Tag Archives: newfoundland

It’s Here!!! Canadian Book Release: A Tangled Web

Cover pic 2

Mike Martin and Baico Publishing are pleased to announce the Canadian release of

A Tangled Web, the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery. This book follows the highly successful last book in the series, A Long Ways from Home, which was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Award as one of the best light mysteries of the year. It is available for order from Indigo Chapters and from a few select bookstores like Books on Beechwood in Ottawa. And it will soon be available in book stores all across the country!!

Here is the link to order from Indigo Chapters

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-tangled-web/9781772161175-item.html?ikwid=a+tangled+web%2c+mike+martin&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0

 

There will be a separate American and international publication of A Tangled Web. It will also be available very soon in all e-book formats and through Amazon all over the world as well as through other online and retail book sellers

“Life is good for Sgt. Windflower in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. But something’s missing from the Mountie’s life. Actually, a lot of things go missing in Grand Bank: a little girl, supplies from the new factory, even some of his people. It’s Windflower’s job to unravel the tangled web that threatens to engulf this sleepy little town. But there’s always good food and good friends and the love of a great woman to make everything better at the end. Come back to Grand Bank and enjoy some of that for yourself.”

 

Book Launch October 4, 2017

A Tangled Web will be officially launched at our favourite independent bookstore, Books on Beechwood in Ottawa. There will be food and fun including cake!!

Come Celebrate the Launch of the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery

A Tangled Web

6:30-8:00 pm Wednesday October 4, 2017

Books on Beechwood

35 Beechwood Ave

There will be Cake!!

 

Bouchercon Panel October 12, 2017

Bouchercon is the world’s largest mystery conference. Thousands of people will be flooding into the Sheraton Centre in Toronto Oct 12-16, 2017 to attend this premiere event. I will be participating on a panel on Thursday, October 12. The name of the panel is Coastal Crimes and it is described as: “How does living on the water’s edge drive crime?” The panel runs from 4:00 to 5:00 in the Sheraton A room and I will be signing books afterwards in book/dealer room (Osgoode).

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

 

 

 

Coming Soon: A Tangled Web Sneak Preview

 

 Cover pic 2

A Tangled Web, the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery is coming soon. Publication date for Canada with Baico Publishing is Sept 22. In the United States it will be published by Booklocker on September 25.

Sneak Preview

Here’s an excerpt from A Tangled Web

“Life doesn’t get much better than this,” said Winston Windflower. The Mountie looked over at his collie, Lady, who wagged her tail at the sound of his voice. If dogs could smile, she smiled back. His world was almost perfect. He had the love of a great woman and a good job as a Sergeant in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrolling one of the lowest crime regions in the country. Plus, the weather had been mild so far, at least for Newfoundland in early December, and that meant no snowstorms with forced overnighters at the detachment. Life was very good indeed.

He had good friends, including Lady, who was amongst the best of them. And he had a child on the way. His wife, Sheila Hillier, was pregnant and at the clinic for her three-month checkup. He was waiting to hear how both Sheila and the baby were doing. His Auntie Marie had told him the baby was a girl, and if anyone knew about these things, it was his Auntie. She was a dream weaver, an interpreter of not just dreams but of messages from the spirit world. Windflower had recently spent a week with her and his Uncle Frank, another dream weaver, to learn more about the dream world.

Interpreting dreams was part of his family’s tradition. But it was an imperfect tool that gave information, not always answers. Perhaps the most important thing he learned was that dreams do not predict the future. Instead, as his Auntie told him, “Dreams tell us about our past, what has already happened. They also point to actions we should take if we want to get the right result in the future and to the signs all around us that we need to follow.”

Windflower was contemplating that piece of wisdom when he noticed a very distraught woman get out of her car outside the RCMP detachment in Grand Bank. She ran towards the front door. He walked out to meet her, but the administrative assistant, Betsy Molloy, beat him to it.

“There, there now, Molly. What’s goin’ on?” asked Betsy as she put her arms around the other woman and guided her to a seat in the reception area.

“It’s Sarah, she’s gone,” said the other woman between sobs. “I told her to stay close by the house where I could see her. I went out back to put the wash on the line. When I came in, she was gone.”

“Okay, Mrs. Quinlan,” said Windflower as he knelt down beside the two women. “How old is Sarah?” He didn’t really need to know how old the girl was. He wanted to help the mother calm down so she could give them as much information as possible.

“She’s going to be six next month,” said Molly Quinlan. “She’s growing up so fast. But she’s still such a little girl. And now I’ve lost her. Brent is going to kill me.” She started sobbing again.

“What was she wearing so that we can help find her?” asked Windflower, trying to get information but also trying to help Molly Quinlan feel useful.

The woman stopped crying and said her daughter was wearing jeans and a favourite t-shirt. “It was pink and had sparkles. She said it made her feel like she was a princess. And she had her light blue jacket on with a hood.”

Windflower smiled. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon. But let’s go over to where you last saw her, and we’ll start looking. She can’t have gone far. Leave your car here, and come with me. I’ll drive you over.” The woman smiled weakly at Windflower through her tears and allowed him to take her arm and guide her to his Jeep outside the door.

He returned inside to give directions to Betsy. “Get Constable Smithson in here. I’ll call Frost and get him to come in from his rounds.”

Betsy nodded her agreement, and Windflower went outside to drive Molly Quinlan home.

Meanwhile, it turns out, Sarah Quinlan was fine, perfectly fine. She had wandered a little way from home in the centre of town. She was going to go down to the nearby brook to feed the ducks. She knew better than to go into the water, but she couldn’t see any reason why she couldn’t just look. She’d done it before, and nobody seemed to mind. As long as she didn’t stay away too long, everything was okay.

Sarah had that great fearless attitude of a child who grew up in a small and very safe community. She knew most of her neighbours, and they all watched out for her. She also had the natural curiosity of little children, especially when she saw something new. The truck parked on the roadway above the brook was new, so Sarah went to take a closer look. Even better, the back door of the truck was open, and there was a ramp leading inside. This was certainly worth a closer inspection.

Sarah Quinlan was having fun exploring the back of the large truck when she heard a loud, rumbling noise. She didn’t know it, but the driver had started the engine. It was so loud, and Sarah was so frightened by it, she froze. The next thing she remembered was everything going almost completely black and the back door of the truck slamming shut. She cried out, but by then it was too late. Seconds later she, the truck and the unsuspecting driver were barrelling out of town and onto the highway.

Windflower drove Molly Quinlan to her house and got her to show him where Sarah had been playing. Together they walked through the house to see if the little girl had come home and hidden there. But no such luck. While they were searching the house, they were joined by two of Quinlan’s neighbours who took over Molly’s care and made her a cup of tea. Soon afterwards Constable Harry Frost arrived from his highway patrol.

Windflower gave him a quick update and directed him to go to one end of town to start the search. He would begin the house-to-house search through the neighbourhood when Smithson showed up.

He first checked out back and looked in the storage shed, a favourite hiding place of every little kid and probably where Windflower himself would have taken refuge. But Sarah was not there. As he went to the front of the house, Constable Rick Smithson showed up.

“Afternoon, Boss,” said Smithson. “Any sign of her yet?”

Windflower shook his head. “Frost is doing the big circle search. You and I will start the door-to-door. Ask them if they saw the girl this afternoon. I’ll start from here. You go down to the brook, and work your way up.”

Smithson returned to his cruiser and sped off. Windflower wasn’t worried. Yet. But he knew that the first few hours were crucial in finding a missing child. If they didn’t, then it was almost always something more serious. Not time to panic, but no time to waste. He walked up to the first door and knocked.

 

Book Launch October 4, 2017

A Tangled Web will be officially launched at our favourite independent bookstore, Books on Beechwood. There will be food and fun and a surprise. The surprise is so secret that we don’t even know what it is ourselves yet. Stay tuned for more news about the book launch as we get nearer to the date.

 

Bouchercon Panel October 12, 2017

Bouchercon is the world’s largest mystery conference. Thousands of people will be flooding into the Sheraton Centre in Toronto Oct 12-16, 2017 to attend this premiere event. I will be participating on a panel on Thursday, October 12. The name of the panel is Coastal Crimes and it is described as: “How does living on the water’s edge drive crime?” The panel runs from 4:00 to 5:00 in the Sheraton A room and I will be signing books afterwards in book/dealer room (Osgoode).

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

Coming Soon: A Tangled Web Sneak Preview

New Sgt. Windflower Mystery

 

A Tangled Web, the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery is coming soon. Publication date for Canada with Baico Publishing is Sept 22. In the United States it will be published by Booklocker on September 25.

 

Sneak Preview

 

Here’s an excerpt from A Tangled Web

 

“Life doesn’t get much better than this,” said Winston Windflower. The Mountie looked over at his collie, Lady, who wagged her tail at the sound of his voice. If dogs could smile, she smiled back. His world was almost perfect. He had the love of a great woman and a good job as a Sergeant in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrolling one of the lowest crime regions in the country. Plus, the weather had been mild so far, at least for Newfoundland in early December, and that meant no snowstorms with forced overnighters at the detachment. Life was very good indeed.

He had good friends, including Lady, who was amongst the best of them. And he had a child on the way. His wife, Sheila Hillier, was pregnant and at the clinic for her three-month checkup. He was waiting to hear how both Sheila and the baby were doing. His Auntie Marie had told him the baby was a girl, and if anyone knew about these things, it was his Auntie. She was a dream weaver, an interpreter of not just dreams but of messages from the spirit world. Windflower had recently spent a week with her and his Uncle Frank, another dream weaver, to learn more about the dream world.

Interpreting dreams was part of his family’s tradition. But it was an imperfect tool that gave information, not always answers. Perhaps the most important thing he learned was that dreams do not predict the future. Instead, as his Auntie told him, “Dreams tell us about our past, what has already happened. They also point to actions we should take if we want to get the right result in the future and to the signs all around us that we need to follow.”

Windflower was contemplating that piece of wisdom when he noticed a very distraught woman get out of her car outside the RCMP detachment in Grand Bank. She ran towards the front door. He walked out to meet her, but the administrative assistant, Betsy Molloy, beat him to it.

“There, there now, Molly. What’s goin’ on?” asked Betsy as she put her arms around the other woman and guided her to a seat in the reception area.

“It’s Sarah, she’s gone,” said the other woman between sobs. “I told her to stay close by the house where I could see her. I went out back to put the wash on the line. When I came in, she was gone.”

“Okay, Mrs. Quinlan,” said Windflower as he knelt down beside the two women. “How old is Sarah?” He didn’t really need to know how old the girl was. He wanted to help the mother calm down so she could give them as much information as possible.

“She’s going to be six next month,” said Molly Quinlan. “She’s growing up so fast. But she’s still such a little girl. And now I’ve lost her. Brent is going to kill me.” She started sobbing again.

“What was she wearing so that we can help find her?” asked Windflower, trying to get information but also trying to help Molly Quinlan feel useful.

The woman stopped crying and said her daughter was wearing jeans and a favourite t-shirt. “It was pink and had sparkles. She said it made her feel like she was a princess. And she had her light blue jacket on with a hood.”

Windflower smiled. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon. But let’s go over to where you last saw her, and we’ll start looking. She can’t have gone far. Leave your car here, and come with me. I’ll drive you over.” The woman smiled weakly at Windflower through her tears and allowed him to take her arm and guide her to his Jeep outside the door.

He returned inside to give directions to Betsy. “Get Constable Smithson in here. I’ll call Frost and get him to come in from his rounds.”

Betsy nodded her agreement, and Windflower went outside to drive Molly Quinlan home.

Meanwhile, it turns out, Sarah Quinlan was fine, perfectly fine. She had wandered a little way from home in the centre of town. She was going to go down to the nearby brook to feed the ducks. She knew better than to go into the water, but she couldn’t see any reason why she couldn’t just look. She’d done it before, and nobody seemed to mind. As long as she didn’t stay away too long, everything was okay.

Sarah had that great fearless attitude of a child who grew up in a small and very safe community. She knew most of her neighbours, and they all watched out for her. She also had the natural curiosity of little children, especially when she saw something new. The truck parked on the roadway above the brook was new, so Sarah went to take a closer look. Even better, the back door of the truck was open, and there was a ramp leading inside. This was certainly worth a closer inspection.

Sarah Quinlan was having fun exploring the back of the large truck when she heard a loud, rumbling noise. She didn’t know it, but the driver had started the engine. It was so loud, and Sarah was so frightened by it, she froze. The next thing she remembered was everything going almost completely black and the back door of the truck slamming shut. She cried out, but by then it was too late. Seconds later she, the truck and the unsuspecting driver were barrelling out of town and onto the highway.

Windflower drove Molly Quinlan to her house and got her to show him where Sarah had been playing. Together they walked through the house to see if the little girl had come home and hidden there. But no such luck. While they were searching the house, they were joined by two of Quinlan’s neighbours who took over Molly’s care and made her a cup of tea. Soon afterwards Constable Harry Frost arrived from his highway patrol.

Windflower gave him a quick update and directed him to go to one end of town to start the search. He would begin the house-to-house search through the neighbourhood when Smithson showed up.

He first checked out back and looked in the storage shed, a favourite hiding place of every little kid and probably where Windflower himself would have taken refuge. But Sarah was not there. As he went to the front of the house, Constable Rick Smithson showed up.

“Afternoon, Boss,” said Smithson. “Any sign of her yet?”

Windflower shook his head. “Frost is doing the big circle search. You and I will start the door-to-door. Ask them if they saw the girl this afternoon. I’ll start from here. You go down to the brook, and work your way up.”

Smithson returned to his cruiser and sped off. Windflower wasn’t worried. Yet. But he knew that the first few hours were crucial in finding a missing child. If they didn’t, then it was almost always something more serious. Not time to panic, but no time to waste. He walked up to the first door and knocked.

 

Book Launch October 4, 2017

A Tangled Web will be officially launched at our favourite independent bookstore, Books on Beechwood. There will be food and fun and a surprise. The surprise is so secret that we don’t even know what it is ourselves yet. Stay tuned for more news about the book launch as we get nearer to the date.

 

Bouchercon Panel October 12, 2017

Bouchercon is the world’s largest mystery conference. Thousands of people will be flooding into the Sheraton Centre in Toronto Oct 12-16, 2017 to attend this premiere event. I will be participating on a panel on Thursday, October 12. The name of the panel is Coastal Crimes and it is described as: “How does living on the water’s edge drive crime?” The panel runs from 4:00 to 5:00 in the Sheraton A room and I will be signing books afterwards in book/dealer room (Osgoode).

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

Coming Soon: A Tangled Web Sneak Preview

New Sgt. Windflower Mystery

 

A Tangled Web, the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery is coming soon. Publication date for Canada with Baico Publishing is Sept 22. In the United States it will be published by Booklocker on September 25.

 

Sneak Preview

 

Here’s an excerpt from A Tangled Web

 

“Life doesn’t get much better than this,” said Winston Windflower. The Mountie looked over at his collie, Lady, who wagged her tail at the sound of his voice. If dogs could smile, she smiled back. His world was almost perfect. He had the love of a great woman and a good job as a Sergeant in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrolling one of the lowest crime regions in the country. Plus, the weather had been mild so far, at least for Newfoundland in early December, and that meant no snowstorms with forced overnighters at the detachment. Life was very good indeed.

He had good friends, including Lady, who was amongst the best of them. And he had a child on the way. His wife, Sheila Hillier, was pregnant and at the clinic for her three-month checkup. He was waiting to hear how both Sheila and the baby were doing. His Auntie Marie had told him the baby was a girl, and if anyone knew about these things, it was his Auntie. She was a dream weaver, an interpreter of not just dreams but of messages from the spirit world. Windflower had recently spent a week with her and his Uncle Frank, another dream weaver, to learn more about the dream world.

Interpreting dreams was part of his family’s tradition. But it was an imperfect tool that gave information, not always answers. Perhaps the most important thing he learned was that dreams do not predict the future. Instead, as his Auntie told him, “Dreams tell us about our past, what has already happened. They also point to actions we should take if we want to get the right result in the future and to the signs all around us that we need to follow.”

Windflower was contemplating that piece of wisdom when he noticed a very distraught woman get out of her car outside the RCMP detachment in Grand Bank. She ran towards the front door. He walked out to meet her, but the administrative assistant, Betsy Molloy, beat him to it.

“There, there now, Molly. What’s goin’ on?” asked Betsy as she put her arms around the other woman and guided her to a seat in the reception area.

“It’s Sarah, she’s gone,” said the other woman between sobs. “I told her to stay close by the house where I could see her. I went out back to put the wash on the line. When I came in, she was gone.”

“Okay, Mrs. Quinlan,” said Windflower as he knelt down beside the two women. “How old is Sarah?” He didn’t really need to know how old the girl was. He wanted to help the mother calm down so she could give them as much information as possible.

“She’s going to be six next month,” said Molly Quinlan. “She’s growing up so fast. But she’s still such a little girl. And now I’ve lost her. Brent is going to kill me.” She started sobbing again.

“What was she wearing so that we can help find her?” asked Windflower, trying to get information but also trying to help Molly Quinlan feel useful.

The woman stopped crying and said her daughter was wearing jeans and a favourite t-shirt. “It was pink and had sparkles. She said it made her feel like she was a princess. And she had her light blue jacket on with a hood.”

Windflower smiled. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon. But let’s go over to where you last saw her, and we’ll start looking. She can’t have gone far. Leave your car here, and come with me. I’ll drive you over.” The woman smiled weakly at Windflower through her tears and allowed him to take her arm and guide her to his Jeep outside the door.

He returned inside to give directions to Betsy. “Get Constable Smithson in here. I’ll call Frost and get him to come in from his rounds.”

Betsy nodded her agreement, and Windflower went outside to drive Molly Quinlan home.

Meanwhile, it turns out, Sarah Quinlan was fine, perfectly fine. She had wandered a little way from home in the centre of town. She was going to go down to the nearby brook to feed the ducks. She knew better than to go into the water, but she couldn’t see any reason why she couldn’t just look. She’d done it before, and nobody seemed to mind. As long as she didn’t stay away too long, everything was okay.

Sarah had that great fearless attitude of a child who grew up in a small and very safe community. She knew most of her neighbours, and they all watched out for her. She also had the natural curiosity of little children, especially when she saw something new. The truck parked on the roadway above the brook was new, so Sarah went to take a closer look. Even better, the back door of the truck was open, and there was a ramp leading inside. This was certainly worth a closer inspection.

Sarah Quinlan was having fun exploring the back of the large truck when she heard a loud, rumbling noise. She didn’t know it, but the driver had started the engine. It was so loud, and Sarah was so frightened by it, she froze. The next thing she remembered was everything going almost completely black and the back door of the truck slamming shut. She cried out, but by then it was too late. Seconds later she, the truck and the unsuspecting driver were barrelling out of town and onto the highway.

Windflower drove Molly Quinlan to her house and got her to show him where Sarah had been playing. Together they walked through the house to see if the little girl had come home and hidden there. But no such luck. While they were searching the house, they were joined by two of Quinlan’s neighbours who took over Molly’s care and made her a cup of tea. Soon afterwards Constable Harry Frost arrived from his highway patrol.

Windflower gave him a quick update and directed him to go to one end of town to start the search. He would begin the house-to-house search through the neighbourhood when Smithson showed up.

He first checked out back and looked in the storage shed, a favourite hiding place of every little kid and probably where Windflower himself would have taken refuge. But Sarah was not there. As he went to the front of the house, Constable Rick Smithson showed up.

“Afternoon, Boss,” said Smithson. “Any sign of her yet?”

Windflower shook his head. “Frost is doing the big circle search. You and I will start the door-to-door. Ask them if they saw the girl this afternoon. I’ll start from here. You go down to the brook, and work your way up.”

Smithson returned to his cruiser and sped off. Windflower wasn’t worried. Yet. But he knew that the first few hours were crucial in finding a missing child. If they didn’t, then it was almost always something more serious. Not time to panic, but no time to waste. He walked up to the first door and knocked.

 

Book Launch October 4, 2017

A Tangled Web will be officially launched at our favourite independent bookstore, Books on Beechwood. There will be food and fun and a surprise. The surprise is so secret that we don’t even know what it is ourselves yet. Stay tuned for more news about the book launch as we get nearer to the date.

 

Bouchercon Panel October 12, 2017

Bouchercon is the world’s largest mystery conference. Thousands of people will be flooding into the Sheraton Centre in Toronto Oct 12-16, 2017 to attend this premiere event. I will be participating on a panel on Thursday, October 12. The name of the panel is Coastal Crimes and it is described as: “How does living on the water’s edge drive crime?” The panel runs from 4:00 to 5:00 in the Sheraton A room and I will be signing books afterwards in book/dealer room (Osgoode).

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

Coming Soon: A Tangled Web Sneak Preview

New Sgt. Windflower Mystery

 

A Tangled Web, the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery is coming soon. Publication date for Canada with Baico Publishing is Sept 22. In the United States it will be published by Booklocker on September 25.

 

Sneak Preview

 

Here’s an excerpt from A Tangled Web

 

“Life doesn’t get much better than this,” said Winston Windflower. The Mountie looked over at his collie, Lady, who wagged her tail at the sound of his voice. If dogs could smile, she smiled back. His world was almost perfect. He had the love of a great woman and a good job as a Sergeant in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police patrolling one of the lowest crime regions in the country. Plus, the weather had been mild so far, at least for Newfoundland in early December, and that meant no snowstorms with forced overnighters at the detachment. Life was very good indeed.

He had good friends, including Lady, who was amongst the best of them. And he had a child on the way. His wife, Sheila Hillier, was pregnant and at the clinic for her three-month checkup. He was waiting to hear how both Sheila and the baby were doing. His Auntie Marie had told him the baby was a girl, and if anyone knew about these things, it was his Auntie. She was a dream weaver, an interpreter of not just dreams but of messages from the spirit world. Windflower had recently spent a week with her and his Uncle Frank, another dream weaver, to learn more about the dream world.

Interpreting dreams was part of his family’s tradition. But it was an imperfect tool that gave information, not always answers. Perhaps the most important thing he learned was that dreams do not predict the future. Instead, as his Auntie told him, “Dreams tell us about our past, what has already happened. They also point to actions we should take if we want to get the right result in the future and to the signs all around us that we need to follow.”

Windflower was contemplating that piece of wisdom when he noticed a very distraught woman get out of her car outside the RCMP detachment in Grand Bank. She ran towards the front door. He walked out to meet her, but the administrative assistant, Betsy Molloy, beat him to it.

“There, there now, Molly. What’s goin’ on?” asked Betsy as she put her arms around the other woman and guided her to a seat in the reception area.

“It’s Sarah, she’s gone,” said the other woman between sobs. “I told her to stay close by the house where I could see her. I went out back to put the wash on the line. When I came in, she was gone.”

“Okay, Mrs. Quinlan,” said Windflower as he knelt down beside the two women. “How old is Sarah?” He didn’t really need to know how old the girl was. He wanted to help the mother calm down so she could give them as much information as possible.

“She’s going to be six next month,” said Molly Quinlan. “She’s growing up so fast. But she’s still such a little girl. And now I’ve lost her. Brent is going to kill me.” She started sobbing again.

“What was she wearing so that we can help find her?” asked Windflower, trying to get information but also trying to help Molly Quinlan feel useful.

The woman stopped crying and said her daughter was wearing jeans and a favourite t-shirt. “It was pink and had sparkles. She said it made her feel like she was a princess. And she had her light blue jacket on with a hood.”

Windflower smiled. “I’m sure she’ll show up soon. But let’s go over to where you last saw her, and we’ll start looking. She can’t have gone far. Leave your car here, and come with me. I’ll drive you over.” The woman smiled weakly at Windflower through her tears and allowed him to take her arm and guide her to his Jeep outside the door.

He returned inside to give directions to Betsy. “Get Constable Smithson in here. I’ll call Frost and get him to come in from his rounds.”

Betsy nodded her agreement, and Windflower went outside to drive Molly Quinlan home.

Meanwhile, it turns out, Sarah Quinlan was fine, perfectly fine. She had wandered a little way from home in the centre of town. She was going to go down to the nearby brook to feed the ducks. She knew better than to go into the water, but she couldn’t see any reason why she couldn’t just look. She’d done it before, and nobody seemed to mind. As long as she didn’t stay away too long, everything was okay.

Sarah had that great fearless attitude of a child who grew up in a small and very safe community. She knew most of her neighbours, and they all watched out for her. She also had the natural curiosity of little children, especially when she saw something new. The truck parked on the roadway above the brook was new, so Sarah went to take a closer look. Even better, the back door of the truck was open, and there was a ramp leading inside. This was certainly worth a closer inspection.

Sarah Quinlan was having fun exploring the back of the large truck when she heard a loud, rumbling noise. She didn’t know it, but the driver had started the engine. It was so loud, and Sarah was so frightened by it, she froze. The next thing she remembered was everything going almost completely black and the back door of the truck slamming shut. She cried out, but by then it was too late. Seconds later she, the truck and the unsuspecting driver were barrelling out of town and onto the highway.

Windflower drove Molly Quinlan to her house and got her to show him where Sarah had been playing. Together they walked through the house to see if the little girl had come home and hidden there. But no such luck. While they were searching the house, they were joined by two of Quinlan’s neighbours who took over Molly’s care and made her a cup of tea. Soon afterwards Constable Harry Frost arrived from his highway patrol.

Windflower gave him a quick update and directed him to go to one end of town to start the search. He would begin the house-to-house search through the neighbourhood when Smithson showed up.

He first checked out back and looked in the storage shed, a favourite hiding place of every little kid and probably where Windflower himself would have taken refuge. But Sarah was not there. As he went to the front of the house, Constable Rick Smithson showed up.

“Afternoon, Boss,” said Smithson. “Any sign of her yet?”

Windflower shook his head. “Frost is doing the big circle search. You and I will start the door-to-door. Ask them if they saw the girl this afternoon. I’ll start from here. You go down to the brook, and work your way up.”

Smithson returned to his cruiser and sped off. Windflower wasn’t worried. Yet. But he knew that the first few hours were crucial in finding a missing child. If they didn’t, then it was almost always something more serious. Not time to panic, but no time to waste. He walked up to the first door and knocked.

 

Book Launch October 4, 2017

A Tangled Web will be officially launched at our favourite independent bookstore, Books on Beechwood. There will be food and fun and a surprise. The surprise is so secret that we don’t even know what it is ourselves yet. Stay tuned for more news about the book launch as we get nearer to the date.

 

Bouchercon Panel October 12, 2017

Bouchercon is the world’s largest mystery conference. Thousands of people will be flooding into the Sheraton Centre in Toronto Oct 12-16, 2017 to attend this premiere event. I will be participating on a panel on Thursday, October 12. The name of the panel is Coastal Crimes and it is described as: “How does living on the water’s edge drive crime?” The panel runs from 4:00 to 5:00 in the Sheraton A room and I will be signing books afterwards in book/dealer room (Osgoode).

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

Goodreads Giveaway: A Long Ways from Home

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Goodreads Giveaway

To celebrate the up-coming launch of A Tangled Web, the new Sgt. Windflower Mystery we are offering 3 copies of the last book, A Long Ways from Home. This is a great opportunity to come into the series and A Long Ways from Home was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Award as the best light mystery in Canada. Tell your friends to drop by and check out the contest on Goodreads. Opens at midnight on August 18 and runs to August 31, 2017. Here is the link to the giveaway:

 

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/250195-a-long-ways-from-home

 

New Sgt. Windflower Mystery is on its Way

A Tangled Web, the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery is at the publishers and will be out soon.

“Life is good for Sgt. Windflower in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. But something’s missing from the Mountie’s life. Actually, a lot of things go missing in Grand Bank: a little girl, supplies from the new factory, even some of his people. It’s Windflower’s job to unravel the tangled web that threatens to engulf this sleepy little town. But there’s always good food and good friends and the love of a great woman to make everything better at the end. Come back to Grand Bank and enjoy some of that for yourself.”

 

Save This Date: Book Launch October 4, 2017

A Tangled Web will be officially launched at our favourite independent bookstore, Books on Beechwood. There will be food and fun and a surprise. The surprise is so secret that we don’t even know what it is ourselves yet. Stay tuned for more news about the book launch as we get nearer to the date.

 

Bouchercon Panel October 12, 2017

Bouchercon is the world’s largest mystery conference. Thousands of people will be flooding into the Sheraton Centre in Toronto Oct 12-16, 2017 to attend this premiere event. I will be participating on a panel on Thursday, October 12. The name of the panel is Coastal Crimes and it is described as: “How does living on the water’s edge drive crime?” The panel runs from 4:00 to 5:00 in the Sheraton A room and I will be signing books afterwards in book/dealer room (Osgoode).

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

Burin 2

A Tangled Web, the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery is at the publishers and aiming for an October 1 publication date.

“Life is good for Sgt. Windflower in Grand Bank, Newfoundland. But something’s missing from the Mountie’s life. Actually, a lot of things go missing in Grand Bank: a little girl, supplies from the new factory, even some of his people. It’s Windflower’s job to unravel the tangled web that threatens to engulf this sleepy little town. But there’s always good food and good friends and the love of a great woman to make everything better at the end. Come back to Grand Bank and enjoy some of that for yourself.”

Save This Date: Book Launch October 4, 2017

A Tangled Web will be officially launched at our favourite independent bookstore, Books on Beechwood. There will be food and fun and a surprise. The surprise is so secret that we don’t even know what it is ourselves yet. Stay tuned for more news about the book launch as we get nearer to the date.

Bouchercon Panel October 12, 2017

Bouchercon is the world’s largest mystery conference. Thousands of people will be flooding into the Sheraton Centre in Toronto Oct 12-16, 2017 to attend this premiere event. I will be participating on a panel on Thursday, October 12. The name of the panel is Coastal Crimes and it is described as: “How does living on the water’s edge drive crime?” The panel runs from 4:00 to 5:00 in the Sheraton A room and I will be signing books afterwards in book/dealer room (Osgoode).

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

 

I Didn’t Win But I’m Still Happy

a-long-ways-from-home-cover1.jpg

I just came back from two award galas without any hardware, but I’m not disappointed in the least. Yes, I could have used the money, but I can always get money. I am still on a high from being nominated for a major Canadian book award. For those of you who don’t know, my book, A Long Ways from Home, was shortlisted for the Bony Blithe Award which every year recognizes the best in Canadian light mysteries.

I didn’t expect to win the Bony Blithe Award this year. It’s my first year as a finalist and two of my fellow nominees have won before. One of them, the great Elizabeth Duncan took home the award and I am very pleased for her. She deserved to win and I am just happy to have been nominated along with her, the great Cathy Ace, newcomer Ryan Aldred, who will win many awards for his writing, and Alan Bradley writes the fabulous Flavia de Luce series featuring a 12-year-old female chemist who hangs out in cemeteries.

I had a great time at both award events, especially the Bony Blithe Mini-Con. I met some old friends, made many new ones and learned a lot more about writing and about myself. We are never really alone in the writing world, as long as keep pushing ourselves out there, and as long as we have people and readers who care about us. Thank you to everyone who sent me good wishes and good karma. I felt your love. Now it’s time to get back to work. Book 6, A Tangled Web, is taking shape and will be out, I hope, in the fall. Til then, there’s always more work to do.

Hope to see some of you at these up-coming events:

 

Limestone Genre Exposition Kingston, Ontario June 3-4, 2017

http://www.limestonegenreexpo.ca/

 

For my friends in the Kingston area, I will be attending this year’s Limestone Genre Expo on June 3-4, 2017. The Expo is a two-day literary event, celebrating the best in Canadian genre fiction. They offer panel discussions, workshops, readings, pitch sessions, a large vendor area, and many opportunities to interact with our attending authors, editor and publishers.

10 a.m. to 5 p.m June 3-4, 2017

St. Lawrence College

100 Portsmouth Ave.

​Kingston, ON

 

 

Prose in the Park June 10, 2017 Ottawa

https://www.proseinthepark.com/

 

I will also be attending the 2017 Prose in the Park Event in Ottawa on June 10, 2017

Ottawa’s favourite open-air literary festival and book fair, Prose in the Park, will take place on June 10, 2017 in the Parkdale Park. More info to follow on this great Ottawa event.

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

Good News: A Long Ways from Home shortlisted for Best Canadian Light Mystery Award

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Good news. A Long Ways from Home has been shortlisted for the prestigious Bony Blithe Award for best ‘light’ or traditional mystery book in Canada.

Thank you for your on-going support of the Sgt. Windflower Series. You deserve a share in this success.

AWARD-general-2017

  

Murder Is Nothing to Laugh About…Or Is It?

The Bloody Words Light Mystery Award Announces Finalists

(Toronto, ON) April 13, 2017 – The Bloody Words Light Mystery Award (aka the Bony Blithe Award), an annual Canadian award that celebrates traditional, feel-good mysteries is pleased to announce this year’s finalists. Now in its sixth year, the award is for a “mystery book that makes us smile” and includes everything from laugh-out-loud to gentle humour to good old-fashioned stories with little violence or gore – in short, books that are fun to read.

Congratulations to the five finalists for the 2017 award:

Cathy Ace, The Corpse with the Garnet Face (Touchwood)

Ryan Aldred, Rum Luck (Five Star)

Alan Bradley, Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d (Doubleday Canada)

Elizabeth J. Duncan, Murder on the Hour (St. Martin’s Press)

Mike Martin, A Long Ways from Home (Friesen Press)

 

Help us celebrate Bony Blithe’s six birthday at the 2017 Bony Blithe Mini-con & Award Gala, a day and evening this year of mirthful mayhem!

The award will be presented at the Bony Blithe Mini-con & Award Gala on Friday, May 26, at the High Park Club, 100 Indian Road, Toronto. The festivities run from 11:00 a.m. to 9 p.m. and include lunch, panels and/or round-table discussions, afternoon nibblies, a dealers room, loot bags, and the award banquet where the monarch of merry murder will be crowned. For more information or to buy a ticket for the gala, contact us at event@bonyblithe.com or visit www.bonyblithe.com. 

The winner will receive a cheque for $1,000 plus a colourful plaque.

You can buy A Long Ways from Home online from Amazon.com and Chapters/Indigo.ca

In Ottawa:

Chapters Rideau

Chapters South Keys

Books on Beechwood

 

Thank you again

Mike Martin

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

 

 

 

 

Another Five-Star Review and Book Signing Feb 11 in Ottawa

A long Ways from Home cover

Ottawa Book Signing Event: Feb 11, 2017

Come Meet Mike Martin and get your own signed copy of the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery

A Long Ways from Home

1-4 pm Saturday February 11, 2017

Chapters South Keys

2100 Bank Street

Ottawa

untitled

5 Star Review on Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1884934149

“I love this series and how the author shares his knowledge of the area, cultures, food and look forward to more from this creative author.”

Below are the online links where you can buy A Long Ways from Home. Don’t forget to follow Sgt. Windflower on Facebook and keep liking and sharing the good news. Thank You!!

 

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore/

www.sgtwindflowermsyteries.com

 

Chapters/Indigo

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/search/?keywords=A%20long%20ways%20from%20home%2C%20mike%20martin

 

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=a+long+ways+from+home%2C+mike+martin

 

Amazon Canada

https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=A+Long+Ways+from+Home%2C+mike+martin

 

Amazon UK

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=A+Long+Ways+from+Home%2C+mike+martin

 

 

Itunes

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-long-ways-from-home/id1146912733?mt=11

 

Friesen

http://www.friesenpress.com/bookstore/title/119734000033871183/Mike-Martin-A-Long-Ways-from-Home

 

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-long-ways-from-home-mike-martin/1124466682?ean=9781460292006

 

 

 

HNY and Upcoming Events in Ottawa and Toronto

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Happy New Year from Sgt. Windflower Mysteries. Hope you are still jolly and warm and that your new year looks promising and bright.

Two great events coming up soon.

In February, I will be doing book signings in Ottawa and Toronto. Here are the details:

Ottawa

Saturday Feb 11 1-4pm

Chapters South Keys

Toronto

Sunday Feb 26 1-4pm

Indigo Yonge/Eglinton

Drop by and say hello. I’d love to see you.

Read/Cook/Eat Windflower

My friend, the fabulous food blogger Cheryl Pasquier has been writing about the food in the Windflower books for the last few years. She takes the dishes described in the stories and then cooks them for herself and her family. She then writes out the recipes and shares them along with pictures of her meals on her blog. So far she’s written about salmon and cod fish with scrunchions. This week it’s a vegetarian lasagne. See the latest blog here. Read and Enjoy!!

http://madhousefamilyreviews.blogspot.ca/2017/01/readcookeat-recipe-triple-layer-vegetarian-lasagne.html

 

Where to Buy A Long Ways from Home, the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery

A Long Ways from Home is now available at many fine retail locations across Canada. Here are some of our favourite retail locations and below is the list of online retailers where you can order A Long Ways from Home at any time.

(If your local store doesn’t have A Long Ways from Home in stock, ask them to order some copies)

 

Edmonton, Alberta

Audrey’s Books

 

Toronto, Ontario

Sleuth of Baker Street

Indigo Yonge/Eglinton

 

Ottawa, Ontario

Books on Beechwood

Chapters South Keys

 

Kingston, Ontario

Novel Idea Bookstore

 

London Ontario

Chapters London

 

Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador

Coles Corner Brook Mall

 

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador

Chapters Kenmount Road

Coles Avalon Mall

Coles Village Mall

All Sgt. Windflower books are available in Chapters/Indigo stores across Canada and at Chapters.ca

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-long-ways-from-home/9781460292006-item.html?ikwid=a+long+ways+from+home%2c+mike+martin&ikwsec=Books&ikwidx=0

 

You can also find them at Amazon online all over the world.

 

In Canada on Amazon.ca at

http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sgt+windflower+mysteries

In the United States from Amazon.com at

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sgt+windflower+mysteries&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asgt+windflower+mysteries

In the United Kingdom at Amazon.co.uk at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sgt+windflower+mysteries

 

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore?ref=hl

 

http://www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com/

 

 

 

Update #4 Annual Windflower Holiday Book Sale

 

 

 

 

Thank you everybody who is supporting this year’s event. We are pleased to report that we are up to 80 Sgt. Windflower books have been sold to date. That means we are well on our way to meeting our goals to help Minwaashin Lodge in Ottawa.

Minwaashin Lodge is healing centre in Ottawa that provides a range of programs and services to First Nations, Inuit and Metis women and children who are survivors of domestic and other forms of violence, and who may also be suffering the effects of the residential school system. The mission of Minwaashin Lodge s to provide wholistic programs and services for grandmothers, women, children and youth impacted by family violence and residential schooling. All programs and services are provided in the context of cultural beliefs and values as part of the healing journey.

The money donated will go to support First Nations, Inuit and Metis women and children to have a good meal and presents from Santa under the tree on Christmas morning. For more information about Minwaashin Lodge nd to make your own donation please visit: http://www.minlodge.com

A Long Ways from Home is now available at many fine retail locations across Canada. It will soon be available in many more Chapters/Coles/Indigo stores. We’ll try to keep you updated. In the meantime, here are some of our favourite retail locations and below is the list of online retailers where you can order A Long Ways from Home at any time. (If your local store doesn’t have A Long Ways from Home in stock, ask them to order some copies)

All Sgt. Windflower books are available in digo stores across Canada and at Chapters.ca

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-long-ways-from-home/9781460292006-item.html?ikwid=a+long+ways+from+home%2c+mike+martin&ikwsec=Books&ikwidx=0

Thank you for supporting Minwaashin Lodge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore?ref=hl

http://www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com/

Update #3 Annual Windflower Holiday Book Sale

 

Thank you everybody who is supporting this year’s event. We are pleased to report that we are up to 62 Sgt. Windflower books have been sold to date. That means we are well on our way to meeting our goals to help Minwaashin Lodge in Ottawa.

Just a reminder about this great organization. Minwaashin Lodge is a healing centre in Ottawa that provides a range of programs and services to First Nations, Inuit and Metis women and children who are survivors of domestic and other forms of violence, and who may also be suffering the effects of the residential school system.

The mission of Minwaashin Lodge is to provide wholistic programs and services for grandmothers, women, children and youth impacted by family violence and residential schooling. All programs and services are provided in the context of cultural beliefs and values as part of the healing journey.

The money donated will go to support First Nations, Inuit and Metis women and children to have a good meal and presents from Santa under the tree on Christmas morning.

For more information about Minwaashin Lodge and to make your own donation please visit:

http://www.minlodge.com

Special Offer

If you make a donation to Minwaashin Lodge I will donate an additional $5.00. Just let me know that you’ve made a contribution. In addition, I will send a signed copy of a Sgt. Windflower Mystery, to you, or a friend or relative of choice, anywhere in the world.

E-mail me at mike54martin@yahoo.ca and I’ll send the other book along. And of course, add my additional donation to the cause.

Where to Buy A Long Ways from Home, the latest Sgt. Windflower Mystery

A Long Ways from Home is now available at many fine retail locations across Canada. It will soon be available in many more Chapters/Coles/Indigo stores. We’ll try to keep you updated. In the meantime, here are some of our favourite retail locations and below is the list of online retailers where you can order A Long Ways from Home at any time.

(If your local store doesn’t have A Long Ways from Home in stock, ask them to order some copies)

Edmonton, Alberta

Audrey’s Books

Toronto, Ontario

Sleuth of Baker Street

Indigo Yonge/Eglinton

Ottawa, Ontario

Books on Beechwood

Chapters South Keys

Kingston, Ontario

Novel Idea Bookstore

Chapters Kingston

London Ontario

Chapters London

Montreal, Quebec

Chapters Pointe Claire

Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador

Coles Corner Brook Mall

St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador

Chapters Kenmount Road

Coles Avalon Mall

Coles Village Mall

All Sgt. Windflower books are available in Chapters/Indigo stores across Canada and at Chapters.ca

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/a-long-ways-from-home/9781460292006-item.html?ikwid=a+long+ways+from+home%2c+mike+martin&ikwsec=Books&ikwidx=0

You can also find them at Amazon online all over the world.

In Canada on Amazon.ca at

http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sgt+windflower+mysteries

In the United States from Amazon.com at

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sgt+windflower+mysteries&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Asgt+windflower+mysteries

In the United Kingdom at Amazon.co.uk at

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=sgt+windflower+mysteries

Thank you for supporting Minwaashin Lodge

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheWalkerOnTheCapeReviewsAndMore?ref=hl

http://www.sgtwindflowermysteries.com/