From the Desk of J.M. Poole

Secret Staircase Books has taken over all my fantasies in addition to my mysteries, so as a result, they’re went through another editing process and received new covers. My first three fantasies are the Bakkian Chronicles, which are The Prophecy, Insurrection, and Amulet of Aria. As you can see, they’ve got absolutely gorgeous new covers and are presently up for pre-order. Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo … they’ve all got ’em, so if you are a fan of fun, light-hearted adventure stories, please give them a try. They were released 12/28, so they’re now at all major online retailers!

This particular series is set in the magical kingdom of Lentari, and continues with my Tales of Lentari series. It currently has nine titles, and on my writing schedule for 2023 is Blast from the Past (Tales of Lentari #10)! If you haven’t started the series, now would be a great time to dive right in!

Yeah, I know. Day of the Dead actually isn’t observed on Halloween, but from November 1st through the 2nd. Originally, I didn’t know too much about this holiday, but since I was asked to write a short story – set in PV – which was set on the Day of the Dead, I figured I’d better do some research.

The story, The Case of the Secret Staircase, was a lot of fun to write, plus it allowed Zack to show off his comedic side as he is now forced to confront whoever or whatever is responsible for stealing various things from around Highland House.

Currently only availbe in the Holiday Mysteries anthology, it is now available at virtually all online retailers. Grab your discounted copy today!

NaNoWriMo is set to begin tomorrow. I’ve entered every time since I learned of it, in 2015, and have only missed it twice. Last year was one of the misses. Then again, I was derailed by the sudden passing of my father, and I don’t know about the rest of you writers, but for me, I need to be in a good mood in order to maintain my light-hearted, fun-filled cozy mysteries. I was not in any position to write last November. This time? I’m ready. If you’re also going to participate, then don’t hesitate to look me up. We can be writing buddies!

Ok, I’ve got lots to do, so I’ll be off. Stay safe out there and happy reading!

J.

Just in time for the holidays! Myself, and four other talented authors, including USA Today bestselling author Connie Shelton, have written short stories featuring the characters from our ongoing series. With holidays ranging from Halloween to New Years, come with us to see what your favorite characters are up to, and perhaps you’ll meet some new ones!

If you’d like to know a little about my contribution, I’ll throw a few tidbits your way. Here’s the small blurb about my story, taken from Amazon:

The Case of the Secret Staircase from J.M. Poole, the bestselling author of The Corgi Case Files. A family celebration for Dia de los Muertos gets interrupted by a series of thefts, small items intended to honor the ancestors. Does it have something to do with Highland House, the venue that’s suspected of harboring a few of its own ghosts? At once, the smart and lovable corgis are on the case. Sherlock and Watson, along with their human helpers, Zack and Jillian Anderson, will unravel the mystery, clue by clue.

Available only in this special collection, Secret Staircase Holiday Mysteries will be available 10/17 with a price of $4.99, but if you pre-order now, you’ll be able to lock in the special rate of $0.99! You won’t want to miss this, so reserve your copy today!

The following people have entered the contest, and the numbers have been assigned. Here we are so far:

1. Justin M.
2. Christy L.
3. Maureen B.
4. Claire W.
5. Yuliya M.
6. Louise C.
7. Julie W.
8. Julie G. – winner!
9. Becky E.

Contest closes at around 1pm PST. At that time, I’ll enter the numbers into a random selector, and whomever it chooses is the winner! I’ll then update this post with the winner’s name and ask that you send me a PM so I can get your book off to you! Good luck to all who enter!

We meant to go on this cruise to celebrate my 50th, and that was in 2020, only this little thing called Covid happened. Cruise ships were grounded, so we pushed it forward a year. Well, the ships were moving by then, but you had to wear a mask EVERYWHERE. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m all about keeping safe. We were prepared to wear the masks inside the ship, just not outside. No, they wanted you to wear masks regardless of where you were. Well, to us, that took the fun out of it, so we pushed it forward yet another year. Finally, we were able to go, and man alive, was it ever worth it. The nice thing about it is that I really needed to do some research in Alaska, ’cause that’s where my next CCF title was going to take place. Case of the Unlucky Emperor, referring to penguins, of course.

Now, before I start receiving the emails, I’ll point out that I already know about the simple fact of the absence of all penguins in the arctic. The events of CCF17 actually occur inside an institution, one trying to become accredited and licensed. That’s when their bad luck happens, and they need help.

If you guys have never been to Alaska, or haven’t seen the glaciers, it’s well worth it. Wildlife galore, wide, open spaces, and the rugged beauty of my country’s biggest state.

I’m back to work on Blast From the Past. I should be done fairly soon, and will give it to my Posse members once I’m done, only … and I hate to bring this up, ’cause I know this will get me some hate mail … I’m going to hold off publishing. The reasoning? Starting at the beginning of next year, all of my fantasies are being turned over to Columbine, which is the same publisher as my mysteries. They expressed interest, and who am I to turn them down? Therefore, if I would want to publish ToL10, then I’d have to do so in the next several months, only to pull it back down and lose all the sales ranking I could get. This way, the series will be released one after the other and will (hopefully!) generate more interest. Therefore, the estimated publish date will be sometime around summer, ’23. Please don’t hate me. 🙂

The end of summer is rapidly approaching, and for the first time ever, I can actually utter the words summer hasn’t been too bad. Yes, I know it’s been bad for a lot of people, and I don’t want to make light of a serious situation, but for us? Yes, it’s been warm, but it’s nothing compared to a typical summer in Arizona. Do I miss them? Hell no. Do I enjoy the much cooler nights? Abso-friggin’-lutely.

Stay tuned! My paperback giveaway will end at the end of the week. If you haven’t entered yet, please leave a comment below and then submit a picture of either a paperback copy of any of my books, or else a picture of one of my book covers on your reading device. Kindle, Nook, phone, tablet, computer, it doesn’t matter. Only those comments with attached pictures will officially become entries.

Good luck! Stay safe out there and happy reading!

J.