September and October, 2022 Newsletter 

Happy September . . . and October! 

I apologize for the late and, ahem, comprehensive nature of this newsletter. Since the middle of August, I've been working hard on the revisions to the fourth Maggie D'arcy mystery. (More about that, including the title unveiling, below!) I love this part of the process, when I have feedback and comments from my agent and editor in hand and I have one last chance to structure and shape the plot, envision and develop the characters, and add in layers of description and theme. As always, I am so grateful for the perspectives of my team. I know they are right when I read a piece of criticism or feedback and my immediate thought is No way, followed a few hours later by Oh, yeah, actually . . .

So, I was deep in the revision trenches and then it was Back to School time. This year my three children are in three different schools and it is . . . logistically complicated. We got everyone settled in and then it was time for me to get ready for Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, which was held in Minneapolis from September 7-11. It's been a long time since I've been able to attend Bouchercon and I'd forgotten how wonderful it is to talk shop with other mystery writers — and also how overwhelming it can be. I saw old friends and met lots of new people and enjoyed getting to know Minneapolis better. I'll share some pictures from Bouchercon below.

It's also a busy time around our farm. I spent the morning moving sheep fencing from one pasture to another and as all the gardeners out there know, we are in a constant battle with the our garden produce to preserve it before it goes bad. Today is reserved for picking, processing, and freezing kale. Tomorrow is for potatoes. If you are also in harvest mode, good luck!

To all of my new subscribers, thank you so much for coming aboard! I'm announcing a giveaway below. Current subscribers are automatically entered but please pass it on to anyone you know who might like Maggie's (and my) adventures. I hope that the beginning of fall is crisp and sunny and full of books wherever you are reading this. Take care and I'll see you November 1st, I promise!

All best, 

Sarah

The Bouchercon World Mystery Convention is held every year (usually in a North American city) and draws about 1,500 crime writers, reviewers, fans, and publishing industry professionals. It's an opportunity to discuss topics like "Safe Room: Locked Room Mysteries" and "Explosive Thrillers" and to connect with other writers and readers around our favorite genre.

And the title of the fourth Maggie D'arcy mystery is . . .

A STOLEN CHILD! I'll be sharing lots of details about the setting, plot, and characters in the coming months, as well as a cover unveiling once it's finalized. Stay tuned . . .

In early August, the shops here in Vermont were filled with Pennsylvania peaches. It happens every year and while we try to eat as many juicy peaches as we can while they're perfectly ripe, I always try to preserve some for the deep, dark winter too. This year I froze about ten gallons of peeled, sliced peaches. These perfectly tender chunks of fruit will go on cereal or in pies. There are always some less-than-perfect examples though, just slightly bruised or overripe, and for those peaches it's the jam jar. Here's a good, simple recipe for Peach Jam. No Pectin Peach Jam.