Jane K Cleland

For Josie Prescott, an abandoned storage unit is the perfect place to find some killer treasure. In the auction crowd is local interior designer Henri Dubois, bidding against a stranger. Josie is thrilled to win a small unit filled with Depression-era glassware and stunning vintage jewelry. Henri's unit includes hand-painted silent movie posters, which he asks Josie to appraise. But the next morning, she receives a frantic call from Henri's wife:...

"Christmas lights twinkle throughout the cozy coastal town of Rocky Point, New Hampshire, and Prescott's Antiques auction venue has been transformed into a winter wonderland for Josie Prescott's annual holiday party. Josie is especially excited this year-Ian Bennington, a recently discovered distant relative, will be joining the fun. Both Ian and Josie are, it seems, descended from Arabella Churchill, a 17th century royal mistress. The party is a...

"When amateur sleuth and antiques expert Josie Prescott is called in to appraise a Japanese woodblock print and vintage guitar for her friend Mo, shes thrilled, until Mo is murdered. It doesn't take her long to pinpoint one suspect: Mos sisters manipulative boyfriend, who sold her the print, and has now, conveniently, disappeared. Josies antiques know how and detective skills soon lead her down an increasingly perplexing trail, scattered with gamblers,...

"Antiques appraiser Josie Prescott is in the midst of filming a segment for her new television show. Josie's Antiques, when the assistant director interrupts to let her know she has a visitor. Josie reluctantly pauses production and goes outside, where she finds an elegant older woman waiting to see her. Veronica Sutton introduces herself as an old friend of Josie's father, who had died twenty years earlier. Veronica seems fidgety, and after only...

In this sequel to "Consigned to Death," antiques appraiser Josie Prescott gets mixed up in murder after a friend is poisoned during a gala benefit at Prescott's Antiques and Appraisals. Martin's Press.

One of the mainstays of Prescott's Antiques and Appraisals has always been the cheerful and helpful assistant, Gretchen, who turned up unexpectedly just as Josie was setting up shop in New Hampshire. Gretchen has always been so dependable that it seems odd when she doesn't show up for work one day. Surprise turns to alarm when a dead body is found in Gretchen's house, and she's the prime suspect. How much does Josie know about Gretchen, anyway? Enough...

"Most authors are innate storytellers, but understanding the arc of a good story is only part of what makes a page-turner. To produce your best work--stories that AI can't replicate--you need to tap into your humanity, not a chatbot's algorithms. Stimulating hands-on exercises enable you to put the techniques to work; "pro tips" from bestselling and award-winning authors help you master winning writing tactics; and a welcoming TikTok writing community...

"The key to keeping readers on the edge of their seats is filling your stories--from memoirs to thrillers and stage plays to screenplays--with unexpected twists and turns. By integrating Plot *T*wists, Plot *R*eversals, and Moments of Heightened *D*anger (TRDs) at crucial points, you can captivate your readers with I-can't-wait-to-see-what-happens-next intrigue. The quicker pace and focused action that come from strategically placed twists form the...