Please welcome, J. Q. Rose

 

I’ve known and read J. Q. Rose’s work for several years now. She always manages to surprise me and make me laugh.

Tell us a little about yourself.

After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, I needed a change from Who, What, Where, When and Why of the non-fiction stories and entered the world of fiction. Making up characters and worlds for them to live in consumed me. My published mysteries are Deadly Undertaking and Dangerous Sanctuary released by Books We Love Publishing. But I couldn’t stay away from “real” people because I love telling their stories. So I interviewed fifteen amazing, inspiring role models for my non-fiction book for girls, Girls Succeed! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women. When I’m not writing I enjoy photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel. We spend winters in Florida and summers up north camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with our four grandsons and granddaughter.

What type of books do you write?

I write romantic suspense and non-fiction books.

One of your books takes place in a funeral home. What lead you to set a story there?

In Deadly Undertaking I chose the funeral home setting because I grew up in one. Well, not literally, but my father was a funeral director and so were my two older brothers. You know the adage to “write about what you know”, I know this business, plus I had great resources to tap when I needed to know more about the funeral operation. When the idea of creating the shadow man character, Henry, in the setting of a quirky mystery in a funeral home, I just had to write the story.

Tell us about your latest book. 

Dangerous Sanctuary is a cozy mystery. The main character is a female minister, Pastor Christine Hobbs. She has been in the pulpit business for over five years. She never imagined herself caring for a flock that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer.

Detective Cole Stephens doesn’t want the pretty pastor to get away with murdering the church music director. His investigative methods infuriate Christine as much as his deep brown eyes attract her.

Can they find the real killer and build a loving relationship based on trust?

This sweet romance with fun characters is an entertaining way to escape the craziness of the holiday season.

How did you come up with the variety of animals in the story?
When I interviewed a female pastor for the Girls Succeed book, she told me about her experience of taking a cat into her home when one of her parishioners died. The pig and kangaroo story is right from the news in Florida when a motorhome actually burned up, but the service animals, pig, kangaroo, and a goat, were rescued. I didn’t include the goat in the story. I figured a pig and kangaroo were plenty for Christine to handle!

Where are your books available?

They are available at amazon. Click here on my amazon page to find all of them. http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4

What are you working on now?

I’m switching gears now and working on my memoir about the first year my husband and I were in the flower business—1975-1976. We owned and operated a flower shop, greenhouses, and garden center for twenty years. I’m passionate about folks telling their life stories and have taught workshops on it. So I’ve written small scenes from my life, but never tried to cover a year at a time. A memoir usually is about one area of a person’s life, not the entire chronological experience from birth to present. Viewing my life from the perspective I have now opens up new understanding of the times, the people, and situations I experienced forty years ago.

What do you do in your spare time?
We’re snowbirds, so we escape to sunny Florida for the winter. It’s like going away for summer camp for us. Away from responsibility, but sadly away from family. In the summer we are busy with grandkids, camping, and traveling. In the winter we enjoy playing Pegs and Joker board games and cards with friends as well as taking part in the many activities our park offers.

Anything else you would like to share?

Thank you so much for hosting me. Always a fun time with you at Foxes and Hounds.

Rapid fire:
Spinach or brussel sprouts? Blech–neither
Scrub the shower or vacuum the rug? Vacuum the rug.
Five bedrooms or tiny house? Tiny house—I’m the one who full-timed in our RV for over eight years. I loved the very tiny amount of housekeeping required in a home on wheels.
Favorite kind of chocolate? Since it’s Christmas time, the Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark squares are always available here! Chocolate covered cherries come in as a close second. But for year round chocolate, I go for m&m’s.

Thank you so much for sharing! J. Q. Rose would like to give away an ecopy of Dangerous Sanctuary to a lucky commenter. Leave a comment before December 15 at 10 PM EST.