Daryl Wood Gerber's Blog - Posts Tagged "cozy-mystery"

So . . . I never realized I could post a blog on Goodreads. Talk about being gobsmacked when I learned I could. And I didn't know I could post more than my author photo under Photos. I did know about answering questions posed to the author, but so many months went between the last question and another that it slipped off of my to-do list. Do you have one of those?

Anyway, I'm becoming Goodreads educated and trying to update a few things. BTW, I do most of my interaction with fans on my Facebook author page or on my regular blog, Mystery Lovers Kitchen. Look for me there. And I sent out a monthly newsletter. Sign up on my website.

Meanwhile, to bring you up to date, I have a new book coming out June 30, A SPRINKLING OF MURDER, the first Fairy Garden Mystery. I'm so excited about this new series. It's garnering good reviews. The cover is amazing.

The reason I came up with this series idea is because I saw some fairy gardens and fell in love. Miniature gardening seemed exactly the right craft for me dive into. I love to garden, but doing heavy gardening has become too much for my elbows. Small gardening, on the other hand, perfect.

Field trip! I went to a fairy garden store in Tustin, California, and saw all the possibilities, and the creative side of me soared.

I've posted a couple of my fairy gardens in my Goodreads Photos (see where this is going?) so you can see them. I've posted more of them on my website and on Pinterest. Enjoy.

If you have any questions about the series, please write me a question, and I'll do my best to answer in a timely manner from now on. :)

Happy reading to you all. Savor the mystery! ~ Daryl

A Sprinkling of Murder
Daryl Wood Gerber

Hey, everyone, I'm doing a giveaway on my Facebook author page . . . if I get 100 new ADDS of A SPRINKLING OF MURDER to readers' shelves on Goodreads this week. Have you added it? If so, go to my FB page -- it's pinned to the top -- and leave a comment to win some fun swag. Bookmarks, recipe cards, an extraordinarily useful jar opener, and more. Click here to go directly to my Facebook page!

For my new Fairy Garden Mystery series, I decided to write about Carmel, California. What a challenge for me. Granted, I have set my suspense novels in real places, but I have set all of my cozy mysteries in fictional places. The Cheese Shop Mysteries are set in Providence, Ohio (fictional town in Holmes County), the Cookbook Nook Mysteries are set in Crystal Cove, California (there’s a state park named that but not a pretty coastal town), and the French Bistro Mysteries are set in Nouvelle Vie ( a fictional enclave between Yountville and St. Helena). I’ve created my own streets, my own shops. Heck, I even created a pier in Crystal Cove.

So why did I choose to set this series in Carmel? Because it’s one of the most delicious towns in the world, filled with fabulous art, exceptional food, eccentric people, and it’s located on one of the most gorgeous strips of the ocean you’ll ever find. Carmel fills my soul. It feeds me spiritually.

Writing about a real place is a challenge. I have to get the streets right. Oh, sure, I can create a few fictional things, like my shop and shops nearby, but I have to know the “rules of the town.” In Carmel, for example, there are no mailboxes. The original designers felt mailboxes ruined the charm, so the townsfolk go to the main post office to collect mail. Carmel is a pet-friendly town, so there are many restaurants and shops that allow dogs, on leash, to enter. In addition, there are particular rules one has to follow—visitors or locals. For example, many of the sidewalks are cobblestone, so a woman (or a man for that matter) is not allowed to wear high heels for fear of twisting an ankle. I always wear tennis shoes so I can do a lot of walking.

My challenge, as an author, is to incorporate all of this into the book without overloading it with “reality.” Which is why I have to visit there for research—in order to get it right. Poor me.

As I said above, because Carmel is a place that feeds my soul, I felt it was the perfect place to set a story about the supernatural of the fairy kind. I love the adorable old cottages, packed with lots of history, the beautiful gardens, perfect for fairy houses, and the courtyards featuring fountains and hidden doorways.

My love for Carmel is why I felt it was the perfect place to have my protagonist Courtney Kelly begin her life anew as a shop owner. She was working for her father in his landscaping business in the area, but that wasn’t nourishing her. She was stagnant. When her nana left her a small inheritance, it gave Courtney the courage to spread her wings and open her fairy garden shop.

When she opens it, she invites magic into her life. And with that, a new friend.

Click here to go directly to the Fairy Garden Mystery site on my website page to learn more!

Hi, everyone. I know you love books, but do you love giveaways? I bet you do. Daily on my Facebook Author Page, I've been giving away a book to help support those who are staying home during the corona virus quarantine. That is ongoing. I'm still quarantined.

Well, now, I'm gearing up for the release of A SPRINKLING OF MURDER, the first Fairy Garden Mystery, that comes out June 30, so I'm putting together a fun box of goodies to giveaway on release day. Hop on over to my Facebook author page to peek in the box. One item revealed daily. Will there be a fairy in it? Maybe. Tis a mystery!

Wishing you all the fairy best.

Click here to see the photo of the first page of the contest.

Click here to go directly to my Facebook page!

Hey, everyone, I'm doing a 20-day countdown on my Facebook author page, putting 20 items into a box, to celebrate the upcoming release of A SPRINKLING OF MURDER, the first Fairy Garden Mystery. Leave a comment once . . . or every day to enter. I'll pick the winner on release day, June 30. See if you can spot a color theme to the box. Look for a fairy to appear . . . and more. There are posts DAILY so look for the videos sharing a peek inside the box! Click here to go directly to my Facebook page!

I can't believe we're still seeing such suffering in our country. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. Be strong, be as positive as possible, be smart, and be safe. Here's a poem that I wrote that hopefully will bring you a moment of joy.

A Hint of Magic

Fairies love the sounds of chimes.

Fairies love words that rhyme.

Fairies love to tease and play.

Fairies love to dance all day.

If you see a fairy near

Listen well and you may hear

The hint of magic that she brings.

T’will truly make you heart take wing.

Speaking of fairies, yes, I had a new book come out recently. A SPRINKLING OF MURDER is the first in the Fairy Garden Mysteries. Have you read it yet? I hope you will. There have been a lot of positive reviews!

BTW, in July, I did a number of online virtual bookstore events to tout the book because I couldn't do in-person events, although I did drive to Mysterious Galaxy in San Diego so I could sign books in person . . . in a mask . . . with no buyers. Talk about a new reality weirdness. If you'd like to watch any of them, you will find links to a few on my website event page.

Enjoy.

Click here to go directly to my Website Events page!

Hi, readers. What have you been up to this summer? I have been social distancing by staying glued to my computer. I polished the third Aspen Adams novel of suspense. I’m waiting to hear back from my publisher regarding the release date and the title -- I gave him a lot of options. When I know, you’ll know. And then I wrote the outline for the 10th Cookbook Nook Mystery, Wining and Dying. I can’t wait to get started on that. But first I need to write another outline for my third Fairy Garden Mystery! Busy times. Some people ask how I can write so many books at the same time. Don’t I mix them up? Well, I do my best not to by plotting out my mysteries. I made a video explaining my
process. If you're interested, follow this link. Click here to go directly to my Youtube Video

To learn more about Courtney Kelly, the protagonist in my Fairy Garden Mysteries, I knew I had to immerse myself in fairy gardening technique. I've made dozens now, and each time, it feels fresh--like a new story will emerge from the garden. There's nothing like getting your hands dirty while your mind is busy imagining new worlds and scenarios. Fun. Childlike. Freeing.

If you'd like to learn how to make a fairy garden, follow this link to my youtube page. A Sprinkling of Murder
Click here to go directly to my You Tube How to Make A Fairy Garden page!

So, just on a whim, I made a small recording for Youtube today. I'm sharing on my Facebook Page, too. I woke from a dream the other night thinking about the word "hey" and how actors might say it this or that way but an author's job is to "describe" how the person said it. It's a little video if you care to take a look. It should make you laugh or smile, at the very least.

Click here to see this Youtube post!

I think most of you know by now that I make fairy gardens. I've shared a few images, but I thought I'd share just the bare bones of my next one. I found a darling unicorn and decided that would be my focus. A little girl fairy being gifted a unicorn for her birthday. Next step, finding the perfect pot. And then I'll figure out which plants I'll put in it. I have to admit that my succulent pots are doing quite well, so I'll probably be sticking with those. California heat is hard to manage. Off to the garden shop this week. Check out the photo in my gallery of photos. Look for the unicorn.