P.D. Workman's Blog, page 39
March 1, 2022
Making some time for Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time
If you didn’t have a chance to read last week’s fun post on National Tell a Fairy Tale Day, you should go have a look and see if there are any books on the reading list that you would enjoy! Grown-ups like fairies too.
The first of the month means that I am starting writing a new book today. Looking forward to adding onto the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
This week I am reading Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time, by Emily Brightwell. I’ve read a couple other books in the Mrs. Jeffries series (this is book 25 of 40 in the series, so there is plenty for you to binge on! If you enjoy a good British cosy mystery set in Victorian London, then this is a series for you. Mrs. Jeffries is police inspector Witherspoon’s housekeeper, and she and the household staff help to solve the murder cases he is working on and subtly feed him the solutions so that he thinks he solved it himself.
There are plenty of suspects in Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time who were in the house at the moment he was murdered, but unfortunately, they were all together having tea in the same room at the time, so they all have alibis. And so far no one has been able to point to someone who might have been hired by one of the said suspects to do it.
I have a few ideas of my own about who did it and how it was done, but we will have to wait and see whether I am on the right track or not!
“He’s been shot.” Michael’s voice was a shocked whisper.
Emily Brightwell, Mrs. Jeffries in the Nick of Time
A two-story killer.
Train enthusiast Francis Humphreys took his last breath while relatives and neighbors visited downstairs. But if everyone was downstairs, who could have stolen into Uncle Francis?s study, killed him, and escaped? Mrs. Jeffries will have to lend her downstairs common sense to this upstairs murder mystery.
February 24, 2022
Tell a Fairy Tale
February 26 is National Tell a Fairy Tale Day!
Fairy tales originated as oral histories told by travelers or moral stories for children. Who doesn’t like gathering around a campfire for a thrilling or scary story?
There is some fascinating information on the truth/history behind some of the popular fairy tales at 5 World-Favorite Fairy Tales
Here are some tips telling fairy tales to children from National Day Calendar:
Engage your audience. Children like to participate. Have them quack every time you mention the Ugly Duckling or make the motions of climbing Jack’s beanstalk.Use repetition. Repeated stanzas, syllables, or movements will keep the kids engaged. It not only helps them to remember the story but sets them up for the next round of the repeated phrase or stanza.Give your characters a voice. Nobody likes a monotone storyteller. Buehler, Buehler, Buehler. No, not even children like the monotone. Varying your voice for each character and inflecting excitement, sadness and disappointment will create drama and stimulate the imaginations of the little minds listening to you.Ask questions as you go. It’s an excellent way to keep your story flowing and to gauge the children’s listening skills.Find out if someone has a story of their own. You might be in the presence of a great storyteller!What about the grown-ups? If you’ve had your fill of the more common traditional fairy tales, maybe you would be interested in some adult stories that include fairies or are fairy tale retellings.
Fairies are included in many of the books in the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series, but Fairy Blade Unmade immediately came to mind when thinking about this blog post.
@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-c06d719 .ugb-img{width:640px;height:auto !important}}Fairy Blade UnmadeDon’t take a pixie on a road trip.
Reg Rawlins is taking things one day at a time, which is the best way to approach life when your perception of reality has been shattered beyond recognition. Running her business, learning how to manage her new gifts, and trying to train a rambunctious kitten are about all she can manage.
She definitely doesn’t need to be dealing with a magically-injured fairy, an expedition to the Blue Ridge Mountains, or getting the cooperation of yet another magical species.
If cozy and paranormal are your genres, you will certainly enjoy this story! Chock full of characters that are not only captivating but keep you turning the pages because the book is just plain GREAT! You get your fill of witches, familiars, fairies, pixies, and dwarfs in a well developed, well-told story infused with just the right amount of humor and written well enough to start here even if you haven’t read any of the others.
J. Johnson, Amazon Reviewer
Like paranormal mysteries? Psychics, witches, fairies, and more! Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author P.D. Workman waves her wand to transport readers to the myth- and magic-filled small town of Black Sands for another paranormal cozy mystery to be solved by Reg Rawlins and her friends.
A self-professed con artist practicing as a contact to the dead, a drop-dead gorgeous warlock, and a psychic cat—what could go wrong?
Fall under Reg’s spell today.
DIRECT EBOOK* RETAILERS READ SAMPLE
* Clicking the Direct ebook button, where available, allows you to purchase an ebook directly from the author using your PayPal account (blue button) or a credit card (grey button)
Download format options are Kindle or ePub (iBooks, Nook, etc.) format
You can also get the first book in the series free:
What the Cat KnewAnd more
Here are a few more grown-up books including fairies that I thought you might like!
.ugb-3662435 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-3662435 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-3662435 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-3662435 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-3662435 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}}Quill & DustThe supernatural can take lives just easily as it can save them…
Prepare to meet djinns. Mermaids and magic stones and a pack of other enchanting characters through a tangled string of fairy tales that combine adventure, mystery, and the supernatural into a package that is certain to hold something for everyone!
10 fairytales to satisfy your reading apetite. Can you survive them all?
.ugb-b6096fc .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-b6096fc .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-b6096fc .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-b6096fc .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-b6096fc .ugb-img{width:400px;height:auto !important}}Candy Cane ConspiracyA witch’s destiny denied.
Fate made Trixie a hunter of devilish demons, except…demons aren’t devilish, and Trixie’s not hunting them. She gave that future the boot and became an unwilling creature whisperer.
But by denying her supposed destiny, she inherits a problem.
Furred, feathered, and scaled, the creatures have invaded her life. She’s being pranked by furry fairies, stalked by mini-devils, and harassed by the messy scourge of dragons roosting in her yard.
Trixie’s had enough. She’s moving to Boise and hoping to leave the magical critters behind.
But what happens when moving isn’t enough?
.ugb-d71cd89 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-d71cd89 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-d71cd89 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-d71cd89 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-d71cd89 .ugb-img{width:519px;height:auto !important}}A Sprinkling of MurderFairy garden store owner Courtney Kelly believes in inviting magic into your life. But when uninvited trouble enters her shop, she’ll need more than a sprinkling of her imagination to solve a murder . . .
Since childhood, Courtney has loved fairies. After her mother died when Courtney was ten, she lost touch with that feeling of magic. A year ago, at age twenty-nine, she rediscovered it when she left her father’s landscaping business to spread her wings and start a fairy garden business and teashop in beautiful Carmel, California. At Open Your Imagination, she teaches garden design and sells everything from fairy figurines to tinkling wind chimes. Now she’s starting a book club tea.
But the light of the magical world she’s created inside her shop is darkened one night when she discovers neighboring dog-grooming business owner Mick Watkins dead beside her patio fountain. To make matters worse, the police suspect Courtney of the crime. To clear her name and find the real killer, Courtney will have to wing it. But she’s about to get a little help from an unexpected source . . .
.ugb-3109052 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-3109052 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-3109052 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-3109052 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-3109052 .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}}Dying to RememberWeary of her ordinary life in ordinary Smithwell, Maine, Kate Brewer jumps at the chance to help an elderly neighbor, Ray Landry, investigate an unsolved murder. But Ray’s memories of the killing are at odds with the official report, and most people in town would rather forget about the tragic event. When Ray’s investigation turn deadly, past and present collide and Kate must act quickly to uncover the truth.
As Kate hunts for clues, she makes a discovery that will change her life forever. It seems that Ray’s talk about fairies in the woods of Smithwell was more than just talk—and reality isn’t quite the ordinary thing Kate imagined it to be. Can she and her new sleuthing partner, a determined little fairy named Minette, solve two murder cases before a third body shows up?
.ugb-2946ae2 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-2946ae2 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-2946ae2 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-2946ae2 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-2946ae2 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}}A Fairy SituationMiles away from Blackwood Bay, in the deepest depths of the forest, is a bustling community named Wicked Hollow. It’s where I live and where a lot of other fairies live too. Yup, fairies.
Cute, right? Except most of what you think you know about fairies is wrong. We aren’t sweet little things that flutter around singing songs and throwing fairy dust around.
Okay, okay … some fairies fit this stereotype— not me. It might be because of the whole curse thing, but I’ll explain that later. Right now, I’ve got a dead body on my hands.
Someone killed our mayor. And since I’m an agent for the Fairy World Bureau of Investigations, I kind of have to deal with it as part of the job description.
Add in my best friend who owns the local salon, my eccentric grandmother and her doubly eccentric twin sister, and my oldest friend—a vampire cursed to live out the rest of his existence as a bumblebee bat—and you can see my life has all of the promises of a typical cozy paranormal story … except it’s a little more complicated than that.
I’m Jade Honeyblossom: half witch, half wicked, full fairy. Welcome to my world.
February 22, 2022
They Came for Him
Coming Soon!
Series: Zachary Goldman Mysteries #13
Genres: Brozy (Broader Cozy), Mystery, Suspense, Mystery/Suspense
eBook Price: $4.99
Direct ebook*Retailers
Reviews
BookbubBingebooks Goodreads
* Clicking the Direct ebook button, where available, allows you to purchase an ebook directly from the author using your PayPal account (blue button) or a credit card (grey button)
Download format options are Kindle or ePub (iBooks, Nook, etc.) format
+ About They Came for HimScheduled for November release!
From USA Today Bestselling Author, P.D. Workman!
There’s been some trouble
That was the understatement of the year. A call from private investigator Zachary Goldman’s older sister puts him onto a murder case, but this time he is trying to help the murderer rather than tracking him down.
From the beginning, Zachary has his own ideas of what happened and is confident that he can gather enough evidence and background information to prove that Luke is not guilty of murder. But Luke is not contributing to his own defense and the facts that Zachary uncovers are not what he was expecting.
Zachary begins to doubt whether he knows the real story after all.
But he is not giving up.
Well-written and enjoyable. The author has delved into the detective mystery genre with a home run!
Zachary Goldman, Private Investigator, is flawed with a capital F. Shattered by the tragedies of his own life, he will somehow still manage to pick himself up and dig just a little bit deeper than anyone else to find the vital clues.
Maybe being broken makes it easier for others who have faced tragedy to trust him. Walk with Zachary as he solves cases that will stretch his abilities to the limit.
Even with his own life in shambles, Zachary Goldman is still the one you want on the case.
Investigate this P.I. mystery now!
+ Praise for Zachary Goldman Mysteries
— an amazing and suspenseful story. It carries you away into a psychological tailspin that keeps you going in so many different directions.
— A really good piece of detective fiction with some novel and original features which keep the reader guessing until the last few pages.
— I love the way the investigation plays out…very interesting. That is done very well. It held my interest. I very much wanted to find out the outcome…
— Very well written. [Zachary] is flawed with a capital F … In spite of his problems, he is a very sympathetic character and doggedly pursues the truth.
— [She Wore Mourning] made for a pleasant read while presenting an interesting story.
— What a great story. Fabulous plot with interesting and complex characters. I was totally involved into the wee hours. Many twists and left waiting until the end. Highly recommended
— Wow! I just finished it. In one day! I could not stop reading it! This book grabs hold of you from the start. It’s a very well written detective novel. It pulls you not the story and is very emotional. You feel for the characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author but it will not be my last. I highly recommend this book.
+ Author's Note
Coming Soon
+ Book Club Resources
Book Club Resources may contain spoilers
Pinterest Board: Mental IllnessComing soon!
+ Praise for P.D. Workman
“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me in ways no one or almost anything else has. And I have found strength in the books I’ve read.”
“The way that P.D. Workman writes just flows amazingly and allows the reader to get really invested in a book.”
“This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend her enough.”
“I’ll read anything by P. D. Workman that I can get my hands on.”
“Every book by PD Workman that I’ve read has been a gripping one, however different the genres are, going from lighter mysteries to really dark ones… this is one of my favourite, most dependable authors.”
“P.D. Workman is an incredibly versatile writer. No matter which of her books I read I am drawn into a great story and honestly, I don’t think I’ve followed another author that could go from cozy mystery to YA to a PI series dealing with mental health issues. Really enjoy her books!”
“[P.D. Workman’s] stories are so believable and you can’t help but feel like you know these people. You find yourself crying, laughing and feeling the characters emotions. Now if an author can make you cry and feel every emotion in a story, she is one hell of an author.”
+ They Came for Him on my Blog
They Came for Him
Mysteries with just a hint of romance
Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day
Dosed to Death and other new releases
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Sandy, Breaking the Pattern
Fiction Books for ADHD Awareness
Doctored Death and more new releases!
Fun in Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries
Free this weekend – Out With the Sunset and more
It’s a walk in the park: Out with the Sunset and other new releases
Questions and Answers – Parks Pat Mysteries
Read Without Foresight and other new releases
Adopt a Cat Month
Skunk Man Swamp and other new releases!
Books for Father’s Day
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Mental Health Awareness Month
Chill with Cold as Ice Cream and other Freebies
Masie Dobbs investigates the MIA in Pardonable Lies
Reading for Stalker Awareness
A sack of books for Christmas!
A Whisker’s Breadth and other New Releases!
Nicholas Sparks tries his hand at Romantic Suspense
Santa Shortbread and other freebies
Excerpt from The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes #pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-title a, #pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .panel-title { font-family: 'Arial', Arial, serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; color: #be1e2d !important; font-weight: 600 !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-title a:hover, #pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .panel-title:hover { color: #000000 !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-specialp { background-color: #be1e2d !important }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-specialp * { color: #ffffff !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-readmore { color: #ffffff !important; background-color: #be1e2d !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-readmore:hover { color: #ffffff !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf + .pt-cv-pagination-wrapper .pt-cv-more , #pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf + .pt-cv-pagination-wrapper .pagination .active a, .pt-cv-pagination[data-sid='7e4f13eayf'] .active a { color: #ffffff !important; background-color: #00aeef !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf { text-align: center; } About P.D. Workman
P.D. (Pamela) Workman writes riveting mystery/suspense and young adult books dealing with mental illness, addiction, abuse, and other real-life issues. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure and from a very young age she was trying to write her own books.
Workman wrote her first complete novel at the age of twelve and continued to write as a hobby for many years. She started publishing in 2013. She has won several literary awards from Library Services for Youth in Custody for her young adult fiction. She made the USA Today Bestseller list in 2019. She currently has over 50 published titles and can be found at pdworkman.com.
Born and raised in Alberta, Workman has been married for over 25 years and has one son.
Devoured: Cobblered to Death
This weekend was the release of Time to Your Elf, book #14 in the Reg Rawlins, Psychic Investigator series. I really had a lot of fun with this one, and I love the title and cover. Time to Your Elf can be read as a stand-alone novel or enjoyed with the rest of the series. Be sure to get your copy now, as well as checking out the other great new releases in my blog post.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
One of the books I read this week was Cobblered to Death by Rosemarie Ross. It is a culinary cozy mystery, the first in the Courtney Archer series. Host of a television show about rural cooking, Courtney is helping to cohost a cooking competition, and wouldn’t you know it—somebody dies. There are plenty of twists and turns as Courtney (and the local security guy and the sheriff) try to figure out which of the other contestants might have done the dirty deed.
Good pace, lots of interesting characters to consider, and a good resolution. If you’re into culinary cozy mysteries, don’t miss out on this one.
“Oh. My. Gravy,” I whispered. My catchphrase on the show to describe something delectable bled over into my daily vocabulary.
Rosemarie Ross, Cobblered to Death
Courtney Archer is known for hosting the show Cooking with the Farmer’s Daughter . . . despite the fact that she’s actually a pediatrician’s daughter. Now she’s signed on for a role on The American Baking Battle. On this reality show, she can start developing a more authentic image for herself—and as a bonus, the usual backstabbing and manufactured drama isn’t part of the Baking Battle script. But genuine drama is heating up behind the scenes . . .
During a film shoot in the scenic Pocono Mountains, Courtney has to juggle career commitments like pots on a six-burner stove. Adding to the stress is Mick, a contestant who finds out about her fake farm-girl story. Determined to succeed at her new gig, she whips up a cherry cobbler in a cast-iron fry pan one evening and leaves it out to cool. But the next morning, it’s Mick’s body that’s cooling—right next to Courtney’s pan, now classified as a murder weapon . . .
February 21, 2022
Their Walls Were Empty
Coming Soon!
Series: Zachary Goldman Mysteries #12
Genres: Brozy (Broader Cozy), Mystery, Suspense, Mystery/Suspense
eBook Price: $4.99
Direct ebook* Goodreads
* Clicking the Direct ebook button, where available, allows you to purchase an ebook directly from the author using your PayPal account (blue button) or a credit card (grey button)
Download format options are Kindle or ePub (iBooks, Nook, etc.) format
+ About Their Walls Were EmptyScheduled for October release!
From USA Today Bestselling Author, P.D. Workman!
A simple robbery
Back in the saddle, Private Investigator Zachary Goldman is hired by Kenzie’s father to investigate the heist of valuable memorabilia from his favorite sports bar.
Kenzie did say that it was a bad idea.
Maybe Zachary should have listened.
Because nothing is as it appears. As Zachary digs deeper, it becomes apparent that there is far more at stake here than just some sports memorabilia.
Just what has Walter put him in the middle of?
Well-written and enjoyable. The author has delved into the detective mystery genre with a home run!
Zachary Goldman, Private Investigator, is flawed with a capital F. Shattered by the tragedies of his own life, he will somehow still manage to pick himself up and dig just a little bit deeper than anyone else to find the vital clues.
Maybe being broken makes it easier for others who have faced tragedy to trust him. Walk with Zachary as he solves cases that will stretch his abilities to the limit.
Even with his own life in shambles, Zachary Goldman is still the one you want on the case.
Investigate this P.I. mystery now!
+ Praise for Zachary Goldman Mysteries
— an amazing and suspenseful story. It carries you away into a psychological tailspin that keeps you going in so many different directions.
— A really good piece of detective fiction with some novel and original features which keep the reader guessing until the last few pages.
— I love the way the investigation plays out…very interesting. That is done very well. It held my interest. I very much wanted to find out the outcome…
— Very well written. [Zachary] is flawed with a capital F … In spite of his problems, he is a very sympathetic character and doggedly pursues the truth.
— [She Wore Mourning] made for a pleasant read while presenting an interesting story.
— What a great story. Fabulous plot with interesting and complex characters. I was totally involved into the wee hours. Many twists and left waiting until the end. Highly recommended
— Wow! I just finished it. In one day! I could not stop reading it! This book grabs hold of you from the start. It’s a very well written detective novel. It pulls you not the story and is very emotional. You feel for the characters. This is the first novel I have read by this author but it will not be my last. I highly recommend this book.
+ Author's Note
Coming Soon
+ Book Club Resources
Book Club Resources may contain spoilers
Pinterest Board: Mental IllnessComing soon!
+ Praise for P.D. Workman
“Every single one of [P.D. Workman’s] books has spoken to me in ways no one or almost anything else has. And I have found strength in the books I’ve read.”
“The way that P.D. Workman writes just flows amazingly and allows the reader to get really invested in a book.”
“This is one author I certainly will be looking out for, I can’t recommend her enough.”
“I’ll read anything by P. D. Workman that I can get my hands on.”
“Every book by PD Workman that I’ve read has been a gripping one, however different the genres are, going from lighter mysteries to really dark ones… this is one of my favourite, most dependable authors.”
“P.D. Workman is an incredibly versatile writer. No matter which of her books I read I am drawn into a great story and honestly, I don’t think I’ve followed another author that could go from cozy mystery to YA to a PI series dealing with mental health issues. Really enjoy her books!”
“[P.D. Workman’s] stories are so believable and you can’t help but feel like you know these people. You find yourself crying, laughing and feeling the characters emotions. Now if an author can make you cry and feel every emotion in a story, she is one hell of an author.”
+Their Walls were Empty on my Blog
Their Walls Were Empty
Start the Easter weekend with New Releases
Toxo and a round-up of freebies
Freebie Weekend – Tortured Teardrops and More!
New Releases! Two Teardrops is now live #pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-title a, #pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .panel-title { font-family: 'Arial', Arial, serif !important; font-size: 14px !important; line-height: 1.3 !important; color: #be1e2d !important; font-weight: 600 !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-title a:hover, #pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .panel-title:hover { color: #000000 !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-specialp { background-color: #be1e2d !important }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-specialp * { color: #ffffff !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-readmore { color: #ffffff !important; background-color: #be1e2d !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf .pt-cv-readmore:hover { color: #ffffff !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf + .pt-cv-pagination-wrapper .pt-cv-more , #pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf + .pt-cv-pagination-wrapper .pagination .active a, .pt-cv-pagination[data-sid='7e4f13eayf'] .active a { color: #ffffff !important; background-color: #00aeef !important; }#pt-cv-view-7e4f13eayf { text-align: center; } About P.D. WorkmanP.D. (Pamela) Workman writes riveting mystery/suspense and young adult books dealing with mental illness, addiction, abuse, and other real-life issues. For as long as she can remember, the blank page has held an incredible allure and from a very young age she was trying to write her own books.
Workman wrote her first complete novel at the age of twelve and continued to write as a hobby for many years. She started publishing in 2013. She has won several literary awards from Library Services for Youth in Custody for her young adult fiction. She made the USA Today Bestseller list in 2019. She currently has over 50 published titles and can be found at pdworkman.com.
Born and raised in Alberta, Workman has been married for over 25 years and has one son.
February 17, 2022
Time to Your Elf and more new releases
It is launch day for Time to Your Elf, book #14 in the Reg Rawlins, Private Investigator series. You can read this fun book as a stand alone, or as part of the series to multiply your enjoyment.
@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-c06d719 .ugb-img{width:640px;height:auto !important}}Time to Your ElfBeware fair folk bearing gifts
Timing had never been Reg’s strong suit. It seemed like she was always arriving late or on the wrong day, starting a new venture at the worst possible time, or otherwise fouling things up. But her bad timing was nothing compared to that of Orri.
If you are going to take it upon yourself to be a harbinger, you should at least pick the right time to appear, right? But the guy can’t seem to get his facts right and Reg is losing patience.
But one warning will change everything.
If you enjoy well-written paranormal cozies with imaginative plots and engaging characters that you love to follow on their various adventures, you have found a perfect series worthy of your time and attention.
I love this series and cannot imagine how Ms Workman keeps thinking up such adventures, but am glad she does.
Like paranormal mysteries? Psychics, witches, fairies, and more! Award-winning and USA Today Bestselling Author P.D. Workman waves her wand to transport readers to the myth- and magic-filled small town of Black Sands for another paranormal cozy mystery to be solved by Reg Rawlins and her friends.
A self-professed con artist practicing as a contact to the dead, a drop-dead gorgeous warlock, and a psychic cat—what could go wrong?
Fall under Reg’s spell today.
DIRECT EBOOK* RETAILERS READ SAMPLE
Reviews
BOOKBUB BINGEBOOKS GOODREADS
Clicking the Direct ebook button allows you to purchase an ebook directly from the author using your PayPal account (blue button) or a credit card (grey button)
Download format options are Kindle or ePub (iBooks, Nook, etc.) format
You can download book #1 in the series for free:
What the Cat KnewMore new releases
Looking for some more new releases for your TBR pile? Check out these ones:
.ugb-3662435 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-3662435 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-3662435 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-3662435 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-3662435 .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}}Deadly CorsageA 40-year-old Witch with a New Career
A Gargoyle Sheriff Raising a Teenaged Daughter
And an Enchanted Island Full of Secrets
What should have been a fun evening of selecting flowers for Serena’s wedding soon turned into a brawl between two Enchanted Island families. When one of them shows up dead the next day, Shayla, Needles, and Alex are on the case.
But when the grieving family has more skeletons in their closet than actual people, the secrets start spilling out. With myriad suspects, the sleuthing trio set out to get alibis and motives. Just when Alex, Shayla, and Needles start to close in on the bad guy…one of them is critically injured!
Now it’s up to the other two to pick up the pace and snag the killer before Black Forest King steps in and the whole island feels his wrath!
Charming Hill Country Comfort. An Upcoming Gala. A Disastrous Death.
When pie-baking sleuth, Christie Taylor, now director of Horse Haven rescue, is confronted with a deadly accident at the rescue, she must confront the incident head-on. Was the man’s death a tragic mishap or is someone out to sully the rescue’s reputation, or worse, cause it to shut its doors? In order to protect the nonprofit, Christie’s thrust into finding out what happened but when another incident occurs, can Christie uncover the truth before another tragedy occurs?
Clean cozy but with a hint of romance and a smattering of faith, enjoy the latest look into the residents of the Texas Hill Country. As always, a yummy pie recipe included!
Death Steals A Kiss is the fourth book in the down-home Taylor Texas mystery series by Vikki Walton. If you enjoy sassy sleuths and clever clues along with light-hearted humor and country values all tied up in a clean cozy mystery, grab this book today. Plus, each book includes a yummy pie recipe!
.ugb-1f3377d .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-1f3377d .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-1f3377d .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-1f3377d .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-1f3377d .ugb-img{width:314px;height:auto !important}}Midlife Witch HunterGran used to say that a strong woman looks a challenge in the eye and gives it a wink. To be A whole family of monsters has menaced my home for far too long. And in the battle to take them down, one of resurrected gangsters I love may have lost his life all over again.
Am I pissed off? Understatement of the century.
But my men have already survived one set of murders. I made it out of the looney bin and rescued my sister. We’ve proven we don’t back down… even when maybe we should.
The villains have way more people, more money and more power than we can wrap our heads around. But we’ve still got a few tricks up our sleeves. Can we expose them for what they are before they destroy more than we can ever fix?
.ugb-fc612b9 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-fc612b9 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-fc612b9 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-fc612b9 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-fc612b9 .ugb-img{width:331px;height:auto !important}}Diablo MesaLucas Tappan, a wealthy and eccentric billionaire and founder of Icarus Space Systems, approaches the Santa Fe Archaeological Institute with an outlandish proposal—to finance a careful, scientific excavation of the Roswell Incident site, where a UFO is alleged to have crashed in 1947. A skeptical Nora Kelly, to her great annoyance, is tasked with the job.
Nora’s excavation immediately uncovers two murder victims buried at the site, faces and hands obliterated with acid to erase their identities. Special Agent Corrie Swanson is assigned to the case. As Nora’s excavation proceeds, uncovering things both bizarre and seemingly inexplicable, Corrie’s homicide investigation throws open a Pandora’s box of espionage and violence, uncovering bloody traces of a powerful force that will stop at nothing to protect its secrets—and that threatens to engulf them all in an unimaginable fate.
.ugb-13d29db .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-13d29db .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-13d29db .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-13d29db .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-13d29db .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}}Death Takes a DetourA murder. A mystery. A legacy to uphold.
Abbie Grimshaw’s road to recovery from a traumatic experience takes her on many journeys. On a whim, she stops at St. Michael’s church and runs straight into more danger.
This time, there’s a supernatural complication: she can see—and talk to—the Earl of Ashford. He died in 1816, but death doesn’t stop him from charging Abbie with the safety of two young orphans.
She never imagined life would send her literal demons to battle, but Abbie is a Grimm, like her mother before her. There’s a long legacy of defending the innocent at stake.
If she cannot master child-minding and demon-slaying simultaneously, her own legend will be short-lived.
.ugb-c4f51dd .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-c4f51dd .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-c4f51dd .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-c4f51dd .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-c4f51dd .ugb-img{width:302px;height:auto !important}}Pumpkin Spice & Deadly HeistAlan Danzabar has been accused of participating in a blatant bank robbery that resulted in the shooting death of a security guard.
All fingers are pointing at Alan by others who have been arrested and ultimately confessed to the crime, but Alan insists that he is innocent.
Will he get off the hook with the help of J. Wilfred & Company, particularly an employee there by the name of Barbara Sandosa who takes it upon herself to dig much deeper to uncover the truth in ways that her boss would never dream of? Or will Alan Danzabar be exposed as a liar and a killer?
.ugb-e19fb55 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-e19fb55 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-e19fb55 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-e19fb55 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-e19fb55 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}}Deathly DelinquencyA whole family of monsters has menaced my home for far too long. And in the battle to take them down, one of resurrected gangsters I love may have lost his life all over again.
Am I pissed off? Understatement of the century.
But my men have already survived one set of murders. I made it out of the looney bin and rescued my sister. We’ve proven we don’t back down… even when maybe we should.
The villains have way more people, more money and more power than we can wrap our heads around. But we’ve still got a few tricks up our sleeves. Can we expose them for what they are before they destroy more than we can ever fix?
February 15, 2022
A Complex Web in A Slow Fire Burning
I hope you had a Happy Valentines Day! If you are still looking for a touch of slow-burn romance in your mystery reading, check out my recent blog Mysteries with just a hint of romance.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
It looks like I’m continuing with the “fire” theme with last week’s posts on From the Ashes and slow-burn romance! Today’s excerpt is from A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins (author of The Girl on the Train. You might have heard about it.)
Hawkins introduces you to a number of widely varying characters in the wake of a murder of a young man on a longboat. Then she slowly starts to weave the connections between each of these characters, their relationships and their pasts. Even when the murderer confesses, you don’t yet know everything and are in for a few more plot twists before it all comes together.
Paula Hawkins is a master storyteller, writing complex character stories and carrying the reader through right from the first line. (Oh, a heads-up that she doesn’t skimp on the f-bomb. But no graphic sex or gore.)
“Seriously, could you take me off speaker? I don’t want to hear her voice; it makes me want to set fire to things.”
Paula Hawkins, A Slow Fire Burning
Years ago someone lit a match…
Laura has spent most of her life being judged. She’s seen as hot-tempered, troubled, a loner. Some even call her dangerous.
Miriam knows that just because Laura is witnessed leaving the scene of a horrific murder with blood on her clothes doesn’t mean Laura is a killer. Bitter experience has taught her how easy it is to get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Carla is reeling from the brutal murder of her nephew. She trusts no one and no thing: good people are capable of terrible deeds. But how far will she go to find peace?
Innocent or guilty, everyone is carrying damage. Some are damaged enough to kill.
Look what you started.
February 10, 2022
Mysteries with just a hint of romance
If you have been following me for a while, you know that I don’t do a “romantic” Valentine’s Day post. I have done:
Have a Non-Romantic Valentine’s DayValentine’s Day – Friends ForeverFor the Love of FamiliesTeen Dating Violence AwarenessFriendship Before FlowersThis year, I am going to let just a taste of romance into my Valentine’s Day post. No, I am still not interested in the love at first sight or romantic date tropes, but I thought I would feature some slow-burn romance in the mystery genre.
Erin Price is new in town, focused on getting her new business started. She’s not looking for a love interest. But she does meet someone in this cozy mystery:
@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-9266625 .ugb-img{width:669px;height:auto !important}}Gluten-Free MurderErin Price moves to Bald Eagle Falls, a place where everyone knows everyone as well as everyone else’s business, taking over the store left to her by her aunt to start up a gluten-free bakery. The grand opening is marred by just one thing, the death of her business rival, Angela Plaint. It appears that Angela was poisoned by one of Erin’s cupcakes, making her a prime suspect.
Equipped with cupcakes, her desire for the truth, and new bakery assistant Vicky’s help, Erin goes head-to-head against Detective Terry Piper to solve the murder. Rumors of treasure hunting, drug dealing, and a missing boy swirl around Bald Eagle Falls as Erin tries to sort the clues from the red herrings and find the killer before the killer can take care of her. P.D. Workman has done it again! This introduction to a new series involves a fresh start, sympathetic characters, and a murder. I spent the last ten minutes of the book standing up to read because I was off to do something but just couldn’t put it down until I got to the end. I haven’t been that invested in a book in a while. Couldn’t put it down !! From a cute kitten to a police dog to a bakery for people with allergies ! Highly recommend!
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She Wore Mourning is definitely not a romance. It is a grittier mystery than my cozy series. But Zachary might just happen to meet someone in this book who will become important to him later!
@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-5110e11 .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}}She Wore MourningA dead child.
A mother deep in mourning.
Private Investigator Zachary Goldman’s life isn’t all roses, but he tries to put his own shattered life behind him to investigate the death of five-year-old Declan Bond.
Declan’s death has been ruled an accident, but his grandmother thinks there is more to it. She fears Declan’s mother will not be able to find peace until Zachary can give them an answer once and for all.
But as Zachary digs into the circumstances surrounding Declan’s death, he finds that all is not as it seems, and somebody doesn’t want him to find the truth. Psychologically complex and gripping … Zachary must deal with his own psychological issues as well as those of the child’s parents along with attempts on his life. I’m binge reading this series.
Zachary Goldman, Private Investigator, is flawed with a capital F. Shattered by the tragedies of his own life, he will somehow still manage to pick himself up and dig just a little bit deeper than anyone else to find the vital clues.
Maybe being broken makes it easier for others who have faced tragedy to trust him. Walk with Zachary as he solves cases that will stretch his abilities to the limit.
Even with his own life in shambles, Zachary Goldman is still the one you want on the case.
Investigate this P.I. mystery now!
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I have not been able to vet all of these to make sure that they qualify as “slow burn”, but they are titles represented to me as being “just a touch of romance”:
.ugb-0037f24 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-0037f24 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-0037f24 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-0037f24 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-0037f24 .ugb-img{width:217px;height:auto !important}}An Obsession with Justice“This is an autistic detective story where the lead (Matt Spencer) has the beginnings of an on, and mainly off, romance with a neighbor (Polka Dot Kate) who runs a local dress store. Their early stumbled attempts at romance happen during several points of the book. Anyone who buys this book gets the option to opt in and get a free Kindle short book of when Matt and Amy first met at school, and how she came to his rescue.”
A dead body in a snow-dusted park. A young man OBSESSED with justice. Will they kill him before he discovers the truth?
Matt Spencer’s brain is a little different. When bad things happen to people, he HAS to know why.
So, when he discovers the suspicious death of a Vietnamese refugee, he’s compelled to find answers.
Soon dragged into a MURKY and DANGEROUS world of Human Trafficking, Gangsters, and Cold Blooded Killers, Matt needs help FAST…
Amy is petrified at what could happen. She’s seen her precious autistic son develop into a young man she’s so proud of, yet fears his vulnerability. Despite her grave misgivings she joins Matt’s crusade for justice, knowing that it may well DESTROY THEM BOTH.
.ugb-058e9bb .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-058e9bb .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-058e9bb .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-058e9bb .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-058e9bb .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}}Death by BaguetteParis—the city of love, lights … and murder? Join tour guide Lana Hansen as she escorts five couples on an unforgettable Valentine-themed vacation to France! Unfortunately it will be the last trip for one passenger…
Lana Hansen’s future is looking bright. She has money in her bank account, a babysitter for her cat, and even a boyfriend. Regrettably she won’t get to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her new beau, Chad. Instead, she will be leading a lovers-only tour in France. Luckily for Lana, her best friend, Willow, and her partner, Jane, will be joining her.
Things go downhill when Lana’s new boyfriend shows up in Paris for her tour—with his wife. Chad is not the website developer he claimed to be, but a famous restaurant critic whose love of women rivals his passion for food.After Chad drops dead during a picnic under the Eiffel Tower, a persistent French detective becomes convinced that he was poisoned. And the inspector’s sights are set on several members of the tour—including Lana!
While escorting her group through the cobblestone streets of Montmartre, the grand gardens of Versailles, and the historic Marché des Enfants Rouges market, Lana must figure out who really killed Chad before she has to say bonjour to prison and adieu to her freedom.
Introducing Lana Hansen, tour guide, reluctant amateur sleuth, and star of the Travel Can Be Murder Cozy Mystery Series. Join Lana as she leads tourists and readers to fascinating cities around the globe on intriguing adventures that, unfortunately for Lana, often turn deadly.
.ugb-6b20a9e .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-6b20a9e .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-6b20a9e .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-6b20a9e .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-6b20a9e .ugb-img{width:320px;height:auto !important}}Mimosas, Magnolias, and MurderCece wants a day of self-care, mother-daughter time, and . . . anything but her ex-husband’s wedding.
But wedding it is, as she tries to sneak the groom’s forgotten ring to her daughter before the ceremony. Her plan for a quick escape from the venue is thwarted when she discovers a body and a garden full of suspects, including her former mother-in-law.
With the Cavanaugh name in danger of being dragged through the Wickford rumor mill, Cece’s ex reluctantly asks her to investigate the suspicious death and put the gossip to rest. Cece agrees . . . if he’ll pay off her van and save her housekeeper’s job.
The new detective in Wickford and missed phone calls from her boyfriend, Alder, create more trouble for Cece as she questions suspects and gathers clues—not just for the murder, but trying to figure out what is up with her missing boyfriend and his elusive voice mails. Every moment is precious, because the longer it takes for Cece to clear the family name, the more likely her ex is to back out of their deal.
In a desperate attempt to end Cece’s snooping, the killer sets a trap to silence her. Will Cece’s hope for justice and a paid-off van go up in flames?
A letter in a bottle….A note in the wall…
Sophia and Kay were raised by their single father in the wine region off the coast of California.
The girls had the best life growing up, despite their mother dying shortly after they were born. At least that’s what they were told…
As time passes and their father ages, the girls receive an inheritance – a beautiful beach home on Sand Castle Beach in Maui, a place they’ve visited many times during their childhood.
As Kay begins renovations on their new vacation home, she finds a note that changes her life.
Her mother is alive?
An unlikely person enters the scene…
More secrets begin to be uncovered…
.ugb-235c1e3 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-235c1e3 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-235c1e3 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-235c1e3 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-235c1e3 .ugb-img{width:320px;height:auto !important}}Letters from the LighthouseWe weren’t supposed to be going to the pictures that night. We weren’t even meant to be outside, not in a blackout, and definitely not when German bombs had been falling on London all month like pennies from a jar.
February, 1941. After months of bombing raids in London, twelve-year-old Olive Bradshaw and her little brother Cliff are evacuated to the Devon coast. The only person with two spare beds is Mr Ephraim, the local lighthouse keeper. But he’s not used to company and he certainly doesn’t want any evacuees.
Desperate to be helpful, Olive becomes his post-girl, carrying secret messages (as she likes to think of the letters) to the villagers. But Olive has a secret of her own. Her older sister Sukie went missing in an air raid, and she’s desperate to discover what happened to her. And then she finds a strange coded note which seems to link Sukie to Devon, and to something dark and impossibly dangerous.
.ugb-55fc143 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-55fc143 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-55fc143 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-55fc143 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-55fc143 .ugb-img{width:313px;height:auto !important}}Poodle Versus the AssassinSmall-town action, zany characters, and a Nasty Small Poodle will capture your heart!
The mayor has been killed, and 50-something newspaper publisher Zora Flynn might be next. But Rocco, her pampered prince of a poodle, is her secret weapon.
Can he sniff out a killer before Zora becomes the next victim?
Readers are loving this new cozy mystery series. “This was a fun read and a clever mystery. I loved it from start to finish!”
She answered a child’s cry for help. She never expected to uncover a murder and unlock secrets a king wants to keep…
Yorkshire, 1820. Happily married to a country squire and the mother of a young son, Jane Eyre Rochester enjoys an enviable life, one that as an orphan, she could have never dreamed would come true. But when a cryptic letter from her former student arrives — the writer begs for help — Jane will risk everything to save the life of an innocent child.
A frantic trip to London is fraught with danger, as Jane is robbed at knife-point. But Jane Eyre is nothing if not courageous. She arrives at the pricy girls’ school in time to see a dead body removed from the premises. Now Jane must race against the clock to prevent another child from dying. When her identity is mistaken for that of an errant German teacher, Jane decides to go undercover in this house of horrors. Once inside the school, Jane’s worst suspicions are confirmed. A killer roams the halls and targets young girls. Each hour that passes puts another child’s life on the line and Jane can only keep her identity secret for a little longer…
Can Jane track down the killer and convince the local authorities to lock up this cunning murderer? Or will Jane forfeit her reputation, the family diamonds, her health, and maybe even her life on what might be a fool’s errand?
.ugb-9a0c460 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-9a0c460 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-9a0c460 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-9a0c460 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-9a0c460 .ugb-img{width:338px;height:auto !important}}Condos and CorpsesA life of service is her passion, but this stunning place could be perfect. That is, aside from the dead body…
Connie Petretta wonders if it’s time for a change. After eleven years at a Boston nonprofit, the dedicated humanitarian worker struggles to find her way as she deals with the bequest of her beloved aunt’s Florida beachside condo. But selling it goes sideways when somebody plummets from an adjacent balcony seven stories to his death.
Sleuthing on the side to absolve her friend next door of the crime, Connie finds herself enchanted by the charming gulf-front town. But with the accused’s baffling behavior throwing a wrench into the investigation, the only legacy she might be leaving in the seaside resort is an innocent woman’s conviction for Murder One.
Emma Chase moves to a quaint Cottage she inherited outside St. Michaels, Maryland. Her plan is to rest and recover from the horrendous car accident that almost took her life. When the movers find an antique plantation desk hidden in the garage, she has it moved into the Cottage.
The next morning, a mysterious letter appears dated 1862 and signed by a stranger named Daniel, who declares his love for Emma. Does she believe in ghosts? Should she respond? Then, the police arrive to investigate a murder committed across the creek from her Cottage.
Is there a connection? Does Daniel hold the secret that can save her from a murderer?
February 8, 2022
All fired up over: From the Ashes
Sandy, Breaking the Pattern, has now launched! If you haven’t yet had a chance to pick up your copy, head on over to my blog post and pick up Sandy and some other great YA contemporary books now!
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme. Read the rules and more teasers at The Purple Booker. Anyone can play along.
Wow, this one is an amazing read. In From the Ashes, My Story of Being Indigenous, Homeless, and Finding My Way, Jesse Thistle tells about the road he travelled, homeless and in and out of prison for decades before managing to overcome his addiction, enter university, and discover his Métis heritage while working on a BA in history. He is now a speaker on indigenous history, homelessness, and intergenerational trauma.
(Although I do not have direct experience with intergenerational trauma, I have also written about it in my fiction book Questing for a Dream.)
This is a great memoir. But it is very gritty and graphic and includes plenty of foul language, so don’t read it if you are sensitive to those things. But if you want to know what it is like growing up like Jesse Thistle, abandoned by his parents and mostly raised by his grandparents without access to his indigenous heritage, struggling to break the hold of addiction, this book is very enlightening.
It reminded me very much of Street Child, Justin Reed Early’s memoir of growing up on the streets of Seattle and San Francisco, addicted and facing many of the same challenges. Each of them even had a foot infection that nearly ended his life. Both books are gritty and graphic, but show just how strong the human spirit can be. Both of these men managed (with help and recovery programs) to overcome years of addiction and homelessness and are now helping others to do the same.
He promised her a life of sobriety.
Jesse Thistle, From the Ashes
Dad lasted three days before he drank himself into a stupor.
About the author:Jesse Thistle’s award-winning memoir, From the Ashes, was a #1 national bestseller, and the bestselling Canadian book in 2020 and has remained atop bestseller lists since it was published. From the Ashes was a CBC Canada Reads finalist, an Indigo Best Book of 2019, and the winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize Nonfiction, an Indigenous Voices Award, and High Plains Book Award.
Jesse Thistle is Métis-Cree and an Assistant Professor at York University in Toronto. He is a PhD candidate in the History program at York where he is working on theories of intergenerational and historic trauma of the Métis people. Jesse has won the P.E. Trudeau and Vanier doctoral scholarships, and he is a Governor General medalist.
Jesse is the author of the Definition of Indigenous Homelessness in Canada published through the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness, and his historical research has been published in numerous academic journals, book chapters, and featured on CBC Ideas, CBC Campus, and Unreserved. A frequent A keynote speaker, Jesse lives in Hamilton with his wife Lucie and is at work on multiple projects including his next book.
You can find Jesse Thistle at https://jessethistle.com/
SynopsisThis #1 internationally bestselling and award-winning memoir about overcoming trauma, prejudice, and addiction by a Métis-Cree author as he struggles to find a way back to himself and his Indigenous culture is “an illuminating, inside account of homelessness, a study of survival and freedom” (Amanda Lindhout, bestselling coauthor of A House in the Sky).
Abandoned by his parents as a toddler, Jesse Thistle and his two brothers were cut off from all they knew when they were placed in the foster care system. Eventually placed with their paternal grandparents, the children often clashed with their tough-love attitude. Worse, the ghost of Jesse’s drug-addicted father seemed to haunt the memories of every member of the family.
Soon, Jesse succumbed to a self-destructive cycle of drug and alcohol addiction and petty crime, resulting in more than a decade living on and off the streets. Facing struggles many of us cannot even imagine, Jesse knew he would die unless he turned his life around. Through sheer perseverance and newfound love, he managed to find his way back into the loving embrace of his Indigenous culture and family.
Now, in this heart-wrenching and triumphant memoir, Jesse Thistle honestly and fearlessly divulges his painful past, the abuse he endured, and the tragic truth about his parents. An eloquent exploration of the dangerous impact of prejudice and racism, From the Ashes is ultimately a celebration of love and “a story of courage and resilience certain to strike a chord with readers from many backgrounds”.
Library Journal
February 3, 2022
Sandy and other YA Books
I am very excited to release Sandy, Breaking the Pattern, book #2 in the Breaking the Pattern Series out into the world today.
If you read Henry, Breaking the Pattern, then you have already met Sandy and been intrigued by her having grown up in a life of crime and her relationships with her exploitive father and her half brother, who Henry met in juvie.
@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-c06d719 .ugb-img{width:640px;height:auto !important}}Sandy, Breaking the PatternPreviously published as Diversion
From USA Today Bestselling Author, P.D. Workman!
“I love my Da.”
Raised to a life of crime, Sandy is a teenage prostitute, junkie, and con artist. She always joked that her Da taught her a trade, that it hadn’t hurt her to be brought up like she was.
But things keep getting more complicated, more dangerous, and Sandy doesn’t want to admit even to herself that she longs for an honest, normal life.
Even when she tries to change, things don’t go smoothly. Sandy’s past keeps interfering with her new relationships. In the end, if she and her family don’t pull together, Sandy will not be able to escape yet another ghost of her past. Do they have what it takes for her to change her life completely?
If you love stories with strong female protagonists who fail forward to become a better version of themselves, this story will capture your heart. Sandy was an unforgettable character. I lost hours in this book!
By the author of Tattooed Teardrops, winner of the Top Fiction Award, In the Margins Committee, 2016, Sandy’s struggle for a better life will touch your heart and keep you rooting for her right to the end.
If you enjoy gritty contemporary young adult books like those by John Green and Stephen Chbosky, give P.D. Workman’s Breaking the Pattern series a try.
Start your journey today!
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The final book in the series, Bobby, Breaking the Pattern will be launching in another month and is currently available for preorder.
More YA Books you might like!If you enjoy gritty contemporary YA novels that deal with social issues, check out some of these.
.ugb-aa9ad3d .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-aa9ad3d .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-aa9ad3d .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-aa9ad3d .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-aa9ad3d .ugb-img{width:324px;height:auto !important}}The Way I Used to BeEden was always good at being good. Starting high school didn’t change who she was. But the night her brother’s best friend rapes her, Eden’s world capsizes.
What was once simple, is now complex. What Eden once loved—who she once loved—she now hates. What she thought she knew to be true, is now lies. Nothing makes sense anymore, and she knows she’s supposed to tell someone what happened but she can’t. So she buries it instead. And she buries the way she used to be.
Told in four parts—freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior year—this provocative debut reveals the deep cuts of trauma. But it also demonstrates one young woman’s strength as she navigates the disappointment and unbearable pains of adolescence, of first love and first heartbreak, of friendships broken and rebuilt, all while learning to embrace the power of survival she never knew she had hidden within her heart.
@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-a3d1b9d .ugb-img{width:675px;height:auto !important}}Questing for a DreamNadie is a bright, caring teen growing up Manitoba Cree growing up in abject poverty. She tries to balance school attendance, caring for her younger cousin Luyu, and spending time with handsome, impish Mouse, her best friend and confidante. Together, they strive to find the path to happiness on the reservation.
But tragedy strikes and Nadie’s is devastated by Luyu’s accidental death. Unable to find comfort in Mouse’s arms or Grandfather’s traditional mourning rites, Nadie leaves the band and strikes off on her own, searching for meaning and a new life in the outside world.
Can Nadie find happiness and a place of her own in a foreign world where she is abused and discriminated against? Completely alone for the first time in her life, it is a challenge such as Nadie has never before faced.
“Easily one of the most thought-provoking and compelling reads of the year, Ms. Workman has written a masterful contemporary account of one native teen’s journey from home and the possibilities for hope even for those drowning in poverty, prejudice, and addiction. Examining hard concepts such as death, rape, abuse, neglect, addiction, and wounds passed down from generation to generation, this story is full of raw emotion that will bring the reader to tears, yet unable to put the smoothly-paced story down. With true-to-life characters both good and bad, Nadie is inspirational. It isn’t because she’s perfect but rather because she is far from it and somehow manages to find the courage in the end to become someone who can help bring her tribe forward. A must-read tale for any book lover!“
Sarah E. Bradley, InD’tale Magazine
AUTHOR DIRECT RETAILERS SAMPLE BINGEBOOKS BOOKBUB GOODREADS
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Freshman year at Merryweather High is not going well for Melinda Sordino. She busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops, and now her friends—and even strangers—all hate her. So she stops trying, stops talking. She retreats into her head, and all the lies and hypocrisies of high school become magnified, leaving her with no desire to talk to anyone anyway.
But it’s not so comfortable in her head, either—there’s something banging around in there that she doesn’t want to think about. She can’t just go on like this forever. Eventually, she’s going to have to confront the thing she’s avoiding, the thing that happened at the party, the thing that nobody but her knows. She’s going to have to speak the truth.
.ugb-038c2bd .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-038c2bd .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-038c2bd .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-038c2bd .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-038c2bd .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}}AddictionMeth, crank, ice, glass, fire, tina, chalk, crystal or crystal meth.
Whatever you call it, it’s the same thing. Addictive.
Drugs ruin people’s lives.
I should know, they destroyed mine.
I’m Hannah and I got hooked on ice. What started as a trickle, ended with a tsunami washing everything away; my family, my life.
I’m not sure you’re ready to read my story; it’s real and confronting.
Open the book, read the pages and see how easy it is for anyone to get addicted.
Ice affects all types of people. It doesn’t discriminate.
It will SCREW. YOU. UP.
Chloe had always been the perfect daughter. Diligent, obedient, good at caring for the other children when Mom wasn’t home. She always worked hard and did everything she was asked.
But she couldn’t please her mother and the parade of stepfathers. It seemed like the harder she tried, the worse the abuse got.
Chloe had known for a long time that she was two people. The Chloe who watched and the Chloe who experienced. She had been watching for so long, she wasn’t sure she could feel anything anymore. But if she can’t overcome her past and start living in the real world, she knows she will lose herself forever.
Placed on the In the Margins Committee Recommended Reads, 2018 by Library Services for Youth in Custody.
“I read a lot of books, and often struggle to remember the plot points a few years later. But this is a book that I will never, ever forget.“
—Talena, Amazon Reader
AUTHOR DIRECT RETAILERS SAMPLE BOOKBUB BINGEBOOKS GOODREADS
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Kaeleigh and Raeanne are 16-year-old identical twins, the daughters of a district court judge father and politician mother running for US Congress. Everything on the surface seems fine, but underneath run very deep and damaging secrets. What really happened when the girls were 7 years old in that car accident that Daddy caused? And why is Mom never home, always running far away to pursue some new dream?
Raeanne goes after painkillers, drugs, alcohol, and sex to dull her pain and anger. Kaeleigh always tries so hard to be the good girl — her father’s perfect little flower. But when the girls were 9, Daddy started to turn to his beloved Kaeleigh in ways a father never should and has been sexually abusing her for years. For Raeanne, she needs to numb the pain of not being Daddy’s favorite; for Kaeleigh, she wants to do everything she can to feel something normal, even if it means cutting herself and vomiting after every binge.
How Kaeleigh and Raeanne figure out just what it means to be whole again when their entire world has been torn to shreads is the guts and heart of this powerful, disturbing, and utterly remarkable book.
.ugb-6125188 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-6125188 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-6125188 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-6125188 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-6125188 .ugb-img{width:334px;height:auto !important}}TricksFive troubled teenagers fall into prostitution as they search for freedom, safety, community, family, and love in this #1 New York Times bestselling novel from Ellen Hopkins.
When all choice is taken from you, life becomes a game of survival.
Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching…for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don’t expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words “I love you” are said for all the wrong reasons.
Five moving stories remain separate at first, then interweave to tell a larger, powerful story—a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. A story about kids figuring out what sex and love are all about, at all costs, while asking themselves, “Can I ever feel okay about myself?”
.ugb-50160fa .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-50160fa .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-50160fa .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-50160fa .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-50160fa .ugb-img{width:334px;height:auto !important}}The FixSeventeen-year-old Macy Lyons has been through something no one should ever have to experience. And she’s dealt with it entirely alone.
On the outside, she’s got it pretty good. Her family’s well-off, she’s dating the cute boy next door, she has plenty of friends, and although she long ago wrote her mother off as a superficial gym rat, she’s thankful to have allies in her loving, laid-back dad and her younger brother.
But a conversation with a boy at a party one night shakes Macy out of the carefully maintained complacency that has defined her life so far. The boy is Sebastian Ruiz, a recovering addict who recognizes that Macy is hardened by dark secrets. And as Macy falls for Sebastian, she realizes that, while revealing her secret could ruin her seemingly perfect family, keeping silent might just destroy her.
.ugb-8bcba95 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-8bcba95 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-8bcba95 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-8bcba95 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-8bcba95 .ugb-img{width:333px;height:auto !important}}CleanOlivia, Kelly, Christopher, Jason, and Eva have one thing in common: They’re addicts. Addicts who have hit rock bottom and been stuck together in rehab to face their problems, face sobriety, and face themselves. None of them wants to be there. None of them wants to confront the truths about their pasts.
And they certainly don’t want to share their darkest secrets and most desperate fears with a room of strangers. But they’ll all have to deal with themselves—and one another—if they want to learn how to live. Because when you get that high, there’s nowhere to go but down, down, down.
.ugb-57f0bb0 .ugb-button{background-color:#BE1E2D;border-radius:25px !important}.ugb-57f0bb0 .ugb-button .ugb-button--inner,.ugb-57f0bb0 .ugb-button svg:not(.ugb-custom-icon){color:#ffffff !important}.ugb-57f0bb0 .ugb-button:before{border-radius:25px !important}@media screen and (min-width:768px){.ugb-57f0bb0 .ugb-img{width:324px;height:auto !important}}Everything’s Not FineSeventeen-year-old Rose Hemmersbach aspires to break out of small town Sparta, Wisconsin and achieve her artistic dreams, just like her aunt Colleen. Rose’s love of Frida Kahlo fuels her paint brush and her dreams to attend a prestigious art school. Painting is Rose’s escape from her annoying younger siblings and her family’s one rule: ignore the elephant in the room, because talking about it makes it real.
That is, until the day Rose finds her mother dying on the kitchen floor of a heroin overdose. Kneeling beside her, Rose pleads with the universe to find a heartbeat. She does – but when her mother is taken to hospital, the troubles are just beginning. Rose and her dad are left to pick up the pieces: traumatized siblings, a Child Protective Services investigation, eviction.
As Rose fights to hold everything together, and her dreams of the future start to slip from her grasp, she must face the question of what happens when – if – her mom comes home again. And if, deep down, Rose even wants her to.
