I know it's been a minute since my last post. To be frank, there's been a lot going on, but there wasn't a whole lot I could talk about because everything was still up in the air. Fortunately, things have finally crystalized, and I'm ready to update you about all of my projects and make an exciting announcement about an upcoming project.
First, PRICK and JERK are holding their own in the marketplace. Of course, I would like to see more book sales, but I'm encouraged by their steady growth and expanding presence. I'm continuing to work on the third and final book in the Taggart McGill series, TOOL, and I still hope to have that in your hands by late spring 2025.
Now for the news I'm really here for. It has to do with another book I've been working on, and it's one that I'm really excited about and hopefully you will be also. It's a standalone (with potential for more books if it does well) novel that will be a mystery/thriller readers nirvana. The book's title (and plot) — TWIST — is a tip of the hat to the element we find so thrilling in these types of books. Here is its back cover summary:
Penelope Highsmith is an iconic mystery writer who has achieved worldwide success with her trademark plot twists, selling millions of books. Critics and peers alike regard her as a shining star in the publishing world, so it comes as a surprise when Penelope announces her own real-life twist—early retirement. But it won’t be before she releases one last novel, a puzzling departure, a true crime retrospective. The book will focus on the unsolved murders of three teenage girls—Penelope’s high school classmates—in the small town of Willow’s Bane. The publisher plans a special event for the book's release at the very place Penelope has avoided since graduation.
On the morning of the book's release, Penelope’s lifeless body is discovered lying serenely on her hotel bed, with an empty bottle of antidepressants still clutched in her hand. The circumstances of her death are shrouded in mystery, leaving everyone with more questions than answers.
Parker, Penelope’s estranged daughter, is skeptical about the book and her mother’s alleged suicide. Even though she hasn't seen her mother for years, Parker believes that her mother would never take her own life. She knew her mother had a dark side that contrasted with her public image, but those secrets didn’t explain Penelope’s recent behavior. Parker firmly believes that the key to her mother's death lies in a chapter that Penelope removed from the book at the last minute—or with the secrets long buried by the residents of Willow's Bane. To get to the truth, Parker must confront her own repressed emotions and do what nobody seems willing to do: find the person responsible for her mother’s death.
What she uncovers, however, is a twist that nobody saw coming!
Lisa Regan, the USA Today & Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, has this to say about TWIST.
TWIST is a roller coaster thrill ride that will keep you white-knuckling your way through every fantastic page. Clever, fast-paced, enthralling and brimming with brilliant twists, this book will leave you gasping for air and wanting more! Hammons has taken shocking plot twists to new heights in this thrilling read. This is an up-all-night page-turner! Do not miss this one!
