#MyrtleMondays: Secret of the Belltower!

Don’t worry, Dear Reader, you’re not having déjà vu. This isn’t the Campanile post from a couple weeks ago again—this is an entirely new secret of the belltower! Come take a look…

This past Saturday, April 2, was International Children’s Book Day, a celebration in honor of the birthdate of beloved Danish author Hans Christian Andersen.  Children’s literature is a global magic, bringing readers all over the world together by a shared love of story. It’s amazing to me, as an author, to think of my stories reaching young readers on the other side of the planet. Which is why the excitement of seeing the foreign editions of my books never gets old!

We are just a couple of weeks away from the April 14 German release of Myrtle Hardcastle Mysteries Book 2, How to Get Away with Myrtle—or as they say in German, Mord im Handgepack (Murder in the Hand Luggage).

…And just as I was planning to share that news with you, I got an even more exciting surprise! My German publisher, Knesebeck Verlag, sent me the absolutely stunning cover for Book 3, which you and I know as Cold-Blooded Myrtle:

The puns in the English titles don’t translate well, so Knesebeck Verlag has done a delightful job adapting them for their audience. I didn’t think I could love a title more than Mord im Handgepack… but they surprised me again! Das Geheimnis des Glockenturms is The Secret of the Belltower! Dear Reader, doesn’t that sound like a Nancy Drew title?

And that cover! I adore the entire series design of these books—Myrtle’s silhouette on the black background, with the striking accent color, the thematic borders, and the sketchy illustration from the story. Each cover is so different, and so beautiful. Look at that Campanile! Check out the footprints leading away (or maybe toward?) the tower! That is a book *I* want to read!

What is the secret of the belltower? You already know, but German readers will find out next year! See Knesebeck Verlag’s website for all Die Myrtle Hardcastle Krimi! Mord im Gewächshaus is out now, and Mord im Handgepack is available for pre-order.