Showing posts with label paranormal mystery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal mystery. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Who or What is Killing the Seniors on Sunshine Boulevard? #MFRWhooks

Book Hooks Blog Hop #MFRWbooks


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. (#MFRWbooks) Each participating blogger shares an excerpt from a novel. I'm featuring my paranormal suspense, Terror on Sunshine Boulevard. Hope it will give you smiles and chills.

You're invited to
 c
ome on along to visit authors sharing their books with you. The link to the list of participants is at the end of the page. Have fun!


Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose
Paranormal Suspense

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 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?

Excerpt: Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose

The entire community buzzed with the news about the strange death of George McDonnell. The Tampa newspapers reported it in the regional sections and the radio station interviewed local officials and the county health department on the situation.
Until the cause of death could be determined, those who were in the house on the afternoon of the discovery were quarantined. Not knowing what kind of disease, poison, or accident killed the poor man, authorities were not taking chances to allow a possible outbreak. Police were brought in to guard the house twenty-four hours a day to keep sightseers from the danger of whatever or whoever was in or around the property.
There were many curiosity seekers. Even Mr. Tweeble drove his electric wheelchair over to the McConnell residence. His little dog, Jingles, barked and whined, refusing to go within a block of the place. He finally picked up the feisty terrier and put it on his lap to drive past the house. The dog jumped off and raced the other way until he was brought up short on his leash. He howled until his master turned the cart around and left the area.
* * * *
“Jingles! Jingles! Hush up, will you? It’s three o’clock in the morning. You’re going to wake the neighborhood with your barking.”
Jingles produced the most pitiful howling Mr. Tweeble ever heard.
Fearing his dog was sick, Mr. Tweeble rolled himself out of bed, fumbled putting on his glasses, and shuffled into the kitchen. Using the night light in the hood vent over the old stove to see the dog, he discovered the animal scampering back and forth near the back door.
“Jingles, come ‘ere, boy. Are you sick?” Mr. Tweeble picked him up and gently held the dog close to his chest. He switched on the ceiling light so he could see the precious face he dearly loved. He checked Jingles’ brown ears and his brown and white furry body for any injuries, and then cradled him to his rotund belly.
“It’s all right, little guy. Come on. Come on to bed with me. You must want to go out to chase a rabbit, eh?” As he slowly shuffled his way back to his bedroom with the dog, he wondered what was wrong. Mr. Tweeble made a mental note to check behind the couch for an “accident” in the morning.

He lay down on the rumpled bed and enfolded the trembling dog in his arms. Suddenly Jingles wriggled free and sprang up barking non-stop. He leaped from the bed and raced out of the room. A flash of searing yellow light filled the bedroom blinding Mr. Tweeble, and the smell of his own scorched flesh burned his nostrils.
***
Available in Paperback at Amazon and in ebook formats at major digital retailers.
Click here to order at these online booksellers.
***
Birthday Gift for YOU
Image by Holger Grybsch from Pixabay 

Birthday Gift for YOU: I celebrated my birthday this past weekend and I want to keep the celebration going.  So let me send you a PDF copy of Terror on Sunshine Boulevard.  Then you can leave a review on the amazon and/or Goodreads site. A new book to read for you AND a review for my book. Now that's a great birthday gift!

If you would be interested in reading this paranormal mystery and writing an honest review for it, I will email the PDF format for your reading pleasure to the first ten readers who request the copy. Offer ends on Sunday, June 2 at 11:59 pm ET. But there is no deadline to write the review!
Thank you for your consideration.

My email address is jqrose02 at gmail dot com.



Click here to visit bloggers who are participating in the Book Hooks Blog Hop. Enjoy meeting new authors and visiting your favorites. 

Thanks for stopping by.

Monday, November 26, 2018

#Giving Tuesday: Use Your Head and Your Heart for Giving, End Alzheimer's

Hello and welcome to the Focused on Story blog.


Focused on Story by J.Q. Rose
What is Giving Tuesday?
Giving Tuesday #GivingTuesday is on Tuesday, November 26, 2018.  According to Wikipedia Giving Tuesday is always the Tuesday after the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. This movement "was created as an international day of charitable giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season. Giving Tuesday was started in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation as a response to commercialization and consumerism in the post-Thanksgiving season."

When I think of giving to an organization, I assume the gift would be a monetary donation. But according to the Giving Tuesday website, a person can also give of their time, goods, and their voice. 
End Alzheimer's Disease
Today I'm using my voice through my blog to bring awareness to fight Alzheimer's Disease, "the only cause of death in the top 10 in America that cannot be prevented, slowed or cured", according to alz.com. I'm sure you have known someone in your family or a dear friend who suffered from this disease. You have seen him or her deteriorate because AD has ravaged their brain. So many of those who lost a loved one because of this disease remark that they lost the person way before death took the victim.

The Alzheimer's Association states that "Alzheimer's is an epidemic worldwide." Click here to read the facts that back up this statement. 

The Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s® is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funds for Alzheimer’s care, support and research.  Click here if you would like to join a team in your area to participate in the next walk.

I lost my friend and mentor to AD. I hated to see how she suffered and how her family and friends felt helpless to comfort her or make her better. 
Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose
Paranormal romantic suspense

A handsome detective, 
a shadow man, and a murder victim
 kill Lauren’s plan for a simple life.

I wanted to raise awareness of the disease, so I included a character suffering from AD in my romantic suspense novel, Deadly Undertaking. She is the mother of the main character and plays an important part in the story.

I have pledged to donate the royalties from the October through December sales of this book to fight Alzheimer's Disease. But you don't have to buy my book to donate money or offer your time and voice to this organization. Please help any way you can.

Thank you. I hope this blog post has raised your awareness and concern about this disease.
***

Use Your Head and Your Heart for Giving
Giving is a good thing, but not everyone who is asking you to give is good. Scammers will try to take advantage of kind hearts. It's important you use your head as well as your heart to make a wise decision to support an organization that will make the best use of your dollars. So, please, whatever charity or person you choose to support, talk to your friends about it or research online to make sure the money or time you give will be used toward actually making a difference in their stated mission.

I use Charity Navigator to find out about groups. I especially like to know what percent of the monies donated are spent on administration fees. 

Other sites recommended by the "New York Times" are GuideStar and BBB Wise Giving Alliance. Click the highlighted names of the sites to research charities and help make your choice no matter what time of year you wish to make donations.




Tuesday, December 5, 2017

IWSG Blog Hop: What I Would Have Done Differently in 2017, Announcing Mystery/Paranormal Book Release in December

Hello and welcome to the J.Q. Rose blog. 
Time for the monthly meeting of the Insecure Writers Support Group(IWSG) blog hop! 

Internet Writers Support Group Blog Hop
First Wednesday of every month.
What is IWSG? Founder of the  Insecure Writer’s Support Group and author Alex J Cavanaugh explains the group's purpose is "to share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!" You're invited to become a member of this supportive group.

The group blogs the first Wednesday of every month.  The list of bloggers is always available so you can hop around to the author blogs filled with humor, advice, and thought-provoking topics on writing and publishing. You can find the list of participants at Alex's IWSG page. I hope you'll take some time to visit the diverse list of bloggers.

IWSG Question for the Month

Question: As you look back on 2017, with all its successes/failures, if you could backtrack, what would you do differently?

When my publisher, Books We Love Publishing, accepted my mystery/paranormal novel in June, I knew had a release date in December. Did I finish up the manuscript and send it right in? No, I didn't. 

I worked on the story most of the summer with my fabulous writers group. But I dilly-dallied putting it all together. It was a scramble for me to get it in on time to have a pre-order page for the book ready. 

Did I get the images and the promotion material ready so I could shout about the new release? No. I'm working now on images in canva and planning out the promotions/marketing. 

I guess I'm a procrastinator and need that extra surge of having a deadline to meet to get me motivated. How about you?

To answer the question, yes I would have done it all differently--finish the manuscript right away and make plans for promoting earlier. 

December 15 is the release date for Terror on Sunshine Boulevard. Today, I'm thrilled to reveal the book cover by Michelle Lee and the info on this re-release plus of the original novella, Sunshine Boulevard with my friends at IWSG.
* * * *
Terror on Sunshine Boulevard by J.Q. Rose
Mystery/paranormal
Rescuing a naked woman lying in a geranium bed or investigating mysterious murders 
are not the usual calls in a Florida retirement community for volunteer first responder Jim Hart.
First Responder

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?

Now available to pre-order at 





Thursday, October 16, 2014

Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing: Heather Fraser Brainerd Shares Her Light Bulb Moment, Giveaway




Hello and welcome to our series, Romance and Mystery Authors on Writing. Our "tipster" author today is Heather Fraser Brainerd.  She's giving away the winner's choice of one of her e-books: Deception Al Dente, The Sound of Sirens, Dream Shade, or Shadows of New York.  Please leave a comment to be eligible for the drawing on Sunday at 9 p.m.

Hello Heather. Thanks for participating in this series.       
Can you  share a “light bulb moment” about your writing experience?

My brother Dave and I were each working on our own writing projects a few years back. While discussing our work, we came to the sudden realization that we should write something together. I told Dave about a character I’d created: Josie Cates, an irreverent, funny, fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants kind of private investigator. The next day, Dave emailed me the opening of Deception Al Dente. I let my imagination loose on Josie’s world, and Dave did the same. We received our first publishing contract less than a year later. The book grew into a series. Dave, Josie, and I are still going strong.

I never expected to have a writing partner, but it’s what works for us. Sometimes you have to come at your writing from a totally unexpected direction in order to get results.
# # # #


Paranormal mystery
Back of the book:
Having left the dull life of workers’ comp insurance behind to strike it out as a private detective, things aren’t going well for Josie P. Cates. Her new career isn't as exciting - or lucrative - as she thought it would be. As her bank account dwindles, her first major client finally walks in the door. Chef Marco, a successful local restaurateur, hires Josie to find out who's skimming money from his business. It doesn't take long for Josie to discover that things at Bistro Italiano aren’t what they seem. Secrets seem to cling to Chef Marco like splattered marinara sauce. With the help of friends both old and new, Josie unravels a case that takes her from the bistro to the world of deadly dark magic. At least it keeps things from being too boring.

Amazon Buy link: 
# # # #

About Heather:

Heather Fraser Brainerd is a multi-published author and a renaissance woman. After earning a degree in Anthropology, she embarked on an incongruous career as a workers’ compensation insurance adjuster. She rapidly climbed the claims-handling ladder before surprising
her colleagues by leaving the high-powered world of lumbar strains and carpal tunnel syndrome to run a child care center. Thousands of dirty diapers and gallons of strained peas later, she decided that maybe the insurance industry wasn’t quite as bad as she remembered. Unfortunately, it was. Fortunately, a few years later, she met the most wonderful man in the world. Now a stay-home mom to three amazing boys, she is able, at long last, to focus on her writing. She works in a variety of genres, including paranormal mystery, Young Adult paranormal romance, and Middle Grade fantasy. Heather lives in New York with her family and their crazy pug/terrier.


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