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Recently I posted on social media about my favorite “book husbands.” Bookstagrammers (people on Instagram who love books and post about them) frequently post about their favorite “book boyfriends,” but I thought husbands deserved a shout-out. (I suspect they post about boyfriends because romances are usually about boyfriends and because bookstagrammers are frequently young.) My post prompted my own husband to ask, what makes a good book husband?

I said that good book husbands are just like good husbands in real life: they’re supportive; they listen; they see their wives; they’re partners, equals.

My list includes Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series; Inspector Gamache from Louise Penny’s series; Leon Farrell from The Chronicles of St. Mary’s; and Emerson from Elizabeth Peters’ Amelia Peabody series.

What book husbands would you recommend? Hit me up on Instagram or Facebook to tell me.

As I write this, I’m looking forward to attending my first conference since the ‘rona stopped the world from turning for a bit. (And still keeps rearing its ugly spikes.) It’s the Pennwriters conference in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I’m hoping to learn about firearms, forensics, and character flaws that will level up my writing and add more realism to my stories.

I’m also slogging through the first draft of the first book in a new series. Don’t worry; Robin and family aren’t going anywhere. They’re just taking a vacation while I play with folks who live an hour south of them and encounter a woman who’s a bit past her prime, shall we say. Like, she’s dead. I’m falling in love with the story and I hope you will, too.

I had the honor and the pleasure to talk with Kristina Stanley, the CEO of Fictionary, an online software that analyzes your manuscript and gives you visual feedback about your story arc and pacing. I discovered their StoryTeller tool last year and it’s helped me become a more effective and efficient writer. It doesn’t take the place of human writers and editors, but it’s a powerful tool in the writer’s toolbox.

In this YouTube video, Kristina and I talk about A Fatal Fumble, what it was like to win The BookFest award, and my favorite things about Fictionary’s StoryTeller tool. This is where I wish Zoom had the option for filters. A little digital touch-up wouldn’t have gone amiss.

Click here to watch the Fictionary YouTube interview here.

Great cozy mysteries at great prices on Amazon. Plus a free cozy mystery you can download now.

Parents Don’t Approve

Download this one for free. Synopsis: Marcus with a die-hard determination to pursue a career as a private investigator leaves his job as an officer behind. Just while the consequences of his actions begin to dawn on him as he roams the streets of Nebraska, jobless, broke and hungry, luck smiles on him.

There has been a kidnapping. An old college friend reaches out to Marcus about his rich uncle whose son had just been kidnapped. Without earlier knowledge on the dangers of the perils and uncertainties of this investigative adventure, Marcus dives in without a second thought. For he must prove to himself, and his doubtful mother, that he knows his onions. Read more of the synopsis and download for free.

 

Josiah is a beekeeper trying to stay financially afloat by selling honey at the Farmers’ Market. She finds her world turned upside down when a man is found dead in her beeyard, only to discover that the victim is her nemesis.

After closing the shop for the day Leah met some friends at the local restaurant. The following morning after her fun night out with friends, Sheriff Burt shows up at her store with an animal emergency. Could it be related to a murder?

When forty four year old Jenny King moved to a remote island for a second chance at life, she didn’t know it would involve murder. She’s working at the Boardwalk Cafe, baking sweet treats to forget the bitter pill that is her life. Then a stranger’s body washes up on the beach and her aunt is arrested. Compelled by circumstances, Jenny goes sleuthing to prove her aunt’s innocence.

The Amazon links are affiliate links, which means I earn a very small commission if you click them and buy something, at no extra cost to you. It’s just an extra way to keep the coffee flowing.