It’s always nice to have a returning guest poster on the blog. And today we get a bonus, not only is J.Q. Rose back, but she’s brought along Lacey from J.Q.’s cozy mystery Coda to Murder. Welcome, J.Q. and Lacey!
Hello, Katie. Hello, readers. Lacey and I are so glad to be guests on Katie’s blog. Lacey is Pastor Christine’s closest friend in the cozy mystery/sweet romance, Coda to Murder. Because we know our dear pastor so well, we wanted to stop by so you could learn about her. She doesn’t like to “toot her own horn,” so we thought we’d do it for her.
JQ, there you go again with those clichés.
Oh, sorry, Lacey. Sorry readers, but you know they often say exactly what I mean “in a nutshell.”
Uh, JQ, never mind. Let’s tell the folks about Christine.
Thanks, Lacey. Take a peek at an excerpt from Chapter 3.
Christine jumped when she heard the doorbell buzz followed by a loud, “Yoo, hoo!” The cat hopped off her lap, and Christine climbed out of the recliner. She rushed to unlock and open the kitchen door. Lacey marched in with a bouquet of flowers and a brown paper bag.
“Hey, Chris. How ya’ doin’?” Lacey placed the vase of red and yellow tulips on the kitchen counter. “I heard about William. I am so sorry.” Lacey wrapped her arms around Christine and hugged hard.
The tall pastor and the petite florist couldn’t have been more different in appearance. Lacey’s blunt cut strawberry blonde hair and bright floral shirt and jeans contrasted with the minister’s black suit and shoulder length brown hair.
Because they were so alike in their life experiences, they became fast friends. They were nearly the same age, both single, both uncommitted,and both had marriages that ended badly.
She held out the brown bag. “Here, I brought us some light beers. I figured you needed some company.” She smiled big, making Christine realize how much she loved her friend.
# # # #
Lacey, you were such a wonderful support for Christine throughout this story. I have to give you credit for pushing Christine to notice the handsome Detective Cole Stephens.
“Well, I did point out he was hot. Take a look at this excerpt:
“I heard Cole Stephens is the investigator on William’s case,” said Lacey.
“He’s gorgeous.” She grinned a silly face at Christine and then sucked down more beer.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. I was so worried about Dutch, I didn’t even notice.”
“Well, I’m sure you had your mind on a lot more than Cole Stephens. Take my word for it, he’s a cutie,” Lacey said with a wink.
Christine tried to picture Cole Stephens. He was a tall, muscular man and handsome in his tie and sport coat. She remembered his short-cropped hair. Was it a flat-top, or was there some spiky hair sticking out? Did he wear glasses or not? Her memory of him was just too fuzzy.
“I didn’t exactly have my man radar out this morning.” She tried to brush off more of the cat hair, dust, and food particles on her suit coat and slacks.
“Well, I’m sure he’ll be talking to you some more if this investigation turns up foul play.”
Christine sat straight up on the couch and faced her friend. “Why would you even say something like that? You know William probably just tripped down the steps. Gosh, Lacey. What a thing to say!”
“I’m just sayin’…just wondering…I mean, really, Chris, nobody knows anything about William. He may have had too much wine and fell down the steps, or he discovered a burglar in the church, or any of a dozen things. Just sayin’…” Lacey quickly took another swig of the cold beer.
Focusing intently on Christine’s eyes, she said, “Cole Stephens has a reputation for digging for the truth. He won’t settle for any old explanation of William’s death. You have to be prepared for the worst.”
# # # #
“No truer words were ever spoken,” Lacey. Oh, there I go again. I thought I’d point out the cliché before you did.
Right, JQ. The readers will be taken along on a story that involves a murder mystery, but also a love story. Getting Chris and Cole together was difficult. So many obstacles to overcome, the main one being the darling detective wanted to nail Christine with the murder of the church’s music director, William.
As if that wasn’t enough, Christine was skittish about getting into another relationship with a man after being hurt so badly by her ex-husband.
Readers, there’s plenty of action, humor, and mystery in this book, Coda to Murder. If you want to download an excerpt or purchase the ebook, you can find it at MuseItUp Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major online booksellers.
Coda to Murder blurb:
Pastor Christine Hobbs has been in the pulpit business for over five years. She never imagined herself caring for a flock that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer.
Detective Cole Stephens doesn’t want the pretty pastor to get away with murdering the church music director. His investigative methods infuriate Christine as much as his deep brown eyes attract her.
Can they find the real killer and build a loving relationship based on trust?
About the Author:
After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction writing with her first published novella, Sunshine Boulevard, and her latest mystery, Coda to Murder. Both ebooks were released by MuseItUp Publishing. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. Spending winters in Florida with her husband allows Janet the opportunity to enjoy the life of a snowbird. Summer finds her camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.
Connect with J.Q. Rose online at:
J.Q. Rose blog http://www.jqrose.com/
Girls Succeed blog http://girlssucceed.blogspot.com/
Author website http://jqrose.webs.com/
Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor
J. Q. Rose Amazon Author Page http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4
Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/jqrose
Pinterest http://pinterest.com/janetglaser/
