Still Alive and Still Writing

Hello friends!

I feel apologies are necessary for the silence from my website. I've been working on updating the pages, so please be sure to go check it out AFTER you read this blog post, of course. LOL. A huge thank-you to Kelly Ryono for all her technology assistance.

I've held off posting a new blog, hoping I'd have news on the release of Murdered by the Blooms, the second book in my Willow Springs cozy mystery series. So many people have reached out to me via email, social media and at in-person events asking about when they can get their hands on Book Two. Your enthusiasm for my writing and your support of my novels warms this author's heart. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Unfortunately, I still have no news. Trust me, the frustration is real. As much as readers want to get a copy, I'd love to be able to get you one. My editor, cover artist and I had everything finished and on the publisher's desk the first week of May. The last word I heard from them was now October. I'm not sure why this one is taking so long to hit the bookshelves, but I'm hopeful you will find it worth waiting for. And as soon as I know something definitive, I will blast the news all over social media, including a cover reveal.

All of your favorite characters from Murdered by the Books, along with a few new ones, will grace the pages of the new novel. The second book revolves around Jillian's sister, Amanda, and a murder behind her flower shop. Jillian's inquiring mind will be put to the test to solve the crime and keep her sister safe.

Just to tide you over, here's a quick blurb about Book Two: Murdered by the Blooms...

Murder and Romance, Chaos and Destruction

Welcome to Willow Springs, where fall is in full swing, romance is in the air—and murder lurks in the shadows.

Amanda Edwards, owner of Blossoms & Blooms, throws herself into creating a show-stopping Halloween window display for the town’s annual contest. With her sister Jillian’s help, it’s sure to be a winner. But when ominous warnings from their clairvoyant Aunt Grace prove all too real, Amanda’s excitement turns to dread.

First come the unsettling poems from a stalker. Then the late-night vandalism. And finally—the body in the alley behind her shop. Suddenly, what seemed like a holiday prank becomes a deadly game.

As the Edwards sisters scramble for answers, Willow Springs buzzes with gossip—not just about the murder, but about romance, proposals, and Aunt Grace’s fast-approaching wedding. Amanda’s boyfriend, Sam, returns from a long work trip with plans of his own, and the arrival of two suspicious newcomers only deepens the mystery.

With the body count rising and danger closing in, Amanda and Jillian must uncover the truth before Halloween turns fatal for anyone else.

Until next time,

Jodi