**eFestival of Words Women’s Fiction Winner**
Orphaned at a young age, Hallie Mediate was raised by her (slightly) crazy Great Aunt Grace on the wrong side of the tracks in Cincinnati. Hallie dreamed of escaping her hometown and never looking back. After putting herself through college, landing her dream job in Chicago, and starting a romance with her handsome running partner Bo Pompillio, life is finally exactly as she wants it.
That is, until she’s transferred back to the hometown. Not wanting her past to cross paths with her future, Hallie puts her relationship with Bo on hold.
When she arrives in town, Hallie finds crazy Aunt Grace rummaging through a dumpster looking for the “perfect” welcome home gift for her niece. That’s just the beginning. After that, Aunt Grace stays busy by dying her stolen poodle’s hair pink and leaving the dog on her apartment roof to pee, throwing bricks out the window at passing neighbors, and climbing every flag pole to kiss the ornamental eagle.
Hallie finds some sanity at a local jewelry-making class where she uncovers a hidden talent for beading. When her talent is discovered by a major department store jewelry buyer, Hallie realizes that what she had in Chicago might not have been her dream life after all.
When faced with the choice of moving back to Chicago and Bo or taking a leap of faith to start her own jewelry company (with Aunt Grace in tow), Hallie has to make a decision. Will she let her past and her future collide, or will she or keep searching for the happiness she may already have found?
Welcome to Normal, where NOTHING is normal.”Questions, Quarrels, & Quandary: A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 32″ invites you back to the heart of Kentucky’s Daniel Boone National Forest. The Cowgirl Campers, an all-women’s vintage camping club, roll into the Happy Trails Campground with their quaint campers, ready to indulge in the annual 127 yard sale and antique treasure hunting. But amidst the cozy camaraderie, a chilling event shatters the tranquility.
Local woman Etta Hardgrove, a consignor at the Tough Nickel thrift shop, catches the eye of a Cowgirl Camper with her distinctive jewelry. But when Etta is found dead, the Campers swiftly become suspects, mired in a town teeming with those who harbored ill-will against Etta. The mystery deepens, and no one can be trusted.
Meanwhile, campground owner Mae and her partner Hank have their hands full. Hank is preoccupied with a missing teenager’s case while Mae is entangled in wedding plans and premarital counseling that she’s not particularly invested in, much to the dismay of her friend Mary Elizabeth.
As whispers of suspicion turn towards the nomadic Cowgirl Campers, Mae, Dottie, and the intrepid Laundry Club Ladies embark on a mission to unravel the truth behind Etta’s untimely death. They dig deep into Etta’s past and scrutinize the traveling campers, all to ensure the safety of their beloved Normal, Kentucky.
From yard sales to murder trails, “Questions, Quarrels, & Quandary” delivers a captivating blend of cozy camaraderie, nuptial nuances, and mystery that will keep you guessing till the last page.
Welcome to Normal where nothing is normal.In the heart of the charming town of Normal, Kentucky, Mae West has patiently awaited her wedding day to Hank Sharp. Friends and family gather, the crisp autumn air carries the scent of fallen leaves, and laughter dances through the warm Southern breeze. Everything is set for a picture-perfect day, a celebration of love in a town nestled by the serene Daniel Boone National Forest.
But in the South, they say, “Mishaps at weddings are like the rain in April—unexpected but not unusual.” Just as Mae is about to say her vows, a bolt of lightning struck. The news hit like a tornado—literally—a young girl had been murdered, and a tornado has torn through the town, turning everything upside down, including the carefully laid wedding plans.
In a town where mysteries were as common as fireflies on an autumn night, Mae West and the Laundry Club ladies venture where others fear to tread, unearthing long-buried secrets and confronting a darkness that threatened to shatter the tranquility of their beloved Normal.
Another question is on everyone minds, will Mae and Hank finally tie the knot?
“Shucks, y’all! Sheriff Kenni Lowry is back and her life’s as twisted as a snake with a bellyache. A marriage proposal from the dashing Finn Vincent could mean a ‘happily ever after,’ but it also risks sending her ghostly Poppa to the great beyond for good. Can she reckon with love while keeping her spectral sidekick?
Just when you think Kenni’s plate is full, a murdered John Doe is discovered on the train tracks. Poisoned and unknown, this mystery man’s arrival stirs up a hornet’s nest in the heart of Cottonwood.
In ‘Heavens to Bribery,’ dig into a hearty helping of Southern charm, ghostly companionship, and a murder mystery as thick as Kentucky gravy. Strap in for a tale that’s more gripping than a bull rider at the rodeo, as Kenni races to uncover the truth behind this deadly puzzle.
