PJ SKINNER | Mystery, Crime and Adventure Author

Mystery, Adventure and Intrigue from PJ Skinner

Ghita’s Best Bakes: Criminally Tasty Recipes from Seacastle

Seacastle Mysteries August Monthly Brew 🔍☕️

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Hello Mystery Lovers!

I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying the final days of summer with a good book in hand. There’s so much brewing in the world of Seacastle Mysteries, so let’s dive right in!

📚 Big News: MALIGN FORTUNE Arrives August 31st!

Mark your calendars! Seacastle’s next cosy mystery hits shelves on August 31st. I’m so excited to share this story with you all. Your pre-orders and early enthusiasm have meant the world to me!

📖 What I’m Reading

I’m currently losing sleep over the latest Detective Maeve Kerrigan novel by Louise Casey. I’m not a fan of romance, but her relationship with Josh Derwent has me hooked. It reminds me of Moonlighting all those years ago on the telly.

🧁 Ghita’s Best Bakes Competition! 🧁

As promised I’ve launched something special for all my Seacastle Mystery fans – a baking competition called Ghita’s Best Bakes!

If you’ve read the series, you know Ghita’s pastries are legendary in Seacastle. Now it’s your turn to recreate some mystery-worthy treats! I’ve created a Pinterest board (Ghita’s Best Bakes) for you to use, and (brace yourselves) I’ve made several TikTok videos documenting my first-ever attempt at baking a cake… Let’s just say detective work comes more naturally to me than baking! You can also put your photos up on Instagram. Don’t forget the #Ghitasbestbakes and #seacastlemysteries hashtags so I can find them.

I have also created some brilliant merch on Red Bubble. Even I was tempted by the Hades Apron. Check me out here

Join in the fun – no professional skills required (as my videos on TikTok clearly demonstrate)!

🎬 What I’m Watching

I’m re-watching the Star Trek movies – something I never tire of. There’s something comforting about revisiting these familiar stories and characters. Are there any comfort films you watch again and again? Reply and let me know – I’m always looking to add to my “cosy viewing” list!

📊 Backlist Update & A Small Request

Exciting news! “Deadly Return” is approaching a milestone with 1,990 ratings at an impressive 4.5-star average! If you’ve already read it but haven’t yet left a rating or review, I would be grateful if you could push it over 2,000. Your support makes such a difference!

Until Next Time…

Happy sleuthing!

PJ

P.S. I’m thinking of writing a detective series next. Would you be interested in reading it? Have you any story ideas you’d like me to include?

Mystery & Cake: Your July Seacastle Update

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A sprinkle of mystery, a dash of seaside charm, and a generous helping of delicious cake

Hello, Mystery Lovers!

I hope this newsletter finds you enjoying the summer weather, perhaps with sand between your toes and a good book in hand. The seagulls are circling, the waves are rolling in over the pebbles, and I’m typing away on the next mystery in the series, Malign Fortune.

📝 WRITING UPDATE: Malign Fortune

I’m thrilled to report that Book 9 in the Seacastle Mystery series, Malign Fortune, is coming along splendidly. Our favourite seaside sleuth, Tanya Bowe, is about to encounter her most perplexing case yet, involving a dodgy medium, a feisty widow, and of course, a shoal of red herrings. I’m particularly enjoying writing the scenes which involve Miles Quirk (of Mortal Vintage fame). He’s such a waspish and witty chap, don’t you think?

📚 WHAT I’M READING

I’ve been utterly absorbed in The Dentist by Tim Sullivan this month. There’s something about British crime fiction that always pulls me in, and Sullivan’s detective protagonist has such a compelling voice. It’s always fascinating to see how other mystery writers construct their puzzles!

🗞️ AUTHOR’S CORNER: AI and Author Rights

I was saddened to see Anthropic winning their case regarding AI training on authors’ work. As writers, our words are our livelihood, and seeing the courts ignore the importance of consent and compensation when it comes to our creative output is crushing. They used eight of my books without permission, but I have no recourse to complain. The digital age brings wonderful opportunities but also new challenges for creators, and it’s important we stay vigilant about protecting author’s copyright and income. I’m sure none of you ever buy pirated books, but remember, doing that literally takes the food off our plates

🍰 EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT: Ghita’s Recipe Collection!

In response to your requests, of which there are many, I’m creating a special booklet featuring Ghita Chowdhury’s cake recipes from the Seacastle Mysteries! From her famous limon and orange sponge to her secret-recipe tipsy cherry cake that DI George Carter can’t resist, they’ll all be included.

The booklet will be available FREE to all newsletter subscribers shortly. I’d be absolutely chuffed if you’d share photos of your baking attempts on Instagram or Pinterest with the hashtag #GhitasBestBakes. Let’s see those beautiful creations! I will be awarding signed books to the ones I like best. You can follow me on Instagram or Pinterest by clicking these links.

📊 BACKLIST NEWS

Lethal Secret is selling like hotcakes! Thank you all for your support. If you’ve enjoyed unravelling the mystery alongside our Seacastle crew, I’d be ever so grateful if you could leave a review. Those little stars make such a difference in helping new readers discover our seaside world.

🌊 UNTIL NEXT TIME…

Keep your magnifying glasses handy and your teapots full! The next newsletter will include more details for Ghita’s recipe collection and a link to download the recipes for free.

Happy sleuthing!

PJ Skinner