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| Book Hooks--excerpts from novels |
Book Hooks Blog Hop #MFRWHooks
Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story Blog.
Today we're joining the Book Hooks Blog Hop sponsored by
the Marketing For Romance Writers Group.
Each participating blogger shares an excerpt from their book.
This is the time of year when the snowbirds fly south looking for warm sunshine and gentle breezes. So I am sharing an excerpt from Terror on Sunshine Boulevard, a story located in Florida in a community of snowbirds. Watch out!. It is a bit frightening, filled with mystery and the paranormal, as well as some quirky characters.
From an Amazon Reviewer-"Just read the whole
book last night. Loved it! Lot's of twists and turns. Kept wondering what was
going to happen next. Great book. Great story. Beautiful cover. Thank you! Keep
em' coming."
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Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose
Frightening, Mystery, Paranormal |
BACK OF THE BOOK: Rescuing a naked woman lying in a geranium
bed? Investigating mysterious murders 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 wintertime 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?
EXCERPT: Chapter One
Gloria
Hart burst through the double glass doors of the large multi-purpose room of
their park’s community center. She was delighted to see all of the ladies still
standing in groups around the large room instead of poised to begin the
exercise class. She was running late. Although a resident of Citrus Ridge
Senior Community for more than three years, she’d driven along Sunshine
Boulevard, the main artery around the park, and missed the turn-off to the
community center.
Gloria
re-shouldered her heavy bag holding her water bottle and barbells, and moved
her rolled exercise mat under her arm to keep it from crushing against her
chest. She dropped her bag on the floor and unrolled the mat in the spot she
always claimed at every class meeting. Like pew seats in a Sunday morning church
service, each person staked out her favorite “place” to exercise and kept it.
She
hustled over to join the big circle of friends in their usual space in the
room. The ladies shifted a bit to make space for Gloria in the circle. She
breathed a sigh of relief knowing she wasn’t late again. Being late was a sign
of disrespect, but Gloria respected every gal in this room for exercising their
bodies and joining in the group. Perhaps they didn’t all do the moves like their
limber instructor, Bridgett, but at least they tried.
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 acknowledgment 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 pickleball, 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.
Gloria studied each woman’s face, hoping one of them would
explain further while her mind tried to process the news. Many of the residents
in the senior community mistakenly assumed Jim attended every call because he
was the volunteer co-captain of the First Responders Unit, but Jim wasn’t
on-call yesterday. She hadn’t heard the latest happenings in the park because
they’d shopped most of the day at the flea market and relished a delicious fish
dinner at their favorite restaurant, Magoo’s, arriving there just in time to
get in on the early bird specials.
A
flash of guilt surged through her mind. Should she and Jim have checked on
George? Maybe they could have saved him if they had stopped by his house before
they’d left for the day.
“I can hardly believe George is dead. I had no idea he had
heart problems. He seemed to be the picture of health,” Gloria said.
“Oh, no. Nobody knows yet if it was his heart or what killed
him,” Bonnie, another woman in the group, announced.
Gloria was puzzled as she saw the looks of horror exchanged
by her friends.
“What happened?” Her eyes widened with concern, and then
realized she had been drawn into the gossip like everyone else.
Bonnie puffed up her chest and pulled her elbows back as she
leaned forward to deliver the big news. “His neighbor, Lottie Carpenter found
him. She smelled him rotting in his
house.” She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
####
Thanks so much for stopping by today. Do you enjoy stories with quirky characters and humor?
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD Terror on Sunshine Boulevard now for $1.50 during the Half-Off Holiday Sale at Smashwords.
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