Small-town librarian Ophelia and her grandmother Abby are introduced in this first book of author Damsgaard’s mystery series. When the story begins, an enigmatic visitor, Rick Davis, has showed up in the small town of Summerset, Iowa. Rick alienates Ophelia by asking a lot of questions – often about things and people that are none of his business. In addition to being put off by Rick’s approach just on general principle, Ophelia has a secret to hide: she is a psychic, and her beloved grandmother, Abby, is a witch who practices folk magick. Ever since the death of a good friend four years earlier, which she feels she ought to have prevented, Ophelia has avoided her “gift,” refusing to accept her position in the family as one “chosen” to receive the ability. Abby seeks to convince Ophelia of her obligation, but until the seemingly-unrelated-yet-too-closely-linked-to-be-coincidental events occur, Ophelia resists. First Rick arrives, claiming to be a chemical salesman, asking about some recent chemical thefts in the area, and then Ophelia and Rick find a dead body in the woods. At this point, Ophelia realizes that the safety of people she cares about may be in jeopardy, and reluctantly decides that she may have to use her gift in order to protect them, as well as aid in solving the mysteries.

Damsgaard effectively evokes the small-town atmosphere through her characterizations. The reader will laugh at the antics of some of the older ladies of the town as well as the good old boys hanging out at the feed store. The secondary characters are interesting and believable, especially Darci, Ophelia’s assistant. Not your typical grandmother, given her activities, Abby still comes across as a warm and loving woman that anyone would love to have around. The most complex character, Ophelia, must come to grips with both her gift and her feelings of guilt over her friend’s death.

Fans of Casey Daniels will enjoy this intriguing mystery with its paranormal elements. Damsgaard manages to successfully balance multiple mysteries with interesting character studies for an enjoyable read.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Avon (August 30, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060793481
• ISBN-13: 978-0060793487

To purchase a print copy of Witch Way to Murder from Amazon click here.

To purchase a print copy of Witch Way to Murder from Barnes and Noble click here.
To purchase an eBook copy of Witch Way to Murder from Barnes and Noble click here.

To purchase an eBook copy of Witch Way to Murder from OmniLit click here.

Books in the Ophelia and Abby series in the order they should be read:
Witch Way to Murder
Charmed to Death
The Trouble with Witches
Witch Hunt
The Witch Is Dead
The Witch’s Grave
The Seventh Witch

A big welcome to our readers today! Be sure to read to the end of the interview to find out how to WIN the fabulous prize being offered up.

PLEASE NOTE: This is not a fixed time event, the post just goes live at 12:30 pm Central. You can stop by any time during the day or evening and leave your questions and chat.

PLEASE KEEP SPOILERS TO A MINIMUM. Not all of the readers today have read Shirley’s books.

Interview:

Hi Shirley!

Welcome to Bitten by Books, we are excited to have you here today!

I would like to thank you taking the time to join us for the question and answer session with our readers. It has been very interesting to get to know more about you and what makes you tick as a writer! Readers, if you haven’t done so already please stop by and get your copy of Sherri’s newest release The Seventh Witch.

BBB: Have you been interested in the paranormal since childhood, or did that happen for you later on?

SD: I’ve always been interested in the paranormal. In fact some of my reading material as a teen included books about Ruth Montgomery and Edgar Cayce. Where did this interest originate? I don’t know—maybe it stems from all the fairytales my mother read to me as a young child! Or if you believe in astrology, it could be my sign. I’m a Scorpio (in fact both my Sun and Moon signs are in Scorpio, so I’m a double!) and every description I’ve ever read about us Scorpios mentions something about how we’re drawn to the mysterious, that often we find the study of religion or the occult fascinating. So there you go…maybe I was destined from birth to do this! *g*

BBB: How did the “Something Wicked” blog that you share with a few other writers come about? Can you tell us a bit about it?

SD: Thanks to events in the St. Louis area, I met Angie Fox just at the beginning of what has become a very successful career with her DEMON SLAYER series. She was the one who got the ball rolling on SOMETHING WICKED and invited me to join them. I, in turn, suggested Casey Daniels, author of The Pepper Martin Series and one of my good buds (also my partner in crime at author events, but that’s another story! ;)), join us. And right now, along with Jess Granger (the BEYOND series), it’s the four of us.

It’s been great fun and we’ve a bunch of very loyal followers! Right now we’re in the process of mixing it up a bit and starting this month, we’re having a “theme” week. The week of April 19th, we’ll be posting about how to get the most out of writers’ conferences/classes or meeting your favorite author. We’re also lining up guest bloggers and will be doing a monthly give-away. We have posters from all over the world, so it’s going to be a blast and we’re really looking forward to it!

BBB: Do you think you will ever write a mystery novel without the paranormal elements?

SD: I learned a long time ago never to say never!! But honestly, I kind of doubt it. Probably back to that Scorpio thing, but I truly am fascinated by all aspects of the paranormal experience. And I should qualify that…as long as it’s just studying it and reading about it. I really don’t want to have the “experience” first hand!! Yes…I am a chicken and I hate being scared!!

BBB: Are you able to tell us anything about the stand-alone novel you are working on now?

SD: Well, it’s definitely a departure from Ophelia and Abby!! And because it is, I’m using a pen name…Jess McConkey. (McConkey was my late husband’s last name, so using it is nice way to honor his memory.) It will be released as a trade paperback and the planned date is May of 2011. My editor describes it as “Southern Gothic” only the setting is Minnesota. (”Northern Gothic”??? *g*) Personally, I don’t care what “box” it’s placed in, I only care about providing a good story for the readers!

Now about the story—the main character, Samantha Moore was the “golden girl”…perfect life, perfect job, perfect fiancé…until her world is stripped away by a brutal attack. After coming out of a coma, she finds nothing the same. Plagued by nightmares, even her body has betrayed her thanks to nerve damage in one leg. All she wants is her old life back, but her parents and fiancé ship her off to a rented cabin in the North woods of Minnesota. There she meets Anne Weaver, a physical therapist and the woman hired to care for her. She resents her family interjecting Anne into her life.

Anne has her own problems. A single mother, she is struggling financially to send her teenage son off to college. She needs this job, but in order to hang onto it, she’s going to have to please Sam’s family. And with Sam’s resentment toward her, will she be able to?

Things get even dicer when Sam’s behavior changes. She has blackouts; sees things that aren’t there; suffers increasing paranoia. Is it the after effects of the coma? Is it drug induced? Or is there something more going on? Readers are just going to have to wait until May 2011 to find out!

BBB: What are some of your favorite literary works?

SD: I’ve always loved books so picking a favorite would be hard, but if pressed, I think it would be TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. Just something about that story strikes a chord in me. Maybe it’s Scout’s childhood experiences or the way Harper Lee painted the scenes with words, I don’t know, but I’ve read it several times. (And yes, watched the movie, too! Love Gregory Peck!!)

GONE WITH THE WIND is another favorite. (no, I didn’t care for the sequel!) And anything by Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels is always at the top of my list.

BBB: How do you keep track of your world building?

SD: So far I’ve made it pretty easy on myself by melding together the places I know…specifically small towns. A problem I have had is keeping the characters’ last names straight!! In fact in one manuscript, I made the mistake of switching one, but luckily it was caught during the proof reading process!! I do know some authors have detailed notes on their characters, settings, etc., and I can see where it would certainly help! Unfortunately, I’m just not that organized!!

BBB: Are you a Plotster or a Panster when it comes to writing?

SD: As you can see by my last response, my tendencies are definitely those of a Pantser!!! However, with this stand alone, I’m trying to change that a bit. Last summer, I read two of Donald Maass’s books—WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL and THE FIRE IN FICTION. Both were very helpful in examining my process. Am I going to change and write a 100 page outline…probably not!! But I am using some of his worksheets to look at each scene in a different way. Example: What’s the conflict? What does the character want? What would prevent them from achieving their goal? Hopefully, by doing this, it will make the books a satisfying read.

BBB: Please tell us more about the Seventh Witch and the storyline that drives it.

SD: From the beginning of the series, I always knew that at some point I wanted to do a story in which Ophelia and Abby returned to Abby’s birthplace. Since I’d never really spent much time in the South, I didn’t know exactly how it would all happen, but then serendipity stepped in. About three years ago, I received an invitation to attend The Women’s Expo in Kingsport, TN. Let me tell you…I jumped on that one! And thanks to the event’s organizers, Sharon Robinson and Lydia Wiley, I had the opportunity to not only take a mini tour of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but interview women who practice folk magick. It was a terrific experience and I really hope I did justice to the wonderful people down there. But best of all, Lydia and Sharon are now two of my dearest friends. So I not only gained a story, but two friends!! *g* Doesn’t get any better than that!

Now about the book…as I said, Ophelia, Abby, and Tink return to Abby’s birthplace for the infamous Great-Aunt Mary’s 100th birthday celebration and Great-Aunt Mary is just as prickly and difficult as Ophelia remembers! (Also Aunt Dot, one of the series’ most popular characters, makes another appearance.) Ophelia is expecting a quiet family vacation, but it doesn’t take long for the trip to turn sinister. And Abby is the target! It’s going to take everything Ophelia has learned to get them out of this one!

This story line is a little darker than past Ophelia and Abby’s, but I hope the readers will enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!!

BBB: Please share with us what can we expect from you next? Will there be more Abby and Ophelia books?

SD: Well, as we talked about earlier, there’s the stand alone, DIE STANDING (that’s the title as of now, but it can always change.) And in the future, I hope to write more “Jess McConkey” books. (In fact, the idea for the next manuscript has already started to percolate. It will be interesting to see where that goes!)

I’ve also recently complete a couple of short stories—one for a Halloween anthology author Anne Frasier is doing; and another for MAMMOTH BOOK OF PARANORMAL ROMANCE-2 put together by Trisha Telep. (coming out sometime in October, I think.) I really enjoyed writing these two stories. I hadn’t done any shorts since the series started, so it was fun getting back to my roots so to speak!

Another thing that I’d like to explore is doing something with e-books. Several well known authors are experiencing great success with them and I think it’s going to be an expanding market. Definitely something to watch.

Now about Ophelia and Abby—no, Avon has not offered a contract for more, so at this time none are planned. BUT one never knows what the future will hold—maybe the next Ophelia and Abby will come out as an e-book. All I know for sure is that the world is full of possibilities if you only remain open to them, which is what I intend to do. I’m retiring from my day job this fall…I’m going to have lots and lots of time to explore those possibilities!

BBB: Do you have any upcoming appearances? If so where can our readers find you?

SD: I have a busy time coming up. I’m going to be at the Carroll Library in Carroll Iowa next week, April 22. May 3rd it’s The Festival of Mystery, sponsored by Mystery Lovers Bookshop. May 8th, I’ll be doing a signing at Beaverdale Books in Des Moines Iowa, followed by DemiCon, also in Des Moines, the next weekend (May 14th-16th). Then in September, I’ll be attending author Lora Leigh’s RAW (the 9th through the 12th) in Huntington WV. And last but not least, Murder and Mayhem in Muskego November 13th, in Muskego, Wisconsin. A lot of traveling, but a lot of fun!! I’m really looking forward to getting out there and meeting the readers who’ve been so supportive of the series!! Without them, none of this would’ve happened!!

Now I have a question for the readers…last week on SOMETHING WICKED, I conducted a little survey about e-readers. I don’t have one myself…I do love the experience of reading an actual book…but I can see where one would be very convenient. So how about you? Which do you prefer—paper or getting your book via a download? And which e-reader is the most popular?

Thanks so much for inviting me!! As always it’s a pleasure! I’ll be around all day, so if anyone has any questions, fire away!! I’ll do my best to answer them!

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Learn more about Shirley Damsgaard here:
Read reviews of the author’s work here.

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CONTEST: She is giving away

Prize 1: $100.00 Amazon Gift Card

Prize 2: 2 each complete sets of the Ophelia & Abby Mysteries!!

Open to readers worldwide!

To Enter PLEASE

1. LEAVE YOUR FIRST NAME AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME in your comment/post so we can give you the proper credit for your entries. Mandatory, if you don’t leave this, none of your entries will count.

2. Answer Shirley’s question above and ask Shirley some questions, please make sure they aren’t duplicates. Good for 10 entries. (Max 5 good towards entries)

3. Purchase copies of Shirley’s NEW book

From Amazon:
click here

From Barnes & Noble:
click here

Good for 300 entries per book you purchase by using the links above. Email your receipt to the prize Goddess here bittenbybooks.contests @ gmail.com (no spaces). Not valid on past purchases.

OR you can use the Barnes & Noble link HERE to make your purchase of ANY kind of merchandise during the contest. You can also use the Amazon link HERE to shop as well. Good for 100 entries to the contest for EACH item you purchase. Not valid on past purchases.

4. Spread the word about this event and invite everybody you know by using the new Share Buttons below at the bottom of the post to tell your friends about this contest and come back and tell us where you shared. This is the live link to the event: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=22786 if you don’t know how to use either of those functions. Good for 50 entries per place you post the event link.

While you are here today, please join us at today’s book chat here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=22781 and RSVP for the Jim Butcher Q&A/Contest here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=22512 and the Carolyn Crane Guest Blog http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=22776 and last but not least, vote in this week’s poll here: http://bittenbybooks.com/?p=22773 good for 25 entries per.

Be sure to check out these other fun events for next week: http://bittenbybooks.com/?page_id=4.

That’s it!

RULES AND LEGAL DISCLAIMERS

The contest ends on 4/14/10 at 11:59 pm Central and the winners will be contacted via email. You will receive your prize directly from the authors. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR FIRST AND THE INITIAL OF YOUR LAST NAME as well as a valid email where we can contact you. REMEMBER the more things you do, the more entries, the greater the chances of winning. PLEASE ALLOW THIRTY DAYS to receive your prize BEFORE EMAILING US.

1. Please note, the prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be absolutely no substitutions or changes the prize is non-transferable. If you don’t want the prize being offered, please don’t enter the contest. If you ever win an electronic copy of a book, please note that it is ILLEGAL to forward, give away or copy it in anyway once you receive it. Doing so violates copyright. If we find out that it has been done, you will no longer be eligible to win any of our contests.

2. You have FIVE days from the day the we contact you to claim your prize by sending your name/mailing address to me. Failure to contact me will forfeit your prize. BBB can at that time, choose either to re-award the prize to another entrant or not.

3. The prize stated IS the prize you will receive, there will be no substitutions, trades or changes. No exceptions. Please do not ask. If for some reason you do not wish to claim your prize, please let me know as soon as possible. Bitten by Books has the option to re-award it or not.

4. Contest is open to readers in the USA except where noted. The prizes are shipped directly from the author unless otherwise noted.

5. Bitten by Books is in NO way responsible for the prizes being offered in any of the contests. If for some reason a contributor does not honor their prize, there is nothing we can or will do about it. We are not worried that this will happen, but we want to be very clear that WE are not offering these prizes, the contributor is and it is their responsibility to fulfill their prize obligations.

6. These rules are subject to change or be modified without prior written notice.

7. Contest is void where prohibited.

8. By entering this contest you are agreeing to our terms of entry

The Witch’s Grave is the sixth book in the Ophelia and Abby mystery series. One of my secret guilty pleasures are cozy mysteries, and when you add a twist of the paranormal to it, you have some pretty addicting reading material. Shirley Damsgaard’s series is no exception!

The thing I really enjoy about this series is that outside of being really well written and a great read, the characters have depth and are interesting. They grow with each installment, and leave the reader anticipating what could possibly come next.

Again we find Ophelia in the thick of a murder investigation, only this time, it looks as if they may actually be targeting her, and her dream man. The adventure starts out by her relating a series of, shall we say erotic dreams about a gorgeous hunk of a man to her best friend Darcy. Imagine her surprise when she actually meets him at a fund raising event for the library at a local winery. They are instantly attracted to one another, but before they can take their relationship further than a first sweet kiss, a gunman shoots her beau to be.

As she races against the clock to find the killer, she begins to have another set of dreams that appear to be some kind of flash back to another time. This aspect of the story really added another interesting layer and depth that was thoroughly enjoyable. It is nice to see Ophelia start to trust and use her powers more as well.

Will Ophelia finally get her happily ever after? Or will it be snatched away in the blink of an eye? Whether or not you have read one or all of the Ophelia and Abby series, you will be sure to enjoy The Witch’s Grave.

Book Stats:

• Mass Market Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Avon (December 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061493430
• ISBN-13: 978-0061493430

To purchase a print copy of The Witch’s Grave click here.

Books in the Ophelia and Abby series in the order they should be read:
Witch Way to Murder
Charmed to Death
The Trouble with Witches
Witch Hunt
The Witch Is Dead
The Witch’s Grave

To visit the author’s website go here.
To visit the author’s blog go here.