Without further delay, here’s the link to pre-order the eBook version of Bleeding Heart Librarian.
The eBook will be available this Tuesday, May 6.
I hope you’re excited to return to Texas and follow Emma Justice on her next adventure.
Getting Real
Author: Jackie Layton
I love God the creator of all things. I live on the coast of South Carolina and write cozy mysteries. I'm a wife, mother, and Gigi.
A Day in the Life of Emma Justice
Who’s Emma Justice? She’s the main character in A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery Series. She’s the amateur sleuth in Weeding Out Lies, Clover Covered Corpse, and Bleeding Heart Librarian (Soon to be released.).
I’d love for you to visit Dru’s Book Musings and get to know Emma better by spending the day with her.
Here’s the link: https://drusbookmusing.com/emma-justice/
Thanks! See you there!
Deadly Badlands Pursuit
Sharee Stover is back with a new romantic suspense, and if you enjoy romantic suspense, you don’t want to miss Deadly Badlands Pursuit.
It’s the second book in the Dakota K-9 Unit series.
A K-9 team has a witness to defend…and a murderer to track.
When Deputy US Marshal Gracie Fitzpatrick checks on a government witness, she unexpectedly walks into an ambush at Cameron Holmes’s ranch. She and her K-9 partner, Bane, fight off the assailant—but to protect Cameron, they must escape into South Dakota’s treacherous Badlands. Tracking dangerous enemies is what Gracie does, and Cameron’s life in witness protection has left targets on his back. With a killer waiting in the shadows, Gracie and Cameron must work fast to uncover the truth about who wants him dead…if they want to stay alive.
Here’s an order link: https://tinyurl.com/
Smoky Mountain Escape
If you enjoy romantic suspense, be sure to check out Rhonda Starnes upcoming release, Smoky Mountain Escape.
Two killers on the loose and threats around every corner…
Sheriff Heath Dalton accidentally stumbles upon two gunmen trying to hide a body in the Smoky Mountains and barely escapes with his life. And when traveling nurse Kayla Eldridge finds herself stranded in the stormy wilderness with Heath, she now has a target on her back. They must work together to navigate the treacherous terrain and evade the criminals who are tracking their every move. Can they outrun their merciless hunters before they both lose their lives?
Here’s a buy link: https://amzn.to/3Xbfbuh
Hairless Hassles
Ruth J. Hartman’s back with Hairless Hassles
The story focuses on Mobile Cat Groomer, Molly Stewart. It starts with Molly visiting Lottie and Florence who are octegenerians and cat owners. The two ladies live in houses next door to each other and their Sphynx cats are sisters from the same litter. After Molly bathes the cats, they, and Molly’s
own two cats who accompany her to pet visits, take off running for a spot between the two ladies’ houses. The cats come across a dead body lying in the tall grass. It’s a local woman,
Carlotta Sykes, a nail technician. And she’s been stabbed in the neck with a nail file.
The local sheriff believes Florence and Lottie must be guilty. But Molly wants to prove they are innocent. She involves her boyfriend, friends, the postman, and people who live in the community.
You won’t want to miss the latest book by Ruth J. Hartman.
Hairless Hassles will be available April 15.
Bleeding Heart Librarian
The third book in A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery Series will release on April 29, 2025. I’m so excited and I want to share a little about this story.
Emma Justice is friends with the local librarian and brings her extra flowers once a week. On a hot July morning, when people are gathered outside the closed library past opening time, Emma calls the police. The librarian’s body is found in the building and beside the body is a pink and white bleeding heart plant.
Tess Carranza was a lovely person dedicated to children and patrons of the library in Lutz, Texas. Tess recently confided to Emma about her fear someone was using the library to gather information to commit crimes. Emma didn’t get the entire story from Tess before her death, but now she’s determined to stop the crime and catch Tess’s killer.
And, for the cover reveal. I am so thankful to Shawn Reilly Simmons and Level Best Books for this beautiful book cover! Thank you!
Stay tuned for more exciting details in the days ahead.
Think about lovely things
I don’t think anyone will argue that we’re living in challenging times. I don’t believe we should ignore what’s happening in the world, but we shouldn’t obsess over it.
One reason I enjoy writing cozy mysteries is because despite a tragedy, there’s a community of people who care for each other. This is true for the characters in the stories as well as cozy readers. I also like solving puzzles and it’s fun to read and write mysteries.
This is one of my favorite verses, “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8
What’s your favorite way to deal with stress? What’s your favorite escape?
I hope you have a wonderful week, and I’m looking forward to hearing how you handle the stress of the world.
The Writing Process
I have a deadline coming up next week. It’s for the third book in An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery Series, Killer Secrets.
One thing I have struggled with in the past is timelines. So, I check and double-check to make sure the timing is right.
I have an editor at Level Best Books who goes through my story for developmental edits and redline edits. Still, when I turn it in, I want it to be as polished as possible.
Getting a book cover is one of the fun things. I’ve been blessed with great book covers, and it’s always exciting to see what the publisher has created.
After a cover is chosen, you get Advanced Readers Copies. Then, you get your author copies near the release date.
Do you have questions about the writing process? Feel free to ask in the comments or via social media.
I Love My Readers
Because I love my readers, I’m participating in We Love Our Readers Giveaway.
The giveaway runs February 10-16.
I’ve included a copy of The Con, Book Two of An Organized Crime Cozy Mystery Series.
The killer believes Kate has incriminating evidence, and she must solve the mystery before she’s next on the hitman’s list.
If you want to enter the giveaway, here’s the link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf5492/?
If you win, you’ll get twenty-five ebooks and a $50.00 Amazon gift card.
Good luck, if you enter.
If you haven’t read The Con yet, and don’t want to wait, here are some links to order it.
Amazon ebook: https://amzn.to/3AzR6nO
Amazon paperback: https://amzn.to/4fYAhmR
Kobo: https://binged.it/3Z1bB73
Kobo Canada: https://binged.it/3XhE8Ee
B&N ebook: https://bit.ly/3MiI41g
B&N paperback: https://bit.ly/3Mjsfr2
Bookshop.org https://bit.ly/3ZnGqTh
I do love my readers. Thanks for your support!
White Pelicans
In January, a local weatherman mentioned white pelicans had arrived in our area. Today, we just experienced the joy of spotting two white pelicans at our beach. People stopped and watched, and it was fun!
In the winter white pelicans visit Florida, but they can also be found in southern California and along the Gulf Coast states. In the summer adult white pelicans breed in colonies on lakes in western Canada and the northwest U.S.
The white pelicans feed from the water’s surface, dipping their beaks into the water to catch fish. I actually witnessed one of the pelicans dip his head into the water, lift it up, and swallow a fish. Brown pelicans were diving into the water to get their food, but the white pelican swam and ate.
The white pelicans are huge. I looked it up and they have a nine-foot wingspan! As we left the beach, we ran into a couple debating if it really was a white pelican. The man said they are not supposed to be in the Atlantic Ocean, especially in February. We told him he wasn’t wrong, but somehow, there they were.
It’s interesting how something as simple as white pelicans showing up unexpectedly can bring strangers together.
I hope you have a wonderful week, and I hope you find something amazing to connect you to new people.
Jackie Layton 