A Deadly Deletion

YAY! It's been almost six months since I got a call from my agent telling me that Berkley was interested in at least two more Booktown Mysteries. But then the pandemic hit and everything went on hold. But I'm happy to announce that I signed the contract yesterday. Whew! What a relief. I've been working on the book for more than a month now and while I knew how the cliffhanger would be solved, and I knew who the new victim would be, I was shocked by some of the other things that have already happened. I only have four complete chapters written, but I moved ahead and have written at least 20 partial scenes and now I'm starting to connect them. I pretty much know where the story is going, and it's great that it's finally starting to gel. (It usually takes another 10,000 words before that happens.)

Even though the contract was (very, very) late, they've already had a cover conference. My editor is a doll and he let me have input (which a lot of authors don't get). He made some suggestions and let me choose. I think it will be super cute.

So, what do you think?

Saying Good-Bye to a Reader

Last week, I got a note from a reader of my Booktown Mysteries. She wrote:  "I can't bring myself to read on. In every good series there are twists and turns, good & bad,,but killing off (SPOILER) has broken my heart."

A writer never wants to hear that a reader has given up on her work. (Yeah, ouch!) But despite losing this reader, there is a silver lining to this dark cloud.

I'm sorry she feels that way ... but you know, the fact that I was able to make her care so much about that character means I succeeded as a writer.  I brought life to that character. He meant something to her, something that will stay with her for a while. But that also means that she cared more for him than you do for Tricia, Angelica and the rest of the Booktown characters, and that makes me sad.

I'm also sad to know how she isn't interested in how the characters will survive this turn of events. 

I'd hate for her to miss the next book in the series. I wrote that book while my mother was in hospice dying. It kept me going when I felt like I'd lost everything. How I ever wrote such a fun book during that terrible time still amazes me.

Of course, there're more hard times ahead for Tricia and the other Booktown characters because that's what storytelling is all about: conflict. When there's no conflict, there's no story.

I thanked her for reading the first x-number of Booktown Mysteries, and I invited her to check out the other six series I write under my real names. I'm pretty sure she won't give them a chance, but that's her decision. When I write a book, the most important thing I consider is characterization, even over plot. Apparently, that's what keeps readers coming back for more. 

Have you ever given up on a series in the middle? If so, why?

Pop some corn today!

Oh, yes -- it's National Popcorn Day. Are you a fan?

On sale now!

Woo-hoo!  If you've fallen behind on reading my Booktown Mystery series, for a limited time, my publisher has decided to lower the ebook price of A JUST CLAUSE, the 11th book in the series, to $1.99 in the US.

Here's a brief description:

Tricia Miles, mystery bookstore owner and amateur sleuth, is in for a surprise when her ne’er-do-well father, John, comes to town—and promptly becomes a prime suspect in the murder of a woman with her own scandalous past. Even Tricia’s faith in the old man is shaken when the Stoneham police break the news that her father is a known con man who has done jail time. From merlot to murder, Tricia is determined to clear the family name before another body shows up and ruins Stoneham’s first—and highly anticipated—wine and jazz festival.

Kindle US | Kindle UK | Nook |  Apple Books | Kobo

Read more about it on my website. Just click this link.

NOW AVAILABLE!!!

I know a lot of you have been waiting for Booktown #11 to come out in paperback. Well, today is the day!  Not only that, but the publisher has dropped the price of the ebook! You can't go wrong!

Here's the description:

Tricia Miles, mystery bookstore owner and amateur sleuth, is in for a surprise when her ne’er-do-well father, John, comes to town—and promptly becomes a prime suspect in the murder of a woman with her own scandalous past. Even Tricia’s faith in the old man is shaken when the Stoneham police break the news that her father is a known con man who has done jail time. From merlot to murder, Tricia is determined to clear the family name before another body shows up and ruins Stoneham’s first—and highly anticipated—wine and jazz festival.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million |  Chapters | Book Depository | IndieBound

Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

ENJOY!

Where's my pretty cover?

My publisher, Berkley, is teasing readers of the Booktown Mysteries by not showing the cover for #12 in the series, POISONED PAGES, on the websites of popular book retailers. The color of the title and author name is right, but where's the picture?

It turns out -- there was some kind of glitch, but still -- what's with that? What's the book about?

Tricia Miles, mystery bookstore owner and amateur sleuth, throws a housewarming cocktail party in her new apartment and has cooked all the food by herself--quite a feat for someone who previously couldn't boil water. Then one of her guests is poisoned and dies. Tricia's left to wonder if her cooking is to blame or if there's something much more sinister at play. Either way, Tricia's once again in hot water with her ex-lover, Chief Baker. Meanwhile the charming town of Stoneham is being disrupted by a vandalism crime wave. It's the hot topic in the race for Chamber of Commerce president which sees Tricia pitted against two bitter rivals. With all that's going on can she find the killer before she's the next item on the menu?

 You can't see the very pretty cover on those sites, but you CAN see it on my website. Click this link for a sneak preview.

To Pre-order, click the links below. 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | Chapters/Indigo
Book Depository (free shipping worldwide)

Kindle US | Kindle Worldwide | Nook | iBooks | Kobo

Celebrate National Gumbo Day!

Tommy at Booked for Lunch is famous for his soups. Guess what they're serving today?

Just 7 more days!!!

OMG -- just a week until BOOK CLUBBED comes out!!! If you haven't already pre-ordered, I'll hope you'll consider doing so. I'm selfish, I would dearly love to hit the NY Times list with this one. Thanks.

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Indiebound  |  Chapters/Indigo  |  Books A Million




Kindle US  |   Kindle Worldwide  |  Nook  |  iBooks

Audible  |  Amazon Audio  |  Tantor Audio

Have you seen the video booktrailer?

CONTEST: Win an ARC of BOOK CLUBBED

Do your pets like to read as much as you do?

How would you like to win an advance review copy of BOOK CLUBBED, the 8th Booktown Mystery? Send me picture of your pet reading any of my books along with your snail mail address to Lorna@ LornaBarrett.com (don't forget to close up the space).

Below is my cat Fred reading Not The Killing Type. Okay, he sort of fell asleep, but it was because he was TIRED, not because he was bored.

The winner will be announced next Monday (June 16th).
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UPDATE:  It was too hard to choose, so everyone who entered the contest will receive a copy of one of my books.  Stay tuned.  Pictures of pets reading coming soon!

Miss Marple is ready to BUZZ about Not The Killing Type

Miss Marple would like to create some Buzz for the paperback edition of NOT THE KILLING TYPE, which will be released on July 1st. Send in your entry and you could win an Advance Review Copy of the book, or an Advance Review Copy of Book Clubbed, the 8th Booktown mystery (also due out July 1st--we'll have a contest for that one in a couple of weeks.)

So, what do you think Miss Marple would say about the book?

Come on over to a place where we can talk!

Yesterday was the first Teacup Tuesday and it went really well with a lot of discussion. That got me thinking.  I had always wanted to have a dialog with my readers, but never could figure out a way to do it.

BINGO!  Let's Talk Booktown!



Since most of my readers know my Lorna Barrett name best, why not start a community who wants to talk about the books and perhaps what happens behind the scenes.

So today I'm launching a new Facebook Community page called Enjoy The Booktown Mysteries.
I would LOVE it if you'd come and LIKE the page and stick around to ask questions about the series.  Is there anything you want to know about a certain character?  One of the businesses?  Angelica's recipes?  What kind of food Miss Marpl and Sarge eat. Or my writing process. Anything!

I'll be posting pictures and asking questions and we'll just talk. Get to know each other.  Hopefully, have FUN.

So come on over.  Just click this link!

See you there!
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Foodie Friday Alert: Easiest candy recipe on the planet!

And in my continuing quest to gain weight during the holiday season, I bring you one of the very best and easiest recipes on the face of the planet.  Simply Crackers Toffee that was featured in Booktown #6, Murder On The Half Shelf.

Ingredients:
One “sleeve” of saltine crackers (about 35)
2 sticks butter (1 cup)
1 cup brown sugar
1 11.5 ounce package of chocolate chips*
¾ cups chopped walnuts* (optional)

Directions:  Line a baking tray with foil and cover with saltine crackers. Boil butter and brown sugar for 3 minutes until frothy. Pour over the crackers.

Bake at 400° for 5 minutes. The butter/sugar mixture will bubble. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let set for five minutes. Spread chocolate with spatula, and sprinkle with nuts. (Gently press the nuts into the chocolate.) Refrigerate at least 1 hour; break into pieces. (Refrigerate the leftovers . . . if there are any.)

 *I use milk chocolate chips, but you can vary the recipe with semi-sweet chocolate and even peanut butter-flavored chips.

Care to share YOUR favorite Christmas candy recipe?
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Tricia goes to Japan!

Last month I got an email from my agent asking:  "Did we know the Booktown Mysteries had been sold to a Japanese publisher?"

No, we didn't.  Why?  Because when it comes to these things, the author is ALWAYS the last to know. (And apparently her agent, too.)  We only found out about it on the Royalty Statement. 

Despite that negativity, the cover for the book is actually very cute.  In some ways, it's better than some of the covers my primary publisher has been giving me.  (See last week's semi rant.)  It's sort of Manga, but very true to the description of Haven't Got a Clue.  Miss Marple better resembles the cat in the book.  (It was only when I contacted the artist for my US covers and gave her pictures of Miss Marple that she has been portrayed correctly, and she's done a marvelous job considering the very few good pictures I have of my dear girl Cori.)  Mind you, I have no problem with the quality of the art on my original covers.  I'm lucky to have the supremely talented Teresa Fasolino do them.  Unfortunately, she MUST do what the Marketing Department tells her to do.  (Including garish colors.)

I'm actually quite thrilled to say a book of mine has been translated into another language.  And Japanese books are so cool.  They read from right to left and in columns--so different than us westerners.

I'm pretty sure that the Japanese publisher came to us and not the other way around. After all, the series has been around since 2008 and and this is the first foreign sale.  (Do you think Janet Evanovich waits that long?)  I'd much rather be able to say "Translated into 20 languages" than "Translated into ONE language." 

I just hope more foreign publishers find the series and say, "I'd love to bring this series to our readers."

Well, a girl can dream.

A Booktown Bonanza!

Hot off the press:  NOT THE KILLING TYPE, Booktown Mystery #7

It’s time for the Stoneham, NH Chamber of Commerce elections. The race is already heated, as the longtime Chamber president is being challenged by a former lover—Tricia’s sister Angelica. Then Stan Berry throws his hat in ring. Unfortunately, it’s not there for long when he’s found murdered. Tricia soon uncovers a ballot box full of lies and betrayals, and a Chamber full of people who had grudges against the victim.

Kirkus said: "Barrett continues her winning ways with another mystery chock full of interesting suspects and a surprising denouement."

The Richmond Time Dispatch said:  "Barrett lays out a key 'clue' that will have readers thinking they know the villain's identity. But don't become too confident. The best-selling author has pulled off surprises through this series, and 'Not the Killing Type' is another entertaining entry.

Amazon ~ Kindle     B&N ~ Nook     IndieBound

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At long last Murder on the Half Shelf is available in paperback.

Pippa and Jon Comfort’s Sheer Comfort Inn opens its doors in a week and the couple has offered some locals a free night as a trial run. What should have been a pleasant overnight stay for Tricia Miles becomes a nightmare when she makes two startling discoveries: Pippa’s murdered body in the backyard, and that Pippa’s husband Jon is actually Harry Tyler, a man Tricia loved—and believed dead—for nearly twenty years.

Amazon ~ Kindle     B&N ~ Nook     Kobo    iTunes    Sony    IndieBound


P.S. What if you arrive at your favorite bookstore and can't find the books on the shelves? Summer is a busy time and the books could be hiding in a box they haven't had a chance to open. So ask. They'll get the book for you!  Thanks.

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Have a long drive ahead of you?  Listen to the Booktown Mysteries on audio!
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HAPPY READING!

Let's toast to the winner!

First things first:  The winner of the Katie Bonner/Victoria Square teacup contest is:  Cherie Estok.

Winners of the Goody Bags are: Lorie Mink, Jessie Dimovski, Carla Rotmans, Candace Vachon, Madlyn Hilton, Pat Stacey, and Susan DeGraaf.

I'll be mailing them out tomorrow.

Did you missing my blog February 18th?  In it, I talked about the little figurines mentioned in Sentenced to Death, the Dolly Dolittles.  Even though no one asked, I've decided that I'd like to do more of that kind of blog post.  Why?  After 8 years of blogging, I've pretty much exhausted things about myself.  But I can wax poetically for years to come when it comes to my characters.

In the coming weeks, I'm going to try to set up a schedule for regular posts on the Victoria Square, Booktown, and Jeff Resnick mysteries.  Today, the Jeff Resnick Mysteries are on deck, and mostly because I've started a new Facebook page to celebrate the series.  Come on over and LIKE Jeff.

Jeff works as a bartender in a little hole-in-the-wall sports bar called THE WHOLE NINE YARDS on Main Street in Synder, NY.  It's mostly a beer joint, but occasionally someone comes in and orders a cocktail.  If I wandered in, I'd likely order a gin martini.  (I'm old fashioned.  That's a martini in my book--nothing with sickly-sweet flavored liqueurs.  Ick!)

At The Whole Nine Yards, you're going to get the traditional 2-to-1 version:

1 1/2 ounces of gin (well, unless you specify*)
1/2 ounce dry vermouth**

Stir (or shake) the vermouth and gin over ice in a cocktail shaker. Strain into a martini glass.  Serve with a twist of lemon peel or (preferably) 2 queen olives skewered by a toothpick.

Voila!  You've got a traditional martini.  (Yum!)

What drink would you order?





*I like Gordon's Gin, but the English version--not the kind we get here in the states.  Too bad about that actually.

**Noel Coward was reported to have said that the ideal martini should be made by "filling a glass with gin then waving it in the general direction of Italy."  (Source:  Wikipedia) Added side note: earlier this year I got to see Coward's home and gravesite.
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Can you buy a Dolly Dolittle? Uh ... probably not.

I recently got a letter from a reader asking about the Dolly Dolittle figurines mentioned in Sentenced to Death. (Booktown Mystery #5.) She wanted to know if they were real, and if so, where she could buy them.

Well, they're real.  They're not called Dolly Dolittle, and I have no idea where someone would buy them.
 

In the book I described them this way: Dolly Dolittle was an angel in Victorian garb. The cover shot showed a little girl in pastel blue, with a white fur collar. Her hands were thrust in a furry muff to match the collar, and the entire figurine was covered in iridescent sparkles.

As you can see, I was (sort of) describing the figurine/ornament (they have pink ribbons should one want to hang them on a Christmas tree). Here she is in a bigger size.


And here's her darling sister.


I remember that I saw four of them, but for some reason felt I'd already blown enough money on Christmas that year, so I didn't purchase the other two.  Now I could kick myself.  They're marked MADE IN CHINA, but with no manufacturer's name.

I must confess, when I became a published author, I thought I'd get a lot of questions about my books such as this one.  Hasn't happened--but it still could.

Is there something about any of my other books you'd like to know about.  PLEASE feel free to ask.  I love to talk about my characters.  (It's a lot more interesting than talking about myself.  They lead much more exciting lives than me.  After all, I sit in front of a computer all day giving them these adventures.)
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And the winner is ...

If you recall, a couple of weeks ago, I initiated a call for titles for Booktown Mystery #8.

Wow--what a great contest.  I had over 40 entrants and 155 title suggestions.  I like that kind of enthusiasm!

I picked out my 14 favorites and sent them to my editor.  We've disagreed on titles before, but this time we both picked the same one.

Booktown #8 will be call (unless the marketing department changes their mind at the last minute):  BOOK CLUBBED.

The winner of the Haven't Got a Clue coffee (tea, or cocoa) mug is:  Kate Towery

Having a title is a big step, and helps make the big push toward the novel's completion a lot easier.

Thank you everyone who entered the contest. 
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Booktown #7 Cover -- It's Not The Killing Type

Here's the cover for the next Booktown Mystery:  NOT THE KILLING TYPE.  It's currently available for pre-order only from Amazon, but I'm sure Barnes & Noble will list it in the not too distant future.



What do you think?
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New Booktown release

My latest Booktown offering is available.

Wait a minute, it's Booktown, but I had nothing to do with it.

Wait a minute, I wrote the books, but I had nothing to do with this offering.

Okay, it's like this; my publisher decided to offer a trade paperback edition of the first three Booktown Mysteries and has called it MURDER IN THREE VOLUMES.  (Catchy title that, eh?)  Of course they picked my least favorite cover.  But wait a minute--it looks so very different than it did when it was the cover for Bookmarked for Death.  Oh -- wow, you can see a LOT of the detail that my cover artist (Teresa Fasolino) added to the painting and was covered up by the banner title and the little box proclaiming recipes.  I always thought of it as a PURPLE cover, because it has that god-awful purple band at the left hand side.  (Now that the latest book is in hardcover, they've decided not to use that band of color on the book (and I sure hope they don't add it to the paperback edition of Murder On The Half Shelf, which will be available on July 2nd of next year.)  So maybe I do love this cover as much as the others, after all.

It's a BIG book, and a good value--three books for the (list) price of two. (And if you preordered, it was an even betterdeal at a 43% discount--don't know if that will hold after today--or was it yesterday?)

The one thing it won't be is an ebook, which is too bad, because I think it would have sold really well.  (Hey, I'm selling the boxed sets of my Jeff Resnick books and they sell like hotcakes!)  But don't blame me, it was the publisher's decision.

I admit, I didn't pull out all the stops promoting this one (sending out postcards, etc.) because if you like the series, you had to have already read all three books, right?  But ... this could be a great introduction to the series for other people you know.  Or for a library.  Hey, Christmas is right around the corner ... think stocking stuffers! (Or gifts for Halloween, Thanksgiving, baby and wedding showers ... birthdays ... the possibilities are endless!)

At any rate, it's out there.  If you're among the Booktown faithful, I hope you'll spread the word about Murder In Three Volumes.

You can find it at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and other independent booksellers.

Thanks!
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A leopard doesn't change its spots -- does it?

Lately Mr. L and I have been enjoying the antics of Doc Martin.  What an odd duck.  I said, "this guy has to have Aspergers Syndrome."  Sure enough, by the second season he'd been accused of having Aspergers by someone sent to investigate him from (one assumes) The National Health.

Of course flawed characters are endlessly fascinating to me.  In fact, I'm getting known for writing believably flawed characters.  My Jeff Resnick character seems to carry the most baggage, with Tricia Miles coming in a close second, and Katie Bonner the sanest of the lot.  (Good old Katie.)

(By the way, the first Jeff Resnick book, Murder On The Mind is STILL FREE for Kindle, iTunes and Smashwords (and if you've got a Sony E Reader, Kobo, or Nook, get it from Smashwords--and of course if you don't have an e reader, you can still download it to your computer or tablet via Smashwords.  Hey, free is free, after all--and this offer won't last forever).

While watching an episode of Doc Martin, it suddenly occurred to me that I needed to wrap up a subplot that's been building in the Booktown Books.  I gave it a lot of thought over the next couple of days and yesterday I wrote the scene where Tricia learns a devastating truth about her past.  (Boy, that was fun!)

More than one person as told me that Tricia is a doormat and they are annoyed by the way she puts up with Angelica.  I posed these questions to the latest person who said that:  Have you got an older sibling?  Have they changed that much since childhood?  If they annoyed you then, do they annoy you now?  Have you ever had the upper hand?  Do you just abandon your sibling and walk away?

Do you hear the sound of crickets in the background?

Is the situation between Doc Martin and Tricia the same?  Not in the least, but his situation got me thinking about her situation (and the fact that it needs resolution). Will this big revelation change the relationship between Tricia and Angelica?  Probably not.  As their grandmother was famous for saying, "a leopard doesn't change its spots."  You are what you are.  Angelica is always going to be the bossy older sister, and Tricia will put up with her for one reason and one reason only:  she loves her.  And when you love someone, you love them--warts and all.

We're only halfway through the episodes.  I can't wait to see what other adventures await crabby old Doc Martin and the people in Port Ween.  And, as I write the 8th Booktown Mystery, I can't wait to see what else befalls Tricia and Angelica.  It's gonna be a bumpy, but fun ride.

P.S.  Don't forget -- the latest Booktown Mystery is now out.  Murder On The Half Shelf.