Have You Missed a Book in a Series?

A word I hear sometimes when people talk about me is "prolific." Yes, I do have a lot of books out, and that can get confusing. Did you miss a book? Maybe a whole series?

To help readers decide if they're up to date, I've devised a list a la Seinfeld, using "The one where..."

THE LOSER MYSTERIES

Killing Silence- The one where we meet Loser, a woman who lives on the streets of Richmond, ignoring just about everyone until she feels compelled to help a little girl and her dad.

Killing Memories- The one where Loser goes home to West Virginia, intending to live alone, but finds connections to people who need her, especially her crime-solving expertise.

Killing Despair- The one where Loser goes back to Richmond to face her past and learn what exactly happened the night her husband died.

THE KIDNAP CAPERS

KIDNAP(.)org-The one where Robin becomes a criminal by helping her neighbor right a wrong--and decides she likes putting cheaters in their place.

Pharma Con -The one where Robin and the gang take on a Big Pharma scoundrel on his oh-so-secure estate.

The Trouble with Dad-The one where Robin has to deal with her con man dad while he's pursued by some very nasty people he conned.

MACBETH'S NIECES

Macbeth's Niece-The one where Tessa is captured by an English spy and taken from her uncle's castle against her will.

Double Toil & Trouble -The one where Tessa's twin sisters have their own adventures, one in the Highlands and one in France with William the Conqueror as her host.

THE SIMON AND ELIZABETH MYSTERIES

Her Highness' First Murder-The one where Simon meets Princess Elizabeth, and they try to discover who is killing and beheading beautiful young women.

Poison, Your Grace-The one where Elizabeth asks Simon to help her protect her brother Edward and prove she isn't trying to poison him.

The Lady Flirts with Death-The one where Elizabeth is locked in the Tower of London and Simon does his best to keep her alive, as he also does for his old friend Peto the Pope.

Her Majesty's Mischief -The one where Elizabeth sends Simon to Scotland to give her an objective opinion of Mary, Queen of Scots.

THE MERCEDES MAXWELL MYSTERIES

Shakespeare's Blood-The one where Mercedes is chased all over the UK by a madman looking for Spanish treasure.

Charlie Dickens' Documents -The one where Colm goes missing, and Mercedes and her oddball helpers go looking for him in Scotland.

THE DEAD DETECTIVE MYSTERIES

The Dead Detective Agency-The one where Tori finds herself on The Ship, learns that she was murdered, and insists that Seamus, her dead detective, must take her with him as he investigates.

Dead for the Money-The one where Seamus investigates the murder of a wealthy man and finds a lonely young girl who believes she's got nobody now that he's dead.

Dead for the Show-The one where Seamus goes to a Toronto theater, hoping to prove to a stubborn young woman that she really is dead, and finds that her sister is in great danger.

Dead to Get Ready--and Go-The one where Seamus finally investigates his own murder, facing the fact that his killer might have been the person he loved most in the world.

Book Clubs Take Note: Discussion Guide: Sister Saint, Sister Sinner

When I sent Sister Saint, Sister Sinner to my editor, she was (as usual) helpful about pointing out areas that needed more development, parts that repeated information already given, and places where the logic temporarily failed. At the end, she made a comment that stuck with me: "People are going to be talking about the things you deal with in this book." To me, that meant the story was destined for book clubs. Having visited a few in my years of writing, I knew that they often begin with a list of discussion topics. Now, they often don't stay focused on them, and that's okay. Sometimes it's the wine. Sometimes it's a natural progression. But discussion leaders like having questions that can get the conversation back on track when it strays too far from the story. Every person who reads a book gets something out of it that no one else does. I had the experience once of visiting a book group where one reader didn't like the book and kept bringing up her

What Do You Have of Grandma's?

My grandmother died on my birthday in 1968. We couldn't wish her back, since she'd been in a lot of pain for a long time. Later, I helped Mom clean out her house, and we came upon her sewing basket. For some reason I asked if I could have it, and my mother said yes. I still have it. I think of her every time I take it out of its cupboard, though I can't think of a single time I saw Grandma sewing. It's hers, and that's enough. My other grandmother was the type who asked her progeny what they wanted of her things long before she died. One day when I was visiting I told her about my new hobby, refinishing old furniture. Pointing to a table that had always sat in her living room, she explained that as a young woman she too had taken up that task. The classic-style table was cherry wood, she told me, and she had rescued it from somewhere and given it new life with elbow grease and varnish. "Maybe you'll want it when I'm gone," she said, and I readi

A Story for My Peeps--And a Sale for My E-books

December-r-r E-BOOK SALE You might know about Smashwords. To be honest, I don’t know much. But one of my publishers, Draft2Digital, recently acquired Smashwords, so they are one entity. Smashwords invited all D2D authors to join their December e-book sale, so I did. From December 15 to December 30, 2022, (the kickoff to the real winter season in my home state of Michigan), all of my e-books, both Maggie Pill and Peg Herring titles, will be half off. Fifty percent. Basically, two for the price of one. Is that cool (winter reference) or what? As a rule of thumb, Maggie Pill books are cozy mysteries, (e.g. the Sleuth Sisters & the Trailer Park Tales series) meaning they’re funny (I think), small-townish, and as non-violent as one can get when the story centers on murder. Peg Herring books are all over the map, because I write the story that interests me at any given time. Those who’ve been with me throug

Peg Herring, Mystery Author

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