HOMECOMING CHAOS

February 12, 2024

HOMECOMING CHAOS

by D.W. Brooks

GENRE: Romantic Suspense/Mystery/African American Fiction

A dead body in the parking lot of her family’s business, a killer on the loose, and a handsome detective asking a lot of questions…

Jamie Scott’s life fell apart four years ago when she broke off her engagement, turned down a dream job, and went overseas to run away from her life. Now she’s back, but the reunion is not without problems. She arrives home just in time to attend the soiree her mother planned, but she’s not prepared for what she finds—a dead employee in the parking lot.

Detective Nick Marshall is assigned to the murder case at the forensics lab owned by Jamie’s family. He meets the headstrong Jamie, but he has a job to do. And his attraction to her… well, he’s a professional.

Jamie knows the stakes are high. She has to face the past and save her parents’ business while dealing with her family drama and an uncertain future. She also has to deal with Nick, who wants her out of the way of his investigation. But fate keeps throwing them in one another’s paths… and into chaos that they both want to avoid, but neither can seem to escape.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

“Wait, wait. Hold on. Do you have a warrant? Do we need an attorney?” Jamison stood up, too. She was almost as tall as the detective and incredibly pretty up close, which caught him off guard. “Aren’t there proprietary issues at the lab?”

Nick paused and deferred to Ronald. Ronald chimed in. “We’re just trying to get information about this woman’s death. You can call a lawyer if you wish but retaining one may slow things down.”

“Hmmm.” Jamie stared at both detectives. She couldn’t read either of them, but the situation gave her pause. She recognized the importance of finding out what had happened to their employee. However, the family business needed to be shielded as much as possible. Jamie hadn’t been back long, and her brain was still cloudy and jet-lagged, but she recognized the potential perils in just letting the police roam free in the lab. “Dad, Mother, someone should call Richard,” she said, scrutinizing both parents.

Margaret said, “Good idea. I’ll call while I change. He can meet us there.” She gave the detective and the other officers a superior glance. “Richard Bradshaw, he’s a partner at Bradshaw, Taylor, and Kline, and he is our son-in-law.” She turned to walk into the master suite, with Gregory following.

Nick shook his head, and Ronald was less subtle with a steady scowl. Both had heard about Richard’s firm and peripherally knew Richard. This situation just got a lot more difficult. Nick didn’t suspect the family, but involving a lawyer usually complicated their police work. He turned back to Jamie, who was studying his reaction. He adjusted his face so she couldn’t sense his annoyance.

Jamie noted the subtle change and smiled to herself. She could tell she had annoyed him. Even annoyed, he’s pretty cute. “I need to get my coat. If you will excuse me,” she said, heading back to her bedroom.

Upstairs, Jamie changed clothes, retrieving a pair of skinny black jeans from her bag. As she slid into her jeans, her mind wandered to the detective. She typically dated guys that were taller than her—with her ex-fiancé being the lone exception—Eddie had been the same height. A strong jaw, wavy-ish hair, nice lips, and a commanding presence—which Jamie suspected the detective had in spades—didn’t hurt either. Just the type of guy she would typically go for if the circumstances were different. Rifling through the dresser, she found a white Henley shirt she’d left on a previous visit. She had gained almost fifteen pounds since then, and the shirt fit snugly. She now had boobs! Placing the hat back on her head, she was glad she had an appointment at the hair salon later in the day.

Yikes, she thought after catching herself primping in the mirror. Am I trying to impress the detective who’s investigating us? Girl, it has been a long time. Although he is hot. She shook her head exasperatedly.

About the Author:

The author is a doctor and editor who lives in Texas with her husband and children. She enjoys trying to stay in shape, sporadically cooking, reading (still), writing, and working on her blog. She is eternally grateful to the woman who donated a kidney to her over 5 years ago and continues to advocate for organ donation as much as she can.

To learn more about D. W. Brooks and future publications and events, visit https://authordwbrooks.com.

Q&A With the Author:

What was your inspiration for writing this book?

The female main character Jamison Jones Scott had been in my head for several years before I started writing the book. Originally, I wanted to write a story about a woman who went to medical school and through residency and then decided that she didn’t want to practice medicine anymore. The fallout from that decision was going to be the focus of the book and was based on some experiences I had when I made a similar decision.

My struggles with a hereditary kidney disease pushed me to not waste any more time and to write. When I started writing the story, I decided I didn't want the medical school decision to be the main point of the story, but I still wanted it to be part of Jamie’s backstory. Writing a mystery was always an interest of mine since I was a child and Jamie as the FMC seemed perfect for a romantic angle. The novel took several years to complete, partly because I put it to the side while I recovered from my kidney transplant and my father was living with us. Therefore, I had to set a final date for publication to force myself to move forward because life kept getting in the way.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I enjoyed writing the conversations between the various characters. I could see the conversations in my head as I wrote them, which I found made the writing easier. Also, listening to the conversations out loud was a lot of fun.

Do you have any other books you are working on that you can tell us about?

During 2024, I plan to write two novellas in the Model MD/Chaos series and Book 2 in the series. I want to write a novella in between each novel. I wrote a prequel novella for Homecoming Chaos, so I would like to continue that pattern.

I have started the novella that is set after Homecoming Chaos which will include Jamie and Nick's first date along with other mishaps. The second novella will be a holiday story. I have a good idea about the novel topic, but I don't want to say just in case I change my mind!

Can you tell us about what you have planned for the future?

Over the next eight years or so, I want to write a series of six or seven novels about these characters with novellas in between. I would also like to create a different mystery series one day, but I will have to see if that works out.

Anything more you would like to say to your readers and fans?

I want to say thank you for all your support and enthusiasm about my books. It is very humbling to put yourself and your work out there into the public and have people be receptive. I am so very grateful and excited to see what comes next and I hope my readers and fans are here for it!