I’m almost done writing the last chapters of the final book in the 1979 portion of the series, but editing, cover design, etc. will take until at least autumn 2025. With luck, it will go on sale in time for Christmas next year.
For those of you waiting impatiently to know what’s next for KD Stuart, Matt Hunter, and their friends…and enemies, rest assured you will find out. I have not abandoned them. Chestnut Cove: Revenge and Rapprochement picks up days after the end of Chestnut Cove: Belles and Balls. I promise an eventful end to Matt and KD’s quest. Stay tuned for more information in 2025!
Good news! My next book, Chestnut Cove: Devils and Daughters, will be available for sale September 26! As discussed in my previous post, this book takes place in 1958. Matt Hunter and John Stuart are now college students at Coughton Tech. Other returning Chestnut Cove characters include John’s wife, Sandra, and their young daughter, KD, as well as John’s grandmother, Kathryn Stuart, and other members of the extended Stuart family.
We also meet a major new character, Matt’s girlfriend, Elizabeth Kohler. Lizzy is an aspiring prosecutor who is as sharp as Matt and a perfect match for him. Along with her studies at Coughton Tech, she works for the school newspaper, hoping it will help her develop investigative skills which will be of use in her future career trying criminal cases.
Now that you have some idea who some of the “daughters” are, we turn to the “devils” referenced in the title. Stuart foil Vaughn Michaelson returns to stir up trouble. Then there is the mysterious murderer who opens the book’s action. Sorry, but no hints as to who that person might be. You’ll just have to read to find out, but don’t settle on who you think it is too early because there will be several twists along the way…and possibly more bodies, not to mention one or two more people who definitely qualify as devils!
If you haven’t read them yet, all my Chestnut Cove books can be found here on Amazon!
Now it’s time for me to get back to writing. I’m working on a set of short stories–which are quickly evolving into novelettes–to fill in some of the Stuart family’s activities between the conclusion of Chestnut Cove: Devils and Daughters in 1958 and the start of Chestnut Cove: Poseurs and Portraits in 1979. And yes, somewhere lurking on my “to do” list is the follow-on to Chestnut Cove: Belles and Balls. So many stories yet to tell!
I know how many of you are waiting not so patiently for my next novel. Well, your wait is over because the paperpack is available at Amazon! The Kindle version will be out on October 27. Click on the graphic below to link to the Amazon site. And now for some details…
After a brief trip back to 1955 to learn about John and Sandra Stuart’s history in Chestnut Cove: Love and Lessons, we return to 1979 in Chestnut Cove: Belles and Balls, which picks up shortly after the end of Chestnut Cove: Poseurs and Portraits. When we last left KD Stuart, she had confirmed information proving the hit and run which claimed the life of Elizabeth Kohler in 1958 had been deliberate murder. Now, with no legal evidence against the perpetrators, KD and Matt Hunter–KD’s godfather and Elizabeth’s fiancé–must find another way to bring the killers to justice.
Other returning fan-favorite characters include John and Sandra Stuart and their other children, Doug, Maggie and Chris, as well as the Jones family and new Chestnut Cove Inns clerk Laura and her grandmother. Then there are the foils, including John’s mother and stepfather, Jeanette and Winston, as well as nemisis Vaughn Michaelson and his cronnies. There will be a few corporate and political twists and turns and some downright dirty dealings. I hope you enjoy the ride right up to the end!
Now it’s time for me to get back to writing and editing. Enjoy this one because it will be about a year before my next book is ready. In it, we’ll retreat to the past again to meet one of the most important characters in the Chestnut Cove world: Elizabeth Kohler. Set in 1958, Chestnut Cove: Devils and Daughters will introduce you to the young woman who stole Matt’s heart at college and take you through the tragic events which shook the lives of Matt, John, Sandra, and, of course, little KD and her namesake greatgrandmother, the elder Kathryn Stuart.
While Devils and Daughters is suffering through the editing process, I’ll continue forging onward toward 1980 to write the followup to Belles and Balls. So be on the lookout for Chestnut Cove: Devils and Daughters about this time next year. Until then, I hope you enjoy reading my first three Chestnut Cove books!
