Samantha Shade has been hired to find out if there is more than rats and bats and feral cats haunting the crumbling remains of San Rafael Mission, home of Father Rodriguez’s impoverished flock. But soon the donut-addicted rookie private investigator is sidetracked by a series of murders occurring within the parish—and by the attractive police detective involved in that investigation. Several young men have been found murdered—each with a marigold between his lips. The clues all seem to lead to someone at San Rafael . Who could be responsible? Someone Sam knows and used to love? Soon Samantha comes all too close to the answer as she is led through the crypts below San Rafael on a journey that could only end on the Mexican Day of the Dead.

Bravo!  Kerry Blair has done it again!  Ghost of a Chance is yet another masterfully woven mystery that had me laughing out loud, gasping at the unexpected plot twists, and sighing blissfully at the romance.  Bring on the next book in the Nightshade series!  I’m hooked!   Erin Klingler, author of Love Beyond Tomorrow   

Click here to read the first chapter
    

When Samantha Shade is offered the opportunity to run Nightshade Investigation, her uncle's private detective agency, she jumps at the chance. It has always been her dream to work at the famously eclectic firm. But when a wealthy, eccentric client hires Nightshade to protect a priceless artifact, and the relic is almost immediately stolen from under Samantha's nose, her dream turns into a nightmare.  With a long list of suspects and a short supply of experience, Samantha must elicit the help of an antagonistic policeman and the quirky Nightshade staff to solve the case and keep her uncle's beloved agency from disaster. 

Kerry Blair made me laugh, gave me chills, and kept me turning pages long into the night. Just when I thought I had everything all figured out, there was another twist!   Julie Coulter Bellon, author of Time Will Tell.   

Click here to read the first chapter.
 

Counting Blessings

“Spiritual refreshment is only pages away in this down-to-earth collection of inspiring stories and essays. Like a wise and witty friend, Kerry leads you through the rough spots of life by poking gentle fun in such a vivacious way that you’ll be smiling at your own foibles. You’ll laugh out loud—and be moved to tears—as you discover some of life’s greatest truths hidden within these simple pages. Reclaim your sanity and enrich your soul with this humorous and poignant anthology that celebrates the joy of being alive and shows how greatly each of us is blessed.

See blog for excerpts from book.

Coming in March! Pre-order today at www.deseretbook.com.

A perfect gift for all the women in your life, Of Infinite Worth is for the mother who raised you, the mother you are or will be, and for those who have nurtured you as a mother would. An inspiring and often humorous tribute to all the mothers who claim to be just ordinary, this charming booklet includes a rich and thoughtful collection of essays by best-loved authors Kerry Blair, Anita Stansfield, Joni Hilton, Sariah S. Wilson, Lynn C. Jaynes, and Marilynne Todd Linford.

Excerpt from “The Noblest Vocation” by Kerry Blair:

            It’s a shame I wasn’t asked to write about mothers twenty-five years ago when I was childless and an expert on the subject. You see, my expertise has gone downhill from there.

            Fresh from BYU, I believed that motherhood was the noblest vocation a woman could pursue in mortality—a sacred partnership with her Heavenly Father. (I still believe it, in fact.) There was no doubt in my mind that I could hold up my end of the bargain if God could. I would be as patient as Job, as wise as Solomon, and as faithful as Ruth. In short, I would breeze through motherhood with a brood of perfect children who would honor me all the days of my life and rise up in the eternities to call me blessed.

            As it turned out, God managed to hold up His end, whereas I may have faltered a little. I first suspected I might not be matchless maternal material when my oldest son was two weeks old and I took him to the state fair. Before we were out of the parking lot, I hit the first bump in the road to maternal perfection. The bump was the baby. He had slid out from under a strap and landed facedown on the asphalt, whereupon I ran over him with my shiny new SafetyFirst stroller. You could hear the screams all the way to the poultry barn. I was the one screaming. The baby was quiet and utterly confused. Clearly, I was not the mother he had applied for in the premortal existence.

            Three more children came to our home—undoubtedly the bravest spirits to survive the War in Heaven. After the first decade, I no longer expected them to sing my praises. (In fact, I was thrilled by a rare acknowledgement in public.) I’m not too hopeful about them rising up to praise me in the eternities, either, since it was all I could do to get them to rise up for school in the mornings. (And I can’t recall ever being called blessed for it.)          
  

This Just In

“I never thought anybody would hear these words from me, but there are times when fashion doesn’t count.”

            When a presidential candidate’s young son disappears into the Arizona desert, TV fluff reporter Jillanne Caldwell gets her first chance at a real news story. But the former beauty queen will soon be forced to face her worst nightmares—and perhaps realize her biggest dreams—in her own hilarious way. Accompanying Jill on the race to save her favorite Sunbeam is Clay Eskiminzin, a seasoned tracker who dislikes reporters because of a secret of his own. Clay knows he can find Connor, but can only hope to find him alive. Thus the unlikely pair begins a desperate search in a vast, unforgiving desert wilderness where they must battle against the evils of men as well as the unrelenting forces of nature if they hope to save an innocent child.

Kerry Blair has done it again. Readers will find themselves biting their nails—then possibly choking on them because they are laughing so hard!  Janette Rallison, nationally-acclaimed author of It’s a Mall World After All.

Digging Up the Past  (with Christine Wolfe)
“Count on Indiana Jones to get it right, after all.”

            Even though she was once in love with Jayce Macdermott, FBI agent Meredith McKay thought she would never see him again. Now their reunion is taking place in a small Arizona jailhouse where the archeologist stands accused of murder. While Meredith can’t believe Jayce killed an undercover agent, her list of suspects is as short as the time Jayce may have to live. Hidden beneath the red clay desert in the ancient, mystical land of the Hopis is a ceremonial kiva—and the answers to the investigation. As Meredith and Jayce dig for clues and edge closer to unearthing the truth, someone is preparing to sacrifice Jayce—quite literally—to protect a profitable scheme. Can Meredith learn the truth in time to save the man she loves?

As I read, I found myself thoroughly engrossed.  Though nothing like Sister Blair’s other books, this one is definitely a keeper…well-written, well-researched, and a delight through and through. Jennie Hansen, best-selling author of Emerald and fiction reviewer for Meridian Magazine.    

Closing In
“. . . and on the book glowed one shining word, and only one, the word BELIEVE.”  (Hans Christian Andersen, The Philosopher’s Stone, 1859)

            Libby James, the new librarian for Alma Elementary School , has come to the small, quirky town of Amen , Arizona to spend her life in solitude. But is she hiding from more than an outside world she finds painful and unforgiving? David Rogers thinks so. As a new semester begins at Alma Elementary, Captain Rogers, a dashing young naval officer and former astronaut, arrives to teach sixth grade, courtesy of a government grant to impoverished school districts. At least that’s his story. He’s actually been sent undercover to find out all he can about the woman who calls herself Libby James, but is in reality Elisabeth Jamison, one of the richest women in the world…and a suspected spy.  David quickly learns that while Libby probably isn’t selling classified defense information to Middle Eastern terrorists, she probably is next on the list of whoever’s guilty—and is systematically eliminating the people who get in their way.

“Thank you for writing such entertaining, excellent LDS fiction…I really enjoyed the humor and characters in Closing In. Another aspect that I really liked was the quotes at the beginning of each chapter and the many allusions to Andersen’s fairy tales. They added so much depth to the story.” Rachelle, Phoenix, AZ – from a letter

The Heart Has Its Reasons
“The Heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of.”   (Voltaire)

Andi Reynolds has a plan for everything in her life, and Sterling Channing fits it perfectly. Then Andi meets Greg Howland four days before Sterling returns from his mission and finds that her “checklist for eternal happiness” is suddenly more of a puzzle than an iron-clad plan.  Greg, meanwhile, has found success that he never imagined possible, but what started as a dream has fast become a nightmare. Still mourning the death of his brother, Greg is also paying a painful price for his brother’s mistakes. When he meets Andi he feels a whisper of hope for a better life—but is there room in her life for someone like him?

A romance that any girl would love to curl up with.  This is definitely one book I would like to see a sequel to.  The Daily Herald ( Provo , Utah )

The Heart Has Forever
Love conquers all . . .If  you give it enough time.

           Andi Reynolds has fallen reluctantly—but joyfully—in love with sports superstar Greg Howland. Despite his conversion to the gospel, Greg is surrounded by people who want to exploit his fame and wealth. It is a constant battle to find time for his new faith…and his new love. Meanwhile,  Andi’s sister Clytie, an anchondroplastic dwarf, is also discovering the magic of romance, but hers comes at a terrible price because intelligent, cynical, funny Thaddeus is dying. Will she be able to give her heart, knowing that soon all she will have left of their love is her memories?   

I loved it so much!  I didn’t think you could possibly make the sequel better, but you did.  Once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down.  Shannon, Beaverton, Oregon —from a letter

The Heart Only Knows
“Only the heart knows how to find what is precious.”  (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

           When your fiancé is an incredibly handsome professional baseball player, it’s hard to find time to be alone. Not that Andi Reynolds is complaining. It’s just that everyone wants a piece of superstar Greg Howland—from the news-hungry media, to his adoring fans. The only thing that keeps Andi sane is the knowledge that in a few short months, Greg will take her to the temple, and then he’ll be all hers…until the next baseball season, of course.  But then an old enemy begins stalking Greg and the stakes rise drastically. When the stalker kidnaps Andi’s younger brother, Greg must make an impossible choice—who will live, and who will die.

A great finish for a fantastic series!  My whole family enjoyed them.  The loveable, human characters show us that we can overcome our trials and achieve our dreams.  I highly recommend these books and look forward to more!   Betsy Brannon Green, best-selling author of Hearts in Hiding