Lynda McDaniel

When a young woman is found dead in a wilderness area of the North Carolina mountains, the county sheriff says suicide. Della Kincaid disagrees. As a former reporter in Washington, D.C., she knows how to hunt down the real story. Along the way, Kincaid discovers how much the Appalachian landscape and its people mean to her.

A Mystery

A Life for a Life

Life hasn't finished throwing challenges at Abit Bradshaw and Della Kincaid. When they meet Astrid, a sprite of a girl whose mother is missing from her isolated mountain home, they get entangled in the investigation. Along the way, they come face-to-face with the lies and secrets of their own families.

A Mystery Novel

Welcome the Little Children

Four years after "A Life for a Life," Abit Bradshaw faces the biggest challenge of his life. When a family of con artists fleeces his school and casts suspicion on him, Abit scours the Virginia mountains to get payback. Along the way, he encounters a slew of characters-from sinners to saints-who help him discover his rightful place in the world.

The Roads to Damascus

"Readers will relish this story's superior tension ... A riveting mystery designed to keep readers on their toes." ~Midwest Book Review Laurel Falls, N.C. 2005: "Our small town is in an uproar—there’s a serial killer on the loose in the mountains of North Carolina. At first we thought it was just one tragedy, but by the third murder, the FBI finally got involved. Trouble is, I know they’re looking in all the wrong places. I have a keen sense of what’s really going on, but of course the FBI won’t take me serious. I’ll keep at it—too much at stake. I’m working with Wallis Harding, a well-known musicologist, and we’ve got a theory we’ll keep at till they can’t ignore us. Bluegrass music may sound like something to practice and perform, but we know it’s the key to finding the killer. And keeping our families safe. Usually Della Kincaid, my longtime friend, helps me out when I get into something like this. But she’s too busy with troubles of her own. A former crime reporter in Washington, D.C., she’s investigating some kinda fraud case that a whistleblower laid in her lap. She can't let a good story pass, but the deeper she goes, the darker it gets. Turns out we both have information that could help the FBI, if they’ll just listen to us … before the culprits strike again." ~Abit Bradshaw You'll enjoy this suspenseful standalone mystery because who doesn’t long to find justice in this crazy world? If you love Jacqueline Winspear, Sue Grafton, and Cheryl Bradshaw (no relation to Abit Bradshaw that we know of), you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series. Get it now—for the rich natural setting, colorful characters, and suspenseful investigations. Murder Ballad Blues is the fourth book—and a standalone novel—in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series by award-winning author Lynda McDaniel. Interview with the Author Q: Where does this fourth book pick up in the lives of Abit Bradshaw and Della Kincaid? A: It's a year after the last scenes in Welcome the Little Children, but eight years after they solved the family secrets and lies surrounding Astrid Holt's mother. Life has been reasonably quiet for the two. Abit, Fiona, and their 8-year-old son, Conor, perform regularly with the Ramblin' Rollers, and Della has settled into a natural rhythm at Coburn's General Store. Then everything goes crazy with murder and money-laundering crimes. Q: What's new in the series? A: New crimes, of course--especially the murders across Western North Carolina. Abit and Della get involved, working with new characters like Wallis Harding, a self-taught expert on mountain music, and Ezra Stoltz, an FBI agent. I am especially smitten with Wallis Harding. I named him after Phil Harding, archaeologist with the British television show "Time Team." Phil is such a live wire, and his namesake doesn't let him down. Wallis' physical appearance is modeled after Mick Aston, fellow archaeologist on "Time Team." Q: Why should readers give this series a try? A: Because these are serious mysteries without over-the-top violence. And readers tell me the character development makes them eager to read more: "a pair of unforgettable crime-solving characters," one reader shared, and another wrote, "I became intrigued by and attached to the characters -- Della, Abit, Alex, even the dog, Jake, the villagers and their dialogue." Q: In what order was this series written? A: Murder Ballad Blues is a standalone, so readers won't be confused if they start with this book. Actually, I worked to make all the books in the series easy to understand, wherever readers started in the series. The other books in the series: A Life for a Life, The Roads to Damascus, Welcome the Little Children, Deep in the Forest, Up the Creek, Unwrapped, After Dusk, and Waiting for You (free prequel novelette).

Murder Ballad Blues

“Five Stars! The tale immediately drew me in, into the town, into the intriguing mystery, and into the people. A real treat to read." ~Deb, Amazon Hall of Fame Top 100 Reviewer Laurel Falls, N.C., 1985: I was done with being a crime reporter in Washington, D.C., tired of all the violence. So I packed up and moved to the small town of Laurel Falls, N.C. It looked like heaven to me—ancient mountains brimming with tall trees and songbirds, peace and quiet. Until I found the body. The sheriff took the easy path, calling it a suicide. No way. I’d found that young woman, and I just knew she hadn’t taken her own life. I’d spent my whole career searching for the truth, and I wasn’t about to stop now. Trouble was, without my usual sources, how much of a murder investigation could I pull off? But a special kid lived next door. Abit Bradshaw, a teenager struggling to find his rightful place in the world. Hey, I knew all about that. I’d never fitted in either, but eventually I’d found something I was good at. I figured he just needed a chance too. And he got one when we teamed up to solve that crime. Along the way, we sure met some interesting characters—both bad and good. We had a plan, and we worked it hard to find that killer before we became the next victims. Looking back, I should’ve known plans rarely pan out the way you think. ~Della Kincaid You'll enjoy this suspenseful story because who doesn't dream of second chances? If you love Louise Penny, Richard Osman, and Fern Michaels, you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series. Get it now—for the rich natural setting, colorful characters, and suspenseful investigations. A Life for a Life is the first novel in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series by award-winning author Lynda McDaniel. Interview with Lynda McDaniel Q: What makes the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries Series so special? A: In addition to the suspense of a good mystery, each book includes people and stories from the years I spent on my "back to the land" farm in Appalachia. You'll meet a cantankerous laundromat owner who was just as weird as she's portrayed, a gentle giant of a beekeeper with an abiding love for his family, and Cleva Hall, who's based on a woman who taught me how to put food by. But especially Abit Bradshaw, one of the amateur sleuths along with Della Kincaid, a former journalist. Abit started in a supporting role, but I listened to my readers and gave him a starring role in the rest of the series. This book and the next two—The Roads to Damascus and Welcome the Little Children—are coming-of-age stories for Abit. Q: Why should readers give these books a try? A: Readers who prefer suspense without over-the-top violence will enjoy this series. I write in the British style, where the dastardly deed is done off stage; (similar in that way to cozy mysteries). I don't like mounting body bags, but I do enjoy the chase for justice. In addition to the crimes, readers will find vivid mountain settings, colorful characters, sharp wit, good food, and a touch of romance. Q: In what order were the books written? A: A Life for a Life The Roads to Damascus Welcome the Little Children Murder Ballad Blues Deep in the Forest Up the Creek Unwrapped Waiting for You (free prequel) What readers are saying: "REMINDS ME OF To Kill a Mockingbird. You are a treasure of a writer." ~J. M. Grayson "THIS WAS MY FIRST BOOK BY LYNDA McDANIEL, WON'T BE MY LAST. Love a book that can hold my interest to the point I don't want it to end." ~M. Ballard "McDANIEL DELIVERS A PAIR OF UNFORGETTABLE CRIME-SOLVING CHARACTERS. She lured me into her story and kept me there." ~Virginia McCullough, award-winning author of Amber Light.

Sara Pacher

The most widely-used travel and relocation guide to North Carolina's Mountains just got better. The Insiders' Guide "RM" to North Mountains has been updated for 1999 and contains everything from skiing to shopping, restaurants to retirement, the Blue Ridge Parkway to the Biltmore Estate, camping to crafts and arts to accommodations. Locals and visitors alike find in-depth, reliable Information on Western North Carolina in one source. Insiders' Tips, local legends and lore, pictures and maps make reading the guide interesting and educational as well.

The Insiders' Guide to North Carolina's Mountains

Words @ Work shows everyone from executives and entrepreneurs to up-and-coming staffers how to organize information creatively (no tedious outlines!); cut the fat (editing tips and tricks); harvest a feast of ideas (Brain Dump); and write in a clear, conversational style that people want to read.

Powerful Business Writing Delivers Increased Sales, Improved Results, and Even a Promotion Or Two. a Veteran Writing Coach Shows You How.

Words at Work

Tiffany DeEtte Shafto

"A journey into the lives and minds of 36 artists creating fine wood art in the Hawaiian Islands. From furniture makers to sculptors, woodturners to woodcarvers, they all thrive here, surrounded by Hawaiʻi's abundance"--Publisher's description.

Lynda McDaniel

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