canada

01
Apr
2022

Free Mystery Feature April 2022 | Clean Break: A Kira Brightwell Short Novel

Clean Break Kira Brightwell coverKira Brightwell needs a change of scenery.

A relaxing, solo trip to Toronto to visit her grandparents seems like a good idea. No nosy reporters, no criminals to take down, and (most importantly) no self-appointed sidekick Trevor Wright.

…But from the moment Kira steps off the plane from California, nothing goes according to plan.

A stand-alone short novel misadventure from the Kira Brightwell mystery series by Jacquelyn Smith.

Now you can read it for free on this site for one month only. This short story also comes in ebook and paperback format–both on its own, and as part of the Second Warning Kira Brightwell Collection.

Clean Break: A Kira Brightwell Short Novel

Jacquelyn Smith

This story will be available for free for one month only, which is now over. The next free story will be posted on July 1st. You can keep an eye out for it here.

Recommend, rate, and review:

Posted by Jacquelyn in Free Mystery Feature, 0 comments
19
Feb
2022

New Mackenzie Quinn Release: The Author of His Demise

So I’ve had a lot of balls in the air lately (which means I’m a little late posting about this), but the first full-length novel in the Mackenzie Quinn cozy mystery series is finally here! The Author of His Demise takes place after the short novel prequels Death Clause and By Book or by Crook. While you don’t need to have read those earlier books to enjoy the new novel, you’ll probably get the most out of The Author of His Demise if you do, since there are several recurring characters.

The Author of His Demise is available in ebook format from pretty much every retailer, as well as directly from this website. (Why buy direct? Click here to find out!) You can also grab it in paperback from Amazon. Links for all purchase options are available either beside or below this post, depending on your device.

About The Author of His Demise:

The Author of His Demise Mackenzie Quinn Mystery coverA fictional murder turns deadly…

Zee writes mysteries under a secret pen name. No one knows—except her best friend, Tara. (Aside from her two cats, that is.)

But the small town of Ashwood, Ontario has become home to more than one murderer in the months since Zee’s unplanned return. And while Zee has used the colourful characters of her childhood hometown as inspiration for her writing over the years, it seems a killer has become inspired by her books in turn…

Can she track down a murderer without exposing her secret?

Find out in this first full-length novel from the Mackenzie Quinn Canadian cozy mystery series by the author of the Kira Brightwell mysteries, Jacquelyn Smith. If you enjoy a fun mystery with a quirky heroine, grab this book. Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Writing/Publishing Updates, 0 comments
17
Nov
2021

Mackenzie Quinn has arrived!

Well, Kira’s Canadian cousin is finally on the case. (Two cases, actually.) I’ve released two short novel adventures in the series, and I’m currently working on the first full-length novel, which takes place roughly three months after the second short. Both of these (mis)adventures were a lot of fun to write, and feature some quirky, small-town characters–plus, several cats. (And one adorable Chihuahua-Pomeranian, lol.)

The first short, Death Clause, tells the story of Zee’s unplanned return to her hometown, and is available to purchase from pretty much every ebook retailer and directly from this website. (It’s also available in paperback.) By Book or by Crook takes place a few weeks later, and is a newsletter exclusive. Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Writing/Publishing Updates, 0 comments
13
Sep
2021

Meet Kira Brightwell’s Canadian Cousin: Mackenzie Quinn

Photo by Dominika Roseclay from Pexels

I wrote a lot of Kira Brightwell adventures last year during the first six months of the pandemic. (All shorts, but still.) Honestly, if I hadn’t had a set schedule already in place to write all those stories during that time, I probably would have got a bit crazy. (Crazier?)

I still love Kira, and I definitely have future plans for her, but I kinda got burned out. The difficulty in writing a mystery series is that the stories are very much tied to the lead detective. I did try to mix things up with all those Kira shorts as much as possible to have some kind of variety and keep things fun (different locations, character focus, themes, etc.), but it’s pretty much always going to be the same main character in the same timeline.

Then I thought, ‘What if Kira had an older, Canadian cousin?’ Continue reading →

Posted by Jacquelyn in Writing/Publishing Updates, 0 comments