Erin Lanter

Mystery Writer

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What I’m Working On…

January 8, 2021 by erinlanter

The holidays are over, kids are back in school, and I’m back to writing. A departure from my first book, a cozy Christmas mystery with kooky characters, my current project, THE DARK HOUR, is a darker suspense novel that deals with the sad reality of untreated mental illness and the lengths humanity will go to in order to protect themselves.

After an extensive edit, I’m currently rewriting the entire manuscript, keeping the parts I love, and rewriting characters as needed. I’m working hard to get it as polished as I can before it goes back to the editor, then to the book designer.

Below is a draft of the blurb that will be on the back cover. I hope it will help you look forward to its release!

THE DARK HOUR

Life has taught Tessa James two things: no one can be trusted and monsters are real. As a child, Tessa played the role of watchdog for her paranoid mother, who taught her that monsters lurked around every corner. It’s a lesson she wants to unlearn, but when she witnesses a brutal crime she realizes that monsters do, in fact, exist. The dead, beady eyes that locked onto hers as the killer disposed of the body made her sure of that.

Fearing the police won’t be able to solve the case, and certain the killer saw her, Tessa knows she’s in danger. Soon, though, Tessa fears that the only monster she needs to be afraid of lives in her own head. Desperate to not turn out like her mother, Tessa seeks the help of a psychologist who assures her she isn’t facing a life of paranoia and mental illness.

Willing to risk her own life to find justice for the murdered woman- and to prove she isn’t like her mother- Tessa digs until she finds the answers she’s looking for, and finds herself completely at the killer’s mercy with no way to escape.

Shop Small, Give Big

December 7, 2020 by erinlanter

In a year when small, local businesses have been struggling due to shut-downs and an increase in online shopping, I encourage you to think about being intentional with how you spend your money this Christmas season.

There are many ways to do this. From buying gift cards to local businesses and restaurants for friends and family to selecting hand-crafted items from local artisans, there has been no better time to make an impact for a small businesses than this Christmas.

Listed below are a few of my favorite local, independent businesses:

  • Joseph-Beth Booksellers (Lexington, KY) www.josephbeth.com
  • Autumn & Company (Nicholasville, KY) www.autumnandcompany.ky.business.site
  • Old Kentucky Chocolates (Lexington, KY) www.oldkycandy.com
  • Bella Notte Italian Restaurant (Lexington, KY) www.bellalexington.com
  • *And for the person who wants to learn something new* AKF Lexington Martial Arts (Nicholasville, KY) www.akflexington.com

So there you have it, just a few of my favorite small businesses in Lexington.

Merry Christmas and Happy Shopping!

Follow That Star: Location

November 4, 2020 by erinlanter

I’ve been asked about the location of my novel “Follow That Star.” The short answer is, no, Saddle Hill isn’t a real town in Kentucky, just something I created in my own mind. I took aspects of different towns and wove them together to make what is, in my mind, the perfect small town.

First, there is my hometown in Harlan County, Kentucky. The Mountain Craft Festival in the book was inspired by the Festival of the Mountain Masters each year, which is held in Harlan the day after Thanksgiving. As a child (and still today), I loved walking through the different vendor stations to see the handcrafted goods the artisans were selling. My favorite of all are the wooden bowls, which I have yet to get my hands on. Maybe this year… Also, the willingness of my characters to help each other is modeled after the people from back home. One of the (many) things that is so special about Appalachia is that the people will do whatever they can to help someone in need. This will be reflected in the characters even more in “I’ll Be Home For Christmas,” book #2 in the Saddle Hill Christmas Mystery series (available November 2021).

Another place that inspired Saddle Hill is actually another fictional town. Anybody remember Cabot Cove? That’s right. I love Murder, She Wrote and always loved that the town jail was right in the back of the Sheriff Station. In a town like Saddle Hill, where there is very little crime, a separate building dedicated only to a jail would be unnecessary. I guess this was true for Mayberry as well…

So there you have it, the two main places that inspired the creation of Saddle Hill, combined with my own idea of the ideal town. I hope you enjoy spending time in Saddle Hill as much as I have. My wish is that it will give you a light-hearted break from the stress of this year.

Happy Reading!

Recent Posts

  • What I’m Working On…
  • Shop Small, Give Big
  • Follow That Star: Location

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