Sand Trapped

July 22, 2021

Sand Trapped

Sand Trapped: Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series
by Joanna Campbell Slan

About Sand Trapped

Sand Trapped: Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series
Cozy Mystery
6th in Series
Publisher: Spot On Publishing (May 16, 2021)
Paperback: 292 pages
ISBN-13: 979-8503202564
Digital ASIN: B091S4S2MW

A Cozy Mystery That’s a Real Hit!

First they warned Jocelyn Johnson.

Then they ticketed Jocelyn Johnson.

Then someone murdered Jocelyn Johnson.

And Cara Mia Delgatto was looking for a lost ball when found Jocelyn “JJ” Johnson face down in a sand trap. Gave a whole new meaning to “take a drop.”

It wasn’t a surprise. The neighbors hated JJ for the reckless way she drove her golf cart. Sure, she lived on the grounds of a swanky golf club, and yes, she had tons of money, but JJ ruined flowerbeds, terrorized grandkids, and made a nuisance of herself.

Except…except…she’s quiet now. Lying there in the dirt at Hole #6. Someone bashed in JJ’s head. (Who would risk ruining an expensive Homna golf club like that?)

Cara doesn’t want to get involved. But when Gerta Hunsickler is named the prime suspect, and Gerta’s husband is so angry at his wife that he’s starting divorce proceedings, Cara can’t sit on her hands. She knows what it’s like to be unfairly accused. So she promises to take a swing at it and see if she can hit a long drive down the fairway of justice!

Meanwhile, back at The Treasure Chest, Cara’s friends are busy creating fabulous and fun Mother’s Day gifts. There are two brides-to-be working for Cara, and their two mothers-in-law-to-be have decided not to play nice. Can you say, “Mama’s boy” ten times really fast? I thought you could.

If you love warm-hearted, clean books, that feature female amateur sleuths, fur babies, family, and friends, you’ll love this charming DIY/recycling/upcycling series set on the Southeast Coast of Florida.

Character Guest Post
Flightmare by Cara Mia Delgatto
“How did I get myself into this?” I mumbled under my breath. “Better yet, how do I get myself out?”
My dogs stared up at me. Slowly they wagged their tails. Canines are smarter than people give them credit for being. Gerard, the Royal Bahamian Potcake, and Jack, the Chihuahua, understand “human” a lot better than I can translate “dog.” No doubt they were thinking, “Gee, Cara Mia. You got yourself into this mess by opening your big mouth and offering to do a favor. You should have kept quiet.”
That annoyed me because they were right. I should have kept my big mouth shut. But I can explain. Really I can.
First of all, you have to understand that Aurora Hamilton is a dear, dear friend. More like a sister than a neighbor. Second, she talks a mile a minute. Third, I was exhausted after a long week of work at The Treasure Chest, my retail store featuring upcycled, recycled, and repurposed goods with a beachy theme. I’d just put in a 60-hour week, and I may have mentioned to Aurora that I needed a break. We were sitting on my deck, looking out over the ocean, and sipping a lovely, light Pinot Grigio.
“Speaking of breaks,” she said, “I’m flying to Aspen for a few days. I’ll only be taking a few bags.”
Of course I piped up and said, “Need a ride to the airport? I’ll take you.”
Yes, I vaguely recall her talking about PJs. But I figured she planned to wear pajamas on the plane. Why not? Air travel is uncomfortable in the best of times. If she wanted to wear a pair of track pants and matching tee, who was I to complain? It’s not like I’ve never see her dressed down before. Aurora is an early riser. She often knocks on my door while still dressed in her pajamas. It’s no big deal. Her husband travels a lot. I live alone. No one can see into our yards because our houses are set back from the street. True, her “house” is actually a honking big mansion, more than 10,000 square feet, and my “house” used to be the maid’s quarters for her house, but that was long ago. Today there is no class divide. In fact, I’m not even sure where our lot line is.
So in my head, I pictured myself driving to West Palm Beach International, pulling up in the departures drop-off lane and waving goodbye to Aurora, dressed in drawstring pants, a tee, and a backpack.
As my grandfather likes to say, “Man plans and God laughs.” He must be in hysterics right now.
I got things wrong. Really wrong. Come to find out, Aurora’s idea of a PJ was a Private Jet, specifically a sleek Gulfstream G150. To her, airport meant FBO, a Fixed Base Operator. Google defines an FBO as a private terminal used for luxury travelers. “A few bags” as per Aurora, translated into one over-sized roll-aboard, three smaller rolling bags, two large Louis Vuitton handbags, and a large bottle of Fiji water.
There I stood on the tarmac, watching two men in pilots’ uniforms doing their best to stuff—literally smash—Aurora’s “few bags” into that little jet airplane. They filled all the passenger seats but one, which was okay because she was their only passenger.
I also learned that private flights into Aspen had been fully booked four months ago, and if we’d arrived late, she would have had to fly commercial…like the rest of us.
Oh, my! That would have been a flightmare!
~*~

About Joanna Campbell Slan

“Our best friend, our next-door neighbor, and ourselves with just a touch of the outrageous.” That’s how RT Book Review describes Joanna’s protagonist, Kiki Lowenstein. The truth is that’s a pretty good description of Joanna Campbell Slan as well.

Joanna is a New York Times Bestselling, USA Today Bestselling, and Amazon Bestselling author as well as a woman prone to frequent bursts of crafting frenzy, leaving her with burns from her hot glue gun and paint on her clothes. And the mess? Let’s not even go there.

Otherwise, Joanna’s a productive author with more than 80 written projects to her credit. Her non-fiction work includes how to books, a college textbook for public speakers, and books of personal essays (think Chicken Soup for the Soul).

Currently, she writes five fiction series: The Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (Agatha Award Finalist, contemporary, St. Louis setting, crafting), the Cara Mia Delgatto Mystery Series (contemporary, Florida setting, DIY, and recycling), the Jane Eyre Chronicles (Daphne du Maurier Award Winner, 1830s England, based on Charlotte Brontë’s classic), the Sherlock Holmes Fantasy Thrillers (late 1800s, based on Arthur Conan Doyle’s books), and the Zen Cozy Mystery Series (launch 2021).

A former TV talk show host, college teacher, and public relations specialist, Joanna was one of the early Chicken Soup for the Soul contributors. She won a Silver Anvil for her work on the original FarmAid concert to benefit farmers.

In her ongoing quest never to see snow again, Joanna lives with her husband and their Havanese puppy, Jax, on an island off the coast of Florida. You can email her at jcslan@joannaslan.com or visit her website at https://linktr.ee/jcslan

Author Links

Website Http://www.JoannaSlan.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/1602372550058785

Twitter http://www.twitter.com/joannaslan

BookBub http://www.BookBub.com/author/joanna-campbell-slan

Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/joannaslan/

Purchase Links – Amazon

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