Ever been to Maine? Travel editor Serena Brower has invited a special guest to join us today to discuss the beauty of that state. Top producing Realtor Vicki Doudera uses high-stakes, luxury real estate as the setting for a suspenseful mystery series starring crime-solving, deal-making agent Darby Farr. A broker with a busy coastal firm since 2003 and former Realtor of the Year, Vicki’s latest mystery, Deadly Offer, takes Darby to a winery where murder, mayhem, and Merlot all mingle. As in the popular Killer Listing and A House to Die For, Darby discovers a dangerous truth: real estate means real trouble. Read more about the Darby Farr Mystery Series and Vicki at her website,
Vicki is offering a copy of Deadly Offer to one of our readers who posts a comment to the blog this week. -- AP
Take a Hike --- in Vacationland
I live in the state famous for its rugged coastline, pristine lakes, spruce-dotted islands, and a variety of rock-loving crustaceans known as lobsters. When I tell people “from away” that I reside here, some of them look panicked, as if I’ve said I’m from Siberia or Upper Mongolia. Actually, Maine isn’t all unforested wilderness and craggy cliffs. My town is what most people would call “civilized,” although we did have a moose run right down our street one spring afternoon!
The heroine of my mystery series, Darby Farr, also hails from Maine. She was raised on an island called Hurricane Harbor but fled the state as a teenager after her parents’ tragic death in a sailing accident. In the series’ first book, A House To Die For, Darby returns to Maine and tries to face her painful past. It isn’t easy, but as the books go on, she’s appreciating more and more just how special this easternmost state in the country can be.
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| Gulf Hagus |
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| Borestone Mountain |
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| Vicki and Lexi on Mount Katahdin |
Maine’s most famous hiking spot is Mount Katahdin, located in Baxter Park. I’ve climbed it several times, but the trip I made with my daughter is my favorite so far. There is a super scary section of the climb called “the Knife’s Edge,” a thin path with sheer drop-offs on either side of a foot-wide trail. The day we hiked it was extremely windy, making a traverse of this narrow pass impossible. Luckily, when we got to the top of Mount Katahdin (the end of the Appalachian Trail) the winds had died down, and we proceeded cautiously across the ridge. It was one of those special mother-daughter times when we both felt exhilarated to be alive!
If you come to Maine, be sure to visit our National Park, Acadia, whether you are a hiking enthusiast or not. A beautiful loop road takes you past peaceful ponds, booming ocean vistas, and up majestic Cadillac Mountain.
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| The famous Jordan Pond House popovers |
You can walk, bike, or horseback ride on the carriage trails mapped out by the Rockefeller family, and eat lunch in the old-fashioned (and delicious) Jordan Pond House. For a real taste of Maine, try one of the Jordan Pond House’s famous popovers or a slice of their wild blueberry pie. Until then, give one of my Darby Farr Mysteries a read!
And one of you lucky readers will be able to do that for free (read a Darby Farr mystery, not eat a popover or wild blueberry pie!) as Vicki is offering a copy of Deadly Offer to one lucky reader. Simply leave a comment, and check back on Sunday to find out if you’re the winner. -- AP
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