Award winning writer and editor Ginny Friedlander Fite’s latest novel, Cromwell’s Folly, was published by Black Opal Books and is available at booksellers nationwide. The novel is the first of a murder mystery series featuring detective Sam Lagarde, a member of the West Virginia State Police based near Charles Town.

The novel centers around the murder of Ben Cromwell, a handsome, sexy and ruthless man who keeps a stable of women whom he promptly discards. When Detective Lagarde is called to the scene of his homicide, he instantly surmises the force he is facing is far beyond what he’s dealt with before. A head in dumpster and a pinky finger with an emerald/diamond ring attached is all he has to go by. Doggedly following lead after lead, Lagarde stumbles upon five women who all have one thing in commonCromwell.

Fite previously published a collection of fictional short stories about love and karma titled What Goes Around, the non-fictional I Should Be Dead by Now (And Other Postmenopausal Lamentations), and two poetry collections, The Pearl Fisher and Throwing Caution. After penning Cromwell’s Folly, she found representation by the Loiacono Literary Agency, which also sold the second novel in Fite’s series, No Good Deed Left Undone, release date to be announced.

“Cromwell’s Folly blew through me with the speed of an Acela train,” said Fite. “I could barely type fast enough to keep up with the story telling itself to me in my head. Fair warning: it’s not a cozy cat mystery.”

Fite added, “I’ve never been a Pollyanna, as the short stories in What Goes Around about killing vampires, incest, death by terrorist-inflicted virus, or even natural causes will attest. But I never imagined writing a murder mystery. I discovered writing Cromwell’s Folly how hard it is to bring yourself to kill someone in cold blood. The victim had to be really bad before I could knock him off. After that, it was easier to kill off other characters in the heat of the moment.”

The author is at odds with one writing credo. “There’s this old saw – ‘write what you know’ -that gives all writers pause. We know so little. How could I write a murder mystery if I’ve never committed or solved one? What I know are the human feelings and experiences we all share. And for the rest, there’s always the Internet.”

In her journalism career, Fite covered crime, politics, government, healthcare, art and “all things human” as she is fond of saying. She served as lifestyle editor of The Herald-Mail in Hagerstown, Maryland., editorial manager of DiscoveryHealth.com (part of Discovery Communications) in Bethesda, Maryland., executive editor for women’s health for Phillips Communications in Potomac, Maryland., editor of the Gazette Newspapers in Frederick, Maryland., and contributor to Frederick Magazine and The Arundel Observer. She also founded Writercizing, a creative writing program she taught at Frederick Community College.

Fite’s diverse career included key communications roles. She served as media director, director of internal communications and director of publications for General Dynamics Robotic Systems in Westminster, Md., press secretary for a member of Congress, deputy press secretary for the State of Maryland Governor’s Office (where she was the first female to serve in that role), director of public relations for Goucher College in Towson, Maryland., and assistant director of public relations for Loyola College in Baltimore.

She earned degrees from Rutgers University and Johns Hopkins University and studied at the School for Women Healers and the Maryland Poetry Therapy Institute.

Fite’s next book signing is scheduled for Oct. 16 at Four Seasons Books in Shepherdstown at 7 p.m. She is also reading at Artober on Oct. 11 at 3 p.m. at Happy Retreat in Charles Town and participating in the Scarborough Lecture Series on Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. at 301 N. King Street in Shepherdstown. Updates can be found online at ginnyfite.com or her author page on Facebook.