Ta Da - Book Launch Day!

 My thanks to Terry for letting me take her Tuesday spot. Today’s the official launch date for MURDER VISITS A FRENCH VILLAGE and I wanted to celebrate with my fellow Minds and readers. It’s a new series, but with benefits. Thanks to my new publisher, characters from the last two French village mysteries have been allowed to slip into the new series. The new protagonist is Ariel Shepard and here’s how her new life begins: 

The sound of a key turning in the lock made her turn. With a quick glance at the large mirror in the foyer to pull any stray lengths of hair into the trendy style her new Madison Avenue stylist had insisted on, Ariel opened the door.

 

“Hey, sweetheart,” Dan said, giving her a tight hug. He sighed and held on to her for a long moment. “I hope you know the best part of my day is opening the door and seeing you.” He dropped his briefcase on the big glass-topped table in the foyer and ran a hand through his silver-streaked hair. “Whew, it’s warm in here. They keep this building too hot. Even the heater in the car seemed way high, although Luis swears it’s like it always is.”

 

“Tough day?” Ariel said. “You look kind of pale. Are you feeling okay?”

 

“Fine, not to worry. Just tired.”

 

“How about a glass of wine to relax before dinner?”

 

Dan ran a hand roughly over his mouth. “Maybe I’ll just sit for a minute. I probably shouldn’t have had that steak frites lunch.” He tried to grin.

 

“Then, let’s just sit and look at the view,” Ariel said. “Dinner can wait.” She turned toward the living room but spun around seconds later when she heard a loud crash behind her.                                    

 

The new widow finds out her husband bought a rundown château they had seen on their honeymoon four years earlier. He meant to have it restored as a surprise gift and now, left with the proceeds of the sale of their posh Manhattan condo, she decides to take up the challenge herself. Sadly, Christiane, a lovely scholar she meets in Noyers who offers to research the château’s history, dies shockingly in the property’s dry moat, and the reasons why are a complete mystery.

 

Château de Champs-sur-Serein, my imaginary château, is a kilometer outside the real Noyers-sur-Serein, one of France’s 100 Most Beautiful Villages, a walled medieval town clustered below the ruins of an ancient fort. I’ve visited many times and I love the place. Noyers is in the Yonne district of the province of Burgundy, a pastoral region decorated in season with neon yellow rapeseed flowers and white Charolais cattle. The first two French village novels I wrote were set in an imaginary town that, in my mind, was near Noyers, so it makes sense that Katherine and Pippa, two other ex-pats and the protagonists of the first two, become her first friends and then her co-investigators. 

 

Part of the challenge of writing this was learning more than I ever wanted to know about drainage, electrical engineering, the matrix in stone walls, roof repair, etc. I kept reminding myself this wasn’t a how-to manual, I only had to avoid (fingers crossed) the most egregious errors so my imaginary château didn’t collapse! 

 

 Anyway, the book’s out today in hard cover and e-book formats, with the promise of a paperback sometime in the future. I’m so happy to be back in the Burgundy countryside, with a cast of new characters and some welcome friends from before. I’m deep into the follow-up, which is such a treat.

 

“The quirky village residents make this an appealing series debut. Characters from Shea’s “French Village Murder” series also appear in this book. Recommended for those who enjoyed the author’s previous series and for fans of M.L. Longworth, Martin Walker, and Serena Kent.” – Library Journal

 

Noyers-sur-Serein town center

Bon voyage even if it’s armchair travel!