December Newsletter 2025

Happy Holidays! Hopefully you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and found lots of moments to relax! Two of my three daughters and their families were visiting us in Hawaii- it was beautifully chaotic with six adults, one four-month-old, and two German Shepherds in a 1300 square foot house! 

On top of having family over, we hosted several of our friends for Thanksgiving itself- thank goodness for Foodland's Holiday meals! It was a lot less stressful with most of the work already done for me!

And in other big news, I launched Book Two in the Barefoot Sleuth Mystery Series, Waikoloa Warfare, December 1st. It has been a very, very full November! We will be heading back to Oregon soon to spend Christmas with the fam, and I am looking forward to cozy nights with hot chocolate and a good book. 

This newsletter is full of gift ideas for the reader in your life (or yourself!) and a special surprise at the end. The genres range from cozy mystery to paranormal to neo noir thrillers. There's even a children's book and magical cheese wheel game!



I'm wishing you all an amazing holiday season and a wonderful New Year! 

Carolina Girls: Sunset Beach by Camille Harwood
Camille Harwood Books

The Carolina Girls saga is a witty, heartwarming four-part series about friendship, love, and the choices that shape us—perfect for anyone who believes in fresh starts and forever friends.

If you're looking for a little break from gray skies and cold weather, escape into these tropical cozies:

The Larceny in the Luau by Shea McCloud
Available on Amazon

Romance author Viola and her best friend Cheryl are enjoying a much-needed vacation in paradise. Unfortunately, the fun ends abruptly when a priceless jewel is stolen during a luau. With several suspects to choose from and an entire Hawaiian beach to search, can Viola find the culprit before the police arrest the wrong person?

(Note: This short crime caper first appeared in the cozy mystery anthology Passport to Murder.)

Waikoloa Warfare by Christine Wellert
Available on Amazon

I just wanted to patrol the beach and eat malasadas. Instead, I'm the prime suspect in my neighbor's murder. Welcome to my life in Waikoloa on the stunning Big Island coastline where sun, sand, and snark go hand in hand with murder and mayhem.

LEECH
Available on Amazon

LEECH is a story of obsession and the lengths to which some will go to be remembered. It asks one chilling question: What if the story that defines you isn't yours at all?

Down by the Water: A Stevie Diaz Mystery by Sam Evans
Available on Amazon

Down by the Water is a neo-noir story about the lengths women go to for personal safety—and what happens when buried secrets rise to the surface.

Murder on the S.S. Cleopatra by Sara Rosett
Available on Amazon

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Nile River and the ancient wonders of Egypt, this classic whodunit is the second book in the 1920s Lady Traveler in Egypt series from USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett.

Murder of a Christmas Star by Amber Crewes
Available on Amazon

This Christmas at Blackwell Manor, goodwill is running low, tempers are running high… and if Lady Margot doesn't find the killer soon, she may not live to ring in the New Year.

Diana Xarissa, a lovely human being and a well-known and very prolific author who writes in several genres has several free books this holiday season that she shared with me:

Joy and Jealousy by Diana Xarissa (free December 4th-8th)
Available on Amazon

Book 10 of the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy series - Join Fenella Woods as she navigates her first Christmas on the Isle of Man... especially after her former boyfriend shows up. Add in a murder and she'll have her hands full solving a crime and celebrating Yule.

Aunt Bessie Knows by Diana Xarissa (free December 26th-30th)
Available on Amazon

Book 11 of Isle of Man Cozy Mystery series. New Years Eve becomes a little more exciting after a girl turns up missing and her good friend Hugh is accused of murder. Can she solve the murder before the clock strikes midnight?

I Think My Cat is a Dragon by Megan Walker
Available on Amazon

Pick up this cute book for the kiddo in your life and help Vincent discover if his cat is really a dragon!

The Wheel Deal Game by Luna Ryder
Join the Kickstarter Campaign

Join the campaign now to get your very own gameboard of the highly awaited story of a gnome and her enchanted cheese wheel!

Falling For Ever by C.M. Wyllie
Available on Amazon

Get swept away by young love in this second in series romance!

And if you made it all the way to the end, I have a special surprise for you! I will be giving away signed copies of Waikoloa Warfare to the first five people that respond to this question:

What is your favorite Christmas movie and why?