Overdue for Murder (Pecan Bayou) Read Online Free
Author: Teresa Trent
any occasion would make you ideal for any occasion. Until then I had no idea Rocky had been cleaning up her weekly contribution to the paper.
"Her writing style is the worst product of the public school system I have ever seen," Rocky said to me that day. "But the content she turns out is right on target for women's fashion. This is the kind of stuff I could never write." The final product was very popular among the Pecan Bayou readers. Having our very own fashion guru was pretty big-city for our little town.
Vanessa Markham was pointing to a tray of loaded German chocolate cupcakes that Pattie quickly scooped into a pink-striped box and topped them with wax paper. The librarian pointed to a tray of Napoleons for her box.
Martha held her rounded hands together in front of her. "So, Pattie, I know I can count on you to come to my Authors Night. You're such a genius with baking. I know I can't go but a few days without coming back here for more of your delicious goodies. Your new cookbook will be a great addition to our evening. Please consider being a part of it. Vanessa here is going to talk about her incredible chick-lit book. Her book got picked up by the Houston Stars publishing company, and distribution is about to expand outside of Texas."
Vanessa Markham broke off a piece of Napoleon that Martha offered her, using her red-lacquered fingernail to slide it between her lips. "Yes, I'm very excited. Of course my pen name is Vanessa Scarlett. Doesn't that sound so much more exciting than Markham? Well, that and Peter is already an established writer, so I went with Scarlett."
Pattie smiled softly. "I'm so flattered you would even ask me. We just printed out our cookbook to sell here at the store. I'm not exactly published, you know."
Martha Hoffman held her pink-striped box to the blazer covering her ample bosom. "Yes, we know, but you have to admit you have something here." She waved her hand across the packed display case of baked goods.
"Well, thank you," said Pattie. She glanced over in my direction, and then what came close to an evil smile came across her face. "But as long as you are scouting out authors, we have another standing right here with us."
"Who's that?" Martha said, pushing her glasses up with her free hand and glancing around the bakery.
"Why, Betsy here. Her book has actually been published by a real publisher."
"Betsy?" Both women turned around and focused their eyes on me. I waved meekly, still holding on to my sticky cookbook.
"Hi," I said. "I'm Betsy Livingston."
"Hello," said the little librarian. "You've written a book?"
"It was published a couple of years ago. It's a helpful hints book. I write the Happy Hinter column in the newspaper."
Vanessa Markham uttered a gasp in recognition of me. "Oh yes! We haven't formally met. You're the other blogger at the paper."
"Right." I nodded.
"And what's your book called?" Martha asked, shaking her head as if I was just another child trying to check out books without a library card.
" The Happy Hinter , same name as the column," I answered, almost apologizing for the lack of creativity in titling my book.
"I don't recall us having anything by that name at the library," Martha Hoffman stated, as if I was probably mistaken about being published because it didn't exist on her shelves.
"Probably not. It was published by a small press. I've only sold about 500 copies so far. Really, I'm sure your evening is already full, so you don't need to add me to your author list."
Pattie scowled. "Betsy, you have a great book, and if I deserve to be there, then so do you. Isn't that so, Martha?"
Martha bit her lower lip as if she had just been outmaneuvered in a chess game.
"Yes, I suppose we could add her to the end of the program. I'm sure your presentation would be fairly short, Miss Linson."
"It's Livingston," I corrected her.
"Martha, that's the deal then. I don't speak unless Betsy gets to speak, too."
Martha looked at her
"Her writing style is the worst product of the public school system I have ever seen," Rocky said to me that day. "But the content she turns out is right on target for women's fashion. This is the kind of stuff I could never write." The final product was very popular among the Pecan Bayou readers. Having our very own fashion guru was pretty big-city for our little town.
Vanessa Markham was pointing to a tray of loaded German chocolate cupcakes that Pattie quickly scooped into a pink-striped box and topped them with wax paper. The librarian pointed to a tray of Napoleons for her box.
Martha held her rounded hands together in front of her. "So, Pattie, I know I can count on you to come to my Authors Night. You're such a genius with baking. I know I can't go but a few days without coming back here for more of your delicious goodies. Your new cookbook will be a great addition to our evening. Please consider being a part of it. Vanessa here is going to talk about her incredible chick-lit book. Her book got picked up by the Houston Stars publishing company, and distribution is about to expand outside of Texas."
Vanessa Markham broke off a piece of Napoleon that Martha offered her, using her red-lacquered fingernail to slide it between her lips. "Yes, I'm very excited. Of course my pen name is Vanessa Scarlett. Doesn't that sound so much more exciting than Markham? Well, that and Peter is already an established writer, so I went with Scarlett."
Pattie smiled softly. "I'm so flattered you would even ask me. We just printed out our cookbook to sell here at the store. I'm not exactly published, you know."
Martha Hoffman held her pink-striped box to the blazer covering her ample bosom. "Yes, we know, but you have to admit you have something here." She waved her hand across the packed display case of baked goods.
"Well, thank you," said Pattie. She glanced over in my direction, and then what came close to an evil smile came across her face. "But as long as you are scouting out authors, we have another standing right here with us."
"Who's that?" Martha said, pushing her glasses up with her free hand and glancing around the bakery.
"Why, Betsy here. Her book has actually been published by a real publisher."
"Betsy?" Both women turned around and focused their eyes on me. I waved meekly, still holding on to my sticky cookbook.
"Hi," I said. "I'm Betsy Livingston."
"Hello," said the little librarian. "You've written a book?"
"It was published a couple of years ago. It's a helpful hints book. I write the Happy Hinter column in the newspaper."
Vanessa Markham uttered a gasp in recognition of me. "Oh yes! We haven't formally met. You're the other blogger at the paper."
"Right." I nodded.
"And what's your book called?" Martha asked, shaking her head as if I was just another child trying to check out books without a library card.
" The Happy Hinter , same name as the column," I answered, almost apologizing for the lack of creativity in titling my book.
"I don't recall us having anything by that name at the library," Martha Hoffman stated, as if I was probably mistaken about being published because it didn't exist on her shelves.
"Probably not. It was published by a small press. I've only sold about 500 copies so far. Really, I'm sure your evening is already full, so you don't need to add me to your author list."
Pattie scowled. "Betsy, you have a great book, and if I deserve to be there, then so do you. Isn't that so, Martha?"
Martha bit her lower lip as if she had just been outmaneuvered in a chess game.
"Yes, I suppose we could add her to the end of the program. I'm sure your presentation would be fairly short, Miss Linson."
"It's Livingston," I corrected her.
"Martha, that's the deal then. I don't speak unless Betsy gets to speak, too."
Martha looked at her
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