Melissa Senate

I've gotten many emails from readers wanting to know when the next Abby Foote mystery will be published, so here is the scoop: I'm actually not writing another Abby Foote book right now (despite the little blurb at the end of LOVE YOU TO DEATH, which says I am)! Turns out that when I started coming up with story ideas for the next book, I realized I wasn't ready to continue on with her. She'd just saved her own neck, got her hot detective . . . I think Abby needs to just relax for a while. This same thing happened to me right after I wrote SEE JANE DATE. My editor wanted me to do Eloise's story next, but I wasn't ready to probe into her life so soon after she got up the courage to break up with Serge. There were three years between SEE JANE DATE and WHOSE WEDDING IS IT ANYWAY?

So, there might be an Abby Foote #2, just not for 2008. What I am writing for 2008 is: QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE MARRYING, a novel about twenty-nine year-old twin sisters, Ruby and Stella, on a long and bumpy road trip from Maine to Las Vegas.  One is newly engaged to a guy the other thinks is all wrong for her. And the other is newly pregnant by a guy whose name she thinks is Dylan or maybe Darren. David? (Is anyone named David anymore?) Twin sisters with way too much to talk about, argue about, reminisce about, in a tiny red convertible for 2800 miles? They do get a bit of a break from each other along the way. A brief stowaway cousin. Eighteen year-old hitchhiking lovebirds who want a ride to the tackiest wedding chapel in Vegas.  One of the twins is keeping a very big secret from the other, though . . . .

In other news, at which I am still marveling: my son, the charming and adorable Max (there he is in his Halloween costume from last year), is starting kindergarten this fall, and today I received his class list in the mail. There are only 8 kids in his class! 5 girls and 3 boys. I have a feeling the boys will band together.