The mystery is a real page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end. And the small-town characters are a hoot. ~Traci Andrighetti’s Blog
Teresa is a new author to me… I like how she paints the town and the people in your mind so vividly. ~Shelley’s Book Case
Cozy Mystery
E-Book File Size: 895 KB
Print Length: 202 pages
ASIN: B00ISDZK8S
Synopsis
It’s November in Pecan Bayou, Texas and while the town is getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday a deadly fire breaks out at the newspaper office. When Rocky, the editor is nowhere to be found, Betsy refuses to believe he has perished in the fire. The entire town is coming down with the stomach flu and Betsy must deal with her husband’s new found celebrity as an on-air weatherman filling in for and under-the-weather Hurricane Hal . Leo loves all the attention he’s getting, especially from the sexy administrative assistant who works at the station. Is their new marriage in trouble already? Find out in the fifth book of the Pecan Bayou Mystery Series. All the characters you’ve come to know and love are back and you’ll find plenty of the Happy Hinter’s recipes and tips included at the end of the book.
Book Excerpt
An hour later, Tyler and I walked into the Harvest Dance with our arms full of every baked item we could get our hands on from the grocery store. The tables were already covered in sparkling autumn colored table cloths with tasteful pumpkin and scarecrow centerpieces. It was stunning, and I hated to plop a box of Tasteeo Cupcakes on top of it all.
Phyllis, dressed in a mustard turtleneck with a maroon silk scarf tied around her neck approached. “What is this?” Her face turned white, and then was replaced with a complimentary fall color of scarlet red.
“Uh…” I stammered. “I had a little difficulty with the pumpkin squares, but you know kids. They’ll eat anything sweet, right?”
I waited for her to reassure me, but she seemed to be at a loss for words.
“You want me to open up these boxes, Betsy?” Tyler asked.
“Yes, if you would. I’m sure Mrs. Hamlin has lovely plates for us to put these on.”
Phyllis gritted her teeth and turned toward Tyler. “There are some paper plates over there.”
She turned back to me and took hold of my arm squeezing tightly on my bicep with her tastefully manicured nails.
“I specifically told you to make the pumpkin squares. If I wanted a hodge podge of junk food I would have simply stopped down at the Circle K Convenience store.”
Another mother stepped by with her freshly groomed son in tow. “Lovely tables Phyllis,” she said with a little wave.
“Thank you Shelley. We work very hard to make it a wonderful experience for our children.” Somehow I knew she wasn’t including me in that statement.
“I tried to make the pumpkin squares, but we’ve had flu at our house, and … I lost track of time, and they burnt.”
“Then why didn’t you just make another batch?”
“There’s not a can of pumpkin left in the entire town.”
“Yes, there is. I have four cans of pumpkin in my pantry. All you had to do was call me.”
The principal walked by. “Beautiful job, Mrs. Hamlin. Don’t know what we’d do without you.”
Free on Kindle: Burnout (Pecan Bayou Series)
About The Author
Biography
Teresa Trent writes her Pecan Bayou Mystery Series from Houston, Texas. With a father in the army, her family moved often finally settling in Colorado. Living in Texas for the last 18 years she loves the people and even the weather. Teresa includes Danny, a character with Down Syndrome in her Pecan Bayou family and in real life is the mother of an adult son with Down Syndrome/PDD. Creating the character of Danny and all of the other inhabitants of Pecan Bayou has been a joy for her. Even though she lives in the big city, her writing is influenced by all of the interesting people she finds in small towns and the sense of family that seems to be woven through them all.
Interview
How much of a story did you have in mind before you started writing?
Because I'm writing a series, I usually know at the end of the last book what I want to have happen in the next book. With that in mind, I begin thinking about interesting characters and situations I want to work into the book. I write many drafts of my books and continually move around characters, ideas and scenes. It's NEVER right the first time and often the second.
Can you tell us what genre you write?
I write cozy mysteries. A cozy is different other forms of mystery like hardboiled detective fiction or thrillers. Cozies usually have small towns filled with loveable characters who struggle to solve a mystery with some elements of humor along the way.
How (or when) do you decide that you are finished writing a story?
It's like having children-you just know when you're done. Really, though, I try to make sure that I have resolved all of my plot lines and that I'm happy with my beginning and ending. Each one has a job to do. I also want to have at least one belly laugh and one scene that makes me cry.
What are you working on right now?
I have a book in second draft that is not a mystery. I love the show Project Runway and have been working on a book about the struggles of a normal person competing among the divas. Because I'm a little out of my comfort zone, my habit of turning a story upside down is pretty rampant right now. After that, I start my sixth Pecan Bayou mystery and yes, I know what I want to happen in this book!
At what age did you discover your love of writing?
I think it was in my twenties, but I wasn't very serious or disciplined about it. When I really started studying the structure of a novel and working my ideas into that structure, my writing grew into the way I write today.
What was the first story that you wrote?
I know I should know this, but I'm not sure. My first attempts at writing often ended up in the trash.
When were you first published? How were you discovered?
I was published in local magazines and a few national things but getting discovered was another matter. Like many authors, I submitted work to publishers and agents for years and couldn't break in to traditional publishing. I guess you could say the readers discovered me. I became in Indie Author and have been tickled to pink to be in the top 100 of Amazon's cozy mystery list several times in the past few years (often beating out the traditional publishers who rejected me).
What is the most difficult part of the whole writing process?
Revising. It's easy to shoot out a story the first time, but then you see problems. You fix that, and then you see you've created another problem. I write in Scrivener and have this little "honey do" or should I say "writer do" list on the side.
What writer influences you the most?
There are so many! Probably Agatha Christie is the person I study. Sometimes I like to dissect her stories. I love the way all of her characters have a connection and how she masterfully weaves it all together.
Where can people learn more about you?
They can visit my website at www.teresatrent.com or follow me on Facebook Teresa Trent and Twitter Teresa Trent @ttrent_cozymys
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself?
I just want to thank you for some great questions! Burnout is the fifth book in my series, so here are the first four if your readers want to catch up on the life of Betsy Livingston and the town of Pecan Bayou.
#1 A Dash of Murder
#2 Overdue for Murder
#3 Doggone Dead
#4 Buzzkill
#5 Burnout
I am also releasing Mystery Road, a free collection of short stories that will be added to regularly at Wattpad.
Author Links:
Webpage: www.teresatrent.com
Twitter: Teresa Trent @ttrent_cozymys
Amazon: Teresa Trent
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