Whatever happened to my post that was supposed to appear on Monday, I have no idea. However, I’m sure it was my fault. I really don’t understand exactly how Word Press works.

Frankly, I don’t even remember what I wrote about.

I’ll try again with my latest news. Finally I’ve finished my latest Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery and sent it off to the publisher. It’s not a long book, in fact it’s rather short, but I had so many interruptions and other chores to do, it took me a long time to finish.

Here’s the official blurb for A Cold Murder.

A horrific snow storm traps Tempe and her husband in the lodge of a summer camp along with the caretakers and seven most unpleasant people—one becomes a murder victim. And to complicate matters, the ghost of a former camper makes contact with Tempe.

I have no particular ideas for promotion–though I have several events lined up that will fit in perfectly–mostly library visits, but also a big book fair. Whether or not I’ll do another blog tour I’m not sure.

Family has played a big part in my life lately. Just learned that another great-granddaughter will be joining us soon.

Hopefully, by next month, I’ll have some special to write and do it on the correct day.

Wishing you all some great reading this summer.

Marilyn

Someone asked me recently, “What have you done with your hair?”  My answer, “Nothing.”

Many times I’ve written how wonderful it is to be a writer, to be in control of my imaginary world, to find out what is happening in the lives of the characters I’ve come to know and love.

However, there is another side to this whole process–one that can be agonizing. Right now I’m writing my next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery. It has some similarities to an Agatha Christie novel in that it is about a group of people confined to a small space. Trying to keep the momentum up, with enough action, and scary developments isn’t easy.

Another painful part of writing is when a book you’ve nurtured along and feel like it’s one of your very best, doesn’t sell as well as you hoped. Then you wonder if maybe it wasn’t as good as you thought, or maybe you fell down on the job when it came to promoting.  There are times when I’ve even wondered why I keep on writing.

Okay, so if I’m not getting famous or rich from spending so much time on writing, why do I continue?

The simple answer is I am compelled to keep on writing. I’ve written my whole life–what would I do if I didn’t write? How could I ignore all those plots that keep popping into my head? The ideas that spring up just as I’m falling asleep.

How about you, fellow writers, do you ever feel the same?

This is my latest Rocky Bluff P.D. mystery, Unresolved, which I wrote as F. M. Meredith. As always, I hope readers will enjoy it.

Blurb:

Rocky Bluff P.D. is underpaid and understaffed and when two dead bodies turn up, the department is stretched to the limit. The mayor is the first body discovered, the second an older woman whose death is caused in a bizarre manner. Because no one liked the mayor, including his estranged wife and the members of the city council, the suspects are many, but each one has an alibi.

https://www.amazon.com/Unresolved-F-M-Meredith/dp/1938436245/

Marilyn

Unresolved is number 13 in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, a book that I feared would never become a reality.

The publisher of the series suffered a serious illness, one she is recovering from now, but the publishing company has been put on hold for the time being. I continued writing Unresolved even though I wasn’t sure what might happen. I’m compelled to finish what I start, especially when it comes to a book I’m writing.

One of the publisher’s former writers offered to publish through his new publisher those books that were in the queue with the option that the author could return to the former publisher when and if possible. When I finished Unresolved and had it edited, I contacted this author and asked if he’d be interested in my book.

He said, “Yes,” and things have moved along quickly since then.

Today, I’m going to share the  cover and the blurb.

#13 in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series, Unresolved Blurb:

Rocky Bluff P.D. is underpaid and understaffed and when two dead bodies turn up, the department is stretched to the limit. The mayor is the first body discovered, the second an older woman whose death is caused in a bizarre manner. Because no one liked the mayor, including his estranged wife and the members of the city council, the suspects are many, but each one has an alibi.

What this means, of course, is that I’ve had to speed up promotion plans. My first thought was a blog tour and I reached out to folks who have blogs and asked to be a guest. The tour will start on April 23rd.

I already have some in-person events scheduled–and whether or not I’ll do a special book  launch I haven’t decided.

In the meantime, I’m writing another Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

This has been a busy, but exciting time.

Marilyn Meredith who is also known as F. M. Meredith

This one happened right across the river.

The whole murder and what happened is bizarre. You can read all the details here:

http://www.nytimes.com/1981/09/27/magazine/the-case-of-the-lady-and-the-killer.html?pagewanted=all

To tell the story quickly, Hope Masters, a rich young woman from a prominent Beverly Hills family, with two marriages behind her, traveled to her family’s ranch in Springville with her live-in boyfriend, Bill Ashlock. They stayed in the guest house.

A new acquaintance of Bill’s, Taylor Wright (real name G. Daniel Walker) came to visit. He spent the night and murdered Bill. He raped and threatened Hope, but for some strange reason they stayed together at the ranch for several days, even after her folks arrived to stay at the ranch’s main home.

Hope’s father is the one who ultimately reported the murder, Hope and Taylor/G. Daniel were arrested. As it turned out, G. Daniel Walker was a fugitive.

Though I doubt anyone will ever know exactly what happened, you can read the whole story in the book, “A Death in California”, and watch the TV movie starring Cheryl Ladd and Sam Elliott.

Hope and Bill on the ranch.

Hope Masters

G. Daniel Walker

This happened before we moved to Springville–but I’d seen the TV movie and when I learned how close the ranch was to where I lived, you can see it across the river, of course I read the book. A most bizarre case. No one would believe it if you wrote a fiction mystery with similar content.

Marilyn