A Cozy Christmas at Brooke Blogs is a celebration of wonderful cozy mystery authors and their books. Stop by daily from 12/11/16 through 12/25/16 for special posts and be sure to enter the grand prize giveaway. Curl up and get cozy this holiday season!
It’s Your Party, Die If You Want To by Vickie Fee
Liv and Di in Dixie mystery, #2
Kensington
October 2016
Between a riverboat gambler-theme engagement party and a murder mystery dinner for charity, Dixie, Tennessee, party planner Liv McKay is far too frenzied to feel festive. Add to the mix her duties at the annual businesswomen’s retreat and the antics of a celebrity ghost-hunting diva, and Liv’s schedule is turning out to be the scariest thing about this Halloween — until the ladies stumble across a dead body in a cemetery… As Liv and her best friend, Di, set out to dig up the truth, they’ll face the unexpected and find their efforts hampered by a killer with one seriously haunting vendetta…
**Includes party tips
I knew from the ringtone that it was my mother, but I answered anyway.
“Liv, jump in your car and get over here right this minute,” she said in a panicked voice.
“Mama, what’s happened? Are you okay?”
I heard some kind of tapping sounds.
“Oh, dear Lord,” Mama said in a breathy voice before the phone went dead.
I grabbed my purse and raced down the stairs, hurrying to my car without even taking time to lock the office door.
My mom lives in a neighborhood just east of the town square, so I was in her driveway within five minutes of backing out of my parking space.
I rushed in through the kitchen door, which is never locked, and started calling for her. I ran through the house worried I might find her unconscious—or worse.
I finally found my mama, who stands almost six feet and weighs well over 200 pounds, cowering in the doorway to the back porch, her eyes transfixed. Her one hand was clutching her chest and the other was holding a hoe.
I grabbed her arm. “Mama, maybe you should sit down,” I said. “Are you having chest pains?”
“No,” she said in a quiet voice.
This worried me, since my mama never talks in a quiet voice.
“I’ll be fine just as soon as you kill that snake over there,” she said as she nodded toward a corner of the porch and shoved the hoe in my direction.
I took a closer look at the brick floor of the porch and spotted a good-sized snake coiled up near the steps to the backyard.
“Why in the world did you call me?” I said, feeling more than a little irritated. “Why didn’t you phone Earl?”
Earl Daniels is Mama’s boyfriend, although she’d never call him that.
“I tried, but Earl’s out in a field somewhere helping his brother-in-law get soybeans loaded for market,” she said.
“You’re the one with the hoe,” I said, pushing it back in her direction. “You kill it.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “You know I was traumatized as a child when I saw my brother get bit by a snake. The bite ended up leaving a big hole in his leg.”
She nudged my shoulder and gestured in the direction of the reptile, which had raised its head and was looking our way.
“But you’ll be fine, hon,” she said. “I don’t think this one’s poisonous.”
“You don’t think so?”
“Pretty sure,” she said. “If you keep an eye on it, I’ll go look up pictures of poisonous snakes in the encyclopedia just to be sure.”
She was serious.
“Oh, just give me the freaking hoe,” I said, ready for this to be over.
I took the garden implement and stepped haltingly toward the hissing creature, which suddenly looked much bigger than before.
“Hold the hoe out away from you, Liv,” Mama said. “Don’t get too close. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you like it did to Junior.”
I briefly thought about accidentally hitting her shin with the wooden end of the hoe.
About Vickie Fee
Vickie Fee blesses hearts and makes Jack Daniels whiskey balls that’ll scorch your tonsils. The third entry in the Liv and Di in Dixie series, One Fete in the Grave, comes out May 30, 2017 and is set at the annual Dixie Fourth of July festival. A shady town councilman gets taken out of the picture and Mama’s fiancé, Earl, is put in the frame for murder. There’s also a romantic development between Di and the handsome sheriff. Find out more about Vickie and her books at www.vickiefee.com and at Facebook.
A Cozy Christmas Facebook Event
Stop by the Facebook Event for even more fun! Surprise flash giveaways and more ways to earn entries into the grand prize giveaway. Be sure to RSVP by clicking ‘Going’ and follow along on Facebook. 🙂
What’s A Cozy Christmas without a giveaway? Enter the widget below to be entered in the grand prize giveaway! Every awesome cozy mystery author participating (+ your lovely hostess) has donated prizes to the grand prize giveaway. Each day, new author entries will be added, so be sure to stop back every day! Vickie Fee is donating signed copies of Death Crashes the Party and It’s Your Party, Die If You Want To to our grand prize giveaway. Thanks, Vickie!
Several winners will be randomly selected at the conclusion of the giveaway from all eligible entries. Winners will be contacted via email at the conclusion of the promotion and must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be selected. Void where prohibited. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Mandatory blog comment entry must be completed each day or entries will not count. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me (brooke [at] brookeblogs.com). Please use the contact form on my contact page or e-mail me if you are interested in participating in my next author promotion.
1,215 total views, 1 views today
Johnna Edwards Smith
I loved the first title in this series and am anxiously awaiting this newest installment. Such a fun series. Thank you for the chance!
Vickie Fee
Thanks, Johnna! Glad you enjoyed spending time with Liv & Di. Good luck in Brooke’s grand giveaway!
Dianne Nickel Casey
I haven’t read this series yet, but it sounds like an intriguing read. Looking forward to reading the series. Merry Christmas!
Vickie Fee
Thanks for stopping by, Dianne! Merry Christmas!
sally
I love the title! I’m singing it in my head. haha Thanks for the giveaway. Merry Christmas!
Vickie Fee
Thanks, Sally! Hope teaders find the book as catchy as the title! Good luck in the drawing and Merry Christmas!
Pam Morse
I love the title of this book! It’s on my tbr list!
Vickie Fee
Thanks, Pam — I’m honored to be in your TBR pile! Merry Christmas!
Linda Ortiz
Sounds like a great book! Thanks for the giveaway.
Vickie Fee
Thanks! Brooke has put together a fab giveaway — I’m happy to be a part of it! Merry Christmas!
Kathleen Costa
Yeah to the nod to Leslie Gore! A party planner, themed parties galore, and a dead body…What’s not to like! I am very interested in exploring Vicke Fee and her books. Thanks, Brooke!
Vickie Fee
Aw, thanks, Kathleen. I hope people have as much fun reading the Liv & Di books as I have writing them 🙂 Merry Christmas!
Kathleen Costa
Hi! Merry Christmas! I am very excited to learn more about you and your work. I am now following you on all platforms!
Vickie Fee
Cool — I look forward to getting to know you on social media!
Vickie Fee
Brooke, thanks for being my gracious host on your blog today! Merry Christmas!
Sharon
What a great title. You are a new-to-me author, but I am looking forward to reading your books. Thank you. Sharon Guagliardo, catwoman-1@comcast.net
Vickie Fee
Thanks, Sharon — good luck in the drawing
Nancy Burgess
Sounds like a good seies.