Broken Promises (A Past Imperfect Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Between the Lines Publishing (August 15, 2017)
Print Length: 212 pages
Synopsis
Julia was in a search of a way out…a way back to herself.
The passing of her favorite aunt sends her to the small artist town of Grand Marais, nestled along the northern coast of Lake Superior. There she starts to weave the tattered threads of a new life, rediscovering her love of sketching, while running the antique shop, Past Imperfect. Everything is finally going right. Until a mysterious package arrives, tucked inside is an ornate silver letter opener bearing the initials E.C. along with an even more mysterious note. Julia’s natural curiosity piqued, but before she can discover who sent the letter opener, it’s found embedded in Tom Peterson’s chest. The tapestry of her new life begins to unravel as she is named a prime suspect. Now, left with few clues and a past not willing to let her go, Julia works to solve the mystery and the murder.
Infidelity through time and a curse that only she can break – once she figures out how.
Guest Post
Hi, I’m Julia Crawford and I own the Past Imperfect Antique shop in Grand Marais. If you’d told me a year ago that I would move to the North Shore, living just fifty feet from Lake Superior, to run an antique shop, I would have told you, you were crazy. Then again, maybe that’s how she wanted to happen. The she, I refer to is my Aunt Sadie. She owned the shop before passing away a few months ago. That’s how I came to be here. She left it to me. Aunt Sadie was a special lady. She just knew what someone needed, even if they didn’t know themselves. In my case, she knew I needed a change from an unhappy marriage. Have you ever found yourself doing something you swore you’d never do? Well, that’s what my marriage to Graham was. I was an artist, well-received by a few galleries and a full scholarship for graduate school in New York. It was like a dream come true. The idea of being in the middle of New York City, studying art and art history, and spending time at the Met. It was everything I wanted, but I never got there. Instead, I allowed myself to give in to Graham’s gently expressed concerns. That was the day I started to disappear. Julia the artist become Julia the wife. Being a wife isn’t a bad thing, but you should have something for yourself. My sketch pad and paints were replaced with china.
Ten years later, enter Aunt Sadie. I was devastated when I got the call about her unexpected death. She was the one person who understood and celebrated me for me. She loved antiques and used to make up stories about them when I was a child. I could happily listen to her stories for hours. Aunt Sadie pushed me to apply for graduate school. I think she could see what I was blind to. It’s true what they say, changes in latitude can bring changes in attitude. It took only a few days among the wonderful people here, for me to discover home.
Now sitting on the large flat rocks of Artist Point, I feel her sitting next to me, watching the afternoon tide crash against the rocks and saying, “It’ll all be alright now.” She’s right, I call this small artist community home. If you find yourself driving north along Highway 61, stop by and visit. The shop has something for everyone. If you find the “gone fishing” sign in the window, take the short walk to the water break, you’ll find me sitting on the largest red stone with my sketch pad. I’m happy to open the shop up anytime.
About The Author
Anne has always loved the North Shore, especially Lake Superior near Grand Marais. She lives there with her husband and two children. When bringing the Past Imperfect series together, Anne couldn’t think of a better place to have Julia’s shop. If you find yourself traveling through, stop by Artist Point, you may just find her sitting on the rocks.
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Giveaway
check out the other blogs on this tour
November 6 – Books,Dreams,Life – SPOTLIGHT
November 6 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
November 7 – Valerie’s Musings – REVIEW
November 7 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
November 8 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW, INTERVIEW
November 8 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 9 – StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST
November 9 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT
November 10 – Deal Sharing Aunt – INTERVIEW
November 10 – Lori’s Reading Corner – GUEST POST
Thank you so much for helping make the tour so great. I had such fun and Julia loved doing the interview. Working on book 2 now.
I’ve never been to the Lake Superior area. This makes me want to visit.
I love this cover. I wish I was there. Great post and I look forward to reading this.