About the book: The last thing Samantha Powers expected to do on her first official trip as a travel writer was help solve a murder. Samantha (“Sam”) Powers, a 34-year-old investigative reporter, has returned to her hometown of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, to take care of her ailing father, the town’s former police chief. At the urging of a family friend, she takes a job as the new travel columnist for Carmel Today, a local lifestyle magazine.   After a few months of writing about area hotels and restaurants and navigating the office dynamics at her new position, Sam sets out on her first big press trip to a luxury resort on the Hawaiian island of Maui. There she meets her fellow travel writers and the resort representatives hosting the trip, all of whom become suspects when one of the writers—someone almost everyone had a reason to want to kill—is found dead in his suite. Sam’s detective skills come in handy as she helps the handsome (and, yes, single) Maui detective solve the crime.  From the author of “The War Council,” “Destination: Maui” is the first in the Destination Murder Mystery series, which combines exotic locales and a behind-the-scenes look at the travel industry with the twists and turns expected from a good mystery.

About the author: In her 20+ years as a writer and editor, Ann Shepphird has covered everything from travel and sports to gardening and food to design and transportation for a variety of publications.   Now Ann is tackling her favorite topics—mysteries and rom-coms—for 4 Horsemen Publications. The Destination Murder mysteries combine Ann’s experiences as a travel journalist with her stint working for a private investigator, while the University Chronicles series of rom-coms are based on Ann’s days as a college-level communications instructor.   Ann lives in Santa Monica, California, with her long-time partner, Jeff, and their furry companions Melody and Winnie. When she’s not writing, Ann is most likely to be found on a tennis court or in her garden.