Hello, virtual friends! My name is Coco Cline, and it’s a thrill to be on Dru’s blog. I’m a blogger myself, so I know what an amazing labor of love a site like this is.

A little bit about me: I am the content creator of Trending Topic, the Internet’s one-stop shop for celebrity news, beauty trends, and home décor tips. Trending Topic came about when my college friends and I created a nifty mobile app. We wanted original content as part of the LiveIt app, and thus, my blog, Trending Topic, was born. Long story short: once it launched, our app garnered millions of downloads, and eventually, LiveIt was acquired by Facebook for thirty-eight million dollars. A media frenzy ensued over our success, and I ultimately found myself yearning to return to my roots for the sake of my privacy. Hence, my grand arrival back in my hometown of Central Shores, Delaware.

Because my popular blog has been around for several years, I also transitioned into the “social media influencer” space, which boils down to spending a lot of time on social media, sharing insights about my life and the products I use. You’d be surprised by how much research goes into the products and companies I feature. I want to use my online presence to elevate compassionate, conscientious voices and people who are committed to doing right by our environment. Everything I post online is done so with the intention to make the world a better and more fun place. So, you’d think it would be easy for me to write a post about “A Day in My Life” since I share stuff about myself all the time. Honestly, though, it’s a bit tricky because there’s so much going on behind the scenes that I normally wouldn’t share with my followers.

Like being involved in a murder investigation, for starters. Okay, I know that’s a totally wild and random example, but unfortunately, it’s what I’m dealing with at the moment. You see, on top of being a celebrity blogger and an influencer, I’ve also launched my own social media consulting firm—what can I say, I like to keep busy!

I started Center of Attention Consulting to help teach small business owners how to harness the power of social media and use it to promote their businesses. My newest clients, Sean and Olivia Chen, are less than ten days away from the grand opening of their specialty consignment shop Once Used, Twice Buy. Yet, things have taken a truly horrific turn. Yesterday, I found their assistant Stacy Lockner dead in the break room of their store.

I really don’t have the words to describe the terrible, terrible scene, but I will never, ever forget the sight of that poor girl.

To make matters even more stressful, the Central Shores police think my clients have something to do with her death. Naturally, this scenario has PR disaster written all over it, and I’ve taken my role as a consultant to the next level by trying to get to the bottom of Stacy’s death myself. What’s more, I have to do my investigating completely under the radar. If the online world got wind of my snooping exploits, news outlets would descend on the picturesque beaches of Central Shores like hungry vultures and make Chief McInnis’s life a waking nightmare.

Thank goodness my besties, Charlotte and Jasper, are along for the amateur detective ride, as well as my boyfriend, Hudson. We’re putting our sleuthing skills to the test this evening at a fundraising gala hosted by the local news network. I’m hoping to channel Agatha Raisin and do some investigating to figure out who might have had reason to want Stacy dead.

Yikes, I’d never thought I’d have to type that. #FollowMeforMurder

#FollowMe for Murder, A Trending Topic Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: February 2022
Purchase Link – Digital only

Murder is about to go viral for social media influencer Coco Cline.

After selling a tech startup to Facebook in a multi-million-dollar deal, blogger Coco Cline has returned to her hometown of Central Shores, Delaware to launch her own social media consulting firm. Her new clients, Sean and Olivia Chen, are ten days away from the grand opening of their specialty consignment shop when Coco stumbles across their assistant Stacy dead behind the register.

Worried that a cloud of suspicion will ruin their chances of a successful business launch, the Chens ask Coco to work alongside the inexperienced Central Shores police to speed up the investigation. Using her celebrity status and social media savviness, Coco realizes Stacy’s seemingly ordinary life was all an act. Following a trail of cryptic online posts, confusing timelines, and muddied gossip, Coco and her friends discover Stacy’s questionable relationships just might be the reason for her untimely demise.

About the author
Sarah E. Burr lives near New York City but grew up in the small town of Appleton, Maine. Since she was seven, she’s wanted to be Nancy Drew, but, unfortunately, she wasn’t stumbling across any mysteries in corporate America. So, Sarah left her healthcare IT career and started writing mysteries of her own.

Sarah is the author of the Trending Topic Mysteries, the Glenmyre Whim Mysteries, and the Court of Mystery series. In addition, she currently serves as the social media guru for the NY-Tristate Sisters in Crime chapter. When she’s not writing, Sarah is either reading up a storm, seeing Broadway musicals, video gaming, or enjoying walks with her dog, Eevee.

All comments are welcomed.