Sandra Orchard's Blog, page 3
June 23, 2022
#23 Settling Auld Scores
Thank you for sticking with me through my 25 book countdown. I hope you’ve been enjoying the extra insights I’ve shared into the inspiration behind my stories.
My 23rd book,,was my final contribution to the .
Click book cover to read back cover blurb, this one isn’t a murder mystery. I even colour outside the lines sometimes too. 
My grandson’s War Amps commercial with the Hamilton Ti-Cats inspired the football theme for this mystery. That and memories of a whopper of a football season when I was a high school junior. Like me, Laura Donovan, my baker sleuth, isn’t ordinarily a football fan, but her nephew’s participation has hooked her on the game. 
Today’s recipient was drawn from blog subscribers and commenters.
Congratulations, Margaret Macleod, email me your mailing address and I’ll get Perilous Waters out to you. Ooh, and how appropriate that your last name is Scottish, given today’s book profile!
The post appeared first on .
June 22, 2022
#22 Dangerous At Heart
marked my return to writing romantic suspense. It’s part of the 12-book (similar to Love Inspired Suspense).
Click image to read back cover blurbBest One Yet?After my mother-in-law read this one, she surprised me by saying, it is my best one yet. I suspect she just enjoyed returning to romantic suspense after reading a slew of cozies. But apparently, I kept her guessing until the end.
Scary thing is…I’ve wracked my brain as I’ve been writing this and I can’t remember who’s after the heroine! 
Although I did manage to remember why he’s after her. Or should I say she??? I can’t remember!
Which do you prefer cozy mysteries: trade book size mysteries like the Port Aster Secrets series, humorous mysteries like Serena Jones Mysteries, or romantic suspense?
P.S. I’ll be picking another name from amongst blog commenters. So…commenting will give you the best odds of being my next recipient of a complimentary book. Just saying� 
The post appeared first on .
June 21, 2022
#21 Paying the Piper
Happy First day of summer! It’s appropriate that revisiting my twenty-first book should happen today, sincebegins on July 4th, at an Independence Day picnic, in Loch Mallaig, Michigan.
This mystery revolves around a state-wide baking competition being held as part of the town’s annual Scottish Festival & Highland Games. We had the opportunity to watch some of the traditional events at such a festival while vacationing in Northern Ontario a few years ago. If you have the opportunity to attend one, go for it. They’re a lot of fun.
I’m sure a murder won’t take place atyours.
I had to research a lot of traditional Scottish baking recipes for this series. Have you ever heard of millionaire’s shortbread or clootie dumplings? I hadn’t.
And of course, the only way to write about them authentically is to sample the goods. Yes, research can be a tough job, but I’m willing to gain a few pounds for the team.
If you’d like to join me, here’s a good place to start:
Rafflecopter WinnersI debated waiting until June 25th to announce the ten winners of my upcoming release, , since that will be the day I profile it here.
But for once in my writing career, I decided NOT to keep you in suspense. 
Don’t be sad if your name isn’t here though, because I have three more books to give away over the next few days, so stay tuned!
P.S. One of those books will go to a randomly selected blog commenter. So, don’t be shy about leaving a comment to let me know which book you’d love to read.
Onto the winners…drum roll please
Congratulations to:
Christin FKara V� M…Patti Jo MAnn SJackie Pad…Linda OBeverly D�-M…Edward ASandra ALinda Gaw�I emailed each of you last night to request your mailing address, so if you didn’t see my email, please check your spam folder and add me to your safe senders list. 
Happy Reading!
Your Turn:What’s your favourite thing connected to the Scots? For me, it’s scones. Yum! Although…I do love listening to Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. And I have a lovely wool tartan blanket I cozy up under to read on cold winter nights.
by
The post appeared first on .
June 20, 2022
#20 Yule Be Sorry
Writing this Christmas mystery whet my appetite for doing more set at this special time of year. I’m currently outlining a romantic suspense set on a Montana guest ranch and Christmas tree farm. But I digress.
is the 9th book in the Scottish Bakehouse Mystery series I introduced yesterday.
Summary:
On the first day of Christmas, Molly Ferris’s true love gave to her . . . one of many anonymous pranks leading up to Loch Mallaig’s upcoming Yule Festival, an annual tradition celebrating the Michigan town’s Scottish heritage. Initially, Molly and her best friends, Laura Donovan and Carol MacCallan, are charmed by the silly “Twelve Days of Christmas� gifts showing up at their Scottish bakehouse, Bread on Arrival. However, the fifth day presents ghastly tidings—the murder of local real estate agent Eric Wright, who’s found dead with five golden rings on his fingers.
Discovered by the bakehouse’s new delivery boy, whose girlfriend’s family was facing the loss of their home for the holidays, Wright’s homicide soon engulfs the entire village in suspicion and conjecture. With a history of shady deals, the murdered Scrooge had a seemingly endless naughty list of people who could have killed him—and perhaps it was someone Molly and her friends know and trust.
With their business’s wellbeing threatened by their ties to the murder, the Bakehouse Three resolve to solve the mystery of who silenced Wright’s night. Soon, the three Scottish hens realize that not only is their livelihood at stake but their lives as well. They must uncover the murderer before the killer gets to them—otherwise, they might be three bakers-a-dying.
Find Scottish Bakehouse Mysteries at Annie’s Fiction.Subscribe to the to receive 1 hard cover book a month ($14.99) , or every two weeks ($10.99), or to receive 1 Ebook a month ($5.99). You can sometimes find individual books being sold second hand.
I found several But if you enjoy cozy mysteries and love everything Scottish, you’ll want to get the entire set of these!
Our Next Two Complimentary Book Recipients are:Congratulations Velma and Marlene! I’ll be in touch.
The post appeared first on .
June 19, 2022
#19 ~ Lass and Found
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads!
I’ll let you know our 10 winners of the rafflecopter, as soon as I receive the names from the coordinator!
On to the 19th book in my 25 book retrospective:Is the fourth book in the 24-book, multi-author Scottish Bakehouse Mysteries, set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This was another super-fun series to write. It follows the exploits of threeformer college roommates, now in their fifties, as they reunite to open a bakery in bonny Loch Mallaig, Michigan, a place where the iconic sounds of Great Highland bagpipes fill the air, kilts never go out of fashion, and mysteries surface with curious regularity.
This particular story isn’t a murder mystery, but a missing person mystery.
Click the image to read the back cover blurbI hope you all have a wonderful Sunday!
The post appeared first on .
June 18, 2022
Day #18 ~ Absent Without Leaf
I live fairly close to the “Comfort Maple,� widely believed to be the oldest sugar maple tree in Canada, at 400-500 years old. A bike ride to see the tree, combined with my granddaughter’s tales of her fun at a summer day camp, seeded the idea for this story.
But of course, the mystery is far more sinister than it sounds. Or is it?
My research into old growth forests on Orcas Island was particularly fascinating. And as it turns out, Orcas Island is home to some of the few remaining in the state.
Last Chance:
The post appeared first on .
June 17, 2022
Day 17 ~ Weeds of Doubt
is my second contribution to the Victorian Mansion Mysteries. Kaylee Bleu, the sleuth in this cozy mystery series, is a former forensics botanist professor turned flower shop owner on beautiful Orcas Island.
For this particular story, spotting a potentially poisonous weed on the shoreline while out kayaking inspired this story. Then I tossed in a high school reunion, because…�
There’s always at least one former high school nemesis someone wants to murder, right? Not me, of course! 
Get it for: , , , , and
A huge thanks to all those who are following along with these �25th Book Celebration� blogs and Facebook posts. Celebrating this milestone wouldn’t be any fun without you.
Congratulations to Eileen Astels, you’re our tenth book recipient. Please let me know which book you’d like me to send you.
P.S.The rafflecopter giveaway closes to new entries Saturday at midnight. Enter here:
The post appeared first on .
June 16, 2022
Day 16 ~ On Pens and Needles
is scary # 13 in the cozy mystery series from Annie’s Fiction. I LOVE this multi-author series. Before writing my contribution, I had the privilege of reading many of the earlier books to acquaint myself with the continuing characters and Cape Cod setting (picture Bitmore estate).
Prefer listening to your books?This is the second series .
Click the image to read the back cover blurbThanks for joining me in this daily retrospect of my first 25 novels. Just 9 more to go. But�
Tomorrow is the Last Day to Snag your Free Novel.So don’t delay. Download your digital copy of A Fool and His Monet for free for:, , , , and
If you missed my posts on this fun series, they start here:
And there’s a couple of days left to enter the 10 book .
Today, I’m also being interviewed at:the . Please stop by and say hello.
The post appeared first on .
June 15, 2022
Day 15 ~ Digging Up Secrets
Between my horticultural research for my and the endless challenges of maintaining our century farmhouse, I had plenty of creative fodder for the Victorian Mansion Flower Shop Mysteries contracted me to write.
Then it happened�Our well stopped working. Only, the wellhead was buried and we didn’t know where it was! So…we started digging near where the pipe entered the basement wall. And by the time we found the wellhead, we’d dug a grave-size hole.
Of course, then I’m thinking: What if we find a body in the hole?
And theplot for was born.
Click the image to read the back cover blurb.Thankfully, we didn’t find a body, but poor Kaylee did at the flower shop she took over from her grandmother on beautiful Orcas Island, Washington.
Now that would’ve been a lovely spot to indulge in a research trip!
Purchase Options for the Victorian Mansion Flower Shop MysteriesI’ve written 3 novels in the 24-book series. They are available in hardcover or Ebook by subscription to Annie’s Fiction for the entire multi-author series. A limited number of one-time-purchase bundles (3, 6, and 12 book bundles) are also available for this series here: and here: The second site also features Annie’s magazines and crafts, and often has sales. For example, yesterday they were offering 20% off everything on the site.
Twenty-plus years ago I subscribed to Annie’s CrossStitch magazine. I never imagined that one day I’d be writing for them!
Book Giveaway #9Congratulations to Barbara Raymond, your name was drawn from amongst the commenters on this blog since May 30th. I’ll send you your choice of one of my first 24 books (some titles have limited availability). Email me to let me know your choice and mailing address.
For Everyone else…there’s more giveaways to come.
Be sure to download your free copy of before Friday.
And enter the for my newest release, .
The post appeared first on .
June 14, 2022
Day 14 ~ The Hound and the Fury
was my first , my first cozy mystery, my first audio book, and my first Amish setting, although the main character isn’t Amish.
I discovered last night, while writing this post, that I now have books in audio! How cool is that?
They’re reasonably priced too. You can subscribe to receive one audio book in the Amish Inn Mysteries every three weeks for $5.99, (same price as Ebooks).The Hound and The Fury is #17 of 24.
Back Cover Blurb:A dog show has come to Pleasant Creek, and Liz Eckardt is hosting both two- and four-footed guests at the Olde Mansion Inn. After a busy day of Christmas preparations, a visit to the dog show seems like the perfect way to unwind.
But more than a few people are barking mad at one of the judges. It seems he has a predilection for pets of the toy variety, and owners of the big dogs may not be getting a fair shake. When the judge goes belly-up, stabbed with Liz’s knife, Liz knows she must jump into action. Someone’s committed murder in the first pedigree, but who?
Meanwhile, one of Liz’s guests has hightailed it out of town. Convinced her guest’s disappearance is not just a clever trick, Liz can’t help but nose around. Turns out the murdered man had more than one enemy willing to fight tooth and nail to see him dead–and some of them lie sleeping under Liz’s own roof.
Can Liz and her pack of pals, Amy, Beans, and the Material Girls, collar a criminal before more trouble is unleashed?
The Inspiration
This is Bella and that’s the acting award she won for a production my daughter produced. She doesn’t actually do that many tricks, but she does them with enthusiasm! And her love of doing anything for a cookie, along with a neighbour’s yard full of dog agility equipment inspired the dog competition venue for this murder mystery.
I still have 17 more books to give away in my 25-book giveaway in celebration of the release of my 25th novel this month, so if The Hound and the Fury sounds like a book you’d like to read, let me know in the comments.
Ten of the books left to give away will be through giveaway.There’s only 4 days left to enter, so don’t delay!
Today is the LAST Day:
Download Identity Withheld for only $1.99 for:
from , from Apple,, , ,and
Download A Fool and His Monet for free.Get it for: , , , , and
The post appeared first on .
