I was immediately drawn to Cynthia when we met because she’s open, generous and so down to earth. A few years ago, she asked me to join her in a two day book festival in Alpena Michigan, with our husbands too, and it ended up being one of my most memorable experiences, complete with a big elk tour in a horse drawn carriage at Thunder Bay Resort!
Both of us have a new book release in November (and they are both beach-themed!!) so we decided to swap blog posts today. Please welcome Cynthia:
Hello fans of Linda’s blog!
What’s my new book, Jane in St. Pete, about, short version?
Jane fires her booking agent, retires from the art lecture circuit and moves to sunny St. Pete, all on a frenzied whim when her not-very-beloved husband unexpectedly dies. She fixes up her new condo and finds new friends. When one of them is murdered, she uses her knowledge of art to help the local police solve the case. Also, she falls in love with a homicide detective.
Of course she falls in love.
I have never written a book, published or unpublished, that does not have a love thread. And I’ve tried. That’s just where my heart goes. Talking with friends, we wondered if my new series is in fact cozy. We came up with the term “edgy cozy.” Because you do see a body in the second book (still working on it!) there is blood, and I have procedural characters. Edgy cozy. If it was not a thing before, it is now.
You can read it on Kindle, Nook, iPhone or order it in print. You can also read the free short story that inspired the book and now, the series. It’s called “The Charming Criminal” and if you go to my landing page www.cynthiaharrison.com, and scroll all the way down. Or simply click the image below:
Marketing in a pandemic
Meanwhile, I’m figuring out more ways than giving away free stories to market my book online. I did a solo Zoom presentation a while ago, and a few days ago I did a live Facebook Chat with two other authors. I’m tweeting away, but not too much. Also I’m learning Canva so I can post nice photos and quotes about Jane. I need to work on fonts and so much more. That’s okay, nobody, including me, is going anywhere.
At first, I had a difficult time beginning book two because of Covid. Then I remembered a tip I’d learned along the way on tricks for writing series: Don’t try to keep them “current time” as your characters will age more than you want them to. Perfect. Lily in St Pete took place in November 2019. Book two will be set in December 2019. I will have five books in this series before I have to worry about Covid complications.
Be well, everyone xo
About Cynthia
Cynthia Harrison is the award-winning author of twelve books. Her last several novels have turned toward mystery. Lily White in Detroit is a multicultural crime novel, and her most recent mystery, Jane in St. Pete, is the first in a new series.
Along with her writing manual and single title novels, Harrison’s back catalog includes the popular Blue Lake series, set in a Michigan beach town. She recently bought a home near the beach and firmly believes those Blue Lake books are the reason that dream came true.
A former teacher of creative writing and literature to college freshman, Cindy now writes full time and loves to read novels, memoir, and spiritual self-help. She talks books on Goodreads and loves to hear from readers. Contact her through social sites or email her at cindy (at) cynthiaharrison (dot) com. She blogs at CynthiaHarrison.com, you can tweet to her @CynthiaHarriso1 or reach out to her at her Facebook Fan Page
About Jane in St. Pete
Widowed art lecturer Jane Chasen is not an impulsive woman. Why, then, does the formerly methodical workaholic quit her job, sell her house, and move from Detroit to Florida? Instead of pondering her atypical behavior, she takes a closer look at a neighbor’s intriguing outdoor art installation. Days later, Detective Jesse Singer discovers the murdered artist in his studio. With Jane’s help, Singer finds the victim’s bloody shirt, inexplicably located within Jane’s gated community. Singer knows nothing about art, and as he closely questions Jane, she offers to help with the art angle of the case. Singer soon takes Jane up on her offer. Then, Jane begins to receive anonymous threats. Singer, determined to protect Jane, keeps her closer to his side than ever—she’s not complaining.
Linda K. Sienkiewicz is an author, poet, and artist.
Learn more about her award winning novel, In the Context of Love.
Learn more about her picture book, Gordy and the Ghost Crab.
Have read, loved & reviewed Jane in St. Pete. So looking forward to more adventures with Jane!
Thanks, Barb xo
Linda, thank you for your friendship, support and generosity. Hugs, Cindy