Book 2 News: Coming Soon

(Edited to add: Reached "The End" on Book 2 on November 2nd! The completed draft is currently in the revision stage. https://www.philippamors.com/post/book-2-draft-finished )

Well, relatively soon . . . ;)

Bertie & Harriet's next mystery, Murder with All the Trappings (Book 2), is reaching the homestretch! (Final cover to be revealed later.)

When I initially planned Book 2, I wanted it to be shorter than Book 1. Saddled with Murder came in at a whopping 88,000 words, but most cozy mysteries are around 60,000-70,000 words, and that shorter length is better for the “rapid release” strategy that many modern readers expect.

However, in the writing of Book 2, the plot has turned out to be just as intricate as Book 1, so it looks like it may come in around 78,000 words. Just like in Book 1, I anticipate both cutting and adding during revisions.

For those of you kind enough to have pre-ordered Book 2 before I cancelled the pre-order in April, thank you so much! I’m very sorry for any worry or disappointment caused by the pre-order cancellation. We lost our young Standard Poodle “Ori” in early spring after a sudden liver illness (the university vets were baffled by his case, calling him a “medical mystery”). Ori was my writing buddy, always with me in my writing room (or going on hikes with me to brainstorm plots). His unexpected loss stole momentum from every aspect of my life, including my writing. Since I wasn’t confident I could finish Book 2 by the pre-order deadline, I decided it was best to cancel the pre-order and give myself whatever time I needed. I knew I wanted to put out a book that I was proud of, not one that was rushed.

Writing eventually picked back up, and I’m so excited about this second plot! I’m confident that readers who enjoyed Book 1 will also love this one. I certainly do.

At the rate I’m writing, it looks like I’ll have the full draft finished sometime in September 2025. Then I’ll let the draft rest for a bit before starting revisions (I’m a strange duck—I actually enjoy revisions). After I finish my own revisions, I’ll send it to my editor for the final pass. I’m hoping to release by the end of the year.

My new writing buddy is coming home at the end of August, a black Standard Poodle puppy named Archie Goodwin (I named him after Nero Wolfe’s intrepid sidekick in Rex Stout’s classic mystery series). After I found Archie’s breeder and reserved him from an upcoming litter, she surprised me with the news that his sire is from Somerset, England—the very setting of Saddled with Murder. ❤️

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