Welcome Guest Holly Quinn

Sherry Harris

6 years ago

Yvonne is the winner of Holly’s book! Look for an email from Holly.

Welcome Holly this is Holly’s debut book in her Handcrafted mystery series! Holly is giving away a copy (US only) to someone who leaves a comment! Here’s a bit about the book:

Sammy Kane just moved back to her hometown to run a craft store. But when the owner of a nearby yarn shop is murdered, Sammy will needle little help finding the killer.

When a heartbroken Samantha “Sammy” Kane returns to her hometown of Heartsford, WI, for her best friend Kate’s funeral, she learns that Kate’s much-loved craft store is in danger of perishing with its owner. Confounding all her expectations of the life she would live, Sammy moves back home with her golden retriever and takes over Community Craft. A few doors down Main Street, fellow new arrival Ingrid Wilson has just opened the Yarn Barn, a real “purl” of a shop. But when Sammy strolls over to see if Ingrid could use a little help, she finds Ingrid’s dead body―with a green aluminum knitting needle lodged in her throat.

Detective Liam Nash is thrown for a loop as every single citizen of Heartsford seems to have a theory about Ingrid’s murder. And nearly everyone in town seems to be a suspect. But the last time Sammy did any sleuthing was as a little moppet. And this is not fun and games. Sammy is eager to help the handsome Liam―who seems to be endlessly inventive in finding reasons to talk with her―and when Liam arrests affable woodworker Miles Danbury, Sammy puts everything on the line to help clear Miles.

As the case comes dangerously close to unraveling, Sammy must stitch the clues together. But the killer has other plans―and if Sammy’s not careful, she may wind up in a perilous knot in A Crafter Knits a Clue, the first warm and woolly yarn of Holly Quinn’s new Handcrafted mysteries. For fans of Betty Hechtman and Maggie Sefton, the latest craft frenzy is Holly Quinn’s Handcrafted series debut.

I consider it an honor and a privilege to share on this particular blog because I too am a fellow New Englandah! Not to mention, a huge fan of the Wicked Cozy Author’s. I’m giddy as I literally feel the camaraderie of hanging out with wicked cool new friends. It’s like that feeling I get when I land at Logan Airport and I hear the familiar accent that instantly brings a smile to my lips and makes me feel like I’m “home.” So today, I feel like my airplane just safely landed.

I was born and raised in Massachusetts and spent many lazy summer days at my Aunt and Uncle’s grand estate in York Harbor, Maine. My sweet relatives have long since passed, but the memories of visiting them are as vivid as if they happened yesterday. I recall walks along the cliff walk with their golden retriever, the salty-kelp air, picnics on the beach, and sand covered toes. So today, in honor of my New England roots, I share with you the only character in my new Handcrafted Mystery series that is completely based on reality, right down to the name…Sammy Kane’s golden retriever, Bara.

I didn’t own a pet growing up as my parents wouldn’t allow it, so Bara was the only dog in my life. My Uncle Jerry would attach his leash, hand me the reins, and together we would walk him down to the cliff walk. Once onto the rocks, he’d toss a stick out to sea where Bara would gladly jump into the icy water and return victoriously with the prize in his mouth. Bara would then hurdle the sticks back to where we stood and shake his fur to soak us until we laughed.

I haven’t shared this behind the scenes with anyone… until now. I’m going to share an even deeper secret. Every time I type the word Bara while working on this series, I smile as memories come flooding back like a tidal wave. I suppose this is the reason the rest of my characters are completely fictional. When I write about an animal that was so personal and close to my heart, I’m boomeranged back to my childhood and it takes my breath away. Because I not only think of him—but of his owners who I love and miss dearly.

I now reside in Wisconsin where my new Handcrafted Mystery Series was born. And I wonder…will I ever have a golden retriever? Or will I just write about one? For now, I keep his memory alive on the page. An imprint on my heart that is forever.

Readers: Do you have a pet that evokes special childhood memories?

Holly Quinn has published two stand-alone fiction novels in another persona. She graduated from Carroll University in Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science in business and a minor in marketing. This is her first Handcrafted mystery.