Nancy's Notes From Florida

Stetson Mansion Christmas Tour
November 26, 2023

We enjoyed our self-guided tour through the Stetson Mansion in Deland, FL. The place is known for its massive Christmas decoration display that is amazing and unique. Built in 1886 for hat manufacturer John B. Stetson, the house deployed Edison electricity, steam heat, a call bell system, and running water for all three floors. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

 

Each room inside the house has a theme in terms of the decorations, and the creativity of the designer stuns the senses. But beyond you can see the intricate woodwork, stained glass windows, parquet floors, crystal chandeliers, impressive fireplaces, and other hidden details. I really wish they’d reestablish the guided history tour including the third floor and the garage as that would interest me more. Here we are with Ann Meier and Pat Babcock.

     

You’re not allowed to take photos inside the mansion, but outdoors is fine. There’s a lovely covered porch to one side and a pool at the opposite end of the house. A meditation garden graces the rear past the garage and schoolhouse. The latter, converted into a guest cottage, serves as a tiny gift shop (cash only) where you can buy a guidebook on the mansion’s history along with Christmas ornaments and Stetson belts. It would be great if this shop expanded to take credit cards and included some Stetson hats!

 

All in all, this is a fascinating glimpse into history and Victorian architecture. From here, it’s a five-minute drive to historic downtown Deland with numerous shops and restaurants.  https://www.stetsonmansion.com/

 

 

 


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Living with the Land
November 17, 2023

On our most recent visit to Disney’s Epcot theme park, we headed over to the Living with the Land ride in The Land pavilion. This is probably my favorite attraction in this park. I miss the old “Listen to the Land” song that still plays in my head as the boat winds through various displays. This tour teaches about the role of agriculture in our lives and alternative methods for growing fruits and vegetables and for farming seafood. I wish our plants would grow so perfectly like these.

         

     

It’s a very soothing ride, first inside through a series of dioramas, then outside to see the hydroponic plants and through the fish tank section. It’s always an inspiring ride and made me want to research tilapia which ends up being in my book, Body Wave.

 

Next we went to lunch with Sue and Mark Bernstein at the Coral Reef Restaurant in Epcot’s Living Seas pavilion. Loved their specialty bread, the hearty New England Clam Chowder, and the grilled mahi mahi with jasmine rice. The views of the aquarium were remarkable. For dessert, we headed outside to the Swirled Showcase where I got a salted caramel soft serve ice cream in a cup. No pix – I ate it before it melted. Clear skies and sunny, warm temps made for a perfect day.

   

   

GIVEAWAY

Enter Here to win two free books at Booklovers Bench in our monthly giveaway!

PODCAST

Go Here to listen to my author interview on Episode 126 of the Sisters in Crime Writers’ Podcast.


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Bad Hair Day Box Set Six Preorder
November 10, 2023

I am pleased to announce that The Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume Six: Books 16-18 is available for preorder.

Bad Hair Day Mysteries Box Set Volume Six: Books 16-18
Release Date: January 23, 2024
Published by Orange Grove Press
Digital ISBN: 978-1-952886-35-5
Cover Design by The Killion Group, Inc
Digital Layout by Formatting4u.com

BOX SET SIX

A deadly Easter egg hunt, a remodeling project gone awry, and a Fourth of July murder at a living history village make for a sparkling cozy mystery collection.

EASTER HAIR HUNT

An Easter egg hunt at historic Tremayne Manor leads hairstylist Marla Vail to discover more than just dyed eggs. The dead man in the bunny suit is definitely not having a good hare day. Marla’s husband, homicide detective Dalton Vail, knows she finds solving mysteries to be irresistible, but she may have found a basketful of trouble this time. Can Marla use her egg-cellent sleuthing skills to crack the case?

Readers’ Favorite Gold Medal Winner

“This story will fill your reading basket with entertainment, charming characters, plot twists, tasty recipes, and a cozy murder mystery to solve.” Thoughts in Progress

STYLED FOR MURDER

When salon owner, Marla Vail, gets a frantic call from her mother that there’s a dead body in her shower, Marla realizes this wasn’t part of the home remodel plans. The victim turns out to be the project manager, who had a shady reputation in town. Disgruntled customers, unpaid suppliers, and the design company’s staff are among the suspects, but Marla is more concerned about her stepfather’s connection to the victim. Reed is keeping secrets and he won’t come clean about what he knows. Can she flush out the clues and nail the killer before he strikes again?

Suspense Magazine “Best Cozy Mystery”
Readers’ Favorite Bronze Medal Winner

“A charmingly funny whodunit!” Woman’s World Magazine

STAR TANGLED MURDER

Hairstylist Marla Vail and her detective husband Dalton are having a blast visiting a Florida living history village over Fourth of July weekend. But when a battle reenactment turns up a real dead body, it sets off fireworks among the villagers. One of the cast members has gone off script to murder the town marshal. As Dalton takes charge of the investigation, Marla determines to help him solve the case. Soon it becomes clear that every one of the villagers is a suspect. Instead of spending the holiday chilling and grilling, somebody’s mind is on killing. Marla needs to find the culprit before she becomes the next victim.

FAPA President’s Book Awards Silver Medal Winner

“Star Tangled Murder shines with excellent plotting, lots of twists and turns, and a satisfying ending. Highly recommended.” Suspense Magazine

BUY LINKS

Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CJ59FT7S/
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/id6466620054
BN Nook: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1144075697?ean=2940185892756
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-bad-hair-day-mysteries-box-set-volume-six
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=vU7XEAAAQBAJ
Books2Read:  https://books2read.com/u/boBNo0

 


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Indie Author Day 2023
November 5, 2023

I was thrilled to be invited as keynote speaker and panelist at the Ponte Vedra Beach Library’s celebration of Indie Author Day.

   

While in St. Augustine the day before, my husband and I lunched at AlA Ale Works at the end of King St. facing the bay.

     

Across the wide grassy square outside was The Treasury on the Plaza, where our daughter got married five years ago. We found a cute mini donut place down the street from this location. Then we strolled down Saint George St. to window shop. The weather was windy and drizzly so we headed to our hotel to huddle in for the night.

   

 

The next morning, we drove north along Rt. A1A toward Ponte Vedra Beach. This was a half hour trip along a two-lane road with occasional glimpses of the rough surf to our right. I had been craving a view of the ocean and wished we could have lingered but we didn’t have time.

The library staff were very welcoming. The room was crowded as I gave my speech talking about my career struggles and how to conquer the doubt demons that plague all authors.

A panel followed where we answered questions about self-publishing. My fellow panelists, Melody Pendlebury and Ken Overman, write in entirely different genres, so it was interesting to hear their responses. Vic DeGenti, an eminent member of Florida Writers Association, moderated.

   

We sat at tables next to sell and sign our books, while the Friends of the Library supplied sandwiches for lunch.

The rest of the day included a book fair with other indie authors. As I did not partake in this, we ducked out to head home. I was glad to meet the friendly library staff and so many inquisitive writers. I hope they gained what they’d come to learn.

GIVEAWAY

Enter to win two free books at Booklovers Bench in our monthly giveaway: https://bookloversbench.com/contests/win-two-free-books-nov-2023/


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A Spooky Halloween Read
October 31, 2023

Happy Halloween! If you’re looking for a spooky read, check out my Halloween novella titled Haunted Hair Nights. This book won Third Place in the IDA Contest in the Suspense Short category. The story falls between Peril by Ponytail and Facials Can Be Fatal in my Bad Hair Day mystery series.

Haunted Hair Nights

Digital ISBN: 978-0-9970038-3-3
Print ISBN: 978-0-9970038-4-0
Cover Design by Boulevard Photografica
Interior Design by www.formatting4U.com

When history teacher Bill Ripari offers his property for a Halloween school haunted house project, hairstylist Marla Vail volunteers to help put the scare factor into the place. She joins her stepdaughter along with other students, parents, and teachers to transform the wooded estate into a creepy attraction. She’s busy creating decorations when a splash of red on the estate grounds catches her eye. Upon a closer look, she realizes the dark stain isn’t fake blood meant to be part of the scene. The trail leads to the history teacher’s dead body.

Worried about the kids, Marla puts on her sleuthing hat to investigate. She discovers that every one of the volunteers present that night had a possible motive. Between slacker students, helicopter parents, unexpected heirs, and a stonewalling school administration, Marla has her hands full in solving the murder and keeping her stepdaughter safe. Can she sift through the suspects and unmask the killer before Halloween fright night turns into reality?

“Halloween, mystery, dead body, oh my! This novella, although short, was filled with lots of twists and turns, interesting complex characters and a great storyline!” Charlene’s Reviews

“This standalone novella will keep you flipping pages wondering who done it until the end. For those of us who don’t want bad dreams for Halloween, this entry into the Bad Hair Day series is an excellent alternative.” Reader by Night

“This is a good cozy mystery that can be enjoyed by young adults on up. It was a pleasure to read this story.” Readers’ Favorite

“I love this series so much. It’s especially nice to read how Marla is progressing with her new family. A haunted mansion is the perfect setting for a Halloween read.” Socrates Book Reviews

Click Here to Get Your Copy Now

Happy Halloween! 


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