It’s my job to make sure my best friend in the world Kelsey Cambridge is happy even if Kelsey fights me every step of the way. You see, Kelsey is superwoman and deserves all good things. She runs Barton Farm, a financially-strapped living history museum in northeast Ohio, with a steady hand and puts up with all the eccentric people there, both staff and visitors, while raising the most adorable five-year-old boy you will ever meet. She does everything and takes care of everyone, but she’s not so good at taking care of herself. She’s one of those put herself last moms. Personally, this is a position that I can’t understand. True, I’m not a mother, but still, aren’t the people around you happier when you are happy?

Kelsey would argue with me on the point that she’s not happy. In her mind, she is very happy. She has her son Hayden and her dream job. However as her best friend, I want more for her. I’m certain what she needs is a new love in her life after her good for nothing ex-husband Eddie cheated on her.

So I have taken it upon myself to help Kelsey fall in love again. EMT Chase Wyatt is the perfect candidate. I just have to get them together, so I invited Chase to our staff meeting about the upcoming Maple Sugar Festival.

For the meeting, we met in the visitor center’s cafeteria and sat around one of the long tables that we use for school groups. All of the all season staff was there, including Kelsey, Benji who is Kelsey’s assistant, Judy who runs the gift shop, Gavin who is the director of education, and myself. I was representing the historical interpreters who would be dressing up in 19th century costume for the festival.

Kelsey opened her ever-present notebook. “Let’s get started. Gavin, what can you tell us about the school visits that you have planned before the festival?”

Chase appeared in the doorway to the cafeteria still in his EMT uniform. “Did I make it in time?”

Kelsey stared at him. “What—”

I cut her off. “Chase! What a surprise!”

He narrowed his chocolate brown eyes at me. “A surprise? You said Kelsey wanted me at this meeting to represent the Civil War reenactors who will be here for the Maple Sugar Festival.”

“Oh that’s right.” I glanced at my best friend. If looks could kill, I was six feet under. Maybe this wasn’t the best way to go about finding Kelsey a boyfriend.

Kelsey sighed. “Chase, have a seat. You might as well as stay.”

I noted that he sat right next to her even though there were plenty of open seats around the table. While Kelsey returned to her agenda, Chase winked at me. I grinned in return. Maybe this would be a success after all. I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

The Final Tap is the second book in the Living History Museum mystery series, published by Midnight Ink, May 2016.

March on Barton Farm can only mean one thing: maple sugar season. To combat the winter slump, resilient director Kelsey Cambridge organizes a Maple Sugar Festival, complete with school visits, pancake breakfasts, and tree tapping classes. Kelsey hires curmudgeonly maple sugar expert Dr. Conrad Beeson to teach the classes, despite misgivings over his unpleasant demeanor. It’s a decision she ends up regretting when, before the first tree can be tapped for sap, Dr. Beeson turns up dead.

The maple sugar expert’s death threatens to shut down not only the Maple Sugar Festival, but also Barton Farm itself. Kelsey must solve Dr. Beeson’s murder to escape the increasingly sticky situation.

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About the author
Amanda Flower, an Agatha Award winning mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Amanda is a librarian in Northeast Ohio. She also writes as USA Today Bestselling Author Isabella Alan. The Final Tap is her newest release.

Connect with Amanda at amandaflower.com, on Facebook and @aflowerwriter.

All comments are welcomed.