Linda Fulkerson – Excerpt – Part 1 of 1

Cozy Mystery author, Linda Fulkerson shares excerpts featuring her heroine/sleuth interacting with potential suitors from her latest release, Dead Broke. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter the drawing for a print copy. U.S. only. Deadline: Nov 12th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Linda:

In DEAD BROKE, the recently released novel by Linda Fulkerson, sports photographer Andrea “Andy” Warren, whose faith has dipped to the same depths as her checkbook balance, wins a contest that takes her back to the hometown she renounced, where she hopes to avoid her meddling mother, her ex-fiancé, and the local sheriff.
Upon Andy’s arrival in her ex-hometown, she attempts to check into the River View Resort, which she soon learns is owned by Marcos Velasquez, the man who dumped her just two months before their wedding date, an event she’s spent the last six years trying to forget.
Famished, she decides Marcos or no Marcos, she’s going to grab some breakfast from the resort’s restaurant. Here’s an excerpt from that scene:
I stand by the Please Wait to Be Seated sign for several minutes, wondering if the hostess has been kidnapped by aliens, when finally, a middle-aged woman wearing a forest-green-colored apron waves a menu in my direction and nods toward a table.
After stuffing a sinful amount of biscuits and gravy into my stomach, I dab the corners of my mouth, uncross my ankles, and prepare to stand.
Very. Bad. Idea.
The little hooks above the eyelets topping my outdoorsy shoes have become entangled. I try to yank my feet apart, but they’re stuck. I try again. No luck. The hostess casts an inquisitive glance in my direction as she clears the dishes from a nearby table.
Before bending over and repeating the whole evil hair attack ordeal, I give my feet one more swift jerk. My right leg springs free, banging my knee on the table’s underside. The force topples the table, spilling its entire contents. The ketchup, the mustard, the daily specials card, the salt and pepper shakers, the napkin holder, and an infinite number of individual serving packets of sugar and Sweet-n-Low now lie strewn across the floor like debris following an explosion.
If I do nothing else today, I’m buying some ponytail holders.
I’m still rubbing my knee when I hear a familiar voice calling my name. “Andrea? Andrea Warren? Is that you?”
I put my pain on hold long enough to gaze into the melt-your-heart smile of Marcos Velasquez. The six-year span since our last meeting has only improved his good looks.
Later that morning, Andy reports to the local newspaper to collect her contest winnings, where she survives a brief but somewhat humiliating encounter with the receptionist, Rosemary.
To further confuse her heart, Andy soon meets Phillip Matthews:
At the exact moment I realize what a loser I am, a man emerges from one of the offices. The sight of him is almost as unnerving as the twinkle in Rosemary’s eye, only for a different reason: this man is gorgeous. Though his face is well tanned, his hair is black enough to exhibit contrast. Looking like the stereotypical hero in every romance novel, he is impeccably groomed.
He reaches for my hand, and I note that even in the heart of he-man land, this guy sports a manicure. Now that takes guts.
Before he flashes a smile, I have a hunch his teeth will be dazzling and perfect. I am not disappointed.
“Ms. Warren, welcome. I’m Phillip Matthews. Please come in.”
I shake his hand, and the tingle emitting from his touch creeps up my arm like a base runner stretching his lead off the bag. I return Phillip’s smile, grinning like the grill on a newly chromed classic.
“Andrea Warren. Most people just call me Andy.” I squeeze his hand a little too long and a little too hard.
He jerks it out of my grasp and gives it a slight shake.
I notice a Band-Aid wrapped around his index finger. “Sorry,” I mutter.
He smiles, not quite as broadly as before. “No problem. New manicurist. Got me with her snips.”
I nod as if I’ve personally broken in dozens of manicurists and pass beyond the door he holds open. A brass plaque announces his position in the workplace hierarchy: Phillip Matthews, Managing Editor.
About Linda: Linda Fulkerson is the author of several nonfiction books, including two coloring books for writers. She recently published her first mystery novel, DEAD BROKE.
To learn more about Linda Fulkerson, visit her website www.LindaFulkerson.com.
About the book – Dead Broke: DEAD BROKE is a fun read, set in a fictional Ozarks town filled with quirky characters. It is available for purchase from Amazon.com in both print and Kindle formats.
Watch the trailer:

What people are saying:
This mystery has a touch of romance, a cast of interesting characters, and a Southern town where your business is not your own. The author writes a page-turner with a knack for humor that kept me chuckling as a murder investigation takes place. The story kept my interest through the last page. Good characterizations and settings descriptions. – Amazon Reviewer

Can’t wait for the drawing? Purchase now:

Print: Dead Broke Amazon                 Kindle Edition: Dead Broke Amazon Kindle

Question for Readers: Who is your favorite sleuth from a book, TV series, or movie?

Come back Nov 7th for Anne Mateer!