I took another bite of my apple as I studied the photo. “It really is breathtaking. I think if we have all those flower beds, we’ll need to hire a gardener. I bet the upkeep will be extensive.”
Georgia ran a hand over the book. “It would be a large undertaking, but Lonnie seemed to think that we could find landscapers and maintenance personnel to handle the heavy work.”
I flipped to a couple of other pages in the book and then turned back to the one Georgia had marked. “I love it. I have an appointment to go over a final design with the landscape architect in a couple of weeks. We’ll show him this photo and discuss options.” I tossed my apple core in the trash. “That managed to take the edge off, but I’m still hungry. Do you have something in mind for dinner?”
“I was thinking of pot roast. I’ll need to get it started right away, if that meets with your approval.”
“That sounds delicious. I need to write at least a chapter of the new book I started today, so I’ll be in the bedroom. I half-expecting a call from Colt, who wanted to set up a time for me to go house hunting with him. I’m going to leave my phone out here so as not to be distracted by it, but if you notice that I have a call from him, you can interrupt me. Otherwise, just let everything go to voice mail.”
“How is Colt’s hunt for the perfect house coming along?” Georgia asked about our friend, Chief of Police Colt Wilder, and the house he was looking for that would accommodate visits from his orphaned niece and nephew.
“Slowly. He’s pretty particular, and he seems to know exactly what he wants, so that narrows down the potential pool of houses by quite a bit. But I don’t blame him for taking his time. The reality is that the house he buys now will probably be the home he lives in for quite some time.”
“Yeah. It is an important decision. I’ll keep an eye out for a call from him; otherwise I won’t bother you. Good luck with your chapter.”
“Thanks; I’ll need it. I have a really awesome concept for this book, but I’m having a hard time getting started. Hopefully, I’ll make some progress today.”
Rufus squeezed in through the bedroom door just as I was closing it. He jumped up onto the bed and curled up in a ball. When Olivia, the mama cat who had been living in my closet with her litter of kittens, heard him, she emerged and joined him on the bed. They weren’t hurting anything, so despite the fact that I liked to have zero distractions while I worked, I let them stay. The story I was trying to write was a mystery of sorts, but I wanted something that was more than that. I wanted to write a complicated character with very real problems and personal challenges to overcome. I wanted an element of romance, but I didn’t want the romance to overshadow the story. I had a solid outline for the mystery part of the story, but I was still working on developing the characters who would come together to solve that mystery.
I tried to picture my hero, but the only image to come to mind was Colt, which was one I quickly pushed from my mind. My husband and son had only been gone a year and a half, and there was no way I was ready for lusty thoughts, no matter how innocent they might be. Colt was a nice guy and a good friend. He was responsible and caring, and we seemed to work well together. But he was only a friend, which was a fact I seemed to need to remind myself of more and more often as of late. Deciding my hero should have blond hair and blue eyes, the exact opposite of Colt’s rich brown hair and deep brown eyes, I opened a browser and began to search for male images to use as inspiration for the character I wanted to create.
I didn’t always use photos as inspiration, but there were times having an image to look at helped me to focus. The manuscript I’d started called for a blond woman with bright blue eyes, so I decided to look for an image to represent my heroine as well, although the only one that came to mind was that of my sister, Annie, a woman I had been close to for most of my life but had been estranged from ever since I’d come to the decision to buy the inn and move to Maine. The fact that Annie was no longer in my life hurt me deeply, but I wasn’t sure how I could rectify the situation; the chatty emails I’d been sending to her since coming to Maine didn’t seem to be working. She had sent me a single short email on Ben’s birthday. I’d hoped that meant she had decided to forgive me, but so far, that was the only email she’d sent.
Making a quick decision, I opened my mail app.
Dear Annie,
It’s been a rainy March here in Maine, but at least the snow has melted at sea level. The remodel on the house is coming along splendidly. I’m hoping you can make it out here this summer for the grand opening. I want to share my new life with you, and I know you would love spending time on my bluff by the sea.
I found out today that the mantel in the living room of the mansion may have been carved by a famous artist who lived in the eighteenth century. I plan to research the man and his art in an effort to find out more. I’ll let you know what I find, because I know you enjoy both art and history.
I need to get back to work on my new novel. The one I recently completed should publish early next year. I’ll send you a signed copy when I get them.
I love you and miss you, Abby.
After I hit Send, I returned my attention to the chapter that was still waiting to be written. I knew it was pointless to spend a lot of time agonizing over the loss of my relationship with Annie, but at times the hole left by the removal of her presence in my life was more than I could bear.
Books by Kathi Daley
Come for the murder, stay for the romance.
Zoe Donovan Cozy Mystery:
Halloween Hijinks
The Trouble With Turkeys
Christmas Crazy
Cupid’s Curse
Big Bunny Bump-off
Beach Blanket Barbie
Maui Madness
Derby Divas
Haunted Hamlet
Turkeys, Tuxes, and Tabbies
Christmas Cozy
Alaskan Alliance
Matrimony Meltdown
Soul Surrender
Heavenly Honeymoon
Hopscotch Homicide
Ghostly Graveyard
Shamrock Shenanigans
Kitten Kaboodle
Costume Catastrophe
Candy Cane Caper
Holiday Hangover
Easter Escapade
Camp Carter
Trick or Treason
Reindeer Roundup
Hippity Hoppity Homicide
Firework Fiasco
Henderson House
Holiday Hostage
Lunacy Lake – Summer 2019
Zimmerman Academy The New Normal
Zimmerman Academy New Beginnings
Ashton Falls Cozy Cookbook
Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Mysteries by Henery Press:
Pumpkins in Paradise
Snowmen in Paradise
Bikinis in Paradise
Christmas in Paradise
Puppies in Paradise
Halloween in Paradise
Treasure in Paradise
Fireworks in Paradise
Beaches in Paradise
Thanksgiving in Paradise – Fall 2019
Whales and Tails Cozy Mystery:
Romeow and Juliet
The Mad Catter
Grimm’s Furry Tail
Much Ado About Felines
Legend of Tabby Hollow
Cat of Christmas Past
A Tale of Two Tabbies
The Great Catsby
Count Catula
A Winter’s Tail
The Taming of the Tabby
Frankencat
The Cat of Christmas Future
Farewell to Felines
A Whisker in Time
The Catsgiving Feast
A Whale of a Tail – Summer 2019
Writers’ Retreat Southern Seashore Mystery:
First Case
Second Look
Third Strike
Fourth Victim
Fifth Night
Sixth Cabin
Seventh Chapter
Eighth Witness
Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mystery:
Finding Justice
Finding Answers
Finding Courage
Finding Christmas
Finding Shelter – Fall 2019
A Tess and Tilly Mystery:
The Christmas Letter
The Valentine Mystery
The Mother’s Day Mishap
The Halloween House
The Thanksgiving Trip
The Saint Paddy’s Promise
The Inn at Holiday Bay:
Boxes in the Basement
Letters in the Library
Message in the Mantel – April 2019
Family Ties:
The Hathaway Sisters
Harper
Harlow – May 2019
Haunting by the Sea:
Homecoming by the Sea
Secrets by the Sea
Missing by the Sea
Betrayal by the Sea
Christmas by the Sea – Winter 2019
Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery:
Murder at Dolphin Bay
Murder at Sunrise Beach
Murder at the Witching Hour
Murder at Christmas
Murder at Turtle Cove
Murder at Water’s Edge
Murder at Midnight
Seacliff High Mystery:
The Secret
The Curse
The Relic
The Conspiracy
The Grudge
The Shadow
The Haunting
Road to Christmas Romance:
Road to Christmas Past
USA Today best-selling author Kathi Daley lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband Ken. When she isn’t writing, she likes spending time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. She has authored more than a hundred books in eleven series, including Zoe Donovan Cozy Mysteries, Whales and Tails Island Mysteries, Tess and Tilly Cozy Mysteries, Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mysteries, Tj Jensen Paradise Lake Series, Inn at Holiday Bay Cozy Mysteries, Writers’ Retreat Southern Seashore Mysteries, Rescue Alaska Paranormal Mysteries, Haunting by the Sea Paranormal Mysteries, Family Ties Mystery Romances, and Seacliff High Teen Mysteries. Find out more about her books at www.kathidaley.com
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