The Mostest Favoritest of All

Of the six cozy mysteries I’ve written, which is my favorite? Well, let me see now. The Cemetery Club was the first, the one that launched me from being a retired kindergarten teacher into authordom. My friend Barbara Burgess and I collaborated on it and that was fun, especially since it involved spooky stuff like an unexpected trip through an ancient cavern and a hair-rising ride down Deertrack Hill, but then along came Grave Shift.

I liked Grave Shift for several reasons, one being a trip to an Amarillo ranch with a strange name, Inglenook. And then, there was the horseback ride across the prairie and a lovely night under the stars. Back home in Levi, though, a couple of earthquakes shook things up. So, maybe Grave Shift was my favorite? Maybe, but Best Left Buried made me wonder.

History! A trip to World War I, and a long-buried secret. An astounding revelation about Flora’s parentage and Darcy’s realization that she didn’t really know the grandmother she had loved and viewed as her best friend. Plus, Grant Hendley became more of a romantic presence in Darcy’s life. So, maybe that was my favorite?

Could be, but Grave Heritage happened. It was a a lot scary when a flood threatened not only Darcy and Flora, but also Grant and someone else who had become very dear to Darcy. Someone else? Could anybody at all in the whole wide world turn her heart from Grant? And then, another revelation that involved Flora and her mother and also, for goodness sake, Flora’s father. He wasn’t who you thought he was. Yes, this was definitely my favorite, or…maybe not because another series took shape, the Ned McNeil series and Moonlight Can Be Murder.

Ned inherited a lovely Victorian house from her uncle but she didn’t get to thank him because…well…because he came to a rather abrupt end. We all know there’s nothing deadly or particularly frightening about moonlight, especially when it shines on a snowy scene of trees and carriage house and a small town, but, if that’s true, why do these frightening and murderous things keep happening in the moonlight? Moonlight Can Be Murder may have been my mostest favoritest book of all, but then, By the Fright of the Silvery Moon made its appearance. Seems to me, having given much thought and concentration on the matter, that my favorite book is the one I’m writing. I think a more interesting question would be, which is your favorite? And, why?

Manos Meadows Mysteries
Cozies with an Extra Shiver

By the Fright of the Silvery Moon is now available for pre-order from Pen-L.com!