See you at Books on the Beach this Weekend!

 

I'll be there Thursday to Saturday. 

Find me at Table 43 in the Ballroom on Saturday!

Spencer at Books at the Beach, Clearwater Beach, Oct 21-24

 

Coming to of the upcoming Books on the Beach event at the Clearwater Hilton? I’m excited! Come find me at Table 43.  I thought I’d showcase one or two of the books I’ll be featuring at the fest—so you’ll get a taste of what’s in store.

 

Orion’s Foot: Myth, Mystery, and Romance in the Amazon.

Petra Steele is wallowing in self-pity after being dumped at the altar, when her brother Nick invites her to come to the Peruvian Amazon. Before she even sets her suitcase down, she's confronted with a murder victim. In a research station peopled with a quirky assortment of scientists, she is drawn to Emory Andrews, a gruff, big man with a secret past. That is, until his beautiful ex-wife shows up. More murders, more secrets, more mysteries ensue, all in the deeply romantic, sizzling jungle.

 

Orion’s Foot is available in both print and ebook If you want to pick up a copy early—here the buy link that will take you to any online store you choose: https://books2read.com/OrionsFoot

 

I’m part of NN Light’s Trick or Treat Book Bonanza!

 ALL MONTH LONG!

 

N. N. Light’s Book Heaven is hosting the third annual Trick or Treat Book Bonanza. Great books—great prizes. This year we are offering a $75 Amazon gift card.

It all takes place here: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/trick-or-treat-book-bonanza

Save these dates: October 26 and October 28. You’ll get a teaser and a bit more about my mystery/romances:

Mrs. Spinney’s Secret 

and Orion’s Foot: Myth, Mystery, and Romance in the Amazon

Five Stars for Thursday’s Children, a Memoir

 

Thursday’s Children, a book by an old friend, Elisabeth Pendley, is an unexpectedly compelling memoir of a young teacher at a disadvantaged elementary school in the South in the 1960s. Thursday’s Children left me distressed but hopeful. It is a fascinating window into that transitional period between segregation and integration, when blacks and whites—confronted with an upheaval in the old order—treated each other with suspicion, if not outright hatred. It is also a story of how a closed environment can be corrupted by indolence and lack of accountability. The author gives us individual portraits of each of the children—their problems and their progress. You find yourself rooting for this or that child to break through the incredible obstacles to success. Also interesting is the picture given of the manner in which human beings react to very difficult circumstances—some with apathy, some with anxiety, some with courage. I recommend Thursday’s Children to anyone wishing to understand more clearly the origin of some current prejudices that have persisted—and the effect those prejudices can have on children’s lives.

Find Thursday’s Children here:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Thursdays-Children-betrayed-defended-continues/dp/0578863812

My Goodreads review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4282928554

Coming Soon! Hidden Gem: the Secret of St. Augustine

Approved! The official blurb for my upcoming mystery from The Wild Rose Press, Hidden Gem: the Secret of Saint Augustine:

Aviles Street, St. Augustine, where Philo lives.

Barnaby Swift is in St. Augustine, Florida, to teach a college seminar in historic methodology and plans to use The Secret, a treasure hunt book, as a framework for his class. He enlists Philo Brice, owner of an antique map store, to aid him in seeking clues in the historic sites of the ancient city.

The Secret: a Treasure Hunt by Byron Preiss

Together they face murderers, thieves, thugs, and fanatics, heightening their already strong attraction to each other. Can they solve the puzzle and unearth the treasure before the villains do? Philo and Barnaby must follow several twisting paths and false leads before arriving at a startling conclusion.

Sound intriguing? I'll keep you posted on publication date!