They're Back ... Or Will Be Soon!

© Marta Stephens 2010 all rights reserved

The blistering heat came early in June here in the Midwest and overstayed its welcome. Lazy summer days made all of us here at Murder By 4 want to kick back. Okay, I can hear my co-murderers moaning now.

We weren't really lazy, Kim stepped away to kick-start her family's photography/video business which I understand is going great. But just yesterday I learned (it's about time too) that she is back in full writing mode again. Yay!

Aaron's new job and recent release of Healey's Cave has kept him hopping around the Internet as well as the globe and looking to soon do a virtual book tour.

Sonya's always buzzing between home, kids, writing, writing, and more writing.

As for me, I spent the summer pulling as many weeds from my garden as hairs from my head. The hair-pulling stemmed from trying to churn out a "brief" synopsis of Shroud of Lies. I managed to get it under 750 words and I just revised my query letter for the one hundred zillion time.

Work was no kinder. Projects seem to have piled up on my desk in a race to get things done weeks/months ahead of time in order to make sure everything gets done before the next huge project hits my to-do-list; redesigning/upgrading our department's website. Needless to say, by the time I got home from work this summer, my mind wasn't on anything other than watering my flowerbeds and filling the bird feeders. And just when things were starting to slow down, we got a new puppy, Izzy, our 8-week old, 11-pound English Bull.

But yesterday, “… brisk gusts of wind seemed to come out of nowhere. A shower of bright colored leaves blew past and continued to capture my attention. They twirled across the lawn then floated to the ground before the next current of air spun them around again.” Ahem, this excerpt from Shroud of Lies seemed appropriate here. In short, we all needed a break from blogging and a change of pace, but now it's time to get back to doing what we do here at Murder By 4. Starting next Monday, September 13, we have a great lineup of guest authors whose experiences and insight you’ll appreciate.

Thanks for following us on Murder By 4 during our lull in action. So, what’s your summer story? Do you have book in the making? Is there a book launch in the near future? Are you planning a virtual book tour? If you’re a writer, have a writing-related experience you’d like to share, contact any one of us for a copy of our submission guideline. We’d love to hear from you!

About the author:
Marta Stephens writes crime mystery/suspense. Her books are available online at familiar shops such as all the Amazons, Barnes & Noble, Borders, Books-a-Million, and Powells. Other locations include, but are not limited to those listed on her website.

THE DEVIL CAN WAIT (2008), Bronze Medal Finalist, 2009 IPPY Awards, Top Ten, 2008 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery)
SILENCED CRY (2007) Honorable Mention, 2008 New York Book Festival,Top Ten, 2007 Preditors and Editors Reader Poll (mystery)