Zachary Paterson discovers a surfing buddy’s body weeks before a big local surfing competition.
Patricia Garret and Shirley Martinez vowed they’d never get involved in another murder investigation ever again. After being held hostage at gunpoint, they’d lost their zest for solving homicides. They’d promised Detective Byron Garret that they would no longer interfere. Besides, they have another mystery to solve. Plum trees are disappearing from the yards of Beach City residents. When one of Pat’s trees is taken from her front yard in the middle of the night, Pat enlists Shirley’s help in figuring out how and why the trees are going missing.
Will Pat and Shirley keep their promise and refrain from interfering with the murder investigation? Will danger ensue as a result of the theft of the plum trees? Will justice be served?
My mom would forever try to talk me into changing the ending of books. She did convince me on a couple of them but with Captain of My Heart, I would not budge. The reason was because The Captain’s Son required it.
I had a daydream of a single mother of two kids who fell head over hills for a man who was way older than she was. Their relationship would be short but strong. So much so that she would grieve heavily but to her suprise his son enters her life. Thus begins an emotional roller coaster ride. I cried and laughed out loud while writing this book and series.
For the remainder of this week, The Captain’s Son is available for free on the kindle. Yes, it is part of a series but it can be read as a standalone as well.
Here’s the description and link to order your copy:
Raymond Jackson Jr. returns to Palm Hills, California, years after a misunderstanding with his father. His father passed away a year and a half ago, so he feels it’s time to make amends. His brother also suggests Ray make amends with his father’s girlfriend, Cass, as well. He knows it will be a challenge but believes family and friends are worth fighting for. What Ray doesn’t expect is to fall for Cass, whom his father had planned to marry before he passed away. He’s determined to make her his, but will she see things his way?
In this complete two part series, follow the journey of Cass as she gets another chance at love, not just once but twice. Will it be the forever kind of love or just love in a moment?
Part One- Captain of My Heart Cass never imagined she would be attracted to someone thirty years older than she was. But when Captain Raymond Jackson entered her backyard, she felt as if a lightning bolt struck her. With the face of Sam Elliot and the body of the Rock, how could she not be attracted? They decided to get to know each other better, and Cass soon learns there are a few secrets Ray is keeping from her. Will their relationship be strong enough to survive?
Part Two- The Captain’s Son Raymond Jackson Jr. returns to Palm Hills, California, years after a misunderstanding with his father. His father passed away a year and a half ago, so he feels it’s time to make amends. His brother also suggests Ray make amends with his father’s girlfriend, Cass, as well. He knows it will be a challenge but believes family and friends are worth fighting for. What Ray doesn’t expect is to fall for Cass, whom his father had planned to marry before he passed away. He’s determined to make her his, but will she see things his way?
As the summer unwides there is still the chance to grab a book, sink your toes in the sand, lean back and read as the sounds of crashing waves linger in the background. The fourth book in the Beach City Cozy Mysteries series in available for free this week on the Kindle.
Here’s a short description and the link to order your copy:
It’s no secret that Kevin and Maria are rival food truck owners and chefs. When Maria is shot and killed, the prime suspect is Kevin. It’s up to Abi, Pat, and Shirley to find out who really pulled the trigger and why.
Ever discover years after graduating high school that your supposed rival was really a cool person that you could have been bff’s with? Perhaps they were friends with someone who you just didn’t get along with so you automatically assumed they were your enemy.
Ever have a crush who became one of your closest friends and there was still a small part of you crushing on them?
Ever have someone steal or read your journals that were embarrassingly dedicated to that crush??
I have. Ugh! Humiliating moments and misunderstandings can be the spark writers like myself need to create a fictional story. In this case, a holiday romance.
Since Hallmark has their Christmas in July movies, why not have a Christmas romance book promotion.
Before the Christmas Wedding is currently available for free on kindle this week. Below is the description and the link:
Amanda Alexander has been recruited to be the wedding planner for William and Rachel’s wedding. It has to be the wedding of the city and season. She should be ecstatic and thrilled, and she would be if she didn’t have a lifelong crush on William. She’s trying to be supportive—she really is—but she soon realizes that she can’t do this alone. So, she recruits her neighbor for help. He’s been there for her since they became neighbors three years ago. Of course, he’d be there for her now.
Dex Richardson has been Amanda’s handyman, confidante, helper, and each other’s plus. They’ve even pretended to be each other’s significant other. But he’s been having confusing feelings and emotions lately with anything that involves her. Now he’s helping her plan the wedding for her lifelong crush. It’s hard for him to see her so “crushed.” He’d do anything for her. Almost.
Dex has been someone else’s second choice before—the rebound guy. Dex has no plans on being anyone’s second choice ever again. If things were going to work out between him and Amanda, she would have to confess she loves only him before the wedding.
It’s hard. It’s painful. Your soul aches and you can at times feel both physically, emotionally and mentally ill and drained. For me, terminal illness, alcoholism and substance abuse struggles are eerily similar. While my father had his ten year battle with Alzheimer/dementia/asphesia, several friends were battling alcoholism and substance abuse. It was a constant dismaying feeling of grieving the slow decline of the people I love most in the world while they were still alive.
It’s hard because ultimately you come to terms with the fact that there is absolutely nothing you can do to fix them. In the case of terminal illness, you can only be present. In the case of alcoholism or substance abuse, you can lecture, preach, threaten but none of it matters… it is completely up to the person and their self control… but it’s also an illness. The painful reality that they often can’t control it.
In my case, I tried to be there as much as possible. One was in so much pain they chose to take their own life. I was so angry for the choice they made. I couldn’t understand. Honestly, I still don’t understand. I don’t even want to accept it even though it’s been years but I don’t have a choice. I can only live on.
I have learned there is absolutely no real advice or solution with regards to being merely a loved one. The only thing you can do is be there for them. But sometimes for your own sanity you have to walk away. But be there as much as you can and cherish those good moments while they last.
I do know that if love were enough, they would all still be here.
My mom had an extremely active imagination. She was also nosy. She would be that neighbor who would look up and down her street to see what was happening on her block. She would often sit by her kitchen or dining room window and eavesdrop on conversations that were close by. She also loved murder mysteries and detective shows: Murder She Wrote, Hill Street Blues, Cagney and Lacey… you name it… she most likely watched. She’d drag my dad and cousin into her theories of what happened or was going to happen (in real life or television.)
Memories of her nosiness inspired me to create Beach City Cozy Mysteries. I have thrown my parents and a cousin’s first names and personalities into the fictional world where they are amatuer sleuths. I admit writing this particular series is therapeutic for me. I feel close to the people I have lost and find myself laughing when they are in the mix of something silly.
The sixth book in the series, A Nutty Holiday Drama, is available for free this week on Kindle. Yes, I am hoping to rope readers in to wanting to check out the other books. 😁
Here’s the description:
Patricia Garret’s daughters are in town for the holidays. While the family attends a town Christmas play, the star is murdered. So not only does Patricia’s detective son, Byron, have to keep tabs on her, Shirley, and Abi, but now he has his meddling sisters to worry about.
Here’s the link to order your free kindle copy on Amazon:
Malique Laveaux is a fifteen-year-old misfit with multi-toned skin. He’s an orphan and often spends time alone until one day he runs into a flower shop. There, he meets the owner, Sokie Roberts, and her ten-year-old niece, Lani. He feels connected to them somehow. As time progresses, Lani informs Malique she has dreams about him. One of the dreams includes him aboard a ship being manhandled by two burly men demanding he take his shirt off so they can see the map on his back. Then strange things start to happen. One of the most beautiful girls from school, Clarissa Jones, suddenly takes notice of Malique. Even a Professor of History turns up on his doorstep, claiming to be an old friend of his biological mother. The professor also insists that his sister is still alive.
Is his sister truly alive? Could the pattern on Malique’s skin actually be a map?
I wrote Truth or Dare several years ago. It’s about former best friends who reconnect after years apart and rediscover how much they truly love each other. Several readers had asked me to write a book about a couple of the secondary characters from the book.
Twelve Years of Christmas was brewing in my head for quite some time. I finally typed it out and published it awhile ago. This week it is available for free on kindle.
Description:
Maggie and Reggie have known each other since they were five. They have been getting on each other’s nerves ever since Reggie poured sand into Maggie’s chocolate milk. They are doomed to hang around each other because each of their best friends insist they all hang out as a group. Just before graduating high school, sparks begin to fly. It begins a tumultuous on-again, off-again relationship. Will they ever get on the same track headed in the same direction? Will they ever have a Merry Christmas together?
Giselle Lumas 