A New Look

Hello, readers,

I’m officially launching my new website at www.sandranikolai.com and you’re invited to check it out!

Here’s what you’ll find:

• a more streamlined design and simpler functionality

• popular blog posts about my writing world and accompanying photos

• a dedicated page that describes all my books, with links to reviews and retailer sites for each book

• I have more news. I recently published a Box Set in ebook format that includes the first three books in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series: False Impressions, Fatal Whispers, and Icy Silence. Just in time for summer, Kobo is having a 30% OFF promotion on this Box Set from June 10th to 20th, 2016.

I’ve also been busy working on Dark Deeds, Book #4 in my mystery series. I expect to have the ebook and paperback versions published by Fall 2016 and ready for my local author events.

I want to thank you for your book reviews, comments on social media, and likes on my Facebook page. I’m so grateful for your feedback as it inspires me to keep on writing.

Feel free to pass this newsletter along to family and friends who love mysteries. They can visit my website and sign up to join my mailing list. I’ll only send the occasional newsletter to announce new book releases, giveaways, and other topics of interest to readers.

Have a wonderful month!
Sandra

A Triple Whodunit

Upscale clothing, jewelry, and crafts boutiques blend into historic 19th century brick buildings that are characteristic of the Old Port district of Portland, Maine. In my mystery novel, Fatal Whispers, ghostwriter Megan Scott and crime reporter Michael Elliott briefly visit the trendy shops along Exchange Street before diverting their attention to the investigation of three mysterious deaths in this New England town.

If you haven’t read Fatal Whispers yet, you’re in for a triple whodunit challenge! Join my sleuths as they search for clues to explain the sudden deaths of a homeless woman, a priest, and a millionaire’s young wife.

Here’s an excerpt from Megan’s point of view as she speaks with Michael about the recent death of a homeless woman that has baffled medical experts:

Monday morning, Michael’s article on Gladys appeared in the Herald. I sat down with a cup of fresh-perked coffee and read the first paragraph:

‘Gladys Lindstrom was laid to rest in St. Andrew’s cemetery on the weekend. Patrons who paused on the street to donate their spare change to one of Portland’s most recognizable senior citizens will remember her as glad rags Gladys—a nickname she used when thanking her benefactors.’

Accompanying the article was the same photograph of Gladys that Michael had shown me but enlarged for print. A gray-haired woman was stretched out on the pavement with her eyes shut. She wore layers of frayed brown skirts over dark stockings. A red handkerchief was wrapped around her head. Her joined hands held a wispy bunch of wildflowers—the same ones I’d noticed growing in the alley where her body had been found. Flanking her side was a handbag; its contents, though indiscernible, had fallen out. In the background were the rear doors of shops and several garbage bins…

I studied the photo. “There’s something odd about the way Gladys is holding the flowers, don’t you think? It almost looks staged.”

He nodded. “As if she knew she was about to die.”

Want to read more? Click here to find out where you can purchase your copy of Fatal Whispers.

SplashesIntoBooks interviews me

I was recently interviewed on Splashesintobooks, a versatile website that shares information about authors and their books. It was an honour to be among the numerous guests that Elaine has interviewed on her blog, and I thank her for the opportunity.

In addition to being a gracious host, Elaine is also a book reviewer and enjoys a variety of genres. She has kindly reviewed Icy Silence, my third mystery novel in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series. Please visit Splashesintobooks where you’ll find my interview here and Elaine’s review of Icy Silence here.

Happy reading!

Cozy Covers

If you’ve ever experienced the frostiness of winter, you can appreciate the coziness that the photo in this post generates. It’s no wonder that on this snowy January day I’m bundled in a warm comforter while I tap away on my keyboard.

I have news: I’m working on Book 4 in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott Mystery series. It will include the usual murder (or murders), suspects, witnesses, and whatever else I decide to throw into the “plot” to spice up the storyline. More on this later!

In the meantime, I’d like to share a passage from Icy Silence that captures the mood of this latest mystery novel in the series. In it, Megan is a weekend guest at a private college school located miles from the nearest city. She describes the ice storm that has isolated her and everyone else on campus from the rest of the world.

“I gazed out the window to survey the damage. The icy silence on campus was deceiving. Tree branches had expanded with ice overnight and intertwined their frosty tentacles with those of neighboring trees. Sheets of ice had slid off rooftops and shattered into jagged shards on impact. The campus was strewn with broken branches and debris, a testament to the damage such a storm can inflict and to the challenges facing the school in days ahead. Even in the aftermath of a destructive path, the tempest showed no sign of abandoning its hold.”

Want to read more? Click here to find Icy Silence at your favorite online retailer.

Christmas Gratitude

Dear readers,

Writing is a lonely profession, but my interaction with readers makes it all worthwhile. In keeping with the spirit of the season, I’d like to thank you for connecting with me and with my books.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts through e-mails and at book-signing events. When you confide how my stories impelled you to continue reading late into the night, my heart fills with joy.

Thank you for leaving book reviews on retailer websites, Goodreads, Facebook, and other social media. Your encouraging feedback inspires me to dream up new mysteries for your reading pleasure.

Thank you for your patience while you wait for my next book in the series to be published. Your enduring interest in my work is the motivation that keeps me focused on my writing every day.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With gratitude,

Sandra