Thanks so much for dropping by my carriage house today! Would you like a cup of coffee? I have several coffee flavors. Trust me, the Guatemalan blend is excellent.

Please, have a seat on my couch. Let me put this book down and I’ll bring our mugs over. Oh, yes, I’m reading an Agatha Christie mystery—Nemesis with Miss Marple. It’s still creepy, even though I’ve reread it multiple times. I’m an introvert, so when I have free time, I tend to curl up at home, read, and play video games.

Yes, I know, you don’t run into gamer girls every day, but gaming helps me unwind. I actually review video games as a side job, so I get the added perk of playing games before they release. I’m kind of surprised how popular my game reviews are becoming.

But my primary job is exotic pet-sitting, and that’s the business I’ve been working on building here in Connecticut. I kind of stumbled into this job a couple of years ago in Manhattan, because I was willing to sit with the pets no one else would watch. I recently decided to move to Greenwich and try to expand my clientele, since this town is known for its wealthy residents (who can afford to buy and pamper exotic pets). I mean, there’s a Rolls Royce dealership here, for goodness’ sakes!

I’m developing a pool of very satisfied clients, since I’m still one of the only pet-sitters who will handle snakes, spiders, and the like—I see that look of disgust on your face! I’ll admit that I’m not always initially comfy with the pets I’m asked to watch, but I’m not grossed out easily since I grew up working at my dad’s veterinary clinic. He also took me on quite a few house calls, so you really can’t imagine some of the things I saw. I do a lot of online research before I take on an exotic pet-sitting job.

My sister, Katrina, says I must have some deep-seated craving for danger—she’s a psychologist, so she’s always getting into my deeper motivations. Recently, I stepped into a life-threatening situation while I was sitting a ball python. Actually, the python was the least of my worries—the danger came in when I got a little too close to a murderer.

I know, my mom is still appalled that I wound up in the situations I did, but I kind of felt an obligation to get to the truth when I found the body of a woman about my age lying in my flowerbed. Yes, it’s the flowerbed you can see out my back window. I’ve decided to plant some tulips and daffodils to try to lighten the mood back there. And honestly, some good things have come about in the meantime. I’ve made some new friends here in Greenwich who seem to have my back.

Although I’m enjoying Greenwich, sometimes I get the urge to head home to my parents’ place in Upstate New York—they’re in a small town called Larches Corner. One of my favorite hobbies there is four-wheeling around on their property. Sometimes I drive over to visit their dairy farmer neighbor, Jonas Hawthorne. We grew up together. He’s the full-time caregiver for his mom, Naomi, who has stage three stage breast cancer.

Oops, I need to grab the phone—that’s one of my new clients calling. He owns an in-home aquarium, complete with a stingray. Hopefully things won’t get out of hand. . .

Thanks again for stopping in today! The security guard will open the gate and let you out. Maybe you can drive around Greenwich and check out some stores. . .but be aware that they’re pricey! We’re also not far from a couple of beaches, but you’ll have to pay an entrance fee if you’re not a resident.

Hope to visit with you again soon!

You can read more about Belinda in Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass, the first book in the NEW “Exotic Pet-Sitter” mystery series, released June 25, 2019.

When exotic pet-sitter Belinda Blake moves into a carriage house in tony Greenwich, Connecticut, she’s hoping to find some new clients. Instead she discovers a corpse in the garden—and a knack for solving murders . . .

Pet-sitter Belinda Blake doesn’t rattle easily, but move-in day has been eventful, to say the least. The python in her care tried to slither to freedom—just as she met Stone Carrington V, her landlords’ disarmingly handsome son. With the constrictor back in its cage, she heads out to the garden, only to discover a designer shoe poking out of the boxwood hedge—attached to a woman’s dead body.

The victim, Margo Fenton, was a Carrington family friend, and no one in their circle seems above suspicion. Between client trips to Manhattan and visits to her family in upstate New York, Belinda begins to put the pieces together. But though she’s falling for Stone’s numerous charms, Belinda wonders if she’s cozying up to a killer. And soon, daily contact with a deadly reptile might be the least dangerous part of her life . . .

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Meet the author
Heather Day Gilbert, an ECPA Christy award finalist and Grace award winner, writes contemporary mysteries and Viking historicals. Her novels feature small towns, family relationships, and women who aren’t afraid to protect those they love. Like Belinda Blake, Heather plays video games, although so far she hasn’t done any exotic pet-sitting or hunted any murderers.

To learn more about Heather, visit her website at heatherdaygilbert.com.

All comments are welcomed.

Thanks to Heather Day Gilbert for donating a digital copy (Kindle or Nook) of Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass. Contest ends July 1, 2019 and is limited to U.S. residents. Please leave comment in box below. The winner will be notified by email (so check your spam folder). Good luck everyone!