By Shari Randall AKA Meri Allen
Now you can get your child a light up T-Rex costume from Pottery Barn for $79 (and free shipping), a personalized velvet pumpkin-shaped treat basket for $36, or a 12 Ft. tall giant plastic lawn skeleton from the garden center for $229.
Times have changed, but one thing hasn’t. Everyone loves a good spooky story, and reading is cheap. If the book’s action is set in a graveyard, all the better.
That’s why I was thrilled to take part in the latest Destination Murders anthology Murder in the Graveyard. Not only was it a chance to stretch my writing muscles (writing to a theme is always a fun challenge) but it was also a chance to bring back some of my favorite characters from my Meri Allen Ice Cream Shop Mystery series: the Fairweather sisters. And writing a murder scene set in a graveyard? Priceless.
Another reason I enjoyed taking part? A fabulous line up of cozy mystery authors contributed to the anthology, serving up, as the publisher says, stories “perfect for curling up anytime you’re craving bite-sized mysteries with big personality.” Each of the authors — Leslie Budewitz, Karen Cantwell, Misha Crews, Eleanor Cawood Jones, Tina Kashian, Daphne Silver, Shawn Reilly Simmons, Rosalie Spielman, and Cathy Wiley — wrote their story starring the main character of their series. If you like their characters, more mystery and adventure awaits you in those books.
Murder in the Graveyard is available now. Enjoy it along with those fun-sized candy bars you stashed away on the shelf behind the canned vegetables.
What’s your favorite scary story or book? What’s your favorite Halloween treat?
Meri Allen is the pen name of Shari Randall, author of not only the Ice Cream Shop Mysteries, but also the Agatha Award-winning Lobster Shack mystery series. She loves a good spooky story, and her favorite Halloween candy is Smarties and Milky Way bars.
Sounds like a delicious and fun anthology. Other than candy corn, I like all Halloween treats, but one I am partial to is chocolate Kisses. When the world got scary and fruit and candy either needed to be x-rayed or required to be fully wrapped, I once told a six year old that I unfortunately had to take all the chocolate Kisses from his haul because their twist top made them obviously not safely wrapped. He was content with the remainder of his haul and had I ended up with a two month stash of Kisses.
ReplyDeleteDebra, that's hilarious!
DeleteDebra, you wicked woman, you! Me, I loved them all except Boston Baked Beans -- the candy kind, which my mother happily took. And I wasn't allowed to eat sticky things like Sugar Babies and Jolly Ranchers, so those went in the bag for the kids in the hospitals.
DeleteWhat a fun anthology! I love Halloween and anything chocolate.
ReplyDeleteI'm a definite fan of the fun side of Halloween (not the gory stuff) and chocolate.
DeleteCongrats on publication! I love the Halloween yard decorations appearing in the neighborhood, especially the motion-activated mailbox screamer and the three witches from the Scottish play.
ReplyDeleteA mailbox screamer - that's great! Though I feel for your mail delivery person.
DeleteSince childhood, I have loved to shiver to The Legend of Sleepy Hallow.
ReplyDeleteKM, I think I'm going to have to give that a reread.
DeleteCongratulations! Looking forward to MURDER IN THE GRAVEYARD and catching up with the Fairchild sisters. My favorite scary stories? The ones we grew up with in New Jersey. Most had to do with escaped convicts with sharpened hooks for hands. What? That wasn’t a thing where you grew up? They were actually thin covers for the cautionary tales about the dangers of dating, but who knew.
ReplyDeleteOh, that guy with the hook made it to my town, too!
DeleteShari,
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful anthology. I found Poe's stories scary.
Poe is so unnerving!
DeleteSounds like a fun anthology. I don't do spooky or creepy, so nothing to add to the list.
ReplyDelete