Spring has arrived in Denmark and surrounding pastures are filled with hundreds of scampering piglets and their moms. In our yard, pink blossoms from the neighbors’ Japanese cherry trees are scattered across the bright green lawn and the apple trees sport white blossoms.

In addition to all the new growth surrounding me, I have a new story in the latest issue of MYSTERY, CRIME, AND MAYHEM. Our theme is Blood on the Tracks.

Readers always romanticize train travel, even if it’s just a quick commute into the city.

Why? Because trains are packed full of people with their own agendas, their own stories, their own need for revenge or escape.

Frequently in these traveling conveyances, crime occurs. Either in the trains themselves, or on the tracks.

What sort of crimes?

The MCM Syndicate of writers answers this question with fascinating stories that are historic, semi-historic, as well as set in modern day.

My contribution, “Dead Stop”, was inspired by a train trip I made from Portland to Eugene.

The German woman in the seat beside me had flown from Hamburg to Vancouver, Canada, in order to ride from there to Los Angeles.

She said little during our two hours together. I spent my time imagining what she might be thinking about the very different ways that Germany and the United States run their railroads. You’ll enjoy hearing comments about Amtrak and the wrong side of the tracks she was too polite to voice.

Come enjoy my tale of mystery plus nine more that occur on or near trains. So criminal, it’s good.

Blood on the Tracks is available as an ebook from most online booksellers and in paperback from Amazon. To get your copy of the magazine, click on the cover below or follow this universal link to your favorite retailer.