Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
—WORK TITLE: The Murder of a Queen Bee
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://meeralester.com/
CITY:
STATE: CA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
http://hennypennyfarmette.com/ * https://www.linkedin.com/in/meera-lester-a4277113/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: n 92074085
Descriptive conventions:
rda
LC classification: PS3612.E8198
Personal name heading:
Lester, Meera
Profession or occupation:
Authors
Found in: Her Writing for the ethnic markets, c1991: t.p. (Meera
Lester)
Self-care for life, c2011: t.p. (Meera Lester)
A beeline to murder, 2015: t.p. (Meera Lester) jkt (1st
novel; she is the author of nearly two dozen nonfiction
books; owner of the Heeny Penny Farmette in the San
Francisco Bay area )
Associated language:
eng
================================================================================
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AUTHORITIES
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20540
Questions? Contact: ils@loc.gov
PERSONAL
Married Carlos Carvajal (an architect and designer).
EDUCATION:Attended University of Missouri.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writers Connection, Cupertino, CA, cofounder and owner, 1983-2002. South Bay Publishing, owner and chief executive officer, 2002-06. Has worked as editor at High Technology Careers, Future Outlook, Diversity Magazine, and Paul Masson Summer Concert Series. Organizer of Selling to Hollywood conference. Former respiratory therapist. Operator of Henny Penny Farmette.
AVOCATIONS:Yoga, crafts, volunteer work.
WRITINGS
Author of directories California Publishing Marketplace, California and Hawaii Publishing Marketplace, Southwest Publishing Marketplace, and Northwest Publishing Marketplace. Contributor of articles and book reviews to periodicals. Blogs at Henny Penny Farmette.
SIDELIGHTS
Meera Lester began writing the “Henny Penny Farmette” mystery series after a long career as an author of nonfiction books on health, spirituality, and a variety of other subjects. The setting of the mystery novels is based on her own small farm of the same name in Northern California. She and her husband, architect and designer Carlos Carvajal, bought the property in 2009 and began renovating a cottage there. They have a colony of bees, as does Abigail Mackenzie, the protagonist of Lester’s novels. “I figured my life on a farmette was easier to write about than having to invent a new world for Abby’s adventures,” Lester explained at her Website.
Abby’s farmette is located in the fictional town of Las Flores, California. She is a former police officer, retired due to an injury, who finds herself investigating crimes between tending her bees and chickens. Several townspeople are recurring characters in the series, including Abby’s best friend, police officer Katerina Petrovsky; a couple of other friends from the police department, Otto Nowicki and Nettie Sherman, and its rather difficult chief, Bob Allen; attractive widowed rancher and feed-store owner Lucas Crawford; and pie-shop proprietor Maisey Mack. The novels feature recipes as well as tips on beekeeping, jam making, plant cultivation, and other topics. The books fit into the “cozy” mystery genre, marked by small-town settings, amateur detectives, quirky supporting characters, and minimal violence.
A Beeline to Murder
In the series opener, Abby delivers a jar of honey to a local pastry chef, Jean-Louis Bonheur, only to find him dead in his kitchen. The coroner rules Bonheur’s death a suicide, but his brother, Philippe, believes he has been murdered and hires Abby to find the killer. There is a wealth of suspects, making her job challenging. Philippe’s romantic advances toward Abby complicate the situation further; she is attracted to him but has another potential love interest as well.
A Beeline to Murder will please fans of cozies, some critics predicted. “If you like your cozy mysteries very cozy, then this new entry into the genre is right for you,” remarked Carolyn Haley in the online New York Journal of Books. With some stereotypical characters and long descriptive passages, it “may come across as simplistic and oversweet,” Haley noted, but she found it distinguished by the insights into beekeeping. “The bees give the novel its foundation and framework and a charming individuality,” she explained. A Publishers Weekly contributor thought the book marred by digressions and “the occasional plot hole” and summed it up as “appealing, though flawed.” A commentator at the blog Rainy Day Ramblings, however, termed it a superior example of the cozy. “A Beeline to Murder is a cozy that actually comes across as realistic,” the blogger observed. “I appreciated that the heroine is a retired cop, so she is someone who knows a thing or two about solving a murder.” The setting is well-drawn and the mystery compelling, the blogger added, making this on the whole “a well thought out, realistic cozy.”
The Murder of a Queen Bee
This novel starts with Abby hearing from an old friend, Fiona, who says she needs Abby’s assistance urgently. Abby invites her to lunch, but Fiona does not show up; instead, she is found dead in a burned-out car, apparently killed before she was placed there. Abby decides to investigate, with the help of Fiona’s brother, Jack. Fiona had recently left a cult, and her estranged husband is still a member there. She was having an affair with another man and had a serious conflict with yet another, so there are several possible suspects. Abby encounters a few potential romantic interests for herself as well, including Jack, a neighbor, and an ex-boyfriend who broke her heart but now wants back into her life.
Again, some reviewers recommended Lester’s work to fans of cozies. A Publishers Weekly critic dubbed The Murder of a Queen Bee “pleasant but formulaic … heavy on the cozy and light on the mystery.” In Booklist, Sue O’Brien offered a more positive assessment, calling the book a “charming cozy,” enhanced by the details of Abby’s life on the farm in addition to “well-drawn, engaging characters and a promising new romance for Abby.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, September 1, 2016, Sue O’Brien, review of The Murder of a Queen Bee, p. 58.
Publishers Weekly, August 24, 2015, review of A Beeline to Murder, p. 61; August 29, 2016, review of The Murder of a Queen Bee, p. 68.
ONLINE
Enabalista, https://enabalista.com/ (June 20, 2012), review of 365 Ways to Live the Law of Attraction.
Girl with Booklungs, https://girlwithbooklungs.com/ (October 17, 2015), review of A Beeline to Murder.
Meera Lester LinkedIn Page, https://www.linkedin.com/ (May 29, 2017), brief biography.
Meera Lester Website, http://meeralester.com (May 29, 2017).
New York Journal of Books, http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/ (May 29, 2017), Carolyn Haley, review of A Beeline to Murder.
Rainy Day Ramblings, http://www.rainydayramblings.com/ (February 3, 2016), review of A Beeline to Murder.
Quoted in Sidelights: I figured my life on a farmette was easier to write about than having to invent a new world for Abby’s adventures.
About Meera Lester
Meera Lester
DIRECTOR and EDITOR
Meera Lester has worked in the writing, publishing, and film industries for over 25 years. In 1983, she and her partner launched the Northern California-based organization Writers Connection. Meera planned and oversaw the writing and publishing seminar programs. She also served as executive editor of Writers Connection’s publications. She directed dozens of conferences each year that featured editors, agents, and successful authors.
She worked as editor for several magazines: High Technology Careers, Future Outlook, Diversity Magazine, and Paul Masson Summer Concert Series.
SELLING TO HOLLYWOOD
Meera planned and recruited speakers for Selling to Hollywood, a conference she launched in Los Angeles in the 1990s with support from friends in the film industry. For that work, she received letters of commendation for her contributions to the film industry by California Senator Dianne Feinstein and also from the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors. She sold that conference to the American Screenwriters Association.
NONFICTION BOOKS
Meera has written nearly two dozen nonfiction books for publishers, including Rockport Publishers, Fair Winds Press, and Adams Media/F&W Publications. She has also done ghost writing and created works for hire. A few of her nonfiction titles include: The Everything Law of Attraction, The Secret Power of You, Sacred Travels, The Everything Gnostic Gospels, The Everything Mary Magdalene, The Marriage Devotional, 365 Ways to Live Happy,and many others.
PHOTO ABOVE: Meera Lester on Corelli’s Beach in Kefalonia, Greece; Photo by Katerina Lorenzatos Makris
PRESENT
She and husband Carlos Carvajal, Dominican-born architect and designer, are renovating a 1947 cottage east of the San Francisco Bay on the Henny Penny Farmette.
MYSTERIES
Meera based her Henny Penny Farmette series of cozy mysteries from Kensington Publishing on her daily farmette life on the real Henny Penny Farmette. All books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble,Walmart, and other online as well as traditional bookstores everywhere.
Background on the Series
The fictional small town of Las Flores, nestled in the foothills of a mountain range that divides the inland valley towns of the San Francisco Bay Area from the beach towns along the Pacific, provides the perfect setting for A Beeline to Murder. Many scenes take place on the farmette owned by Abigail Mackenzie, the sleuth in this story of murder and mayhem.
SCENE SETTING
If the scene descriptions ring true, it might be because Abby’s rundown half acre is where I currently live and work. In 2009, I bought a property east of the San Francisco Bay. It had been used as a dumping ground for a building contractor’s tear-outs. I figured my life on a farmette was easier to write about than having to invent a new world for Abby’s adventures. Life on the farmette is never boring–not for me or Abby.
Raised beds in the farmette backyard
Like me, Abby works a master plan to restore her dilapidated farm house and land with recycled materials from architectural salvage yards and demolition sites, DIY sale items, and gifts of stone, lumber, and manure from friends. The cuttings she gets from her neighbors’ roses and fruit trees are added to those she buys at rock-bottom prices during bare-root season. Ever an optimist, she envisions the day when all her hard work will pay off.
She keeps a small flock of chickens and two hives of bees. In my real life, I have a wonderful world-class beekeeper neighbor who helps me watch over my bees. He also gardens and his wife preserves the harvests from his land.
COTERIE OF CHARACTERS
It is my belief that not only do we connect with an interesting sleuth in a mystery but also with the coterie of characters in the sleuth’s life. When we read a story involving these characters, it’s like spending time with old friends. Abby’s best friend and sounding board is Katerina Petrovsky, a Las Flores police officer that Abby once trained. Another intriguing character is Abby’s attractive rancher neighbor, Lucas Crawford. He is a forty-something widower who owns the local feed store and lives up the hill from Abby. His personal narrative is particularly gut-wrenching, prompting the delivery of many porch-to-oven casseroles from the marriageable women in town.
Other characters include the town’s police chief, Bob Allen, a complicated piece of work with an over-sized ego; Maisey Mack, the pie shop owner and local storyteller who hails from the low country of South Carolina, and former police pals Otto Nowicki and Nettie Sherman.
CHARM
Charm is a major part of a cozy mystery, and charm emerges from the setting, locale, and people. Lots of cozy mysteries involve tea, perhaps with a nod to the Europeans who love a formal or informal tea service, complete with sandwiches and pastries. You’ll also find recipes in cozy mysteries and, in that regard, my Henny Penny Farmette series conforms. But in addition to recipes, you’ll find tips about the cultivation of heirloom plants, jam making, and the care and keeping of bees.
Tea in the garden is a pleasurable pursuit, one that works as well in a cozy mystery as it does on the Henny Penny Farmette
Murder constitutes an earth-shaking event for everyone in Las Flores, but that’s especially true for Abby when her investigation of such a violent act is juxtaposed against the solitary, peaceful life she lives on the farmette. But she, better than others in her small town, excels at puzzling through a crime because of her keen sixth sense, a better than average dose of common sense, and a dogged determination to stick with a case until it is solved. While she never seeks the spotlight, she often finds herself thrust in it.
And when all is said and done, she retreats back to her sanctuary–the farmette that nourishes her spirit in ways nothing else can, including her often brief romantic liaisons.
The Henny Penny Farmette Series
Farmette life is far from dull. With foxes, raccoons, and other wild predators to keep away from the chicken house, gardens that need cultivating and watering, and honeybees that need monitoring, every day on the farmette starts with chores. But when I’m not doing chores or helping my husband renovate the old house, I’m writing. The daily habit of expressing my thoughts in writing nurtures me almost more than making jam, plucking fruit to bake into pies, growing heirloom vegetables, and harvesting honey.
Mentioned in the Mystery Preview 2015 issue of Library Journal and featuring quotes from New York Times best-selling authors Rhys Bowen, Joanne Fluke, and Leslie Budewitz, who is also a national best-selling series author and an attorney, A BEELINE TO MURDER continues to gain new readers. Also, I very much appreciated getting a quote from dog rescuer and the founder of Spicy Stories Save Lives, Katerina Lorenzatos Makris.
The first two novel in the series: THE MURDER OF A QUEEN BEE and A BEELINE TO MURDER.
THE HENNY PENNY FARMETTE SERIES
These mysteries are published by Kensington Publishing and feature sleuth Abigail Mackenzie, former San Francisco Bay Area police officer and farmette owner, and her coterie of friends who live in Las Flores, a fictional small town south of San Francisco. The town is actually a composite of several towns where I’ve lived or spent a lot of time, for example, farming communities in Missouri, small towns in the Santa Cruz mountains, and locales north and east of the San Francisco Bay.
The beekeeping suit and gloves provide protection against bee stings.
When I wrote A Beeline to Murder, I’d already spent over two years blogging about farmette life. Some days I felt I was writing into a black hole. Was anyone actually reading my little missives? I put a visitor counter on my website to find out. Today, hits on my Henny Penny Farmette blog approach over 1 million and I’ve built it into what they call in the publishing industry a “brand and platform.”
I hope this inspires all would-be novelists who are working on their own books and brands.
My biggest dream (and shouldn’t we always embrace our larger-than-life dreams), is to keep my series fresh and popular and ongoing. I love my readers and value the insightful feedback they provide in their reviews and comments.
Books
The Murder of a Queen Bee
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Sept. 2016
Abigail Mackenzie plans a luncheon in her Henny Penny Farmette garden for her free-spirited friend Fiona Mary Ryan, owner of Ancient Wisdom Botanicals. Fiona had said she needed some law enforcement advice and Abby reckoned she’d draw on her law enforcement background to help out her friend, but she also invited cop Katerina Petrovsky. When Fiona is a no-show, Abby and Kat are shocked to learn that Fiona’s body has been found in a burned-out car. What looks to be a tragic accident isn’t. The coroner’s report reveals Fiona was dead before she was placed in the car. Someone has gone to great lengths to cover up a homicide. Fiona’s brother Jack Sullivan, an ethnobotanist seeks Abby’s help in finding Fiona’s killer, but it won’t be easy because there’s a large suspect pool, including members of a New Age sect, a former boyfriend, an unpredictable landlord, and the stranger who had assaulted Fiona in the woods.
Purchase this book now!
A Beeline to Murder
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Sept. 2015
Ex-cop Abigail Mackenzie takes up farming as her second career. She raises heirloom vegetables and keeps chickens and bees. Life is idyllic until Abby makes a run to the local pastry shop to deliver her trademark lavender honey and finds the town’s celebrity chef Jean-Louis Bonheur dead. When the chef’s handsome brother hires her to tease out a killer from a swarm of suspects, Abby will need more than her beekeeper’s suit and a smoker.
Purchase this book now!
Sacred Travels: 275 Ways to Find Joy, Seek Solace, and Live More Fully
Publisher: Adams Media Spring 2011
If you seek ways to explore, expand, and advance your spiritual life and enjoy sacred art, pilgrimage, and exploring the sacred in the world’s sanctuaries and natural settings, this book is for you. From the rock-cut caves of Tunisia to the great cathedrals and small churches of Europe, you’ll discover holy places to pray, meditate, reflect, confess, and perform traditional sacred rites. Buy this book through Amazon.com or from Adams Media.com.
Purchase this book now!
The Marriage Devotional, 365 Simple Ways to Celebrate Your Love
Publisher: Adams Media September 2010
If you want to live a healthier, wealthier, and longer life, discover how in this book that focuses on married couples, from newly marrieds to couples who have celebrated numerous anniversaries.Chocked full of proven secrets to help couples strengthen the bonds of their marital relationship, this book can serve as your guide to a more fulfilling life with the one you love.
Purchase this book now!
365 Ways to Live Happy
Publisher: Adams Media February 2010
Doing a random act of kindness doesn’t have to cost you anything. You can silently bless someone walking past you, forgive an old hurt, release the jealousy you feel toward someone else, or smile at a stranger on the subway. In this compact, easy-to-read little volume, you’ll discover 1001 ways to not only do good for yourself and others, but for our planet as well.
Purchase this book now!
365 Ways to Look and Feel Younger, with Carolyn Dean, M.D.
Publisher: Adams Media December 2009
From everyday tips to reduce wrinkles, improve memory, boost libido, and build muscles, this book has it all. From memory boosting tricks to anti-aging strategies and insights, you’ll learn all about the benefits of eating superfoods, expanding your social network, taking up weight training or yoga, and making your life the best it can be. Become more beautiful, happier, stronger, and healthier for now and the rest of your life. Get this book and start today creating the new you.
Purchase this book now!
365 Ways to Live the Law of Attraction
Publisher: Adams Media March 2009
In this handy little guidebook, you will find pithy, helpful, inspiring tips, strategies, and techniques to live in harmony with the universal law of attraction to gain power over your life, attract abundance, healthy relationships, and meaningful work…in short, you will find the means to live a purposeful life from the inside out.
Purchase this book now!
The Everything Law of Attraction Book
Publisher: Adams Media December 2008
You don’t have to wait to have the life you’ve always wanted. In this highly accessible book on the ancient universal law of attraction, you’ll learn how to attract into your life exactly what you want and how to stop attracting what you don’t want. From the drawing into your life the perfect romantic relationship to putting your career into liftoff, this book will get you motivated and dreaming new dreams for your life.
Purchase this book now!
1001 Ways to Do Good
Publisher: Adams Media October 2008
Doing a random act of kindness doesn’t have to cost you anything. You can silently bless someone walking past you, forgive an old hurt, release the jealousy you feel toward someone else, or smile at a stranger on the subway. In this compact, easy-to-read little volume, you’ll discover 1001 ways to not only do good for yourself and others, but for our planet as well.
Purchase this book now!
The Everything Women of the Bible Book: From Eve to Mary Magdalene, A History of Saints, Queens, and Matriarchs
Publisher: Adams Media 2007
If you wished you knew more about the role women played in Judeo-Christian times, this book is for you. The stories of ancient women, both named and unnamed, are sprinkled throughout the Scriptures. In this book, you’ll discover amazing tales about heroic women leaders, sexy sirens, virtuous and pious women, and some who did dark deeds to eliminate any threat to their power.
Purchase this book now!
Biblical Baby Names for Today
Publisher: Adams Media 2007
Searching for a biblical name for your baby couldn’t be easier than flipping through the pages of this handy little volume. The book includes 1,000 names broken down into those for boys and for girls. Also given are the various spellings of each name, the origin, and the meaning. Finally, interspersed throughout are stories from Scripture featuring a character with an interesting or unusual name, for example, Esther, Jemima, Martha, Lazarus, Esau, and Hezekiah, among others.
Purchase this book now!
Why Does Santa Wear Red…and 100 Other Christmas Curiosities Unwrapped
Publisher: Adams Media 2007
Everything you ever wanted to know about Christmas is detailed in this perfectly sized stocking stuffer, from what the Victorians ate for their holiday dinner to how Christmas is celebrated in other lands. Packed with trivia, recipes, and information about when Mrs. Claus appeared in history as well as what scholars believe the wise men saw in the night sky, this little gem has something for everyone. A holiday bestseller for its publisher, this book continues to be a favorite addition to holiday shopping lists everywhere!
Purchase this book now!
The Everything Gnostic Gospels Book, A Complete Guide to the Secret Gospels
Publisher: Adams Media 2007
In the 1940s, a peasant hunting for fertilizer near Nag Hammadi, in Upper Egypt, uncovered a cache of early Christian texts. These documents, many of them believed to have been written by Gnostics, provided a new lens for examining the birth of Christianity, suggesting that the birth was tumultuous, rather than smooth and harmonious. The Gnostics saw themselves as Christians, but the views they held were, in many cases, widely divergent from traditional Christian concepts. Find out who the Gnostics were, what they believed, and why modern scholars are so fascinated by these ancient people’s alternative version of Christianity.
Purchase this book now!
The Everything Mary Magdalene Book: The Life and Legacy of Jesus’ Most Misunderstood Disciple
Publisher: Adams Media 2006
The woman that for centuries was believed to have been the Bible’s repentant prostitute was misrepresented, according to modern scholarship. In fact, it is more likely that Mary Magdalene was the glue that held the earliest Christian movement together. In this book, dedicated to unraveling the mystery of Jesus’ most enigmatic follower and the Bible’s most misunderstood woman, you will discover references to her in historical texts, art, and music and learn how and why she serves as a spiritual exemplar and an inspirational role model for the modern women’s movement.
Purchase this book now!
Mary Magdalene: The Modern Guide to the Bible’s Most Mysterious and Misunderstood Woman
Publisher: Adams Media 2005
This little devotional book features prayers and myriad other ways to venerate Mary Magdalene and bring her blessings of goodness, mercy, compassion, and love of the Lord into your life.
Purchase this book now!
Saints’ Blessings, Wisdom and Guidance Inspired by 36 of the World’s Most Beloved Saints
Publisher: Fair Winds 2004
Read the stories of the great souls who once walked upon this earth, suffering many of the same or worse trials and tribulations that moderns endure and yet found the moral strength and courage to put their love of God before all else. Let their stories inspire you to greater service, quiet contemplation, ever deeper prayer, and renewed commitment to your spiritual path.
Purchase this book now!
Blooming Rooms, Decorating with Flowers and Floral Motifs
Publisher: Rockport Publishers 2004
If you love flowers and floral motifs in interior decor, this book is for you. Every aspect of interior decorating–from size and scale to furniture, wall and floor coverings, soft furnishings, lighting, and dramatic art elements and accents–is explored in this in-depth book that focuses on using florals in every room of the house. This handy guide offers tips for exploiting the sensual delight of flowers. You’ll learn how to use essential oils to make your own room fragrance and also how to dry colorful summer blooms and fashion bouquets to brighten dreary winter spaces. But the tips and tricks don’t stop there. You’ll also learn how to create a dramatic look that focuses on glorious florals for every room in the house.
Purchase this book now!
Adventures in Mosaics, Creating Pique Assiette Mosaics from Broken China, Glass, Pottery, and Found Treasures
Publisher: Rockport Publishers 2003
This book about mosaics was a Country Homes and Gardens book club selection. It was also translated into French. Using a easy-to-follow, four-step method to use broken china, mastic or glue, and grout, you can turn cast-offs into elegant artistic creations. Make one or more of the simple projects featured in the book, or use the process and make something uniquely yours.
Purchase this book now!
Writing for the Ethnic Markets
Publisher: Writers Connection Press 1992
This book that emphases the importance of using language as a bridge across cultures went into two printings and was purchased by the U.S. Information Service for its libraries abroad. Czech Republic president Vaclav Havel gave Meera Lester permission open the book with a poem he wrote about the importance of words, especially to those for whom freedom of expression is limited or controlled by repressive regimes.
Purchase this book now!
The Publishing Marketplace books
Publisher: Writers Connection Press 1989
California Publishing Marketplace, California and Hawaii Publishing Marketplace, Southwest Publishing Marketplace, and Northwest Publishing Marketplace.
These directories featured numerous book, magazine, and newspaper markets in western United States and Hawaii.
Purchase this book now!
Meera Lester, author
I’m an internationally published author of two-dozen books from a variety of publishers in various genres. Some have been translated into other languages such as French, Malaysian, and Arabic.
My designer/architect husband and I are renovating our 1947 farmhouse with as many recyclable and green materials as possible. We also grow heirloom vegetables and herbs, keep chickens and bees, and care for our dozens of fruit and citrus trees. Our philosophy is to be self-sustaining as much as possible.
Living closer to the earth and growing healthy foods have their roots in my upbringing in rural central Missouri. I’m the fifth generation farmer in my family.
Writing mysteries featuring a farmette milieu is a joyful and a natural way for me to combine my lifestyle with my deep-seated need to write. –Meera Lester
All contents (including text and photos) copyrighted by Meera Lester 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Meera Lester
Blogger, Book Author, & Web Content Provider
San Francisco Bay Area
Writing and Editing
Current
Meera Lester.com
Previous
San Francisco Chronicle, Writers Connection
Education
University of Missouri
Websites
Personal Website
Personal Website
Blog
135
connections
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Summary
I am an internationally published author of two dozen books, some translated into other languages such as French, Arabic, and Indonesian. My work has appeared in several anthologies. I've written hundreds of articles and press releases, worked as a book reviewer, and am currently writing a mystery series under contract.
Published novels: Murder of a Queen Bee, A Beeline to Murder, and (forthcoming) Hive of Homicides in the Henny Penny Farmette series of mysteries (Kensington Publishing).
Nonfiction books: The Law of Attraction Made Easy, 365 Ways to Live the Law of Attraction, The Secret Power of You, Sacred Travels, The Everything Law of Attraction Book,The Marriage Devotional, 365 Ways to Look--and Feel--Younger, 365 Ways to Live Happy, 1001 Ways to Do Good, The Everything Mary Magdalene Book, Why Santa Wears Red, and numerous other titles from Adams Media/F&W Publications, Rockport Publishers, and Fair Winds Press.
Work I enjoy: Developing project ideas, crafting proposals, and writing books (both fiction and nonfiction). I enjoy developing and editing books for clients. A big issue for many writers is finding an authentic voice or revealing the protagonist's heart on the written page, and I can help with that.
Media experience: Law of Attraction radio,CBS, ABC, and KGO radio in the SF Bay Area and NPR in New York. I've been a featured guest on television and have presented keynote addresses for organizations such as the American Book Expo, Arizona Press Women, and Selling to Hollywood screenwriting conferences.
Current specialties: Blogger/web columnist/book doctor with interests in urban organic farming, beekeeping, home improvement, architecture, gardening, travel, food, animals, relationships, wellness, mind-body wholeness, spirituality, sustainable living, and green building.
Other skills:Former respiratory therapist--worked in five ICUs and the ER of a large county hospital. Lifelong practitioner of yoga and world traveler.
Experience
Novelist, nonfiction author, Blogger, and book doctor
Meera Lester.com
March 2002 – Present (15 years 3 months)
*Work with clients to revise works of general fiction or nonfiction
*Generate book proposals
*Research and write books against tight deadlines for publishers
*Promote books and web content through my blogs and websites and social media outlets
*Develop content for book publishers
*Blog about sustainable living topics at www.hennypennyfarmette.com
*Blog about writing and publishing at www.meeralester.com
Independent dealer
San Francisco Chronicle
March 2002 – March 2006 (4 years 1 month)
Owner/CEO of South Bay Publishing, distributors of the San Francisco Chronicle
Founder/owner
Writers Connection
July 1983 – March 2002 (18 years 9 months)
I co-founded Writers Connection in the San Francisco Bay Area and served as executive editor of the company, overseeing the publication of the newsletters, catalogs, and conference brochures. I directed the seminar program, recruiting speakers, and designing seminar offerings and conference content.
I also directed Writers Connection's hugely successful Selling to Hollywood Screenwriting conferences, held in Los Angeles every year in August, until deciding to sell the conference.
To date, I've written more than two dozen nonfiction books for a variety of publishers. Currently, I am writing a mystery series under contract and working on a standalone title, renovating a 1947 cottage on a farmette east of San Francisco Bay, and posting dispatches about farmette life, foods, and the writing process on social media: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, GoodReads, and elsewhere.
Publications
MURDER OF A QUEEN BEE
Kensington Books
October 2015
This is the second novel (slated for release Oct. 1, 2016) in the Henny Penny Farmette series of cozy mysteries. It follows A BEELINE TO MURDER. When a commune takes over an old abandoned nudist colony in the Northern California mountain community of Las Flores, murder and mayhem ensue. Includes farm sayings, beekeeping and farming tips, and delicious recipes.
Authors:
Meera Lester
The Secret Power of You
Adams Media, Div. F&W Media, Inc., Avon, MA 02322, U.S.A.
July 2012
Your power to transform your world lies within you, and once you understand how to tap into and express that hidden power, you'll discover how to remake your world--attracting money, friendships, opportunities, and a better life.
Authors:
Meera Lester
The Everything Law of Attraction
Adams Media, Avon, MA 02322, U.S.A.
August 2008
Let go of negative thinking, embrace the positive, and spiritually align with the ancient, universal law of attraction to achieve success and prosperity in every area of your life. Use this book as a tool to help you dream what you thought you could never attain but to visualize those dreams in a cinematic way to attract whatever your heart desires.
Authors:
Meera Lester
Sacred Travels
Adams Media
June 2011
It's been said that all paths lead to enlightenment, but the path to take is yours to choose.Divinely blessed places exist all over the earth--places that can nourish your spirit, speak to your soul, and deepen your understanding of the sacred as you journey to the 275 special places included in this work.
Authors:
Meera Lester
Skills
FoodInterior DesignArchitectureGardeningGhostwritingPublished AuthorNon-fictionBooksBloggingStaff DevelopmentFreelance WritingMagazine ArticlesFictionWeb ContentCreative WritingSee 26+
How's this translation?
Great•Has errors
Education
University of Missouri
Volunteer Experience & Causes
Crafter and blood donor
American Heart Association
October 2001Health
My past volunteer work includes donating blood on a regular basis to benefit Stanford Medical Center heart transplant and other patients.
Also I made crafts and sold them at a holiday boutique to raise money to purchase much-needed equipment in the heart transplant program for Kaiser Hospital Santa Teresa.
Finally, I have participated in walks for the American Heart Association to raise awareness and money for the cause.
Groups
Books and Writers from Promocave.com
Books and Writers from Promocave.com
Writing Professionals
Writing Professionals
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Quoted in Sidelights charming cozy ... well-drawn, engaging characters and a promising new romance for Abby.--Sue O'Brien
The Murder of a Queen Bee
Sue O'Brien
113.1 (Sept. 1, 2016): p58.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
The Murder of a Queen Bee. By Meera Lester. Oct. 2016.312p. Kensington, $25 (9781617739132); e-book, $11.99 (9781617739149).
Former cop turned beekeeper Abby Mackenzie invites her good friend, free spirit Fiona Mary Ryan, to luncheon after Fiona tells Abby she wants to talk to her as soon as possible. After Fiona fails to show up, Abby learns that her friend was found dead in her burnt-out car. Abby feels compelled to investigate, and, after a rocky start, she enlists the help of Fiona's brother, Jack. It turns out that Fiona had recently left a cult where her estranged husband still lives, had broken up with a boyfriend, and had been involved in an altercation with an unknown man, all of which adds up to many suspects. During her investigation, Abby's former boyfriend, the self-centered Clay Calhoun, who broke her heart, returns asking for a second chance, but Abby is unsure if she wants him back. Framed with details of beekeeping, herb growing, and living and working on a small farm in California, this charming cozy also includes well-drawn, engaging characters and a promising new romance for Abby.--Sue O'Brien
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
O'Brien, Sue. "The Murder of a Queen Bee." Booklist, 1 Sept. 2016, p. 58. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA463755150&it=r&asid=9b2f300de53b23906b608080eee52929. Accessed 11 May 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A463755150
Quoted in Sidelights: pleasant but formulaic
heavy on the cozy and light on the mystery.
The Murder of a Queen Bee: A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery
263.35 (Aug. 29, 2016): p68.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
The Murder of a Queen Bee: A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery
Meera Lester. Kensington, $25 (288p) ISBN 978-1-61773-913-2
Lester ticks all the boxes in her pleasant but formulaic second Henny Penny Farmette mystery (after 2015's A Beeline to Murder). After herbalist Fiona Mary Sullivan fails to show up for lunch with farmer Abigail Mackenzie, Abby is horrified to learn that Fiona has been discovered dead in a burning car in the woods outside Las Flores, Calif. The coroner's report concludes that Fiona was dead before someone placed her in the car. Lester overdoes the detail about the wine-country locale, beekeeping, gardening, cooking, Abby's fetching outfits, and her complicated love life. Distracting Abby, a former cop, from her investigation are her bad-boy ex, her strong and silent widowed neighbor, and Fiona's charming, hunky brother. In the end, Abby doesn't have too much trouble identifying who killed Fiona. This one is for lovers of cozy mysteries that are heavy on the cozy and light on the mystery. Agent: Paula Munier, Talcott-Notch Literary Agency. (Oct.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Murder of a Queen Bee: A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery." Publishers Weekly, 29 Aug. 2016, p. 68. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA462236433&it=r&asid=990028e49fcc63a96e5c001e2a72fba0. Accessed 11 May 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A462236433
Quoted in Sidelights: the occasional plot hole
appealing, though flawed
A Beeline to Murder: A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery
262.34 (Aug. 24, 2015): p61.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
A Beeline to Murder: A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery Meera Lester. Kensington, $25 (288p) ISBN 978-1-61773-909-5
Farming tips and murder vie for the reader's attention in Lester's appealing, though flawed, debut cozy, set in the California wine country town of Las Flores. When cop-turned-farmer Abigail "Abby" Mackenzie tries to deliver a jar of honey to pastry chef Jean-Louis Bonheur, she finds him dead on his kitchen floor. Abby's friend, police officer Katerina Petrovsky, welcomes her assistance in the ensuing investigation, but when the coroner rules that Jean-Louis killed himself, his distraught brother, Philippe, hires Abby to prove otherwise. Abby finds plenty of potential suspects and motives, but she is caught by surprise when the victim's dog, Sugar, saves her from a brutal attack. Too many characters and Abby's struggles to run a thriving farmette distract, but it's the occasional plot hole, such as a highly questionable method of suicide, that truly makes this first novel less successful than it could have been. Recipes, including one for doggy treats, appear throughout. Agent: Paula Munier, Talcott-Notch Literary Agency. (Oct.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"A Beeline to Murder: A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery." Publishers Weekly, 24 Aug. 2015, p. 61. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA427301497&it=r&asid=6bafb4f5bef6857cc504e0a5b76ab558. Accessed 11 May 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A427301497
Beeline to Murder by Meera Lester (Blog Tour & #Giveaway!)
beeline to murder large banner640
coverA Beeline to Murder
(A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery)
New Cozy Mystery Series
Hardcover: 288 pages
Publisher: Kensington (September 29, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1617739095
goodreads-badge-add-plus
From peacekeeper to beekeeper…
After an injury forced her to leave the police department, Abigail Mackenzie started a second career as a farmer. Raising chickens, harvesting honey from her bee colony, and growing heirloom vegetables on her farmette in the beautiful Bay Area town of Las Flores, Abby has embraced all the benefits of a peaceful life.
But when she attempts to deliver her trademark honey to local pastry chef Jean-Louis Bonheur and finds him dead in his shop, her old investigative instincts kick in. After the coroner rules the death a suicide, the chef’s handsome French-Canadian brother insists on hiring Abby to find out who really killed Jean-Louis.
With the patience of a farmer and the industriousness of a bee, Abby sorts through a swarm of suspects, including the chef’s landlord, his protégé, an eccentric homeless woman, loan sharks, and a brawny biker. But as she closes in on the truth, she’ll need more than her beekeeper suit to protect her from a killer’s sting…
Includes farming tips and delicious recipes!
Book Review | 365 Ways to Live The Law of Attraction By Meera Lester
June 20, 2012
1 comment
Article
Love, success, happiness, a long and healthy life—these are the things the Law of Attraction promises to deliver—but how? It sounds easy enough, but what does it really mean? In this book, you find the practical steps you need to harness the power of the universe and transform your life. Each of the 365 entries provides a simple, concrete action item guaranteed to attract good things into the your life. – Amazon.com
My Review: I picked up this book under the Personal Development / Self Help section in the library because I wanted to know what “The Law of Attraction” is and when divided into 365 bite sized paragraphs, it made for an easy read.
So easy that I think I took less than 20 minutes to skim through the whole book, got out the gist and skipped all the parts which was not relevant to me.
The “Law of Attraction” is basically like a powerful affirmation, visualization tool practiced by man since a long time ago which was made famous again by “The Secret” book and movie written by Rhonda Byrne.
The idea is simple, basically:
1. Write a list of what you desire or want to achieve or own very badly, as specific as possible, e.g. “I want to earn $30,000 a month starting from July 2012.”
2. Be as positive as possible and believe you will receive it, and thus re-word it as such “I will earn $30,000 a month starting from July 2012.”
3. Practice gratefulness and be thankful for everything in your life. Because the more positive thoughts you have, the more you will attract positive things to you.
4. Wait for your desired outcome to happen to you, meanwhile practice steps 1-3 conscientiously!
The idea of The Law of Attraction wasn’t new to me, I’ve read about it before in a book titled the The Fourth Dimension, Vol. 1 by Pastor David Yonggi Cho, from Seoul, Korea.
I felt uncomfortable reading the 365 Ways to Live The Law of Attraction By Meera Lester because she uses verses and scriptures from different religions to substantiate the Law of Attraction.
As a Christian, I believe in the “Law of Attraction” but I don’t call it as such. I call it positive thinking and faith in Christ. Christians all around the world can testify to an sense of joy and purpose each day because of Christ in us and the love and blessing he pours forth in our life as we trust in Him.
In conclusion, I don’t think the book is worth reading. I have yet to read “The Secret” or watched the movie, I might want to check it out and see what else it has to offer that I don’t already know of. If you’re a christian, or would like to know more about the Law of Attraction as practiced by Pastor Cho, go read his book, The Fourth Dimension, Vol. 1 !
I did some research online to see what other Christians have to say on this topic and I found two sites which where pretty good.
http://www.successhound.com/does-the-law-of-attraction-contradict-the-bible-part-1/
The author argues that the Law of Attraction does not contradict the bible and he also wrote a part 2 about how the Law isn’t just about materialism.
http://www.johnplaceonline.com/stress-management/jesus-versus-the-secret-a-christians-guide-to-the-law-of-attraction/
This other author, John also agrees that it does not contradict with the bible but also adds that our God is not a genie and that there are codes of conduct in the bible, it’s not all or only about the Law. And I fully agree with John. As Christians we are not to live only for ourselves but to live surrendered lives to God and obey what he commands us to do, so I believe the Law works not merely for our own blessings but also to be a channel of blessing to others as God intends for us to be.
If you like your cozy mysteries very cozy, then this new entry into the genre is right for you.
may come across as simplistic and oversweet
the bees give the novel its foundation and framework and a charming individuality.
A Beeline to Murder (A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery)
Image of A Beeline to Murder (A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery)
Author(s):
Meera Lester
Release Date:
September 28, 2015
Publisher/Imprint:
Kensington
Pages:
288
Buy on Amazon
Reviewed by:
Carolyn Haley
“genuinely sweet . . .”
If you like your cozy mysteries very cozy, then this new entry into the genre is right for you. It’s got all the signature features: a smart amateur sleuth with a unique occupation; her quaintly eccentric friends; a delightful location; a clever mystery; and lots of details about physical appearance, home, and animals, plus tastebud-tempting recipes.
Welcome Abby Mackenzie, former police officer in Las Flores, California, who retired after an injury to raise bees, flowers, and vegetables on her farmette. But she can’t quite escape her old career, because when she delivers a load of honey to the local bakery, she finds the chef dead on the floor. It appears that he hanged himself—except someone had already cut him down, which suggests murder
Nonetheless, the case is ruled a suicide after the police discover the person who found the body ahead of Abby and can explain the discrepancy. Abby doesn’t buy the story, though. Luckily, she is allowed to satisfy her curiosity and desire for justice when she is hired by the victim’s brother to investigate the closed case.
That brother is a handsome and romantic Frenchman, whose allure Abby struggles to resist while earning her paycheck from him. And while she’s wondering whether she’s losing her heart or her good sense, the rugged and simple farmer down the road—her client’s opposite in all ways—shows signs that he might be losing his heart for her.
Now, for readers who prefer a more-demanding style of cozy mystery, with complex characters and realistic grit, this novel may come across as simplistic and oversweet. They’ll notice, for example, that most characters are stereotypes and some are mean-spiritedly drawn. The time-outs for clothes, makeup, and food—all lovingly described—do little to define character and instead stall the plot. Dialogue at times feels forced, using the “as you know, Bob” technique to convey information to the reader through stilted conversation.
But whichever way your taste runs, read this book for the bees. Although always in the background, as compared to some cozy mysteries where animals are sentient characters who might even speak and solve the crime, the bees give the novel its foundation and framework and a charming individuality. The author knows her bee business, being an apiary owner and market farmer. In fact, she shares her own Henny Penny Farmette business name with Abby, and shares her own recipes for food and health-and-beauty products with the reader, along with garden tips and beekeeping lore.
These elements make the book genuinely sweet and sure to win readers for Abby’s adventures. As A Beeline to Murder is first in a projected series, many more adventures are sure to come.
Carolyn Haley is a broadly experienced writer and editor who operates DocuMania, providing production support for editors, writers, and designers. She is also the author of four books: The Möbius Striptease, Open Your Heart with Gardens, Into the Sunrise, and The Aurora Affair.
Quoted in Sidelights: A Beeline to Murder is a cozy that actually comes across as realistic. I appreciated that the heroine is a retired cop, so she is someone who knows a thing or two about solving a murder.
The overall murder mystery was well done.
a well thought out, realistic cozy.
Three and a half stars: A realistic cozy, with a cute farm and a former cop as the heroine.
Abby is hurriedly trying to get the last of her lavender planted before she has to go into town and deliver honey. She knows that Chef Jean-Louis doesn't like it when she is tardy. Just then, When Abby arrives at the pastry shop, something isn't right. The cakes are burning in the oven, and the Chef is nowhere to be found. Abby finds him lying dead on the pantry floor, apparently strangled. The coroner rules the death as a suicide, but Abby isn't completely convinced, nor is the chef's brother, Philippe. Philippe hires Abby to find the truth, and as a former cop, Abby knows a thing or two about solving crime. Did the Chef kill himself or was he murdered?
What I Liked:
A Beeline to Murder is a cozy that actually comes across as realistic. I appreciated that the heroine is a retired cop, so she is someone who knows a thing or two about solving a murder. It was nice to read a cozy mystery with a heroine who was competent and realistic, not one who runs some type of bake shop and is forced to help solve the crime because of incompetent law enforcement. Abby is indeed capable of tracking down the murderer, and she works closely with her friend, Kat, who is still on the force.
This mystery incorporates a cozy farm setting. Abby retired after an injury. Now days, she is running a small farm, where she keeps bees and collects honey. I enjoyed the country setting, and I liked all the interesting tidbits that were included regarding farming.
Many cozy mysteries tend to have recipes or how to information at the end, but this book does something a bit different. Instead of including everything at the end, the author incorporates recipes and how to articles before each new chapter. There are recipes, information on bee keeping, how to dry mint, how to make lavender essence and so on. I thought it was fun to have these included throughout the book. One other touch that I liked was that before each chapter, there was a small quote from the Henny Penny Farmette Almanac.
The overall murder mystery was well done. First, I liked that the murder victim wasn't some cartoonish villain who behaves badly and has a negative reputation amongst the town. Instead, the chef is well liked by most people. At first, it seems that he might have committed suicide, but the more Abby digs, she learns that all isn't as it seems. There are several suspects and motives, and I was guessing until the end. This is a well thought out, realistic cozy.
One other thing that I appreciated was that the local law enforcement wasn't bumbling and incompetent. Abby is a former cop, and she works closely with the police to find the truth. This added a layer of realism to the story.
The book draws to a satisfactory close. No loose ends as far as the mystery is concerned. There are of course, story lines to follow up on in the next book. Rest assured, there isn't a cliffhanger.
And The Not So Much:
I was bothered that I never learned exactly what happened to Abby. She suffered some type of injury to her hand that forced her to retire. I wanted the backstory of her injury, retirement and how she came to own the farm.
There is a bit of romance, but it didn't really work for me. There is an attraction and some sparks, but it doesn't really go anywhere. It has potential, but right now, I am ambivalent as far as the romance goes. It can stay or go. There was also a hint that a love triangle might occur, I am hoping not.
I was wanting to know a bit more about a certain character's relationship with his wife. Why did her marry her? Did she know about his secret life all along? I thought this part of the story needed more detail.
Beeline To Murder is a cozy mystery that is on the realistic side. The main character is a retired cop, so she is capable of solving crimes. I liked that she worked with the police, it gave it a more realistic feel. I also enjoyed the farm setting and all the fun tidbits and recipes that were included. This is a cozy for people who like their cozies to have a sense of realism. If you are wanting a good mystery pick this one up.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own, and I was not compensated for this review.