Resolutions, Murder, and Meat Pies

🎉 New Year’s Resolutions… in October?

I know—it sounds strange to be talking about New Year’s resolutions when the Halloween candy isn’t even gone yet. But this year, my circle of friends decided to try something new: we’re setting resolutions for each other.

Naturally, they pounced on mine first. My 2026 resolution? Host them once a quarter.

For anyone who knows me, that’s basically a nightmare dressed as a dinner party. I’m an introvert through and through. I don’t like cooking, I don’t like worrying if people have enough to eat, and I don’t like feeling like I’m auditioning for The Great Host-Off. I’ve lived alone for most of my adult life, and let’s just say that “cooking for one” doesn’t inspire gourmet ambition.

Still, I’m leaning in—just a little. Tomorrow, I’m taking a class on how to make pasties (the meat-pie kind, not the other kind 😄). They originated as portable meals for Welsh and Cornish miners, and I’ve loved them since I was a kid. I think there’s an art to getting the crust flaky and the filling moist and flavorful. If I can pull it off, it might just become one of the four meals I’ll dare to make for my unsuspecting friends next year.

Meanwhile, one of those same friends drew her own challenge: she has to give up her paper calendar and go digital. This woman drives us all crazy because she can’t commit to plans until she “checks her calendar”—which means running home to consult her wall of paper. The irony? During her working years, she was a whiz with digital calendars. Retirement rebellion is real, folks.

🔥 Writing Update: Sable Point Murder

Work on Sable Point Murder is going strong. As a mystery writer, I’m always looking for new and twisted motives—because no one wants a repeat killer who kills for the same reason as last book’s culprit.

This time, I wrote about a third of the story before I uncovered the killer’s true motive. Let’s just say it’s uniquely deranged—different from the arsonist in Embers of Murder, who was, in her words, “thinning the dating pool.” 😈

Here’s a little teaser: the idea for Sable Point Murder came from a real event that happened in Wisconsin. Curious? You can pre-order your copy now, with the release set for November 30, 2025.

Boxset sale

💰 Book Deal: Jill Quint Box Set

If you’ve got friends who’d love a clever forensic mystery series, now’s the time to introduce them to Jill Quint. The ebook box set of Books 1–3 is on sale until early October 15 for just 99¢ / 99p—that’s thirty hours of sleuthing for less than a cup of coffee.

👉 Grab the deal here.

Cheers,

Alec