Penny Goetjen's Blog

The day has finally arrived! DEADLY RIPPLES has officially launched.

Kathryn Moore and the rest of the characters have been catapulted into the world and you’ll get to join them for a visit to the Lowcountry. Murder mystery collides with family saga in DEADLY RIPPLES with decdeptively charming Charleston as a backdrop.

Here’s the Back Cover Blurb:

As a middle child, Boston native Kathryn Moore has always struggled to fit into her nouveau riche family and would rather do anything than ca...

As the release date for DEADLY RIPPLES gallops towards us like a gazelle startled out of the bushes by a famished cheetah while we watch helplessly from the safety of our safari caravan, I have to pause for a moment to reflect on the months long hard work it takes to launch a book and all the generous people who worked tirelessly to help. The sheer number of book bloggers as well as my launch team members who have taken the time to read an ARC of DEADLY RIPPLES (and who will continue to do s...

Like every novel writer, my goal is to get to the finish line with a manuscript I’m proud of—one I’ve spent weeks, perhaps months, carefully carving out before passing it along to my editor. There’s no greater feeling than clicking the blue send icon, depositing it into her capable, passionate, and at times over-the-top thorough hands (in a good way). It’s a rush of accomplishment.

Yet a nagging feeling slithers into the joyous moment. I should have spent more time on it—even though I’ve g...

I recently had the chance to sit down and chat with fellow mystery author C. Michele Dorsey to talk about her title GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. It’s a fast-paced suspense novel you’ll want to get your hands on.

Penny Goetjen: Having written two mysteries set in the U.S. Virgin Islands, I’ve enjoyed reading your Sabrina Salter Mystery Series and accompanying Sabrina on her escapades on St. John, Michele. I understand your soon-to-be-released GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN is a standalone mystery. Whe...

My husband seems to be used to it by now. After 37 years of marriage, I suppose it’s not surprising to him anymore that I seek out adventures for us to go on when we travel. Nothing too crazy. But there’s always an element of risk, for sure.

Recently we had the pleasure of returning to the U. S. Virgin Island of St. Thomas. Due to Covid it had been nearly three years since our last visit. It was a short stay but we were thrilled to be back.

We sought out some of our favorite places like mi...

Waking to a fogged-in harbor, I feared our plans for a seafaring excursion would be scrapped, but by the time we’d finished the hearty breakfast quiche at our B&B, the heavy cover seemed to be slowly lifting.

I’d had to do some digging online and make a few calls, but I finally tracked down a boat captain willing to take us out to Seguin Island, a remote spit of land measuring only 64 acres, about two and a half miles out to sea, and this was the morning for our adventure. (When I contacted t...

THE WOMAN UNDERWATER

THE WOMAN UNDERWATER will be released July 26, 2022 and is now available for Pre-Order.

Click above to order on Amazon. Also check with your favorite independent bookseller.

Here’s a peek into THE WOMAN UNDERWATER:

In the seven years since Victoria’s husband disappeared, no witnesses have stepped forward and no credible evidence has been collected—not even his car. He simply vanished from behind the stone walls of a private boarding school where he taugh...

Recently, I had the pleasure of sitting down with fellow mystery/suspense writer C. Michele Dorsey to talk about our mutual affinity for the Caribbean and her recent release set there.

GIVEAWAY: Be sure to comment below. Michele will be giving away all three books in her Caribbean series to a commenter, randomly chosen from all of the commenters to this post.

Here’s our chat:

Penny: I love the fact that we both have mystery novels set in the lush tropical islands of the Caribbean, the...

As I mentioned in my previous post, I’m always looking for something new, unusual, or at least different to add to our Thanksgiving table. This year, I’ve decided to try the New England taste treat called Brown Bread, but I wanted to do a trial run with the recipe.

As a young girl, whose mother grew up in Maine where it’s a staple, I was offered brown bread on occasion. It came in a can manufactured by B&M (located in Portland, Maine) and often served ...

Now that the calendar says November, I want to skip ahead and think about Thanksgiving. It’s always been a special day in our family, all about getting together and enjoying great food—sometimes a little too much wine—and catching up with each other’s lives. And now that our three children are grown and have significant others, it carries even more meaning as they introduce our family’s traditions to those they love.

One glance at the date and I want to grab a pad of paper to star...