Farm Fresh and Fatal Will Be Published

Organic vegetables for sale at local market 2008.

FARM FRESH AND FATAL TO BE PUBLISHED

I have learned that the publisher of Killer Frost, Mainly Murder Press in Connecticut, will publish Farm Fresh and Fatal, the next mystery in my series, in November 2013.  Since my poetry chapbook Beaver Soul, will be published in late August 2013, with books available only a month later, I will combine my celebrations and readings, so look for a launch party sometime in November probably (I don’t have an exact day in November yet), and then readings to follow, some into the new year.  

Here’s the gist of the plot for Farm Fresh and Fatal.  The same central characters are back:

When Penny Weaver joins the new Riverdell Farmers’ Market to represent their neighborhood garden, squabbles break out among the farmers about their places.  The county poultry agent tries to sort them out before Nora, the market manager, arrives, infuriating her.  Penny discovers that there may have been racism behind her friend Sammie’s almost not being accepted to sell her flower bouquets.  After the third market, the poultry agent is found dead of food poisoning, apparently after drinking the fruit punch provided by Nora.  That and her fights with him cause her to be arrested.

Penny and Sammie work to uncover the real poisoner and to release Nora.  The poultry agent is unpopular with the quirky farmers, with the exception of the genetically modified seeds man and the baker/jelly maker.  Penny and Sammie discover that the poison was black nightshade, but which farmer grows it and who put it in the punch?  The state ag department threatens to close the market, if the case isn’t solved. 

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I will have pre-publication orders for both books, for Farm Fresh and Fatal, with checks coming to me directly; with Beaver Soul, pre-pub checks will go to Finishing Line Press, and will determine the print run.  I have to sell fifty-five copies to have the poetry book printed; the more I sell ahead, the more copies they print.  Both presses are quite good, and I’m pleased to work with them.  These days authors have a lot of promotion and sales work to do.  I’m so delighted to get books in print, I’m happy to have the opportunity to sell my books, and my faithful readers have rewarded me by buying and enjoying the books.  I will keep my book news list and this blog posted as to when the pre-pub orders begin.  So more to come, folks!  Stay tuned.  Judy Hogan