SOMETIMES PEEPING AND EAVESDROPPING PAYS OFF
by Debra H. Goldstein
Have
you ever felt someone is staring at you in a public place? Or maybe, you
thought the person at the next table in Starbucks is listening to the private
conversation you’re having with your best friend? You’re probably right. Of
course, if you’re a writer, you’ve probably been the one doing the peeping or
eavesdropping. I know I have.
As I
write this, I’m sitting in an airport waiting for a delayed flight. In the main
terminal walkthrough, left of where I’ve plopped to wait for my plane, a rather
rotund man, the lines of his rugby shirt making his stomach seem even wider
when contrasted to the tiny badge dangling against his midriff, is standing
three steps up a five-step green ladder trying to reset one of those giant TVs
that constantly blast news and advertisements at travelers. To my surprise, it
appears the reset button he is fiddling with is exactly like the one I push
when my husband falls asleep on the remote and wonders why our home power
connection to his favorite television show isn’t working right.
The
reason I’m staring at this man and wondering what other high-level maintenance
jobs he does at the airport is that I don’t want to turn around. There is a
coach, in a blue shirt with a National Science Bowl emblem on it, admonishing
three students whose seats back up to mine.
I snuck a peek a few minutes ago, but don’t dare look back again. He
wasn’t smiling as he bent near the boys, who wear the same shirt as him. Each
student appears to represent a different nationality. All seem like typical
teens – earbuds and either a telephone or some other handheld device. He’s
telling them “I expect you to act appropriately. You represent the school and
yourselves. We’ll talk about this more when we get back, but in the meantime
….”
I wait
until he leaves them sitting there before I glance backwards. He’s moved a few
seats from them and still is glaring in their direction. One has popped his
earbuds back in his ears and one is playing with his phone, but the third boy
is sitting rigid, staring at an unseen object straight ahead of him. The side
of his mouth facing me is frowning. Is he being wrongfully accused of
something? Being put in a position to take the fall for someone else? The
guilty party? Mad at the coach? Guilty for what he did? I don’t know.
What I
do know, is both the maintenance man and the boys and their coach have given me
gems of ideas that may end up in stories. That’s the beauty of being a writer –
we can take the things we see and hear and make up the most bizarre things
about them. Sometimes, we even get paid for our embellishments. What more can
we ask?
That’s
proven to be the case for me. I hate to cook. In fact, I rarely make anything
from scratch. Having felt the tension of preparing food for company or viewing
the disasters of some of my attempts at feeding our family has provided me with
more than a few things to befall Sarah Blair in my new Kensington series (One
Taste Too Many; Two Bites Too Many).
Excuse
me, if I don’t write more now. Another plane just landed, and one is getting
ready to take off. I’m not sure what stories those arriving or embarking will
spur, but I bet the lady holding a purple wallet who is wearing flip flops,
green skin tight Danskin pants, a multi-colored muumuu top, and has a scrunchy
holding a pony tail that reaches to her waist will end up being filed away in
my brain for a future story or book. Have you observed anyone or anything
lately that would be perfect for my writing?
About Two Bites Too Many
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (September 24, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
ISBN-10: 1496719484
ISBN-13: 978-1496719485
Digital ASIN: B07MB4779P
Far from a domestic goddess, Sarah Blair would rather catch bad guys than slave over a hot stove. But when a dangerous murder boils over in Wheaton, Alabama, catching the killer means leaving her comfort zone . . .Things are finally looking up for Sarah Blair following her unsavory divorce. Settled into a cozy carriage house with her sassy Siamese cat, RahRah, she has somehow managed to hang on to her modest law firm receptionist job and—if befriending flea-bitten strays at the local animal shelter counts—lead a thriving social life. For once, Sarah almost has it together more than her enterprising twin, Emily, a professional chef whose efforts to open a gourmet restaurant have hit a real dead end.When the president of the town bank and city council is murdered after icing Emily’s business plans, all eyes are on the one person who left the scene with blood on her hands—the twins sharp-tongued mother, Maybelle. Determined to get her mom off the hook ASAP, Sarah must collect the ingredients of a deadly crime to bring the true culprit to justice. But as neighbors turn against her family, can she pare down the suspects before another victim lands on the chopping block?Includes quick and easy recipes!
REVIEW
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
What an adorable cozy this is! Sarah is settling into the carriage house and her role as cat guardian. Things are also moving on the new business plan with her sister though there seems to be a glitch with the loan. Her mom recruits her to go to the bank to look into what is going wrong. They have to fix it before the Council meeting to help get the permits approved. The problem is that the president of the bank turns up murdered before it gets fixed with mom as the main suspect. What follows is a quirky and sometimes hilarious investigation to clear her name. Full of characters you can both hate and love mixed with surprises and good times. Makes for a great read that you won't want to put down. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
What an adorable cozy this is! Sarah is settling into the carriage house and her role as cat guardian. Things are also moving on the new business plan with her sister though there seems to be a glitch with the loan. Her mom recruits her to go to the bank to look into what is going wrong. They have to fix it before the Council meeting to help get the permits approved. The problem is that the president of the bank turns up murdered before it gets fixed with mom as the main suspect. What follows is a quirky and sometimes hilarious investigation to clear her name. Full of characters you can both hate and love mixed with surprises and good times. Makes for a great read that you won't want to put down. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
About Debra H. Goldstein
Author Links
Website http://www.debrahgoldstein.com Blog http://www.debrahgoldstein.com/blog
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DebraHGoldsteinAuthor/
Twitter @DebraHGoldstein
Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/debra-h-goldstein-72473a11/
GoodReads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4906340.Debra_H_Goldstein
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