Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet Feature/Giveaway

Yay Darynda Jones Fans! We are excited to host the next stop in the Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet Blog Tour!!  Today we have THREE specials for you!  First off we are excited to have Cookie in the house spilling the beans on herself and all things Charley! And thanks to her, Darynda, and the Gimlet Street Team we have a Cookie excerpt from Fourth Grave!  And if that isn't enough...we have the Blog Tour Giveaway!!  One copy of the book and One copy of the Audiobook of First Grave!!
So without further ado...

 

Good Morning Cookie! Thanks for stopping by the blog for a chat.  We brought a carafe of coffee and some scones to bribe you over.  We hope you will be willing to answer a few questions from two of your biggest fans…YES, we are huge Cookie fans.  So sit back, relax for change, and let us pry a few tidbits from you.

Huge Cookie fans? I’m honored! Thank you so much. I had no idea I had fans. I feel like I should go to a spa or something. Get pampered.

First off, we have no idea how you do it!!  How DO you handle raising a tween and Charley at the same time?  Is that the real reason for the coffee addiction?  Do you get any sleep or are you a closet insomniac? We all know sleep is something needed, just look what happened to Charley when she tried to go without.

Oy! Charley is chaos incarnate WITH enough sleep. You can imagine how she is without. As far as raising Charley and my daughter Amber at the same time, bravo! That is exactly how I feel sometimes. With Amber it’s more of a do-your-homework and eat-all-your-vegetables kind of thing. With Charley it’s more like a stop-fighting-with-dead-people and you-paid-how-much-for-those-shoes ordeal. In trying to keep up with them, I have resorted to abusing coffee. I use several times a day and start going through withdrawal if I don’t get a fix every couple of hours. I do get enough sleep on those nights I’m not called to the hospital to pick up Charley or called to the jail to post bail. Those nights are great.

We know the pay isn’t that good, or the coffee is laced with something extra, but truly, why work for Charley? Do you still feel safe after this last time with Amber or is there something more to being her friend? Are you something like a token that keeps her grounded?

I think I work for Charley because we make a difference. We save lives. And you’re right. Charley needs me. I’ve woken to cold sweats worrying about what she will do without me if that time ever comes. Not that I’m likely to die first, but . . . I think

As far as feeling safe, I know it’s weird, but I think I feel safer being around Charley than not. She knows what’s going on in a world I can’t see. What’s going on underneath the surface of our own existence. For some reason, I like that. Then again, before Charley came along I’d never been shot at. Amber had never had a gun pointed at her head. Hmmmm…

We have to say that we might just stick around for all the yummy eye candy on display.  Which one of the hotties is your favorite?  Garrett?  Or is some, say uncle, catching your eye?

There is that! The constant barrage of eye candy is like being at a Disney Land created specifically for hormonal, middle-aged women. I tell you, that Garrett is a knee-melter. I can hardly be around that boy without needing one of those tiny, portable fans. While I love looking at that guy, there is something about a certain uncle of Charley’s that is just so endearing. I’m not sure if it’s his loyalty to Charley, or his quirky temper that makes him so attractive. It could be his moustache and his deep, expressive eyes.

Speaking of H-O-T…Reyes…just that name alone holds a lot of weight.  What is your take on the Son of Satan?

Hot just about covers it. Everything else is icing. Like the fact that his arms are incredible, corded with tendon and muscle. And they are attached to the most amazing shoulders. Which has this gorgeous head on top with this face that makes you want to cry it’s so beautiful. Or maybe it’s just me. I think I ovulate everytime I see him.

How about this new neighbor…you going to let us in on who it is?  Is it Reyes?

Let’s just say this place got way more interesting recently.

If Charley would quit tomorrow, as she fanaticized recently, what would you do?  Would you remain friends with no cases to solve and no otherworldly experiences?

I can’t imagine us NOT being friends. I believe in fate. Destiny. And I believe we were destined to be besties. If we didn’t have cases to solve together, I’m sure we’d find something else to do. Like open our own carwash. Or go on tour together. I sing a mean Adele. I don’t sound like her or anything, but throw a couple of margaritas down me, and I can belt out the tunes like nobody’s business.

Since being a reaper doesn’t seem to be a job you can quit, it looks like we get a lot more Cookie…Don’t we?  

She’ll definitely always have the grim reaper gig. As long as she’s reapering, I’ll be there for her.

And can you let us in on how it is going with Charley and figuring out what she is capable of? Is part of that figuring out if she should stick with Reyes or try on some Garrett or Donovan for a change?

She is coming into her abilities slowly but surely, and it’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever witnessed. Honestly, we didn’t even know there was more to come until Reyes told her. And it’s like her knowing has made her abilities blossom.

As far as the hunks in her life, she’s a flirt. Always has been. But if you saw the look on her face every time she talks about Reyes . . . As much as she likes the other two hotties, I think her heart is set on the son of Satan. Which sounds bad when you say it aloud.

Biker gangs, Nuns that curse, Angels, Satan, Mr. Wong, Guardian Dogs…what more can come our way?  Anything you want to share?  Anything that you think you might not be able to handle, like a war? Are you afraid?

There have been hints of a war, and that worries me more than a little. But I’d rather be in the know instead of completely clueless when things on Earth go south. I think Charley and Reyes can handle just about anything if they can stop bickering long enough. If not, the human race could be in trouble.

Well, no matter what it is we hope it includes a man for you!  You need a little dream escaping of your own.  What do you think? You ready for love?

Aw, I couldn’t agree more! I do some love. I may have to get aggressive. Make my feelings known and just go for it. I am quite ready.

Darn, we are now out of coffee and have eaten all the scones.  Guess this means our time is up.  Thanks again for stopping by.  Drop by any time!!

Thank you so much for having me! I’ll keep cheering Charley on and hope for the best. Prayers are welcome, for those so inclined. 

********************************************************************

Now A Special Excerpt From Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet...

With renewed energy, I pulled back onto Academy— after hitting a

drive- through for a mocha latte— and had just started for home when

my phone rang.

“Yes?” I said, illegally talking on the phone while driving within the

city limits. Scoping for cops, I waited for Uncle Bob to stop talking to

whomever he was talking to and get back to me.

My uncle Bob, or Ubie as I most often referred to him, was a detective

for APD, and I helped him on cases from time to time. He knew I

could see the departed and used that to his advantage. Not that I could

blame him.

“Get that to her, then call the ME ay- sap.”

“Okay,” I said, “but I’m not sure what calling the medical examiner

ay- sap is going to accomplish. I’m pretty sure his name is George.”

“Oh, hey, Charley.”

“Hey, Uncle Bob. What’s up?”

“Are you driving?”

“No.”

“Have you heard anything?”

Our conversations often went like this. Uncle Bob with his random

questions. Me with my trying to come up with answers just as random.

Not that I had to try very hard. “I heard that Tiff any Gorham, a girl I

knew in grade school, still stuff s her bra. But that’s just a rumor.”

“About the case,” he said through clenched teeth. I could tell his teeth

were clenched because his words were suddenly forced. That meant he

was frustrated. Too bad I had no idea what he was talking about.

“I wasn’t aware that we had a case.”

“Oh, didn’t Cookie call you?”

“She called me a doody- head once.”

“About the case.” His teeth were totally clenched again.

“We have a case?”

But I’d lost him. He was talking to another officer. Or a detective. Or

a hooker, depending on his location and accessibility to cash. Though I

doubted he would tell a hooker to check the status of the DOA’s autopsy

report. Unless he was way kinkier than I’d ever given him credit for.

I found his calling me only to talk to other people very challenging.

“I’ll call you right back,” he said. No idea to whom.

The call disconnected as I sat at a light, wondering what guacamole

would look like if avocados were orange.

I finally shifted my attention to the dead kid in my backseat. He had

shoulder- length blond hair and bright blue eyes and looked somewhere

between fifteen and seventeen.

“You come here often?” I asked him, but my phone rang before he

could say anything. That was okay. He had a vacant stare, so I doubted

he would have answered me anyway.

“Sorry about that,” Uncle Bob said. “Do you want to discuss the

case?”

“We have a case?” I said again, perking up.

“How are you?”

He asked me that every time he called now. “Peachy. Am I the case? If

so, I can solve this puppy in about three seconds. I’m heading down San

Mateo toward Central in a cherry red Jeep Wrangler with a questionable

exhaust system.”

“Charley.”

“Hurry, before I get away!”
***************************************************************

Now the Blog Tour Giveaway!!

 
Try and Win One Copy of Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 Try and Win One Copy of the Audiobook for First Grave On The Right
a Rafflecopter giveaway ******************************************************************
Make sure you head out and pick up your copy of Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet on October 30! Or pre-order like we did!!

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work including a prestigious Golden Heart®, a RITA®, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys.

Thanks to Darynda Jones and the Grimlet Street Team for letting us join in the fun!!
Happy Reading!!
~Kiki & Jules