I'm happy to welcome J.Q. Rose back to my blog. She's here to tell us about her latest release, and she has a give-away.
Setting
Thank
you, Diane, for hosting me today. I’m happy to be here to meet and visit with
your readers. Anybody ready for spring yet? Reading is a great escape from the
gray, cold weather while we wait for spring flowers to pop up.
Then
how about a free e-book to a lucky commenter? Pick one of my mysteries from BWL Publishing. My
latest release is Terror on Sunshine
Boulevard, but if you’ve read that or enjoy romantic suspense, then choose Dangerous Sanctuary or Deadly Undertaking. Click here to find
out more about each one. BWL Publishing Author Page http://bookswelove.net/authors/rose-j-q/
Winner will be announced tomorrow (Friday) night after 10 pm. Please leave your email address in the comment.
Note on Friday: And the winner is: Darcy Flynn. J Q Rose will be in touch, Darcy.
Note on Friday: And the winner is: Darcy Flynn. J Q Rose will be in touch, Darcy.
I follow the old adage to write what
you know. That’s why I chose the settings I did in those three books. Dangerous
Sanctuary setting is a church. Deadly Undertaking setting is a funeral home.
(Yes, my family was in the funeral business.)
I chose a Florida retirement
community for Terror on Sunshine Boulevard because that’s where my husband,
Gardener Ted, and I spend winters. We have either been RVing in FL or living in
the senior park for many years and met a lot of wonderful characters. How could
you not write about them? Throwing them together results in a story alive with
humor and drama.
We think of the winters as a getaway
from our home responsibilities in Michigan. There’s something fun to do every
day. It’s kind of like attending summer camp in the winter!
I don’t participate in all the
activities, but I do many of them in the book—except I am not a golfer. You
must realize the book is fiction and what happens in the book may or may not be
made up. You’ll have to decide what’s true and what isn’t. I’m not telling….
I chose this
setting because I love the idea of a fun winter of golf, pickle ball, pool
parties and dances juxtaposed against the death and fear blanketing the
community. The murders yank the fun out from under people who have worked all
their lives to enjoy the good things in life. I love the contrast of the bright
fun-in- the- sun feeling with the darkness of murder and mystery. Even the title includes the opposing
views—terror and sunshine.
Excerpt: Terror on Sunshine Boulevard
by J.Q. Rose
Scene—Gloria joins a group of women
at her exercise class.
Gloria
noted several circles of women around the room. A flashback to eighth grade
when her clique of classmates stood in the hall before class. Memories danced
through her mind of best friends, gossip, and popularity contests. Odd how
things were still the same nearly fifty years later.
“Good morning, everyone.” She smiled widely as
she greeted her friends. But instead of the usual happy chorus of “Good morning
Gloria,” her friends in the circle weakly smiled with the acknowledgement of
her presence. Silence fell over the group. Everyone’s eyes lasered in on her.
Gloria felt uncomfortable. What were they waiting for?
Finally
her friend Pamela asked, “Well, are you going to tell us about George
McDonnell?” Her voice a higher pitch. “Did Jim hear anything yet?” Pamela’s
voice ratcheted even higher.
Gloria
turned to face Pamela. “No, I haven’t heard anything. Why? Is he sick?”
“No,
he’s dead.” Rosemary, Pamela’s best friend, waited a beat for Gloria to absorb
the news. “Jim’s one of the first responders for the park. Wasn’t he called to
the scene yesterday?”
“Uh,
no. We were gone all day.” The unexpected news slammed her like a wild pickle
ball, nearly knocking her off her feet and stinging her heart. George was
younger than she was for Pete’s sake. He couldn’t be dead. That was
incomprehensible to her. She and her husband had just visited him last week. He
was a healthy man for his age. Tears stung her eyes when she remembered how
excited he was about a fishing trip he’d planned.
Pamela
gave her an understanding smile, flashing her perfect teeth—all her own—and
touched Gloria’s back.
***
Back of the Book: Rescuing a naked woman lying in a geranium
bed or investigating mysterious murders are not the usual calls for first
responder Jim Hart. He expects slip and fall accidents or low blood pressure
emergencies in his retirement community of Citrus Ridge Senior Community and
Golf Resort. The ghastly crime scenes turn the winter time fun into a
terrifying season of death and mystery when the authorities cannot track down
the predator responsible.
Jim and his wife Gloria could escape the horror and
grief by returning to their northern home, but concern for their friends and
residents keep them in Florida. With the entire community in a dither over the
deaths, the Harts participate in the normal winter activities of golfing,
dancing, and pool parties with their friends to distract them from the sadness
and loss.
Can
Jim and Gloria work with the authorities to discover who or what is killing the
seniors on Sunshine Boulevard and stop the increasing body count?
Tagline: Rescuing a naked woman lying in a geranium bed?
Investigating mysterious murders? These are not the usual calls in a Florida
retirement community for volunteer first responder
Jim Hart.
Terror on Sunshine Boulevard is available for purchase at these digital booksellers.
About J.Q.
After writing
feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over
fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction. Her published mysteries
are Deadly Undertaking,
Dangerous Sanctuary, and Terror on Sunshine Boulevard released by
Books We Love Publishing. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board
games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. She spends winters
in Florida and summers up north camping and hunting toads, frogs, and
salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.
Connect with J.Q. Rose online at
So glad you came over, J.Q. Love your pics and your new release sounds great.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the pics- congrats on your release!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Maureen. The pic of the homes is actually in my neighborhood in the senior community. I admire the neighbor's yard.
DeleteGreat post.
ReplyDeleteNice pics
Good luck and God's blessings
PamT
Thank you, Pamela. Glad you stopped in today.
DeleteCongrats on your new release, J.Q. The book sounds like a fun read! My dream is to buy an RV and travel our country. Lucky you! 😎
ReplyDeleteHi Darcy, We full-timed in our 35' fifth wheel for over 8 years. I kind of hated to actually buy a house and settle down, but grandkids have a way of grounding you! I hope your dream comes true. Make it happen.
DeleteHi Diane, Thanks for hosting me. Looking forward to answering questions and reading comments from your readers.
ReplyDeleteLove the excerpt! We love spending time RV-ing, though we're not escaping from a cold climate.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book, J.Q. I love the excerpt, and I love the contrast of the fun retirement community against murder, as you said. But I have to ask, what the heck is a pickle ball???? :-)
ReplyDeleteHi Leah, Pickle ball is all the rage in Florida and it is spreading throughout the country for young and old. It's played on a reduced size tennis court. The racquet is solid with a short handle, and the ball is like a nerf ball, I think. Very similar to tennis. Played inside or outside. It's a bit slower than tennis. I've only played once and keep saying I'll try again, but so far, I haven't. Thanks for asking!
DeleteIt's popular here in west Michigan at senior centers. Supposedly, a lot of fun.
DeleteLove the premise. You had me with 'terror' :) Sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteHi Alicia, Thank you. Glad to know Terror caught your eye. It's a quick read.
DeleteHi Alina, thank you for stopping in. RV-ing is a great way to see the country. Enjoy.
ReplyDelete