Hi Reader!

Hoo boy. I am way overdue for an update. I didn't realize I hadn't updated you at all about Betrayed at the Beach. Whoops.

Fortunately, I've got good news. The book's practically writing itself and I am having SO MUCH FUN. I think you're going to love this one, especially some new characters that I have a major crush on. (I've got an excerpt below, but don't skip to it just yet.)

The official launch date is July 15. Yes, that's coming up fast, but that's the beauty of being an indie publisher. I don't have to wait eons for others. I can do it myself.

One thing I can't do myself is have a successful launch. I pretty much soft-lobbed the first two books. I posted some stuff on social media, mentioned it to my email subscribers, and had very small advanced reader teams.

This was intentional. As my first foray into fiction, I wasn’t sure if I was any good. I mean, I thought the books were good (or else I would have scrapped them), but would anyone else?

Yes.

Several people told me they read Peril on the Peninsula and Revenge in the Rockies in one sitting. The reviews are solid. Fans are asking me for the third.

I’d say those are good signs.

This time around, I’m going to launch it for real. I'm giving away Peril and Revenge leading up to the launch so everybody can read the first two before diving into the third. I’m also going for a much larger ARC team, or as I call them, my A-Team.

These are the cool kids who read books before they’re available to the general public and, hopefully, leave an honest review on launch day.

Want to join my A-Team?

Of COURSE YOU DO!

I’ll be sending review copies the week of July 3rd (probably later in the week). It’s a quick turnaround, but these are quick reads, so I hope that works.

Interested? Sign up here.

You're also welcome to pre-order the paperback version. I'll be shipping autographed copies the last week of July. Pre-orders give me such a lift, and I greatly appreciate the support. You can reserve your copy here.

Finally, my next update will look different. I'm switching my newsletter platform to Substack. I'll migrate you, and you can check it out here.

That's it for now. I hope you enjoy the excerpt from Betrayed at the Beach!

Happy Reading!

Theresa L. Carter (Goodrich)

Betrayed at the Beach Excerpt

Cypress trees flanked the Spanish colonial house, tendrils of brown moss draping the sprawling branches. Alex shielded her eyes from the glare off the white stucco, following the contours of the building up to the red barrel roof tiles. The Gulf Coast History and Archaeology Museum was housed in a stately mansion, one that looked like it had been plucked out of a plantation. Now it was surrounded by estates guarded by wrought iron gates and adobe walls. A weathered plaque next to the door indicated the building was on the National Register of Historic Places, and that it had been built in the early 1860s.

Alex walked towards the twelve-foot double doors, reaching for the circular bronze knocker. As she grasped it, William moved up next to her and rang the doorbell.

“You’re no fun,” Alex said.

“Whatever do you mean?”

“I wanted to hear what it would have sounded like to knock on this door in the 1800s, because I’m betting this whole entry is original.”

“You’d be correct,” Cassidy said, joining them on the portico, Reid following closely behind her.

Alex was about to respond when Dr. Baker opened the door. The massive entryway dwarfed him, and he looked even smaller than he had the night before. "Welcome, welcome,” he said, stepping aside to let them through. “Right on time. Wonderful. OK, then. Shall we? I hope you’ll forgive me, but we still have quite a lot to do before the opening, so we’ll have to rush a bit.”

Cassidy smiled at the diminutive man. “We appreciate any time you can spare, Dr. Baker. Thank you again for allowing us to see the medallion before the general public.”

“It is my honor to welcome two esteemed professionals such as yourselves, as well as two respected journalists. Oh!” he said with alarm. “Please don’t touch the frame. The oils from your hand will destroy the gilding.”

William pulled his hand back. “Apologies. It was like a magnet; my hand took on a life of its own,” he said, wiggling his fingers.

Dr. Baker extracted a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead. “That happens here, I’m afraid. It’s why nearly everything’s under glass and behind ropes.

“Especially the cursed items, right?” Reid said.

​Reserve your copy today!​