Have you been to my little town of Hidden Springs where Deputy Sheriff Michael Keane tries to keep the peace? It’s a sleepy little town that might remind you of other small towns you’ve known. The kind of place where everybody knows everybody and people sit around on front porches and share stories. Sometimes about themselves or their families and sometimes about you or yours!
Maybe you’ve had one of those kind of conversations. You know where somebody brings up a name, say Ann Gabhart. And then the other person can’t quite remember exactly who that is. First person might say, “Well, she’s about your age. You probably went to school with her.” The second person says, “I can’t place her. Who were her parents?” Pretty soon the whole life story of Ann will be in the air between them, or at least as much as they know. With me, they’d probably say, “You know, she’s the one who writes the books.” I get asked that a lot here in my hometown. “Are you the one who writes the books?” Trouble is, my two sisters get to field that question sometimes too. People know one of us is the one who writes the books.
You get the idea. In a small town, people know you. They know where you lived when you were a kid and can probably name all your siblings. They know if you’re married and how many kids you have. And heaven forbid, if you ever did anything not so good, that will definitely stick in the small town memory. Good things do too. Like being the quarterback for that football team years ago that actually won a district championship or getting a University of Kentucky basketball scholarship. Being mayor or some other elected job is definitely something that will keep you in the small town memory. But mostly it’s just common everyday things. Where you went to school. Your job. Maybe that house you built with different looking windows. All those bits and pieces of our lives weave together to make up the special atmosphere of a small town.
I tried to capture that in my Hidden Springs mysteries, Murder at the Courthouse, Murder Comes by Mail, and now coming in March, Murder Is No Accident. The cover of the new Hidden Springs mystery has been up online for a while now and the book is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Christianbook.com, Kobo, or other online sellers. A few people have even ordered a copy or two. But I haven’t introduced the book here on One Writer’s Journal.
So tonight is my official cover reveal for the New Year. What do you think? Each of my Hidden Springs mystery covers have featured a cat. A different cat each time. Two Bits looking out the barbershop window in Murder at the Courthouse. Grimalkin with those beautiful blue eyes in Murder Comes by Mail. Now Miss Marble, the calico, makes her debut in Murder Is No Accident.
So to celebrate this new cover and just in case some of you haven’t had a chance to visit Hidden Springs yet or know a friend who might like a small town mystery, I’m giving away a few copies of the first two Hidden Springs books. I’ll pick a winner each week until the end of January. All you have to do is leave a comment here on this post or on Wednesday’s post to have your name tossed in my drawing hat for either a copy of Murder at the Courthouse or Murder Comes by Mail. You do have to be 18 to enter. I’ll draw the first winner next Sunday and then two more winners on January 22nd and 29th. Each comment on a new post gets you a new entry in the drawing and if you don’t win the first Sunday, your name stays in the drawing hat until I draw the last winner on the 29th. Open internationally wherever such giveaways are not prohibited. If you’ve already read my Hidden Springs stories, you can still enter and perhaps win a book for a friend.
For fun this week, you can tell me which Hidden Springs cover you like best or if you’ve ever lived in a small town.
As always, thanks for reading. I might share a little about the new mystery Wednesday.
Comments 52
Love the Hidden Springs series. I’ve read Murder at the Courthouse (which was special for me because my Mom worked in a courthouse in a small town like Hidden Springs). Also read Murder Comes by Mail. Looking forward to the new one. I’m not a cat fan, but, since I just tested positive for allergy to dog dander, maybe I should consider a cat for a pet instead of a dog!
I haven’t met up with your mysteries yet, but sure would love to. Nice to know you have a new one releasing in the spring.
Ann, I just love the cover of your new book, and I also love the idea of placing a cat on the cover of each book, what a nifty idea, since I am a cat person!!!
Murder Comes By Mail is my favorite cover. I’ve been wanting to read your books. Thanks for the giveaway.
I like the cover of Murder Comes by Mail the most. I like the cat sitting on the mailbox just inviting you to reach into the mailbox and get some bad news. I would love to win a copy of this one since I haven’t had a chance to read it yet. Thanks so much for giving us an opportunity to win one of your great books!
I DO live in a small town, pop 5100. Have nearly my whole entire life. Moved 12 miles up the road to another state when I married, couldn’t stand it, had to come home. I love Murder Comes By Mail’s cover the best. Hope I get to influence for you for this book, too, Ann. It’s been a joy and I love this series!`
Author
Small towns are the best, Susan. At least those are the kind I usually write about. There was that one book set in Louisville. Nothing small about that town.
I appreciate all your help with my Hidden Springs mysteries. Thanks so much.
Born in a small town; lived in small towns until I was married and moved to Terre Haute, IN. A BIG TOWN!
I have both of your books: Murder At The Courthouse:l Murder Comes By Mail.
I loved them both. I love any of your books.
Fan #1!
I have a cat, Sheba, so books about cats are my favorites.
Author
Sheba, what a great name for a cat, Pat! Can’t say that these books are exactly about cats, but the cats do play a fun roll in the stories. I’m always happy to hear that somebody likes my stories. Makes it much more fun to write them. Thank you, Pat.
Author
Sandi – Glad you like the new cover. And thanks for the sweet compliment. I appreciate your kind words.
Ola – I guess I can’t say I live in a small town either. I live near a small town, but I’m out here in the country too.
Paula – So we have you to thank for what the grocery stores have on their shelves? 🙂 Small towns everywhere have their own atmospheres. Glad you felt like Hidden Springs was homey and pretty. I’ve seen towns with those kind of town squares. I suppose you growing up amid antiques gives you a great way to think about some of the old houses. We had all kinds of antiques, but we didn’t think of them as that. They were just our old furniture. LOL. And progress has brought a certain cookie cutter feel to towns all along the interstates.
Carol, thanks so much for reading my mysteries and other stories too. I like your reasons for liking the Murder Comes by Mail cover. Mysterious is the look you want on a mystery, after all.
Shelley – It’s fun to hear that you’re excited about a new Hidden Springs book on the way. The familiar characters will return for this mystery plus a few new ones as well. The cover of Murder Comes by Mail does fit the title.
I think the “Murder By Accident” cover is great! I love your books and your beautiful spirit.
I like Murder comes by mail best. I live in a rural area. Can’t call it a small town!
Hi Ann, I like the covers. Each one is special. I have Murder Comes by Mail. Would love to have the others. I lived in a small town when my husband was in College. Even so, we were part of a test marketing group for grocery items. I guess they wanted to know what small town America would buy! It was quaint but not as homey or pretty as Hidden Springs. I would love to live in a town with a town square and an old courthouse and post office surrounding a green with a bandshell. I love antiques and Victorian houses. I grew up in an old cobblestone house that is now on the National Register. My mother was an antique dealer among many other things.
We retired and live in a smaller city but it is on the interstate and although some of the buildings are old— the main drag has tons of fast food restaurants! Progress. I guess!
I love all of your books and am so glad to see there is a new one! As for my favorite cover, I’ll go with “Murder Comes by Mail”. The chalk outline gives it a very mysterious feel.
How exciting! I love when a new book in a favorite series comes out. So fun to visit familiar characters. I guess my favorite cover is Murder Comes by Mail. The cover picture seems very clever and fits the title well.
Keep writing!!
Ann, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy your new line of books. All of your books are an inspiration but these are so much fun. The characters are great and so real, like a real small town would be, which is like the place I came from in Ohio. Thanks for all of the hours of enjoyment you give us as readers of your books. God bless!
Author
Good to hear from you, Fran. I’ve been thinking about you. So glad you’ve enjoyed my stories and feel I captured the right small town feel for Hidden Springs.
Author
Mary – I like the cover for Murder Comes by Mail too. Grimalkin is a lovely cat on that mailbox and I like how those blue eyes match the background. Revell always designs great covers for my books. Good luck in the drawing.
Andi – That’s an interesting thought about mailboxes having their own intrigue. I can see that too. Back when I used to get all my news about my stories I’d sent out via the mail, looking in the mailbox to see if good or not so good news was there was definitely something that awakened some interesting emotions. What would the mailbox hold? Acceptances or rejections? Bills or checks? Notes from friends or advertisements? Now so much comes via the internet that the mailbox has lost some of its intrigue. Maybe I should write a post about that. 🙂
Pat – I like being from a small town too. I suppose it’s only natural that the courthouse makes you think of Harrodsburg although I did fashion my Main Street on Lawrenceburg. Both small Kentucky towns. Of course our courthouse is stone, not brick, but the barbershop is right across the street. 🙂
Lois – I might pick Mayberry. Hidden Springs seems to be having an uptick in the murder rate. 🙂 Thank you so much for reading my books and for your kind words about the stories. I hope you’ll enjoy Hidden Springs 3 too!
Love all of the great covers but I really love what is right after the cover, The books are awesome, I have read them both and can hardly wait for March for the next book, I would love to live in a really small town like Mayberry or Hidden Srings
I love the cats on the covers! I have the first book on my Kindle, but haven’t read it yet, because I wanted to have #2 ready before I read #1, and now you’ve got #3 coming out! I guess I’ll just have to “bite the bullet” 🙂
Author
Hi, Margaret. I’ve heard from other readers who like to have the whole series before reading any of them too. I suppose that’s not too hard when it’s a three book series and these actually were all published fairly close to one another. So maybe you’ll win Murder Comes by Mail and then you’ll have two of them. When you do get ready to read the stories, I hope you will enjoy them.
Also, you were one of my winners for my kids’ book, Freak of the Week, weren’t you, Margaret? I think I sent all those books out, but I don’t have that check that meant I sent the book beside your name the way I do for the others on my list of winners. Just wanted to make sure you did receive the book. If you didn’t get it, let me know.
I like “Murder at the Courthouse’s “cover. It reminds me of Harrodsburg’s courthouse once upon a time. Yes, I am from a small-town, Mayo, in Mercer County or else I guess you could say, Harrodsburg. I wouldn’t have it any other way! I had a great childhood there!
No small town life for me to share having been born, raised and continuously living (last time I checked!) in Portland, Oregon. I, too, prefer the cover of, “Murder Comes By Mail”! Mailboxes are a whole genre for intrigue unto themselves!
Boy. I meant to say, thank you! 😀
Murder comes by Mail is my favorite cover…I would love to win either of the books you are giving us chances for…thanks so much!