Dear Readers:
Nothing so festive as a snowy Christmas night in Manhattan! |
If all goes as planned, this should reach you on Christmas Eve—and the timing is no accident. I have a long-awaited holiday gift for you.
Fans of my Lily Dale series have been asking me for years if I’m planning to write any more Lily Dale books. For years, my answer has been “You never know...”
But at last, I’m changing that to a resounding YES, because...
I’m launching a brand new Lily Dale series in 2015! These will be cozy mysteries for adult readers (but suitable for teens as well), slated to be published next fall to help launch new publisher Crooked Lane Books. I’ve been sitting on this news for quite some time, but couldn’t reveal it until the publisher gave me the green light. The new series, acquired and edited by editorial director Matthew Martz, formerly of Minotaur/St. Martin’s Press, will feature a new cast of characters along with old favorites. You can finally find out what Calla, Odelia and the gang have been up to in the past decade and you’ll get to know my new heroine, widowed mom Bella, her precocious son, Max...and a mysterious, pregnant stray cat whose name, perhaps by chance...perhaps not...is Chance.
Chance loves helping me wrap presents. |
In keeping with the holiday season, I have more good news: my new Mundy’s Landing suspense trilogy from HarperCollins has an official pub date! The first book, BLOOD RED, goes on sale on September 29, 2015, and will soon be followed by BLUE MOON and BONE WHITE (those last two are tentative titles). I just saw the final draft of the back cover copy and I know the Harper art department is hard at work on the cover art now. I’ll be revealing it in an upcoming newsletter and will let you know when it’s ready for preorders.
But you don’t have to wait that long to read something new. My next suspense novel,
THE BLACK WIDOW, goes on sale two months from today! Be sure to preorder it from your favorite retailer if you’d like to have it in hand—or on your digital reader—on February 24.
THE BLACK WIDOW shares a social networking theme with my recent suspense releases THE GOOD SISTER (HarperCollins, October 2013) and THE PERFECT STRANGER (HarperCollins, August 2014) and my e-novella COLD HEARTED. You never can be too careful online—even when you assume you’re connecting with someone you know and trust...and maybe even love. In THE BLACK WIDOW, Gabriela Duran reconnects with her ex-husband, Ben. But she’s not the only one with empty arms, a lonely soul, and her heart set on Ben.
THE BLACK WIDOW video book trailer will be revealed on my websites and social networking sites on New Year’s Day (barring technical difficulties), so be sure to follow me there.
Meanwhile, if you’re off for a few days and looking for a cozy Christmas read (or re-read), my heartwarming Wendy Markham novel IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS and the sequel THE BEST GIFT are still getting rave reviews almost a decade after being published. Even the trailer reminds me of some of my favorite vintage holiday movies—a hint of “The Homecoming,” a touch of “The House Without A Christmas Tree,” and a sprinkling of “It’s a Wonderful Life”
According to Booklist, IF ONLY IN MY DREAMS is “a unique blend of romance, history, and fantasy. Thoroughly original and unpredictable, Markham’s latest is a delight,” while Publishers Weekly said, “The fantastic setup is balanced with convincing period details and strong characters, and the story’s conclusion is unexpectedly real and refreshing.” And RT Bookreviews Magazine gave THE BEST GIFT a coveted 4 ½ star review, saying, “It takes a splash of reincarnation, adds a dollop of The Time Traveler’s Wife and stirs them into a beautiful love story.”
Foster kittens Frenchie and Cha Cha need a furever home. |
This December has been especially heartwarming and hectic in our household, as in addition to our own recently adopted rescue cat, Chance, we saved a pair of kittens from the Manhattan kill shelter and are fostering them here until they’re ready for adoption. They are mother and daughter, ages ten months and six weeks—the mom, Frenchie, has the sweetest feline temperament I’ve ever seen, and her baby, Cha Cha, is a playful bundle of fluff. If you or anyone you know in my general geographical area are interested in providing one or both of these sweet kitties a loving forever home, please send me a note at my personal email address [email protected] and I’ll give you the details. The rescue organization, Ready for Rescue, handles it and their nominal adoption fee covers having their spay surgery, all their shots and medical testing, so they’ll come to you in fantastic health.
In closing, I hope that wherever you are today, you’re safe, healthy, loved, and steeped in peaceful relaxation or surrounded by merry chaos, whichever suits your holiday wish. I’m betting that if you find me on Facebook and Twitter, my updates will reflect the latter!
Till next time,
Wendy Corsi Staub
