Eastover Treasures, Book 2
Cozy Mystery
Date to be Published: 12 Mar 2024
Publisher: Blue Dragon Publishing, LLC
Aury and Scott travel to the Finger Lakes in New York’s wine country to get to the bottom of the mysterious happenings at the Songscape Winery. Disturbed furniture and curious noises are one thing, but when a customer winds up dead, it’s time to dig into the details and see what ferments.
Is there any truth to the Native American legends that cluster near Seneca Lake? Is the warrior’s disapproval of wineries growing legs?
Aury will need to pour over the clues to unearth the mystery before the winery’s reputation is crushed. With the annual wine festival just around the corner, Aury harvests more than she bargained for when the killer tries to bottle her up for good.
What is the hardest part of writing
your books?
Finishing. Lol. Tying up the loose ends without rushing is rough. And by the
time I get to the end, I’ve been working with the book for close to a year, and
I’m ready to start the next one.
What are your most played songs?
Lately, AJR. I have two daughters (21
and 23) who got me hooked. “Don’t Throw Out My Legos” and “Yes, I’m a Mess” are
two of my favorites. I also enjoy Taylor Swift. She always has something that
will fit my mood.
Do you have critique partners or beta
readers?
Absolutely. Critique partners are an
important part of the writing process. They help me get the story going,
chapter by chapter at the beginning. Then I don’t share it again until I’m
done. My daughters act as my Alpha readers. Once I make their corrections, it
goes back to my critique group, then to Beta readers before the editor gets it.
It’s a long process but well worth every step. I didn’t do that with my first
book, and I learned a harsh lesson. It was rejected many times until I fixed it
by not skipping steps.
What book are you reading now?
I read three books at a time usually.
I’m listening to Brave New World on audio. On Kindle, I’m reading
Melanie Cellier’s fairy tale rewrites. I’m working my way through her many
books. She is absolutely brilliant. For the book I hold in my hand, I’m reading
The Last Mayor’s Son by Leslie Heath. I write across many genres, so I read
the same way. Fantasies are my favorite though. Anne McCaffrey and Dragonriders
of Pern got me started.
How did you start your writing career?
I was in the Air Force for 28 years.
During my first duty assignment, I had a stalker. Someone was breaking into my
house, messing with my phones, and generally scaring the crap out of me. My
friends thought it was a fascinating story that I should write down. I finally
did, but it wasn’t exciting enough. I added a few murders to make the story
more interesting and created The Obsession. After that, I thought I was
done. After all, I had written my story. But readers kept asking for more Jackie
(my main character). The opening scene from my second book, Wind the Clock,
is a true story from when I was working for the inspector general in Germany.
After that, the ideas kept coming. Oaky With a Hint of Murder is my 19th
book.
Tell us about your next release.
Oaky With a Hint of Murder is the second in the Eastover
Treasures cozy mystery series. In the first book, Eastover Treasures, Aury
and her sewing sisters are on a quilt retreat when a storm rolls in. They get
stuck inside a manor house where they find a diary that was written during the
Civil War. In the diary, Mary has left clues to a hidden treasure, so they go
on a treasure hunt. In Oaky, Aury and Scott go to the Finger Lakes area
of New York where they are helping their cousin flush out the Seneca Warrior
who is supposedly haunting the winery. My cozy mysteries have chapters that
take place in the past, so readers can also get a taste of historical fiction.
The series will follow Aury and Scott, but each story is a standalone. Because
they are cozy mysteries (no graphic violence, sex, or swearing), I’m finding a
lot of younger readers who read higher than their grade level are enjoying them.
Aury is like a thirty-something Nancy Drew.
About the Author
Dawn Brotherton is an award-winning author of nineteen books and featured speaker at writing and publishing seminars. When it comes to exceptional writing, she draws on her experience as a colonel retired from the US Air Force as well as a softball coach and Girl Scout leader. Her variety of interests has led to a range of genres including mystery, romance, young adult fantasy, middle grade sports, picture book, and nonfiction. When she isn’t using her words, Dawn is in her craft room in Williamsburg, VA, quilting, painting, or taking online classes. Her affection for travel and all-things-crafty keeps her imagination in high gear for the next Eastover Treasure Mystery.
Contact Links
Pre-Order Links
Posts
No comments: