When someone mentions Santorini, most people immediately think of shades of blue— the blue domed white buildings overlooking the cobalt sea as it meets the azure sky. But in Santorini, there is so much more beyond the tourist shops, beautiful vistas, and delicious food. The Prehistoric Village of Akrotiri, the Pompeii of the Aegean, lies on the southwest coast of Santorini.

An important and enjoyable part of my writing process is research. I’ve just hit 40,000 words into Book #4 of the Mariposa Café Mystery Series, which continues the Devereaux Gallery’s ghost story. In Mistletoe and Missing Persons, our heroine, Libby, and a newcomer in town, Steve Devereaux, uncover a skeleton while renovating the art gallery. As a result, the Mariposa Beach Tourist Commission, in partnership with a local tour company, wants to bring a ghost tour to town. 

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

With The Mariposa Café Mysteries Origin Stories’ publication, I’ve received several questions from readers as to exactly what is an origin story.

Like many of you, I’ve engaged in lots of activities to pass the time during the last ten months. I’ve baked donuts, cakes, and cookies— lost and gained the same ten pounds associated with said baking. I’ve watched movies and series on Netflix, HBO Max, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime. I've taken dozens of webinars on writing craft and subject matter.  I’ve read 90 books—a record for me! I also published my fourth book, built a new website, and I’m currently writing my fifth book. I’ve also expanded my creative juices by learning about Soul Collage. www.soulcollage.com

Today, I received a very nice e-mail from Judy, a reader, who just finished Deception in Mariposa Beach. This is what she wrote!

Today is National Ice Cream Day. Ice Cream and the Michael’s Ice Cream famous Bubble sundae are at the foundation of the Michael Family

I was sorting through old writing projects. A few years ago, I attended the Sanibel Island Writer’s Conference, a great conference. In a session I attended, the instructor gave the class a writing exercise.  There were three lists and we had to choose 3 random numbers between 1 and 25.  The first list was your occupation, the second list was something you did, and the other was some secret.  Mine were: architect, covers mirrors, and leads a secret life.  Here’s my story: