When we found out that local author, Kathryn Adams, was publishing her 4th book, we thought this would be the perfect stocking stuffer (for yourself as well)! This is a very short Christmas mystery novelette (60 pages), "just a bit of fun for Christmas", Kathryn explains.
Tell us how many in the series and how you were inspired to write this 4th edition.
This is the fourth book in The Grondère Series. It's not a full-length novel, it's a novelette. I have always loved the tradition of Christmas mysteries, be they ghost or crime stories, and I wanted to have a go at the genre. So what better than a ski ghost story, there simply aren't enough of them out there.
Will readers need to have read all 3 beforehand to understand the plot?
Absolutely not. All my books are designed to be read independently of the others and this one, in particular, is a short tale that can be read without any knowledge of the previous editions. I have used my existing characters and location because I wanted to keep my alpine setting.
Who is your favorite character?
Oh, impossible to say. I have deliberately been building a bit of a 'comédie humaine' with a whole cast of characters who I can bring in and out of my tales. In each book, I find a different character grabs the spotlight without me really choosing them. I have a reduced cast of the central characters for this short story and I think it is Johnny who has chosen to shine this time.
What are your plans for the future?
There is a full-length novel in The Grondère Series underway but I also have some other ideas that I need to follow up on. It's not the ideas that are wanting, but the time.
Tell us a bit more about your background and how you came to write books.
Books are the big love of my life. The desire to write has always been in me. I love words and language and studied French literature at University. I then worked in the City in London, managing international bond and equity issues. This involved working with documents, prospectuses, contracts and required strict attention to detail and also respecting deadlines, as mistakes could be very costly. In Switzerland I have done translation work, copywriting and editorial work. My creative writing was fine-tuned working for Verbier Life magazine where I have learned to be more succinct. Imagining stories is easy, it comes from being a daydreamer, but all these different roles over the years have given me accrued skills and discipline that have proved invaluable for self-publishing, helping me to ensure that my creativity is produced to a high standard.
Kathryn has kindly offered one of our readers the chance to win a copy of her latest book: Skiing with Shadows in Grondère (value Fr. 8.-). Delivery to a Swiss address only.
Fill out this form and answer this multiple choice question: How many books has Kathryn written in the Grondère series?
Only one entry per person and per email is allowed. The competition closes at midnight on Thursday, 30 November 2023. The names of all those submitting correct answers will be placed into the digital hat and the winner’s name drawn at random by Friday, 1 December 2023. No cash equivalent of prizes is permitted. The winner will be notified by email.
Skiing with Shadows in Grondère
An Alpine Christmas Tale
By Kathryn Adams
Background
Inspired by the Christmas mystery short story tradition, exponents of which have included Charles Dickens and Anne Perry, Skiing with Shadows in Grondère, is Kathryn Adams’s first Christmas mystery. It is the fourth publication in The Grondère Series but is an ‘out of series’ novelette, perfect for reading by the fire over the holidays.
Plot
It’s nearly Christmas in Grondère and fresh snow keeps falling. As Lucy Wilson and her friends are making the most of the powder skiing, their attention is drawn to a mystery skier. Is her presence a mere coincidence or linked to a past tragedy? And why is Johnny suddenly being haunted by the memory of a past love?
A festive mystery with a modern twist.
Retail information
CHF 8.- Payot Genève Rive Gauche
£6.99 www.ypdbooks.com
Also available on Amazon: £2.99 Kindle and E-book
ISBN Numbers: Skiing with Shadows in Grondère
978-1-7398019-2-2 Paperback
978-1-7398019-3-9 E-pub
www.facebook.com/grondere/
www.instagram.com/kathrynadamspublishing/
Article about Kathryn's first book: Death in Grondère
Article about Kathryn's second book: Summer Shadows in Grondère
Article about Kathryn's third book: Winter Wolves in Grondère
