​Yesterday's launch party at Kildare's Irish Pub in West Chester, Pennsylvania, was fantastic--many thanks to everyone who came! Special thanks to my friend, Anne, who was my best buddy starting in fourth grade, when I moved to York, Pennsylvania, and right through high school and beyond; she and her husband, Mike, were spending the weekend nearby to celebrate the 28th anniversary of their wedding (in which I was the maid of honor).

Many of the folks at the launch were members of book clubs I've attended--if you live in Chester County, Pennsylvania, or an adjoining county, I'd love to attend a book club to discuss The Sense of Death or The Sense of Reckoning! (Just reply to this email if you're interested.)

I'm very exciting to be making a return appearance on Omnimystery News with a guest post on "The Sense of Place - The Story Behind the Story." Click the link to learn more about the backstory of The Sense of Reckoning--the historic fire which burned much of Mt. Desert Island, Maine, and part of the resort town of Bar Harbor, on October 23, 1947!

​October 23 will mark the culmination of almost two years of writing, editing, publishing, and promotion work with the launch of Book 2 of the Ann Kinnear suspense series: The Sense of Reckoning.

Back in 2013, the launch party for Book 1, The Sense of Death, consisted of dinner at a local pub with my husband and a few of our close friends. This time around, I’m extending the invitation to a lot more friends, old and new—some of whom I may not have met yet except through my first book, Facebook page, or blog posts! I hope you'll join me at Kildare’s Irish Pub (18 W Gay Street) in West Chester, PA, starting at 5pm on Friday, October 23. (Starting at 6pm, you can enjoy live music by Kevin Eppler!)

The Sense of Reckoning deserves a bigger party because the list of contributors is longer! Wade Walton, in addition to being a great sounding board for, and originator of, plot ideas, once again penned a back cover blurb that really captures the spirit of the story. Wade and my sister, Mary Dalrymple, both served again as trusty beta readers, with Lynda Holl joining the team this time around.

Some roles were the same but were filled by different contributors—Jen Blood provided editorial support, pointing out where plot lines or characters needed to be fleshed out, and Rob Frankel designed a cover that’s already getting rave reviews.

Unlike my first book, I needed to do some historical research for The Sense of Reckoning—its backstory is the fire that blazed across Mount Desert Island and burned much of Bar Harbor on (surprise!) October 23, 1947. To ensure I got the details of the fire and mid-century MDI right, I worked with Sean Cox and Virginia Mellen of the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, Paul Richardson of the Bar Harbor Historical Society, and Robyn King and Kate Pontbriand of Acadia National Park’s research center. Fellow Dickinson College alum David Fried, MD, F.A.C.P., provided advice on the medical aspects of the story, and Sandra Paoli provided Italian translations. Most fun of all, Tim Stanley, Assistant Manager at the Claremont Hotel in Southwest Harbor, Maine, let me poke around the hotel (so if you ever need to hide a body at the Claremont, I know just the place).

If you’re near West Chester on October 23, I hope you can join the celebration in person!

If you’re further afield, I hope you’ll check in on Facebook for updates on the launch.

If you’re in Chester County, Pennsylvania, or an adjoining county, I’d love to attend a book club discussion of The Sense of Reckoning.

And wherever you are, please go to Amazon or Barnes & Noble on October 23 to order your copy! (Print copies available on both platforms, ebook available on Amazon.)

Happy haunted reading!
M.