Annette Mahon: Mystery and Romance Writer, Quilter, Book-Lover, Mom

During this winter in Arizona, I've had the pleasure of meeting a fellow member of Sisters in Crime, Annette Mahon. On a beautiful Arizona day, we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at The Sugar Bowl in Scottsdale.

Photo from Annette's
Author Facebook Page

Annette has a new book coming out this September, and I plan to interview her for this blog prior to her book launch.

Like me, Annette has been interested and passionate about books since she learned to read. She is retired from her earlier career as both a librarian and the host of a library cable show called "The Children's Room." Her educational background includes a Master's Degree in library science from Syracuse University.

Annette is married, and she and her husband raised three daughters. Although she is retired these days, she continues to write novels, especially mysteries. Her earlier books were romances published by Avalon, and many of those are now available online as e-books. Montlake Romance published two of those online recently--Holiday Dreams and The Secret Santa.

Growing up in Hilo, Hawaii, she has used that knowledge to create a strong Hawaiian presence in her romance novels. Her latest published book takes place in Hawaii when her fictional quilting bee group travels there. Readers interested in that locale will love her romance novels and also her latest quilting bee mystery. But you don't have to be a quilter to enjoy her novels.

One of Annette's biggest passions is quilting, so it is no wonder she has written a series of mysteries around the sleuthing of the St. Rose Quilting Bee friends. In A Phantom Death, her protagonist, Maggie Browne, becomes involved in a murder investigation when a young man, Jonathan Hunter, is murdered on land near Maggie's son's ranch. Maggie knew Hunter when he was a young boy, growing up with her son and in and out of her home. Now he has had great success playing the lead in a group of actors who are doing The Phantom of the Opera. Unfortunately, Scottsdale was his final stop.

Maggie and her friends wrestle with the clues and relationships that lead them to speculate on the murder. It also helps that one of Maggie's sons is a police officer. All the while they are quilting together or volunteering at Gammage Auditorium where the musical is playing.

Along the way, the reader also hears about quilts and quilting. Currently, Annette has written three more books in this series. The most recent is St. Rose Goes Hawaiian. The cover features an

The plumeria flower

original Hawaiian quilt wall hanging based on the plumeria flower. Prior to this fourth quilting mystery, her books were all set in Scottsdale. They include Bits and Pieces, An Ominous Death, and A Phantom Death. In September, she will be adding Bright Hopes. The title is, of course, the name of a quilt pattern. All of these mysteries have been published by Five Star Publishing, the company that is currently producing my first mystery for publication. Annette has been an invaluable help since she is far along the publishing road compared to my beginning efforts. 

If you would like to check out Annette's books, you can do so on her website here or go! to her Facebook Author Page, Author Annette Mahon, and, while you're there feel free to hit the "like" button. 

Meanwhile, I'm looking forward to talking to her again in August.