Maggie Pill Mysteries

  Books are all gone. Thanks for your kind comments!

Anyone who reads knows there is a huge industry out there trying to grab your attention. Big publishers wave their "golden" writers in front of your face with words like "gripping" and "must-read." Small presses try to get readers to their niche market by promising can't-put-'em-down books tailored to your tastes. And self-published writers beg you to sign up for their newsletters and blogs so you'll know when they get that next book ready. Books are offered daily at great prices, even for free, with the hope that you'll love them so much you'll come back for more and more from that author or that publisher. You could download enough free books from BookBub or InstaFreebie that you'll never catch up on your TBR. Though most of them won't be worth your time, it's there, and it doesn't cost you a cent. I have friends who love the adventure of looking for pearls among the grains of sand. Smart readers ignore the hype...

A Blog-Hop is a line of blogs put together so that readers meet new authors. A group that awarded their BRAG medallion to THE SLEUTH SISTERS, IndieBrag, has arranged one for the month of December, and I'm to be high-lighted tomorrow, Dec. 15th. I plan to share a Christmas story I wrote that will remind you of another Christmas tale, and I plan on giving away advance copies of my next book to some who visit either me here or at http://pegherring.com. Be sure to visit!  Today's topic is Christmas music. I love the classics, both religious and secular, but I have to admit I'm distressed by performers who shouldn't attempt them. Walking through the stores, I hear stuff and think, "Who thought this was a good idea?" I found this site that demonstrates: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/10/worst-christmas-songs_n_4416509.html I have a soft spot for George Michael that I can't explain, but the rest? Shouldna done it!

A Lethal Time and Place is an old favorite of mine, so I'm sharing it as today's giveaway. It's a paranormal mystery set in Chicago in the late '60s, and you'll love the twist in the middle. I think you'll also love the characters: they're weird, they're wonderful, and they will surprise you with their cleverness, their oddness, and their support for each other. If you want to try the book, go to Instafreebie and download it in whatever form you need for your e-reader. Here's the link:    http://www.instafreebie.com/free/KqhUH   You have one week. Merry Christmas!

September 26th is approaching--faster than I thought it would--and I'm both anxious and excited about the first-ever Alpena Book Festival. Anxious questions: Will there be a good turnout? Will they have a good time? Will we have enough of everything? Does everyone know what to do? These are questions I have every time I'm part of organizing things, and I've learned there's no use trying to turn it off. Of course I know things can go wrong. It might rain buckets (or snow, after all, this is Michigan). We might run out of tote bags or tickets or whatever. And since it's a new thing, people will no doubt be following the organizers around saying, "What should I do?" "Where should I go?" I can take the chaos once the day arrives, but beforehand, there are no answers, which is what makes me a little crazy. As to the excited part: I know that people who attend the Festival will be happy they did . We have great giveaways, so just showing up ...

Remember that old TV show, That Was the Week That Was ? (Um, me neither. That was way before my time. Really.) Anyway, this week is the release of the third Sleuth Sisters book: Murder in the Boonies. It's available in print now on Amazon and at Ingram. The Kindle version goes live on Wednesday , so all of you who pre-ordered should have it show up on your device then. This one concerns the sisters' family farm, which Retta manages, renting the land to a local farmer and their parents' home to a man, woman, and her three daughters. When they move away abruptly, the sisters become suspicious, fearing at least some of them didn't leave voluntarily. To make matters more complicated, the renters leave behind their animals, and the sisters have to figure out what to do with them. Strange things happen. Strange men appear on the property. And strange ideas lead to danger for not just Barb, Faye, and Retta but for a lot of others as well. Here's something for ...