Crepes Suzette - A Cozy Mystery
By
Janet Elizabeth Lynn
Summary
Wrigley Rose, 25, editor of the Uptown Bulletin, decides to
take life more seriously and makes positive life affirmations. With the
encouragement of her two best girlfriends, she ventures in search of her
biological parents and a husband to begin a family of her own. She discovers that her positive life
affirmations work. She finds three great, but different guys to possibly settle
down with, plus, she finds a lead in her search for her birth parents.
The community has always loved her witty and humorous column.
But suddenly, a slander lawsuit is slapped on her and the paper. When the three
guys she thought she couldn’t live without and her job become tenuous, her life
takes drastic turns she never could have imagined. Especially when she
discovers mysterious information about her family. Wrigley is thrown into
uncharted waters and life threatening danger.
Excerpt
I
walked into Boss man's office for our Monday morning stand-up meeting at the
Uptown Bulletin. As usual, we were
waiting for Ed our copy guy. My
co-worker Nate the Snake was making nice with Boss Man, and Boss man's
secretary, Lucy but I call her Looney
Bin. This week she's in an outlandish,
peacock blue, pressed on lamée outfit.
First
up on the agenda was the Gay Pride Parade.
“I think Wrigley should go.” Nate
the snake whined. “She’s in charge of
the Entertainment section, not me.”
I
countered with my schedule, “I have to be at the Art Festival which brought in
thousands of dollars last week. They’re
giving the paper an award and they’re expecting me. I’m already scheduled with two other events
that Saturday.”
“I'm
not going. It's your event. You figure it out.” Nate the Snake smiled,
showing his tombstone teeth.
“I
can't,” I wanted to yell but kept the lid on it.
“I'm
not going and you can't make me,” he folded his arms, extending his chin like a
child in a tantrum.
I
watched his lips, fully expecting him to stick out his tongue.
“He
doesn't want to go Wrigs,” Boss Man looked over his shoulder at me and blew out
a smoke ring. “Make it work.”
“I
can't make it work. I can't be in two
places at once!” I think I was close to shouting.
“Okay
then send Lucy.” Nate the Snake suggested.
“I'd
love to!” spilled out of Looney Bin.
“She
can't do it!” I can just see Lucy walking down the sidewalk in her lamée with a
crowd of gay men following her while bidding on her outfit.
Everyone
looked at me, the room went dead silent.
I shouldn't have said that. Think
Wrigley, say something nice. “It's
dangerous. She doesn't know the ins and
outs of covering an event like this.”
“Okay,
I'll pick you up and I'll take you. You
review it.” Boss Man volunteered.
Silence
again. I put my hand on Looney Bin's
shoulder, “I'll give you an outline to follow.” I had to sound like I wanted to
help.
“Don't
touch me,” Looney Bin crouched to the other side of her chair.
“Okay.
Now the next thing on the agenda,” he looked at me.
“So,
why do I need a babysitter?” I protested. “I've been the editor of the
Entertainment Section for four years.
This never came up before.”
I
told myself to calm down, and stay focused.
I can't let it get to me. I'm a
big girl, I know how to take care of myself.
I tried to listen to Boss Man but I couldn't get last night's assignment
at the Bohemian Folk Music event out of my head. It gave me such a headache that I left
early. It's still echoing in my
head!
I
titled my review, “One hundred and one ways to bang on things.” Boss Man is
going to have a fit when he edits it.
Knowing him, he'll sit back in his chair, blow smoke rings and stare me
down. The number of smoke rings
determined how mad he is.
I
deliberately drank coffee this morning so I could focus for a long period of
time. Nate the Snake was talking to
Looney Bin. Her peacock blue four inch
nails and hair bands sparkled from the sky light. I saw Boss Man's mouth move, but for some
reason I couldn't process it. Focus,
Wrigley, focus. There went my stomach
again.
“So,
if I'm doing a good job,” I inquired, “why do I need a babysitter?” I really
felt indignant about this.
“Escort,
Wrigley. Escort.” Nate the Snake interrupted. “And just think, he may be some
gorgeous guy to escort you around!”
“Look,”
Boss Man stared me down with those bushy eyebrows of his. “The attorneys said I'm liable…the paper is
liable should something happen to you on an assignment. So we're sending an escort with you. Deal
with it Wrigs.”
I
hate it when he calls me Wrigs.
Recipes from the novel:
Crepes Suzette - A Cozy Mystery
By
Janet Elizabeth Lynn
I wrote this Cookbook of recipes from Crepes
Suzette, my cozy mystery. Many readers requested recipes for the food cooked,
served and enjoyed by the characters in my novel. Enjoy!
Buy Link:
Bio
I was born in Queens, New York and
raised in Long Island, until I was 12 years old. My family escaped the freezing
winters and hurricanes for the warmth and casual lifestyle of Southern
California.
I’ve always wanted to write so made it a quest to
write a novel. Ten years later, with much blood and sweat, my first murder
mystery novel was published in 2011.
I have traveled to the far reached of the planet for
work and for pleasure, collecting wonderful memories, newfound friends and a large
basket of shampoo and conditioner samples from hotels.
Other facts about Janet:
Fact 1
I love to eat but hate to cook! So my favorite
desserts/foods must be made by others. However, I am proud to announce I have
mastered the art of making Crepes Suzette. A wonderful, simple dessert.
Fact 2
Though I’m not adopted, I’ve had wonderful friends and
college roommates who were. Many found their biological mothers, fathers,
brothers and sisters and managed to have lasting relations with them. This is
what prompted this story.
Fact 3
At one time I was an Entertainment Editor for a newspaper in
Southern California. Many of the quirky characters, i.e., Boss man, Loony Bin,
Nate the Snake are based on real people I worked with. They had regular names
but…their nicknames were in my head and diary.
Fact 4
The picture of Wrigley Rose, the heroine, on the cover was
inspired by my image of me in the after life!!
Important places to find me:
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