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| Delightful holiday short story |
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?
This delightful holiday short story will tickle
your funny bone and question the idea of being good during the warmth and good
cheer of the holiday season.
Review from Amazon
Delightful short story, December 7, 2012
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This review is from: The Good Neighbors (Kindle Edition)
I wouldn't have believed that a retirement community in Florida would be a fascinating setting, with intriguing and fun characters. But J.Q. Rose's short story delivers exactly that--I also believe it is an excellent taste of her mystery novel, Sunshine Boulevard, with the same setting and characters, and if so, I'm certainly off to read Sunshine Boulevard! More, please.
Excerpt:
A booming megaphone voice jarred
the unsuspecting couple. “This is the police. Come out of the shed, Mr. and
Mrs. Hart. Come out now with your hands up.”
Jim dropped his screwdriver and
jumped away from the door. Gloria ran over to cling to him. What in the world is happening?
“Jim?” Tears welled up in Gloria’s
eyes. Her heart felt as if it were going to pound out of her chest.
The front door of the shed ripped
open and two policemen stood aiming their weapons at the frightened couple. At
the same time two armed policemen wielding their guns burst through the already
broken back door.
“Put your hands up and walk this
way,” one policeman demanded. Gloria and Jim’s arms shot up in the air, and
they started moving quickly toward the carport and out into the driveway.
“Officer, what is it? What’s
happening?”
“Please don’t talk now, Mrs.
Hart.”
Escorted by the policemen, Gloria
shuffled out onto the driveway holding her hands high above her head. She saw a
line of police cars up and down her street. I
don’t see our first responders or firemen among them, so I guess there is no emergency. Against the backdrop of outdoor
Christmas decorations, curious neighbors stood in driveways and yards up and
down the block.
“Just co-operate fully with us.
Okay, lay face down on the grass.” He motioned to the side yard.
“But, Officer, ….”
“Face down now, Mrs. Hart.” Gloria
saw one of the policemen train his rifle on her, so she dropped to the grass
immediately next to the candy canes lining the driveway and spread-eagled on
the lawn.
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If you can't wait until Friday to find out if you won, you can buy The Good Neighbors short story for 99 cents at amazon. All
royalties from the sale of the story will support local food pantries.
