Chatham author Kelly Young will be signing copies of her new novel, Say It Isn’t So, Joe, at Turns & Tales Chatham Board Game Café and Bookstore, 213 King St W. Chatham, from 2 – 6 p.m., on February 26.
“I’m so grateful to Turns & Tales for putting my books on their shelves and for hosting this book signing. It’s always great to meet people who enjoy reading,” she said as she prepared for the event.
The first book in the new Haunted & Harassed Paranormal Mystery Series, Say It Isn’t So, Joe is based on the popular short story, A Ghost Named Joe, published as part of Young’s collection, Kisses in the Moonlight and Other Short Tales, Volume 2, which was released in May of 2020.
In the prequel story, a retired married couple, hounded by the ghost of the former owner of their house, help him find an item left behind somewhere in the house. In the first full length book, which was released on Valentine’s Day, the ghost named Joe has returned, and he won't leave Carmen and her husband Sebastian alone, until they agree to help the friend that he’s brought along with him.The ghost of his friend Donna is convinced that she did not die of natural causes. Joe has told her that he knows just the people to figure out her dilemma, an no amount of protest from the couple will make the spectres realize that finding a missing necklace is nothing like finding a murderer.
It's a steep learning curve for Carmen and Bass. Despite their misgivings, they team up with the owners of the local Montgomery Funeral Home, and are soon up to their necks in suspects and intrigue. Can they solve a murder that no one thinks actually happened, and will Joe finally leave them alone if they figure the puzzle out? Or will they be the next ones lying in state at the funeral home?Young, who is the author of the four-book Travel Writer Cozy Mystery Series, the thrillers Flurries Ending and The Six Thousand, two short story collections, two speculative fiction books and more, is excited to meet readers at the book signing.“For me reading is an escape from every day stresses, and I write my mysteries to provide that escape for others. My mystery books have a lot of humour mixed in, and the feedback on the new book so far has been quite positive.”Say It Isn’t So, Joe is in a new genre for the author, but although it is paranormal in nature, it still falls under the ‘cozy’ umbrella.“I’m excited to be writing in a new genre,” she said of the paranormal theme of the book, “although it is still a cozy mystery at the core.”Young intends to return to the Travel Writer series next. “Along with the full-length novels, I’m planning a spin off short-story series I’m calling Travel Writer Day Trips, which will feature two short stories in each book. They will be centred around the series characters that readers have come to enjoy.” She added that she will be sure to bring a few copies of the previous series for those readers interested in fun mysteries set in real locations in Ontario to the book signing.Copies of the new book are already available on the shelves at Turns & Tales.Young is a member of Crime Writers of Canada, and Sisters in Crime, as well as the local Facebook groups Chatham Kent Authors and CK Wrimos for local writers participating in National Novel Writing Month every November. She has taken part in two of the Author Festivals held by the Chatham Kent Public Library, and has donated copies of all of her books to the library.
