Serendipitous Moments (Plus a New Release!)

by Kassandra Lamb ~ Have you had moments when something small happened that ended up making a big difference in your life? I love those little serendipitous moments!!

A friend of my husband’s was flying home after a visit with hubs (before he was my hubs) and happened to end up sitting next to a young woman on the plane. They were both fairly quiet people, but it was a long flight and eventually they struck up a conversation.

They celebrated their 43rd wedding anniversary this past year!

I’m a very organized person, a planner by nature. But I’ve learned to be spontaneous, to let go and trust my instincts, when one of those serendipitous moments occurs. When something happens that I wasn’t expecting, that wasn’t part of the plan… and yet it feels right.

Like the conversation about hairdressers I had with a handful of other authors during a break at a writers’ conference in 2011. Totally casual—inane even—chit-chat with strangers.

And yet, because of that conversation, I recognized one of those authors when both of us were leaving the last workshop of the day—that happened to be about self-publishing. Without the earlier inane chit-chat, we would have walked right past each other, but we didn’t. Instead, we compared notes on our reactions to the workshop.

And a year later, we co-founded misterio press!

I’ve had two serendipitous moments in the recent past that led to good things. One brought an author to my attention who is now joining our misterio press group. I’ll tell you more about her next week in a formal announcement and interview.

And the other happened in early 2020. I was seriously considering ending my service dog mystery series with the book I was just finishing up, because I had run out of story ideas. Then a friend took me on a tour of his town, Williston, Florida, where much of that book was set (Lord of the Fleas).

As part of that tour, we stopped by the small airport that had once been a military airfield during WWII, and the town of Williston had later bought it from the U.S. government. I was enjoying the view of the airfield, only half listening to the conversation between my friend and the airport manager.

I tuned back in when my ear caught the words, “…cause a plane to crash.” They were talking about the importance of getting the right fuel in a small plane, because the wrong fuel could cause the engines to malfunction.

And my evil muse was off and running. What if someone intentionally switched the fuel in a small plane? Nothing like a new and different means of murder to get a mystery writer’s brain going!

Thus, the premise for One Flew Over the Chow-Chow’s Nest was born.

And while I was writing it, I got an idea for yet another new book. So the Marcia Banks and Buddy series will have at least 12 books.

So below…drumroll, please…is Book #11.

Have you had serendipitous moments that had a major impact on your life?

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One Flew Over the Chow-Chow’s Nest, A Marcia Banks and Buddy Mystery #11

(Note: This story occurs during the end of the pandemic, but it focuses on the optimism and relief of the spring of 2021 in the U.S.)

The world moves toward normal, but Marcia’s life is rarely “normal”…

Newly vaccinated, Marcia Banks can finally schedule the human phase of training with her Air Force pilot client—the soon-to-be owner of a Chow-Husky service dog named Bear. But when she calls to set things up, she’s informed that the veteran has been in a private psychiatric hospital for months, with no one allowed to visit due to Covid.

Marcia puts out feelers to find out what is going on, and suddenly he is discharged…only to have his private plane crash in a fiery ball two days later. Convinced this is no coincidence, Marcia attempts to find out how her veteran client became the target of a murderer.

What she uncovers looks suspiciously like a scheme to defraud the Veterans’ Administration. But who’s behind it, and did they sabotage her client’s plane? Or did the saboteur have a more personal motive?

And just how determined are they to silence Marcia?

ONLY $2.99 during Preorder ~ Goes up to $4.99 shortly after it releases on June 4, 2021

AVAILABLE for PREORDER on:  AMAZON ~ APPLE ~ KOBO ~ NOOK ~ GOOGLE PLAY

Posted by Kassandra Lamb. Kassandra is a retired psychotherapist turned mystery writer. She is the author of the Kate Huntington psychological mysteries, set in her native Maryland, and the Marcia Banks and Buddy cozy mysteries, set in Central Florida. She also writes romantic suspense under the pen name of Jessica Dale.

Misterio press produces an array of quality crime fiction. We post here twice a month, usually on Tuesdays, to alert you to new releases, to entertain, and to inform.

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