TonyaKappes.com News

🌼 WELCOME TO HAPPY TRAILS… AND RELEASE DAY! 🌼

March 29, 2026March 28, 2026 · Leave a comment

Hey y’all—

I’ve been waiting on this day… and it’s finally here.

Dandelions, Deceptions & Detours is officially LIVE. 🎉

And I don’t know about you, but every time a new Camper & Criminals book releases, it feels a little like opening the campground gates back up for the season. Like we’re all pulling in, setting up, and getting ready for whatever trouble is about to roll in next.

And trust me… there’s plenty of that. 😉

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🏕️ A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA FOR YOU…

Since you’re part of this cozy little community, I wanted to do something special.

So I made you a Happy Trails Campground brochure 💛

Not just any brochure… but one that lets you see the campground, walk the paths, and really settle into the setting while you read.

👉 It’s attached right here

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You’ll recognize a few spots…
You might even start picturing exactly where things go sideways 👀

🌼 ABOUT THIS BOOK (NO SPOILERS… PROMISE)

This one?

It’s got:
• small-town secrets simmering just under the surface
• campground drama (the good kind and the uh-oh kind)
• twists that had me side-eyeing my own characters
• and that cozy, southern charm that keeps pulling us all back

Mae doesn’t just stumble into trouble this time…
It finds her.

💛 FROM ME TO YOU

I say this every time, but I mean it every time—

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Getting these books into your hands is the best part of what I do.

You being here… reading early… walking through these stories with me…

That’s what makes Happy Trails feel real.

📚 READY TO CHECK IN?

If you’re ready to head back to the campground…

👉 Grab your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP5TMFH9

Pour something warm, settle in, and don’t forget to download your brochure before you start reading—it makes it even more fun.

And when you start reading…

Come back and tell me:
👉 Where would YOU park your camper at Happy Trails?

I’ve got my eye on a spot by the lake… but we all know that’s where the trouble usually starts. 😏

💛
Tonya

QUICKLINKS:

Dandelions, Deceptions, & Detours

Read • Listen • Buy

find out more:
Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series

🎧 It’s HERE (and already #1 😳)

March 24, 2026March 23, 2026 · One comment so far

I woke up this morning, grabbed my coffee, and did what I always do on release week…

I checked the charts.

And y’all…

Haunts, Hikes, & Havoc is already sitting at #1 in its category.

Before release day.

I just sat there for a second staring at it, thinking…
how did we even get here?

Because this book?
This one feels extra special to me.

This is Mae West back in her element at Happy Trails Campground…
fall in the air, a festival in full swing, the Laundry Club Ladies doing what they do best…

…and then, of course, a murder that refuses to behave.

There’s a ghost-hunting TV crew.
A whole lot of secrets.
And one mystery that just keeps twisting.

Basically… everything we love about Normal, Kentucky wrapped up in one story you can now listen to.

And let’s talk about that for a second…

Audiobooks hit different.

This is the one you turn on when you:

take your morning walk
clean the kitchen but pretend you’re “investigating”
sit in the car for five extra minutes just to finish a chapter
or curl up with a blanket and let someone else tell you the story

It’s cozy in a whole new way.

But what makes this moment so special isn’t just the release…

It’s YOU.

Every preorder, every listen, every message, every time you’ve told a friend “you have to read Tonya’s books”…

That’s what got this story to #1.

And I don’t take that lightly. Not for a second.

🎧 If you want to listen to Haunts, Hikes, & Havoc, you can grab it right here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FXYD6N8J/

And I’d love to know…

👉 Where do you listen to your audiobooks?

Are you a:
🚶‍♀️ walker
🧺 laundry listener
🚗 car escape artist
🛋 blanket burrito

Hit reply and tell me. I read every single one 💜

Thank you for showing up for these stories…
for these characters…
and for me.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go stare at that #1 ranking one more time… just to make sure it’s still real.

💜 Tonya

Sneak Peek Time! Read Chapter One of Dandelions, Deception, & Detours

March 15, 2026 · One comment so far

If you’ve ever wished you could peek inside a book before committing to the whole mystery… today is your lucky day.

Because the campground gates at Happy Trails are officially open again, and I’m inviting you in for a sneak peek of Chapter One of my newest Camper & Criminals cozy mystery:

Dandelions, Deception, & Detours
Read | Buy

And trust me… things start getting interesting right away.

Back to Happy Trails Campground

If you’ve been hanging around Normal, Kentucky, you already know that life at Happy Trails Campground is rarely quiet for long.

Mae West tries her best to run the campground, keep the peace, and enjoy small-town life. But between suspicious visitors, gossip floating through town, and the Laundry Club Ladies always sniffing out trouble, calm days are few and far between.

In this newest mystery, the clues start drifting through camp like… well… dandelion seeds.

Some look harmless.

Some are anything but.

And when the pieces start falling into place, Mae realizes this case may be more tangled than she expected.

The Laundry Club Ladies Are On the Case

Of course, no mystery in Normal, Kentucky would be complete without the Laundry Club Ladies.

These women have opinions.
They have theories.
And they absolutely have no problem getting involved when something suspicious starts brewing.

If there’s a secret hiding at Happy Trails, you can bet they’ll be the first ones determined to uncover it.

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Why Readers Love the Camper & Criminals Series

If you’re new here (welcome!), the Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery series is perfect for readers who love:

✔ Small-town Southern settings
✔ Amateur sleuth mysteries
✔ Cozy community vibes
✔ Twists without graphic violence
✔ Recurring characters that feel like family
✔ A little humor mixed with mystery

And yes… there are recipes inside too.

Because solving mysteries is always better with snacks.

Ready to Start Reading?

Now comes the fun part.

You can read Chapter One right now and get a taste of the mystery before the story unfolds.

Read Chapter One Here

But be warned…

Once you step back into Happy Trails Campground, you may not want to leave.

Tell Me What You Think

After you read Chapter One, I’d love to know:

What was your first reaction?
Did anything immediately make you suspicious?
Do you already have a theory?

Drop your thoughts in the comments. I always love hearing what readers think when a new mystery begins.

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And remember…

At Happy Trails Campground, the secrets may be buried…

…but they rarely stay that way for long.

Happy reading!
— Tonya

QUICKLINKS:

Dandelions, Deceptions, & Detours

Read • Listen • Buy

find out more:
Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series

🎉 It’s Release Day, Cozy Fans! 🎉

February 27, 2026February 26, 2026 · Leave a comment

Grab your coffee cups and settle into your favorite reading nook because SHOTGUN WEDDING is officially here! ☕✨

Small-town Southern cozy mystery with a sheriff sleuth
Something borrowed, something blue… and something deadly.

Sheriff Kenni Lowry’s wedding day should be about vows, cake, and finally catching her breath. Instead, her wedding night is interrupted by a visit from her ghostly Poppa—and a warning that something is very wrong.

Miss Tilda Boone, a beloved church fixture and lifelong rule-follower, was expected at the ceremony. She never arrived.

Before Kenni can even consider a honeymoon, she’s back in uniform, standing inside Miss Tilda’s quiet home, where a familiar afternoon routine ended in death. What first appears to be a natural passing quickly turns suspicious when evidence points to tampered tea and a kettle prepared with deadly intent.

👉 Grab your copy today in Kindle Unlimited, ebook or paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DX…

Let’s chat, cozy mystery fans! Which quirky COTTONWOOD resident would YOU want to GOSSIP with? Hit reply and spill your thoughts—we can’t wait to hear from you! 💬

Happy sleuthing,
Tonya Kappes 🕵️‍♀️📚

IF YOU BOUGHT YOUR COPY…GET THIS TROPE CARD IN THE MAIL!! FILL OUT THE FORM SO I CAN GET YOUR ADDRESS 🙂 AND GET YOUR TREAT IN THE MAIL.

TonyaKappes.com News

QUICKLINKS:

Read • Listen • Buy

Dandelions, Deception, & Detours Read | Buy

Back to Happy Trails Campground

The Laundry Club Ladies Are On the Case

Why Readers Love the Camper & Criminals Series

Ready to Start Reading?

Tell Me What You Think

QUICKLINKS:

Read • Listen • Buy

Dandelions, Deception, & Detours
Read | Buy