Today I’ve got another fabulous Wild Rose Press sistah, Eve Dew Crook, and her newest book, an addition to the Deerbourne Inn Series, A Bean, a pea, and a Mammoth Tusk. Come and read a little about her, and her life, and then read an excerpt from her Deerbourne Inn addition.
Funny account of our wedding day.
I still laugh whenever I recall my wedding day. Okay, it was warm and wonderful, too, but it tickles me to recall it, and tickle is the key word.
After a Christmas holiday visit to our accountant, hubby-to-be and I were advised to marry before the year ended. My guy had changed jobs that year with a sizable salary bonus, something a newly married couple could really use. Our wedding was planned for the end of January, too late to change the reception. The actual ceremony, however, was held on New Year’s Eve, on the porch of my in-law’s home, with Ken’s father, a retired minister, officiating. Present were our two closest friends, Ken’s mother, and the family dog, Lassie. The ceremony was lovely, while the most excited member of the wedding party, Lassie, kept running around and between our legs as we stood before his father. I wore a gauzy cocktail dress and sheer stockings, and the swish of the collie’s tail every time she ran between us tickled. What a time to hold back a giggle!It’s many many years later now, and we’re still married, so adding a bit of unexpected humor to the solemn ceremony worked its magic!
My books and incidents about the titles.
I’ve published four books for The Wild Rose Press, mostly romantic suspense, and had fun with the titles on all of them. My first, TAKING THE TUMBLE, was fun because of the different meanings for Tumble, both as “falling for you” and as “taking the fall.” Before final acceptance, my editor suggested building up the villain a bit more. Once I got into the mindset, it was fun to do, and in the process I wrote a poem in six limericks, called “A Writer’s Plight.” It’s on my website along with other limericks I love to write. http://evedewcrook.
My second book, PERIL, PASSION, PERU, had a wonderful moment for me. I described a scene that included the husband treating himself to an expensive briefcase, without really knowing why. Imagine my amazement as I got near the end of the story to find out the briefcase turned into a key element in the plot! So much of of writing is intuitive.
I did a quick switch for my third book, SEX, LOVE, & THE SPACETIME PINCH, a sexy sci-fi adventure under the pen name of Vee Bentley. The concept of pinching spacetime was used to get my characters to a fascinating new planet. Guilt-free shenanigans there.
My current book, releasing today under my own name once more, is part of a series of books by different authors, all taking place in or about a historic inn in Vermont, the Deerbourne Inn. The title, A BEAN, A PEA, AND A MAMMOTH TUSK, is a teaser for a sweet romance between a rookie sheriff’s deputy and a middle school principal. The bean and pea are part of a Twelfth Night celebration, while the mammoth tusk is unearthed in a nearby forest and causes enough commotion to warrant the hiring of another deputy. The two events tie up in the lovely inn.
Writing for a series had both Pleasures and Pitfalls. I loved combining characters and am using some on my next book. My pitfalls included bringing a character to town via the covered bridge while the airport was in the other direction! Happily my editor caught it in time.
A Bean, a Pea, and a Mammoth Tusk
They would never have met without the mammoth tusk.
Middle school principal Stephen Lathrop loves winning marathons. Rookie deputy Megan Snow delights in her Criminal Justice certificate. But when a 12,000-year-old tusk is found buried in Vermont, everything changes. Reporters and TV crews take over the town.
To celebrate, the Deerbourne Inn plans a Twelfth Night feast and festival. The events include serving slices of the fabulous King cake and crowning the King and Queen of Mischief. Though mischief does follow, romance, too, is in the air.
Rookie Megan is added to the sheriff’s crew. Principal Stephen gets involved at the Inn. Notorious TV chef Pierre Chasse arrives with Celine, his “hostess.” She and Megan form an unusual friendship. Then, mysterious strangers appear. A child goes missing. Teens try to steal the tusk. Clamor and mischief ensue.
Is this the time to plan a wedding?
Excerpt
“I’m here to confess.” Stephen Lathrop’s soft voice floated across her desk in the sheriff’s office.
Startled, Megan looked up. She took a deep breath, smiled. “What are you admitting to?”
“A desire to find out if you’re free next Sunday.”
“But…you know I’ll be back in Middlebury.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’ll pick you up there.”
“It’s nice of you to offer…” She sighed. “I usually work weekends, Stephen. Now that school is back in session…our schedules don’t mesh.”
“Too bad.” He pretended to pout, but she could tell he hadn’t given up.
After a second’s pause, Stephen tried again. “Well, how about some evening? Dinner and a movie? Kings and queens do have to keep up appearances, you know.” He couldn’t hang on to his earnest pose for long. Megan watched it disintegrate into chuckles.
“Of course, I wouldn’t want to disappoint the town…” Her lashes fluttered. “But seriously, some nights I work. Other times, Ma isn’t feeling well…”
“Tell you what.” He sat down on the corner of her desk, leaned over and wheedled. “Suppose we plan a night out, but if you have to stay home, I’ll come over and bring carry-out.”
She reached for the hand he’d braced on the desk, ran her fingers over his knuckles. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“Not at all…well, maybe a little.” He tipped his head to the side, grinned. “We can get to know each other better…”
Buy Links:
Amazon // Nook
A little about Eve…
Eve Dew Crook is the author of romantic suspense novels, sassy and sexy, sweet and scary. The Wild Rose Press has published TAKING THE TUMBLE and PERIL, PASSION, PERU, both available on Amazon in both print and e-book.
Her short stories have been published in romance magazines and her poem, “The Painted Caves,” in the Nassau Review. Eve also writes funny poetry. You’ll find “The Song of the Lovesick Siren” on the author’s page at the end of Peril, Passion, Peru. On her website is a limerick about Goya’s Maja, “in clothing or nude,” a poem-computer parody, “Apple Pied Beauty,” one on Writers and Villains, and more.
Eve was an editor at Newsday and taught writing in college. When she’s not working on her new novel, a sci fi romantic thriller, dreaming up more limericks, or trying to figure out how to work with the (expletive deleted) social media, Eve enjoys desert living.
You can connect with Eve here:
Website // newsletter // goodreads // facebook
THE DEERBOURNE INN SERIES ( to date)
By Reservation Only by Barbara Edwards
Hope’s Dream by Peggy Jaeger
Freedom’s Path By Linda Carroll Bradd
Lyrical Embrace by Amber Daulton
Spirited Quest by Julie Howard
Soul of the Storm By Jean M. Grant
Lion Dancing for Love by Laura Boon
Forever In A Moment by Charlotte O’Shay
Witches’ Cliff by Peggy Chambers
Mystic Maples by Tena Stetler
Love Calls You Home by Donna Simonetta
Peggy Jaeger, Author 