Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers A Jules Keene Glamping Mystery by Heather Weidner. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews and more!
Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers A Jules Keene Glamping Mystery
by Heather Weidner
I received this book free; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive compensation at no cost to you.
Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers – A Jules Keene Glamping Mystery
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Level Best Books
There is nothing like finding a dead body, clad only in red satin thong, on your property to jolt you from a quiet routine. Jules Keene, owner of the posh Fern Valley Camping Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains, is thrust into the world of the Dark Web when one of her guests, Ira Perkins, is found murdered in the woods near her vintage trailers. She quickly discovers that the man who claimed to be on a writing retreat was not what he seemed, and someone will go to any length to find what he left at her resort. Jules, along with her Jack Russell Terrier sidekick Bijou, has to put the rest of the missing pieces of a blackmailing scheme together before her business is ruined.
Jules’s resort, set in the heart of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains near Charlottesville in the quaint town of Fern Valley, offers guests a unique vacation in refurbished and upcycled vintage trailers. Hoping to expand her offerings, she partners with her maintenance/security guy to create a village of tiny houses, the latest home DIY craze, but a second murder of a reporter interrupts Jules’s expansion plans. Curiosity gets the best of her, and she steps up her sleuthing to find out what Ira Perkins was really doing and what he hid at her resort.
Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers Book Review
Now, this is my idea of camping! Cute, upcycled vintage trailers are so much better than tents! (Not that I have camped in a tent in the last 30 years…..) If Fern Valley Camping Resort was real, you can bet I’d be vacationing there. As owner of this resort, Jules Keene has got a great thing going. The campers are full, and people are happy. One reason they might be happy too is the delicious breakfasts that they can get in the lodge. I’d fill up on cinnamon rolls.
Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers is a fantastic start to what I’m sure will be a wonderful series! Heather Weidner paints us a vivid picture, and it’s easy to feel as if you’re in Fern Valley. She describes not only the camping resort but also the town. You’re going to get hungry since Jules visits several trendy restaurants in Fern Valley. So, get some cookies or carrots (or better yet, cinnamon rolls) for your book reading snack. I also love the fact that she doesn’t tell us about many of the trailers because that leaves more surprises for the next book. And, speaking of more surprises, I can’t wait to see how the tiny house village that they’re planning comes along.
The characters are very well-written, and I feel like, for a first book in a series, I got to know them fairly well. I’m looking forward to seeing how they grow through the series. There were just enough side characters to not overwhelm us. Everybody plays an important role in the book. I won’t tell you who my favorites were from Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers. You never know; I might change my mind later!
The mystery is well-plotted, and the pacing works perfectly. I never felt like things were dragging along or moving too quickly. I’m really looking forward to reading more books in the series. Add Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers to your to be read piles today!
Character Guest Post: Jules Keene
I’m Jules Keene, owner of the Fern Valley Camping Resort, and I spend most of my days answering guests’ questions, telling them about the history of our vintage trailers, and getting our visitors settled into their posh vacation digs. I also spend a lot of time trying to find ways to bring new visitors to the area. Recently, I’ve planned a wine tasting get-away, a crafters’ retreat, and writing retreat. Marketing and promotion are never-ending tasks for a small business owner.
The resort is nestled in the beautiful, Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia. Fern Valley is a few miles west of Charlottesville. My parents bought the traditional campground back in the 1970s before I was born. After my divorce from the Idiot, I returned home and helped my dad update the campground and restore vintage trailers. We saved a bunch from the scrapheap.
I love that we were able to preserve their history and create some upscale places for our guests to visit. I used my background in interior design to theme and decorate each one. For example, we have a 1947 Westcraft Coronado that I decked out in a wildflower motif. My 1953 Redman New Moon is decorated in honor of Lucy and Desi’s classic movie, “The Long, Long Trailer” that featured the same model camper. My favorite is the 1959 Sunliner Caravan. That’s the same year that Barbie debuted, so this one is decorated in pink, white, and black in homage to the classic doll.
My maintenance/security guy, Jake Evans, helped us restore the campers, and now he’s looking for a new project. He proposed making a tiny house, and we decided to add a little village of them in the empty field by the vintage campers. I’m fascinated that people live in these amazingly tiny and functional spaces. I’m hoping these will be the perfect addition to the resort.
If only life were so idyllic every day in our little valley. We had some excitement recently that I’m afraid is going to damage the resort’s reputation. There is nothing like finding a dead body, clad only in a red satin thong, on your property to jolt you from a quiet routine. Somehow, I was thrust into the world of the Dark Web when one of my guests, Ira Perkins, is found murdered in the woods near the vintage trailers. Mr. Perkins, who claimed to be on a writing retreat, was not what he seemed, and someone will go to any length to find what he left at my resort.
My Jack Russell Terrier sidekick Bijou, and I have to put the rest of the missing pieces of a blackmailing scheme together before my business is ruined. Curiosity always gets the best of me, and I have to step up my sleuthing to find out what Ira Perkins was really up to and what he was really hiding at my resort.
About Heather Weidner
Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers is the first in her cozy mystery series, the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries. She also writes the Delanie Fitzgerald mystery series set in Virginia (Secret Lives and Private Eyes, The Tulip Shirt Murders, and Glitter, Glam, and Contraband).
Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass, and her novellas appear in The Mutt Mysteries series.
She is a member of Sisters in Crime – Central Virginia, Sisters in Crime – Chessie, Guppies, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers.
Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.
Author Links
Website and Blog: http://www.heatherweidner.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherWeidner1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeatherWeidnerAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heather_mystery_writer/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121854.Heather_Weidner
Amazon Authors: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HOYR0MQ
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/HeatherBWeidner/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-weidner-0064b233?trk=hp-identity-name
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/heather-weidner-d6430278-c5c9-4b10-b911-340828fc7003
AllAuthor: https://allauthor.com/profile/heatherweidner/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBjyB0zz-M1DaM-rU1bXGA?view_as=subscriber
Purchase Links – Amazon
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Vintage Trailers and Blackmailers TOUR PARTICIPANTS
October 19
I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
October 20
Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
October 21
Novels Alive – GUEST POST
FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
October 22
Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT
October 23
I Read What You Write – REVIEW, GUEST POST
Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 24
Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 25
Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
October 26
Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW
October 27
Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
October 28
Mysteries with Character – GUEST POST
October 29
Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
October 30
Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE
October 31
Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
November 1
BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT
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Christy, thank you so much for letting me visit your blog today with Jules and the gang and for helping me celebrate my book launch!
You’re welcome! I’m excited to read what’s next!
This sounds like such a fun read. I can’t wait!
Sounds great! I like the cover & title.