Murder at First Sight

When a good deed might lead to murder…

Coerced into posing as a seer at her small town’s spring fair, barista and aspiring artist Amelia Wethers dives into the dramatic role, comforting herself that it’s only a few hours and then she can indulge in sweet and savory snacks. When the wealthy and snarky Summer Foster swans into her tent inquiring about the expected success of her swanky summer party, Amelia’s not prepared for the crystal ball to fill with smoke and reveal the shockingly violent murder of Summer’s husband.

Amelia grapples with skepticism, anger, and scorn as she tries to warn wealthy scion Phillip Foster that he’s a target for murder in a few weeks. Discovering she’s descended from a long line of psychics complicates Amelia’s investigation, especially when the town’s newest and distressingly handsome homicide detective dogs her every step and suspects her of murder.

It’s a race to the finish, and Amelia will do anything—including pre-dawn hot yoga, adopting her brother’s feral ferrets, missing dessert, setting herself up as bait and making a fool of herself—to stalk a killer.

Before the Devil Knows

Sometimes it’s not the devil you know…

When the disfigured body of a missing teenager is found in an unmarked grave in northern Maine, FBI agent Gus Wheeler and his partner arrive to investigate. They discover a second grave, but these remains are so badly burned, identification proves difficult. Yet the two bodies have something strange in common: a large lead cross laid upon each chest.

The locals are uncooperative, and the rural law enforcement is two steps behind. Enlisting help from a theology and biblical studies expert, they discover the murders are lifted straight from ancient scripture and the burials consistent with an archaic religious practice. Connecting the victims to a specific church adhering to a strict doctrine of the Old Testament creates more confusion than clarity.

As the investigation widens, the agents face threats and suspicion. Then someone inside the church begins leaving them clues, but are they friend or foe? With time running out, Gus must determine if their secret guide is leading them toward the answers or deeper into an underworld of twisted dogma and ancient rituals.

First up, Happy Canada Day to all Canadians near and far!

When I told people I had written a book that was going to be published, I got a lot of “What’s it about?”.

The synopsis I gave them:

“A woman is coerced into pretending to be a psychic at a school fair. While she’s giving a reading, the crystal ball fills with smoke, and she sees a murder. GASP! (And yes, gasp was said very loudly) No one believes her, so she has to find a way to prove that the murder is going to happen and stop it before it does. She eats a lot, and there are ferrets. It’s a fun, silly, escapism read.”

Murder at First Sight is the first book in the series Suddenly Psychic, and I hope readers will laugh at the jokes, enjoy spending time in the town, and fall in love with the characters the way I did while writing them.

I come from a background where I always dreamed of being an author but never thought it could happen. I’d start writing, life would get in the way, and I’d forget how much I enjoyed it while I scrambled to adult. Work, responsibilities, and all the everyday things took center stage. Then COVID happened, and I finally had time to sit down and write.

Today is the day a lifelong dream became a reality. And it is…

Overwhelming.

That’s what this feels like.

I am the shy lurker in online writing groups, learning from other writers’ expertise but never brave enough to share or ask questions. I didn’t take any writing classes beyond the mandatory ones in school. I didn’t have a carefully mapped-out publishing plan or years of industry knowledge. I just like to write the stories that swirl around in my head.

And yet, here I am, writing a blog post about a book that was released today.

Mind. Blowing.

(For anyone who dreams of being a published author, it can and does happen!)

I originally wrote Murder at First Sight because it made me laugh. It’s a funny, happy, “I want to live in that town” kind of read. During COVID, I needed an outlet that brought some lightness into my world when everything felt so heavy. Writing Murder at First Sight gave me somewhere to escape where I would sit at my desk and giggle as Amelia would do something ridiculous.

What I didn’t realize were all the intricacies of being an author. The aspect I fret and stress over most is the self-promotion. I am terrible at that. The hours I have spent trying to come up with clever social media posts, only to delete them and start over. Putting myself out there and hoping people connect with something I created is so far out of my comfort zone.

I’m an introvert who spends hours replaying conversations in my head, convincing myself that whatever I said should have been cleverer, wittier, or maybe just have been said out loud, instead of in my head.

So, today is also very scary. Something I wrote is out there in the world for people to read. And judge.

But, though these emotions, the one that stands out as the strongest is excitement. Later this afternoon, I will be dancing in the park celebrating Canada Day (AKA Murder at First Sight Day 😉 ) and telling everyone I see that I have a book out there in the world! Today feels incredible.

About the Author

JP writes cozy mysteries with quirky characters that make her laugh when they disagree with the laid-out plans for their story and take her on a different path. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada, and hates the cold weather but loves the winter months because they’re a great excuse to hibernate with a cup of tea or a glass of red wine. When she’s not writing or reading, she spends her summers in the garden and her winters plotting how to win her neighbourhood Christmas display competition. They don’t know it’s a competition, but she plays to win nonetheless.

You can also connect with her on Bluesky.