If you enjoy reading paranormal novels filled with witches, murder and unexpected twists – like I do – then you would enjoy the “Murder, Tea & Crystals “ trilogy by author Sherri Dodd. I am pleased to be part of her book tour promoting the first book in the trilogy, “ Murder Under Redwood Moon” and I am also pleased to welcome Sherri onto the blog for a natter! But first, here’s a quick book summary to whet your appetite….
Book Summary
At the age of eight, Arista Kelly was frantically swept up by her parents and whisked off to an isolated town in the California redwoods. Two days later, her parents were gone.
Now at the age of twenty-three, she has settled quite nicely into an eclectic lifestyle, much like her great aunt, and guardian since childhood, Bethie. She enjoys the use of herbs and crystals to help her commune with the energy and nature around her and finds pleasure in the company of her beloved pet, Royal. Usually quite satisfied with her mundane life high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, life becomes unsettling when a new recurring vision of an ominous tattoo as well as increased activity from the ghostly presence within her own cottage invade her once-harmonious existence.
But life in this mountain sanctuary takes an even darker turn when the body of Arista’s former classmate is found in the nearby river. As other young young women fall prey to a suspected serial killer, Arista realizes that the terror is coming to her.
Publisher: Independently Published(March 20, 2024)
AISN: B0CTKPM863
ISBN: 1685133886
ISBN-13: 978-1685133887
Print length: 289 pages
About the Author, Sherri Dodd
Sherri was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore. This inspired her first short story for sale about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. It was not long after that her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. She has ping-ponged throughout the area ever since.
Her first real step into writing was the non-fiction fitness book, Mom Looks Great – The Fitness Program for Moms published in 2005, and maintaining its accompanying blog. Now, transmuting the grief of her father’s passing, she has branched into Fiction, specifically the genre of Paranormal Thriller with generous dashes of Magick Realism! Her Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy released book one – Murder Under Redwood Moon – in March 2024. Book two – Moonset on Desert Sands – released in March 2025, and the final book in the series – Hummingbird Moonrise – became #1 New Release in Occult Supernatural on Amazon in October 2025!
The Interview
Hi Sherri and welcome to the blog 👋
“Murder Under Redwood Moon” is the 1st book in the series of 3 books of the Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy. The others are: (2) Moonset On Desert Sands and (3)Hummingbird Moonrise – What inspired the book series? Are they stand alone books or best read in numerical order?
I wrote this series as a movie I’d like to see. One I can watch in the dark and be spooked without feeling downright terrified. While I envisioned the amibance of Twin Peaks in the first book, Murder Under Redwood Moon, it turned more toward a Young Adult style of writing after my Editor got ahold of it, and I went with it! I believe to best experience the story, it is advisable to read them in order. You can watch the characters grow and celebrate or boo-and-hiss the end result!
My favourite characters are Arista Kelly and the mysterious Yelena and Jason 😊Are your characters based on observations of people you’ve come across in the past and incidents you’ve experienced ? Who were the hardest characters to portray?
Many of the characters throughout the trilogy are based on my friends and family. However, I wrote Arista’s character and eventually envisioned her being played by Sadie Sink but added the bohemian flare of a Santa Cruz resident. For Yelena, I pictured a version of Fairuza Balk with that big smile of hers! However, I made her character a bit more sweet and charming than some of Fairuza’s roles. Jaxon was heavily inspired by one of the vampires in the original The Lost Boys since it was a huge hit in my era. I don’t remember hearing a name for him, but I just looked it up – Dwayne. Able to put myself in most of these characters minds, the most difficult was the serial killer and his sordid thoughts.
Were there any aspects of writing your book trilogy that surprised you, either by being harder or easier to write about than you expected?
I’ve always been a very private person-no social media and not a lot of socializing. So, l really had to learn to put myself out there for public scrutiny. Also, I learned that reader/reviewers are actually quite kind and even with a three, you get highlights of the good along with what they did not like. Of course, you get some reviewers who obliterate your book, and that’s frustrating when it’s because they missed a detail that a hundred other reviewers completely understood.
Have you always wanted to have a career in writing or did you have other aspirations?
My love of writing started in school. I breezed the five-, ten-, and hundred-page essays that others lamented about, but I never believed I’d end up writing. My first book was a vanity project. I self-published a little fitness book after recovering my pre-pregnancy body. I’d heard so many negative stories that it couldn’t be done. At that time, I found one book on the subject, so I wrote one. Within a couple years, there were twenty, and they were written by much more reputable author than me! Fast forward fifteen years and with that notion to avoid empty nest syndrome, I had planned to re-enter the fitness industry. With my Personal Training certification current, I also certified in a few group classes. However, when all that did not work out due to an injury, I happened to enter a three-page writing contest, and while waiting for the result, decided that I quite liked the premise of my essay and, over the course of three years, elaborated to the point of nine hundred pages!
Are you a bookworm? What is your favourite genre and/or authors? Kindle or actual book?
People are shocked when I say I am NOT a bookworm! Admittedly, I probably have the attention span of a ten-year-old, suitable for a magazine. When it comes to reading, unless I am actively participating in some kind of self-help or philosophy book, I languish in detail. With that said, when a fiction book strikes me as interesting, I’ll read it. When my son was in college, he’d tell me about a book he was reading, and if I’d previously heard of a controversy surrounding it, I’d pick it up. An example was Thus Spoke Zarathustra. Thereafter, it’s thirty movies until my next serious read. NOW, that doesn’t mean I don’t buy books. I have so many lovely unread books lining my shelves, and I had every intention of reading when I bought them. However, it’s only when I buy a book on Kindle/iBooks that I actually end up reading it.
Are your Murder, Tea & Crystal series of books available to purchase worldwide?
The Murder, Tea, and Crystal Trilogy is available wherever you find an Amazon.Canada, Australia, Great Britain, and even India! If you can order an Amazon book, you can order Murder Under Redwood Moon, Moonset on Desert Sands, and Hummingbird Moonrise. These are the three titles in Murder, Tea, and Crystals Trilogy.
Personal now – what outfits and shoes would you normally be found wearing?
Well now, this interview just got fun! I don’t know if it’s the root of Texas in me or the Gen-Xer thing, but I have and always will love denim! My jeans are either Lucky Brand or Johnny Was. Since I’m going through a Johnny Was phase for about three years now, I pair the jeans with a sweater or embroidered silk top from the boho chic store. Accessories include one of my many pairs of vintage Tabra chandelier earrings and possibly one or two of her rings as well!
Do you have any favourite shops or online sites ?
In addition to the outrageously priced JW, I balance the budget with cute finds at our local TJMaxx. We’ve got a very fashion-oriented buyer! However, most of the time, I’m in Alo Yoga and my tan or white leopard-print Brooks runners – ha! There’s a lot of gym activity in my schedule.
What’s next on your clothes/shoe wish list?
I just bought the Starlight jeans from JW, but I’m all set on treads!
Boots or Shoes?
Dark brown leather or black suede, sometimes faux snake-print, ankle boots! I wear Kors, Vionic and, sometimes, Coach. I even have a beautiful pair of Ariats for when we’re cruising the showgrounds at Scottsdale for the Arabian Horse Show! I like a solid 1½- to 2½-inch wooden heel, so I feel the strength in my stride. Since I’m in crazy Cali, I don’t tiptoe around. I want people to know I’m coming and hopefully my heavy stride makes a strong statement toward protection. Also, while I hope to never have to put my martial arts training to task, I’m thinking that wooden heel would be pretty effective – hah!
Links you would like to share e.g. website/facebook etc
Website: www.sherridodd.comInstagram: @Sherri.Dodd.Author https://www.instagram.com/sherri.dodd.author/
Book Tour
My thanks to Sherri for the review copy of Murder Under Redwood Moon, and for chatting with me about your book.
Photographs have been published with the kind permission of Sherri Dodds, and Linda Hobden (where marked)
Linda x
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