Although the headline above could have been ripped from the pages of the New Tampa Neighborhood News, it’s actually from author Kelly Miller’s debut mystery novel, Dead Like Me.
Miller, a seven year resident of New Tampa, recently published her first novel with the small press, Black Rose Writing.
In Dead Like Me, homicide detective Kate Springer is on edge after a two-week mandatory leave due to an officer-involved shooting. Her first case back, Det. Springer is blindsided when she discovers she shares a link with Tampa’s newest murder victim, a troubled teen found strangled and dumped in a remote part of town. The bond between them threatens to expose the detective’s past — a past she’s been hell bent on keeping secret. When the killer finally emerges from the shadows, Det. Springer’s secrets aren’t the only thing on the line. So is her life.
“I was extremely excited when my Dead Like Me manuscript won second place in the Best Mystery category in the Florida Writers Association 2011 Royal Palm Literary Awards competition,” Miller says. “It gave me the mental boost I needed, knowing the work was good and that it was just a matter of time before a publisher snatched the story up.”
Miller is married and has three children. Before she wrote her first novel, she worked in the marketing department of a small publishing company. She also writes a weekly blog at apps.kellymillerauthor. com/blog and is feverishly working on the second book in a planned Det. Kate Springer series. She’s also participating in a local author book signing event at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in the Shops at Wiregrass mall on Saturday, May 18, 2 p.m.-4 pm. “This event will feature many local authors and I’m super excited to be apart of it,” Miller says.
Dead Like Me is available in print and electronic format at BlackRoseWritingBooks.com and other major online bookselling sites including Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble. com. For additional information, visit KellyMillerAuthor.com.
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