Tuesday Tales: From the Word COLD

Winter has this part of Canada firmly in its grasp. This week, the authors from Tuesday Tales are writing their scenes based on the word prompt COLD. I’m continuing with The Case of the Missing Prince.

Minister Novak nodded. “Now, since I’m certain that you haven’t come simply to share my tea, am I to assume you’ve decided to take the case?”

“I’m considering it,” I admitted.

He narrowed his eyes. “But…”

“I have some questions I need answered first.”I wasn’t going to beat around the bush. “I was doing some online research last night, and I was surprised to find absolutely nothing anywhere about a missing prince. So my first question to you is: is someone really missing? And if so, who is it?” I put up my hand to stop him from interrupting me. “More to the point. I have the official list of names from everyone who was on the mountain that day climbing, and there is no Viktor Opole nor a Stanislav Drulivic on it. So would you be so kind as to explain what’s really going on here? Unless you’re completely honest with me, I’m walking out of here, and you can find someone else to do whatever the hell it is you want. As you said yesterday, I am a business woman, but I’m nobody’s fool.”

The man hung his head. When he looked up, he seemed to have aged ten years.

“My apologies, Ms. Chambers. I was going to remedy that situation when you agreed to take the case. The crown prince is indeed missing. The reason his name doesn’t appear on the list is that the entire party used aliases. From your online research, you would’ve realized that the prince keeps a very low profile. He has always been shy, and eschews publicity, although that is changing. Viktor alluded to some of the political issues threatening our country at the moment. What he didn’t mention was that much of it is being funded by another nation intent on getting its hands on our mineral wealth.” He sighed, making me wonder about his health again. “Prince Stanislav has very definite opinions on Zobora’s future, and he’s not prepared to compromise them. He can’t be bought, blackmailed, or bullied into submission, but until he is king, he can’t make any changes.”

I leaned back. “I see. Where does the king stand on his son’s proposed changes?”

Emile sipped his tea, emptying the small glass before refilling it. He offered me more.

“No, thank you.”

If that had been icy cold water, I would’ve been all over it.

Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Tuesday Tales: From the Word YEAR

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our word prompt is YEAR. I’m continuing with The Case of the Missing Prince. In this scene, you see how Evie’s thought process works as she explains the situation to Al.

“What do you mean missing? I haven’t seen anything about that on the news.”

“I know, and that’s just one more thing that doesn’t add up. Hallie and I did a deep dive into the landslide near Banff, Alberta, in June. The prince was among the climbers, but he hasn’t been seen since the landslide. They’ve asked me to find him—my reputation for locating missing people is stellar—but from what I can see, if anyone’s been looking for him, it’s all been very hush-hush. His name wasn’t even listed as one of the climbers, although the other members of his party were—well, not the bodyguard, but that’s another issue. There have been no posters, no ads, not even online posts asking if anyone has seen him, even though the foreign minister says they are offering a million dollar reward for information leading to his return. It looks as if they haven’t made the disappearance public yet, even though he’s been missing a full quarter of a year. I’ve asked him not to make that reward public just yet. If the prince has gone off on his own or is hiding from someone who wants him dead…” I explained everything Hallie and I had learned about the landslide and what I’d been told by the foreign minister, Petrov, and Viktor. I also described Hallie’s kidnapping theory and my own that the prince might have gone off on his own. “I don’t know why I didn’t ask what they’d done so far to find him. I assumed they’d pulled out all the stops. They did interview those first responders, but I think the only others they spoke to were the prince’s friends, as if the fact that he’s missing is some kind of state secret. Don’t you think that’s odd? You would think that they would be tearing apart Banff and the surrounding area in their search.”

“Maybe they’re afraid of grifters, you know, people who claim to have information only to try and get money for nothing. The other side of it, a missing heir to the throne might start a civil uprising in the country. You did say there are people opposed to change. They might push the agenda. If the king is old and grieving, well, they might arrange an accident. You really won’t know until you ask.”

Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

IWSG Monthly Blog January 2026

Welcome to 2026 and the IWSG monthly blog hop! I’ve started the year with a head cold–things could be far worse–but it is what it is.

January 7 question – Is there anything in your writing plans for 2026 that you are going to do that you couldn’t get done in 2025?

In 2026, I hope to publish the second book in my Evie Chambers Mysteries series. The book is started and is entitled The Case of the Missing Prince. Once that’s done, I need to format a couple of books into audio and paperback. My biggest want is to complete my Listen to the Stones fantasy series which I’ve decided to release in a fashion similar to the Lord of the Rings. So far, I have released two of the four books. In Book One, The Awakening, my heroine discovers that she is more than she ever expected to be, while my hero continues his search for a woman he loved and lost in the past and suffers psychic attacks he doesn’t understand. In Book Two, The Homecoming, my heroine learns more about her past through dreams, out-of-body experiences, and encounters with withches and humans alike who prepare her for what she’ll find when she reaches home. My hero continues his search and worries since the stones he relied on, not only for information but for the plots to his successful novels, have gone silent. Discovering that the woman for whom he’s been searching is the new chatelaine of the Fraser lands, the place where his stones are located, is exhilerating and confusing. He knows exactly who she is and what she was in the past, but she doesn’t know him. To make matters worse, he has competition for her affections. The catch is both of them must find and recognize true love, freely given, before the enemy regains his powers. Once they do, they will both have access to the abilities they need to cdefeat him. If they fail, the world such as they know it, will end. Book Three, The Bonding, is finished and just requires editing. Book Four is barely started, so that’s my big push for the year.

I’ve penciled in a couple of romances as well as another book in my paranomal detectives series, and would like to work on a couple of holiday books, but we’ll see. After a fairly decent December, book sales and pages read so far in January have been abysmal. I’m hoping that will improve. I also my try more promotional activity even though I find it difficult.

So, I end with wishing you all a Happy 2026.

For other opinions, check out: https://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Tuesday Tales: From the Word NEW

Welcome to the first Tuesday Tales scene of 2026. Tuesday Tales is a weekly blog written by a small group of wonderful authors and I am honored and humbled to be one of them. Each week, we have a word prompt that we incorporate into the scen we present. Scenes are usually around 400 words long and come from our current works in progress. I am working on a cozy mystery entiltled The Case of the Missing Prince. Our word this week is NEW.

Hallie slapped the table. “Evie, I swear you can be the most exasperating person I know. For the love of God, give me some details. How does your new man compare with the hotties from this morning?”

I was enjoying this. “If those two are the gold standard, then Al is a ten carat diamond.”

Her eyes grew large. “Really? I never thought you would ever look at another man again.”

“Neither did I. When I first saw him, he wore a navy uniform with gold epaulettes, his costume as curator of the museum. In profile he reminded me of Pete. He’s tall, with dark hair that curled on his collar when I left him, although he may have gotten it cut by now. He has streaks of silver peppering his hair and his beard, not enough to age him, but enough to give him that touch of mystery and character.” I laughed. “Why is it that a woman with that hair color or white like me is considered over the hill, while guys like Al are dashing and experienced? It really isn’t fair.”

“That’s why you like him? Because he reminds you of Pete?” The lines furrowing her brow deepened. “Is it healthy?”

“It isn’t like that. Believe me, the superficial resemblance vanished once I got closer to him and we spoke. He’s taller, with broader shoulders, and there isn’t a millimeter of fat on him. His eyes are a different shade of blue than Pete’s, and while he’s also a diver with a penchant for motorcycles, that’s where the comparison ends. He’s got a wonderful sense of humor, loves to dance and sing along to the music, and is great with kids.” I licked my lips. “He makes me feel alive, Hallie, something I never expected to feel again, and when I’m with him, I feel as if I’m where I need to be.” I held up my hand to stop her from interrupting. “At first, I thought that I was imagining the way I felt, but now … I miss him, and this case may be just what I need to find out whether or not Al Binette is the man for me. If I’m going to search for the body of a man who may have been murdered, I need someone I can trust with me. I trust Al.”

Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Looking Back at 2025

For many people around the world, 2025 hasn’t been a great year. Political upheaval, sexual exploitation, financial crises, housing shortages, food insecurity, and weather and climate disasters were just a few things that peppered the news. The war continued in Ukraine and Gaza as well as in other hot spots around the world. There were horrible mass shootings and hatred, misogyny, racism, and all of the other horrible isms in the world seemed to grow by leaps and bounds.

For me personally, it was a good year, one that saw the hip surgery give me back so much of what the pain of arthirtis had taken away. But, like everyone else, I can grieve the injustices that dominated the news. My hope for next year is for world peace, but I’m not naive enough to believe that it will happen any time soon. Instead, I will hope that we can come closer to reconciling all our differences and embrace our commonalities. May 2026 bring you health, happiness, and prosperity. Never look back. Never give up!

Tuesday Tales: From the Word DISAPPOINTMENT

Welcome to the last post for 2025. I still can’t believe another year has ended, but I’m glad it has and hope 2026 will bring better and brighter days for everyone.

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our prompt is DISAPPOINTED. Many of us were disappointed last year. Let’s see how the authors have used the word. I’m continuing with The Case of the Missing Prince.

A knock at the door pulled me out of my head.

“Come in,” I called, knowing it was Hallie since she would’ve announced anyone else.

“Well? Is it a kidnapping? Are we going to work for the rich and famous? Tell me everything.” She dropped onto the loveseat on my left.

“Not sure of anything yet.” I relayed what I’d learned since she was very good at putting the pieces of a puzzle together. “If I do take the case, the two younger men have to come along. It’s a non-negotiable condition. One was the prince’s personal security guard who’s got a guilty conscience, and the other is a friend with mountain climbing experience, who happens to be the brother of the prince’s intended bride.”

“Wow. Not an easy decision, that’s for sure. I’ll bet the fact that you have to take those two men with you, even if they are gorgeous, is the sticking point, especially when you’d have to do it on your own. You could wait until Tony’s finished with the arson investigation, but on the off-chance that the man’s still alive … When will you make up your mind?”

“Tonight. I want to talk to Al. With everyone else busy, I’ll need someone to watch my back.”

“But I could—”

I cut her off. “I know, but I don’t trust those men, Hallie, not as far as I can throw them.” Disappointment clouded her eyes. “But I do trust Al. He’s already saved my life once. If Stanislav Drulivic has met with foul play, the guilty parties may not want him found. If he didn’t and vanished on his own, then he won’t be happy when I find him. Besides, I need your expertise right her. I want you to find out everything you can about the Bow Glacier Falls Rockslide, Petrov Bukowski, and Viktor Opole as well as who gets the throne if the prince isn’t found and the king dies.” I glanced at my watch. It was after twelve and I had yet to eat today. “But right now, it’s time for lunch. We can take an hour to gossip. The firm won’t suffer if the answering machine picks up calls for an hour.” After years of eating solitary meals, I was reluctant to return to the practice.

Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Tuesday Tales: From the Word GIFT

Wishing you all good times with friends and family. This is a stressful week for many, especially those who have lost loved ones this year. May the memories you have of prior holidays sustain you.

Welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our word prompt is GIFT. I’m continuing with The Case of the Missing Prince. Please note, after consideration, I’ve made the duchy a kingdom. LOL It made more sense.

“If it were up to them, our women would still be slaving away, baking bread in outdoor ovens. School would be a luxury only afforded to the wealthy, and most of our men would spend their lives underground like moles. It’s true that mining is critical to our economy, but there are better, safer ways to extract that ore from the ground.”

It sounded as if Stan had powerful enemies back home.

“Is it possible that one of those people used the prince’s vacation as a way to get rid of him? An accident in a foreign country would be quite handy. Would they go after the king then?”

Emile shook his head. “King Leopold is an elderly man with limited mobility. Stanislav was a child of his later years, a gift from the Almighty Himself. Leopold was fifteen years older than Maria-Elena when he married her. She lost several children before Stan was born. Most of us had given up hope that there would ever be a royal heir. It won’t be long before King Leopold cedes the throne to him … assuming you find him alive. ”

I cocked my head. “I thought Crown Prince Stanislav was supposed to take over as CEO of Zobora Copper and Fine Metals at the end of the year?”

Jacob Horvath nodded. “That’s correct. His highness was in line to do that, but since the king’s health has declined, he may choose to give that position to someone else.”

“Why wouldn’t you keep it? You don’t look old enough to retire.”

He chuckled. “Thank you for the compliment, but I suspect I’m older than you think. I requested a transfer back home at the end of the year. My wife misses the mountains and seeing our grandchildren. With our granddaughter expecting our first great-grandchild, she wants to be there. I’ll remain on the company’s Board of Directors for another couple of years. If the prince can’t take over from me, then someone else will be appointed, but if the wrong person gets the job, it could be disastrous.”

“I see. You’ve given me a lot to consider.” I wasn’t crazy about having to work with two men I still didn’t quite trust, but both of them seemed to have a legitimate reason for wanting to find the truth. Both had talked a good show, but some people were better liars than others.

Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

Tuesday Tales: From the Word BAKING

Hello and welcome to this week’s Tuesday Tales. Our word is BAKING. I’ll admit it was quite a challenge to figure out how to use it in my story, but never let it be said that I couldn’t use a word. I’m continuing with Evie Chambers and The Case of the Missing Prince.

“I’m sure that you’re exaggerating. You may be well-trained at what you do, but not even the world’s best bodyguard could anticipate a landslide.” I paused and looked around the room. “Did anyone other than the people in your party know who the crown prince was … as in did they know he was a millionaire prince and heir to the throne? It’s possible that if someone knew, they could have cooked up a plan to kidnap him.”

“No. Stan wasn’t like that. He didn’t flaunt his title. Petrov can tell you that. Even at school, he preferred not to let anyone know he was a royal. In his spare time, he spent as many hours with the cook baking as he did on the cricket field. He wanted people to like him for who he was, not what he was.”

“That’s a little naïve, don’t you think? In this day and age, discovering someone’s identity isn’t all that hard. I’m sure AI can do so quite quickly.” I inhaled. The next question might cause problems. “If he just wanted to be an ordinary person, is there any chance that he went off on his own to do just that?”

Emile answered quickly. “No. The prince is a kind-hearted man. He would never do something like that, knowing how hard it would be on his parents. If he wasn’t at the site of the landslide when it happened, then it wasn’t intentional.”

“Did the prince have any enemies? I’m not saying I’ll take the case, but the more information you’re willing to share, the better. As you said, as a woman of business, I shouldn’t make hasty decisions.”

“If you’re wondering if there is a family wanting his head for ruining their daughter, then you are way off-base.” Viktor stood once more and paced. He was obviously a man of action and sitting around explaining things to a woman didn’t sit well with him. “Stan wasn’t a player, Ms. Chambers. He’d seen and read enough gossip about people in his position to keep his wits about him. He’s a serious man who cares about the land, not just in Zobora but around the world. He’s quite interested in some of the green energy plans your country has put in place and others that they’re exploring, specifically those about increasing methods of carbon capture. Sadly, such opinions are not shared by everyone in Zobora.”

Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.

And Justice for All. Now Available in Audio!

Good morning! The sun is shining, and while it’s cold, it’s still a beautiful day.

Recently, I was involved in an audio book party, and I had a blast meeting authors new to me, reconnecting with authors I’ve met online in the past, and meeting new readers and listeners.

I was dismayed to learn that Virtual Voice, the program I use to put my books into audio format, isn’t available in the UK. Hopefully, that will change in the future. As much as I would love to hire a voice actor to read the books, that is not a fiscal possibility at this time.

I published And Justice for All last spring, and since I am slowly adding to my audio books, I thought it would be a good one to do next., a great read or listen, cuddled up on the sofa on a cold winter’s night, on on the beach where the weather is balmy. Here’s the blurb:

Someone is killing cops, and it’s up to them to stop him.

Eight years ago, Detective Maggie Sutton had her heart broken. She turned to her job to ease the pain, knowing that someday she would find the right man and start the family she always wanted. Fate had other plans. While she survived an ambush that killed her partner, the bullet that struck her ruined her chances of ever having the family she wanted. Now, her sole purpose in life is to find the one responsible. She’ll bring him or her to justice, but not until she understands the reasons for what happened.
When she returns to fulltime duties, she’s assigned to a new investigative unit dedicated to finding, identifying, and bringing to justice whoever is behind the ambush that killed her partner and nine other members of police forces in Ontario over the past three years. The problem is that her new boss is the man who broke her heart, and the one she just can’t forget.
Three years ago, RCMP Inspector Harry Collins survived an ambush that claimed the life of young officer. Since then, his sole purpose has been to find and stop what he sees as an organized effort by parties unknown to eliminate members of law enforcement. Walking away from Maggie eight years ago to do what he thought was the right thing was the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he can’t stay away any longer. Too much is at stake. Working side by side on this case may be harder, especially when he could well have put her in the killer’s gunsights once more.
The air between them is charged as they fight to control their passion just below the surface and find the killer responsible for the latest deaths. Will they succeed, or will the assassins finish the job they started?

And Justice for All is available fromAmazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FH2R6TPP

And from Audible.com https://www.audible.com/pd/B0G6WZGQGV

Enjoy!

Listen to the Stones, Book 2 The Homecoming Is Available Now!

The first thing I would like to do is apologize for taking so long to get this book out to you. I had intended to publish it last summer but my surgical recovery and the rest of life got in the way. I hope to do better with Book 3. I know that anticipation is supposed to create interest, but it can also frustrate, so I promise to do better.

Here’s the blurb:

Marina Fraser continues her journey of self-discovery as she returns to her place of birth, the Isle of Lewis and Harris. Now that she’s accepted that her body contains two souls, her own, born of the land, and that of Merrow, daughter of the merking and born of the sea, she inches ever closer to fulfilling her destiny as the Chosen One. All she needs to do is find true love—something that has eluded her time and time again.
At her lawyer’s urging, she takes a vacation on the way to the island, visiting London, Edinburgh, and Inverness, the cities Anna Frost mentioned when she delivered the news of her inheritance, news someone tried to prevent her from getting. An encounter at the airport in London serves as a reminder that the Dark Lord isn’t the only one after her. But she has another problem. Merrow is silent and the psychic abilities Marina was just beginning to appreciate start malfunctioning. How will she identify her enemies without the benefit of her ESP?
She arrives on the island during a vicious storm. A gorgeous man meets her at the airport and takes her to Fraser Hall. He reminds her of her phantom lover, and she’s deeply attracted to him. At the Hall, she rescues a black kitten and has another surprise, a second man appears, one who attracts her as strongly as the first. Is one of these her true love? The one she has to choose? She must choose of her own freewill to fulfill the prophecy. This isn’t the homecoming she anticipated, and when someone leaves a threatening note, Marina realizes that Fraser Hall could well be the death of her.
Jerome Morrison continues his search for his mystery woman, and heads home to the Isle of Lewis and Harris, determined to learn more about his adoption and speak to the stones—that is if they’ll speak to him. Desperate to protect the stones and his future, he will do everything he can to find his mystery woman. Discovering that she is none other than Lady Fraser comes as a shock, especially when not only does she not recognize him, she doesn’t trust him. Convincing her to do so may be harder than he expects, since he has competition for her affections.
Teine, the Dark Lord, grows stronger every day. With the vessel housing the daughter of the merking and he who should never have existed on their way to him and the Sacred Place, he awaits his liberation. This time, she will be his and no one, not even the gods, can stop him.

The Homecoming is available in ebook from Amazon and on Kindle Unlimited. Paperback coming soon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G5RDY5RB

And speaking of Paperbacks, Naughty Rudolph, the newest member of the Cocktails for You series is now available in paperback!

Mara Howard hates the cold and everything that goes with a traditional winter in Canada. When she wins a Christmas vacation to Miami, it seems too good to be true. Will this be the holiday she wants, or the holiday she needs?

For the past five years, she’s dedicated her days to mothering the sweet five-year-olds who cross the threshold into her classroom every day and her evenings to Doug Austin, the down-to-earth electrician she intended to marry. But those plans went up in flames when Doug accepted a job in the Yukon, the last place someone who abhors winter, cold, and snow as much as she does would ever consider living.

Rudy Sandcastle returned to his hometown after his wife’s death. Now, the screenwriter lives with his aunt and helps her with her small inn while she assists him in raising his precocious five-year-old daughter, Callie, a child on the hunt for a new mommy. Sadly, unless things improve, the town and the inn’s days are numbered. He needs to find a way to bring tourists to the area this Christmas season, and a contest offering a free vacation may be his chance to do just that. Who wouldn’t want to star in an online travelogue?

Determined not to spend the Christmas holidays bemoaning her fate, Mara gets online looking for an affordable vacation. What could be better than spending Christmas with sun, sand, and sea for company? An online contest for an all-expense-paid Christmas vacation in Miami is exactly what she needs to kickstart a new plan.

But when things are too good to be true, they usually are. It was all in the fine print, but who bothers to read that? A name is just a name, or is it? This Christmas vacation promises to be one she’ll never forget.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G6D4CPTR

Naughty Rudolph is also available in ebook and on Kindle Unlimited!

You can find links to all of my books on my website! https://mhsusannematthews.ca/