Meera Lester
Author of A Beeline To Murder
About the Author
Meera Lester is an internationally published author who successfully used the Law of Attraction to push her career into liftoff, writing ten published books and contributing to three anthologies since 2003. After several years of widowhood, Ms. Lester made a list of the traits, physical attributes, show more and, qualities she sought in a new life partner. She is currently planning her wedding to the man whom she attracted into her life. show less
Series
Works by Meera Lester
365 Ways to Live the Law of Attraction: Harness the power of positive thinking every day of the year (2009) 27 copies
The Everything Mary Magdalene Book: The Life And Legacy of Jesus' Most Misunderstood Disciple (2006) 23 copies
Adventures In Mosaics: Creating Pique Assiette Mosaics from Broken China, Glass, Pottery and Found Treasures (2003) 13 copies
Saints' Blessings: Wisdom and Guidance Inspired by the World's Most Beloved Saints (2004) 13 copies, 1 review
The Everything Women of the Bible Book: From Eve to Mary Magdalene--a history of saints, queens, and matriarchs (2007) 11 copies
The Everything Law of Attraction Book: Harness the power of positive thinking and transform your life (2008) 10 copies
How to Live with Intention: 150+ Simple Ways to Live Each Day with Meaning & Purpose (2018) 8 copies
Mary Magdalene: The Modern Guide to the Bible's Most Mysterious And Misunderstood Woman (2005) 7 copies
The Secret Power of You: Decode Your Hidden Destiny with Astrology, Tarot, Palmistry, Numerology, and the Enneagram (2012) 7 copies
The Law of Attraction Made Easy: More Than 50 Exercises to Manifest the Life You Want (2016) 5 copies
Biblical Baby Names for Today: The Inspiration You Need to Make the Perfect Choice for You Baby! (2007) 2 copies
365 Ways to Look - and Feel - Younger: Everyday Tips to Reduce Wrinkles, Improve Memory, Boost Libido, Build Muscles, and More! (2009) 2 copies
Ein Stückchen Glück für jeden Tag (Glücklich werden, achtsam leben und Lebensqualität verbessern mit einfachen Glücks-Hacks): Über 300 Ideen (2020) 2 copies
California Publishing Marketplace: A Comprehensive Directory of Markets, Opportunities, & Resources for Writers (1989) 1 copy
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Lester, Meera
- Gender
- female
- Education
- University of Missouri
- Short biography
- [excerpted from author's Linked In profile]
I am an internationally published author of nearly three dozen nonfiction books, some translated into other languages such as French, Arabic, Portuguese, and Indonesian. I've also written a series of novels and my work has appeared in several anthologies. I've done college-level tutoring in essay writing, have written hundreds of articles and press releases, and worked as a magazine editor, columnist, and book reviewer. Currently, I do freelance developmental and copy editing of manuscripts, usually by referral. I enjoy developing project ideas, crafting proposals, and writing books (both fiction and nonfiction). I enjoy developing and editing books for clients.
Media experience: Law of Attraction radio, CBS, ABC, and KGO radio in the SF Bay Area and NPR in New York. I've been a featured guest on television and have presented keynote addresses for organizations such as the American Book Expo, Arizona Press Women, and Selling to Hollywood screenwriting conferences.
Other skills:Former respiratory therapist--worked in five ICUs and the ER of a large county hospital. Lifelong practitioner of yoga and world traveler.
Members
Reviews
4.5 Stars
I haven't read a cozy mystery in awhile that I enjoyed so much. Although the victim did not have a scene on stage, the flashbacks and those who knew him made his death particular depressing. The brother was a hoot, Abby was a fun lead as a struggling beginning owner of a farmette and beekeeper. Instead of being very young or very old, she is middle aged, and recovering from an abandoned love. The annoying cheif, local homeless schizophrenic who cared for the deceased, and matronly show more pie shop owner helped color the book with charming side characters. The mystery was depressing but ended with a strong and NOT hokey-cozy resolution. Sugar the dog showed that pets have their downsides but undeniable additions to lonely lives at the same time.
On another note, I have got to try the Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe!
Will definitely read more of the series. show less
I haven't read a cozy mystery in awhile that I enjoyed so much. Although the victim did not have a scene on stage, the flashbacks and those who knew him made his death particular depressing. The brother was a hoot, Abby was a fun lead as a struggling beginning owner of a farmette and beekeeper. Instead of being very young or very old, she is middle aged, and recovering from an abandoned love. The annoying cheif, local homeless schizophrenic who cared for the deceased, and matronly show more pie shop owner helped color the book with charming side characters. The mystery was depressing but ended with a strong and NOT hokey-cozy resolution. Sugar the dog showed that pets have their downsides but undeniable additions to lonely lives at the same time.
On another note, I have got to try the Bourbon Pecan Pie recipe!
Will definitely read more of the series. show less
This is the second Henny Penny Farmette Mystery and I enjoyed it as much as the first one.. Abigail (Abby) Mackenzie left her former job as a police officer after an injuray and made a fresh start for herself as a beekeeper and farmer in Las Flores, California. As busy as Abby is running her business, she seems to get drawn into the investigations of crime in the town. It could be that best friend and former partner Kat gives her too much information, but whatever it is she is neck deep in show more the murder investigation of her friend Fiona. Hours after Fiona was a no show to the scheduled lunch with Abby and Kat, her body is found in a burned out car in what looks to have been a horrific accident. But what the medical examiner finds is a bit shocking, it was obvious that Fiona had already been dead before the fire, Abby is immediately drawn into the investigation out of loyalty to her friend. She also has a bit of guilt as Kat had called her rather anxious to talk about something bothering her, and Abby had scheduled the lunch instead of meeting with her right away.
The mystery was not hard to figure out, but the story was more about Abby, her life and what she was going through. Her old live-in boyfriend arrives back in town wanting to pick up the pieces, Fiona's brother Jack seems to have feelings for Abby that she reciprocates, the commune is becoming more cult-like, and Kat is looking for romance in Abby's neighbourhood. All that adds to the story to give the characters more substance. There is a little bit of a teaser about some commune members who disappeared so I do not know if that will be explored in the next book or not. Overall a satisfying read. My one complaint was the length of the sections at the end of each chapter. Some were rather long and broke up the story just a little too much, I actually stopped reading them. I enjoyed the recipes and the short bits from the Henny Penny Almanc that began the chapters though. If you are looking for a whodunit where the culprit is hard to figure out, this would not be the book for you, but if you are looking for a light mystery with some fun characters and a rather quaint setting, check this one out. The publisher provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. show less
The mystery was not hard to figure out, but the story was more about Abby, her life and what she was going through. Her old live-in boyfriend arrives back in town wanting to pick up the pieces, Fiona's brother Jack seems to have feelings for Abby that she reciprocates, the commune is becoming more cult-like, and Kat is looking for romance in Abby's neighbourhood. All that adds to the story to give the characters more substance. There is a little bit of a teaser about some commune members who disappeared so I do not know if that will be explored in the next book or not. Overall a satisfying read. My one complaint was the length of the sections at the end of each chapter. Some were rather long and broke up the story just a little too much, I actually stopped reading them. I enjoyed the recipes and the short bits from the Henny Penny Almanc that began the chapters though. If you are looking for a whodunit where the culprit is hard to figure out, this would not be the book for you, but if you are looking for a light mystery with some fun characters and a rather quaint setting, check this one out. The publisher provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley. show less
**I received a copy of this book from Kensington Press via NetGalley in exchange for a fair, honest review**
When Abigail Mackenzie left her job as a police officer in Las Flores, CA, she bought a farmette and settled into a life of farming and beekeeping. She pads her income with private investigation services on the side. When her friend and local businessowner, Fiona Mary Ryan is murdered, Abby steps up to help investigate. Cult tie-ins, an ex-boyfriend and possible drug connctions soon show more have local law enforcement and Abby scrambling to discover who is the murderer in their midst.
I enjoyed this book! Every chapter starts with a note from The Henny Penny Farmette Almanac and ends with a recipe or tips about farming. Some of the tips are quite informative, like the proper way to clean freshly collected farm eggs (I never knew there was a proper way to wash them off -- I've been doing it wrong!) and how to make tea from fresh herbs.
When I first started reading the book, I did a bit of reading on Farmettes. Basically, a Farmette is a small, residential farm where the owner makes their main income off-farm. In my mind, I see it as somewhere between a hobby farm and a regular farm. Abby makes some money off honey and herbs, but her side-jobs doing investigations help pay the bills. Living in the South, I know a lot of women who do the same thing.....legal secretary, teacher or some-such by day and evening/weekend farmer, crafter, herbalist. This made Abby seem like a very believable and likable character for me.
The mystery portion of the plot was well-written with plenty of possible suspects, red-herrings, twists and turns. The side plots did not over-power the mystery, although one character was extremely annoying. I will not provide any spoilers ... but readers will know immediately which one I wanted to punch in the face. :) The character was written to incite that very emotion in readers, I believe....and it was extremely successful in my case. :) The engaging mystery...plus wanting to know what happened with the detestable character....kept my attention right up to the very end of this book!
I will definitely be reading more in this series! A fun, mysterious time down on the Farmette!
This is the 2nd book in Meera Lester's Henny Penny Farmette Mystery series. Murder of a Queen Bee has a release date of September 27th, 2016 from Kensington Press. Lester has also written several non-fiction books including 365 Ways to Live Happy, and Why Does Santa Wear Red and 100 Other Christmas Curiosities Unwrapped. Check out her website at: www.meeralester.com show less
When Abigail Mackenzie left her job as a police officer in Las Flores, CA, she bought a farmette and settled into a life of farming and beekeeping. She pads her income with private investigation services on the side. When her friend and local businessowner, Fiona Mary Ryan is murdered, Abby steps up to help investigate. Cult tie-ins, an ex-boyfriend and possible drug connctions soon show more have local law enforcement and Abby scrambling to discover who is the murderer in their midst.
I enjoyed this book! Every chapter starts with a note from The Henny Penny Farmette Almanac and ends with a recipe or tips about farming. Some of the tips are quite informative, like the proper way to clean freshly collected farm eggs (I never knew there was a proper way to wash them off -- I've been doing it wrong!) and how to make tea from fresh herbs.
When I first started reading the book, I did a bit of reading on Farmettes. Basically, a Farmette is a small, residential farm where the owner makes their main income off-farm. In my mind, I see it as somewhere between a hobby farm and a regular farm. Abby makes some money off honey and herbs, but her side-jobs doing investigations help pay the bills. Living in the South, I know a lot of women who do the same thing.....legal secretary, teacher or some-such by day and evening/weekend farmer, crafter, herbalist. This made Abby seem like a very believable and likable character for me.
The mystery portion of the plot was well-written with plenty of possible suspects, red-herrings, twists and turns. The side plots did not over-power the mystery, although one character was extremely annoying. I will not provide any spoilers ... but readers will know immediately which one I wanted to punch in the face. :) The character was written to incite that very emotion in readers, I believe....and it was extremely successful in my case. :) The engaging mystery...plus wanting to know what happened with the detestable character....kept my attention right up to the very end of this book!
I will definitely be reading more in this series! A fun, mysterious time down on the Farmette!
This is the 2nd book in Meera Lester's Henny Penny Farmette Mystery series. Murder of a Queen Bee has a release date of September 27th, 2016 from Kensington Press. Lester has also written several non-fiction books including 365 Ways to Live Happy, and Why Does Santa Wear Red and 100 Other Christmas Curiosities Unwrapped. Check out her website at: www.meeralester.com show less
A Hive of Homicides by Meera Lester is the third A Henny Penny Farmette Mystery. Abigail “Abby” MacKenzie runs a farmette in Las Flores, California since she left the police force. Abby is attending the vow renewal of her friend and truffle maker, Paola Varela and Jake Winston, owner of Country Schoolhouse Winery (and notorious womanizer). There is a bit of kerfuffle after the ceremony with a blonde, but then everyone is off to the reception. Abby heads off to locate Chef Emilio Varela show more to deliver the honey she promised as gifts for the guests. The sous chef points Abby in the direction of the alley outside the kitchen. Abby is outside looking for Emilio when she hears gunshots and then sees the shooters car. Abby finds Jake and Paola in their car with Jake dead and Paola severely wounded. A week later, Paola is in a coma and the case is going nowhere. Abby is warned to not investigate, but she can think of little else. She decides to start asking questions to see who would want to harm Jake and Paola. Jake had created a lot of buzz around town with his numerous conquests and the blonde at the renewal seemed to dislike him as well. When a second body turns up at the winery, Abby knows she needs to zero in on the killer before he strikes again.
A Hive of Homicides is nicely written and has a good pace. I appreciated the bee and honey information the author included in the book (it was very interesting and informative). The mystery is complex (I liked this part) and I think many readers will be surprised by the killer’s identity. My rating for A Hive of Homicides is 4 out of 5 stars. Abby was different in this book (and not in a good way). Abby’s reaction to finding Jake and Paola was very unlike her. For an ex-cop, you would expect her to be used to find dead bodies, seeing injured people, and finding herself in dangerous situations. Instead, we are subject to nausea, shaking, and she is afraid of her own shadow (not our usual strong, feisty Abby). The author did a good job at portraying PTSD as well as techniques to help Abby cope (she visits a counselor). I did not the like the direction the author took Abby’s character in A Hive of Homicides. It overshadowed the mystery. There are many delightful cozy moments in the book and a sweet, hopeful ending. show less
A Hive of Homicides is nicely written and has a good pace. I appreciated the bee and honey information the author included in the book (it was very interesting and informative). The mystery is complex (I liked this part) and I think many readers will be surprised by the killer’s identity. My rating for A Hive of Homicides is 4 out of 5 stars. Abby was different in this book (and not in a good way). Abby’s reaction to finding Jake and Paola was very unlike her. For an ex-cop, you would expect her to be used to find dead bodies, seeing injured people, and finding herself in dangerous situations. Instead, we are subject to nausea, shaking, and she is afraid of her own shadow (not our usual strong, feisty Abby). The author did a good job at portraying PTSD as well as techniques to help Abby cope (she visits a counselor). I did not the like the direction the author took Abby’s character in A Hive of Homicides. It overshadowed the mystery. There are many delightful cozy moments in the book and a sweet, hopeful ending. show less
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Statistics
- Works
- 31
- Members
- 435
- Popularity
- #56,231
- Rating
- 3.6
- Reviews
- 22
- ISBNs
- 65
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- 3