Mrs. Odboddy and the Conniving Candidate: A WWII Tale of Political Shenanigans and Snookery (Mrs. Odboddy Mysteries)
Historical Cozy Mystery
5th in Series
Setting – California
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Elk Grove Publications (October 6, 2024)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 262 pages

Synopsis

As the war continues to rage in Europe, Election Day approaches in Newbury. Among other inequities, the Newbury City Council makes it difficult for local women to obtain business licenses even for home-bases businesses. Mrs. Odboddy decides to run for the vacant city council seat, but she has no idea what political obstacles she will face. The trouble starts, first with disasters in her home, to violence and racism against her friends, and then theft charges are filed against her!

To make matters worse, her granddaughter’s old boyfriend has returned to town declaring his unwanted, undying love. His heroic responses to multiple adverse events affecting the family make it difficult for Katherine to send him packing.

Agnes suspects her political opponent is behind all the trouble, including the state’s attempts to remove their beloved ward, Mattie. It seems that Agnes is up against a conniving opponent who will stop at nothing to prevent her winning the election. How can she prevail against such sinister deeds? Is winning an election worth it when her family is at risk?

Join Agnes as she faces overwhelming odds in her efforts to bring much needed change to Newbury.

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Guest Post

A Reader’s Expectations

A reader spends four to six hours immersed in reading a novel. If well-written, she travels alongside the main character or, if the writer is truly talented, the reader feels as though she ‘becomes’ the main character.

Readers choose their choice of genre for various reasons. She may immerse herself in a romance where she can feel loved and cherished. She may be a frustrated crime fighter who enjoys following clues and solving crimes. She may wish to experience the adrenaline rush, thrills, and chills of a thriller-suspense novel. Perhaps she is curious about life in a future universe, or living in a different time. She may want to learn traditions from other cultures through the pages of a fictionalized adventure set in foreign lands. She may only wish to forget her own troubles for a few short hours, and escape in a humorous fantasy.

Likely, a reader seldom wonders what goes into the creation of a novel. What was involved in creating the story before it magically transports them to their chosen destination?

Over many hours, weeks, months, and sometimes years, an author must imagine the premise for the novel. Some authors outline the entire story before they put fingers to keyboard. Others have a general plot idea and let the story evolve as they write, expertly and diligently bringing every thread together at the end. She must keep each reaction and comment true to the personality of the characters through actions and dialogue. Understandably, a fair amount of talent, study, and craft skill goes into this effort. Before publishing, the manuscript goes through critique, formatting, cover design, and decisions regarding publication, whether traditional or Indie Publishing.

Mrs. Odboddy and the Conniving Candidate is such a story. Set during WWII, elderly, capricious Agnes Odboddy runs for a seat on the Newbury City Council. Little does she realize how things can ‘go south’ when your opponent has no scruples. The subplot involves her granddaughter, Katherine’s ex-fiancé, having left her at the altar the year before, returns, declaring undying love. When troubles begin to stack up, causing the family grief, Dr. Dew-Right (who probably isn’t…very) repeatedly saves the day, making it difficult for Katherine to kick him to the curb. Should she stay in the race or throw in the towel? Agnes must choose between her political aspirations and duty to protect her family.

A good story must reach a satisfying conclusion, and Conniving Candidate does just that. In the rousing climax, Agnes and Katherine are caught up in a black-market scheme that puts their lives in danger.

What a challenge and what a victory when the novel is finally published and a reader comes back to the author and asks, “When is the next Mrs. Odboddy novel coming out?” That is an author’s highest compliment. Mrs. Odboddy and the Conniving Candidate.

About the Author

Elaine is a member of Sisters in Crime (SIC), Northern California Publishers and Authors (NCPA), and Elk Grove Writers Guild (EGWG). She has published eleven cozy mystery novels, a humorous historical fiction series, a cozy cat mystery series, an anthology of short cat stories, a paranormal mystery, and multiple short stories published in twenty-one independent anthologies.

Three of Elaine’s “Mrs. Odboddy” fiction novels have won NCPA book awards. Her cat novels have received Cat Writers Association Excellence in Writing Certificates, and she has won numerous awards for her short stories through various venues and contests.

Elaine volunteers at the American Cancer Society Discovery Shop in Elk Grove, CA. She lives with her husband, and Truffie, who contributes inspiration for many of her cat-related stories and novels.

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