Join the writers at http://mfrwbookhooks.blogspot.com and find some great books to explore. Mineis the last book in the Katherine Miller - now Claybourne mysteries.
Lars is her new husband. He loves Katherine but doesn’t understand why she’s always trying to protect her near and dear. Even though she saved his life while visiting him in Santa Fe, he often questions her involvement in other people’ lives.
Into their lives arrives a new neighbor, Sabrina Gates. Sabrina bought the house next door. She has had a phenomenal success as a new author but moes from her past and present threaten her peace and ability to write. There is the blogger who posts snide and not so nice posts about other authors. Sabrina’s former agent wants a share of the huge amount of money Sabrina has received for a trilogy. And there is her ex-husband, a needy greedy coward who wants money.
Above all there is Robespierre who makes his presence known.
Excerpt:
Several days later, I spent time in the garden tending to
the mint beds. Megan and Rose Prairie played with a ball on a string.
Robespierre sat on the walk in his Sphinx position watching the pair. Did he
yearn to play but felt such was beneath his dignity? A smile brushed over my
lips when I wondered if he felt his age kept him from playing.
A moving van rolled down the street and backed into the
driveway of the house next door. Several minutes later, a bright blue
eco-friendly car parked on the street. A tall blonde wearing jeans and a white
tee with some slogan I couldn’t read left the car. I couldn’t see much of her
face because of the large sunglasses and baseball cap bill forward shading her
face. She walked with a bounce. My new neighbor promised to be interesting.
The movers emptied the truck, carrying a modest amount of
furniture. A bedroom set, a living room ensemble, a kitchen table and chairs
and an office set-up. There were a number of boxes.
While watching the movers, I collected a variety of mint
leaves and pulled weeds from the bed.
“Hungry, Grandma Kate.” The small girl planted herself in
front of me.
“Is it lunch time all ready?”
“My tummy says yes.”
I clasped her hand and held my laughter inside. She
scooped Rose Prairie into her arms. She wouldn’t be able to carry the
half-grown cat much longer. Robespierre ambled after us. The moment we entered
the house, he dashed to his bowl in expectation of being fed. Rose Prairie
wiggled from Megan’s arms and joined her relative. Megan’s pet had learned his
kin’s behavior.
Megan giggled. “They’re silly.” She shook some dry food
into their bowls and ran to the powder room. I assembled a peanut butter and
jelly sandwich. A glass of milk, apple slices and two chocolate chip cookies
finished the meal.
She returned and sat at the table. “What are you doing?”
I had taken a basket from the pantry and placed it on the
counter. “Making a welcome basket for our new neighbor.”
“Can I come, too?”
“Yes.” I pulled a frozen loaf of banana bread from the
freezer and filled a tin with an assortment of cookies. A half dozen small jars
featuring a variety of mint teas finished filling the area. Each of the jars
had a ribbon with an attached card telling about the tea.
I joined Megan for lunch. Mine was slices of tomato and
the rest of the crab salad. After delivering the basket, Megan and I would
drive to a local farm to replenish my stock of fresh vegetables.
The moment we finished lunch, Megan wiped away her
chocolate moustache. She ran to the door. “We go now.”
“Not so fast.” I checked to see if she had spilled
anything on her clothes. I looked for the cats and found the pair shared
Robespierre’s bed.
“Rose Prairie com?”
“Not today. We don’t know our new neighbor. Cats might
make her cough and sneeze.”
“Oh.”
I lifted the basket. Megan opened the door and walked
beside me to the gate in the privet hedge between the yards. We reached the
porch of the Dutch Colonial and I rang the bell.
My new neighbor opened the door. She was beautiful.
Instead of blue eyes, hers were green. “Hello. I’m Katherine Claybourne from
next door. This is Megan. We would like to welcome you to the neighborhood.”
“Thank you. I’m Sabrina Gates. What a wonderful thing to
do. Reminds me of home. Would you like to come in? I’m ready for a break.”
Megan followed us inside. “Grandma Kate make some really
good cookies and tea with mint.’
Sabrina clasped the child’s hand. “Would you like some of
those really good cookies?”
Megan looked at me and I nodded. “Yes, thank you. I’m four
going on five. How old are you? Do you have any children?”
“I don’t but I do like children.”
“My daddy like them, tool”
I hid a grin. Was the child match-making?
Sabrina led us to the kitchen and placed the basket on the
table. “Would you like some milk to go with your cookie?’
Megan shook her head. “Tea.”
Sabrina’s Southern accent enchanted me. I’m a sucker for
accents.
We entered the kitchen where Sabrina set the basket on a
table and unpacked the contents. She read each label on the jars of dried tea.
“Let me brew a pot of this one.” She selected the pekoe and wintergreen. “I
just made sugar syrup for sweet tea.”
“Sweet tea?” I asked.
“A Southern thing. Tea that’s sweetened with lost of sugar
syrup.” She filled a tea ball with her selection. “I bet this one will be super.”
Before long the tea had steeped. We’d spent the waiting
time asking and answering questions about the town and the area. I did learn a
little about Sabrina. She filled a pitcher with ice and added the syrup. Then
she carefully added the hot tea and poured three glasses.
“Can Megan have a cookie?” Sabrina opened a tin.
“She can.”
“These look heavenly.” She selected one and passed the tin
to Megan.
I sipped the tea. Much sweeter than I usually drink.
“Where do you buy the tea?” Sabrina asked.
“I grow the mints, dry the leaves and blend them with
either pekoe or oolong. Recently I’ve experimented with green tea.”
“How interesting. How did you begin?”
“When my husband and I bought a Victorian house, the mint
beds were well established. When we moved here, I transplanted some of each
variety.”
“Is that handsome man I saw earlier your husband?”
“He’s my second.”
She leaned forward. “Are you divorced?”
I shook my head. “My first died years ago. Lars and his
wife were our friends. When she died, we decided to marry. We’ve been married
for nearly a year.”
MY PLACES
https://twitter.com/JanetL717
http://wwweclecticwriter.blogspot.com
BUY MARK
http://bookswelove.net/authors/walters-janet-lane-romance-fantasy-suspense-medical/
I know it wasn't part of your hook per se, but I still loved this phrase: "a needy greedy coward." And BTW, I forgot to sign up for this week’s blog hop, but I forgot to sign up for this week’s blog hop, but I’d love for you to take a look at my hook regardless.
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