We’ve Got A Publishing Contract!

Ann and I are thrilled to announce that we have our first publishing deal! Our forensic thriller, Dead, Without a Stone to Tell It, has been sold in a two-book deal to Deni Dietz of Five Star Publishing (an imprint of Gale) for release in May 2013.

Needless to say we’re very excited. It’s been a long journey and we couldn’t have done it without agent extraordinaire, Nicole Resciniti. Thank you, Nicole, for believing in us and for having the skill and patience to help us produce a manuscript that we absolutely love, and hope others will love too. Also to our crit team — Jen, Margaret, Sharon and Lisa — you guys have always been there for us and have challenged us to be stronger writers, and we’re so thankful for your tireless efforts. Finally, from a personal standpoint, a big thank you to my husband, Rick, and my two daughters, Jessica and Jordan, for believing in me and for giving me the time and space to pursue a dream.

So what’s the book about? Here’s our blurb:

When a single human bone is found on a lonely stretch of coastline, a determined homicide detective and a reluctant scientist risk their lives when they join forces to bring a serial killer to justice.

Massachusetts State Police homicide detective Leigh Abbot, the daughter of a fallen police hero, struggles to make her way as the sole female detective in a male-dominated department even as she stands in her father’s shadow. Dr. Matthew Lowell is a forensic anthropologist with a deep distrust of the police, a man who has turned his back on his traumatic past as a Marine medic in Afghanistan to focus on the study of sterile bones instead of bloody tissue. When human remains hinting at unnatural death are discovered on the Essex coast, Leigh and Matt form an uneasy alliance as they work to discover the identity of the victim as well as the killer who took her life.

Leigh and Matt’s teamwork and skills are put to the test when the evidence leads them to a burial ground of unidentified victims. To their horror, they also find the ravaged body of a fresh victim at the site, leading them to the hard truth that the killer continues to take lives. When they interrupt a brutal revenge slaying, they suddenly find themselves in the sights of an enraged serial killer newly focused on his pursuers. Now they must find and stop the killer before one of them becomes his next victim.

In celebration of our exciting news, I’m sponsoring a giveaway. I’ll use a random generator to pick one lucky commenter to win a $25 Amazon gift card to the international Amazon outlet of their choice (draw to take place Monday, March 19 at 10pm EDT). If you haven’t signed in through Twitter, Facebook or OpenID, please leave your email address so I can let you know if you won. I’ll also announce the winner in next week’s blog post (March 20) so you’ve got until then to sign up. Good luck!

Also, just to let you guys know, I’ve recently signed up on Facebook, so if you want up-to-the-minute updates and RSS feeds aren’t your thing, feel free to ‘like’ my author page.

Thanks again to all our supporters. We’ve got some exciting times ahead but we’ll be sure keep you all in the loop as updates arise!

Photo credit: hpaich and Jess Newton