I’m thrilled to announce that Book 3, Enemy at the Wedding, will be released for Amazon Kindle on September 1. The next installment in the Strangers on This Road series finds Lainey attending a wedding with her boyfriend, Aiden Kinnear, on her first visit to England, meanwhile stumbling into another mysterious crime.
This book was a lot of fun to write; it involved scouting through wedding venues in the English countryside, pulling characters from the past, and creating new ones in the form of Aiden’s mom, older sister and brother-in-law. And then there’s Sylvia… I’d had some vague idea that Aiden would have a “stuck up witch” of an ex, but only as the plot of this book came together did I find Sylvia at my fingertips, ready to leap out and take a starring role. I don’t think I’ve ever attempted to portray a character quite so narcissistic, venomous or downright nasty, and I admit it was hugely entertaining to write her dialogue and delve into the psychology of her poisonously selfish character.
Standing opposite from Sylvia are Maureen, Aiden’s intelligent, kind and witty mother, a college professor; his engaging sister Natalie, both like and unlike the younger and more volatile Shannon; solid and quietly humorous Liam; and vague elderly cousin Randall, immersed in his hydrangeas.
Lainey is quickly absorbed into this lively, garrulous group—a bemusing and enjoyable new experience for her, given her own rather barren family experience. As the wedding festivities get underway, she continues to struggle with some identity issues involving her career (what does she want to DO with her life?) as she adjusts to life after college, and to resolve her mixed feelings about living with Aiden in his apartment in D.C.
The sudden appearance of a man we haven’t seen since the days of Avalon jars this idyllic gathering, creating an undertone of uneasy tension. This soon builds into real danger looming in the distance, growing slowly closer until it breaks over Lainey and Aiden in a violent and shocking crescendo.
I’ll just say that things get pretty exciting from there!
I was able to draw from my own experiences transitioning from school to career in my early twenties, living with my first boyfriend, entering into these unknown and daunting realms of adult life. (Lainey handles it all much better than I did, but then that’s generally true of her.)
Their story will continue in Book 4, The Heartbroken Brides, due out October 1.
Thanks for reading, wishing you all a wonderful weekend!
– Emily
Emily Senecal Books 