Book Spotlight: One Rotten Apple

What do sheep have to do with a cozy mystery? Well, our guest author today, Penny Frost McGinnis, discovered that her rabbit trail of research turned into more of a sheep trail. See what I mean as you read along for some of the favorite characters in her newest book.

When I wrote my first cozy mystery, I wanted to include all the elements readers expect: a small town and close-knit community, quirky characters, an amateur sleuth, a murder mystery, a clean read, and animals.

I’ve loved animals all my life. In my younger days, I dreamed of working as a veterinarian until I followed our vet around when he treated our horses and discovered how messy the job could get. My change in career plans didn’t deter my adoration of God’s creatures.

When I chose a location in South Carolina to model the town after in One Rotten Apple, I considered the best environment for Lyndie Lavender, amateur sleuth and former war correspondent and photographer, to find the peace and quiet she longed for. Lyndie returned to her aunt’s homestead, the perfect place for her to own animals, who might help her solve mysteries.

But what animal should I choose? Dogs and cats appeared in many mysteries, and I’d read some with birds.

One day, I scrolled on Instagram and the cutest sheep I’d ever seen scampered across the screen. That day, I fell in love with the Valais blacknose sheep. Their cream-colored curly hair bounced over their sweet, round, black faces. Faces so black, I couldn’t see their eyes. The curly horns, both male and female donned, were adorable. Somehow, I had to fit them into Lyndie’s story, but I ran into a problem. Full-bred Valais blacknose, originated in the Swiss Alps, and it was illegal to transport one to the United States from Europe.

I read a book about the sheep and dug into internet resources and discovered some shepherds in the United States bred their sheep with the embryos of Valais they received from New Zealand, England, or the Netherlands. Through “breed-up” programs they discovered they could take an F1 (50% Valais breed) to the F5 level (98.66%). I’m no expert on breeding sheep, but this gave me the information I needed for Lyndie to own one or two sheep of her own.

After I’d spent many hours researching and felt satisfied with the results, I added Floss and Thimble to the story. I was fortunate to be connected, by a mutual friend, to Kentucky Valais, a farm about two hours from me. My husband and I spent several hours playing with the animals and meeting some adorable Valais blacknose sheep. They are as cuddly as they look.

Lyndie Lavender loves her sheep who bring peace to her days, and they might just help her solve a mystery or two.

If you haven’t been introduced to this delightful breed, look them up. They’ll bring joy to your day. My daughter, Maggie Wickline-Jowers painted the cover with watercolor. She did a lovely job capturing Floss and Thimble.

I hope you’ll check out at One Rotten Apple: Lyndie Lavender Cozy Mystery.

One Rotten Apple

Small town charm, a fall festival… and one uninvited corpse.

After twenty years of photographing war zones, Lyndie Lavender longs for peace. She finds it—at least at first—when she moves to her Aunt Cordy’s homestead near the quiet town of Seldom Seen, South Carolina. The gentle rhythm of her new life is upended when Lyndie stumbles across a dead body on the opening day of her aunt’s beloved Apple Fest.

Determined to uncover who killed one of the locals—and marred her aunt’s festival—Lyndie dusts off her camera and natural curiosity. With her sister Laurel at her side and Aunt Cordy’s charming new tenant, Zach Hudson, lending a hand, Lyndie finds herself snooping, spying, and untangling secrets the town folks didn’t even know.

Finding a killer isn’t on Lyndie Lavender’s calendar. But neither is walking away.

Penny Frost McGinnis has loved books for as long as she can remember, from sharing a childhood library with her cousins to working in libraries until retirement. She writes cozy mysteries for adults and a variety of books for children. An avid reader and lifelong learner, she lives in southwest Ohio with her husband and their golden retriever, Rosie May. Penny embraces her faith, family, and enjoys fiber arts, and baseball. She writes with the goal of encouraging and uplifting her readers.