By Tammy Sharp
FLORIEN, La. – Tammy Sharp, a native of Vernon Parish and resident of Sabine Parish has released her debut novel, “A Fortunate Murder”, book 1 of her “Shattered” series, which is set in the fictional town of Bethel, Louisiana.
The novel was prepared for publication by Wise Publications in Sulphur for print on demand distribution through Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
“A Fortunate Murder was fun to write,” said Sharp, who is an award winning poet, journalist and teacher. “I’m dedicated to clean fiction, but I also like a lot of different genres. I’d call this a clean, contemporary Southern gothic, with sprinkles.”
“Sprinkles of romance, humor and psychological twists,” she clarified.
The book features main character Moriah Jordan who, after coming home to help her sick mother, finds herself also committed to helping her best friend beat a fake murder charge, all without losing her job, her life or her mind.
But the longer she’s home, the worse her memory gets, interfering with everything she’s trying to do (and not do). Mysterious objects appearing in her house, a murderous, familiar stalker, and her complete blackouts cause Linc, her high school flame and the sheriff’s chief investigator on the case, to question her involvement in the very murder she’s trying to solve.
“I’ve had this story on my mind since my senior year in high school. Actually, my high school term paper was my first bit of research,” Sharp said. “I’ve been working on it bit by bit through the years. My honors thesis in college was my very first draft, and technically, most of my working life in the newspaper industry has been field research. Now it’s time to get it out there.”
Sharp, a native of Vernon Parish, graduated from Hornbeck High School and went on to earn first a bachelor’s degree in English from Queens University in Charlotte, N.C., and then an Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She was the 1994 recipient of the Amon Liner Award for Poetry from “The Greensboro Review” and in 1993 was a finalist in the Ruth Lilly National Poetry Convocation in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has poems published in the “Greensboro Review and Louisiana Literature.”
During her career in the newspaper industry, she covered major world events, such as Hurricane Katrina recovery and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill at several Louisiana newspapers as a reporter and editor, including the Louisiana Baptist Message, the Leesville Daily Leader, and The Independent. She has received awards and recognition for both print and digital coverage of single news events, feature stories, special sections and feature photo from the Louisiana Press Association.
She has taught English and writing for Northwestern State University, where she created a joint presentation on teaching writing for the Conference on College Composition and Communication; Axia College of Western International University; and Central Texas College.
She and her husband, Kenny, own and operate Hobo Holler Farm in Sabine Parish, where they live with and care for two sons, two dogs, two cats, three cows, two pigs, three ducks, 13 chickens and a dizzying procession of bunny rabbits.
“A Fortunate Murder”, book 1 of the “Shattered” series, is available at Amazon and select distributors.
