Hi. I’m Alexa Williams. Can you believe that Penn’s Woods Style wants to feature my house in their Spring issue? It is a lovely old cabin – more than one hundred years old. My parents put a lot of work into it a few years back to upgrade the kitchens and the bathrooms. And, when I bought the place, I enlarged the deck. But basically, it’s still just a log cabin.

I was surprised when the magazine called me. But, I’ve been in the news quite a bit over the past few years. First, there were those shootings at the family planning clinic where I volunteered. Then, I exposed a sex trafficking ring. Who would have thought we’d have human trafficking here in rural Pennsylvania? And, this Spring, I was in the State Capitol when a Senator, make that former Senator, sailed off an upper floor balcony and ended his life at my feet. I didn’t think that being a magnet for dead bodies would enhance an attorney’s reputation. But, now my notoriety has attracted a home design magazine. Who would’ve thought?

Can I preview my house tour for you? I’ll start with the history. The original cabin has been standing for more than a century. It’s constructed in the traditional style of logs with white chinking. The living room, dining room and kitchen all have exposed log walls. My parents added the two big front windows to bring in more light. I had to replace the living room window after an incident with group of angry militia types. They shattered the window when they broke into the house. Luckily, I escaped through a back window.

I spend most of my time in the living room during the winter. It’s very cozy with big leather couches, a woodstove, and an antique oriental rug. I had to replace the previous rug after another incident. Shooting someone, even in self-defense, is a pretty traumatic experience. Replacing the rug can’t erase the trauma, but it helps a bit. That giant pillow over there in the corner is Scout’s bed. An English Mastiff, Scout is very large and loves to settle in near the woodstove in the winter.

The “new” addition to the house is up those stairs. The architect followed the slope of the mountain and elevated this bedroom wing. I love the fact that my bedroom windows look out into the tree tops. It makes me feel like I’m living in a treehouse. The previous owners did a good job of harmonizing the outside of the addition with the old cabin. This part is covered in rough hewn lumber with a live edge. Very rustic.

The best part of this cabin is the forest outside. The deck spans the entire front of the cabin and wraps around the far side. That’s where my new hot tub sits, screened from the lane. Not that privacy is a big concern. The cabin sits in the middle of many acres of uninhabited land, including a wonderful grove of old growth pines. The nearest home is miles away. So, Scout and I have the woods almost entirely to ourselves. I love to sit on the deck and listen to the sounds of the forest. Soon tiny frogs, called peepers, will begin their nightly chorus. I’ll also be moving my yoga practice and meditation out onto the deck as soon as it gets a little warmer.

I live here alone. My last boyfriend wanted to move in, but I just wasn’t ready for that commitment. He’s gone now. But Scout and I are just fine. After this last adventure in Dead of Spring, I need some time to just chill. And, this cabin is my retreat. Maybe that’s what I’ll tell the magazine: that the décor of my cabin is less important than its healing properties. Despite the incidents of violence that the cabin and I have weathered, nothing will permanently destroy the peace of mind my forest home brings me.

You can read more about Alexa’s new adventure in DEAD OF SPRING, the third book in the Alexa Williams suspense series.

When a beloved state senator plunges to his death at Alexa Williams’ feet in the Capitol Rotunda, the authorities suspect suicide. Although the powerful chair of the Environmental Resources and Energy Committee was at the center of a controversial new bill to expand hydraulic fracturing, he was also rumored to be ill. Shaken, Alexa tries to move past the disturbing incident by concentrating on work. She’s leading a senate commission on sex trafficking. Plus, she’s helping an old college roommate sue a natural gas company for their role in causing her daughter’s rare cancer.

In researching the lawsuit, Alexa becomes embroiled in the high-stakes politics of fracking. As the relationship with her state trooper boyfriend drifts onto the rocks, Alexa is drawn to a charismatic state legislator who’s leading an anti-fracking crusade. Then, the police shock Alexa with the news that she could be in danger; she’s a witness to the senator’s murder, not his suicide.

When Alexa narrowly escapes a sniper’s bullet, she must discover why she’s a target and who she can trust–before the next shot hits its mark.

With Sherry Knowlton’s trademark mix of feminism, history, romance, and fast-paced thrills, Dead of Spring skyrockets from the fracking fields of the Marcellus Shale to the Three Mile Island nuclear disaster of 1979 to the rolling hills of Tuscany to the halls of Pennsylvania state government. In this suspenseful tale of corruption and runaway greed, Alexa Williams proves, once again, that she’s a formidable heroine. The twists and turns will keep you on the edge of your seat.

“A sassy alpha-female heroine” – Steve Berry

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Meet the author
Sherry Knowlton is the author of the successful Alexa Williams series of suspense novels: Dead of Autumn, Dead of Summer and Dead of Spring. When not writing the next Alexa Williams thriller, Knowlton works on her health care consulting business or travels around the world. She and her husband live in the mountains of South Central Pennsylvania. Connect with Sherry at www.sherryknowlton.com

All comments are welcomed.

Dead of Spring is available at retail and online booksellers on April 22, 2017.