If you follow my other social media, you've seen this announcement at least once. I'll try to add a little value here. My short story, “Detour to Murder” was published in the January 2026 issue of the online magazine, Killer Nashville. It's particularly gratifying as none of my entries into last year's SouthWest Writers short story contest was a winner. This was not one of my submissions, but that's a minor detail. I feel vindicated!
This was the intended ending for French Toast a la Santa Fe (due out October 13), but those characters simply would not cooperate. The more I got to know them, the less they fit their original roles. The husband would not cheat, the wife was far too outgoing, and the floozy informed me that she never messes around with married men. Too much trouble. So, I went in a completely different direction for the book. But, this twisty mystery was too good to waste, so I wrote it up as a short story with entirely different characters, other than Prudence. It's set a year or so in the future, after Prudence has finished her Couriers training and is an experienced Courier.
I find it easier to write villains when I donn't have to spend 60,000 words with them and can just focus on the villainous aspects of their character. And, I think you'll agree that the murderer in this story is not the villain or vice versa
https://www.killernashville.com/short-stories/detour-to-murder
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