Three New Maine Clambake Books to Come! (And a Giveaway!)

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by Barb, sitting in her front porch in Boothbay Harbor, Maine on the most gorgeous day

I’m thrilled to announce that Kensington has asked me to write three new Maine Clambake Mysteries after Book 6, Stowed Away, coming December 26, 2017. And, bonus for me, and I hope for you, there will also be a second Christmas-themed novella. I’m so happy to have the opportunity to tell more stories about Julia Snowden, her family and their friends and Busman’s Harbor, Maine.

In September, 2014, when I announced books four through six, I thought I knew what those books were about. You can read my descriptions here. The first two, Fogged In and Iced Under did get written, though the title of Fogged Inn changed slightly. The third book, Elvered After did not.

The original plan was to set three books during the tourist season–Clammed Up, Boiled Over, and Musseled Out–and three in the off season. But then I had the chance to write my first Christmas-themed novella, “Nogged Off,” and that made three Maine Clambake stories that took place in the fog, ice, and snow. So my editor at Kensington, John Scognamiglio, and I decided we needed to get back to sunshine and lighthouses and clams with book six.

Kensington also felt that most people wouldn’t know what elvers are, and when they discovered they’re tiny, transparent baby eels, it wouldn’t help the book’s appeal. (Not to mention, what would be on the cover?) I, on the other hand still love the story. Did you know that the elver fishery is the second largest by revenue in Maine? That opposite of most sea animals, eels go to the salt water of the Sargasso Sea to spawn and return to the fresh water of Maine’s rivers to mature? That a Mainer with an hard-to-get elver license and a place on a river to fish can make a year’s income in nine weeks? That the elvers are sold to eel farms in Asia to become sushi and other delicacies? That elvers are worth $350 a pound and the business is transacted in cash, so people are walking around the docks with tens of thousands of dollars in cash in their pockets? Plenty of reasons to kill someone, right?

But I’ll reluctantly put the elvers aside for now to explore other aspects of life on the Maine coast. And try to answer some burning questions, for example…

  • Are Julia and Chris going to make it?
  • Will the Snowdens rebuild Windsholme, the mansion on their private island?
  • Will Julia’s mother’s extended family be in more books?
  • What’s up with Julia’s father’s family? Don’t they live in Busman’s Harbor? Are we ever going to meet them?
  • And Chris’s family. Why does he never talk about them, even when asked directly?

I know some of the answers, but not all of them, and I can’t wait to find out.

I do know what’s in the holiday novella, which is my current WIP, but I’m not telling!

Readers: Do you have any feelings about the burning questions above? Is there anything you’d like to say about what you hope happens in the Snowden family saga? Let me know and one commenter on the blog will win a Snowden Family Clambake tote bag.

There are also three chances to win a tote bag offered in my newsletter, where I announced the new contract today. If you’d like to sign up for my (very occasional) e-mails, you can do so here.

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Published by Barbara Ross

Barbara Ross is the author of twelve Maine Clambake Mystery novels and six novellas. Her books have been nominated for multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and have won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. She lives in Portland, Maine. Readers can visit her website at www.maineclambakemysteries.com

113 Thoughts

  2. That is such great news! Maybe you can sneak in even a little more about these suddenly more appealing eels! Maybe it’s better Chris is circumspect about his mysterious family. . Maybe he’s royalty. 🙂

  3. Congratulations, Barb! Wonderful that Kensington is supporting your Clambake series. I have been to Maine twice but I had no idea what “elvers” are, and that the elver industry is so huge. Living in land-locked Ontario does limit my coastal jargon knowledge!. And yes, as a reader of your series, I would love to see more of the extended family in future books. Julia discovering her (unknown) Boston relations was fun. Will the Snowdens rebuild Windsholme…I hope so!

  5. Congratulations to you and to us readers- this series is wonderful. Each book leaves me wanting more! All of what you listed are burning questions. I’d also like to see what happens with Julia’s mother. She is such a lovely woman- does she keep her little part time job? Wouldn’t it be nice for her to find someone or have an adventure of her own? How about the spinster neighbors- they are adorable and I love reading about them. They certainly bring the history of the town to life. Julia and Chris must make it!! Keep writing Ms. Barb- you are talented. My only complaint is that the books aren’t 500 pages!

  6. It’s a fabulous series and I’m so happy there will be more! I hope you can work the elvers in as a subplot. It sounds fascinating!

  9. So happy to hear your wonderful news. I love this series and am glad it will continue. Tote bags are wonderful for a multitude of uses and also make great conversation starters. Thanks for the opportunity. robeader53(at)yahoo(dot)com

  10. Congratulations on the continuation of your series, Barb! I enjoyed your newsletter, which arrived in my email this morning. Well done, and a great model for an author newsletter.

  12. Yay — Congrats, Barb! So happy to hear series will continue. And I’m loving that tote bag!

  13. I am thrilled to hear that there are more books coming! This series really got me to love cozies, I look forward to and pre order every time I hear there is a new installment 😍 Congratulations and thank you for thought provoking questions, I can’t wait to see how things turn out ! kathambre@yahoo.com

    1. Great idea, Tina. I’m getting quite interested in aquaculture generally, and just took a tour of the oyster farms on the Damariscotta River yesterday.

      1. Well wherever it ends up, I’m excited! Congratulations on your extension!!
        And I also enjoyed your side trip to Round Pond, my other home, in Musseled Out!!

  16. Have read all the series , this is great news!!!Julia’s father’s family are FROM AWAYS(the horrors0 and are treated as such!!!!Chris is estranged from the family and respects thier wishes!!!

  17. Congratulations, Barb! Such exciting news for all of us Maine Clambake fans!!! I’m so looking forward to Julia’s continuing stories and am fascinated by the elvers industry. I’ve never heard about it. You can leave me out of the contest since I’m already a lucky recipient of your tote bag 🙂

  18. So delighted to read that the Clambake series will continue! Congratulations. For some reason, I just don’t like Chris….. Anyway, I love the rest of the characters and really enjoy reading about the history and traditions of Maine. A trip to visit is on my bucket list. Again, so delighted to read that more books are on the way!!!!

  19. More of the Snowden Family Clambake series makes me very happy! I’ve just checked Nogged Off out from the library and can’t wait to read it.

  20. I always want to know if a couple will make it. Thanks for asking.

  23. Congratulations, Barb! I’m looking forward to more Maine Clambake books. I am a little disappointed we may not get the Elver book. It sounds pretty great. I like learning real world information with my fiction. 🙂

    I would like to learn more about Julia’s father’s family. 🙂

  24. Congratulations…I am so excited that the books will continue. It’s one of my favorite series. I really want to know whether Julia and Chris will make it–I hope they do. I also want to know about Chris’ family and his reluctance to talk about them.

  26. Hi. This makes me very happy! I LOVE this series! Can’t wait for the next installments. My goal is to get to a real Maine Clambake! Thanks again.

  27. So much to comment on! First, hooray on there being at least three more books in the series! This is happy news for all of us! Secondly, I had never heard of an elver before. Ever. It sounds Christmas-y. Clearly it’s not. Maybe I’m crazy, but couldn’t these elvers be paid electronically instead? I guess old habits are hard to break. And speaking of Christmas, I am dying to know about the Christmas/holiday anthology and your contribution. I know it’s only June but my son is literally at college orientation right now, and once school starts again the holidays will promptly follow. I hope summer lasts and lasts but it’s nice to know that there are good things to look forward to. 🙂

    1. Thank you so much, Amanda. Yes, I think electronic payment is coming in for the elvers, not just to cut down on the cash movement, but also as way of regulating the catch. Will be saying more about the Christmas novella soon.

  28. I am so beyond thrilled with this news. I love this series! I’m just looking forward to seeing what you tell us about these characters in these books.

  29. How exciting to see this story continue! I would love to see the extended family included again. Maybe Julia can break up with Chris and vacation on an island only to find out she has a half sister living there!

  30. Great news about the series!!! Makes me want to visit such a place!! Murders excluded of course!! Lolol

  31. Congratulations Barb! I love this series and look forward to more adventures with Julie and her friends.

  32. I love this series and am so glad to see it continue. I would love to see more of Julia’s mother’s family in upcoming books. It is always nice to find out more about families, whether Chris’ or her father’s. Whatever happens, I am sure it will be great.

  33. I haven’t read this series yet, but it sounds very interesting! Congratulations on it continuing! I can’t wait to read book 1.

  35. I’m glad we’re going to get more books! (Because it’s all about us, the readers, right? 😉 ) Congratulations!
    Elvers are rock stars and should totally feature in a book, if not a title. Ok, maybe not rock stars… but they are really neat!

  36. Congrats!! And thanks for the elver lesson, I have never heard of them 🙂

  37. Barb, I am so happy for you (and for me and all your readers)! Reading your books is like taking a vacation to Maine. My hubby and I were chuckling about how Kensington would make a cover with semi transparent creatures. A challenge for the art department.

  40. CONGRATS on the extension, Yes would love to have those questions answered.

  41. Maine and your themes have always been one of my favorites…keep them coming.

  43. I love the series, and am thrilled to hear there will be more stories to tell in it! We just have to know what is going to happen with those relatives and such!

  44. Yea, Barbara! Congratulations! We are lucky readers with more Clambake books coming. Can’t wait.

  46. Would love to read more of your books. Hope this opportunity for you keeps getting extended

  47. Congratulations Barbara on your contract! Finished reading Fogged Inn last week when it was rainy and cold all week. I picked up Iced Under and would slip it into my Snowden Family Clambake bag and head for the beach now that summer is finally here in Rhode Island.

  48. Love this series and am so glad that there will be more! I want answers to all of the questions. I do hope Chris remains in the picture!

  50. I am so excited the series is being extended, congratulations! I love this series so much that I convinced my husband to plan a vacation to Maine and go to Cabbage Island Clambake, based on your recommendation from the book. For a girl from Arizona, this was quite the treat and made for a really fun vacation. I am the most interested in what will happen to Chris and Julia, what exactly Chris is really hiding (or is he) with his family and perhaps even his past, and will Windsholme be rebuilt. Oddly enough, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to where Julia’s father’s family is, but now it has got me to thinking. I purchased Eggnog Murder last year because of your novella in it so I am excited for another novella, it was such a nice read on a Sunday afternoon. Here’s to many more books in the series!

    1. I love reading novella’s curled up by the fire on a Sunday afternoon, too! I’m so glad you enjoyed your visit to Maine and the Cabbage Island Clambake.

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