Romantic suspense blends with literary intrigue in the majestic Adirondack Mountains Will and Charlotte booked a writing workshop at their charming lodge to shore up summer income. She hoped creative vibes might remind her to be more than bookkeeper, wife, and mother. However, a peaceful week is unlikely. When unexpected faculty arrive, one is a charismatic author from Charlotte’s past. Reunion may kindle old fames or domestic fireworks. She is devastated when he doesn't recognize her. As Charlotte grapples with her unfinished novel and dilemma over a secret that could end her marriage, the lodge is a stage for intrigue among the writers. Old guestbook entries, Ouija board, poetry slam, and a freak accident uncover plot lines no one anticipated. In the week of revelations Charlotte weighs the security of the present against the risks of a future she once wanted. She discovers past encounters rewrite the present in unexpected ways. Uncover the mysteries of Blackbird Lodge, where every guest has a story, and every story has its secrets. From Joyce Hicks, author of the popular Escape from Assisted Living, comes a Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Fiction, 2023, a testament to her storytelling and rich character development. “Many surprises in this short and witty novel ”— Review, Chicago Writers Association “Peopled with intriguing characters, Blackbird Lodge buzzes with romance, old loves reappearing, accidents, and surprising insight into human relationships and love within and beyond the writing life.”—Nancy Avery Dafoe, Naimah and Ajmal on Newton's Mountain. “Writing with dry wit, Hicks has an understated style that deftly describes the narcissistic preoccupations of her characters. The plot follows a route that is unexpected for the reader as well as for the proprietors of Blackbird Lodge.”—Stephanie Medlock, The Lives of Things , for Windy City Reviews. Blackbird Lodge, "an aging resort" in the Adirondacks of New York State, becomes the dynamic setting for twenty years of disappointments and decisions made, options turned away and insight gained, as protagonist and writer Charlotte Adamsley confronts, not an opponent, but herself. With unflinching honesty, the author of Unexpected Guests at Blackbird Lodge and her protagonist Charlotte come to terms with the realization that Blackbird Lodge was not the intended writers' paradise, a retreat from the distractions of urban life, but insulating and isolating, producing first a spirit of unrest and finally a remarkable appraisal of life. Hicks' novel vividly and unflinchingly explores the writing life and the disconnect between expectations and the reality of a life first assessed as a disappointment but actually one that was well-lived. Peopled with intriguing characters who resonate, Blackbird Lodge buzzes with romance, old loves reappearing, betrayals, cruelties, accidents, and surprising insight into the complexity of human relationships and love within and beyond the writing life. Nancy Avery Dafoe is a published writer and educator with twelve books in various genres, including novels in literary fiction and the murder mystery. She is also the author of the recently published memoir Unstuck in Time, A Memoir and Mystery on Loss and Love and contemporary fable/novella Naimah and Ajmal on Newton's Mountain. Joyce Burd Hicks grew up in Upstate New York, keeping deep feelings for the Adirondack mountains. A career move to Indiana has given her love of Chicago and the Midwest. She writes about domestic life and intricacies of marriage, particularly at gateways to new stages.