Tag Archive for: Brianna Sullivan Mysteries

Excerpt from Summer Lightning in Lottawatah

/in /by

by Evelyn David

from Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Book 9 of the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries series

______________

“Cooper?”

The apartment door was ajar. “Cooper?”

I was yelling his name, partly because I was afraid, partly to
make myself heard over the thunder and the barking dog I clutched in my arms.

I reached inside and flipped the wall switch. Nothing. The power
was out.

“Cooper?”

Leon
struggled against me and managed to escape. He disappeared into the blackness
of the apartment.

Lightning flashed and for a few seconds I could see the living
room.

Cooper was standing in the center of the room, staring down at
something on the carpet.

The next flash of lightning revealed it wasn’t a something on the
floor; it was a someone.

“Cooper? What happened?” I took a few steps into the
room, pulling my cell phone out of my pocket. I felt something brush past my
leg. “I’m calling 9-1-1. Are you hurt?”

“Be sure to tell them he killed me.”

The raspy voice came from beside me and it wasn’t Cooper’s.

Instead of dialing 9-1-1, I started to call the Lottawatah
Police Department directly. Obviously paramedics weren’t going to be needed.

***

I didn’t finish my 9-1-1 call. Turned out Cooper’s landlady had
heard the gunshot and called the cops. A couple of seconds after I saw Cooper the
room was filled with flashlighted first responders and police officers. It felt
like the storm had moved inside the apartment.

Thunder kept booming, the sound waves shaking the apartment
building. I was standing just inside, near the open doorway. The rain was blowing
in from behind me. Except for where the beams from the moving flashlights fell
or when the lightning flashed, the room was pitch black. I kept trying to focus
on the location where I’d seen Cooper. He didn’t seem to be there anymore. He
hadn’t said a word since I’d entered the apartment. The whole scene had the
quality of a nightmare. I was ready to wake up.

Officers in raincoats circled me as though I wasn’t there. I ventured
a few steps farther into the room. That was a mistake. I was finally noticed,
my invisibility cloak deactivated.

The officer I often jokingly refer to as Barney Fife physically removed
me from the scene. He took hold of my arm and pulled. He wouldn’t even let me
look for Leon
before rushing me through the pouring rain to his patrol car. It wouldn’t have
taken me long to find Leon, the bulldog was probably hiding in the closet,
buried under whatever dirty clothes that Cooper had tossed on the floor last. I
tried to explain that to Barney Fife. I tried to tell him that I needed to
bring Leon
with me, but he ignored me. I guess I’m lucky I wasn’t put in handcuffs.

To punctuate the surreal quality of the scene, Barney Fife put
on flashing lights and a siren for the few deserted blocks to the small town police
station. Without a word, he locked me in one of the two sparsely furnished
interview rooms. I noticed that the police station had electricity. Apparently
the power outage didn’t extend to Main
Street. Maybe the boom I heard wasn’t a gunshot,
just a blown electrical transformer.

No. That was just wishful thinking. It was a gunshot. I was sure
of that. And there was a body on the floor and a ghost talking to me, although
the last fact would probably not be admissible in court.

My clothes and hair were soaking wet from the rain. The wooden
chairs were just as hard as I remembered from my first visit to the Lottawatah
Police Station just after I arrived in town.

I sat there, staring at nothing in particular. My thoughts were
jumbled. I didn’t know if Cooper had been hurt. Had someone tried to rob the
apartment? Had a criminal come after Cooper seeking revenge? Who had been in
the apartment?

I pushed my dripping hair out of my face. I noticed my hands
smelled like the wet dog I’d recently handled.

“Do you want some coffee?”

Chief Harlan Bell was standing in the doorway. How long had he
been there? I hadn’t heard him come in. Was I losing my mind? How much time had
passed since the shooting? Minutes? Hours? No, not hours.

“Is Cooper okay? Will you tell me what’s going on?” I
asked the question but knew I wouldn’t get an answer. The man didn’t like me in
the best of times. This certainly wasn’t the best of times.

“Beverly
is bringing you some dry clothes. Did someone read you your rights?”

“Am I under arrest?” Surely by now Cooper had
explained to his boss what had happened. And whatever that was, it must have
been self-defense. And besides, why would I be under arrest. I hadn’t killed
anybody. I didn’t even own a gun.

Chief Bell just stared at me. I noticed he had a plastic cover
over his Stetson. I didn’t realize they made rain covers for cowboy hats.

“Is that a new hat?” It seemed I couldn’t process more
than one thought at a time. Is this what shock felt like?

He shook his head. “Old hat. Do you want a lawyer?”

I needed something, but it wasn’t a lawyer.

“I think I’d like that coffee now.”

To read more purchase a copy of Summer Lightning in Lottawatah
Kindle – http://tinyurl.com/briannav9K      
Nook –  http://tinyurl.com/briannav9N

Smashwords – http://tinyurl.com/briannav9Smash

Also for a limited time only the first 4 ebooks in the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries series are being offered as a boxed ebook set for only $5.99 (half of what buying the books separately would cost).
The Ghosts of Lottawatah

Kindle
– http://tinyurl.com/LottawatahGhostsK
Nook – http://tinyurl.com/LottawatahGhostsN


Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah– Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Summer Lightning in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Trade Paperback  (exclusive to Amazon for 90 days)
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Closer – Close to the End

/in /by

Tonight, the first of the last six episodes of The
Closer airs. The TNT detective show is a classic ensemble show with quirky
characters who work together to solve a crime each episode. Even after seven
years, the show has a fresh, modern feel with interesting camera angles,
well-thought out costumes, and the use of music giving some crime scenes a
“music video” element.

I’ve watched the show from the beginning.  Brenda Leigh Johnson is the main character.
In novels, she would be the “point of view” character. In the first
episode she appears in the Los Angeles Police Department as the new
“Deputy Chief” of a major crimes unit. Originally from Atlanta, and CIA-trained, Brenda
has a reputation as a Closer – in other words, she gets confessions that lead to convictions

Conflict is built into her appointment – the
detectives who report to her resent an outsider coming into the department and
grabbing a coveted supervisory position, others in line for the job feel
cheated and work to undermine her, and her new boss, Assistant Chief Will Pope who
was someone with whom she’d had an affair some years back while working in
D.C., is less than helpful in smoothing her transition. It took several seasons
for her to establish good working relationships with her team of detectives –
trust came very slowly.

Over seven years Brenda has done what any good
character does – she’s grown and changed based on experiences that the audience
has shared with her. She married her FBI friend Fritz and we attended the
wedding and the not so smooth ever after. She learned to drive in L.A. and find her away around, much like she learned to navigate the L.A. Police Department. We became acquainted with her foibles
– her use of chocolate to self-medicate during times of stress, her oversized
purse (a security blanket substitute in my opinion), and her distain for sugar
coating the truth. We learned to like her, but it wasn’t automatic.  A loner, she never wanted a pet but was
forced to take one that came with a dead hooker’s house. Finding affordable
real estate in L.A. was a problem so as soon as the crime scene tape came down,
Brenda moved in. She fed the cat but refused to name it – her attempt to keep
from getting attached. It didn’t work. Over the years “Kitty” gave
Brenda the unconditional love she craved. When the cat neared the end of its
life, Brenda finally admitted just how much emotion she’d invested in the animal.

The next six weeks will be interesting. Will the
“mole” in the department be revealed? Will Brenda continue to deal
with the fall-out from the “Shooting Newton” murders and her role in
the murder of the killer? Will she and Fritz decide to have children? Will her
father recover from his thyroid cancer or will that be the reason for Brenda
leaving L.A.?

I can’t
believe I’m the only one who’ll be sorry to say goodbye to Brenda Leigh
Johnson. The character, along with the actress who played her, broke a lot of
glass ceilings in the female detective realm. She solved crimes while dressed
in designer heels, flouncy skirts, sweater sets, and wide brimmed hats. She was a good shot, but never overpowered a suspect physically. She really did “fight like a girl” and only survived by outwitting her opponents and with the help of her team. Brenda did the best she could with what she had.

I guess it’s too late to invite her to join the Stiletto
Gang.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

————————–

Zoned for Murder – Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Trade Paperback


Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Ghosts of Lottawatah – trade paperback collection of the Brianna e-books
Book 1 – I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries (includes the first four Brianna e-books)
Book 2 – A Haunting in Lottawatah (includes the 5th, 6th, and 7th Brianna e-books)

Sullivan Investigations Mystery
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords – Trade Paperback
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Good Grief in Lottawatah

/in /by

Excerpt from
Good Grief in Lottawatah
Vol 8
Brianna Sullivan Mysteries series

Chapter 1 –
“The Dead Make a lot of Noise.”

In case you missed the front page story in Friday’s Lottawatah Herald or didn’t visit the
Shear Artistry Hair Salon on Saturday or failed to listen to local radio host
Mutt Jeffrey’s call-in segment this morning, let me tell you the big news that
has this small Oklahoma
town abuzz – I’m engaged to Lottawatah Police Detective Cooper Jackson.

Yes, engaged to be married. I know, you never thought I’d make
such a big commitment. Frankly, I’m a bit stunned myself. And before you can
ask, no I’m not pregnant. Cooper proposed to me while I was in the hospital in Tulsa, recovering from a
gunshot wound I received in early November. Granted I was on heavy drugs at the
time and the memory of actually saying yes to his offer of marriage is still a
little fuzzy, but I’m sure this is the right decision. I’m almost positive.

“Brianna? Is that you? Come on back to my office, I’m on
hold with a casket supplier.”

I realized I was standing just inside the Myers Funeral Home,
the door chime still ringing. Today was the first day of my new job. Doc Joseph
Myers, mortician, fisherman, and as needed, coroner was my new boss. I had no
clue what my employment entailed. Of course I’ve spent most of my life without
a clue. I’m Brianna Sullivan and I’m a psychic. And yes, I should have a clue.
And no, that’s psychic spelled with an “ic” not an “o.”

***

It’s noon now. I’ve been on the job four hours. Okay,
three-and-a-half since I was late. Cooper dropped me off at his friend Denny’s
garage. My vintage Mustang convertible was road worthy–barely. Denny had been
working on the car off-and-on for almost a year. The good citizens of
Lottawatah had finally chipped in and paid my outstanding balance at the garage
as sort of a reward for my actions in finding a missing child or maybe as a
reward for exposing a murderer in their mist. Either way, I was happy to have a
second set of wheels to drive around town. My other mode of transportation is
Matilda, my 30-foot motor home. I love Matilda but I don’t like driving her
around Lottawatah. Right now she’s parked out at Lake Eufaula
and I stay there when I’m not keeping Cooper company at his apartment in town.

Doc Myers, who said he had already made a house call (yes,
that’s what you think it is),  showed me
around the funeral home before he left for his regular Monday lunch at Tiny’s
with his Lodge buddies. I’m not sure which Lodge or even if there really is a
Lodge anymore since I think this lunch has probably been happening since before
I was born.

But back to my job-I was given a nice desk, a chair on rollers
that spins, a phone with two lines, and a desktop computer that I haven’t yet
figured out how to turn on.

Doc told me my title was director of sales and public outreach.
As far as I can tell that means I answer the telephone, take messages, and
serve coffee and Kleenex to family members when they come in to pick out
caskets and make funeral arrangements.

“Good Morning, Myers Funeral Home. How can I help
you?”

“Are you going to the apartment during your lunch hour to
walk Leon?”

“Hello to you too, sweetheart. Is the magic already
gone?”

“Brianna, I’m at the scene of a three-car pileup with a
fuel spill. I don’t have time for magic.”

“Yet you took the time to worry about Leon‘s bladder. I’m touched.” Leon
was the bulldog I had inadvertently inherited. He has a grumpy disposition, a
sensitive digestive tract, a penchant for chewing on leather couches, and I was
devoted to him. Cooper less so.

“Right. Just take care of your dog. I don’t want any more
accidents to clean up,” Cooper said. “And don’t forget to call my
mother and set up a dinner.”

I hadn’t forgotten. I was hoping something would happen to
prevent me making that call. Maybe a natural disaster. Hey, we get a lot of
those in Oklahoma.
Last year there were two ice storms, a blizzard, a flood, three tornadoes, a
drought, and then 60 one-hundred degree days in a row. Just when I thought I’d
experienced all that Oklahoma
had to offer; last month there was an earthquake that knocked down an old brick
tower in the Miner’s Memorial Park, located in the center of Lottawatah. Odds
were that something else would happen if I could just delay making that call.

“Cooper, there’s a lot of static on the line. I didn’t hear
that last part. See you tonight!”

“Brianna, call–”

Okay, yes, I admit it. I hung up on him. He doesn’t understand
that my relationship with his mother is unpredictable. A couple of months ago,
she really hated me. Then hate sort of morphed into grudging tolerance. When I
was in the hospital, she was very kind. I thought we were really bonding. Then
the engagement happened and Sassy Jackson chilled up fast.

“Could I get a moment of your time?”

Startled, I glanced up. The elderly man in front of me was polite,
but not alive.

“Do you have an appointment?” Okay, I knew the answer
to that question before I asked it but really, I was going to have to set some
boundaries or the walk-ins would run me ragged. And of course there was Leon‘s
bladder to consider.

“My viewing is tonight and I wanted to warn you that my
wife and my brother will probably get into a shouting match if you don’t keep
them separated. He thinks she only married me for my money.”

“How long have you been married?” I was guessing he’d
married a younger woman and his family hadn’t approved.

“Fifty years come June,” he answered, sitting down
uninvited on the chair in front of my desk. “But my brother isn’t one to
change his mind. He’s been waiting for Emma to leave me, so he could say I told
you so.”

Fifty years was a long time. I don’t know if I could conceive of
living with Cooper for fifty years. What would we find to talk about after all
that time?

“I’ll make a note for Doc.”

Before I even finished my sentence he was gone.

I grabbed my purse and the set of keys that Doc Myers had given
me. I had an hour for lunch and about a dozen personal errands to run. I didn’t
have to be psychic to understand that having an 8-5 office job was going to
interfere with my normal routine.

Just before I walked out the front door, I stuck my head in the
three viewing rooms and let everyone know that I’d be back by one.

According to Doc, the viewings were generally set from 3 to 7
pm. Doc assured me that he’d handle the after-5 stuff. People in Lottawatah ate
early and liked to be home in front of their television or in bed before it got
dark. So the evening visitors were few and far between.

Today, although it was barely noon, there was already quite a
crowd gathering in one room. I could try to run them off, but these visitors didn’t
pay much attention to clocks, policies, or locked doors.

Not only the living attend funerals.

__________________


Zoned for Murder – Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Replacement Pizza

/in /by

Choosing a blog topic is not easy for me.  I’ve been thinking for a couple days about what might be interesting or fun to write about. And I have to admit to coming up dry. I’ve got the television turned on, looking for ideas. Watching “Finding Bigfoot.” I’ve always been fascinated with that subject ever since I was a small child looking at the Patterson film of “the” or maybe “a” creature tromping through the woods. Something very mysterious about unknown creatures and the search for them, and everyone knows I love mysteries.

It’s Sunday afternoon and I’m pondering topics – other than Bigfoot.

I’m a little rusty at writing a blog, two times out of three, my co-author Marian writes the blog. But this time it’s my turn and she’s busy with other things.

Hang on a minute. Be right back.
Sorry about that. I had to answer the front door and pay the pizza guy for my delivery. I got a large, thin crust pepperoni and pineapple pizza with extra sauce. (I got the large because there was a sale on the large, plus I can eat the leftovers for breakfast.) I also ordered two bottles of 2-liter diet Pepsi for pretty much the same reason. The delivery guy forgot to bring the second bottle. Sigh. He’s going to the nearby grocery store to pick one up. I feel a little bad about that – he’ll probably have to pay for it out of his tip. But again, maybe next time he’ll read the order more closely and get bigger tips. I’m probably doing him a favor. Right.

As I take the first bite of pizza and consider what to write, I discover that instead of “extra” sauce I got “no” sauce. Double sigh.

I don’t like complaining, but I can’t eat this pizza.  I waited tables through college and worked part time at Wal-Mart on the weekends for years – I know about people who complain just to complain. I know how hard service people work for very little compensation. I normally don’t send stuff back.  But I would really, really like to have what I paid for.
So, hold on just another minute please, while I make the phone call.
I’m back. They’re sending another pizza. They offered me a free pizza next time or another pizza now. Since I ordered the pizza because I was hungry now, I declined the future pizza gift certificate which wasn’t really a “gift” certificate since I paid for it already.

Anyway, order guy said it will be about half an hour, so I have time to chat with you.

Have you noticed that there seems to be a growing problem with service people getting food orders correct? Especially fast food orders? I’m beginning to think it’s a reading comprehension problem. I ordered my pizza via the internet, so the store had the order in writing. The receipt I signed when I paid the delivery guy had the correct items listed including the extra sauce and the “2” sodas – but neither the delivery guy nor the person who made my pizza – read the order correctly. What are the odds? You’d be surprised how often they get it wrong.

Even going through McDonald’s drive through for my week-day morning Egg McMuffin and coffee, it’s a toss-up (see how I avoided using the appropriate curse word) of what I’ll get in the little white paper bag and paper cup. Once last week I got an Egg McMuffin without the egg. And in my coffee (here’s where my co-author starts laughing), I like 4 Equals and 4 creams in a “large” plain, fully caffeinated coffee. Only 3 times out of 10 do I get what I order. Usually they short me Equals. Sometimes they leave out the cream. Or I get the “We’re out of large coffee cups, do you want a medium?” Of course I know that won’t work out right. How do I know how much Equal or Cream I need for that size cup? And how much of each will they actually put in? Maybe 3 each? Three would require less math. I know – I should just find somewhere else to get my coffee. But I still have hope. McDonalds has good coffee.

But back to my premise. When there was more human interaction and less computer generated orders, you were more likely to get exactly what you ordered. True or False? And when you find you didn’t get what you ordered, do you send it back or just complain in private?

Doorbell is ringing. My replacement pizza is here. Sigh.

I’ll probably tip the delivery guy. Sigh. I’m such a pushover.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

p.s. – the replacement pizza had the normal amount of sauce on it – not the extra I ordered. I guess I’m just going to have to switch to frozen pizza – or maybe make it myself. No, probably not.
____________________

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Missing in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Good Grief in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle (Exclusive at Amazon this month)
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Moonlighting at the Mall (short story) – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Creating Lottawatah, Oklahoma

/in /by
Despite what readers from eastern Oklahoma believe, Lottawatah, Oklahoma doesn’t exist except in the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries series. I’ve given several library talks concerning the reluctant psychic stuck in a small town, adjacent to Lake Eufaula, just south of Interstate Highway I-40. Everyone thinks they know exactly where it is, some are certain that they’ve been there.

But, really guys, Lottawatah doesn’t exist. I made it up. Well, sort of. There is a road named “Lotawatah” (note: we changed the spelling so we’d have deniability in the case any angry Lotawatahians showed up, offended and seeking compensation for the pain and suffering our portrayal of his/her road had allegedly caused.)

Anyway, the real Lotawatah Road intersects I-40 a few miles west of the lake. Anyone who has driven I-40 east from Oklahoma City to Ft. Smith, Arkansas has seen the road sign. I’ve driven by it hundreds of times. I loved the name, I loved saying the word. And believe me, if an author loves something, it’s going to show up in a book.

My co-author and I have written seven Brianna Sullivan Mysteries. (Yes, seven, the last one, Missing in Lottawatah, is going to be born later this week. It was a long, difficult pregnancy, and at one point we feared we’d need drugs and metal forceps to get it out, but it’s done.) The first book in the series, I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries, had psychic Brianna stopping in Lottawatah for gas and fried pies – not in that order. A ghost hopped in her motor home, begging for her help with a kidnapping. Brianna made the mistake of trying to convey that information to the local police, met the surly but handsome Cooper Jackson, and the rest is history.

Creating the town of Lottawatah was done one or two businesses at a time per book. As you leave I-40 and drive into Lottawatah proper, you’ll pass by Tiny’s Diner. It’s your typical small town diner; abeit a little more rundown than most.

Good EATS…World Famous Apple P…rust Me. The diner hadn’t had any glory days, even in its glory days. The linoleum was butt ugly when it was first installed, maybe 30 years earlier. Flecks of brown on a tan background. Maybe the idea was to hide the dirt…it wasn’t working. I slid onto the cracked red vinyl stool at the Formica counter and looked expectantly at the guy with a stained t-shirt, standing behind the counter.

I ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a piece of their world famous pie, then surreptitiously rubbed the grease from the menu on my jeans. I briefly wondered if they sold wine, but decided that a healthy glass of Maalox would be the perfect beverage to accompany my dinner.

The next place Brianna visited was the Lottawatah Police Station.

I shifted on the chair and finished the last stale peanut in the cellophane bag I’d purchased from the station’s only vending machine. 10 pm. I’d been waiting more than three hours. Most of the police force, all 8 of them if you include the secretary and maintenance man, had been marching in the Fourth of July parade over on Main until about an hour ago. I’d been stuck with the pregnant staff sergeant whose swollen ankles precluded her joining the Independence Day celebrations.

Even in a small town, a girl has to go somewhere to get her roots touched up and find clues about whodunnit. Sheer Artistry Hair Salon was just the place.

Margo stole a side glance at Sunny, before turning back to me. “Candy and I had a little chat while she did my nails this afternoon. She mentioned you’d been asking around about me and Martha. You’re a smart woman Brianna. Sheer Artistry is the place to go to find out where all the bodies are buried.” Darn, Beverly. Between her and Candy, the women were unstoppable gossip machines. The whole town probably knew my business.

Since Brianna arrived in Lottawatah in her motor home, she needed somewhere to park it and a part-time job to cover expenses. She found both at a resort on Lake Eufaula.

Ghost or no ghost. Cooper or no Cooper, it was time to get to work. I pulled on my uniform, a pair of khaki shorts and a green polo shirt, with LEC in block letters next to a pine tree and a fish. I thought it suggested that the area was full of dead fish lying next to trees, but Jack Fulsom, the owner, testily informed me that I was missing the high concept nature of the design. High concept my behind! But in exchange for a free full hookup for Matilda, and a commission for every time-share sale I made, I was more than willing to sing the praises of this new, promising condo and cabin lakeside resort. And that meant wearing the cheesy t-shirt. I walked out of air-conditioned Matilda into air so thick you could chew it. The sales office was down a pine-canopied path near the water. I might be getting a free hookup for Matilda, but I wasn’t getting a lake view.

Jobs in Lottawatah don’t last too long. By February, Brianna was working at a new job and our fictional town of Lottawatah got another new business.

If I was late for my job at Pearl’s Soak and Spin one more time, I’d be unemployed and would almost certainly have to hit the road in search of gas and food money. Lottawatah’s economy, if it ever had one, had crashed long before the rest of the nation. Jobs, as Miss Pearl had reminded me, didn’t grow on trees.

Even though Tiny’s Diner was the local hotspot, every town needs more than one place to eat.

By the time Will Dobson let me answer the phone, we’d pulled into the local barbeque joint’s parking lot on the edge of Lottawatah. Actually you could be at one end of town and almost see the city limits on the opposite side. Will Dobson had decided that we were going to get on I-40 and head west towards Oklahoma City. The shortest route was right through Lottawatah.

Will just laughed as I struggled with the dog. He didn’t notice I snagged my cell phone off the truck floor during the fracas. Outside, I bent down, like I was going to set the dog on the ground, but instead I ran, Leon under my arm like a furry football. I managed enough for a first down before sliding out of bounds under Arnold–the six foot high concrete pig, beloved mascot and icon of the Pig Palace Barbeque Joint. Will Dobson got off one shot. Arnold lost his manhood, but Leon and I just kept sliding until we buried up in a snow bank.

That’s all the time (and word space) that I have for our short tour of Lottawatah. To learn more, check out the books. Or you can take that exit off I-40 and see if you can find it. I dare you!

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Sullivan Investigations Mystery – e-book series
Murder Off the Books Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Murder Takes the Cake Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries – Excerpt

/in /by

I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries, Vol. 1 of the Brianna Sullivan Mystery series by Evelyn David, contains two novella length stories – the title story, I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries and Buried But Not Dead in Lottawatah. The following is an excerpt from the first story.

I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries
Just say “no,” especially to ghosts.

Sometimes the voice in my head is mine, sometimes it’s not. Today it’s not.

There he goes again.

“Trust everybody, but cut the cards. Trust is a two-lane street and you’re on a one-way path. Love all, trust a few.”

“Shakespeare?” I took my eyes off the road long enough to glance around the cab of my motor home. So far my guest was just a voice. “Shakespeare. Who was the first one from? Kenny Rogers? And I think you just made up the second one.”

Silence reigned.

“So that’s all I get? Some quotes about trust?” That’s my lesson for today from beyond? The old geezer doesn’t have to tell me about trust. I try not to trust anyone who is still inhaling oxygen on a regular basis. Of course, ghosts aren’t saints either. They generally don’t lie outright; just stretch the truth to suit their purposes.

Who was my messenger today? And who didn’t he want me to trust?

****

It was late and I was tired. The lights from a diner flickered in the distance. “Good EATS…World Famous Apple P…rust Me.”

It took me a second to realize that some important lights in the sign had burned out. It took me another second to wonder if I was getting another message. Regardless, I needed a break.

I slowed down and pulled into the parking lot. Plenty of potholes and ruts and an old flagpole flying a tattered flag. It was Fourth of July weekend and I was happy to find anyplace open. Judging from the empty lot, it didn’t look like many people shared the owner’s belief in the tasty delights he was offering.

That was okay. Gave me more room to park Matilda, my 30-foot mobile home. I know. No need to name your mode of transportation, but I like to personalize things. I call my television, Burt; my cell phone, Juliet. Yeah, quirky is my middle name.

After I got sick a few years ago, I quit my job with the airlines. Let me tell you, those last few months, no one, and I mean no one, was better at finding lost luggage. My supervisor actually cried when I left. Cried. Big rolling tears and everything. Didn’t matter though. I’d made up my mind to travel and use my new skills to benefit more than the roaming public. A permanent vacation. But one that involved keeping both feet on the ground, or rather pavement.

I packed my bags, sold my house, cashed in some stock I’d inherited, and bought this home on wheels. Am I rambling again? Probably just hunger.
The diner hadn’t had any glory days, even in its glory days. The linoleum was butt ugly when it was first installed, maybe 30 years earlier. Flecks of brown on a tan background. Maybe the idea was to hide the dirt…it wasn’t working. I slid onto the cracked red vinyl stool at the Formica counter and looked expectantly at the guy with a stained t-shirt, standing behind the counter.

I ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and a piece of their world famous pie, then surreptitiously rubbed the grease from the menu on my jeans. I briefly wondered if they sold wine, but decided that a healthy glass of Maalox would be the perfect beverage to accompany my dinner.

Scooting across a couple of stools, I grabbed some copies of the local newspaper, which were stacked next to a Lions Club recycling box for used eyeglasses. It had been a long time since I’d seen one of those. There was a Kiwanis banner hanging on the wall. I’d also noticed a March of Dimes jar near the cash register when I’d entered. Small towns were notoriously big on civic groups and charities and writing about who was doing the most good works.

I loved reading these weekly journals. Fresh, honest journalism about the things that really matter to people. Reading the local papers was the quickest way I’d found to get to know the people in the communities I was traveling through, up close and personal. I mean if I just wanted to see things from a distance I would be flying my way across country, if I didn’t hate to fly, which I do. If God had wanted me to fly with the birds he would have pasted a few feathers on my ass.

Traveling in Matilda lets me stop where I want whenever anything of interest strikes my fancy. And Lottawatah, population 1,452 according to the sign I passed a half mile back, was a hotbed of…drive-by mailbox graffiti, if the lead editorial in last week’s newspaper was any indication. In a strongly-worded statement, the editors decried the lack of respect being shown the postal service by defacing the mailboxes. Damn straight. There was also a full listing of the holiday activities planned for Sunday, which was actually Independence Day.

I glanced at the headlines just as the counter guy flung my dinner down in front of me. The cheeseburger actually bounced a little, not a bad way to drain off some of the grease. I patted the rest off with my napkin.
“Blood, Body, But No Booty Found.” I liked this editor. He had a righteous sense of indignation about mailboxes and a good sense of the dramatic about what I gather was the town’s first bank robbery. I dipped my fries into the mountain of ketchup I’d squirted on my plate. Ketchup can fix just about any dish.

The crack police department of Lottawatah had already solved the murder case, although it appeared that the bank’s $200,000 was still missing. They’d arrested Dwight McIntyre, 24, son of the President of the Lottawatah Farmers Savings and Trust, Frank, and grandson of the bank’s founder, the late Victor McIntyre. A photo spread of the three men at a charity golf outing was splashed across the bottom half of the front page.

Savings and Trust. Damn. The photo told me more than I wanted to know. I threw some money down on the counter and headed for Matilda. It was time to get the hell out of Dodge, or rather, Lottawatah. I didn’t know Dwight or his dad, but I sure knew Victor. He of fortune cookie wisdom. I needed to get out of that town before my heartburn kicked into high gear or Victor had any more advice.

****

I backed Matilda out of the parking lot and headed down the highway. I fiddled with the radio until I found a classic rock station. A little sweet baby James Taylor always soothed my nerves.

“Golf is a game where the ball always lies poorly and the player always lies well.”

“Get out.” I knew it was stupid to tell a ghost to get out because they’re pretty much out already. But I was tired of listening to Victor and his cryptic comments. And I hated golf.

“The uglier a man’s legs are, the better he plays golf–it’s almost a law.”
“Okay, that can’t have anything to do with your grandson and the murder, right? Now you’re just trying to annoy me.”

“He didn’t do it.” The voice of doom echoed off the insides of Matilda.
He was trying to intimidate me with the Charlton Heston act. He’d have done better with a telemarketer spiel. I have the hardest time hanging up on them. Just doesn’t seem polite.

“Are you listening to me? HE DIDN’T DO IT!”

“Dial it down a notch, will ya? Why should I believe you?”

“Why not?”

Good question, because I did believe him. I wondered if I would have believed him if he sounded like Daffy Duck. Yeah, it was the voice that closed the deal. Like Moses coming down from the mountain.

“Okay, but I’m going to need a little information.” I figured it was time for Victor to be practical. If he wanted to help his grandson, he was going to have to give me something to work with.

“Tell the police not to trust the big cat.”

“Cat? Sure, that’ll go over well. Nothing like a psychic talking to the police about cats.”

“Tell them.”

I could barely hear him.

A cold wind came rushing through the cab of the motor home.

“Wait! Victor! Damn. What do you expect me to do with that?”

Silence.

“Okay! Just be that way. See if I care. It’s your grandson.”

I was at the edge of Lottawatah. A peeling sign bade me farewell. I could just keep moving down the highway and nobody would know any different. If Dwight McIntyre was innocent the police would figure it out–without any help from me. The traffic light turned red, then green, but still I didn’t move. Nobody would believe me. I’d get laughed out of the police station.
I let out the clutch and started forward, then braked. The photo from the front page of the newspaper was stuck to Matilida’s dash, with …. I looked closer. Some kind of…Blackberries. It was blackberries from my untouched pie–or at least untouched by me.

Lucky nobody else was on the road. Otherwise those 180-degree maneuvers get tricky. I headed back into town. I’d pass on the info about the big cat, then leave. I’d give Victor that much. He’d saved me from at least 300 calories.

****

I rubbed my forehead. It was late and I was tired. The chair seat was like a rock and my thirty-five-year old tailbone was protesting the abuse. I glanced at my watch. Almost two hours since I’d walked into the police station. Most of that time I’d been sitting on this torture device. It was my own fault though–I’ve never been able to say no to a ghost.

Okay, that’s a lie. I have said no to several whose idea of a good time was scaring the you-know-what out of some of their relatives–a high-spirited sort of revenge from beyond the grave thing. I’m smiling. Yes, I know you can’t see me.

By the way, I’m five ten, long blonde hair, and I have a model’s figure.
Okay. Some of that’s not true.

Don’t laugh.

Maybe most of that’s not true. But that’s how I see myself and that’s the important part. It’s all in your attitude. And hey, I do have blonde streaks in my hair. I put them there myself.

Like I said, or maybe like I intended to say since I’m aware that I have a tendency to ramble, I’ve never said no to someone who needed my help, not if they stuck around long enough to hear my answer.

Are you still there? Of course you are. I’ve also been told I’m fascinating. Maybe not as often as I’ve been called irritating, but I prefer to dwell on the positive. I have certain abilities that are in great demand by people in transit–the ones who got off the outbound bus because they have unfinished business and those stubborn ones who never intend to purchase a ticket.

By the way, I’m Brianna Sullivan and I’m a psychic. And this chair is a pain in the butt.
_______

For More – check out the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries e-book series. 

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
***New – Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake- Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books- Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Happy Labor Day

/in /by

 

Check Out Evelyn David’s Books! 

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
***New – Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake- Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books- Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Taking A Chapter from Lottawatah Twister

/in /by

Excerpt from Lottawatah Twister by Evelyn David

Sassy Jackson said all the right things but she and I both knew the truth. She’d rather have her teeth pulled and run naked through the ladies auxiliary meeting at the First Baptist Church than have me hiding out at her house.

Sassy’s real name was Sylvia but no one called her that. Having accidentally poisoned her with shellfish at an earlier social event, I’d finally gotten to know both her and her husband, Wayne, over Thanksgiving. In fact I’d met Cooper’s entire extended family, including a few dead ones, that holiday. Sassy wasn’t one for believing in ghosts. God, Satan, and perhaps angels were as far as her concept of reality would stretch. You can see why she’d have problems with a “so-called” psychic dating her favorite and only son. I think she’d been hoping that Cooper would lose interest and she could write me off as a bad memory.

After a hot shower and a set of clean clothes, jeans and a t-shirt that probably belonged to Katie, Cooper’s younger sister, I felt almost human again. Katie didn’t live with Sassy and Wayne but she spent a lot of time at the family farm. I was under orders to hide in the attic if she showed up. I got along with Katie okay, but she couldn’t keep a secret. And my being alive was supposed to stay a secret for as long as possible or under Cooper figured out who was trying to kill me.

Over a bowl of stew and several pieces of the best cornbread I’d ever eaten, I tried to make conversation with Sassy.

“Is Aunt Ida here?” Ida was actually Cooper’s great-aunt. She lived at the farm but I hadn’t seen her since Cooper dropped me off looking liked a drowned rat. I’d bet money the house slippers I was wearing were hers. They were all I could tolerate on my blistered feet.

“No.” Sassy started cleaning the stove and the pot she’d reheated my stew in. Guess I wasn’t going to get seconds. I wrapped my arm around my half-finished bowl and grabbed another piece of cornbread before the plate holding the crusty stuff disappeared too.

“Visiting someone?” I really did need to know if the old lady was coming back soon. Cooper hadn’t given me any instructions about his great-aunt but I needed to decide how much to tell her.

Sassy sniffed and glanced at the apple clock on the wall. “She’s in San Antonio with her Red Hat group. They’re supposed to be touring the Alamo and other historic sites. But from what she’s said on the telephone, the group is spending a lot of time drinking margaritas on the River Walk and complaining about the pigeons. She won’t be back until next week. Surely all this fuss will long be over with by then.”

What she meant was that I’d be home or dead by then. “Thanks for your hospitality. I’ll try not to get in your way while I’m here.”

Sassy gave me another look and I pushed my empty bowl towards her. It went into the dishwater and was cleaned and drying in the wire drainer in seconds. “I need to get supper started. Wayne will be coming home soon. We eat dinner at 6 pm every night.”

I took a look at the wall clock. It was almost 5. Perhaps I shouldn’t have filled up on cornbread, but having missed lunch and after burning a zillion calories getting out of the well, I’d been starved. She’d taken pity on me and reheated some leftovers. One thing I had to give her, Sassy Jackson was an excellent cook.

“Would you like some help?” I was only asking to be polite. Sassy might put me to work on the cleanup crew, but she wasn’t going to let me do any actual cooking.

She tried to smile but it ended up looking more like a grimace. “Why don’t you rest awhile? Cooper said you’d had quite an ordeal.”

_________________

 

Want to read more?
Check out the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries e-book series. 

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
***New – Lottawatah Twister – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake- Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books- Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances
Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Enjoy the Holiday!

/in /by

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake- Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books- Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances

Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Books on My Kindle

/in /by

My co-author Marian received a Kindle for Mother’s Day. I’ve had mine since last December – a combination birthday and Christmas gift. Last week I purchased two ebook mysteries from Amazon, hoping to find time to read them. As I downloaded the ebooks, I thought The Stiletto Gang readers might find the current titles on my Kindle interesting.

Of course the first books I put on my Kindle were those by Evelyn David. I mean charity always begins at home, right? I have all five of the Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – you can see those listed at the bottom of this post with handy buy links. I also have our Sullivan Investigations mysteries – Riley Come Home, Murder Off the Books and Murder Takes the Cake (also see below for buy links). And our romance short story collection – yes, we’ve written some love stories! One of the stories in the collection, Pipe Dreams, was published in Woman’s World (and yes, we’ve got a buy link below – we are nothing if not prepared to make it as easy as possible for our readers to find our books).

These are the non-Evelyn David ebooks I have loaded on my Kindle:

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Secret of the Scroll by Chester Campbell
Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell
Love You More: A Detective D.D. Warren Mystery by Lisa Gardner
Live to Tell: A Detective D.D. Warren Mystery by Lisa Gardner
The Neighbor: A Detective D.D. Warren Mystery by Lisa Gardner
The Confession: A Novel by John Grisham
South Riding by Winifred Holtby
Down the Long Hills by Louis L’Amour
Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane
Christmas Mourning by Margaret Maron
The Reincarnationist Series by M.J. Rose
Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Steward

Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson is a brand new novel and author for me. I haven’t started the ebook yet, but I love the title. Sometimes I do buy books mostly because the title intrigues me. Isn’t that a great title? Other titles that have caught my attention over the years: A Bad Day for Pretty, If I’d Killed Him When I Met Him, and She Walks These Hills.

I downloaded The Secret Garden because I’d never read the children’s book and it was free. Never discount the allure of “free.” Only thing is, I’ve had the book five months and still haven’t read it. Secret of the Scroll was also offered as a free download by the author, Chester Campbell. I’ve read Chester’s posts on the listserve DorothyL and appreciate his humor. I haven’t read his book yet, but I will.

I’ve read all of Patricia Cornwell’s “Kay Scarpetta” novels and read Port Mortuary during Christmas. I enjoyed it, but miss the “Kay” of the early novels in the series. I read those books several times each. I’d never consider rereading the later ones. Now I’m just along for the ride. I want to see how the series ends. I have all the other books in hardback, but buying the more economical Kindle editions will make me feel a little better about my continued investment in the series.

I received a couple of the Lisa Gardner “D.D. Warren” ebooks for Christmas and got hooked. I found the mysteries tightly written and loved the main character. I need to get the rest of the books in the series. I just purchased her latest, Love You More, but haven’t had a minute to read it yet. I’m saving it as a reward for when my co-author and I finish one of the several writing projects we have in progress.

John Grisham is one of my favorite authors. The Confession was very good and up to the high standard of the other Grisham books. My favorite of his is still The Client. The movie made from it was good, but the book was better. The book is one that begs to be read aloud. Grisham’s choice of words delivers the nuances of the southern location and characters perfectly.

I searched out South Riding by Winifred Holtby because I’ve started watching the current PBS series and enjoying the plot. I suspected that although the series was based on the novel, much had been edited out. The original print version has 500 pages, so even with the convenience of having the book on my Kindle, it might take me awhile to read it. I’m hoping this isn’t a case of the television series being better than the book.

Down the Long Hills by Louis L’Amour was a book I read in my early teens and wanted to reread. It’s a western, but it’s also a wonderful tale of a young boy’s survival after a wagon train massacre. He and a toddler make their way with the help of a large red horse.The book was just as good as I remembered.

I purchased Moonlight Mile by Dennis Lehane about four months ago and had trouble getting into it. But I loved Gone Baby, Gone so I will try again when I’m less distracted. Maybe during summer vacation.

Christmas Mourning by Margaret Maron is a fine installment of her Deborah Knott series. I own all of them and can’t wait for the next.

The Reincarnationist Series by M.J. Rose was also a free download. I haven’t started it yet. This is also a new author for me.

Letters of a Woman Homesteader by Elinore Pruitt Steward was the basis for one of my favorite television movies. The 1979 movie, Heartland, starred Conchata Ferrell and Rip Torn. In 1910, Elinore Randall, a widow, and her seven-year-old daughter travel by train to Wyoming to create a new life for themselves in the west. Elinore has a job as a housekeeper and cook for a lonely, taciturn rancher, but she has dreams of her own homestead. I’ve seen the movie more than a dozen times. I didn’t realize it was based on a real person until I found the ebook earlier this year.

When I started this blog post, I thought it was going to be a short one. Sometimes I forget that before my co-author talked me into writing a novel, I’d spent 40 years reading just about everything I could get my hands on. I love books. And obviously I like talking about them.

Rhonda
aka The Southern Half of Evelyn David

Brianna Sullivan Mysteries – e-book series
I Try Not to Drive Past Cemeteries- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Dog Days of Summer in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
The Holiday Spirit(s) of Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
Undying Love in Lottawatah- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords
A Haunting in Lottawatah – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

The Sullivan Investigation Series
Murder Drops the Ball (Spring 2011)
Murder Takes the Cake- Paperback – Kindle
Murder Off the Books- Paperback – Kindle
Riley Come Home (short story)- Kindle – Nook – Smashwords

Romances

Love Lessons – Kindle – Nook – Smashwords