Why I Chose July 4 for the Release of My Second Mystery Novel
Not Because it's the Perfect Summer Read. . .
As we approach the 250th anniversary of Independence Day here in the USA, I find it very difficult to work up any enthusiasm for a patriotic celebration. However, I’m combating that ennui with. . . drumroll please. . . the release of Chords of Deception, the second book in the Lily Gallagher Mysteries.
Why did I decide Chords of Deception should be released on the 4th of July? I hear you ask. . .
Because that’s the day that Lily and Michael Gallagher’s daughter and granddaughter moved in with them, and Lily’s desire for rest and relaxation in retirement moved even farther out of reach.
Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 4. Lily is talking with her best friend, Pru (you may remember her from Drowning in Deception).
A few minutes later Pru and I sat on her porch sipping iced tea while I told her about my frustration with Shannon.
She listened, motionless except for her fingers fiddling with her bracelet, while I vented, then she grinned. “Aren’t we the pair, you with Shannon and me with Heather.”
“How’s your daughter doing anyway?” I’d been so caught up in my own concerns I hadn’t asked earlier. Mentally I kicked myself.
“I think she’s a little better. She’s not calling me several times a day any more.” Pru’s words were light, but her hazel eyes looked serious.
“She’s what, a month ahead of Shannon in the divorce sweepstakes?”
“No, less than that I think. But, Lily, she stayed put in New Jersey, she didn’t uproot herself completely. Moving is hard all on its own, it’s one of the major life stressors. Add moving and divorce, and it’s a big deal.”
“I know, I know, but she doesn’t seem to even want to get a grip. And poor Chloe, it’s like she lost both her parents, not just her father.”
“Good thing she has you.”
“I love her to bits, Pru, but I don’t want to be her mommy, I’m happy being gramma.” Even to myself, I sounded whiny.
She studied me seriously. “Well, at the least you need to get out more. Since Shannon and Chloe came here I’ve hardly seen you at all.”
“You’re right. Michael has kept on with all his activities, but I kind of dropped mine. The few that I had, that is. I just can’t catch a break. My life has been nothing but frustration since I retired, and I had such high hopes!”
Pru nodded, and I continued my rant. “As soon as I retired, boom, we had the whole mess with Betty. Then, the minute that was over, Shannon called with her news and we rushed up to Atlanta. She and Chloe came back with us and I feel like I haven’t had a moment to myself in two months. I haven’t been back in the pool until today, I told Michelle I wanted to learn Mah Jong and the closest I’ve been was just now when I was swimming and they were off in their usual corner. I’ve only managed to read a single chapter of my book since they arrived. It’s as bad as when I was still working. Maybe worse!”
Pru widened her hazel eyes at me. “No reading? You?” She pretended to clutch at her heart. Then she got serious again. “Maybe there’s your answer. You need to live your own life, and that might encourage Shannon to do the same.”
“Maybe.” I was doubtful, but I felt the little, fluttery, first, faint stirrings of hope in my chest. “Okay, I’ll try it. I’ll talk with Michelle before I go home and set up a time for my first lesson. In the meantime,” I glanced at my watch, “I should get dressed so I’m ready when Chloe gets off the school bus.”
Pru grinned at me. “Or call your daughter and have her do it.”
“Oh, that’s an idea!” I frowned. “Except, I don’t think Shannon even knows where it stops.”
“That’s something you can fix.”
On July 4 6*, Chords of Deception will be available on Amazon, and is included in Kindle Unlimited. If you haven’t read the first book in the series, the paperback is available to order from your favorite retailer, and the ebook is on Amazon and is also included in Kindle Unlimited.
*Update: Due to an unforeseen SNAFU with Amazon, Chords of Deception will not be available until July 6 (not July 4 as originally planned). How did that happen? I wish I knew. . . but they contacted the publisher, AKA me, to say they had to remove it since the book’s content had not been uploaded by the due date.
This is absurd. When I finally got a live human to chat with, I pointed out that I’m in possession of a copy of the ebook which I had downloaded from Amazon several weeks ago. That could only have happened if it had been uploaded to them in the first place.
In any case, the damage is done. If you were one of the readers who placed a pre-order for Chords of Deception, your pre-order has been canceled. I hope you’ll go to the new listing and place your order again there, and I sincerely apologize for it.
Now, here’s some good news: the Kindle version of Drowning in Deception, the first Lily Gallagher mystery, will be on sale from July 6-13. During that week, you can snag a copy for 99 cents. If you haven’t already read it, take advantage of the sale so you can read it before you read Chords of Deception. It’s not required — each of them will stand on its own. And it’s still available in Kindle Unlimited if you’re a subscriber.
Notable Quotes
The nutmeg was the difference between a doughnut and a fall doughnut. It was the smell of October pressed into a quarter teaspoon.
Harvest Moon by Blake Rivers
This is the kind of description I love — full of sensory detail, evocative. . . It reminds me of the Tom Hanks line in the movie You’ve Got Mail where he’s talking about New York in the fall, and references a “bouquet of sharpened pencils.”
Buy Me a Chai
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Wise Words
This week, our game’s going to be a little different. Which type of description would you prefer to see in a cozy mystery? And why? Leave a comment below. . .
The prices were listed — absurdly low, even by 1990s standards, the kind of numbers that made sense only if you understood that the sellers had been elderly, confused, and desperate, and the buyer had been none of those things.
The listed prices were absurdly low, even by 1990s standards. The numbers didn’t make sense, unless you already knew that the sellers had been elderly, confused, and desperate while the buyer had been none of those things.
I think the second description. Sounds better. It seems cleaner and more concise.
And I can't wait to order your new boom on July 4th!