Today is the official release day for Literally Dead, the second book in author Lois Winston's Empty Nest Mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Gracie Elliott and her
college professor husband Blake. The series was inspired by my love for the
classic Thin Man movies starring
William Powell and Myrna Loy, but my take on the husband/wife duo employs a modern
spin.
Gracie and Blake were first introduced in Definitely Dead. Gracie is a textile
designer whose career has been outsourced to a Third World nation. She’s also
lost her pension, and she’s desperate to find a new career that will not only
prevent her and Blake from spending their retirement years living above an auto
repair shop but allow her time to pen her future bestselling romances—not that
she’s actually finished a book yet.
Fast-forward to Literally Dead, and Gracie has indeed completed her first contemporary romance.
She’s even won a writing competition that awards her with attendance at a
weekend writing conference in New York. The book opens with Gracie experiencing
the ultimate fan girl moment as she enters the lobby of the hotel and finds it
swarming with many of her favorite authors.
However, Gracie soon realizes she’s stepped into a
romance vipers’ den of backstabbing, deceit, and plagiarism. Luckily, she finds
a friend and mentor in bestselling author Paisley Prentiss.
Hours later, when Gracie discovers the body of Lovinia
Darling, the Queen of Romance, in the hotel stairwell, she’s not convinced her
death is an accident. Too many other authors had reason to want Lovinia dead.
Ignoring Blake’s advice to “let the police handle it,” Gracie, aided by
Paisley, begins her own investigation into the death and quickly discovers romance
has never been so deadly.
Literally Dead is now available as both a
paperback and an ebook.
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9 comments:
I'm getting vibes like Gracie is a female Columbo. Best wishes with your release!
Thanks, Angela! Gracie is a fun character to write.
This sounds like a very fun series. I'm looking forward to Gracie's vibes. I also remember and enjoyed the Thin Man series. Good luck with your series.
Clever idea for a series. Gracie sounds like she would fit in fine with fellow romantic mystery writers. Congrats on the new novel and best wishes.
Thanks so much, Susan and Jacqueline!
I've always wanted to set a mystery at a mystery writers' conference. Great premise! Congrats on the new release, Lois.
Thanks, Vinnie! I had a blast setting the book at a writers' conference.
Everything about your series sounds like fun! I like the idea of husband-and-wife teams, like found in "The Thin Man." I watched an old episode of "Mr. and Mrs. North" just last night...corny, but the main idea is excellent. Good luck with the book!
Thanks so much, Becky!
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