garden speaker, Cyndi dusted off her old Comm degree, left technical writing behind and got to work on short stories, flash fiction, and personal essays. But in secret she tapped away on her first mystery novel, Deadly Yours, which has now been published by The Wild Rose Press.
The challenge of creating stories from her own imagination, current events, history, and things she might have overheard at the local coffee shop is what makes her happy and where her passion for writing began. She now lives in Washington state on a small island in south Puget Sound where she and her husband, a potter and artist, run an artisan business. When not reading, writing, or procrastinating, Cyndi can be found hiking, biking, or swimming in the local lakes, streams, and even Puget Sound.
Cyndi is a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association and Sisters in Crime.
Author Alicia Dean 