Welcome the Little Children: A Mystery Novel
About this ebook
Laurel Falls, N.C. 1994: I would never have risked so much if it hadn’t been for that kid. Astrid Holt, a force of nature. She brightened things at Coburn’s General Store every time she stopped by for recipe ideas—at eight years old! (That should tell you something about what was going on in her household.) So when Astrid’s mother disappeared—lost in the woods? kidnapped? murdered?—how could I turn my back on her?
My friend Abit Bradshaw and I joined the search. It started close to home in our small town of Laurel Falls, then extended farther into the mountains of North Carolina. When that failed to turn up clues, the investigation reached the streets of Washington, D.C., my old stomping grounds.
Abit and I often asked ourselves if we would ever get to the bottom of all their secrets and lies. Given how broken their family was, we also wondered if we should even try.
As it turned out, we weren’t dealing with just the Holt’s troubles. The tragic stories that unfolded cast a shadow over our own splintered families. Abit worried if he’d ever find someone faithful and true, and I wondered if I could hold on to what I had. ~Della Kincaid
You'll enjoy this suspenseful mystery because who doesn't yearn to see wrongs righted?
If you love Jacqueline Winspear, Sue Grafton, and Cheryl Bradshaw (no relation to Abit Bradshaw that we know of), you're sure to enjoy the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series.
Get it now—for the rich natural setting, colorful characters, and suspenseful investigations.
Welcome the Little Children is the third novel in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series by award-winning author Lynda McDaniel.
Interview with the Author
Q: What's important about this third book?
A: Abit is a grown man, gaining success in both his woodworking and bluegrass music. And yet he hasn't lost his tender heart and wonder about life. Della faces some hard decisions, especially about how to best help her young friend, Astrid. And, of course, she's there for Abit. Their friendship is the backbone of all the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries.
"So fun to watch the characters develop and watch Abit find and truly fulfill himself. I highly recommend all books in this series." --Cynthia Williams
Q: What's different about this book?
A: Both Della and Abit spend time in Washington, D.C. as well as the small town of Laurel Falls, N.C. Della calls on all her former skills as an investigative journalist. Abit goes to many of my favorite places in D.C. As much as my life was shaped by my years in the mountains of N.C., it was polished while I lived in D.C.
Q: Any new characters in Welcome the Little Children?
A. Astrid Holt is a favorite. She's such a colorful little 8-year-old, strong and full of beans. The mother/children drama is particularly poignant to me. I got the idea for her character from a neighbor who told lively stories from her youth. That's what writers do--we're like magpies and steal shiny morsels we take back to our writing space. When Astrid's mother goes missing, Della takes it on as a personal mission to find her--one way or another.
"I really loved this book, as I have all the books in the Appalachian Mountain Mysteries. ... I have such a vivid picture of the people and places in these books, it's hard to believe they don't really exist." --Malena E.
Q: In what order were these books written?
A:
Life for a Life
The Roads to Damascus
Welcome the Little Children
Murder Ballad Blues
Deep in the Forest
Up the Creek
Unwrapped
After Dusk
Waiting for You (free prequel novelette)
About the author
My writing career started in the most unlikely place—a town of 200 people in the mountains of North Carolina. Although it was many years ago, I recall that day with the fiercest clarity. I'd found the Campbell Folk School, an amazing center for art, craft, and music (and featured in my novels as The Hickson School of American Studies). The director eventually asked if I’d like to learn public relations. To be honest, I should have answered, “What’s that?” Instead, I said, “Sure,” and took to it like ink to newsprint. I haven’t stopped writing since.
These days, I spend my time writing my Appalachian Mountain Mysteries series. I started them as a way to share amazing stories from my back-to-the-land experience in the N.C. mountains. I made mistakes by the wheelbarrow load , but I wouldn’t take anything for those years. My Appalachian Mountain Mysteries pay homage to the people of Appalachia who taught me so much.
Before my novel-writing days, I crafted 1,200 articles for arts and culture magazines such as Southern Living, Country Living, AmericanStyle, Southwest Art, Yoga Journal, American Cinematographer, Chile Pepper, and Restaurants USA. Newspaper articles about art, food, and business ran in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Charlotte Observer, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, washington
I've also written 15 nonfiction books, including several on the art and craft of writing. For the past 10 years, I've also had the privilege to guide people through their own book-writing process—both fiction and nonfiction. Together we turn their dreams into reality.
