A Not-So-New Release by Sarah E. Burr

I’m eagerly preparing to launch a new cozy mystery series at the end of the month, the Book Blogger Mysteries. Book One, Over My Dead Blog, drops October 31^st, the perfect Halloween treat. It’s funny to say “new” cozy mystery series, though, because I’ve been readying this book for release since I finished writing it in 2017.

This series has gone on quite a journey. Over My Dead Blog, featuring introverted book blogger Arwen “Winnie” Lark, was originally set to be launched through a traditional publishing house. Yet, with the COVID pandemic, my dreams of having this book out in the world seemed to slip further and further away. So, I decided earlier this year to get my rights back and publish Winnie’s story myself. Where I’ve self-published before (both my award-winning Glenmyre Whim Mysteries and Court of Mystery series), the task didn’t seem too daunting, but once I realized how much work the book needed to get it across the finish line, I began to feel a pinch in my chest. Over My Dead Blog was written what feels like a lifetime ago, and the amount I’ve grown as a writer in those years has been truly astounding. As I reread my manuscript, I honestly cringed at my storytelling. I’ve learned to be such a better writer since this was initially penned, and as much as I wanted to get this book into the hands of readers, I couldn’t put my name on something I didn’t feel confident in.

So, I put writing Glenmyre Whim Mystery Book 3 on hold (again) and embarked on the trickiest revisions I’ve encountered to date in my writing career. I tweaked Winnie’s voice, I changed major characters, I swapped names, I swapped who my killer was twice, I introduced social media and technology into the plot even more—I covered a lot of ground. And I’ll be painfully honest: it took a while for me to get on board with the book. More than once, I contemplated tossing in the towel and returning to my other projects; believe me, I have enough of them to work on. But something about Winnie and her story kept pushing me forward. I also thought about all my readers who have asked after this series for years and how much I didn’t want to disappoint them. Those reasons got me through many tough challenges, and now, I am so incredibly proud of the book I’ve written. I cannot wait to share it with readers.

I want to end by teasing an excerpt of Over My Dead Blog, which you can reserve with special pre-order pricing now.

 

Over My Dead Blog

A Book Blogger Mystery by Sarah E. Burr

Excerpt from Chapter 5

While my friend whipped up our drink orders, I guided Strider to the back of the bookstore, where Owen had arranged several couches and armchairs to create a spacious yet cozy reading nook. Timeless Tomes hosted intimate readings for local authors every so often, but the space was mostly utilized by customers during store hours. Owen also sporadically rented out the bookstore to community groups for large meetings or get-togethers.

Strider plopped down on one of the pleather couches, his face still slack and void of activity.

“What’s wrong with him?” Owen eyed Strider up and down before handing me a steaming mug and placing Strider’s on the end table next to the occupied couch. Slight creases of worry were etched into my friend’s dark bronze skin. Obviously, this wasn’t how he had pictured meeting my superstar brother for the first time.

I blew a few cooling puffs on my coffee, eager to recharge. “You may want to sit down for this, too.”

With curiosity oozing from his eyeballs, Owen forced Strider to scooch over and waited for me to speak.

Detective Fox’s warning about keeping the morning’s events to myself rang through my head, but I ignored it, my fear of authority bested by loyalty to my brother and my friend.

I took a fortifying breath and launched into a detailed account of how I’d woken up, found Kelsey, called the police, and been asked to vacate my cottage until further notice.

To my surprise, the barrage of questions I’d been expecting from Owen didn’t come. He sat speechless next to my listless brother, mouth agape throughout the whole tale.

“Detective Fox recommended that I keep clear of the premises while the county crime lab is on the scene.” I reached for the knot growing at the base of my neck. “So I hope it’s all right if we camp out here for a bit. I didn’t know where else to go.”

Owen released a low whistle as he shook his head. “Wow. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect all that to pop out of your mouth.” His earthy brown gaze glanced sidelong at my brother. “Is Strider playing a robot in his next movie or something?”

“You’d think that, but no.” I sighed, hoping Strider would snap out of his trance soon. “When I left Copper Pot last night, he and Kelsey were getting rather close…” I raised an eyebrow in suggestion, and Owen’s eyes widened.

Strider finally came to life, reaching for his coffee mug. “I swear, guys, Kelsey dropped me off and that was it. We had some drinks while we played a few rounds of darts, then headed over to the pub down by the harbor. We left around ten-thirty, and then Kelsey drove me to your place.”

Owen gasped and batted Strider’s arm. “You were with Kelsey last night?” His suspicious gaze then narrowed on me. “Did you tell the police that?”

“No...” I held my hands up in defense. “When Detective Fox asked if I’d seen Kelsey, I gave her a version of the truth that didn’t point to my brother being the last person to see her alive.”

Owen frowned. “Good thinking. If the county crime lab is out at Silverclaw Cliff, that can only mean one thing.”

Strider looked from Owen to me then back to my best friend. “What do you mean?”

Owen rolled his eyes in a dramatic fashion. “Seriously? Connect the dots. Hasn’t everyone in Hollywood done at least one stint on Law and Order or something?”

When Strider looked at him blankly, Owen continued. “It means this Detective Fox thinks Kelsey was murdered.”

Does Winnie's story have you hooked? Preorder here and enjoy Over My Dead Blog when it releases on October 31, 2023.