January 2018
Happy 2018, my dears!
It's a brand new year with brand new hopes and dreams (and at least a few perennial ones on my list). Are you a resolutions person, or do you take it one day at a time? I mix it up and add a new habit or two in addition to planning my writing projects for the year. At the top of my list is staying in better touch with my friends. So prepare to hear from me a bit more this year—at least quarterly.
Right now, I have to tell you two pieces of Big News.
![[BN]](http://www.laurabenedict.com/wp-content/uploads/bn-sq.png) ![[Amazon]](http://www.laurabenedict.com/wp-content/uploads/amazon-sq.png) ![[iBooks]](http://www.laurabenedict.com/wp-content/uploads/ibook-sq.png) ![[Kobo]](http://www.laurabenedict.com/wp-content/uploads/kobo-sq.png) ![[kindle]](http://www.laurabenedict.com/wp-content/uploads/kindle-sq.png) ![[nook]](http://www.laurabenedict.com/wp-content/uploads/nook-sq.png) ![[IndieBound]](http://www.laurabenedict.com/wp-content/uploads/indiebound-sq.png)
My latest novel, a fun cozy mystery called Small Town Trouble, is now available at online booksellers in paperback and eBook. (Or you can order the paperback through your local bookseller.) It's the fifth book in the Familiar Legacy Series of cat detective books featuring a black cat named Trouble. You'll want to pick up all five books in the series, each written by a different author.
Small Town Trouble is a story of kidnapping, romance and, of course, murder. Trouble has landed in the bluegrass of tiny New Belford, Kentucky, to help pretty Erin Walsh discover the mysteries behind her stepmother's kidnapping and the murder of one of her closest friends. Enter Noah Daly, who is both sweet and helpful either because he's a really nice guy or he's secretly involved in the crimes. Only Trouble knows the truth...
Big News the Second:
My next suspense novel has a new title: The Stranger Inside. My publisher, Mulholland Books, has also let me know it will be published in February 2019. I know! It feels like a long time to wait, but in the interim I'll get to show you the cover and treat you to a sample.
Around My House
Things have been quiet here at Chez Benedict, for the most part. Wedding planning for my daughter continues, and pretty much everything is arranged except the DJ and...my dress. Our big excitement was in early December when my teenage son was walking in a crosswalk and got hit by a car. I never want to get a phone call like that again! We're so thankful he only had minor injuries, with the exception of a broken leg. He has a huge cast that won't come off for a few more weeks.
Sylvie, our youngest furbaby, loves to perch.
Where I'll Be
Ready for a road trip? Come see me, and a whole lot of other terrific authors (J.T. Ellison, Lynn Cahoon, Jen Talty, Carolyn Haines, and more), in Birmingham, Alabama, on February 3rd at the Homewood Library. The conference is Murder in the Magic City.
On Sunday, February 4th, we'll be in Wetumpka, Alabama, just a stone's throw away, for the Murder on the Menu Conference.
New Photos!
With two new books coming out, it was time for some new author photos. It had been eight years since my last. I have a couple different ones that I'll be using. Thanks to the wonderful Julia Noack of Julia Noack Photography for shooting great pictures and making the whole experience fun.
 
Thanks for reading! Come visit me at my website or on social media. Links are below.
Sending you blessings for a fabulous 2018!
What I'm reading/listening to: Death of a Dustman by M.C. Beaton
What I'm reading next: The Aquariums of Pyongyang by Kang Chol-Hwan
Next in my TBR pile: The Only Girl in the World: A Memoir by Maude Julien
What I can't wait for you to read: I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon (March)
www.LauraBenedict.com
    
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