Ruby's Deadly Secret -- available in five formats

Ruby's Deadly Secret

The second book in the Sheryl Locke Holmes Mystery Series is available Tuesday, November 23 in five different formats. Yippee!

Buy link: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=83&products_id=329

Sheryl Locke Holmes: Book 2: Ruby's Deadly Secret

$2.99

Available November 23, 2010

by C.L. Exline

What do you get when you add a ruby, diary, secrets, and a mansion? A motive for murder. Sheryl Locke Holmes and her best friend, Dot Watson, have been offered an exciting opportunity to explore Bridgeside, a Victorian mansion, to search for items for their antique shop. Their adventure is short-lived when they discover a diary containing dark secrets and a newspaper clipping with a warning written in what appears to be blood. They get trapped in the attic, Dot is attacked and they find out the owner died inside the house. As if that isn't enough, Jake is spotted with another woman. Clues are pointing to Sheryl as the next target, no matter who gets in the way.

Excerpt from Ruby's Deadly Secret

by C.L. Exline

Sheryl gazed into Jake's eyes and caressed his cheek. "I'm sorry for overreacting. For a brief moment, I thought I had lost you. I know better, but I'd just been with Mrs. Wallace and listened to how much her husband's betrayal had hurt her. I wasn't thinking, not with my head. Forgive me."
"Take your hands off of me!" yelled a voice in the distance.
Sheryl and Jake looked over to see Dot being physically escorted out of the restaurant.
"Madam!"
"Look, you little toad, take your hands off of me."
"I better intercede before Dot gets physical." Jake hurried to smooth things over. "Lawrence, it'll be okay. I'll take over."
Lawrence let go of Dot, but glared at her before facing Jake. "She and that blonde friend of hers are not welcome in our establishment. Both are troublemakers. We run a reputable business and cannot have altercations disrupting our patrons."
"Like I care to go back in! I wouldn't go in that rat hole if my life depended on it," Dot said and rubbed her arm. "You better hope I don't get bruises from your manhandling me."
The man snorted before stomping back into the restaurant.
"You didn't hit Lisa, did you?" Jake asked.
"Lawrence wouldn't let me."

Butterfly Dreams

Working on my new book -- Butterfly Dreams.


Legend goes: if anyone desires a wish to come true they must capture a butterfly and whisper that wish to it. By making the wish and releasing the butterfly it will be taken to the heavens and be granted.  

Abby has a wish. Maybe in her dreams, her heart's desire will come true.  She follows the trail of the golden butterfly, what will she find?

Title of next book?

Expo was a success!!

Saturday was an awesome day for the Mystery Mountain Crafters Expo. Beautiful weather, lots of vendors, and lots of balloons, coffee and food. Here are just a few photos of that glorious day. The above photos are of my books and the props from the stories in the books.

Great Cove Baskets and Gifts

Something else to check out at the Mystery Mountain Crafters Expo, Sat., Oct. 2, from 10 to 4 p.m. at the Event Center, in Berkeley Springs, WV, is Great Cove Baskets & Gifts. 


They also have fabrics which are made into awesome purses. Great Cove Baskets is located at 105 Lincoln Way East, McConnellsburg, PA. 


For more information, call 717-987-9554.

Leisure Travel

Also featured at the Mystery Mountain Crafters Expo on Saturday, October 2, at the Event Center in Berkeley Springs, WV, will be Leisure Travel.

They specialize in leisure travel such as honeymoon and destination wedding registry, sportsmen's getaways, spa and golf retreats, cruises, all inclusive vacations and wholesale travel packages.

Artwork by Bruce Dellinger at Mystery Mountain Crafters Expo

Artwork by Bruce Lynn Dellinger of Timberville, Va., will be featured at the Mystery Mountain Crafters Expo to be held on Saturday, Oct. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Event Center in Berkeley Springs, WV.

Bruce is a self taught artist. After an accident, Bruce discovered he has awesome talent to draw. Check it out for yourself at his Art Gallery on website at www.brucedellinger.com.

Mark your calendar. You don't want to miss seeing his work. Just in time for Christmas shopping.

Potomac Bead Company

Another of the awesome vendors to join us at the Mystery Mountain Crafters Expo will be Potomac Bead Company. Allyson Megeath will be the representative.

From Black Rose Warning:

The body hugging ivory gown enhanced Allison’s slim body and swished when she walked. Swarovski crystals adorned the bodice. Crystal hair pins kept her glossy black hair piled on her head, which hung in ringlets to her shoulders. She sparkled and glittered with every step she took in silver stilettos.

Not sure who or where the bad guy could be, a worried Maggie felt the ink pen slide from her shaky fingers. She leaned down to pick it up and spotted something glittery. She reached for it and sat up. A Swarovski crystal hair pin twinkled in the light. How did Allison's pin get in Luke's car? Her heart pounded. She needed to escape.

Maggie put the beaded hair pin in her jacket pocket and waited for Luke to go inside to pay for the gas. The minute he walked away, she opened her door and ran. Luke’s voice calling for her to return chased after her. Run, Maggie, run......

Sleepy House Studio

Be sure to keep Saturday, Oct. 2 open on your calendars and join us for a fun filled day for the Mystery Crafters Expo in Berkeley Springs at the Event Center.

Sleepy House Art Studio from Winchester will be participating in the expo. Stop by and see the awesome artwork. And if you're ever in Winchester, stop by and see studio owner, Sarah Gallahan. (540) 931-4920

Here's an excerpt from Black Rose Warning which features a painting:

The painting over the fireplace in the library once more caught her eye. The artist used texturing for a 3D effect which brought the painting to life. The dark gray clouds blanketed the sky. Raindrops fell. Lightning stretched out in purplish arms.

A long rose tree, with huge black flowers, was being battered by the storm. Its ebony petals scattered and swirled in the air. Behind the tree was a dark emerald forest bowed to the wind. So real she imagined she heard the howling wind. Purplish black violets huddled near a huge boulder.

Green vines clung to the tree trunk and meandered all over the canvas as if searching for a stronghold. A jungle of green, wrapped around everything in its path. Wayward tendrils reached toward the gray sky in defiance. Maggie wouldn't have been surprised if one of the vines reached out to grab her if she got too close.

Temptation got the better of Maggie. She put down her cup of tea, stood on the ledge of the hearth of the stone fireplace and reached out to touch a green stem, fully expecting a vine to wind around her fingers. Then she noticed the letter "u r nxt" painted in the wild menagerie.

She withdrew her hand, stumbled off the hearth and banged into the table. The tea cup tumbled over and liquid fingers of red streaked across walnut. Crimson drop after drop splashed onto the oriental rug. For a moment, Maggie saw blood -- Allison's blood.

Mystery Mountain Crafters Expo

The Mystery Mountain Crafters Expo will be held on Saturday, October 2, at the Event Center in Berkeley Springs, WV, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (later if we're busy)

Mystery will be supplied by Carol Exline, author.
Numerous titles to select from the following:
Woodmont Mystery Series
Holmes Mystery Series
Black Rose Warning Series
Sweetheart Line

Local Crafters will showcase their talents and skills.

Sleepy House Art Studio
Potomac Bead Shop, featuring Allyson Megeath
Plus jewelry designers, knitters, quilters, weavers, stained glass expert, and woodworkers.

Plenty to see and lots to buy!

Just in time for Christmas shopping.

Keep checking this blog for updates!

See you in Berkeley Springs on Saturday, October 2!

Love In The Snow

Book Three in the Sweetheart Line, it features the following stories:

Snowballs of Love: Sally has her eye on the new neighbor who is quite a hunk. He doesn’t notice her at all. An errant snowball, a ten year old boy, and things liven up.

Snowy Rendezvous: Callie and Drew are caught on the mountain during a snow storm and find refuge in a chalet. Nothing like making love in front of a roaring fire, that is until other skiers arrive. Skiers who know about the secrets Callie should have told Drew.

Snowflake Ball: Fate has brought Angela and Luke back together. They were once high school sweethearts with plans to marry. Instead they went their separate ways. Now Luke’s company has taken over Angela’s family firm. Feelings of desire and love resurface, hot enough to melt the snow.

Blue Christmas: Meghan is sick and tired of sitting home alone and feeling depressed. It’s Friday night and she’s going to have fun. She drives to her favorite Club and is soon dancing in the arms of a very handsome man. His kisses warm her heart. Can he get her to forget her hate of Christmas and the reason why?

Romantic Interludes

Book Two in the Sweetheart Line features the following stories:

Fox In The Fog: Callie is an author who is positive that there’s no such thing as true love and writes dark stories to prove her point. On her drive home after a book signing, heavy rain and fog on the mountain cause her to pull over to wait it out. In the gray, she spots a red fox, no it’s a red headed child. Callie gives chase, but can’t find the child or the fox and gets lost in the swirling mist. She stumbles upon a cabin and a sick man. Can he help her find her way back to love?

Legend of Lady Rose: It’s All Hallows Eve. Local legend states if two lovers see the ghost of Lady Rose, they are truly in love and meant to be together forever. Alex and Maryanne sit in the cemetery to find out if the legend is true.

Again Next Year: Every Fall, Joy returns to the barn and the pond near her home place to relive the memories of her true love, Lonnie. Will he return for her this year?

Birthday Surprises: Even though it’s Melinda’s birthday, she has a surprise for Stuart. Everyone deserves a day showered by love and tempted by chocolate covered strawberries.

Shimmy, Shimmy, Coco-Bop: Meg overhears her husband tell the husbands of her two best friends that she is boring and predictable. The three women join forces to get even. First order of business - take belly dancing classes. The men have a fit. Game on.

Secrets and Confessions

Book One of the new Sweetheart Line.

Tree of Buried Secrets: Julia has kept a dark secret buried deep in her heart for the last fifty years until she overhears a conversation. Is this the day she confesses about what happened the night when she and her true love were going to elope? She stares at the apple tree and remembers their love, their passion, their fate. (Named Book of the Week.)

Confessions: Brooke is alone at the local weekly newspaper where she works when she is kidnapped by alleged murderer, Kurt Brewster. He wants to tell Brooke the truth about the murders to publish in the paper. Sequestered in a cabin in the middle of the woods, Brooke discovers there’s a lot more to Kurt than anyone ever knew and she’s enjoying every minute of captivity. (Confessions is based on a true event.)

Introducing the Sweetheart Line

Things have changed and to make my readers happy, I've added romance books. The new line is called the Sweetheart Line, which features collections of short stories.

So far three books will be available for purchase.

Black Rose Warning

Black Rose Warning

Part 1 - Roving Eye: Maggie writes from the visions in her head. Except Maggie's books are true and she's accused of having an informant. When she receives a bouquet of black roses, she knows it's a warning to stop writing. Her best friend disagrees and Maggie is soon running for her life.

Part 2 - Ebony Nightmare: Maggie dreams about looking down from a stone tower to see a body with twisted limbs, surrounded by blood and covered in ebony rose petals. The lure of a nearby castle has Maggie racing through secret passageways with a stalker hot on her heels.

Part 3 - Tattered Letters: Maggie puts away her laptop to refurbish a Victorian Mansion. A haunted piano, strange noises, skeletons in the closet and a ghost keep Maggie looking over her shoulder.

Ode to the Black Rose

Careful, or you'll end up in my novel

Gotta love t-shirt slogans and this one "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel" is one of my favorites. And actually very true in my Woodmont Mystery Series. Some of the characters are people I know, my poor unsuspecting relatives and friends. lol Uncle Phil Grandville is based on one of my uncles. Roy Grandville is based on one of my many cousins. Several of the other characters have traits of people I know. Some of them I like and some well, you know what happens in a mystery novel when there are plenty of places to bury a body. lol Now I don't mean anyone who reads these books will figure out the intended victim, I mean suspect, I mean character... but I'm sure some readers will wonder if that's so-n-so across the street. So, be careful or you'll end up in my novel. (((insert weird laugh)))

Tattered Letters

When the adjoining estate, Thorny Rose, comes up for sale, Maggie and Sam want to add to their holdings. Little did Maggie know that the house on Thorny Rose harbored so many dark secrets.

Ebony Nightmare

The second book in the Black Roses series is Ebony Nightmare. Maggie is haunted with a vision of a woman falling from the parapet of a castle. She sees the broken & twisted body on the ground with ebony petals scattered about. She can't rest until she figures out what the vision means.

The Roving Eye

An author's dream comes true and her first book is picked up to be published, but Maggie Davis doesn't want to promote it or do a book tour. She just wants to write. Her best friend steps in and things go smoothly. Then a bouquet of black roses is delivered. Maggie knows it's a warning and before long she is running for her life. Beware of the "Roving Eye."

Black Roses

I'm currently working on a new book(s), the series is called Black Roses. Part one is entitled the Roving Eye, Part two is Ebony Nightmare and Part three is Tattered Letters.

Stay tune for more information. I'm excited.

Phobia -- have one?

What's your phobia or phobias? Come on, share with me. I'll go first, I have a couple phobias. First is mice. I know those furry little beasties can't hurt me, but do they have to scurry all over my kitchen?? (((shudders))) Don't mind heights or small places (I like to snuggle) Snakes are disgusting, spiders are okay, but good heavens the phobia that will give me nightmares and I've used it in several of my books -- CLOWNS!! Wouldn't that give you a nightmare? eeeeeek

Amber's Mysterious Death is available

If you haven't read Amber's Mysterious Death, what's keeping you? It came in number 15 in a recent poll. Go to Wild Child Publishing for your copy today. GO! Best $3.25 you've ever spent.