Book Rush 2026

As we head into 2026, I have been publishing books with alarming regularity. Alarming if l had been writing these books with matching regularity. That is not the case. Some of these have been in the works for decades. 

There are three titles I am publishing independently that will be available before the next Meg Daniels Mystery, LAST SEEN IN SEA ISLE, comes out in April 2026.  Those three books have little in common besides their author, me.

NIGHTINGALE SONGS

I thought it was a romance but it turns out it doesn't adhere to the strict rules for novels categorized as romances. But, it is romantic and, first and foremost, a love story. It has a supernatural element, but I won't categorize it as paranormal. It has humor, but I wouldn't place on the humor shelves. Maybe it's a Rom-Com. I think of it as NOTTING HILL meets SOMEWHERE IN TIME. 

A DEATH IN SCILLY

A traditional mystery that adheres to most cozy mystery rules. An amateur sleuth. No on-screen sex or violence. A small cast of characters. It's set on an island with a permanent population under one hundred which makes the setting cozy. The reader has a couple of puzzles to solve and that can be done. The plot is complex but not convoluted. The tone is more often light than dark, but it is a mystery and there is a murder.

THE SECRET AUDIENCE

A historical mystery set in the US Homeland during World War II. The heroine, a wise-beyond-her-years fifteen-year-old Philadelphian, is sent to live with extended family she doesn't know in a small town in Alabama where a camp for German POWs has been built. The events of 1944 serve as a backdrop for a murder mystery that unmasks not only the killer, but the societal barriers that divide us as well as the common humanity that unites us all.

All the novels can be read by young adult readers, but young readers might find THE SECRET AUDIENCE of most interest. 

Book Club Questions - A Death in Scilly

 1. Are you familiar with the Scilly Isles? If so, are any of your favorite spots mentioned? What other experiences do you think Fiona should experience in a follow-up book? 

2. Given the description of St Agnes, would you enjoy spending time there? How would you spend your day?

3. Modern technology has made living on an island a very different experience. Can you imagine what it was like pre-Internet? 

4. Living on an island offers many benefits. Can you see any downsides?

5. Did you spot any details that remind you of the book's setting i.e. Cornwall, England.

Being an Introvert

My latest Meg Daniels Mystery Weekender, LOST WEEKEND, was within days of being finished when I tripped myself and broke my dominant wrist. Thank heavens. Well, thank heavens only from the viewpoint that it put the novella on the shelf since I couldn't write. Literally--I couldn't type. By the time I could go back to typing, I had a new perspective on my amateur sleuth Meg Daniels's behavior. I realized I was holding her back.

Years ago when I took the Meyers Briggs personality test, my results were INTP. The "I" meant that I was an introvert. On the extrovert borderline but an introvert. Clearly, that was wrong. I was an extrovert. Anyone could see that. 

Okay, I didn't like to call attention to myself, but I was perfectly fine if I found myself the center of attention. I might not seek to dominate a conversation, but there were times I did. I worked as a trainer. An extroverted trainer. I came to understand that if I was the designated center of attention, I was comfortable. If I wasn't put in charge, I found it hard to speak. And, if I did? I worried, second-guessed what I said. Mulled it over. Brooded. Perhaps, I was more of an "I" than I thought.

That didn't mean my amateur sleuth had to be an introvert as well. I was once on a panel with thriller writer, Brad Parks. The theme of the panel was how we differed from our characters. We were encouraged to respond as our characters.  Brad had told a very funny story at the banquet the night before about singing a speech. As Meg, I sang (to the tune of "Maria") "Brad Parks. I'm sharing a stage with Brad Parks." I added that the difference between Meg and me was that I would never do that, but she would.

In LOST WEEKEND, Meg's fiancé, Andy, goes missing. It is perfectly reasonable for a thought to flit through her mind that, if there is a simple explanation for his absence, he might not be happy that his name and face are plastered all over town. Flit is the key word. Meg wouldn't let that stop her.

You learn a lot about your characters from readers. One told me what she liked about Meg was she never gave up. She wouldn't let introvert tendencies stop her. He's missing. Of course, she wants to call attention to her search for him. 

It took a broken wrist for me to figure that out. The search begins in January! Make that February!

Book Club Questions - NIGHTINGALE SONGS

1. There are two stories in Nightingale Songs. The live action is in 1985. The memories are from 1944. The characters are living in times with different moral codes. In what ways do the characters demonstrate the values of their time?

2. What values remain the same from 1944 to 1985 to today?

3. Cate is a skeptic regarding all things paranormal. Are you a skeptic? If so, have you ever had an experience that caused you to question your skepticism. If not a skeptic, what are the experiences that have made you a believer?

4. In what ways does Tom's life shape Jonathan's behavior?

5. Do you believe that Kitty has been with Cate through her entire life? What evidence would indicate she was?

6. The last of the World War II generation are approaching the end of their lives. Do their youthful experiences seem like ancient history?

My Backlist Project

My backlist project flies in the face of everything I was ever taught about publishing. I developed the project by trying to figure out why I write. Certainly, as the vast majority of authors would say, not to make money. Some authors experience fame and glory. Most do not. Yet, they labor tirelessly creating. Maybe they do it for the reason I do. I just like writing.

I am lucky enough to have a publisher that I enjoy working with. Plexus Publishing of Medford, NJ, publishes my traditional mysteries featuring amateur sleuth Meg Daniels. That is an ongoing relationship that focuses on Jersey Shore settings. Over the years, however, ideas have popped into my mind for books that fall outside their focus.

NIGHTINGALE SONGS - a story of cross-generational love with a touch of the supernatural

A DEATH IN SCILLY - a traditional mystery featuring an amateur sleuth visiting a scenic British Isle

THE SECRET AUDIENCE - a historical mystery set in the US World War II homeland

Conventional wisdom would be to find an agent who might be interested in these areas, who would then contact appropriate publishers.  Even at best, that could turn into a lengthy process. 

There are a few publishers who will accept unagented manuscripts. I have had a few great experiences (which did not lead to publication) with a couple of these publishers. If a book isn't what they are looking for, it doesn't matter how much praise they heap on it. If it doesn't fit their market niche, they won't publish it. 

All aspects of this process take time, and time is a luxury I no longer feel I have. I'm not breaking any bad news here. I am simply old. I am not about to launch into a lengthy effort to get these additional titles published. I would only want to submit to publishers that accept manuscripts directly, review them in a reasonable amount of time, do not require the completion of a lengthy questionnaire, and promise to respond. (See note below.) Depending on the publisher's focus, those numbers can vary--from zero to a few. Independent publishing gives authors--and readers--more options. And, it allows titles to become available much more quickly.

I like these books. I am proud of these books. They're not doing anyone any good lying around on my hard drive. I'll try to inform potential readers about them in case they might enjoy them. Maybe I'll even become proficient at more of the steps that independent publishing requires. If readers find these books and like them, I'll be very happy. And if they dont? Doesn't matter. I'll just keep writing.

NOTE: I hear many tales of authors waiting for responses on submissions they sent to either publishers or agents and receiving no response at all. Ever. Often, the recipients have noted that because of the volume of submissions they get, they might not respond to every submission. Most often, these manuscripts were required to be submitted through an electronic system. I wonder how limited an organization must be that it can't manage to include in its system a single button that generates a standard rejection letter--not to show appreciation for the writer's effort, God forbid--but for the practical reason that the author can move on. I know publishers hold all the marbles--and as long as people dream of being writers will continue to--but what's up with that? 

© Jane Kelly 2025

Maybe it's my attitude

If you don't define a social life as dating, I've always had a great social life. If you define having a social life as dating, not so much. 

I didn't usually bemoan this situation, but for some reason when I lived in New York, I reacted when the newspapers featured stories about a new anchorwoman who came to town. I read an article about how she was dating John Heard (the father in Home Alone). Now, I never had a thing for John Heard. I didn't want to date John Heard. Nonetheless, I mumbled to myself that I'd never meet John Heard. It was the principle that annoyed me. 

I put down the newspaper and headed to LaGuardia to catch the Eastern Shuttle to DC. I wasn't an early boarder but I could find an aisle seat about five rows back, my usual spot.  It was Sunday. The plane wasn't full. There were only two people in my row. Me in the aisle seat and, across the aisle, a man in the window seat. John Heard.

That was when I realized perhaps fate wasn't what was holding me back.

© Jane Kelly 2025

The Tilt-A-Whirl and Me

When I was in my early twenties, I spent quite a few summers at the Jersey Shore. My friends and I didn't often ride the amusements, so the times we did stand out. Especially one particular night, one of those nights you might want to forget but somehow you never can.

We were a fairly large group who shared a house in Sea Isle City. A large group with varied culinary skills. The night in question, one group cooked an African cuisine. Another group cooked something less exotic and less memorable but no less spicy. We all shared every dish. 

As soon as we finished dinner, we ran out of the house and jumped into the hearse that one girl's boyfriend drove-very cool at the time--and headed for the Wildwood Boardwalk to ride the "big rides."

You may see where this is going.

The first ride we ran to--and I recall we ran--was the Ferris wheel. Now, to call this amusement a Ferris wheel is a bit of a misnomer. Yes, it was a big wheel. And  yes, it had individual cars. However, the wheel tilted as it rotated and the cars, actually cages, spun and flipped. All at the same time. We bad no idea what was up and what was down. Today I cannot imagine the amount of money it would take to get me on that ride. But back then? We jumped on eagerly and got off feeling fine.  And ran to the Whip. 

Now, the Whip was an amusement that my mother deemed too rough for little me, possibly because she was aware of the concept of whiplash. However, I was no longer a little girl and my mother wasn't there that night. So, we leapt into a car and let the ride, without the benefit of seatbelts, jerk us around like crash test dummies testing the effects of forty-mile-an-hour car crashes. We loved it.

Thinking that we should take our riding down a notch for a break, we ran to what I thought of as the calmest, most soothing amusement: the Tilt-A-Whirl. There were no bright lights flooding the ride that sat on the edge of the pier with a lovely view of the ocean barely visible in the moonlight. Even though there was erratic spinning involved, the overall mood was calm. I leaned back, breathed in the sea air, and gazed out over the ocean. Everything changed in an instant. At least for my stomach. I'll get to the point. I threw up in my lap.

I was very considerate and had extraordinary aim. The car did not have to be hosed down. I, on the other hand, did. I won't paint a picture. I'll let you visualize a twenty-something woman being hosed down beside the Tilt-A-Whirl. The teen-aged operator didn't seem non-plussed. Apparently, it happened. 

I tried to find out if amusement parks still have hoses near rides. The answer I got was some do especially near particular rides. Want to guess the first ride on the list? The TILT-A-WHIRL! Now they tell me.

© Jane Kelly 2025