Did I mention that my editor asked me why I don't write a "winter" Booktown Mystery? Because I don't live in New Hampshire. I can't knowledgeably write about winter in a state where I've I've never been during that season. I mean, I could fake it, but from what I hear, southern NH doesn't get half the snow we get here in Western New York. (And Tricia doesn't live near the mountains, so she isn't going skiing any time soon.)
Okay, so I'm writing about ALMOST winter in New Hampshire by setting the 7th book in November. Of course, they probably will schedule it for summer. My friend
Ellery Adams is lamenting the fact that her latest book,
THE LAST WORD (which is wonderful, by the way), set at the beach (hence, a beach read), has just come out in December. Go figure! What were the schedulers thinking?
But I HAVE written two
SHORT STORIES (and let me be clear that they are
SHORT STORIES, NOT NOVELS -- because some readers have given me terrible Amazon reviews because they DIDN'T READ THE PRODUCT DESCRIPTION and were disappointed that they got a
SHORT STORY instead of a novel. Again I repeat, Go Figure!) that are set at Christmastime.
We're So Sorry Uncle Albert is about a family that finds their stingy Uncle Albert, who's been mooching off of the family for years, is actually quite wealthy. Naturally the family isn't all that happy and decide that Uncle Albert has overstayed his worldly welcome. And they plot to get rid of him. It's a jolly holiday all right! It's only available as an e book.
You can find it at these links.
Bah! Humbug is a different kettle of fish. It's a Jeff Resnick short that immediately follows the novel
CHEATED BY DEATH (as in the very next day). Jeff and Maggie have Christmas dinner with her family, but Jeff isn't all that welcome at the dinner table, and even Maggie is puzzled as to why. If readers go on to the 4th book in the series (and I sure as heck hope they do), this story sets up one of the subplots.
You can find it at these links.
Okay, and now for a question. Do you think readers would rather buy ALL my short stories in one ebook collection, even the romancy ones, for a discounted price, or wait until I have more mystery-oriented short stories and then do an anthology? (And that could take a while because I don't crank out short stories very quickly.
When The Spirit Moves You, my latest (Jeff Resnick) short story, took me over a year to write.) I'd be very interested to know what you think.
And if you do buy/read the above-listed stories, and like them, I hope you'll think about writing a review. I'd sure like to see the stories judged for what they ARE and NOT what they AREN'T.
Thanks!
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Jeff Resnick—babysitter? It wasn’t a reference that had ever graced his personal résumé, but when he’s entrusted to care for his brother’s most prized possession—his infant daughter—Jeff is tested in ways he could never have anticipated. With his girlfriend Maggie unavailable, Jeff has only one person he can turn to for advice when his tiny niece falls ill on his watch.
