Synopsis:
With a traumatic year of fending off a serial killer behind her, Arista has settled contentedly into her temporary home with Auntie in Sedona, Arizona. She enjoys her new job selling all things metaphysical and even has her eye on the hot security guard, Dakota, after her recent breakup with Shane.
But a series of new fainting spells has her worried, and when Auntie witnesses one, they decide the answer lies in her home of Boulder Creek. However, returning means not only dealing with her breakup and its heartache but also the possibility of drawing her bloodthirsty Uncle Fergus to her once safe haven in the redwoods. And this time he has recruited an even more dangerous alliance.
Arista’s closest bonds will be strengthened, but the mounting tension of a death in the desert, a stalker on the streets, and the relentless pursuit of Fergus puts her in dangerous territory, and escaping sorrow proves impossible.
Publisher: Black Rose Writing(March 27, 2025)
Print length: 331 pages
Shop The Book: Moonset on Desert Sands
Shop The Series: Murder Tea & Crystals
Shop My Stack: 2026 Books Read
Blog Tour Calendar
August 24th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of the second book in Sherri Dodd’s Murder, Tea & Crystals trilogy: Moonset on Desert Sands. Read an interview with the author and enter the giveaway.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
August 25th @ Cozy Home Delights
Ashley reviews Moonset on Desert Sands & author Sherri Dodd writes about wild animals. Cozy Home Delights is also hosting a book giveaway.
https://cozyhomedelight.com/reviews
August 27th @ Knotty Needle
Judy’s posting her review of Moonset on Desert Sands by Sherri Dodd.
http://www.knottyneedle.blogspot.com
August 28th @ Kaecey McCormick
Writing deadlines have you stressed out? Relax with Yoga for Writers by Sherri Dodd, author of the Murder, Tea & Crystals trilogy.
https://www.kaeceymccormick.com
August 31st @ All Things Writing
Author Sherri Dodd stops by with a post on why Stephen King was Right(or How Writers Become Mentally Involved in their Stories).
https://www.caitrincking.com/blog
September 1st @ Words by Webb
Ready for a new season? Check out a paranormal mystery perfect for fall: Moonset on Desert Sands.
https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog
September 2nd @ Archeolibrarian
Dive into magic realism with an excerpt of Moonset on Desert Sands by Sherri Dodd.
https://archaeolibrarian.wixsite.com/website
September 3rd @ Knotty Needle
Learn about Fitness and the Aging Body from Sherri Dodd.
http://www.knottyneedle.blogspot.com
September 8th @ A Wonderful World Of Words
Don’t miss your final chance at a Moonset on Desert Sands giveaway. Author Sherri Dodd will also be writing about Dealing with Toxic Family Members.
https://awonderfulworldofwordsa.blogspot.com
September 9th @ Chapter Break
Author Sherri Dodd explains how Writing a Standalone Novel is Entirely Different from Writing a Trilogy (plus a sneak peek at her WIP).
September 11th @ Word Magic
Author Sherri Dodd shares a peek at her writing life and new novel in today’s interview.
https://fionaingramauthor.blogspot.com
September 15th @ Words by Webb
Jodi shares why we should all be trying new genres – like magick realism.
https://www.jodiwebbwriter.com/blog
September 18th @ Boys’ Mom Reads!
Today’s spotlight is on Moonset on Desert Sands, the second book in the Murder, Tea & Crystals trilogy.
https://karensiddall.wordpress.com
September 20th @ Jill Sheet’s Blog
Let’s finish the Moonset on Desert Sands blog tour with a final interview with author Sherri Dodd.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.com
Moonset on Desert Sands pulled me in from the very first pages. The opening sets an intense stage right away, thick with darkness, magic, and mystery, and I loved how quickly it establishes that atmosphere before easing into a slower, more deliberate pace that lets the characters and the anticipation build.
If the quiet, safe life you finally built started slipping away, would you run from your past again, or stand and face it?
The Story
After a traumatic year spent fending off a serial killer, Arista has finally found some peace in Sedona, Arizona, working a job she loves and settling into life with Auntie. But a string of unexplained fainting spells sends her back to Boulder Creek, where returning means facing a painful breakup and, worse, the possibility of drawing her bloodthirsty Uncle Fergus back into her life. With Fergus recruiting a more dangerous alliance than ever, Arista finds herself caught between old wounds and new threats, and escaping sorrow proves impossible.
Reading Experience
The pacing here does a lot of heavy lifting. It opens with that jolt of darkness and mystery, then intentionally slows down to build out the characters and let the tension simmer as all the pieces start moving toward each other. It is a patient kind of storytelling, and it pays off.
Writing Style
What stood out most to me was the balance. This story blends dark magic and murder mystery with real human connection and wit, so it manages to feel both cozy and magical while still carrying that darker, murder mystery edge. That combination is not easy to pull off, and it worked really well here.
Characters
The characters are bold and enigmatic. Arista carries a lot of emotional weight, but she still manages to be a positive light to the people around her, which makes her easy to root for. Stevie was an easy favorite, snarky and vibrant in a way that added some brightness to the darker corners of the story.
Heartbeat
At its core, this book is about the struggle between good and evil, and just how hard it can be to find that balance when the people you love are caught in the middle.
Final Thoughts
If you are a fan of paranormal mystery, this one belongs on your list. It balances cozy charm with real danger in a way that keeps you turning pages.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this virtual book tour, Women On Writing
If you enjoy cozy book reviews, you can watch my YouTube thoughts, follow along on Instagram, and see everything I am reading this year.
My 2026 Book Stack:
https://amzn.to/3YQVeZC
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ashleykbooks
Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/ashmandak
I am so excited to be part of the Moonset on Desert Sands blog tour, and even more excited to hand things over to author Sherri Dodd for a guest post. If you have ever wondered what kind of real life inspiration finds its way into a story like this one, Sherri is giving us a peek behind the curtain, straight from her own ranch at the base of the California redwoods.
Animals on the Ranch
By Sherri Dodd
The above title takes me back to twenty years ago. I picture my kids sitting in front of a Baby Einstein video awaiting the melodic tunes and playful narration that followed about the pig, cow, and goat, amongst others. But if I were to make a video of the animals on my ranch, I think a trigger warning for things other than standard and cute might be in order. In addition to our residential beasts, the surrounding nature plays a huge part in the animals on our ranch.
Living at the base of a California redwood forest, we do get the cute critters. There are squirrels, hares and a vast array of birds. As an anecdote, the hummingbirds outside of my office window partaking of the “Hot Lips” salvia shrubs were an inspiration for my trilogy. These are the animals that charm you and bring out sweet oohs-and-aahs. However, we also get the predators who would love nothing more than to chomp down on one of our cats or square up with our dogs. Coyotes, bobcats, and mountain lion attacks are not uncommon. The coyotes are so bold, they amble through our backyard, and while they run if we open the door and start hollering at them, once they get a hundred feet away, they stop, look back at us, and gauge how much of a threat we truly are. Nice of the bobcats to stay in the neighbor’s upper pasture, but the mountain lion attack on another neighbor’s foal (yes, it survived) a few years back served as a warning they, too, are present.
Not so much a predator, but lethal nevertheless, we also get rattlesnakes. A drop in the bucket as far as the poisonous vipers I grew up with in Texas, but still a bother. On more than one occasion, my husband has beckoned me to the rescue when our Doberman has found one. One summer night last year, the pavement was still warm from the day, and a juvenile snake had been greatly offended by Anna’s high strung, barking approach. I will fast forward through the wrangling details, one, because it was tedious, and two because no need to gloat over my seasoned handling technique, but after a careful transition to the far end of our property, all returned to normal. For those wondering why my husband did not kill it, one you don’t know my husband very well, and two, the state discourages killing of rattlers unless you fear for your life. In fact, the Southern California red diamondback is protected and carries a hefty fine for such an act.
Other rare sightings include a horny toad, an adorable, long tailed weasel romping through my lavender, and even an occasional skunk. The latter of which had my husband driving the lawn destroying nuisance off the property with sky aimed gunshots. This clamor brought forth a beautiful barn owl that patiently waited on the fence for a quick meal, surely disappointed from my husband’s true intention.
But I said animals on the ranch! In addition to the crazy wildlife and nature’s usual cast that intrude upon our civilized space, we also have egg laying chickens and a herd of prancing Arabian horses who will suddenly strike out full gallop across the property. Breeding season has its own explicit love scenes, but the resulting foal carries a superbly warm place in my heart. This, and all the above remind us that we are merely one of many that inhabit this idyllic space.
– Sherri Dodd
I loved getting this glimpse into Sherri’s world. It is easy to see how a ranch full of that much beauty and that much danger, sometimes in the very same breath, could shape a story that blends cozy charm with real menace so naturally. Thank you so much for sharing this, Sherri!
About the Author, Sherri Dodd
Sherri was raised in southeast Texas. Walking barefoot most days and catching crawdads as they swam the creek beds, she had a love for all things free and natural. Her childhood ran rampant with talk of ghosts, demons, and backcountry folklore. This inspired her first short story for sale about a poisonous flower that shot toxins onto children as they smelled it. Her classmate bought it for all the change in his pocket. It was not long after that her mother packed the two of them up and headed to the central coast of California. She has ping-ponged throughout the area ever since.
Her first real step into writing was the non-fiction fitness book, Mom Looks Great – The Fitness Program for Moms published in 2005, and maintaining its accompanying blog. Now, transmuting the grief of her father’s passing, she has branched into Fiction, specifically the genre of Paranormal Thriller with generous dashes of Magick Realism! Her Murder, Tea & Crystals Trilogy released book one – Murder Under Redwood Moon – in March 2024. Book two – Moonset on Desert Sands – released in March 2025, and the final book in the series – Hummingbird Moonrise – became #1 New Release in Occult Supernatural on Amazon in October 2025!
You can follow the author at:
Website: www.sherridodd.com
Instagram: @Sherri.Dodd.Author https://www.instagram.com/sherri.dodd.author/
To celebrate the tour, one lucky winner will receive a Murder, Tea & Crystals gift basket, running from August 25 through September 1.
The basket includes:
- A signed copy of Moonset on Desert Sands
- A pillar Crystal Journey candle
- A Heart of Darkness soap
- Gravenstein Apple lip balm from Three Sisters Apothecary
- One Septarian palm stone, mentioned in Moonset on Desert Sands
- A small raw amethyst, mentioned in Murder under Redwood Moon
- One box of oracle cards
- An adorable polymer clay witch trinket and pendant
Be sure to check out the launch day post on WOW! Women on Writing’s blog, The Muffin, live August 24, for the full giveaway details and the complete list of tour stops.
This Cozy Chaos 
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