Safe Haven: My Latest Sci-Fi Mystery Featured in M2D4 Season 8
Heard any good mysteries lately?
How about ones that don’t involve murder?
We all love a good murder mystery.
But what if the crime was something even more unthinkable, like attempted infanticide?
I know. The thought of offing babies (or even trying) is disturbing, to say the least.
But that crime so happens to be the subject of my latest mystery story published in the Mysteries to Die For (M2D4) anthology series.
Follow along as I hype up my story AND sing the praises of the awesome duo who put the anthology together.
And speaking of a good mystery, mine contains an easter egg you’ll definitely want to stick around for.
A Mystery Without Murder? Yes, Please. Read the latest story by Jason Little titled Safe Haven, now featured in Mysteries to Die For (M2D4) Season 8.
A Child Abandoned Who May Be Out of This World
My latest mystery is called Safe Haven.
The story is named after Safe Haven Laws (also known as Baby Moses Laws), which have been passed in all 50 states and U.S. territories.
The laws vary by state but the premise is the same:
Mothers who no longer want their children can drop them off at acceptable locations without repercussions.
These locations are known as Safe Havens and can include local firehouses, for example.
The laws were put in place to protect mothers from being charged with child abandonment.
While some states only allow for a few days’ time to pass before mothers can drop their babies off, some states allow for longer.
Nebraska’s version of the law once allowed parents to abandon children up to age 18.
Insane.
These are the laws that inspired my story, Safe Haven.
Here’s a synopsis:
Barrett Turner, a firefighter grieving the loss of his wife and son, discovers a baby left in the station’s Safe Haven box. When he calls for help, each authority figure he contacts tries to kill the infant. One finally reveals the truth: the child isn’t human, and its survival threatens mankind.
With nowhere to turn, Barrett enlists the help of his ex-girlfriend—now an FBI agent. Together, they uncover a conspiracy involving a cult, a strange child from another world, and a ticking clock on humanity’s future.
I am super proud of this story, and I hope you enjoy it.
If you like twists and turns and an ending that’s difficult to guess, you’ll definitely want to read Safe Haven.
Where can you read it, you might ask? I’m glad you did!
Mysteries to Die For: An Anthology You Can Hear & Read
The Mysteries to Die For anthology series is truly one-of-a-kind.
The collection of stories from varied authors gets released in seasons and is available in two formats.
Now in its eighth season, M2D4 starts out as a podcast.
Mysteries to Die For Podcast
The M2D4 podcast is hosted by the amazing duo behind M2D4, TG Wolff and Jack Wolff.
TG is the narrator of the show, and is quite the storyteller herself.
In fact, she solely wrote the first season of M2D4, which is named Widow’s Run.
Jack is the musician and producer of the M2D4 podcast, and is also an impressive storyteller.
You can find stories by both TG and Jack by listening to the podcast of M2D4 seasons 4 through 8.
During each episode, Jack plays music in the background while TG reads each story aloud.
What’s unique about this podcast is that there are no cuts or retakes.
You get to hear the story front to back, complete with flubs and slip-ups.
This authentic format makes M2D4 an absolute blast to listen to.
Not only are you left guessing where the story will end up, but you’re sure to crack up at the banter between TG and Jack.
Every so often during the reading of the story, the pair will stop the music and discuss a clue or detail about the story, which really brings the story to life.
Each Story Comes with a Deliberation
Every story comes complete with a rundown of the details before the final reveal.
Just in case you missed a clue or detail somewhere down the line, the deliberation includes a rehash of characters, suspects, and clues.
Following the deliberation, Jack will attempt to guess who the culprit is before TG skillfully guides us to the story's end.
M2D4 the Published Book at Online Retailers Everywhere
Because TG and Jack like to spoil all of us mystery lovers, each season of M2D4 gets published as an attractive paperback.
Just look at this beauty close up.
The book version of M2D4 Season 8 is officially live featuring Safe Haven, my latest mystery without murder.
This season of M2D4 is called Anything But Murder: Larceny & Lies.
Authors commissioned to submit stories to season eight were instructed to write mysteries that did NOT involve murder.
As you know by now, I chose attempted infanticide.
The variety of authors and stories is the most exciting aspect of M2D4. You never truly know what kind of exciting stories will appear next.
Season eight is the only season so far where murder has been off the table.
The other seasons were called:
Widow’s Run: By TG Wolff with the tagline, “Murder is filthy business. Good thing Diamond plays dirty.”
The Originators: Consists of adaptations of stories that created the mystery genre.
Enter the Detective: Stories involving the first case for a detective or amateur sleuth.
A Word Before Dying: About a dying person’s final words.
Move it Or Lose it: Mysteries where modes of transportation move the plot forward.
Things That Go Jack in the Night: Mysteries revolving around the word Jack.
Games People Play: Mysteries where a game takes center stage.
Speaking of games people play…
Games People Play S7: Right Hand Dripping Blood Red
Last season’s M2D4 had so many accomplished authors and exciting stories that TG and Jack decided to release the published novel in two parts.
The first book was called Opening Gambit.
The second was named Final Move.
My first story for M2D4, featured in Final Move, was called Right Hand Dripping Blood Red.
To keep with the game theme, I chose everyone’s favorite party game, Twister.
You can learn more about my initial foray into M2D4 by visiting a previous blog post, A Journey Into My Latest Mystery.
Did You Find the Easter Egg?
I hate to give this away. I was rather hoping someone else would catch it first.
Since no one has, there is an Easter Egg in both M2D4 stories, Right Hand Dripping Blood Red and Safe Haven.
As you read through each story, notice how each chapter begins with a headline.
Take the first letter of each headline and write them all down.
What do you come up with at the end?
Did you figure it out?
Make sure you read both stories first.
I’d hate to give anything away.
For now, I encourage you to go listen to and read Mysteries to Die For.
You can find all of the seasons at M2D4Podcast.com.
When you’re finished with all the episodes, be sure and pick up the latest M2D4 soft-cover at Amazon, Barnes & Noble or any other online retailer.
By doing so, you will actively support the dedicated and spectacular podcast hosts and authors, TG and Jack Wolff.
You’re also supporting all the authors that have contributed to this diamond-in-the-rough podcast and book series that always keeps you guessing.
A Shout Out to Ken Harris, Who Referred Me to M2D4
I would be remiss if I did not mention an excellent writer and friend of mine, Ken Harris.
Ken has written stories for three seasons of M2D4 starting with Things That Go Jack in the Night.
One day, he mentioned my work to TG and Jack and the rest is history.
I now have two stories published in the series, and I couldn’t be more grateful to TG and Jack Wolff, and Ken for his gracious recommendation.
Ken writes a gritty and hilarious detective series called From The Casefiles of Steve Rockfish.
He recently published the fifth book in the series, The Ballad of the Great Value Boys.
If you love mysteries, witty banter, memorable plots and lines that make you laugh out loud, you will love Steve, Jawnie, and the rest of his colorful cast of characters.
Watch Ken in the mornings on Twitch, where he writes his books to a live audience.
You can also keep up with his latest projects on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
The sixth book in the Steve Rockfish series is on its way, and I - for one - cannot wait.
As for M2D4…
Listen to the podcast. Buy the book. And look out for season nine of M2D4, coming soon.
Here’s hoping I get to return for Season 9. I’ve got another mystery dying to be told.
