NANCY A. HUGHES
- Download press kit as .docx file (3.25mb)
- Download press kit as compressed .docx file (620kb)
- Download press kit as .pdf file (837kb)
Contact Nancy: www.hughescribe.com. “Contact” tab for email connection
Her publishers:
Headline books: www.headlinebooks.com
Black Opal Books: www.blackopalbooks.com
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Short Bio
Nancy A. Hughes writes character-driven crime solving mysteries. A Penn State graduate, she followed her dream from journalistic business writing to a life of crime. The Dying Hour was published in 2016 and its sequel, The Innocent Hour, in 2019. Her Trust series include: A Matter of Trust, Redeeming Trust, Vanished, and Buried Trust. Their publisher is Black Opal Books.
Headline Books published By Rook or By Crook in 2024 and its sequel, The Point of the Bodkin in 2025.
She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America (MWA), International Thriller Writers (ITW), Sisters in Crime (SinC), The Author’s Guild, and Pennwriters. A devoted shade gardener, she and her husband live in south-central Pennsylvania.
Longer Bio
Nancy A. Hughes writes character-driven crime solving mysteries. Born in Key West and raised in Pittsburgh, she graduated from Penn State where she studied advertising and business writing. That led to Nancy A. Hughes Public Relations, which she pursued for small to mid-size businesses.
Ultimately, a lifelong dream persisted and she went over to the dark side—a life of crime—writing fiction, that is. Her debut novel, The Dying Hour, was launched at The Mysterious Bookshop in Tribeca in 2016. That was followed by her Trust series that includes: A Matter of Trust, Redeeming Trust, Vanished, and Buried Trust, all by 2022. In between, the sequel to The Dying Hour, The Innocent Hour, was released. These six were published by Black Opal Books.
A third series has been launched by Headline Books, which include: By Rook or By Crook in 2024 and its sequel, The Point of the Bodkin in 2025.
Nancy and her husband live in south-central Pennsylvania. When she isn’t writing, she is devoted to shade gardening. Service to the community and to our veterans is important to her. She volunteers at the Reading Hospital and the Lebanon VA. The latter experiences lent authenticity to the setting for The Dying Hour.
She is a member of the Mystery Writers of America (MWA), International Thriller Writers (ITW), Sisters in Crime (SinC), The Author’s Guild, and Pennwriters-- a multi-genre authors’ organization of Pennsylvania writers. She is a member and past-chapter president of Delta Zeta sorority.
Contact Nancy via her website: www.hughescribe.com. She would love to hear from the media and her readers.
Social Media
Facebook: facebook.com/hughescribe1
Twitter/ X: twitter.com/hughescribe1
Pinterest: pinterest.com/nancy-a-hughes-novels
Headshots (Contact Nancy for specific need or required resolution)
Nancy A. Hughes
Nancy A. Hughes
Nancy A. Hughes
Nancy A. Hughes
Nancy A. Hughes
Novels by Nancy A. Hughes
The Dying Hour
ISBN 978-162-694-5432 (print) and 978-162-694-5425 (ebook) Pages: 290, Black Opal Books, October 2016
http://hughescribe.com/books/the-dying-hour
…combines a heart-warming story of family pride and honor with a suspense-filled murder mystery… Taylor Jones Reviewer
Five stars reader comments: “Loved this book.” “This author keeps you reading , reading, reading can't turn the pages fast enough.”
“The intrigue is awesome. Love the main character Charlie. Love to read more with Charlie actually. Also read the Innocent Hour by this author, an equally incredible reads. “Suspense and Mystery in an interesting setting,”
“Strange Happenings at the VA Hospital,” “Very Suspenseful,” “Character and relationships emphasized.”
A Matter of Trust
ISBN 978-1-6269436-63-7 Pages: 324, Black Opal Books, May, 2017
http://hughescribe.com/books/a-matter-of-trust
“Hughes blends the subplots so that you can’t tell which thread was related to which crime a she skillfully mixes romance, suspense, and mystery into one cohesive story.” Taylor Jones, The Review Team of Taylor Jones & Regan Murphy.”
Five stars from readers: “Read it! Great summer read at the bay.” “Grabbed my attention immediately. Had a hard time putting it down.” “Hughes is a great story teller. I found this book hard to put down, except to make sure the doors and windows were locked.”
Redeeming Trust
ISBN 978-1-626948-23-5 (print) and in ebook format) Pages: 367, Black Opal Books, December 2019
http://hughescribe.com/books/redeeming-trust
“As usual, Hughes has crafted an exciting mystery that is both moving and compelling, combining great characters, suspense, and intrigue, with a hint of romance. Taylor Jones.
Five star reader reviews: “Nancy Hughes' Trust trilogy, of which this is the second book, is definitely worth reading. Believable characters, unexpected plot twists, and surprising outcomes all contribute to a delightful mystery experience! I love how you get to know the characters well (and the story lines intertwine) throughout Hughes' trilogy. Don't miss reading this book, but read A Matter of Trust first and then Vanished- A Trust Mystery-Book 3!” – DBMBooklady.
“Loved all of Ms Hughes books. Looking forward to the next one.”
Vanished: A Trust Mystery
ISBN 978-1-644370-01-8 Pages: 329, Black Opal Books,
October 2018 http://hughescribe.com/books/vanished
"An Engrossing read that's built around a chilling premise."--Kirkus Reviews. Read the entire review here: Reviews by Kirkus
5.0 out of 5 stars “Nancy A. Hughes's VANISHED is mesmerizing. It's scary. Imagine your infant being kidnapped and the police accusing you of doing it. The characters range from loveable to horrible. Along the way, the reader flies in a private plane, no less, from coast to coast in search of the baby.”
5.0 out of 5 stars Gets your attention
“Nancy does not disappoint with this interesting plot twist. This is as good, if not better, than her previous books. It seems a life of crime suits her!”
The Innocent Hour
ISBN 978-1-64437-209-8 (print) and 978-64437-208-1 (ebook)
Pages: 301, Black Opal Books, November 16, 2019. http://hughescribe.com/books/the-innocent-hour.
"A deftly-plotted mystery that hooks the reader with its nail-biting fight for justice. Reluctant hero Charlie Alderfer is a well-defined, sympathetic character. When you're backed into a corner with no place to turn, you would want Charlie on your side." Daniella Bernett, mystery author.
Buried Trust
Killer Nashville 2023 Silver Falchion Finalist!
ISBN 978-1-953434-72-2 and ebook ASIN: BOB1PPXG5S Pages 341: Black Opal Books. June 11, 2022
Buried Trust is Fourth in the Trust Series
Two years after Kingsley and Todd Henning recovered their kidnapped infant, they are enjoying their country existence. Everything changes when felons initiate a criminal enterprise on the farmland next to the Henning’s.
Angered by late-night operations, zoning violations, and a violent foreman, the Hennings launch an investigation. Confrontations escalate. The criminal bosses attempt to buy, scare, terrorize, and kill the Hennings, whose sleuthing threatens their lucrative operation.
Risking their lives, the Hennings endeavor to expose the true nature of the enterprise. They realize that every close call has been thwarted by unexplainable circumstances. They suspect that their house, as rumored, is haunted by a spirit with an agenda of its own.
Award winning authors say:
Kingsley is back! Fans will not be disappointed as she takes on an evil so sinister it could bring death to her family, and an unsuspecting farming community. Kudos to Hughes on this unique and compelling series.
P. D. Halt, Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award Best Suspense Novel Finalist
"Part-adventure, part-mystery, part-suspense, and all-delight. BURIED TRUST gives readers a relatable, resilient protagonist who never gives up."
--Saralyn Richard, award-winning author of the Detective Parrott mystery series.
By Rook or By Crook
Killer Nashville 2023 Claymore Finalist!
ISBN: 13: 9781958914274; 6 x 9, 320 pages
The future is limitless for advertising professional, January Lamont, 26, and her CPA husband, Barrett 27, until they’re unknowingly sucked into two different crimes—an accounting scam at his firm and black-market international thieves who traffic in stolen antiquities. Fleeing Manhattan with meager possessions, they hide and re-event themselves in rural Pennsylvania.
The thieves, who believe the Lamonts have absconded with their priceless stolen treasure, track them relentlessly as collateral damage. The Lamonts narrowly escape several attempts as they rebuild their lives, investing their time and talent in good work and better causes than their former materialistic existence.
Putting her own problems aside, January helps a brave twelve-year-old, determined to outlive a deadly genetic disease and launch her own knit-ware company. All the child needs is an alpaca, a host barn and looms. And January’s on it! Until her old and her new life collide and her marriage nearly implodes.
Displaced New Yorkers, January and Barrett Lamont, have adjusted to rural Pennsylvania life, the international thieves, who forced them to flee, are believed to be imprisoned or deported. Barrett buys his retiring accountant boss’s practice for $1 while January pursues her fledgling ad agency. Their three alpacas and their 13-year-old owner are thriving on the Lamont’s farmette. What could fracture this idyllic existence?
Murder! Walter, Barrett’s benefactor and savior from the mob, is slain in his accounting office. Barrett stands accused. While the zealous prosecutors pursue their case, the Lamonts face the daunting task of exonerating him. They must decipher Walter’s files and honor his final wish—to locate and deliver his late wife’s secret files to a stranger from her distant past.
Walter’s COD takes an ominous twist. Did the stab to his heart kill him or was it the lethal presence of a mysterious venom? Walter, the town’s beloved old accountant, had no enemies. Law enforcement is stumped.
Determined, the Lamonts’ digging attracts the wrath of the unknown killers with no apparent connection to Walter. His late wife’s secrets lead January to cold-case grisly murders, becoming targets themselves as they edge toward the truth.
Panel/workshop/speaking topics
• Mystery Writer and Shade Gardner shares shady secrets with garden clubs, libraries, and community groups.
• From Manuscript to Publication: How to navigate today’s scary publishing world.
• Writing A Series: It doesn’t have to be murder.
• Nancy A. Hughes: Her personal journey from journalist to crime-fiction novelist
• Bread Cast Upon Water: The blessings of volunteering.
• Mid-course Redirection: Daring to change occupations again—and again!
• The Writing Life
• Creating a world of fictitious events, places, good guys and bad guys.
# # #