Teresa Michael

Apr 21, 2026 by Teresa Michael, in Newsletters

I’m thrilled to be a part of the Spring into Books Festival event. My book, The Wedding Planner’s Secret, will be featured on April 23rd. Wait until you read my favorite thing about springtime. You won’t want to miss it.

Bookmark this bookish get-together and tell your friends:

https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/spring-into-books-festival

I wanted to give you a heads-up on this promotion a day earlier so you can check out all the great books and authors featured this month, and also share my featured date.  

PS - Let me know if you win the $100 gift card.

Here’s the book blurb for The Wedding Planner’s Secret:

Murder wasn’t on the guest list.

In The Wedding Planner’s Secret, Molly Harrington, co-owner of Harrington House Bed-and-Breakfast, becomes entangled in a murder mystery after discovering the wedding planner's lifeless body in the rose garden during a country club event. As romance sparks with the handsome detective, Molly uncovers hidden connections and rising tensions, leading to dangerous encounters. With the help of her great-aunt Elnora's spirit, Molly must navigate a web of secrets and suspects while seeking the truth before becoming the next victim. As romance blossoms and secrets unravel, Molly must decide how much she’s willing to risk—for the truth, and for a second chance at love. This engaging tale blends mystery, romance, and the paranormal, promising a cozy whodunit that keeps you guessing until the end.

 

Upcoming Events

Unfortunately, due to some unforeseen health issues, I had to cancel the Joseph Beth Booksellers Event originally scheduled for April 25th in Cincinnati. Don’t worry. I’m fine, just wasn’t up to the travel. I’m sorry I had to do this. I was looking forward to seeing friends and relatives there. I hope to reschedule this for later in the year. I’ll keep you posted.

I was at the Charlotte County Book and Arts Festival on Saturday, April 18th. It was a family-centered event with scavenger hunts for the kids and even a mermaid. I had a great time talking to people about books. I even sold a few, and the candy was a big hit!

 
 

Saturday, October 3 – Page and Pen Festival Oviedo Mall – 11:00 am – 5:00 pm

1700 Oviedo Mall Blvd. Oviedo, FL 32765

Step into a world where imagination leaps off the page and into real life! Meet authors, publishers, literary agents, and industry pros as they share their passion for storytelling. Whether you're a reader searching for your next favorite book, an aspiring writer looking for inspiration, or just someone who loves the art of the written word, this festival is for you!

Works in Progress

I am hard at work on book 3 in the Harrington House B&B series. I’ve passed 65,000 words in the manuscript, so all the pieces are starting to come together.  Molly Harrington’s Aunt Vanessa finds her husband murdered. Here is a short excerpt from Chapter 1 (Outside of my critique groups, you are the first to read this!)

“Shannon!”

At the end of his shift, Detective Tony Shannon stared at his computer screen, the letters on the automated form he was supposed to update blurred as his mind wandered to his girlfriend, Molly Harrington. He hadn’t seen her for each of the last five nights—a busy week with Lanigan out on vacation. His mind drifted to Molly’s smile, the fact that he couldn’t wait to kiss her, how soft her skin felt when he touched her, how he wanted to…

“Dammit, Shannon!”

            Tony startled at his boss’s voice. “Yeah, Sarge.”

            Sergeant Dale Krueger rested his elbow on Tony’s cubicle. “Where the hell were you, and don’t tell me you were deeply enthralled in updating that report.”

            Tony pointed at the computer screen and cleared his throat. “This case. There’s gotta be more to it than this one guy, McDonough. No way he’s smuggling these guns all by himself. He’s got connections elsewhere. Cincinnati and further south, Tennessee, or maybe as far as Florida or even north to Canada.”

            The sergeant shook his head. “With Lanigan out, I know you’ve been working late every night this week. I hope you’re not in trouble with your girlfriend.” Sergeant Krueger held up a yellow sticky note. “Because I hate to be the bearer of bad news. You’re going to be late again tonight. We got a suspicious death.”

            Tony let out a big sigh. “I’ll text her and tell her to go on without me. We have dinner reservations with her brother and his fiancée.”

            “Sorry.” He handed Tony the paper. “Here’s the address. Take Beck. He needs the experience. Where is he anyway?”

            “Went to get coffee.” Tony stood and reached for his jacket, but stopped when he read the street name. “This address? Do you have a name?”

            “That’s all I got. You know the neighborhood?”

            “Yeah. Molly’s aunt lives on that street.”

I don’t have a working title yet, so if you have any ideas, let me know!

What I’m Watching and Reading

Have you watched Scarpetta? It’s based on the famous Patricia Cornwell novels. Nicole Kidman plays Kay Scarpetta, and Jamie Lee Curtis plays her sister, Dorothy. I like Bobby Cannavale as Marino. Do you? What do you think of the show? What about that cliffhanger? There has to be a season 2!. I pretty much binged the most recent season of Virgin River. I’ve been watching the final season of Outlander. I’ll be sad to see it go.

  Here are the books I’ve read since the last newsletter.

The two Patricia Cornwell books, Sharp Force and Livid,  were on my TBR shelf, so I read them before I watched the new series mentioned above. I wanted to reacquaint myself with the characters.  The Fairest is the 2nd Arles Shepherd novel that picks up shortly after the first one finishes (The Usual Silence). Revenge Prey is the latest Lucas Davenport novel. - always delivers on an excellent police procedural. In this one, Lucas deals with Russian assassins. If you’re looking for a fun cozy, check out Divas Til Death. Anxious People was our book club pick for March, and got mixed reviews from our members.  What are you reading this spring?

One more photo —

The ladies of my writer’s group gathered for a potluck this week, and the table was as delightful as the company. Teri prepared a delicious Persian chicken dish with rice, Shirley brought a fresh salad, and Lizzie treated us to a fruit salad for dessert. I added hummus, olives, pita chips, and some Belgian chocolates from my recent trip to Brussels. Marisa rounded things out with bread, wine, and plumeria from her garden - so fragrant - and highlights from her recent trip to Hawaii, including male hula dancers! It was a wonderful evening of catching up, sharing our projects, and enjoying the creative energy that always fills the room.

If you have a moment and liked my books, please leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Authors depend on reviews to get the word out about their books. It doesn’t have to be long—just a sentence or two, which is greatly appreciated.

You can always reach me at teresamichaelauthor@gmail.com , through my website at https://teresamichaelwrites.pubsitepro.com , or on my Facebook Author page here.
Please follow me on Goodreads. Teresa Michael (Author of Murder in Mariposa Beach) | Goodreads

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