Hi, Readers!  

GIVEAWAY BELOW   

But first . . .

Happy Independence Day!  

Do you do anything fun on the 4th?  I'm having family over for a barbecue and figure I'll see the fireworks after they leave because the baby will need to go home before it's dark.  I'll drive to the top of the hill for a spectacular show all over the San Fernando Valley.  On the 5th, I'll read.  

And speaking of reading . . .

What is on your list to read this summer? Short stories?  A mystery? Another genre? Paper or ebook or audio?  At home or on vacation?  I'll be staying close to home, working on a new manuscript. Hopefully, my nephew and family will come visit.  If they do, we'll probably go to Magic Mountain again. Or maybe Universal Studios.  It has a new fast rollercoaster.  And they LOVE rollercoasters.

In the meantime, I'll be encouraging my readers to preorder the next in the Literary Dining Mysteries, A CLASSIC CASE OF MURDER.   Preorders, as I have mentioned before, really matter to the publisher. They see enthusiasm for a series and ORDER MORE.  No enthusiasm? No next in the series.  Sigh.  It's harder than ever to sell books, but that doesn't mean I'll stop writing.  I LOVE the journey. I love meeting all the new characters that live in my mind. Well, maybe not all. I don't love the murderers.  LOL 

Now for what's new!!  

I decided to publish an anthology of my short stories.  Why? Because I know a lot of my readers don't have time to read an entire book.  This anthology is a mixed bag, as the title suggests.  They are NOT all cozies. Some are quite dark. Some are long, some are short.  I had a blast coming up with each of them, and I hope you will enjoy them, as well.  

From Agatha-award winning, nationally bestselling author Daryl Wood Gerber comes a new collection of short stories, with decidedly less cozy themes than her mysteries, including thriller, noir, espionage, hardcore, dark, gritty, sinister, and deception. It’s a mixed bag sure to please most everyone.

The third on the Literary Dining Mysteries, A CLASSIC CASE OF MURDER, is coming in October!  Preorder so you'll get your copy by release day!  

REMINDER FOR YOUR SUMMER READING LIST

I had 4 books come out in the past year.  Definitely different genres.  Does it bother you that I write in many genres?  Do you find it confusing or can you clearly tell which genre each book is by its cover and/or blurb? 

Any of them will make good summer reading.  One is particularly geared toward children. Can you tell which one?   🤣  Yeah, it's pretty obvious. 

I just finished The Diva Hosts a Murderer by Krista Davis and Deadly Derailment at Honeychurch Hall by Hannah Dennison.  If you are one of my steady newsletter readers, you know I love both of these authors and both of these series.  

The Diva is set around the 4th of July, with fireworks aplenty. Sophie's house party really gets explosive when Sophie’s favorite tour guide falls victim to a killer—and evidence points to Sophie’s own father.

Deadly Derailment features all sorts of fun train facts, railway memorabilia, and a crafty plot. Fifty years ago, the glorious Honeychurch Hall estate made headlines as the scene of a botched train heist that left two men dead and the whereabouts of a chest of diamonds unknown.

I'm giving away a number of choices--

1st or 2nd of a few of my series--to one subscriber.  Interested? 

To ENTER to win, send an email to newsletter@darylwoodgerber.com with the subject line THE TITLE I WANT and write the title in the body of the email.

I will pick one winner in a week, and I will announce the winner in the next newsletter or a SPECIAL newsletter so anyone who entered will know who won. 

Last month's winner was Doreen G!  Congrats, Doreen.

I love homemade ice cream and this one is delicious and perfect for the 4th. Or any time this summer. Enjoy. 

Strawberry Mascarpone Ice Cream

(Yield 6 cups)

• 1 quart strawberries (4 cups sliced)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons agave syrup (or corn syrup)

Place the berries into a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and then set these aside.

Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the mascarpone cheese. Heat until the mixture begins to bubble at the edge. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, egg yoks, and agave (or corn) syrup. Gradually pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yok mixture. Whisk constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and heat for 4-5 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil!! Add to the strawberries, mix, and refrigerate until chilled (about 1 hour).

Fill an ice cream maker with the mixture and freeze according to the directions for the maker.

Enjoy!

Odd thing happening!  Sparky is turning more "golden" as he ages.  How weird, right? It's adorable.  His back and ears are much browner than they were a year ago.  Can anyone explain this to me please?  He's happy and doing well on his aging meds.  Loves his walks.  And loves his dog puzzles. 

Can you tell in this picture how much he appreciates me taking photos of him?  Uh, NOT!  LOLOL

That's it. That's all that is fit to print.
May your joy come from reading.
May your lives be filled with love.

Until next time . . . all my best,