Hello Everyone! I am Gloria Hart. No, not a famous chef, a food network personality, or a dietitian. I am a snowbird, a Florida winter resident, married to Jim, a man who loves to garden. In fact because we spend summers up north and winters in Florida, my husband can grow vegetables for almost twelve months out of the year. We love our fresh veggies, but when the green beans are overflowing in the refrigerator and another bag of zucchini appears in the kitchen, I have to get creative instead of serving the same dish night after night. It’s fun to experiment and discover different ways of preparing these veggies. I share recipes with my friend who posts them on her blog, The Garden of Eatin’.
In fact, my author friend, J Q Rose, wrote a story about the frightening winter Jim and I experienced in Florida when so many of the folks in our retirement community died due to mysterious circumstances. There were many surprising revelations that winter. Rose invites you to read about mysterious and scary adventure in Sunshine Boulevard, a mystery e-book from Muse It Up Publishing.
If you are a new or experienced gardener, visit the Garden for Eatin’, a gardening blog, for helpful tips on practical vegetable gardening, products, book reviews, and recipes.
I hope you find these salads, main entrees, and dessert in my collection to be tasty additions to your family’s menus.
For more information about the e-book, Sunshine Boulevard, click on
Amazon.com or any online bookseller.
Blurb:
Who or what is killing the seniors on Sunshine Boulevard? Follow Jim and Gloria Hart, snowbirds who annually migrate to Florida for warm sunshine, fun, and games in snow-free winters. However this season, Jim Hart, a volunteer First Responder in his retirement community of Citrus Ridge, is drawn into the investigation of the mysterious deaths. Even in the midst of the unfortunate demise of the residents on Sunshine Boulevard, the Harts try to enjoy the winter with friends. They don't realize that their friends are getting together for their own kinds of affairs with each other. The neighbors are in a dither over the deaths, but perhaps more intrigued by the gossip about the affairs and why the naked lady was found lying in the geranium bed
Excerpt:
“Jim, Jim!” Gloria threw her keys on the kitchen counter and then stashed her mat and barbells in the hallway closet.
“Jim!” She called louder. He was not in the Florida room. She gingerly stepped from the kitchen to the carport. She darted into the attached shed housing the laundry room with storage in the front and Jim’s workshop in back. She walked through the workshop and out the door to the neat little back yard and found him watering their garden plot.
“Did you hear about George McDonnell?” Gloria shook her auburn hair, compliments of her favorite brand of hair color #118. Her clear blue eyes filled with tears.
“Yes, I heard.” Jim kinked the hose to stop the water flow and dragged it to the faucet on the back of the house. He slowly turned the tap to cut off the stream of water and dropped the hose to the freshly cut grass.
“How sad that he died alone. Oh, Jim, he wasn’t discovered for so long his body just ro...” She couldn’t say it.
“Gloria, come in the house. I have to tell you something. I don’t want the neighbors listening in on this conversation.” Gloria knew her husband of thirty-five years well enough to realize something wasn’t right.
As they stepped into the bright kitchen, Jim turned to her. Looking straight into her eyes, he said, “Royce called this morning. George’s death was peculiar. I guess, that’s what the Medical Examiner is saying.”
Jim was friends with the county M.E., Royce Williams. They worked together on investigations involving the First Responders Unit. Living in a retirement community, the Medical Examiner and medics were frequent visitors. An ambulance at a home was not a significant event at Citrus Ridge. It was part of life and death.
“Royce told us George’s body did not rot. It couldn’t have decomposed that quickly because Miss Lottie checked on him every day when she brought him the mail in the afternoon. She delivered it the day before he died. He was alert and talked about the weather.
“When Lottie called 9-1-1 at one o’clock yesterday, she was so upset she couldn’t even speak. They traced the call to her house. When the police arrived, she only pointed to George’s house.”
Jim stopped a minute. Gloria saw the anguish in his face. “They discovered George sitting in the living room in his recliner. His body was mustard yellow. His clothes were melted to his body. The odor was not a rotting smell, but rather like burning or scorching. In fact the fabric in the chair was charred. Ron was the first responder. He told me when he and the paramedics touched the body, it turned to powder.”
Gloria cried out in disbelief. She covered her face with her hands. “Dear God. What happened, Jim? What could have caused such a thing?”
“Ron arrived at the scene first. You know Ron. Always talking and telling greatstories.” Gloria remembered the usually fun-loving raucous Ron.
“Royce told me there was such a look of horror in Ron’s eyes. He was traumatized by what he saw. Ron told him he moved George’s wrist, and his hand fell making a pile of yellow ashes on the floor.”
“Dear God.” Gloria sat down at the dining room table feeling nauseous. Jim wiped his eyes. “I don’t know how Ron and Lottie will ever forget this nightmare.”
Please tell our readers where they can find your book and more information about you.
The e-book is available at Muse It Up Publishing Bookstore
Amazon.com http://tinyurl.com/4czwr6h
Bn.com http://tinyurl.com/4442b94
as well as at many online booksellers.
J Q Rose Website http://www.jqrose.webs.com
J Q Rose Blog http://www.jqroseauthor.blogspot.com
You Tube Book Trailer
The Garden for Eatin’ Blog is at
I read this book and I'll tell ya, it was a page turner. Thanks for sharing with us and I requested a copy of your recipe book.
ReplyDeleteYes...Sunshine Blvd is certainly a different side of Ms. Rose than anyone would expect. She's an amazing writer with an even more amazing heart. Mix talent with generosity? You get a wonderful and powerful experience. That defines J.Q. Rose.
ReplyDeleteThanks Roseanne..I love that page turner expression to describe my book.
ReplyDeleteKaren, you are a sweetheart. Thank you for your kind words.
Ginger, thanks so much for hosting Gloria today and helping me get the word out about this recipe collection. (I had a little difficulty earlier this a.m. getting in here. Glad it's okay now.)
Sounds creepy, JQ!
ReplyDelete(Not the recipe book - the mystery!)
Best of luck with the release!
Warmly,
Lisabet
Turned to powder? I'm definitely intrigued by the description of the body! I've heard so many good comments about your book I will have to buy it and read it.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisabet and Jenna, Yeah, the story is a bit scary..the recipes are delicious! Please email me if you want one.
ReplyDelete