The Five W's in Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose

The 5 W's in Story

The 5 W's of a story are who, what, where, when and why (and sometimes How is included if it doesn't contain any spoilers.) These important W's make up the skeleton or the bones of a story. This series has been a hit with readers.

The Five W's in Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose
Originally appeared on Ellen Jacobson's blog, the Cynical Sailor and His Salty Sidekick

Today I thought I'd take a turn to share the 5 W's of one of my mysteries, Terror on Sunshine Boulevard, a touch of the paranormal with a lot of humor set in a Florida retirement community.

That makes the perfect segue to the WHERE in Terror on Sunshine Boulevard--The action takes place at the Citrus Ridge Senior Community and Golf Resort--a beautiful park filled with manufactured homes, a community center, golf course, tennis, pickleball, horseshoes, bocci ball, heated pool and a club for every interest imaginable.

Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose
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.
Click here to download your e-copy or read the sample

WHO--The main characters are Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds from Michigan, who spend their winters at Citrus Ridge meeting friends and joining in the social activities. 

Jim and Gloria retired after selling their hardware store in Michigan. Jim was a volunteer fireman, so when he moved into the community, he became a volunteer first responder and eventually the co-captain of the Citrus Ridge first responders squad. Because the volunteers live in the park, they are key to saving many lives due to their quick response.

WHEN--Contemporary 

WHAT--The members of the first responder squad are accustomed to being called to seniors' homes for slip and fall accidents or high blood pressure issues, but Jim has never been called to the homes of so many folks dying of unknown causes. 

WHY--So if seniors are dying every day, the question is why? What is killing them? A virus, deadly air quality, bad water, a treacherous mad man? 

Why don't Jim and Gloria head back north and get out of there? (If any of you have endured or are enduring winter storms, icy roads, blizzards, you may understand why Jim and Gloria want to stay in warm, tropical Florida. !!!) 

As co-captain of the squad, Jim is drawn into the police investigations.  Gloria feels responsible for so many of her senior friends who rely on her for assistance. They both know if they went home to Michigan they would only be miserable worrying about their Florida friends and feeling guilty for abandoning their community in crisis. Wouldn't you?

HOW-- I can't tell you how the cause of so many deaths is solved. You knew I wouldn't, didn't you? That would ruin the fun of reading Terror on Sunshine Boulevard. 

Click here to download your e-copy or read the sample.
Click here to order your paperback copy at amazon. 

***

Jingles, a star in the book

BACK OF THE BOOK: Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose
 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 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 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?

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 mysteries published by BWL Publishing are Terror on Sunshine Boulevard, Dangerous Sanctuary, and Deadly Undertaking. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. She and her husband, Gardener Ted, spend 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

J.Q.'s blog, Focused on Story http://www.jqrose.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor

The Five W's: Diane Burton's Numbers Never Lie, Giveaway

The Five W's of Stories

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story blog. This week fellow West Michigander author and friend, Diane Burton, shares the 5 W's--who, what, where, when and why--in her brand new release, Numbers Never Lie. I'm thrilled to help her get the word out about her latest romantic suspense. It just happens I love reading and writing romantic suspense, and this book, which takes place in West Michigan, is waitng for me on my Kindle. Sounds like the perfect way to wind up my summer fun.

Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win Numbers Never Lie or your choice of Diane's books. Deadline for entry is Sunday, August 26, 10:00 pm ET.

Numbers Never Lie by Diane Burton
Romantic suspense

The 5 Ws for Numbers Never Lie by Diane Burton

Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Janet. I love this concept of the 5 Ws. That’s the essentials of a good newspaper story. In fact, I just used that comment in my work-in-progress, a science fiction romance. But today, we’re going to concentrate on my newest release, NUMBERS NEVER LIE, a Romantic Suspense.

WHO

The story has three main characters: Jack, his sister Maggie, and his best friend Drew. The three were childhood friends. Jack only appears in the first chapter, but he’s the impetus for the rest of the story. In her teens, Maggie had a crush on Drew. Because of his friendship with Jack, Drew never followed through on his own desires—hands off his best friend’s baby sister. Both have been married in between. Drew’s ended in the death of his wife, Maggie’s in divorce. Now, they have a second chance at happiness. Their reunion, so to speak, came at the hands of his fourteen-year-old daughter. She begged him to help Maggie chaperone her group of friends on a weekend camping trip. Because he’d been concentrating on work, he thought she meant a little hike in the woods. Wrong. For a man who hates being dirty and sweaty, Drew was in for a big surprise.

WHAT

Jack’s car crash. The sheriff claims nighttime fog coupled with speed, Jack not wearing his seatbelt plus the lack of airbags led to his death. Maggie is certain the crash was no accident. Because Drew is with her when she got the news, and he sees how determined she is to discover what really happened, he’s reluctantly drawn into her quest. More clues that it wasn’t an accident plague Maggie. Break-ins indicate someone is looking for something. The more Maggie digs into Jack’s crash the more someone is determined to stop her. Drew is equally determined to help and protect her.

Lake Michigan

WHERE

West Michigan, from Muskegon to Grand Rapids. Since I live in west Michigan, and have written other stories set in the area, I chose to set this story here, too. Lake Michigan has a powerful influence on the weather. Fog in the summertime is common. I’ve woken up to fog so thick I couldn’t see the neighboring houses. So, fog contributing to Jack’s crash is believable.

WHEN

Current day. I’ve set books in the future. Science fiction romances, always with a mystery and a relationship, are so much fun. And I’ve written a series of cozy mysteries also set in current day (and along the Lake Michigan shore). Although I enjoy reading some stories set in the past, I’ve never had the inclination to set my stories then. The components of NUMBERS NEVER LIE make it a story set in present day.

WHY

At first, I thought the “why” should be the characters’ motivation in the story. But I already answered that above. Then, I thought maybe readers might like to know why I wrote this story. I started writing it over fifteen years ago. Life intruded (as Life does), and I set the story aside. Thinking the story was almost finished, I picked it up this winter. It wasn’t, and it took longer than expected to complete. NUMBERS NEVER LIE (the third or fourth but final title) was originally about the camping trip. I’d been a volunteer with Girl Scouts for many years, so knew about the outdoors. I’ve never been fond of camping, though, so I could empathize with Drew. As I got back into the story, it became obvious that Jack’s car crash was most important. Fifteen years ago, I worked as an administrative assistant and had a lot of contact with accountants. One in particular was of immense help with my learning Excel. He’s the reason I made Jack an accountant. Of course, he wasn’t too happy when I told him the accountant dies in the first chapter.

Janet, thank you again for inviting me to your blog. I enjoyed sharing my story with your readers.
Photos courtesy of Diane Burton.

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UPDATE September 29,2018--MY REVIEW of Numbers Never Lie

Diane Burton's romantic suspense novel, Numbers Never Lie, has just the right mix of romance, mystery, and humor for me. As I looked back on the story, I saw where she foreshadowed the ending and added red herrings. Truly a great storyteller's technique. Loved her depiction of Maggie as a mom dealing with a 14-year-old and as a sister mourning the loss of her brother. I live in the area where the story took place, so it was fun and easy for me to picture the locations because Ms. Burton painted the scenes so well. If you're looking for a great read this fall when you are wrapped up in your afghan with a cup of hot chocolate, choose this cozy mystery. J.Q. Rose

NUMBERS NEVER LIE

A Romantic Suspense

By Diane Burton

Release Date:  July 9, 2018

Length: approx. 80,000 words

Click Amazon to download a sample or order Numbers Never Lie.

Free with Kindle Unlimited

Back of the Book

A shocking secret brings danger to Jack Sinclair and his sister Maggie.

As kids, they were the fearless threesome. As adults, Jack's an accountant; Drew, a lawyer; Maggie, a teacher and camping troop leader. Upon returning from a weekend camping trip, Maggie receives horrifying news. She refuses to believe her brother Jack’s fatal car crash was an accident. If the police won’t investigate, she’ll do it herself. Convincing Drew Campbell to help is her only recourse.

Drew Campbell was too busy to return his best friend’s phone call. Too busy to attend a camping meeting important to his teen daughter. Too busy to stay in touch with Jack. Logic and reason indicate Jack’s accident was just that--an accident caused by fatigue and fog. Prodded by guilt, he’ll help Maggie even if he thinks she’s wrong.

A break-in at Jack’s condo convinces Maggie she’s right. Then her home is searched. What did Jack do that puts Maggie in danger?

Excerpt:

Slinging the laptop case/briefcase over his shoulder, Jack checked the room assigned to him for the audit to make sure he hadn’t left anything out. He shut off the lights and locked the door behind him. He still had much to do. Sure, Ben said he would finish the audit. That wasn’t the way Jack worked. When he started something, he always finished.

“Working kinda late, arncha, Mr. Sinclair?”

Startled, Jack looked over his shoulder.

The janitor leaned on his mop. “It’s after midnight.”

“No rest for the weary, Max.” Jack pocketed his keys.

“You be careful going home, Mr. Sinclair. Fog was rollin’ in off the lake when me and the missus drove in to work.”

“Thanks for the heads-up.” Jack saluted the affable worker and headed down the hall. The doors to the other offices were closed. Only the cleaning crew remained.

Hazel, Max’s wife, stopped dusting the receptionist’s desk. “’Night, Mr. Sinclair. You best be careful. Noticed you parked all the way down at the end of the parking lot. The light there is out. Saw that when we came in. The company that takes care of our lights won’t come out ‘til Monday. You want Max to get a flashlight and walk out with you so’s you can find your car? What with the fog and all?”

Jack forced himself to smile. In the five days he’d been auditing the books at the plant near Muskegon, he often worked so late that he ran into the older couple. “I’ll be fine.”

“’Night, then. You be careful, now. Ya hear?”

Even before he pushed open the heavy glass door, he saw that Max and Hazel were right. The solitary light at this end of the parking lot barely penetrated the fog. Maybe he should have taken Hazel up on the offer of a flashlight. He wasn’t worried about finding the Blazer in this pea soup. It would be a wonder he didn’t trip on the curbs.

The flashlight on his cell phone. Duh. He should’ve thought of that. Jack clicked it on, but it only shone a foot or so in front of him.

He heard a soft skitter near the dumpster. Rats? He shuddered and clicked his remote. From fifteen feet away, his head- and taillights barely penetrated the mist.

It would be a slow drive back to Grand Rapids. He should get a motel room for the night. Finding a vacancy anywhere along the Lake Michigan shoreline would be next to impossible in the summer and even more so late on a Friday night.

Weary beyond belief, he dragged himself to his car. He needed to return tomorrow—make that later today. He had to do more digging in the company’s files. He couldn’t believe what he’d discovered so far. This went way beyond anything he imagined. The implications—

“Jack.”

Startled by the familiar voice, he dropped the keys. His phone slipped out of his fingers and skidded away. The fog gobbled up the light, and he lost sight of it. He peered in the direction of the sound. The figure stepped away from the dumpster’s hulking shape.

“We need to talk.”

Numbers Never Lie is available at Amazon.

Giveaway:
Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win Numbers Never Lie or your choice of Diane's books. Deadline for entry is Sunday, August 26, 10:00 pm ET.

About Diane:

Diane Burton combines her love of mystery, adventure, science fiction and romance into writing romantic fiction. Besides writing science fiction romance,

Author Diane Burton

she writes romantic suspense, and cozy mysteries. Diane and her husband live in West Michigan. They have two children and five grandchildren.

For more info and excerpts from her books, 
click here to visit Diane’s website: 

Connect with Diane Burton online

Blog:  http://dianeburton.blogspot.com/

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/dmburton72

Facebook:  http://facebook.com/dianeburtonauthor

Goodreads: Diane Burton Author

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dmburton72/

Sign up for Diane’s new release alert: http://eepurl.com/bdHtYf

Coming Up:
Click here now to go to the Books We Love Insiders Blog to discover the "stoopid" thing I did.--a cautionary tale. 

September 1-3--Labor Day Weekend in the USA

Wednesday, September 5--Insecure Writers Support Group Blog Hop

The 5 W's of Story

Wednesday, September 12--Guest author C. Lee Mackenzie

Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing: Humorous suspense author Kathy McIntosh, Giveaways

Hello and welcome to the series, Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing. I scheduled this series on writing tips for the fall months, but I have had such wonderful response from romance and mystery authors, the guest blogs are now scheduled into February! So you may have noticed I changed the poster, taking out "this fall" since we are now into the holiday season. I hope you are gathering some great tips you can use in your writing, meeting and getting to know authors, and discovering great reads.

Needless to say I'm having a wonderful experience with authors and readers during this series. Thank you so much for supporting this event with your views and comments.

This week I am happy to introduce you to author Kathy McIntosh.  Kathy is generously donating an ebook copy and audio book of her first book, Mustard's Last Stand, in the Havoc in Hancock humorous suspense series for door prizes. Two winners! Please leave a comment to enter.

# # # #

Kathy, thanks so much for guesting on the Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing series.

Thanks for a lovely opportunity!

1  What is the best advice for writers that you have received?

The first but definitely not the last time I heard this hint came when Ridley Pearson spoke to Murder in the Grove (a conference I co-founded). He advised writers to keep our butts in our chairs. It later inspired me to write the following as a winning contest entry:

Make writing a whole body experience. Keep your chin up, your feet on the ground, your mind limber and open to new lessons and ideas, your heart set on the goal of becoming a published writer, and your butt in the chair. 

Great advice for sure, but oh some days, it is impossible to do! 

What is your writing tip on Editing?

Alliteration, rhythm and cadence can help you create a memorable voice in your writing. However, these must be added with intention and a light hand. Novelists whose books you can’t put down may have used the rhythm of their words to enchant you. Books that get thrown across the room may have inadvertently abused or overused these devices.

I'm fond of alliteration, but it is easy to fall prey to too much. Do so and the rigorous reader will wish you wouldn't. Giving your characters names that start with the same letter is a form of inadvertent alliteration that can easily confuse your readers. Barney, Bert and Bartholomew are all fine names, but let them appear in separate manuscripts. Even when used for humorous purposes (the triplets, Martha, Margaret and Maeve) you risk confusion. A confused reader may not pick up the book again.

What's going on in your book can influence your choice of rhythm or cadence. Short sentences using short words work well in fast-paced, high tension scenes. Longer, leisurely sentences can set a quieter pace and add a sumptuous tone. 

Alternating short and long sentences changes the rhythm of your words. It's my opinion that you don't find your rhythm in a first draft, but rather recognize it and change it intentionally in second and subsequent drafts. One great way to discover the rhythm (or lack thereof) of your words is to read it aloud. You can also use text to speech software programs such as NaturalReader or Ultra Hal TTS (I love that name) or Text2Speech or TextAloud that will convert your text to spoken words. Most have free versions.

Rhyme works well when you’re creating a slogan or a tagline or a poem. However, inadvertent rhyme in serious writing can bump your reader. I’d chat more about rhyme, but I haven’t the time.

Next time you’re editing an article or some pages from your fiction, take the time to make your words memorable by adding alliteration, rhythm and rhyme.

But remember:  a smidgeon of these devices suffices.

# # # #

Kathy McIntosh writes about 

wacky characters seeking justice, 

environmental balance 

and great scones in North Idaho.  

Back of the Book:

Havoc overtakes a peaceful North Idaho town when feuding brothers combat a proposed safari camp. Mustard's Last Stand is the first in the Havoc in Hancock humorous suspense series.

 BUY LINK          

About Kathy:
Kathy McIntosh, a recent voluntary transplant from Boise, Idaho, to Tucson, Arizona, is enjoying the change in scenery from cottonwoods to cactus.

She recently saw three javelinas strolling through her neighborhood! She assures her concerned readers that she can still write about Havoc in Hancock, her humorous suspense series set in North Idaho, and will finish book two, Foul Wind, as soon as she rappels from the stack of moving boxes! Read more at Kathy's website 

# # # #

Don't forget to leave a comment. Two winners will be chosen from the commenters after 9 p.m. on Sunday evening. Good luck!

Guest Author, Lorrie Unites-Struiff Visits

Our first guest author of the new year is talented and creative Lorrie Unites-Struiff. Perhaps you all will identify with what Lorrie believes is her biggest weakness. You're lucky to be here today because this entertaining author shares an excerpt from a story in her funny, paranormal Call on the Dead series. I think you'll get a kick out of Lorrie's unique characters and her humorous storytelling.

Welcome, Lorrie. So glad you are visiting with us.

Thanks so much for inviting me here today, J.Q.

*Looks around*

Wow, what a nice blog. I feel honored to be here.

I would like to tell you and the folks about my weakness. I probably shouldn’t admit this, but I will.

You might not believe it, but I’m basically uncomfortable promoting my work.

 I can’t write that my books are great, they’re entertaining, have great plot twists, full of humor, etc. Of course, I think they do, I wrote them. *laughs* But, I have to promo to get my name and stories out there. Why does it have to be so hard for me?

The reviews I’ve received have all been good. But, taste is so subjective, especially humor. And, I write across the genre board.

For instance, Gypsy Blood and Wild Blackberries are paranormal. They are both creepy and thrillers.

HEAP OF TROUBLE is a western romance, humor, action. The readers that read it fell in love with the characters.

The COD (Call on the Dead Club) is a humor paranormal series. Winnie develops a crazy gift that she doesn’t want and gets into all sorts of trouble.

The Last Dance is a story about the 50’s, a high school first love.

I’ve written historical fiction, noir detective, even a popular, somewhat romantic, dance story. So, you see my problem.

I also find it difficult to compete with all the other good authors who you see splashed across Facebook every day.

“Come read my blog, no, read mine.”

How do I make mine stand out? I can’t write that mine is better, it might not be. There are a lot of good authors and stories out there.

I wish I could tout myself, and my stories, without feeling…uneasy…awkward. I also wonder if any other authors feel as I do. They all sound so gung-ho.

So, here I am, on your lovely blog, admitting my biggest weakness.

How do I overcome this problem? I’d sure like some suggestions.\

So, what story do I try to brag about today?

 How about my Winnie series? The COD Club (Call on the Dead)

Now, the uncomfortable brag begins.....

Wow! I think The COD Club is hysterical and so do others who have read it. This is the first story in the series. Actually, the first two stories are combined in one download. The Unwanted Gift, and Goin’ in Style. My lead character, Winnie, is a hoot. Her cohort Fat Phil is another funny character. If you readers enjoy the stories, more will follow soon.

I promise, it’s a hilarious read, a real humdinger of a comedy.

How did I do?

The COD (Call on the Dead Club) is a humor paranormal series. 

                   

                              Chapter one of the first story, The Unwanted Gift.

       I slouched as low as possible on the folding chair as ‘Fat Phil’ Phillips ambled to the makeshift podium at the front of his green-carpeted rec room.

             He cleared his throat. “This month’s meeting of the Call on the Dead Club will now come to order. We have a new member, folks.  You may remember the newspaper article about the fifty-five-year old widow who experienced a near death episode last month.”  He pointed a stubby finger at me. “Mrs. Winnie Krapski survived hugging her cherry tree when a lightning bolt split the trunk in half.”

            The wooden ridge of the chair pressed into the back of my thighs while I fidgeted and wished I could become invisible. The darn chair squeaked.  All six members turned and stared at me. Heat rushed up my neck into my face.  I used my newcomer pamphlet as a fan, pretending a hot flash.

            I glared back and fluffed my salt-and-pepper poodle curls with my fingers. “Well, I wasn’t about to let a downpour ruin my expensive new perm.” I fanned faster as a cheery chorus of “Welcome, Winnie,” resounded from the group.

            Three days ago, before this dratted meeting, I had seen a friend at the funeral parlor. My elderly Bingo buddy, Cora, had been sitting in a chair. . . next to the casket in which her body lay. 

           I fainted.

           Fat Phil had been there and revived me, then escorted me home since he lived only a few blocks from my small cottage.  He assured me I hadn’t been hallucinating. Apparently, my lightning accident had bestowed me with an unusual ability.  One I definitely did not want.  He possessed the same ability and insisted I attend this meeting with the other members who had also experienced the same phenomena. 

             At the podium, he ran his thick palm across his comb-over, then pointed to the map tacked to the wall.  Various colors portrayed sections of our fair town of Citiesville.  In the purple, my name stood out in heavy black lettering. “This will be Winnie’s target area.  Everyone okay with that?”

            A collective, “Yes,” too eagerly shouted, sent a foreboding shiver up my spine.

            We stood and repeated the pledge:

           ”I will faithfully read the daily obituary column.

            I will visit the dead in my designated area, avoiding visiting hours, and ask if they have one last request.

           I will perform said request to the best of my ability and vow to return with an honest report before the casket’s final closing, at which time their spirit must forever leave this earthly plane.”

            What had Fat Phil talked me into?

***

Buy Link for the Unwanted Gift

Now here's the "skinny" on Lorrie--

Lorrie lives in West Mifflin, PA, thirty minutes from downtown Pittsburgh. She lives at home with her favorite toy—a computer.

 Once a gold medalist teacher/manager for a big-name ballroom dance studio she has retired and now enjoys the quiet life of writing and watching TV. But she loves to have lunches with local writers to keep abreast of the challenging world of publishing.

Lorrie writes in many genres so you never know what she will come out with next. She never wants to bore her readers and enjoys the thrill of entertaining them by writing a good story.

She would love to hear from her fans at struiff@msn.com. Please put “reader” in the subject line. Thank you.

Connect with Lorrie online:

Lorrie's Blog   

FaceBook    

 Amazon Author Page  

Guest Author

Today I am delighted to be Debbie Amadei's first guest author on her site for non-fiction children's literature, The Swimmer Writer.  Come on over and take a peek after reading and commenting on Lorrie's post. See ya' there!

Debbie's review of Girls Succeed appeared on her site on December 16.

Need a Break from the Holiday Madness??

The official holiday season is in full swing now. Time for decorating, shopping, cooking, partying, and sometimes stressing out. Take a break from the madness and retire to a quiet corner to read.

If you truly want to escape and just chill out for awhile, pick up my holiday short story, The Good Neighbors. The main characters are Jim and Gloria Hart whom you met in the mystery novella, Sunshine Boulevard. This snowbird couple from Michigan always help out the neighbors in their Florida retirement community when asked. Who knew being good could turn out to be so bad?

Amazon Review:

I disturbed the peace at Wendy's because I was laughing so hard reading this while I had lunch today. It's another great waiting room read--the kind of short-story you can devour along with a quick burger or while waiting to see the doctor. But try not to laugh too loudly unless you want to tell people what you're reading. On second thought, go ahead. Laugh out loud. Don't be afraid to let people know how much you're enjoying Ms. Rose's writing. Isn't a good hearty laugh in the middle of Wendy's a great recommendation for a book?  Rochelle Weber

The Good Neighbors Buy Link

All royalties will be donated to local food pantries.

I'm a Guest Star

What a thrill to be a guest star on I.B. Nosey's absurdly funny blog. Miss M M has done herself proud developing these fun and ridiculous characters. I don't know what it is about this kind of old-fashioned idiocy that appears every Wednesday, but people are giving Nosey rave reviews.


Come and join us today, Wednesday, March 21 when I will appear as a guest. Then don't miss a single episode of the continuing saga every Wednesday. Mark it on your calendar or the Gum Drop Island Police may show up and grab you into cyberspace with them. Although being taken away to Gum Drop Island would not be so bad....licorice trees, chocolate rivers, and the best Gum Drop Island chocolates in the whole cyberspace world!


Take a peek at my February interview with Nosey, the official unofficial cyberspace reporter.

See ya' there!

Review for The Good Neighbors

I think Rochelle enjoyed my short story, The Good Neighbors.  She asks, "isn't a good hearty laugh in the middle of Wendy's a great recommendation for a book?" I'd say so. Thanks, Rochelle. Glad The Good Neighbors made you smile and laugh out loud!

Jim and Gloria Hart first appeared in my mystery novella, Sunshine Boulevard.

Here's Rochelle's delightful review:

Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds from Michigan, always help out the neighbors in their Florida retirement community when asked. Who knew being good could turn out to be so bad?

I wish I could be a snowbird and have Jim and Gloria Hart for neighbors.  They’re so helpful and they sound like fun people to have around even if you don’t play golf.  Between solving the mystery of last year’s deaths at their Florida winter retirement community, helping a neighbor who fell in her bathtub and plant-sitting for a neighbors who surprised his wife with a Christmas cruise, they’re all round good people.  Besides, who ever got into trouble just plant sitting?

I disturbed the peace at Wendy’s because I was laughing so hard reading this while I had lunch.  It’s another great waiting room read—the kind of short-story you can devour along with a quick burger or while waiting to see the doctor.  But try not to laugh too loudly unless you want to tell people what you’re reading.  On second thought, go ahead.  Laugh out loud.  Don’t be afraid to let people know how much you’re enjoying Ms. Rose’s writing.  Isn’t a good hearty laugh in the middle of Wendy’s a great recommendation for a book?  Just try not to choke on your food or snort pop through your nose.

Price:  $0.99

Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Good+Neighbors+J.+Q.+Rose&x=13&y=17

All royalties from the sale of The Good Neighbors go to local food pantries.

Rochelle Weber is the author of Rock Crazy, a futuristic, sci-fi romance.

Abandoned, pregnant and bi-polar, Katie McGowan's going crazy on that God-forsaken rock, the Moon.  

NEW Holiday Short Story--The Good Neighbors by J Q Rose

Announcing today! The Good Neighbors, a short story for the holidays is now up on Amazon! If you need a break from preparing for the upcoming holidays, pick up the short story and escape for a awhile into this fun tale. Please leave a comment to be eligible to win a PDF copy of The Good Neighbors!

Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds from Michigan, always help out the neighbors in their Florida retirement community when asked. Who knew being good could turn out to be so bad?

All royalties from the sale of this story support local food pantries. If you are able, please consider donating food or make a cash donation to your local food pantry so they can purchase goods at discounted prices to stock their shelves. Please note food pantries need our donations year round. Summer, when the kids are out of school and do not receive school lunches, is a time of urgent need. Thank you.

Excerpt from The Good Neighbors:

Gloria couldn’t pull Ethel out of the bathtub by herself. She remembered there was something about not moving a fall victim.  She couldn’t just leave her there. Her skeleton-like neighbor was lying splayed out in the tub. At least she didn’t land face down in the soapy water. Gloria pulled the plug and the water swirled down the drain. She wrapped a bath towel around Ethel and dialed 9-1-1 on her cell phone.  Thank goodness she had stuffed it in her pocket this morning.

“9-1-1. what is your emergency?”

“Yes, hello. My neighbor has fallen and I can’t get her up.” Gloria’s head ached and Ethel’s yapping dog was driving her crazy. “Hush, Buttons! Go on. Go on. Get out of here.” She shooed the little mutt away from her.    

Ethel moaned. She seemed to be coming to. “What the hell happened?” She blinked up at Gloria. “Dammit. Get me out of here. I’m okay. I’m fine. Dammit.” Gloria gently held Ethel’s hand, but when the determined woman struggled to get up, Gloria threw the phone on the floor and firmly grasped Ethel’s wrists to hold her down. This feisty eighty-four-year old lady was stronger than she looked.

“Stay there, Ethel. I’ve called for help. Just be patient.” Gloria couldn’t let go of Ethel nor could she retrieve the phone from the bathroom floor to keep talking to the 9-1-1 operator. She hollered Ethel’s address at the phone.

Trying to remain calm, she turned back to Ethel and asked, “Do you need another towel?”

Ethel’s eyes narrowed as she gazed full on at Gloria. “Let me outta here, Gloria. Dammit! I’m okay. Why’d you call 9-1-1? Are those first responder clowns going to show up here? Son of a bitch, I’m naked! I don’t want them to see me like this. Dammit to hell. Let me outta this tub!”

“Calm down, Ethel.” Still hanging on to Ethel’s thin wrists, Gloria made a mental note to herself not to ever pick up the neighbor’s newspaper out of the bushes and take it to the back door. She realized she would never have heard Ethel’s scream if she had ignored the paper.

“Where are you?” A woman’s voice called from the kitchen door.

“In the bathroom. Come on. Hurry. Ethel’s fallen and she shouldn’t get up, but she’s trying awful hard.”

Gloria was never so happy to see someone. Thank goodness it was her friend, Leslie. She was one of the first responders in their Florida retirement community of Citrus Ridge, a large park filled with double wide trailer homes, broad streets, golf course, and Florida palm trees.

“Dammit, Girl. Let me get outta this tub!” Ethel continued to squirm but Gloria held her down.

“Oh, my side, my side hurts. Shit.” Gloria felt Ethel stop resisting when the pain took over. The injured woman closed her eyes and wriggled her hand free to hold her left side, but continued muttering every blue word Gloria had ever heard in her life. Evidently Ethel’s ribs were more painful than the goose egg beginning to appear on the side of her head.