About a year ago in this space, I published some information about local author R.L. Anderson's Will Nickerson mystery series. Anderson recently contacted me again to let me know he has a third novel published in the series, and all three parts of the series are now available for Amazon Kindle, Nook and in print.

Anderson writes:

I now have a third novel published, titled Viking It Is, which is set in a small Scandinavian community in North Dakota and also features Will Nickerson, plus many of the other main characters who appeared in the first two.
...
All three are "whodunits" with rural/small town settings and feature Will Nickerson, a small town merchant turned amateur detective, who lives in the fictional community of New Oslo, North Dakota.  As noted previously, Lake Metroparks and the Holden Arboretum inspired the settings for the first two.  Viking It Is focuses more on the town of New Oslo itself, with its Scandinavian heritage (I am half Swedish myself, so I can relate very well to the Swedish and Norwegian cultures which come out in this and my other stories).  In this third installment of my series, an obnoxious and enigmatic stranger comes to town and promptly vanishes without a trace.  Is it murder--or what?  It's up to Will and his fellow townsfolk, plus a host of equally enigmatic visitors staying at the New Oslo Motel to find the answer.  As with Ranch Park and It's A Place For Trees, I've packed a lot of twists and turns, subplots, surprises, plus the occasional shock, into the story, to keep the reader guessing till the very end--just whodunit.  

If you're interested in purchasing any of his books in any of the formats:

Ranch Park: A Will Nickerson Mystery (Will Nickerson Mysteries) (Volume 1)	Paperback	Kindle	Nook
It's A Place For Trees: A Will Nickerson Mystery (Will Nickerson Mysteries) (Volume 2)	Paperback	Kindle	Nook
Viking It Is: A Will Nickerson Mystery (Will Nickerson Mysteries) (Volume 3)	Paperback	Kindle	Nook

-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

R.L. Anderson Jr. is a resident of Concord Township who grew up in Lake County.  The self-employed small businessman is working on his Will Nickerson Mysteries series, which he recently emailed me about.

Anderson writes:

My first novel, Ranch Park, is set at a fictional theme park that has some similarities to Lake Metroparks Farmpark, but I have located it near a fictional town that I call New Oslo, North Dakota. I chose North Dakota because I had a ranch there for awhile and know that state very well and wanted to write a novel with a North Dakota setting. My second novel, It's A Place For Trees, takes place at a fictional arboretum that has a few similarities to both Holden and Penitentiary Glen, but I've located it in my dad's home state of Pennsylvania, also near a fictional town. I have a third novel in the works. All feature Will Nickerson, a small town businessman turned amateur detective. They are light and easy reading mysteries, with a touch of very light and playful romance woven in, along with lots of action, suspense and surprise, and, although I have adult readers in mind, the language is 100% clean.

Check out R.L. Anderson's author page on Amazon for more information on the author and his books. From there -- and for just $6 -- you can get the Kindle edition of both of his books (or, borrow them for free through the Kindle Owners' Lending Library). Anderson also said he occasionally offers free promos.

Another author I previously profiled: Annmarie Cleversey, who used Painesville and Morley Library as inspiration for her Hailey Hanson Mysteries.

Are you an author in the area or one who has taken inspiration from the beauty of Lake and Geauga counties? Drop me a line so I can share your work with my blog's readers.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl

Amazon announced last week that you can now borrow Kindle books from your local library.

Amazon offers a help page with questions about borrowing Kindle books for those needing more assistance.

If you need more help, check out the following links from cnet.com:

• How to get free library books on your Kindle
• How to download e-books from your local library (video)

When I was browsing CLEVNET's eMedia collection for books for my Nook over the weekend, I noticed the option to request Kindle books. Be prepared to sit on a waiting list for the book you want (notice "The Help" had 457 patrons on the waiting list when I took the screenshot on the right [and I'm about in the middle of that list]).

CLEVNET allows you 48 hours from notification that the book is available to check it out, and you can have it on your device for up to 21 days before it expires. So remember to act quickly and don't delay your reading! Or you'll be in the middle of an interesting book when it expires and you can't open it again.


-- Cheryl Sadler | CSadler@News-Herald.com | @nhcheryl