My Girl by Dr. Quig Quigsly
You may think my nickname of Quig is an odd choice but it’s way cooler than my given name of Octavian Henry Quigsly IV. Thanks for keeping the string alive, Mom and Dad. My great grandfather actually went by Octavian, but his son was called Tavy. My dad goes by Henry. So I am very happy about Quig, though I am expected to carry on the family legacy one day when I have a son.
All of the men with my name have been coroners, though not always in Savannah where I reside. I followed family tradition as I grew up in morgues and realized I have an affinity for the work. I love discovering what the dead tell me in their autopsies. Not the woo-woo kind of telling, but the forensic evidence show and tell. I am a man of facts and science.
From the days of my first pocket protector and dark-framed glasses, I never paid any attention to the other kids. I always had my mind set on two prizes. Becoming Chatham County’s coroner and marrying the woman of my dreams, Tabby. We met as children, and I fell hard for her. She was such a beauty, even then, unlike her sister who loved to tease me. But Tabby Winslow, she was The One.
When I told my dad I’d found her, he was both astonished and elated. We didn’t have to keep moving to find my mate. We’d gotten lucky in Savannah. Tabby and I were both in elementary school then, with me in third grade and she in first. One of my favorite things to do was to give her piggyback rides. She loved it as much as I did, and it helped move us toward my Grand Objective: her with me forever.
You see, Quigslys have a family secret or two, and it’s imperative we mate with the right person. We know the right person on sight, then its up to us to convince our target that they want to be with us. Dad explained right away what I had to do, and the more times I touched Tabby, in a respectful way of course, the better my odds of keeping hold of the perfect woman.
My education took me away from her for months at a time, but there was always a welcome-home hug waiting for me when I returned. I lived for those hugs. But when the big romance didn’t happen in our teens and early twenties, I worried about technique. What wasn’t I doing right? So I dated a few women. They liked that I worked out and had a healthy bank account. In fact once I landed the coroner job, I had to beat them off with a stick. When a building in Tabby’s block of cojoined buildings came up for sale, Dad bought it for me, figuring proximity would move things along. He was right.
Finally, a few months ago, Tabby noticed my romantic interest, and I rocketed out of the friend category to become her steady boyfriend. She thinks I’m a nice guy, and I am to her, not so much to the boys and men that came sniffing around her. I let them know very strongly that she was mine, and I fought the ones that didn’t understand that message. Some people might think this was overkill, but I had to watch out for her. She is both my salvation and my future.
She’s my everything. She’s totally into the family candle making business she now co-owns with her twin sister. People say on the sly that her family are witches. I don’t believe the rumor, but I know Tabby is a woman of power. Her energy literally completes me. My energy makes her stronger in an intangible way, so we’re a perfect match.
My life is nearly perfect. Tabby is in my bed more nights than not, and I’m living my dream life. Next step is to convince her to marry me and bear my son. I hope I can hold off until she says yes, but the need to reproduce is riding me hard. Dad says it was like that for him too. He and Mom are two peas in a pod, and now Tabby and I are unofficially that way. I’m ready to be official and marry her, but Tabby isn’t. Heck she’s been dragging her feet about moving in with me. She calls us “friends with benefits,” but it’s more to me than that. In the good news category, I’m touching her almost every day, and she keeps coming back for more. I’d say our future looks very promising, though if you see her, put in a good word for me.
About Snuffed Out
Twin sisters Tabby and Sage co-own a candle shop, but will it all go up in flames in Valona Jones’ series debut, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Bailey Cates
30-year-old fraternal twins Tabby and Sage Winslow own The Book and Candle Shop in Savannah. Sage is hot-headed and impulsive while Tabby is calm and collected, making them the perfect partnership. When one of their customers is found murdered, from a blow to the head, that partnership is put to the test.
Blithe McAdam had been seen in a heated argument with shop clerk Gerard, which immediately makes him suspect number one. The twins are convinced of Gerard’s innocence and start digging into Blithe’s past. But no one is cooperating. The neighbor who found the body isn’t talking, medical examiner Quig won’t give any details about the autopsy, and nasty rumors begin surfacing about the drowning of Blithe’s father years earlier—evidence that could seal Gerard’s fate.
Tabby and Sage dig desperately for the truth. But it’s not only their friend who’s in peril. With the clock ticking, the twins find themselves in the grip of an unseen and deadly energy that has seeped into their midst—and in the sights of a ruthless killer.
About Valona Jones
Valona Jones writes paranormal cozy mysteries set in Southern locales. Her work blends mystery and the unexplained, along with a sprinkle of romance. A former scientist, she’s drawn to the study of personal energy. She sharpened her people-watching skills as a lifelong introvert and thankfully had a bank vault full of personal observations when she began to write fiction. Her forthcoming release, Snuffed Out, A Magic Candle Shop Mystery, is slated for January 10, 2023, release. She’s a member of Mystery Writers of America and Sisters in Crime. She lives in coastal Georgia, where time and tide wait for no one. Visit her at https://valonajones.com
Thanks for posting Quig's Character Blog. I hope everyone won't think poorly of him now because he's just being himself. Thanks also to Books A Plenty Book Reviews for hosting Snuffed Out here on it's Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour. I hope your blog readers enjoy the post and I hope they'll also check out the A Magic Candle Shop Series. Thanks again! Maggie aka Valona Jones
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