Mysterious Musings, Patricia Rushford's October 2013 Newsletter

Greetings!

Can you believe it's almost November? Leaves are falling and Mother Nature is showing her most glorious colors. For us in the northwest all of these colors are a prelude to rain, rain and more rain. But it's green.
The above photo I've used in this newsletter is one I took at the Japanese Gardens in Portland. And no, I'm not imagining what it would be like to find a body in the pond. Oh, wait a minute. Since I mentioned it, I guess I must be.
But alas, I'm not going to write that particular mystery--at least not at the moment. My current book is in the works and I hope to finish it before the end of the year. More on the mysteries later. Right now, I'd like to tell you about my latest publishing endeavor.

A Change of Pace

You all know that I write mysteries--love reading them and writing them. But in my former life, Back when I first started writing and publishing, I wrote how to books like What Kids Need Most in a Mom and Caring for Your Elderly Parents. A few years ago, while I was in graduate school at Western Evangelical Seminary, I wrote a book called The Humpty Syndrome: Putting Yourself Back Together Again. I'll never forget the fear and trepidation I felt getting up to deliver a sermon and beginning with "Humpty Dumpty Sat on a wall."

Humpty of course is a metaphor or analogy reflecting the brokenness we all suffer as human beings. I wrote the book using my own experience with brokenness as well as the experiences of others. As a counselor, my goal was to help people into and through the healing process.

I recently began publishing some of my books as e-books and decided Humpty would be a good candidate. As I revised and edited, I was surprised at how relevant the book continues to be. You can pick up a copy of Humpty at amazon.com for your e-reader. I hope you'll let others know that it's once more available.

Happy to Report

In my last newsletter, I told you about The Helen Bradley Mysteries being brought back to life as e-books. The good news is that I've actually sold a few. Still waiting to sell a million so I can retire at the coast, but in the meantime I'm happy with the progress these books are making. I'm working on another Helen Bradley Mystery and hope to get it out early next year.

Just In Time for Christmas

The marketing people at Fleming Revell have informed me that Deadly Aim, the first book in the Angel Delaney Mysteries will be offered for free from November 1 through December 31. Just in time for Christmas. I'm getting great reviews on Angel and a lot of readers would love to see another book in the series. I am working on that possibility. But in the meantime, I'd love to get more readers. And I would love it if you could help spread the word. You can get your free copy of Deadly Aim here.

Another Plus for Readers

There's good news and bad news on the publishing front. The publisher who put out my latest mystery, Strangers in the Night, died a rather slow death. They have been absorbed by Guideposts and my book is sitting in limbo online. The good news for readers is that the book was being promoted at $.99 when all of this took place. It's still available for that price. So if you haven't read it and want to or can recommend it to others, please do.

On a Personal Note

 I recently returned from a wonderful retreat with fellow writers and dear friends in the Lincoln, CA area. We spent the week on a 200 plus acre ranch with a spectacular view of the Sacramento valley. What a treat and a blessing.

That's about all the news I have at the moment. As always, thanks for reading my newsletter and if you are so inclined please share my news with others.

Mysteriously Yours,

Patricia Rushford