by Scott, D. D.
In CARATS & COCONUTS...think Will and Kate in a National Treasure-style adventure, with the help of their sidekick Maxine, yep, as in Hallmark’s Queen of Crabby, Maxine.
You can get all the scoop in D. D. Scott-ville!
Cheers to You and Happy Reading!
What a treat to be able to bring together sooo many wonderful WG2E-Land Authors and give you a taste of the kinds of superfab stories Indie Authors write.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
D. D. Scott’s bestselling romantic comedies are all about sexy, sassy, smart, career-driven women and the men who complete them. They're a bit chick lit with a gone-country twist...and now a humorous mystery, comedic caper twist too. She’s agented, and her Bootscootin’ Books - think Sex and The City meets Urban Cowboy – debuted August 2010, on Amazon’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook and at Smashwords, with BOOTSCOOTIN’ BLAHNIKS, followed by STOMPIN’ ON STETSONS and BUCKLES ME BABY. Now, The Bootscootin’ Characters are gettin’ “cozy”...as in Comedic Caper cozy, with the release of THUG GUARD and LIP GLOCK, Books One and Two of her new, Cozy Cash Mysteries, featuring all of your fave Bootscootin’ characters plus tons of quirky new characters too.
She's been both a featured author and her books have been top picks – including one of the Top 10 Books for Mother’s Day 2010 - for such superfab Ereader-centric Blogs as Kindle Nation Daily, Pixel of Ink, The Frugal eReader, Indie Books List, Only Romance, Bargain eBooks, and coming soon, a featured spot on Ereader News Today. Her blog posts on the Indie Epub World have been picked-up by fantabulous blogs like Bufo Calvin’s I Love My Kindle. She can be spotted all-week long on her new grog The WG2E, a writer’s destination site for all-things-Epublishing. She often can also be found hangin’ on both the Kindle and Nook Boards and has an active blog of her own on her website at http://ddscottville.blogspot.com .
Also a Writer’s Go-to-Gal for Muse Therapy and now the Amazon #1 Bestselling Author of MUSE THERAPY: UNLEASHING YOUR INNER SYBIL, D. D. debuted her Muse Therapy Online Classes in 2009 and her Live Workshops in 2010. Thanks to the fabulous endorsement of Stephen Windwalker’s Kindle Nation Daily, there’s a ton more fun and fascinating MUSE THERAPY adventures in development.
D. D.’s first two short stories - The Mom Squad Mini-Mayhem Mysteries – FLUID FULFILLMENT and LICENSED FOR LOVE – released in October 2011, and a D. D. Scott Special Edition Ebook Boxed Set followed in December 2011, which included all three Bootscootin’ Books plus the first two Cozy Cash Mysteries. Her third Cozy Cash Mystery CARATS & COCONUTS will release in January 2012, along with a total of 16 additional releases throughout 2012.
Declaring 2011 to be “The Year of the E-Book & Cross-Pollination”, D. D. co-founded and launched The Writer’s Guide to E-Publishing (http://thewritersguidetoepublishing.com), your destination site for Everything E-Publishing. Whatever you want to know and/or cuss and discuss about E-publishing, it’s right there at The WG2E waiting for you!
When she’s not writing, she’s busy luuuvin’ on her real-life hero “Sweet Man” and their beloved shelter-rescued dog Buckley and his new playmate Siggy the Affenpinscher.
For updates on her books, her sexy, sassy, smart neurotic writer's life blog, and for a schedule of her appearances and Muse Therapy Sessions, visit her website http://ddscottville.blogspot.com .
Bead of Doubt
By
Tonya Kappes
Bead of Doubt
A Divorced Diva Mini-Mystery
(Prequel to Strung Out To Die)
Tonya Kappes
Chapter One
The Beaded Dragonfly.
I smiled as I read the black letters on the light pink awning hanging over the storefront doors. The dragonfly with the beaded tail was the cutest mascot. I squeezed the shop key in my hand. This was it. It was the first time since my divorce that I’d done something for myself. Something just for me.
The sign was just the first step. Today was the day the beat-up old building was going to become the home of my new bead store.
I checked my watch.
7 AM.
I looked down the street to see if I saw any of the Divas, but nothing was in site, other than Willow and a snow covered road.
“Come on, girl.” I tugged Willow’s leash while I stepped up on the front step. “Come on.”
Willow snorted and waddled closer to the step. Her goose down jacket was a little snug around her belly, and it crinkled up when she walked. She perched her right hoof on the step as though she was posing for one of those pig calendars you see at the calendar stand in the mall.
She snorted again, letting me know there was no way she was going to stretch her little pink body any more than she had to.
I should’ve known better. I had one hell of a time getting her to walk through the snow to the car, much less walk up steps.
“All right.” I picked her up. “We need to go on a diet.”
She was a tad bit heavier than she should be, but she’s a pig. Aren’t they supposed to be fat?
I on the other hand, really did need to lose weight.
After getting divorced from dumbass, I decided I was tired of watching what I ate until I had to go to the elastic department in the clothing store.
There’s nothing more humbling than buying your first pair of elastic jeans.
I wrestled with Willow in one arm while trying to jiggle the old key with the other.
“The lock is a little tricky when it’s cold out.” Ginger snuck up behind me and was standing on the sidewalk with a broom and mop in her hands.
Not a good sign.
She held them up in the air. “We didn’t have time to clean it after we got all the junk out of it.”She propped the cleaning supplies in the corner by the door and took the key from me.
“I’m so glad you are here.” I said.
I could always count on my best friend, Ginger Rush Sloan, and her family owned the building.
“Do you think the Divas would leave you high and dry on one of the biggest days of your life, outside of your divorce?” Bernadine Frisk had her long crimson hair pulled back in a high pony with black fur earmuffs, creating poofs on the sides of her head.
Standing behind her was a shivering Flora White, whose ivory skin blended into the snowy background, and an eighty-year old Agnes Pearl holding a coffee pot.
“Well, come on.” Agnes shimmied up the step. “Let’s get this cleaning party started.”
I’ll never forget the night I met Agnes, Ginger, Flora, and Bernadine. I was going through my nasty divorce with what’s his name, and we had just had a fight. I left our house with nothing but the clothes on my back. Just like a sign, and I believe in signs, but this was a real sign planted in the Baptist Church lawn. It read: Divorced? Lonely? Come on in. Divorce Support Group meets here at 7 PM on Monday nights.
Low and behold, it was 7 pm on a Monday. I whipped my little Ford Focus into the parking lot and followed the signs. Everyone there had a story similar to mine, but not everyone wanted revenge like me. Well. . .except Ginger, Flora, Bernadine, and Agnes. We instantly formed a little group, The Divorced Divas. An apt name for five fabulous women in their forties and beyond.
We decided to take our little group of five and meet on our own after Diva Flora took my suggestions of revenge a little too far and got a visit from Noah Druck, Swanee’s finest cop. She had broken into her ex-husband’s house and cut the armpits out of his designer button-downs shirts, all fifty of them.
We’ve met in libraries, restaurants, and at each others’ houses. But after a while, the community began to wonder if we were a bunch of terrorists or disgruntled women going through a midlife crisis.
I had to do something for income because asshole’s alimony didn’t even begin to cover my groceries, much less rent on a building. The alimony might be enough if I cut back on my food, which I’ve obviously found comfort in.
“Ta da.” Ginger made spirit fingers once inside.
Willow ran wild with dust flying up behind he
r. I flipped on the light switch just inside the door. Only the lights didn’t come on. I flipped it on and off, just in case there was a short. Nothing.
Suddenly, there was a loud racket outside. We all turned to see what all the noise was. Asshole’s truck was puttering through the unplowed street.
“What’s he doing here?” Bernadine asked while peeling off her long black gloves. “Doesn’t he know we Divas don’t need him?”
Bernadine was right, but I was still glad to see him. After all, he did own Sean’s Little Shack handyman service. And if anyone needed service, it was me and these lights.
“Morning, ladies.” Sean smiled that fantastic smile that made me fall head over heels in love with him a mere ten years ago, and held out a box of coffee from the local coffee shop. “I thought you’d need some coffee, but by the looks of things you just might need a handy man too.”
He pointed the magnetic sign on his truck. His logo included a picture of a little shack.
“Yes we could.” Bernadine’s attitude had turned on a dime. “And do you think you could look at these lights.”
Ginger nudged Bernadine.
“What?” Bernadine shrugged. “I need coffee.”
Sean grabbed his old toolbox out of the bed of the truck, and moseyed up the steps.
“How are you, Ms. Pearl?” He nodded as he passed Agnes. “No need for that coffee maker. I got you some fresh coffee right here. And I must say, I love what you’ve done with your hair.”
“Liar.” I mouthed as he walked past me.
Poor Agnes’ hair was as blue as the sky. For some reason Pearl’s hair dresser can never fix her hair without turning it that old lady blue. But Agnes can hardly see, so I’m sure she didn’t even know her hair was the color of cotton candy.
Sean smiled again before being surrounded by the Divas.
Chapter Two
“What are you doing here?” I said through gritted teeth.
He was never involved in the marriage, why would he want to be part of my life after the marriage.
“Just seeing where my investment is going.” Sean took a drink of his coffee then looked around at the completely empty dark and dusty building. “Hmm. . .so when are you opening this joint?”
I had to admit it was hard to imagine the dusty old place was getting ready to be one of the busiest stores in Swanee.
“Vision, Sean, vision.” I assured him. “Besides, this has nothing to do with you or an investment.”
“Of course it is, baby. I write you that monthly check.” He said, reminding me of the lack of alimony.
“You mean the invisible money that I haven’t seen since summer?” I asked, trying to embarrass him in front of the Divas.
“I admit it’s been slim with Doug Sloan taking all the jobs, like Ms. Pearl’s.” Sean made sure he said it loud enough for Agnes to hear him.
“Honey, I might be a little blind, but I’m not deaf,” Agnes said. “And I’ve already talked to you about that.”
Agnes put her fingers up to her mouth as to sush Sean. After all, Ginger was Doug’s sister. Everyone in town was well aware of the shoddy remodeling job Doug had done at Agnes’ from the large blinking billboard sign in her front yard telling all of Swanee that Doug Sloan was a thief who stole from an old women.
Sean had become known as the clean-up guy who charged pennies on the dollar to fix whatever Doug Sloan screwed up.
“I know all about my brother.” Ginger said through a puff of dust she was trying to sweep into the dustpan Flora was holding. “Flora, hold that still.”
“Hold on a second.” Flora said to someone on her cell phone.” “This is exactly why I have a maid. I don’t normally do these things.”
Flora continued to talk on her phone while Ginger tried to sweep more dust into the dustpan.
Flora was never without her cell phone. She had something to say at all times and she didn’t care who she said it to as long as they were listening.
“How are you going to open the shop without lights?”The corners of Sean’s mouth and eyes turned up in an evil grin.
I sure hated when he was right, which wasn’t often, but in this case, he was.
“About that.” I walked back over to the light switch. “Do you think you could fix them?”
I followed closely on his heels. This was not his investment and he had nothing to do with it. Thankfully Ginger and her husband Jim had let me rent the building from them for mere pennies. I could live in the apartment above the shop and keep an eye on business.
“I’ve got the answer.” Sean walked out the door and all the Divas stared at his rear-end.
“Do I need to remind you four of the reasons I’m divorced and part of this group?” I waggled my finger in the air.
“We agree with you, but we aren’t dead.” Agnes leaned her head a little more to the side to get a better view out the door. “Uh, oh. Here comes trouble.”
The Divas stopped what they were doing and walked up to the window to see what Agnes was talking about.
Doug and Jim had pulled up behind Sean’s truck. Thankfully, they were all being civil to each other.
“Good!” I clapped my hands together after seeing all my new bead tables and all the boxes Ginger has been storing at her house. All the stuff I needed to open the store.
“I thought I would surprise you.” Ginger wrapped her arms around my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. “Come on girls, it’s all the good stuff.”
The last few months we moved the Diva meeting to the hotel room I’ve been renting on the edge of Swanee. The only thing I went back for after the divorce was my beads and supplies. I knew I couldn’t fit into my clothes anymore and that didn’t make me feel good. The only things that did make me feel good and forget about asshole, were my beads.
The Divas loved all my jewelry and one long Diva night, the idea of The Beaded Dragonfly was born.
“I can’t wait to make myself something.” Marlene said and galloped out of the store to see what she could bring in.
One by one, everyone helped carry in the boxes and tables. Sean had replaced the light bulbs and lit the place up. It wasn’t as bad as it had seemed in the dark. After a good mopping, the floors were nice and shiny. Agnes just sat in one of the beading chairs and drank coffee, while Flora and Ginger cleaned the windows.
Doug and Sean were even getting along.
“Agnes, I’d appreciate it if you’d take that nasty sign out of your yard.” Doug walked over and bent down so Agnes could see him.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t take advantage of the elderly and do a job right. A job I paid you for.” She might not see well, but she sure did give him the look of death. “I told you I’d get you back. And I hope I am.”
Jim went over and put a hand on Doug’s shoulder before I had to step in.
Sean had put together the counter and Flora immediately sprayed the glass with cleaner.
“This is going to look gorgeous with all your beads in it.” Flora said, pointing to the freshly cleaned counter.
“Oh, no!” I smacked my palm on my forehead. “I completely forgot to order bead displays.”
Normally a lapidary has hooks on the walls where strings of beads hung for display. But with all of the hubbub of opening the store, I’d completely forgotten.
“What if we hang up those shelves and you could put some hooks from the hardware store in it.” Sean walked over to some leftover shelves that the previous tenant had left behind.
“What?” I asked.
Of all the dumb things Sean has said, this was up there. He might be cute, but he lacked brains.
“Like this.” He held one of the shelves up to the wall.
My eyes bugged when I saw the under.
“Oh, no.” I rolled my eyes.
Sean knew better than to suggest anything with an under.
“I think it looks pretty cool.” Flora held the phone away from her ear.
“Cool? And what do you know about cool?”
I stared at Flora.
We divas weren’t the spring chickens they thought they were. I was the youngest at forty-years old. I was far from cool with my elastic pants and a pink pig as a pet.
“That’s something that no other store will have. It’s cool.” Flora inspected it a little closer.
She did have a point. It could be a neat display.
“And there are three of them. They could go along the wall.” Flora ran her hands the entire length of the wall.
“But you’re forgetting that Holly doesn’t like the under of anything.” Ginger said.
Ah, a true best friend. She didn’t forget my fear of putting my hand under anything. There’s just something creepy about the under.
“It’s for business.” Flora stated, and began punching the buttons on her cell phone.
“Fine.” I threw my hands in the air.
It would work for now, anything to get the shop open sooner. If it didn’t work out, I could always order the right things and take the shelving down.
Within minutes, Sean had the shelves up and Jim had returned with the hooks from the hardware store.
“See.” Sean stood in front of the homemade display with pride. “I told you it would be cool.”
“Whatever.” I wasn’t going to admit that he was right, yet again.
Two times in one day was a record for him.
I opened a box of the most beautiful beads I’d ever seen. My beads.
The Divas carefully passed them around, like they were the most precious diamonds in the world.
“Excuse me? Are you closing?” The girl with black hair said while she knocked on the front door.
Her hair was mostly hidden under a cockeyed beret, and the fingers were missing from her gloves.
“I was driving by and I love to bead.” She looked around the shop.
