In the Beachtown Detective Agency series, Jade Cavendish had to learn to be an adult over the course of a few days. Gone were the days when she only had to worry about herself. When her father abruptly turned over the family business, she realized she must suddenly grow up or lose everything he’d built.

During the course of my hairstylist sleuth’s 18-book series, she falls in love, gets married, has a baby, and faces her husband’s early retirement. At the onset, Marla didn’t anticipate any of these major life changes. She’s had to adapt to each challenge along the way. Now she’s turned 40, has an infant son, and is anxious about her husband’s pending retirement. Who knows what’s next?

The Sarah Blair mystery series is based upon Sarah making a new start. In ONE TASTE TOO MANY, the first book in the series, she is 28, newly divorced, having traded her life of luxury for an efficiency apartment and the only job she can find, and living with her Siamese cat, RahRah (the only thing she got out of the divorce). In each book, readers can follow how she gains more confidence and accepts more responsibilities as she ends up fighting for people and ideas she believes in.

Miranda Trent, my protagonist in the Paint & Shine Mystery series, restarted her artistic career when she inherited her uncle’s property in eastern Kentucky. She moves there from New York City to start a cultural touring business. Scenic mountain views, southern hospitality, paint parties, and scrumptious meals paired with sips of distilled moonshine create a fresh start.

My protagonist in the Georgia B&B Mystery series, Nina Fleet, was recently divorced and doubting herself when she impulsively fled Atlanta and purchased a quaint Queen Anne house in small town Cymbeline, Georgia. There she met new friends and eventually recreated herself as a B&B owner. And while she knew on a theoretical level that the job wouldn’t be all gracious hosting, it wasn’t until guests started arriving that she realized just how tough it could be. But Nina is up for the challenge and continues to learn the tricks of the trade. 

My protagonist Tabby Winslow faces a world of change this year. First, she made her debut a month ago and now is dealing with fans as well as her personal life. Without a parental safety net, she is navigating business ownership and a serious relationship. Though she is a powerful energetic (as in she can give and take energy from others and also go invisible), Tabby has been sheltered her whole life. The world can be an ugly place. On those days, she is thankful for her invisibility talent.

Anastasia Pollack, my reluctant amateur sleuth, was forced to make changes to her life in the first book of the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries when her husband dropped dead at a casino, not only leaving her with debt greater than the GNP of some Third World Nations but also his demanding loan shark. She’s struggled to pay off that debt through eleven books now. However, things changed dramatically for her at the end of the latest book, GUILTY AS FRAMED. However, I can’t tell you without unleashing a huge spoiler. You’ll have to find out for yourself.