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N. N. Light
9 hours ago6 min read

The Guest Book Trilogy (turned into many more) by Chrysteen Braun is a New Year New Books Fete pick #womensfiction #historicalfiction #cozynoirmystery #newyear #giveaway



Title: The Guest Book Trilogy (turned into many more)

 

Author: Chrysteen Braun

 

Genre: Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery, Women’s Fiction, Cozy Noir Mystery

 

When seven 1920 era cabins in Lake Arrowhead, California are restored to their original vintage charm, the new owner has no idea that the cabins have their own stories to tell.

 

The Man in Cabin Number Five (The Guest Book Trilogy 1)

 

Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret and Linda Holmes's Evvie Drake Starts Over.

 

When Annie Parker discovers her husband’s infidelity, she doesn’t let it destroy her. She packs her bags and heads to Lake Arrowhead, California, the mountainside town where her family used to summer. Immersing herself in the restoration of seven 1920s-era cabins, Annie begins to put the pieces of her life back together. But starting over is never easy.Alyce Murphy needs closure. When she discovers her father did not die from a heart attack, as she’s been led to believe for the last 30 years, but in a murder/suicide, she is determined to uncover the truth of his death. But when she visits the cabin where her father ended his life, Alyce has to accept she may never know the true story.Annie is looking toward her future while Alyce needs to put the past to rest. In parallel stories, both women are drawn to the rustic mountainside cabins as they search for the missing pieces—but they soon discover that the cabins have their own stories to tell.

 



 





 

The Girls in Cabin Number Three (The Guest Book Trilogy 2)

 

In book two of the Guest Book Trilogy, eighty-one-year-old Annie Parker recounts taking on, against the wishes of her new love Noah, an out-of-town design project that leads her down a path that is more than she bargained for.

 

Back in Lake Arrowhead, California, a long-awaited mystery is buried in Cabin Number Three. Annie meets Carrie Davis who wants to update her childhood home on the lake and feels a tie to Annie’s cabins. Apparently, Carrie’s parents stayed here during the Roaring ‘20s when Bugsy Siegel ran an underground speakeasy and distillery. Unconvinced, Annie decides to investigate and finds their names in the old guest books—Elizabeth Davis and Thomas Meyer. As exciting as that sounds, it’s only the start of a winding tale that Carrie and the new man in her life uncover. The pair unravel a family history filled with gangsters, working girls, and a surprising twist to a family tree.

 

The Girls in Cabin Number Three combines women’s fiction with romance, cozy noir mystery, and suspense—all wrapped up in the majestic environs of this lovely lakeside haven.


 

 

 

 

 

The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven (The Guest Book Trilogy 3)


Return to picturesque 1980s Lake Arrowhead, California where another cozy cabin sheltered amongst the sweeping pine-lined vistas holds a long-buried secret, waiting to be divulged.

 

In this third installment of The Guest Book Trilogy, a young Annie Parker is struggling to overcome her grief over the recent loss of her sister, when a childhood friend unexpectedly turns up seeking refuge from an ill-fated marriage. It would have been easy for Annie to sink deeper into sadness, but when she learns her newest design client, Hudson Fisher, is the son of the late film actress Celeste Williams, her curiosity is peaked. As it turns out, the Roaring 20s starlet was no stranger to the Lake Arrowhead cabins—and this revelation sparks the unraveling of a scandalous story from Hollywood’s bygone era. Did an illicit romance between this leading lady and her dashing costar take place in Cabin No. 7? What really went on behind-the-scenes during the filming of that silent picture? Will discovering a piece of the past bring closure to Annie’s present?

 

A heartwarming tale of friendships, forgiveness, and a touch of old Hollywood glamour, The Starlet in Cabin Number Seven will have readers captivated from beginning to end.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Maidservant in Cabin Number One: The Beginning (The Guest Book Trilogy 4)

 

After her father’s death in 1923, when Ruth Ann Landry is just ten, she joins her mother as a maidservant for a wealthy Seattle family. The hours are long, the rules are strict, but she and her mother desperately need her wages to survive.

 

By the time she’s seventeen, they’ve moved into the house, and she’s become a mistress to her employer. While accompanying the family on vacation, she sees an opportunity to start a new life, and leaves. Ruth eventually finds solace in the mountain town of Lake Arrowhead, California, where she stays in one of the cabins owned by a man who becomes part of her future.

 

The Maidservant in Cabin Number One is the beginning of the story of The Guest Book Trilogy, and of Annie Parker who eventually comes to own the cabins where Ruth Landry stayed.

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

Dear Noah, The Conclusion (Book 5)

 

“Braun continues to skillfully weave love, loss and resilience into the conclusion of Annie Parker’s story. Book Five, Dear Noah: The Conclusion continues the story of friendship and new beginnings set in the quaint mountain town of Lake Arrowhead, California. Well done.” —Elizabeth Conte, award-winning author of Finding Jane and Chosen Mistress

 

“Having lived in Lake Arrowhead for many years, Chrysteen Braun’s books continually remind me of just how wonderful it is to live up here. It’s been fun figuring out places both real and fictional. Her storytelling skillfully blends relationships, rich characters and unexpected endings, all set in our delightful mountain towns.” —Angel Yap, Editor, Lake Arrowhead Mountain News

 

Now in her mid-eighties, Annie Parker reflects on a life shaped both by heartbreak and healing. Her journey began with a life-altering decision to start anew, dedicating herself to restoring a collection of 1920s-era cabins, each rich with its own story. Through this labor of love, she wove together the memories of her past with the promise of her future.

 

In Dear Noah, Annie revisits her passionate love affair with Noah Chambers, a relationship filled with joy and laughter, but overshadowed by an ominous prophecy from an Indian fortune teller. As their love story unfolds, the prophecy casts a long shadow, leaving Annie alone and mourning.


Seeking refuge from her sorrow, Annie moves to Prescott, Arizona, hoping for a new beginning near her mother. There, she meets Phillip, the charming owner of the local antique shop, who helps her navigate the complexities of love, loss, and second chances. Through the stories embedded in the cabins and her evolving relationships, Annie discovers that life still holds surprises and that healing is possible at any stage.


Dear Noah, The Conclusion is a tale of love, loss, and the rediscovery of hope in life’s later years. It offers a poignant exploration of resilience and the enduring strength of the human spirit, reminding readers that it’s never too late to embrace hope and love.

 

Watch the book trailer:

 

Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub)

 

Paperback:

 

 

Hardcover:

 


eBook:

 

 

 

 

 

It’s a brand-new year, full of possibilities. Did you make any resolutions/goals for 2025? If so, please share one.

 

I used to wait until January 1 to start something new (like eating better) but I realized many years ago, I didn't have to wait to try anything new. So now, I usually try to begin making changes in December. I've found that it gives me a little jump start to whatever it is I want to do. 

 

Why is your featured book a must-read in 2025? 

 

The Guest Book Series is a must read because each book can be read alone, or read as a series.The stories are about love, friendship, starting over, with a little mystery and intrigue added in. What started out as a trilogy, is now going to be 6 books! Book 5, Dear Noah just came out and so far readers are loving it!

 

Giveaway –

 

One lucky reader will win a $100 Amazon gift card.

 

 

Open internationally.

 

Runs January 1 – 31, 2025

 

Drawing will be held on February 3, 2025. 

 

Author Biography

 

Chrysteen Braun is a California native, born and raised in Long Beach.

 

The mountains, where she and her husband had a second home, were the inspiration for her first three books, The Guest Book Trilogy. These fictional restored cabins from the late 1920s all had their own stories to tell.

 

Her writing crosses genres of Women’s Fiction with relationships, and a little mystery and intrigue. She’s published articles about her field of interior design and remodeling, both for trade publications and her local newspaper.

 

She lives in Coto de Caza, with her husband Larry and two Siamese cats.

 

 

Social Media Links

 

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