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Hello Readers,
Do you love to read? I do. I try to carve out time every day, which can be difficult because I must write and read my own work daily! My eyes get tired. But reading someone else's book takes me away from it all. It relaxes me. So I make time.
BTW, I'm sharing a few titles below that are on my to-be-read list. What's on yours?
However, first, I want to tell you about a book tour I'll be doing for my next release. FYI, setting up a book tour is a challenge. Will anybody come? Will I be simply talking to the booksellers? Is it worth the time and expense? Planes, trains, and automobiles are required!
Murder on the Page is the first in a new series, set in a small fictional town near Asheville, NC, and I’d like to see it find an audience. So I’m traveling to North Carolina and Virginia to get the word out, any which way I can. Increasing the “buzz” factor is vital to sales.
What makes this trip especially nice is I’m going to see my sister and nephew. Woot! It’s been over a year since I have. Plus I’ll be doing a signing with a sweet friend, one I haven’t seen in ages, author Ellery Adams. She and I did some of our first book tours together, way back when we were newbie writers.
This is Ellery's next book. Love this series! Click on the pick and it'll take you to her website.
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Here are a few gorgeous shots of Asheville and the surrounding areas.
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For many of you, there is no mystery about the Literary Dining Mysteries, a brand new series. I've been mentioning it everywhere! Are you sick of the plugs yet? I hope not. I had so much fun coming up with this idea. The series features twin hooks that cozy readers can’t get enough of—classic books and delicious food.
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What's it about?
It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a genuinely top-notch party must be in want of a theme. Allie Catt, caterer and personal chef in the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, has devised a winning formula by using her clients’ favorite books as inspiration. Her first themed event is based on Pride and Prejudice (Allie’s cat, Darcy, approves), and it’s so popular that soon she has grand ideas for future parties based on Rebecca, The Great Gatsby, Babette’s Feast and more.
Business is booming, and a rival catering company is fuming. But there’s a sting in the tale when the aunt of one of Allie’s clients and best friends, Tegan, is murdered. Tegan is the victim’s sole heir, and quickly becomes the main suspect. Allie has no doubts about her friend’s innocence, but how to prove it?
Once again, Allie’s love of literature comes to the rescue, and with some guidance from her favorite fictional detectives, including Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes, Allie sifts through the clues. With a little luck—and the kind of pluck that would make Elizabeth Bennett proud—she may be able to stop a killer from serving up a second course of murder . . .
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Lest you forgot, the 5th Fairy Garden Mystery, A TWINKLE OF TROUBLE, came out late March! Have you read it yet?
“Fans of fairies, food, and gardening will find a lot to like, including the appended recipes.” ~ Kirkus Reviews
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Carmel-by-the-Sea garden shop owner Courtney Kelly sees things others can’t—like fairies, and hidden motives for murder . . .
Courtney is delighted when her tiny friend Fiona returns from the fairy realm, appearing at the base of a Cypress tree. When her Ragdoll cat, Pixie, emerges from her own portal—aka the cat door—the three set off for a busy day. Busier than usual, since Courtney has rented a small plot of land at the Flower Farm, where she hopes to grow her own supplies for her fairy-garden business. Plus, the annual Summer Blooms Festival is coming up, and Courtney has booked a booth . . .
But the murder of Courtney’s friend, Genevieve, casts a pall over the festival. Ever since Genevieve sold her floral business, she’d been building a career as an influencer. She was perennially opinionated—but in her new role she’d become surprisingly vicious, dissing local entrepreneurs with nasty posts and unwarranted bad reviews. That’s landed a couple of Courtney’s other friends on the suspect list—including Flower Farm owner Daphne Flores. And when a second victim is discovered, seeds of doubt about Daphne’s innocence sprout in Courtney’s mind. Working with only a germ of a clue, Courtney will have to overturn every rock to get the dirt on the real killer . . .
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I also had other books come out in the past 12 months that you might enjoy.
My suspense, THE SON'S SECRET
- "New Orleans is a perfect setting for the mixed bag of motives in this page-turner." ~ Kirkus Review
My Christmas romance, HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS
- “Hope for the Holidays is a sweet, moving, uplifting holiday story sure to ignite your holiday spirit. For me it was a Perfect Escape.” ~ Dollycas. Follow the link to read more.
The 12th Cookbook Nook Mystery, POACHING IS PUZZLING
- "Poaching is Puzzling is a crossword centric cozy with clever conundrums, a slain cruciverbalist, enticing appetizers, luscious cheeses, a sparkly spirit staff, shrewd wordsmiths, and a triumphant tournament victor." ~ Kristina on Goodreads
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The winner of last month’s giveaway was: Diane Fanene. Congrats!
The giveaway was so successful—meaning so many of you wrote me—that I’m going to do it again.
I’m giving a choice of A HINT OF MISCHIEF, the 3rd Fairy Garden Mystery or A FLICKER OF DOUBT, the 4th in the series, to one newsletter subscriber. Paper or e-book. Winner's choice.
Interested? If so, write me at newsletter@darylwoodgerber.com and include in the SUBJECT LINE: FAIRY GARDEN. I will pick one name in a week, and I will announce that person in the next newsletter so anyone who entered will know who won.
* I won't write individual email responses. Okay? Does that make me insensitive? I hope not. Just super busy! LOL
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I am a member of a great writing group that we call Plothatchers. We are all published and all have had (or will have) books or short stories out this year. Some might even have two! Maybe you should read a few. The authors' names include: Krista Davis, Ginger Bolton aka Janet Bolton, Peg Cochran, Allison Brook aka Marilyn Levinson, Laurie Cass aka Laura Alden, and Kaye George aka Janet Cantrell. Enjoy!
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For the upcoming fall, you'll want some tasty appetizers, right? They're good for Labor Day events, terrific for barbecues, perfect for the holidays. Try this delicious one from the 12th Cookbook Nook Mystery, POACHING IS PUZZLING.
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(Yield: 12)
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Dash of nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 package miniature phyllo tart shells or pie shells
- 2 ounces Brie, rind removed
- Parsley for garnish, if desired
- More nutmeg, if desired for dusting
Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small skillet, sauté the chopped leek in butter about 1 minute on low. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Stir in the cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook about 2 minutes.
Place tart shells or pie shells on the baking sheet. Slice the Brie cheese into 12 pieces, placing 1 piece in each tart shell. Top with 1 ½ teaspoons of the leek mixture.
Bake for 6–8 minutes. Remove from oven and top with parsley for garnish, if desired.
Note: this get really messy. Let cool to eat. They can be steaming hot. If you want to try making them gluten-free, use Schär gluten-free puff pastry dough or use a gluten-free pastry dough recipe already cited in this book. But the Schär, found in the freezer section, is really reliable.
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Sparky turned 11 on August 25. He still acts like a two-year-old. How I adore my sweet, goofy dog! Follow me on Instagram to see Sparky hogging center stage.
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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,
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