Murder InThe Winner's Circle by M.J. Evans Interview & Giveaway

 

Murder InThe Winner's Circle: A Harness Racing Mystery by M.J. Evans

About Murder InThe Winner's Circle

 

Murder InThe Winner's Circle: A Harness Racing Mystery 

Cozy Mystery 

2nd in Series

Setting - Pennsylvania 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dancing Horse Press

Print Length - 257 Pages 

Paperback ISBN 9798993879413

ASIN B0HLQCXS8H 

Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0HFQNH72C

A Birthday Celebration. A Champion Horse. A Deadly Toast. Alfred Wellington has everything he wants on his sixtieth birthday. His prized colt just won at Liberty Racetrack, the champagne is flowing, and the crowd is cheering. Then Alfred collapses. At first, everyone assumes it was a heart attack—until the autopsy reveals the truth. ALFRED WELLINGTON WAS POISONED. Former insurance investigator Callie Oaks Coffman knows Liberty Racetrack inside and out. She knows its horses, its owners, its trainers—and she knows that secrets can get someone killed. As she and her new husband, reporter Paul Coffman, become drawn into the investigation, Callie discovers that Alfred left behind plenty of people with reasons to want him dead. A beautiful young wife. A secretive trainer. A bitter ex-wife. A business partner with something to hide. But which one of them is the killer? BECAUSE IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE, EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE. Return to the world of Liberty Racetrack in the second Harness Racing Mystery, following Fire at the Track.

About M.J. Evans

M.J. Evans is the award-winning author of twenty-seven published works spanning middle-grade, young adult, and adult fiction, as well as a selection of picture books. Her writing often explores themes centered around horses and equine fantasy, reflecting a lifelong passion for these remarkable animals. A graduate of Oregon State University and a former educator with experience teaching both middle and high school students, Ms. Evans brings both educational insight and storytelling flair to her work. She resides in beautiful Colorado with her husband, Tom, where they enjoy the company of their horses and Standard Poodle. She is the proud mother of five and grandmother of thirteen.

M.J. Evans was the recipient of the 2024 Colorado Authors League Lifetime Achievement Award. Literary awards include: Chanticleer International Book Awards Readers’ Favorite International Awards Eric Hoffer Awards Nautilus Awards Literary Classics awards Literary Global Book Awards Literary Titan Book Award Feathered Quill Book Awards Purple Dragonfly Awards Royal Dragonfly Awards Page Turner Award Next Generation Award Global Book Awards CIPA Evvy Book Awards Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards Incipere Book Awards International Impact Book Awards Maincrest Media Book Awards Book Excellence Awards Mom’s Choice Awards 

Interview:

1. I have enjoyed creative writing since I was a child. But it took a long time to actually start thinking of myself as an author. I had a serious case of impostor syndrome! It wasn’t until I was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award for 2024” from the Colorado Authors’ League that I started to really embrace the title of author!

2. Most books take me close to a year to write—from concept to opening the first box of books from the printer.

3. I commit to nearly five hours of writing a day. In the summer I ride my horses in the morning, then write in the afternoon. During the winter, I reverse that. I write in the morning and ride in the afternoon. I am so blessed to live such a fun life!

4. My one writing quirk that has led to accomplishing the completion of so many books is that I don’t look back! I just keep moving forward and not worry about making everything perfect until I have the whole book down. That is my foundation. Then I can go back and improve, edit, embellish and revise all I want. Each draft builds upon the original foundation.

5. Initially, I went the traditional route of seeking a publisher by submitting query letters and manuscripts.  My first four books were done that way. I learned everything I could from them, which was a lot! Now I do it myself. I use a professional editor and cover designer. But I do all the rest myself.

6. The idea comes first. Several of my ideas have come from my readers who send me a note with: “You should write about this!” in the headline. I look into it by lightly researching the topic and, if it isn’t something that has been written about extensively before and I’m excited about the idea, my research gets more involved. I love to interview people who are experts on the subject—such as Silver Charm’s jockey, or a harness racing trainer for “Fire at the Track.” I also purchase books on the subject so that I can take notes and dog ear corners. 

7. I am not counting my childhood attempts! My first published book was a non-fiction trail guidebook called “Riding Colorado-Day Trips From Denver with Your Horse.” I wrote it over the course of two years. I was in my early fifties. I had moved to Colorado and wanted to know where to ride my horse. Not finding a trail guidebook for equestrians, I decided to write one myself. It was so fun! I learned the best way to make money as an author is to write a non-fiction book that fills a need! Thousands of other equestrians needed just such a book. 

8. When I am not writing, I’m either riding my horse at home or on the mountain trails or playing with my grandchildren. Life is good!

9. They are so proud of me and love getting a new book each year. My grandchildren especially love it when I read one of my books out loud to them. They also love it when I do an author visit at their school.

10. I learned that I really can write well and that I can leave something good in the world through my writing. 

11. “Murder in the Winner’s Circle” is my twenty-seventh book. I have had fun writing each book but I would have to say that my favorite book is the one I’m working on at any given time. That is the one that is occupying my thoughts and energyat the moment. So, right now it is the next book in the harness racing mystery series: “Blowing the Whistle.” 

12. To become a better writer, become a more critical reader. Don’t just read for pleasure. Start reading with an eye for things you like and feel have been done well. 

13. It is such a great joy to get letters from my readers. Often, it is pre-teens or teens who tell me my book is their favorite. From adults it is often suggestions for my next book as I mentioned above. The most fun letters have been from people who have a special connection to the topic of the book. I heard from one man whose relative was a Sand Pounder during WWII. Another man read “The Stallion and His Peculiar Boy” and told me his grandfather was one of the soldiers who helped save the horses. And one man contacted me who is a descendent of George Beck in “PINTO!” He was so excited to find out so much about his uncle—things he had never known before.

14. Yes. But it is also fun to write for teens and middle-grade readers. I don’t want to get in a rut and I’m always trying to push myself to try new things.

15. A good story is one that gives readers a character who wants something, them make them care whether that character gets it. Ernest Hemmingway said, “There is no friend as loyal as a book.”

16. That’s a funny question. I wanted to be a veterinarian until I watched a surgery on a horse. Then I wanted to be an Olympic rider until I found out how much those Olympic horses cost. Then I decided that the most important thing I could do in my life was create a wonderful family. So, that is what I have done.

17. I want your readers to know that becoming a successful writer is 10% talent and 90% perseverance. Talent can be innate or learned, but nothing takes the place of the old fashioned hard work. I hope they will enjoy reading some of my books.

  Author Links

Website:www.dancinghorsepress.com.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4496514.M J Evans

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/m-j-evans

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/M.-J.-Evans/e/B004GMS014 Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/margi.evans.98

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjevansbooks/

Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N

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November 3 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

November 3 – deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 4 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

November 5 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

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TIME-STOPPERS: INTERLUDES IN TIME by James Young Review & Interview

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  TIME-STOPPERS: INTERLUDES IN TIME by James Young
Category: Adult Fiction, 376 pages
Genre: Fantasy: Time Travel/Romance
Publisher: Mascot Books 
Publication Date: June, 2026
Content Rating: PG-13

Book Description:

The “perfect life” is an impossible dream—or is it?

Aided by an ability to stop time at will, David Preston intends to find out. David is obsessed with making his world perfect: career, love life—everything. Most people settle for less because they know perfection is impossible. But David has a problem: He believes perfection is not just possible but attainable. At least, for someone with his extraordinary gift.

David can stop time at will for everyone but himself. The world freezes around him, giving him “time” to complete tasks on impossible deadlines, compose brilliant answers to sudden questions, and dodge the otherwise unavoidable disasters we can see coming but are powerless to stop.

But life is messier than it appears, and reality is not easily dissuaded—especially when there may be someone else out there, stopping time...

Buy the Book:
Amazon.com 
Mascot Books ~ B&N
Add to Goodreads

Meet the Author:

This is James Young’s first foray into fiction. He has spent over three decades in and around D.C. politics, immersed in economic and policy legislation. Alongside degrees from the University of Chicago (B.A.) and Cornell University (M.A., Ph.D.), Young’s writing has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, The Hill, American Spectator, The Federalist, Washington Post, New York Post, Barron’s, Forbes, Chicago Tribune, Townhall, Blaze Media, San Francisco Chronicle, Cleveland Plain Dealer, USA Today, and elsewhere.

In his early days, James was Kipling’s “cat who walked by himself,” working in a steel mill, sailing on the Great Lakes’ iron ore boats, tending bar, riding motorcycles, scuba diving, traveling extensively worldwide, and “doing all manner of things that would have consumed fully eight of the Kipling cat’s nine lives.” He is spending his remaining life more sedately, though still traveling with his family to America’s national parks—with only the occasional exotic foray here and there.

Interview:

1.      What literary pilgrimages have you gone on?

A: I like to go to the places that I am writing about and get a true sense for the location.  The results of this are all through Time-Stopper.   The Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress is, to me, the most beautiful structure in Washington.  That Julia would know it and be transported by it was very natural to me.  I do the same thing in other parts of the book, Del Ray for instance. 

2.      What is the first book that made you cry?

A: Winnie the Pooh: It’s closing scene where Christopher Robin is trying to explain to Pooh (“a bear of very little brain”) that he is leaving.  Pooh, of course, cannot understand.  I found it so sad then and, as I grew to understand it even more fully, its poignancy grows as well.  It still gives me a lump in my throat. 

3.      Does writing energize or exhaust you?

A: Usually, it is energizing.  The exception is when I write very emotional sections.  There are several between David and Julia and, one especially, that I found it hard to not simply write, but even to edit.  I would have to steel myself to approach it and then get up and leave the keyboard for a prolonged period until the scene’s impact dissipated. 

4.      What is your writing Kryptonite?

A: Schedules in general and deadlines in particular.  Don’t get me wrong, I will meet them.  Nevertheless, I don’t find that writing works like that: There is not a switch that can be turned on and off.  It flows or it doesn’t and can’t be timed.  So, putting a time schedule on it—and especially a hard-and-fast one to produce something—often produces a product that I’m not happy with.

5.      Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

A: No, not really.  I can see why authors do it; especially if they have reached such a level that their name immediately prejudices readers’ responses.  And I certainly toyed with it in some writing projects.  But the whole point of writing is to express yourself, so doing so as someone else defeats that purpose to me.  I realize that actors do it all the time, it’s what acting is all about, but that’s not writing. 

6.      What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?

A: I know several writers (and I hope you will forgive me for not divulging names), and we talk regularly about what we love to do.  It’s very helpful because writing is very personal and its setbacks are equally so.  There are also all the nuts and bolts of it—timing, amount of output, topics, wording, and innumerable other details—which no one else would find interesting or be familiar with.  Sounding boards are important, the danger that I worry about is that, while you are sounding out, you don’t come to sound alike.

7.      Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

A: Stand alone.  Each one is its own.  I haven’t found a story that I want to keep following and following.  I believe that each is sort of like a person: People may have one great episode in their lives that could become a book, but most of us then return to our normal lives—and normal lives are not that interesting, which is why we enjoy reading stories.  My fear with writing follow-ons is that you could slip into that uninteresting part of characters’ lives or over-correct make them sound contrived. 

8.      What authors did you dislike at first but grew into?

A: As a group: poets.  It seemed unnecessarily tedious when I was forced to read (and memorize) them in school.  As I grew up, I started to see the beauty and the unnerving demand that each word, each syllable, must count and is counted.  Now, I read poetry every day.

9.      What’s your favorite under-appreciated novel?

A:J.D. Salinger’s Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction comes quickly to mind.  I remember traveling in China decades ago and finding it on a table of books for sale.  It was included like the “B-side” of a record to Catcher in the Rye.  Of course, I loved Catcher, but finding Raise High the Roof Beam felt like my own unique discovery and, therefore,all the moreexhilarating.  I also like Kipling’s stories that are now so out of fashion: The world’s loss, he knew how to write and excelled across a variety of genres.

10.  As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

A: Easy: a cat.  I love Kipling’s “cat who walks by himself and all places are alike to me.”  As I write this instant, ours is sitting next to me on a folding table, on my open notebook, and purring up a storm. 

11.  How many unpublished and half-finished books do you have?

A: Yes!  I have two manuscripts that I have shown to other readers and am working on another that is three-quarters through a first draft.  One is another magical realism, one is a contemporary literary fiction, and the other is almost a borderline between magical realism and contemporary literary fiction.  I’m always working on something.

12.  What did you edit out of this book?

A: A scene between David and the office assistant.  I really loved the scene (David explains to her that he can stop time and proves it), but it just didn’t fit.  It would have taken the story away from its true course.

13.  If you didn’t write, what would you do for work?

A: Well, I did that (working in Washington) for almost forty years.  I was still able to write on the side for much of it though.  My background is academics; this too entailed a lot of writing.  I can’t really imagine not being allowed to write.  Jefferson said: “I cannot live without books.”  I’m sure he would have said the same about writing.

14.  Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

A: All throughout, in a certain sense.  Many of the scenes really happened to me: David stopping on a motorcycle ride and hearing the cicadas is a true story.  I also tried to leave foreshadowing clues in the book; I think these are secrets of a sort, one that you are being told but don’t know it’s a secret at the time.

15.  What is your favorite childhood book?

A: The ones I read to my children.  Little Houseby Virginia Lee Burton was particularly popular with one of mine, and I have the fondest memories of my child bringing me the book.  I used to read them in special voices and add words (where I thought they were needed—until my children learned to read and called me on them!).  Having them clustered around and within the circle of my arms as I read; that was heaven. 

Connect with the author:  Website  ~ Instagram ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

My Review:

This book has an interesting concept. What if you could pause time? What would you change? Would you try to improve your job? Research the questions you were asked? Try to impress someone you like? I think that I would read ( I have so many books on my tbr.), or maybe go back to school? What would the consequences be? Would the consequences outweigh the positives? After awhile I think that I would cause too much of a butterfly effect. That is what this book explores. What happens when you tempt fate and the backlash. There were times where the book was really serious and other times when there was some humor. There were also politics involved. What if you were not the only one that was manipulating time? This book reminded me of the television show Quantum Leap. You never really know what the future holds, even if you try to change it. Towards the end of the book the author talks about being radar versus being archive. Are we all just here to archive events for future generations? This book really made me think. I am giving this book a 4/5. I was given a copy to review, nevertheless all opinions are my own.

Winterveil by Ava Reid Review

 

In an alternate future where the Cold War still rages, four precocious teenage criminals with dark skills and darker secrets are offered a fresh start at a secret military academy. But instead of training to end the war, they find themselves on a mysterious mission that will test loyalties, forge romances, and maybe end the world as they know it.

WINTERVEIL is perfect for fans of dystopia, new and old, dark romance aficianados, fans of online gaming, or readers who delight in lush prose and mysterious, atmospheric settings. I’d love for you to keep WINTERVEIL on your radar for any review/roundup coverage you may be planning and considering Ava for interviews about her background in political science and international relations, becoming a star in new generation of authors, and creating morally gray protagonists.

About Ava:

Ava Reid is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning, A Theory of Dreaming, Lady Macbeth, Juniper & Thorn, and The Wolf and the Woodsman. Her books have been published in over fourteen territories. She lives in the New York area. Follow her on Instagram @avasreid and find her online at tumblr.com/avasreid.

 

My Review:

This is a great dystopian YA book. It has a world at war, a bit of history via Cold War, romance and an academy that trains spies. There was a lot to this book. The characters were very different and they each had their own set of issues. Between embezzlement, credit card fraud and politics, these characters bring it all to the table. Would you choose prison or a spy school? Can they be trusted to serve their country, and end the cold war? This books made me wonder what would have happened if we were still in a cold war. How different our lives would be. This is a duology so I was not happen with the cliffhanger ending and that cost the book a star in it's rating. I also took away a star because there is a lot going on and at times it is hard to follow. However this is a great fun read that kept my interest. I am giving this book a 3/5. I was given a copy, nevertheless all opinions are my own.

THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES by Jaime Jo Wright Excerpt, Review & Giveaway

THE RESURRECTION OF EVANIA JAMES

by Jaime Jo Wright

October 5 - 30, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

If walls could talk, what nightmare might they expose?

1879

When Eloise James's sister, Evania, goes missing after being admitted to an asylum, Eloise is determined to find her sibling but instead discovers evidence of dying patients and missing remains. Wannabe journalist Silas Dobbs has his own suspicions that something more nefarious is at work, and that black market sales may originate at the asylum. Together, they are intent on learning whether Evania is alive, or if her body has also been stolen. But unraveling a web of underground resurrectionists proves daunting, and the dead cannot share their secrets.

Present Day

Tilly Thompson is horrified to find historical human remains entombed in a wall of the Gothic mansion her grandfather just purchased, launching her into an investigation of the original owners' questionable past. The James family legacy harbors a darkness tightly woven through decades of secrets, but the past refuses to remain ensnared by silence. Will revealing the truth resurrect dangers best kept buried forever?

Jaime Jo Wright masterfully weaves a dual-timeline gothic suspense novel that brings together a haunting historical tale and a shadowy modern-day mystery. For fans of atmospheric thrillers, spooky reads, the Victorian era, creepy mansions, and dark family secrets.

Book Details:

Genre: Gothic Fiction; Christian Mystery & Suspense
Published by: Bethany House Publishers
Publication Date: October 27, 2026
Number of Pages: 336 Pbk
ISBN: 9780764246258 (ISBN10: 0764246259)
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub | Baker Book House

Read an excerpt:

 

 

Author Bio:

Jaime Jo Wright is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than eighteen novels and three novellas, including Christy Award-winner and ECPA bestseller The Vanishing at Castle Moreau, Christy Award and Daphne du Maurier Award-winner The House on Foster Hill, Christy Award-winner Night Falls on Predicament Avenue, and Carol Award-winner The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond. She lives in Wisconsin with her family and fabulous felines.

Learn more at

JaimeWrightBooks.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @JaimeJoWright
Instagram - @jaimejowright
Threads - @jaimejowright
YouTube - @madlitmusings
Spotify - MadLit Musings
Facebook - @JaimeJoWright

My Review:

This is the perfect book to read in October. I am not sure what I liked more, the mystery from the past or the spooky happenings in the present. The author did a great job of going between eras and brought the house to life in both. I really wanted to know what happened to Evania and Eloise, I really disliked their dad and think that he got more than he deserved, The "added" character towards the end..... I did not expect who he was. I was surprised at his relation to Eloise. Let's just say that apples do not fall far from the tree. I loved how the house seemed to be it's own character and really did make me think about what a wall would say. The mystery itself surprised me and I was happy when the sisters finally got their story told. The author also included an interesting sub-plot about ancestry and how a family tree is only as good as the person writing it. There is so much in the book that I will be reading it again and again. It would be great to see a sequel that follows up on Tilly. She was so happy when she got to live in the house of her dreams. She did not expect to find a body, or to have things move around by themselves. The author was new to me and I will be reading her books every chance I get. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy, nevertheless all opinions are my own.  

 

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Up The Creek by Shelley Marsh Interview & Giveaway

 

Up the Creek: A Florida Eco-Mystery by Shelley Marsh

About Up The Creek

 

Up the Creek: A Florida Eco-Mystery 

Mystery Stand Alone 

Setting - Florida 

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sibylline Digital First

Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 2, 2026 

Print length ‏ : ‎ 300 pages 

Digital ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8897409136

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0H79D1LLY

Paperback ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8897409143 

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0HF1GB458

In the Florida marshlands, Amanda finds herself in a fight that’s personal, political, and deadly

After losing her research grant, marine botanist Amanda Wright returns to her Florida hometown and takes a job at her family’s eco-tour business. But the quiet marshlands she once loved are under threat from a flashy new resort and a suspicious rezoning effort on protected land. Then a fellow scientist dies under mysterious circumstances, and a rare aquatic plant is found that may hold the key to stopping development.

As buried secrets come to light and her long-absent mother resurfaces with regrets of her own, Amanda must decide what kind of person and protector she wants to be.

A suspenseful, emotionally layered mystery set against a lush coastal backdrop, Up the Creek explores the fragile balance between progress and preservation, and one woman’s determination to defend the place she still calls home.

Praise for Up the Creek

“Sharp writing, a clever mystery, entertaining characters, and the tropical Florida setting will entice readers to pay more than one visit to author Marsh’s Mysteries.” —Ellen Byron, author of the Golden Motel Mystery series

About Shelley Marsh

Shelley Marsh is the author of the Estate Sale Mysteries, including Dying to Live Here, More Than She Bargained For, and Everything Must Go. She writes character-driven mysteries set along Florida’s coast, where community ties, hidden motives, and shifting loyalties shape the story. With Up the Creek, she expands into eco-mystery, blending environmental conflict with political intrigue and emotional stakes. When she’s not writing, she can often be found exploring the beaches and marshlands that inspire her fiction. She lives and writes in coastal North Florida.

Interview:

1. When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I remember a classmate’s mother giving me a journal for my seventh birthday and telling me I should be a writer. I wish I could find that journal, because I actually tried to write a story in it. I still have a couple of little books I wrote in elementary school, complete with bindings made from cereal boxes and contact paper.

2. How long does it take you to write a book?

A first draft usually takes me two to three months, but I plan and outline before I start, then go through several rounds of revisions afterward. Realistically, I write one new book a year, or possibly two—if I’m under deadline.

3. What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?

I try to be at my desk before 10 a.m. I start by recording the date and time in my journal, then write about what I’m going to work on, what’s happening in my life, and how I’m feeling that day. Then, it’s a solid block of writing or editing. After a break for a walk, workout, or lunch, I try to get another block of writing done in the afternoon. I usually wrap up around 5:30.

4. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

 If I really like a joke, I will keep it in the manuscript no matter what. I will write a whole scene, just so I can use that joke.

I also talk to myself in my journal and sometimes complain about my past self. An entry might start, “Thursday, 9:30 a.m.: Wednesday Shelley really left me a lot to do today.” 

5. How do books get published?

There are different paths, including self-publishing and traditional publishing. My books are traditionally published, so I can speak to my own experience.

I sign a contract with a publisher and submit my manuscript by an agreed deadline. The publisher assigns an editor, and we work through several rounds of revisions and edits. The book then goes through proofreading, formatting, and cover design. The whole process can take several months to a year or more.

6. Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Ideas come from all sorts of places. Sometimes I start with an image in my head. That’s how Up the Creek got started. I had an idea of a kayaker discovering a body in the marsh. Other times, something in real life inspires me, such as a news story. Since I write mysteries, an idea can even begin with a murder method, like a poisonous plant I’ve heard about.

7. When did you write your first book, and how old were you?

I wrote little books in elementary school, but I didn’t finish a full-length novel until I was nearly forty. I wrote another one during NaNoWriMo in 2018. Neither was very good, because I didn’t know about story structure yet. At forty-five, I started taking continuing education writing classes at my local college. That’s what really kickstarted things. Through the course of a couple of writing workshops, I completed what would be the first book in the Estate Sale Mysteries,  Dying to Live Here. That was 2019, and Dying to Live Here didn’t get published until 2026.

8. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to read, walk on the beach, ride my bike, and crochet.

9. What does your family think of your writing?

They’re very proud and supportive. My sons, who are twenty and twenty-three, think it’s cool that I’m an author, but they don’t read my books!

10. What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

How much of writing happens before you start the first draft. People think you just sit down and type “Chapter One,” but you are much more likely to finish if you have at least an idea of the main plot points.

11. How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

I’ve completed nine novels, although three will never see the light of day! Four have been published, and a fifth, Planted Evidence, is scheduled for June 2027. Another is out on submission to agents. I also have a tenth novel in progress.

I can’t pick an overall favorite. That would be like choosing my favorite child! I will say that, of the Estate Sale Mysteries, More Than She Bargained For is my favorite. In a trilogy, you can have the most fun with the second book. You have to set things up in the first and wrap them up in the third. In the middle, you get to play!

12. Do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Take creative writing classes and learn about story structure. Participate in workshops, let other people read your work, and be open to feedback. Joining a writing organization in your genre can also help. For me, Sisters in Crime has been a wonderful community of mystery writers.

13. Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I do hear from readers sometimes, and so far they’ve had lovely things to say. It’s encouraging to know that someone has spent time with my characters and enjoyed their company.

14. Do you like to create books for adults?

Yes! I write mysteries for adults, with humor, complicated relationships, and characters who have a few things left to figure out.

15. What do you think makes a good story?

A satisfying story arc and writing that keeps you turning the pages. I want a story to pull me in, give me a reason to care about what happens, and deliver an ending that feels earned.

16. As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

A writer. Those little homemade books were an early clue!

17. What would you like my readers to know?

A book is the cheapest vacation you can buy. I write mysteries meant to take you on a Florida vacation with beautiful surroundings, plenty of trouble, and no mosquito bites.

You can find out more about my books at ShelleyMarsh.com.

Facebook: Author Shelley Marsh

Instagram: A1ABeachWriter https://www.instagram.com/a1abeachwriter/

X: https://x.com/shellmarsh

TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@BookTokBelle

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@A1ABeachWriter

BlueSky: @shelleymarsh.bsky.social

Purchase Link: Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 26 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 27 – Jody's Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT

October 28 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT

October 29 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 30 – Ascroft, eh? – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 31 – Sarandipity's – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 31 – Sapphyria's Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT 

November 1 - deal sharing aunt – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

November 1 - Book HookUp – REVIEW

November 2 - Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

November 3 – Salty Inspirations – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 3 – Escape With Dollycas IntoA Good Book – REVIEW

November 4 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT

November 4 – Books1987 – SPOTLIGHT

November 5 – Christy's Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

November 5 – fundinmental – REVIEW

November 6 – Sarcastically Yours, Jen – SPOTLIGHT

November 7 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

November 8 – Boys' Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT

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