So be sure to order your copy soon!

Amelia Humble had a secret.

She knew perfectly well that the criminal mind was something that proper ‘40s housewives, such as herself, just didn’t go poking about in. The trouble was she simply couldn’t resist. While the other ladies would sip their tea, nibble their biscuits, and gossip about scandalous trivialities in town; Amelia’s mind would drift to murder, mayhem, and mystery.

Her unsuitable interests were splendidly concealed by her husband Charles, who had the occupation of private detective, and a reputation for being one of the finest investigative minds in all England. Mind you, he hadn’t always carried such distinction, having little reputation for any particular shrewdness in his bachelor days; but it could not be denied that marriage had been the making of Charles Humble.

When a prominent socialite vanishes from her own cocktail party, leaving nothing behind save a solitary rose; Amelia isn’t about to pass up the prospect of wrapping her mind around such a promising conundrum. It’s not long, however, before the mystery of the missing woman leads to a demand for ransom money, and amidst contradicting statements the once solid facts are left unrecognizably twisted.

This illustration is featured in my first mystery novella The Pale Rose. I’ve always liked books that have interior illustrations, and being both a writer and an artist I was very excited to be able to include some as chapter headings in my mystery.

You can read the full first chapter “Following the Fireworks”.

I have a lot of dreams that I take inspiration from for stories, but I don’t think I have ever had a dream as vivid and as detailed as The Pale Rose. Almost every aspect of the story, the clues, the crime, the method, were part of my dream and when I awoke, it was only a matter of working out a very few details to turn it into a rather decent mystery.

In the dream the detective was actually Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot, who was revealing his deductions on the case in that very dramatic way of his. Naturally I couldn’t keep that aspect of my dream when I wrote the mystery, but as it happened, I had already come up with the character of Amelia Humble, a housewife who has a hobby of solving her consulting detective husband’s cases, faster than he can solve them himself.

The title for the book came from the first sort of clue in the mystery, a rose that had once adorned the missing woman’s hair that is found on the floor in the room she vanished from. I think I used it for the title because I wanted something in ode to Poirot, and to how in the dream he said “the pale rose” in his little Belgian accent. Besides, I think it has a ring to it.

The Pale Rose: A Housewife Detective Mystery Novella is the first in a series, and will soon be available for purchase at Amazon.com

I’ve been writing like mad for the last little while and have just about finished my first novella. So exciting! Anyway, I thought I would post a little something, as a sort of teaser, if you will, that related to my book in a way. The cover art (which is just about finished as well) is in a similar style to this picture and that rose on my café girl’s hat has more to do with the story than you might think. Other than that, I’m going to leave the rest of it a mystery (hint, hint) until closer to publication.

When I did the cover art and layout for Kerri Bennett Williamson’s 4th novel, Frontier Ruby, I took inspiration from a photo of a child doll, and imagined what she might look like as a twenty-something young woman.

Mrs. Rutherford is Kerri Bennett Williamson’s 2nd novel, and, incidentally my second cover as well. There has always been something about this one that seems to grab people’s eye. I have had numerous comments on it, and requests for it in print form. I’ve always liked the colors; and I think it gets noticed because of the simplicity of the use of mainly shades of blue and yellow.

Seeing as Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I thought I would post this little book I happened to do the cover for; which contains numerous examples of things you should be thankful are not happening to you. But if anything in this book has happened, is happening, or most likely will happen to you, then you have my sincerest sympathies.

If you wish to glimpse a sample of the horrors contained within, then visit Amazon.com or Anna Williamson

I thought I’d post something for Halloween, and this Grim Reaper seemed to fit the spirit of the season.

The shape of the scythe came into my head from seeing a random pattern on a wall. So I drew the scythe and attached a wielder to it, along with a murder of crows. And a noose for some reason.

Happy Halloween.

Oceana looking lovingly at her potential husband. Isn’t he gorgeous? Okay, seriously, he’s a little creepy. I’ll let you decide if she actually marries him.

I thought I’d post a close up of the background gossips on the Prattleton cover to show some of their details.

These ladies were pretty much free hand, though I did look at some clothing of the day in reference for what they were wearing. I usually like a reference picture for my art, but when I can’t find something close to what I have in my head I just wing it, which is what this ended up being. It worked out, as they were supposed to be kind of cartoonish anyway.