Karen Musser Nortman, Author

 I write cozy mysteries and light time travel books. The Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries follow a group of retirees who camp together and sometimes stumble over dead bodies.  Lynne McBriar's purchase of  a vintage camper leads to trips back in time in The Time Travel Trailer series. And most recently, in the new Mystery Sisters series, Lil and Max are seventy-something sisters who tour the country in Max's red Studebaker, annoy their relatives, and solve murders.
I love to hear from readers who have questions, suggestions, or experiences to share.

Coming Soon: Trailer in the Dust

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Kim Swanson inherits the Time Travel Trailer from her grandmother, Edna Mae Barker (Trailer, Get Your Kicks! ) and has no idea of its abilities. She, her husband, and their young son end up in the 1930s Dust Bowl in Oklahoma. Will they be able to get back to their own time, home, jobs, and their other two sons?

Recent Releases:
Siblings and Sneakiness

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Max and Lil are off again, this time to camp with their sister Carole and her Galloping Glamper friends. Max is not excited about spending a weekend anywhere but a luxury hotel, or even better, taking advantage of a relative's hospitality. But a series of incidents, some dangerous, leave them wondering if there is a prankster in their midst or something more serious is going on. Will the sisters survive the weekend?

Grilling the Suspect

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Frannie and Larry, and their daughter Sally, join Mickey and Jane Ann for a weekend planned around a barbecue contest. But is the competition a little too serious?

Mask of Death

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The latest in the Frannie Shoemaker series, Mask of Death finds Larry and Frannie giving campground hosting a try. However, when they signed up in the fall of 2019 for a stint in May 2020, they had no idea of the upheaval coming due to COVID-19. They must enforce new rules, deal with quirky and possibly dangerous campers, plus the usual weather and other issues that can turn up. Meanwhile, they need to deal with the intrusion of COVID in their own family. Available now on Amazon in ebook, paperback, and KindleUnlimited.

These Interesting Times: Surviving 2020 in the Quad Cities

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A collection of essays, poems, and even cartoons explores the changes, dynamics, and upheavals of this chaotic year. Terms like quarantine, social distancing, homeschooling, working from home, and shutdown gained expanded meanings, often never imagined in our lifetimes. Each entry has a slightly different perspective--some focused on the mundane, every day adjustments and some on more life altering upheavals: loss of loved ones, jobs, homes, and dreams. And hope comes through on most.

Edited by the talented Misty Urban, the book is available from the Midwest Writing Center website. My essay on the ups and downs in that year is included.
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Bats and Bones, The Blue Coyote, Peete and Repeat, The Lady of the Lake, A Campy Christmas, To Cache a killer, The Space Invader, and Corpse of Discovery as well as The Time Travel Trailer, Trailer on the Fly, Trailer, Get Your Kicks!  and Reunion and Revenge have all been selected as B.R.A.G. Medallion honorees. Their website is  BRAGMedallion.com and is owned and operated by indieBRAG, LLC, a privately held organization that has brought together a large group of readers, both individuals and members of book clubs, located throughout the United States, Canada, and the European Union.


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My author Facebook page includes announcements on new books, special prices and giveaways, and sometimes time travel or camping jokes. Like this page to join the fun.

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My Books on Amazon

The Frannie Shoemaker Mysteries and The Time Travel Trailer Series are available on many sites but all are available on Amazon. Check out my author page.

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Bats and Bones, first in the Frannie Shoemaker Campground Mysteries, is  an IndieBRAG Medallion honoree.

Sign up for my Favorite Readers email list for occasional emails about my new books and special deals and get a free download of Bats and Bones. Use the button below. After you sign up, you will receive a confirmation email. Once you confirm, another email will give you the information to download the free book.

Follow the Bouncing Blog

Where did we go today? Are we there yet? Stories of our own camping adventures. Hopefully no dead bodies.

Audible and Large Print Books

Links to finding these useful versions of my books

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