I am constantly amazed at the number of people who think they want to be celebrities. You wouldn’t believe how many of them, when they find out I’m on the radio. Want to know my “secret.” I can’t seem to convince them that Karen Freed, “Voice of the Shores,” isn’t rich and famous – and dying to teach them the secret handshake.
If I’m a celebrity (and I’d argue that isn’t true) it’s of the Big-Fish-Small-Pond variety. True, I know everybody in town, talk to the entire Keyhole Bay region on my daily news broadcasts, and have my nose in everybody’s business, but the reality isn’t nearly so grand.
Know everybody in town? That’s a lot easier when the population hovers around 7,000 and I’ve lived here since I was a kid. And that “Keyhole Bay region” thing? It’s few square miles, a lot of it water, or swampland, or sparsely-populated backwoods.
As for getting in everybody’s business, well, that much is true. But that’s just my job. A job I absolutely love. And one that comes in handy when my best friend, Glory Martine, gets herself in trouble.
Glory likes getting in everybody’s business, too. Her excuse is that gossip is the official hobby of Keyhole Bay, but she doesn’t exactly fight it, if you get my drift. Problem is, she has a knack for meddling with dead bodies, and for landing herself in the hospital. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she had a thing for doctors (but I happen to know she has a thing for book store owners, one in particular).
I could be a celebrity – or a bigger celebrity, if you actually count the B-F-S-P thing – but I’ve turned down several offers in the past. Tampa, Jacksonville, even Atlanta. Yeah, that Atlanta. It’s my secret, one I haven’t shared with Glory or anyone else. I turned down a shot at some serious celebrity.
I thought that was what I wanted, once upon a time when I was a journalism major. I couldn’t imagine living every day in a small town, doing the same things and seeing the same people.
The people. That’s the real secret. The people I love are here, and I see them every day. That’s a day in my life, and I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Even celebrity.
You can read more about Karen in Murder Sends a Postcard, the third book in the “Haunted Souvenir Shop” mystery series, published by Berkley Prime Crime. The first book in the series is Murder Buys a T-Shirt. Books are available at retail and online booksellers.
GIVEAWAY: Comment on this post by noon EST on January 18, and you will be entered for a chance to win a copy of Murder Sends a Postcard. One winner will be chosen at random. Unless specified, U.S. entries only.
Meet the author
Chris/Christy also writes under other names, including her own and Christy Fifield, depending on the genre and series. Chris has never met a genre she doesn’t like, and has published mystery, romance, adventure, fantasy and science fiction.
Mystery has always been her favorite though, since her great uncle introduced her to the “Perry Mason” books when she was a child. She read each new book as he finished with it and passed it on. The die was cast, she either had to become a lawyer, or a mystery writer. As fate would have it, mystery writer won.
Christy lives on Oregon’s Pacific shore with her writer-husband J. Steven York.
Good series – thanks for the chance to win!
In our lives we have many choices to make concerning careers, where we will live and more. You have certainly made the right one for you and your readers….to write good books!
I’d love to win!
This is going on my to read list!
Great cover – have to add this series to my forever growing TBR list – thanks for the giveaway opportunity.
I always like to find new authors for me to read. This sounds good! Thank you for the giveaway!
New to me series, I can’t wait to dive in !
I enjoy her other books so I’m sure I would like this one.
This book sounds like a hoot, I LOVE small town life and would love to read/win this book
Sounds like a series I would like to start. I,d love to win this book.
I love the series and own the earlier books. I’d love to win and add this one to the collection.
Toss me into the ring Dru, I wanna be in it to win it!
I enjoyed meeting Karen and would love to win the book! Haven’t visited Keyhole Bay yet!
This sounds like a great series! I’m looking forward to reading it!
Small towns and cozy murder mysteries—a perfect combo.
suefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
And guess what popped up in my email just a few minutes ago? A promotion for a resort hotel, with the subject line “The Celebrity Lifestyle Can Be Yours.” How did they know I was talking about celebrity today?
Hope I an chosen!
This sounds really interesting, please add me to the contest to win a copy! Thanks!
Sorry to say that I am familiar with Christy but have not yet read one of her first two books. But I am sure that I would love to read them and to possibly win this book to encourage me to get the first two in the series. I grew up in north east CT and knew a big family of Fifields. That is why I remembered Christy’s name and now would really like to get involved with this series. Love cozy mysteries and also small towns so this seems to be a series just made for my reading likes. Thanks for having this giveaway.
Sincerely,
Cynthia
Can’t wait to read this one! Thanks for the giveaway.
It sounds interesting.
I just added this series to my list the other day, Love the cover, thanks for the chance to win.
I haven’t read this series yet but it sounds fabulous! I would love to win a copy 🙂
I definitely want to read this one! Thank you for the chance!
oops!! almost missed entering for this giveaway!!
thank you!!!!
Would love this book.
This book sounds like fun. Thank you for the chance to win
Love the title. Eager to read it.
I love this series.
kaye.killgore@comcast.net
Sounds interesting, would love to read.
Another great series reviewed! Thak you for the giveaway chance!
Sounds like a good book
contest is closed.
I’m old enough to remember a time when we collected post cards from everywhere we went.
Thanks everyone for stopping by! Kaye Killgore, thanks for the kinds words. Always like to hear from readers who like the books! Yes, Ronna, I remember getting postscards. Recently inherited some scrapbooks from my mom (and some that were her mom’s) with postcards included among the photos. I think it was a way to insure we had at least one “good” picture since we had no idea how good the expensive-to-process snapshots would be when we had the file developed.
Cynthia, it’s entirely possible our family is related to the people you knew in CT. We emigrated from the British Isles in the 1700s (if I’m remembering correctly) and lived in that area originally. Distant cousins, I suspect!
Dru, thanks again for inviting me to guest here. I appreciate the chance to visit with readers and to introduce new friends to Glory and Karen and the rest of the gang!
Film developed, not file developed!! Darned typos! Of course now our photos ARE files, but not back then.