CRIME FOR CHRISTMAS

Is it too early to talk about Christmas? I’ve been seeing a lot of yellow in the trees lately…

My short story, “Santa Lucia,” is releasing in September as part of ReBound Press’s Crime for Christmas anthology, along with 11 other stories by Canadian authors. Mine is set in the Yukon (a favourite setting) and has suspense, humour, and, dare I say it, a hint of romance. And my good friend, Charlotte Morganti, has a fabulous story (“Iced”) in the anthology, too! Here’s the publisher’s write-up:

Whether you enjoy cozies, noirs, police procedurals, whodunnits, or lighthearted mysteries, there’s something for everyone in this terrific Christmas-themed collection by twelve of Canada’s finest mystery authors! An OPP officer investigates a John Doe dressed like Santa in July. A Toronto woman traces a mall Santa to the Caribbean. A woman’s body is found in an isolated part of Cape Breton. A graduate student helps CSIS trace the source of a death caused by listeria. An aging singer discovers the mall Santa is a former bandmate. An RCMP officer tracks an escaped prisoner through a Yukon blizzard. A retiring Alberta sheriff investigates a movie star’s murder. A controversial ice sculptor is stabbed with an ice pick. A Winnipeg private eye uncovers a clinic performing illegal surgeries. A teenager is suspected of stealing a neighbour’s gold jewellery. A young Chinese boy plots revenge against a bully with ChatGPT’s help. A pair of down-on-their-luck young lovers pull off a series of bank robberies.

These well-crafted stories ramp up the tension with resourceful investigators, colourful characters and riveting plotlines, and relieve it with humour. This wonderful seasonal anthology features stories by Peggy Blair, E.R. Brown, Renny deGroot, M.M. DeLuca, Raywat Deonandan, Marcelle Dubé, Chris Forrest, Peter Moreira, Charlotte Morganti, Joel Nedecky, Wayne Ng, and Brad Smith.

I’ve thought about it, and it’s definitely not too early to start shopping for Christmas! Visit ReBound Press at https://reboundpress.com/ to pre-order.

FREE Christmas Story

For the past couple of years, I’ve offered one of my Christmas short stories for free, to celebrate the season. As with all my Christmas shorts, this one is a bit romantic—as close to romantic as I come, anyway. “McKell’s Christmas” fits into my Mendenhall Mysteries series, which comprises six novels and five short stories (so far).

Here’s the link to the free short story: https://books2read.com/u/brWJ8w

I’m not sure when Amazon will flip to free, but all the other venues already have. The story will remain free until after Christmas.

Christmas readings

I love Christmas, even this year. I love it so much that I’ve actually written a few romantic Christmas short stories over the years. If you’re in the mood for some light (mostly light) reading, here are some short stories that might warm your heart.

A Yukon Christmas

Christmas Magic

McKell’s Christmas (A short Mendenhall mystery)

Running Away from Christmas

Trepalli’s Christmas (A short Mendenhall mystery)

In the Christmas mood…

Every year, I try to write a Christmas short story because I love Christmas and, frankly, these Christmas short stories are the closest I ever get to being romantic. This year’s offering is set in the Mendenhall Mystery series. Here’s the blurb for “Trepalli’s Christmas”:

It’s Christmas eve day and Constable Marco Trepalli of the Mendenhall Police Department can’t wait to be off shift. He’s planning a big surprise for his girlfriend, Amanda. Something special. Something romantic.

Then a kid doesn’t return home after sledding and Trepalli forgets all about his plans in the mad scramble to mobilize search parties and interview the kid’s friends. And as hour after hour slips by with no sign of the boy, Trepalli braces himself for what could turn into the worst Christmas ever… for him and the kid’s family.

Amazon.ca: https://amzn.to/2Q3SE0u;  Amazon.com: https://amzn.to/2BcidUM

Barnes & Noble, Apple: https://www.books2read.com/u/m2vDp7

Kobo: https://bit.ly/2DK5trg