Giveaway Ends 5/30

WHAT WRITING PROJECT IS COMING NEXT?
by Marlene M. Bell

Many don’t know this, but the idea of Annalisse began as a single standalone book. Through a number of drafts and many obvious subplots, it was clear to my developmental editors that Annalisse’s narrative should be a series of events in multiple installments. Stolen Obsession’s first draft held way too many characters getting into mischief for a single Annalisse novel!

The scenarios for the upcoming and untitled book #5 of the Annalisse series are floating around in my mind even as I’m releasing book #4, Copper Waters. When writing, I typically imagine one novel ahead. Where the next book will take place, and how to lead the reader there as they reach the end of the current work. Each chapter in every one of my books is designed to finish as a segue that asks the reader to jump into the following chapter—propelling them forward with a strong desire to find out what happens next. My slogan, “mystery at a killing pace,” highlights my writing style; short, punchy sentences that get to the point quickly and move on while applying conversational dialog. My last blogger review used a word to describe the pacing in Copper Waters as meteoric. What a great word!

Book Five is on the virtual shelf at this time. Instead of jumping into what happens after Copper Waters, I’ve decided to temporarily break from the Annalisse and Alec story and write a fresh standalone unrelated to the series. Sticking with my love of mysteries and him/her relationships, I’ll have new characters ready and willing to experience troublesome times together! The new story takes place in a fictitious town located near the Woodlands of Texas. My protagonist, Sharon Harris, is a trained chef. An out-of-work pastry chef of her own choosing—where life has taken her closer to immediate family. She’s moved from a personal chef position in California to be with her father after the passing of her mother. More than one suitor, (a known and an unknown,) will vie for my main character’s affections as they solve an unexpected homicide occurring in a vintage home built during the Civil War era. A home Sharon has inherited from a close family friend.

It will be a challenge for me to switch gears away from Annalisse’s adventures since I started writing the first draft in 2009. In April, I began my new cozy mystery manuscript. I’ll release the title and cover art in a few months.

About The Book

Copper Waters: A New Zealand Cottage Mystery (Annalisse Series)

A rural New Zealand vacation turns poisonous.

Antiquities expert Annalisse Drury and tycoon Alec Zavos are at an impasse in their relationship when Alec refuses to clear up a paternity issue with an ex-lover.

Frustrated with his avoidance when their future is at stake, Annalisse accepts an invitation from an acquaintance to fly to New Zealand—hoping to escape the recent turbulence in her life.

But even Annalisse’s cottage idyll on the family sheep farm isn’t immune to intrigue.

Alec sends a mutual friend and detective, Bill Drake, to follow her, and a local resident who accompanies them from the Christchurch airport dies mysteriously soon after. A second violent death finds Annalisse and Bill at odds with the official investigations.

The local police want to close both cases as quickly as possible—without unearthing the town’s dirty secrets.

As she and Bill pursue their own leads at serious cost, the dual mysteries force Annalisse to question everything she thought she knew about family ties, politics, and the art of small-town betrayal.

Purchase Links – Amazon – Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Marlene M. Bell is an eclectic mystery writer, artist, photographer, and she raises sheep on a ranch in wooded East Texas with her husband, Gregg.

Marlene’s Annalisse series boasts numerous honors including the Independent Press Award for Best Mystery (Spent Identity,) and FAPA— Florida Author’s President’s Gold Award for two other installments, (Stolen Obsession and Scattered Legacy.) Her mysteries with a touch of romantic suspense are found at her websites or at online retail outlets.

She also offers the first of her children’s picture books, Mia and Nattie: One Great Team! Based on true events from the Bell’s ranch. The simple text and illustrations are a touching tribute of compassion and love between a little girl and her lamb.