What's on Your Summer Reading List?

What is on your summer reading list?

Last month, I asked my newsletter readers what was on their list for their summer reading. These are in no particular order, but I think it’s going to take me longer than just the summer to get through all the great suggestions.

• The Lumber Baron's Wife by Lynn Austin

• The Bookshop of 99 Doors by Jaime Jo Wright

• Murder Local Style by Leslie Karst

• Murder Plays Second Fiddle by Heather Weidner (Squee!)

• Circle of Influence by Annette Dashofy

• The Boat House

• Pretty Beach

• Palm Beach Rogues

• Cleo Dang Would Rather be Dead by Mai Nguyen

• 26 Beauties: A Women’s Murder Club by James Patterson (Several people chose this.)

• Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

• Shipwrecked Faith by Danielle Grandinetti

• The Well-Placed Lie by Kari Lee Townsend

• Brighter Than Before by Courtney Walsh

• Jessie’s Girl by Lauren Biel

• The Aloha Lagoon series

• Echoes of Memory by Sara Driscoll

• Summer State of Mind by Kristy Woodson Harvey

• The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick

• The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick

• All That Lies Beneath by D. L. Wood

• A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

• Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

• Harsh Winters by John Randall

• Our Secret Summer by R. S. Grey

• The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott by Kelly O'Connor McNees.

• Whiskey Business by Adrian Andover

• The Summer List by Amy Mason Doan

• Tabby Trouble by Emmie Lyn

• Our Italian Summer by Jennifer Probst

• Secret Lives and Private Eyes by Heather Weidner (Squeee again!)

• Last To Fall by Lynn H. Blackburn

• Clawed and Dangerous by Rita Mae Brown (more than one person recommended this)

• The Most Mysterious Bookshop in Paris by Mark Pryor

• Denise Grover Swank’s books

• Abigail Keam’s books

• A Deadly Episode by Anthony Horowitz

• M. C. Beaton’s books

• Ellen Riggs’ Bought the Farm Mysteries

• Knight’s Storm by Katie Reus

• A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

• Outliers: Team Two by S. A. Hoag

• Knight’s Obsession by Katie Reus

• Teddy Bears and Ghostly Lairs by Heather Weidner (Squeeee!)

• Phaedra Patrick’s books

• D. L. Woods’ books

• Freida McFadden’s books

• City Hall by Bentley Little

• Revival by Stephen King

• Ghost Camera by Darcy Coates

• Memory Man by David Baldacci

• The Library of Amorlin by Kalyn Josephson

• Soulgazer by Maggie Rapier

Keeping Track of Your Book Details

I write four series, and I am often asked to provide details about the different books. I have to have a way to keep this all organized. Here’s what I do:

• I keep (and backup) a Word file for each series that includes each book’s ISBN and buy links from a variety of different booksellers.

• I have an electronic folder with the artwork for each book’s cover. I keep subfolders with copies of the marketing graphics that I use.

• For details about me, I have a Word document with a standard small, medium, and large biography. I also have a list in this document of the links to my social media sites.

• For the details of each series, I keep an Excel spreadsheet that has a column for each book. I list details for each character and what books they appear in.

• And finally, I keep a Word document for each series that lists blurbs and reviews by book. If I ever need a pull quote, I have my choice.

What helps you stay organized with your writing materials?

Heather's Favorite Books of 2025

Here are my favorite reads this year in no particular order…

Favorite Cozies:

• Vice and Virtue by Libby Klein

• Chocolate Can Be Deadly by Kim Davis

• Welcome Home to Murder by Rosalie Spielman

• Basket Case by Nancy Haddock

• A Plus One for Murder by Laura Bradford

• A Fatal Feast at Bramsford Manor by Darci Hannah

• Mousse and Murder by Elizabth Logan

• Axe Me No Questions by Paula Charles

• Whiskey Business by Adrian Andover

• The Jig is up by Lisa Q. Mathews

• A Zappy Little Christmas by Paula Charles

• Paint the Town Dead by Nancy Haddock

Favorite Suspense and Thrillers:

• The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown

• King of Ashes by S. A. Cosby

• The Pharaoh’s Tomb by LynDee Walker and Bruce Coffin

• The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

Favorite Historical Mysteries:

• Harry Houdini Mysteries: The Dime Museum Murders

• Disco Dead by Marcia Talley

Favorite Police Procedural:

• Hidden in Smoke by Lee Goldberg

Favorite Nonfiction:

• Heaven Help Us: How Faith Communities Inspire Hope, Strengthen Neighborhoods, and Build the Future by John Kasich

What were your favorites this year?

Use Your Books to Generate Ideas for Social Media, Blogs, and Events

Use your books to help you generate ideas for social media and blog posts and events.

Do some brainstorming. Make a list of 10 or 15 words that relate to topics and subthemes in your stories. Think about:

• Settings/Locations

• Hobbies

• Your Character’s Job

• Music

• Popular Culture

Examples from my Series:

• Delanie Fitzgerald: Sassy Private Eye, Richmond, Computer Hacker, English Bulldog, Sears Catalog Houses

• Jules Keene: Glamping, Blue Ridge Mountains, Vintage Trailers, Jack Russell Terrier

• Jade Hicks: Beach Town, Christmas Shop, French Bulldog, Tuxedo Cat

• Cassidy Jamison: Event Planner, Blue Ridge Mountains, Chihuahua, Music, Honky Tonk, Cave, Serenity Garden

Then create social media and blog posts that highlight these. Look for groups and hashtags on social media that are similar and follow people with similar interests.

Connect to a “holiday.” There are lots of online calendars that show all kinds of holidays for any occasion or celebration (e.g. Taco Day, Chocolate Lovers’ Day, Dog Lovers’ Day). Target posts for these special days and highlight your book.

You can use your list to come up with some creative book signings. I was part of a wine-themed anthology, and we scheduled signings and readings at wineries all across our area. There are all kinds of places and small businesses that may work with you to do a signing or to sell your books. Think beyond bookstores, libraries, and conferences.

What would you add to my list?

What's in A Name? Titles for Books

I’ve been asked a few times over the years about how to title a book or what I should name a book. Here are some things that work for me.

Know How It Works - If you are traditionally published, the publisher has the final say on the title. I have always had to provide the working titles of the books in the initial proposal, and I’ve been fortunate that they have agreed with my choices.

Books can have the same title. You may want to Google your title ideas to see what other books have the same name. If they are in different genres, you may not want folks to confuse them.

Themes - I primarily write cozy mysteries. We like puns and things that are related.

The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries all have rhyming titles with a hint about the crime. Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers, Film Crews and Rendezvous, Christmas Lights and Cat Fights, Deadlines and Valentines, Teddy Bears and Ghostly Lairs, Hazardous Links and Hijinks

The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries are have nursery rhymes that have gone bad in some way. Sticks and Stones and a Bag of Bones, Twinkle Twinkle Au Revoir, A Tisket A Tasket Not Another Casket, Life is But a Scream, Down Came the Rain and Washed the Body Out, One Two Buckle My Blue Suede Shoes

The Pearly Girls Mysteries all have a musical theme that ties into the history of the property in the series. Murder Strikes a Chord, Murder Plays Second Fiddle, Murder Whets Its Whistle

Double (or Triple Meanings) - The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, The Pearly Girls Mysteries, and all of my short stories hold a hint about the story and the crime. Here are some examples from my short stories.

• “Washed up”

• “Spring Cleaning”

• “Par for the Course”

• “Art Attack”

• “Derailed”

• “Out of Commission”

• “Dead over Heels”

• “Game Over”

What Have You Been Reading This Summer?

What have you been reading this summer? My reads have been a mix of cozy mystery and suspense.

I really love Kim Davis’s Cupcake Catering Mysteries. What a fun series!

Marcia Talley’s Disco Dead is a great read that focuses on forensic genealogy to solve a gruesome murder from the 1970s.

I’m going back and reading the Jack Reacher novels that I missed for some reason. Nothing to Lose is an early one. And Lee Goldberg’s Hidden in Smoke is a chock full of action and suspense.

I had the pleasure of reading two, fun ARCs (Advanced Review Copies) for Michelle Bennington’s Killer Cache and J. Kent Holloway. Both mysteries that will be out soon. Michelle’s is about an amateur sleuth who is a hoarder, and J. Kent’s is about a magical holiday place.

Reading - Why It's Important for Writers

I was always that kid who got excited when the teacher gave us free reading time. Reading has always been a way for me to relax and to escape into other worlds and a chance to solve a mystery.

Reading, especially your genre, is also important to writers. And here’s why:

• If you want to go the traditional publishing route, you need to know what is out there. It’s always good to have an idea where your book fits.

• If you are querying publishers, look at the publishers/imprints and see what genres and subgenres they are publishing.

• If you are querying agents, check out the author’s notes or the acknowledgments to see who represents them. If it matches your genre, add them to your list to research.

• Reading builds vocabulary and exposes you to literary techniques and styles.

• When I decided to write a cozy mystery, I spent almost a year reading every cozy I could get my hands on. I took note of themes, types of sleuths, locations, the voice (first or third person), the tense the story is written in, and the major/minor characters.

• Follow authors and publishers that catch your eye. Sign up for newsletters to see what’s new and releasing next.

• Follow book bloggers, podcasters, and book reviewers on social media and see what they are reviewing.

• Reading is research.

What would you add to my list?

What Are You Reading This Summer?

What have you added to your summer reading list? I’m always looking for recommendations, especially new to me mystery series. Here’s what I’ve been reading lately.

I recently discovered Laura Bradford’s series. She has sleuths with unusual jobs and lives. These are fun reads to add to your beach bag. Also check out Lisa Q. Matthews and Darci Hannah. They have a bunch of quirky characters who get themselves into all kinds of tricky situations.

Diane Kelly’s series are always a must read, and her latest, Dead Post Society, will not disappoint.

And you need to check out Michael Rigg’s debut mystery, Voices of the Elysian Fields. It’s a medical thriller set in New Orleans.

Who are your favorite new reads?