News, News, and More News

Okay, maybe just news. 

In April, I signed a three book contract with Kensington for my Tourist Trap Cozy mystery series.

The query read like this –

The tourist business can be murder.

Jill Gardner traded in her big city condo, high stress job, and low potential boyfriend to run South Cove’s Chamber of Business chapter.  South Cove’s a tourist town steeped in California history, known for artisan craft houses and keeping the secrets of its residents. She'd be living the dream, but when one friend winds up dead and another disappears, Jill finds the big city isn't the only place where murderers hide. And she’s up next on the killer’s to do list.

ALL THAT GLITTERS Now called book #1 weaves quirky characters in a small town cozy with series potential.  History and tourist lore bring a unique twist to life in this coastal California town. South Cove, just like other tourist towns, has one primary goal—keep up the image.  Even when that means murder.

I loved this series and had a second book started, when someone told me I may not want to write book two if I hadn't sold the first book in the series.  I stopped at chapter four and wrote a new cozy series set near the ski capital of Idaho, Sun Valley which I’m currently shopping to agents.  But now I've returned to writing book two and enjoying coming home to South Cove, my fictional central coastal California setting.

And the house in the picture?  That was the image that started the story. 

That’s my big news.  I’m excited to have a cozy mystery under my author belt but nervous at the same time. 

So MMM bloggers and readers, what should I know as I wander my way through this new landscape? What advice would you give a new author in Mystery Land? And what conferences do I need to attend?