by Cynthia Chow

Details at the end of this post on how to win a copy of Nine Lives, along with a link to purchase the book.

One year ago Isabella Jordan’s life began to crumble around her. Shortly after her adored husband Sam passed away after a long illness, Bella lost not only her teaching job but the lease on her home as well. The only other family member left alive is her judgmental mother-in-law, so with no other option Bella packs her son and all of her belongings into her car to drive to Chicago to spend the summer with Sam’s mother. Fate steps in when Bella and five-year-old Max encounter a very pregnant cat before they’ve even left New York State, forcing them to take refuge in the strange small town of Lily Dale.

The expectant feline happens to belong to the late Leona Gatto, a psychic medium in Lily Dale’s unique tourist-attraction of a town. While rooms are hard to find during the summer season, Leona’s neighbor and fellow medium Odelia just happens to be in need of an assistant to help run Leona’s guesthouse. Not only does the job come with a free place to stay, it also provides Max with a new playmate.

Bella soon learns that Lily Dale is a town that is as welcoming as it is strange. Although Bella never stops feeling the absence of Sam, her son Max embraces Lily Dale as if it was always meant to be their home. Bella is far more suspicious of her neighbors, especially when she begins to find clues that have her suspecting that Leona’s death was not just an accidental drowning.

The strength of this new series, written by award-winning suspense author Wendy Corsi Staub, is how her heroine very realistically transitions between states of vulnerability, anger, strength, and overwhelming sadness. Sam’s death has left him frozen in her memory as romantic perfection, clouding her judgment and making her wary of any man demonstrating interest towards her.

Lily Dale extends a warm welcome to readers, who will find themselves charmed by its superstitious population of believers and practitioners. In some way, they are all seeking answers to life’s questions. The humor they bring lightens the somberness of Bella’s mournful state, but she and her precociously adorable son soon find themselves embraced by this haunting town full of mystery and secrets.

To enter to win a copy of Nine Lives, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “Nine,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 7, 2015. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.

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Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).