Can't Keep a Bad Bride Down
by Miranda Parker
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You are listening to one of the last BAN Radio Interviews with Miranda/Dee and Ella Curry.
Can't Keep a Bad Bride Down
by Miranda Parker
(Angel Crawford Series)
"A fast-paced, thrilling read." —Electa Rome Parks, author of The Stalker Chronicles
Bail recovery agent Angel Crawford isn't sure which is tougher—fighting crime, letting go of the skeletons in her past, or planning for her wedding. Either way, she's dealt with her share of surprises. But just when she least expects it, she gets the shock of her life. . .
It's been months since Angel and Pastor Justus Too-Hot-To-Be-Holy Morgan announced their engagement. Yet Angel's barely begun wedding planning. It's not that she's having doubts. She just wants to make sure the past doesn't interfere with their future. For Angel, that means clearing up a kiss-tastrophe with U.S. Marshal Maxim West and facing off with her ex-fiancé's assassin. Angel wants to share her plans with Justus, but before she can do it, a new complication arrives.
Praise For Miranda Parker
"I had such a good time reading this novel! I was in the story, watching and sipping on a mocktail."
—Pat G'Orge-Walker, Essence® bestselling author, on Can't Keep a Bad Bride Down
"Parker combines murder, romance, and church scandals amid plenty of suggestive sexuality."
—Publishers Weekly on A Good Excuse to Be Bad
"A surprise around every corner. . ..The combination of juicy mystery and the drama of a mega-church is an unbeatable one that makes this novel a real page-turner."
—RT Book Reviews on A Good Excuse to Be Bad
Chapter One Excerpt
Saturday, 9:00 PM
Tybee Island Wedding Chapel, Tybee Island, Georgia
While at Lana Turner’s wedding reception, after the most handsome man in my universe placed the prettiest ring ever seen on my finger, I decided to do something very uncharacteristic of me. I squealed in the octave of a high school cheerleader and said, “Yes.”
Justus Morgan lifted me off the floor with his strong arms and then kissed me so sweetly, I almost forgot that the U.S. marshal I had recently kissed was also in the chapel and could very well ruin all this yummy goodness. Although the manhunt was over and I had killed our man, not everything had been resolved. There was still a leak in the marshal’s office. But now was not the time to be in bail recovery agent Evangeline Crawford mode.
Now we were on Tybee Island for Lana’s wedding at a chapel appropriately called “Tybee Island Wedding Chapel.” The chapel looked like something you’d see in a Nicholas Sparks movie. It was nestled between magnolias, oak trees, and other Georgian greenery only seen in this part of the state. The chapel was white, and tonight every post and window was decorated with a deep purple satin ribbon, white lace, and a single magnolia stem. Inside the chapel a lavender color-wash illuminated every dahlia, hydrangea, and mini calla lily and rose centerpiece with just enough sparkle to melt a cold heart. It was elegant, romantic, simple, and breathtaking. I almost felt blessed to be there.
To perform my bridesmaid’s duties, I looked like my Southern belle identical twin, the evangelist Ava: caramel skin accented with a rose blush, feline-shaped eyes done up nice, but instead of a sophisticated coif, I sported a pixie haircut. I was a bridesmaid by default (long story) and my younger sister/housemate Whitney was Lana’s maid of honor. Mom had been here earlier with my seven-year-old daughter, Bella, but without my not-so-new, yet-absent-lots-lately stepfather. By the end of the ceremony, Bella had been tired, so my mother had taken her back to the cottage. Ava, was back home in Atlanta, more than likely secretly dating my only client, Big Tiger Jones of BT Trusted Bail Bonds. A lot of foolery was going on between them, but none of their issues were as messy as the one lurking in my periphery.
Marshal Maxim West stood inside the chancel of the chapel between the black baby grand piano and the all-male jazz singer quartet. He didn’t stand out to the wedding party, because he wore a black tuxedo and matching bow-tie, which was similar to the quartet’s uniform. But to me he looked out of place and more handsome than the last time I’d seen him. Although I didn’t know him well, save for a stolen kiss, I knew enough to know that dressing like a penguin was not the marshal/my teacher’s thing. He was the black-Stetson-hat-blue-jean-cowboy-boots-wearing type. Tonight he looked like a jilted boyfriend, lurking in the shadows.
Justus, my new fiancé, placed me back onto the floor, but I didn’t want to come down. It was safer in his arms, because we were immediately mobbed by well-wishers once he let me go.
“You’ve made me the happiest man in this room tonight—except the groom,” he said. I heard a round of applause from everyone watching except Maxim. He hadn’t moved. He didn’t clap. I gulped. Justus lifted my chin up with his hands and surveyed my eyes. “Is everything okay?”
My new fiancé shouldn’t have done that. I wasn’t any good when he looked me in the eye and in that way. Justus was so handsome, the kind of handsome that girls like me only saw in movies or in men’s health magazines. He had this golden brown–colored skin that glowed when he was happy and blazed when he was angry. His bright smile teased my lips. His lips were perfect for smooches and long kisses, and his sultry deep voice calmed me when I had the urge to do something stupid. He had long lashes that made it incredibly hard for me to think about God when he closed his eyes to pray.
Justus prayed often. He was my pastor, and until today that fact didn’t bother me at all. The only thing that bothered me was now walking toward us. I had to set things straight with Maxim and assure him that what happened after I shot Biloxi “The Knocker” James was a mistake.
A big, stupid, good-woman-trying-to-let-go-of-her-badgirl-tendencies kind of mistake. I turned my attention back to Justus and shook my head. “I’m in shock. That’s all.”
“I am, too. I didn’t think you would say ‘yes.’ ” He smiled.
“I’ll say yes every day if you like. . . .” I held his face with both of my hands and leaned forward to try to kiss him.
Then I heard a shriek. I turned toward the sound’s direction. It was Whitney running toward us, screaming my name. Her maid of honor dress’s train was hoisted over her head, as if it were the Olympic torch. Everyone—even Mom—parted to let her through. I stepped back into Justus. She almost took my breath away when she buried her big head into my chest. I almost toppled over, but Justus kept me steady.
“You two owe your first-born’s first name to me,” she said, while squeezing me tighter. I peeled her off of me and pushed her toward Maxim.
“And what if he’s a boy?”
“Hmm.” She scrunched her nose, tightened her lips, and squinted. “ ‘Whitman’ will do.”
“Not in this lifetime,” I said as I scanned the room. Maxim had disappeared.
“What about ‘Whitmore Morgan’? It’s my uncle’s name. Would you be fine with that, Evangeline?” He nudged me.
I looked at him and blushed. I liked the way he said my name. The thought of having a child with him—coupled with his eyes wandering over my dress—made me feel warm all over. I ran my hand down my nape, to calm my hormones. I didn’t think this would be a long engagement.
“Can we talk about babies after we’ve been married for a while? Thank you,” I said and then sat down in the nearest dinner-table chair I saw. The conversation was making my ovaries ache.
“Whatever,” Whitney scoffed. “But don’t forget. If it wasn’t for me, you two wouldn’t be a couple.”
I nodded. “You wouldn’t let me forget it if I tried.”
“True. True.” She giggled. “Well, at least make me maid of honor.”
“Honey, you’re maid of honor by default, because Ava is a widow.” I chuckled. “She’s matron of honor.”
“You know what I mean, so stop playing. . . .”
Whitney pursed her lips and threw her hands on her hips, then paused. Our little sister was a spitfire unlike Ava and me. “I’ve had your back since Charlie went overseas, and when Ava wouldn’t answer your calls. Just because y’all are back to yin and yang, don’t mean throw me to the curb. I earned maid of honor.”
Charlie was my best friend. The last time we’d talked, she was planning on coming home soon.
I looked at Justus. “Are you sure you want to be a part of this family?”
He nodded and grinned. “The sooner the better.”
I blushed.
“So am I your girl?” Whitney asked.
I winced at her for interrupting us. “Depends on whether or not you complete your maid-of-honor duties for Lana.”
She fanned me off with her hand. “The reception is almost over.”
“And so that means you need to be helping your bride gather her things for the honeymoon, especially the honeymoon gift from the bridesmaids.”
“You got that right. That poor child will leave all our hard work behind and have a sucky honeymoon. She has to blow her new hubby’s mind. . . .” Whitney scurried off, although I could still hear her telling us Lana’s business. Justus and I both watched her leave and then laughed. She was a hot, funny mess.
He stepped closer toward me and extended his hand. “Since this is more than likely the last dance of the night, will you do me the honor?”
I laid my hand inside his and allowed him to scoop me up. “With pleasure.”
Justus placed his hand in the small of my back and then leaned me down into a slow dip. I giggled, but he didn’t laugh. He was observing my lips, then my eyes, waiting for me to say yes to his kiss. I relaxed in his arms, moaned in anticipation of his kiss, and closed my eyes.
He cleared his throat. “I hate to cut in, but . . .”
My nose crinkled. That didn’t sound like Justus, but it did sound familiar. I opened one eye. It was Maxim. He had returned from wherever he had run off to. I hissed at him.
( Continues... )
Copyright © 2013 by Miranda Parker. All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the publisher. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the publisher's written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. Share a link to this page or the author's website if you really like this promotional excerpt.
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A Celebration of Life for Dee Stewart
Davidae Yolanda Stewart, affectionately known as Dee, passed away on Friday, October 5, 2012. Dee battled lupus and peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare heart disorder, gracefully to the end. Dee Stewart was an active supporter of the American Heart Association's Go Red for Women movement to raise awareness about women's heart health. Stewart realized how important it was to educate herself and other women about the risk factors and warning signs of heart disease.
Davidae Yolanda Stewart was born on Feb. 3, 1973, to Dorothy and David Stewart in Valdosta, GA. She received her education at Valdosta High School where she graduated with honors. She graduated from Agnes Scott College with honors and a Bachelor’s degree in Arts. In 2000, she started writing after the birth of her daughter. She has been featured in several magazines, books, and a publicist to many and served as a consultant when needed. She was also a Primerica Agent. In the last two years, she released two books, “Good Excuse to be Bad” and her most recent “Something Bad and Something Blue.” Before her death, she was working on her third book entitled “Can’t Keep A Bad Bride Down.” She was called home on Oct. 5, 2012.
Davidae (Dee) Stewart began writing features for newspapers and magazines in 1991, focusing on subjects in lifestyle, religion arts and entertainment, and publishing over 50 articles. She began writing fiction in 2005 after she took a year-long online writing workshop taught by Chuck Palahniuk [Fight Club.] Her first published short fiction piece, Straddling the Fence was awarded one of the best short stories of 2005 for Infuze Magazine. Her writing has appeared in: Black Pearls Magazine, Gospel Today, Precious Times, Anointed, Hope for Women, Rejoice Atlanta, Romantic Times, Spirit Led Woman, Mosaic Literary Journal, Atlanta Christian Family and Spirit Led Writer to name a few.
Dee Stewart was an award winning publicist for national recording artists, actors, ministers, church architects, authors, and gospel recording artists. As the owner of Dee Gospel PR, her mission was simple; she worked to connect The Master's Artists with the world. Dee was presented with the Publicist of the Year award in 2011 by Black Pearls Magazine for her lifetime of service to the literary community. She served the publishing industry as a celebrated book reviewer, book marketing consultant, editor, Christys Book Awards judge, co-founder of the #Blacklitchat and founder of the highly popular Christian Fiction Blog.
Dee created the Christian Fiction Blog in 2004 to support writers of Christian Faith. She started it to help other writers deal with the sometimes overwhelming prospect of book promotion and book events. Dee was focused on helping as many as possible learn more about the craft of writing as well as the business of publishing. Dee Stewart was a proud member of the Romance Writers of America, Atlanta RWA Chapter, Kiss of Death RWA Chapter, International Thriller Writers and former member of The Georgia Peach Authors. She was also the Social Media/Marketing Head for the ITW Debut Authors Program and a contributing editor to The Big Thrill.
Writing as Miranda Parker her work has been featured by Juicy Magazine, VERSED Magazine June 2012 Bestseller List, The Thrill Begins July 2012 "What to Expect your First Year as a Published Author", Carnegie Library, Pittsburgh August 2012 New Arrivals, Albion District Library, Albion, MI. July New Materials, Black Pearls Magazine May/July issue, Ka' rii Entertainment, Kay's Blog 2012 Summer Releases, Mosaic Books, New York Public Library, Canada: Euclid Public Library and the Chicago Public Library just to name a few.
Dee Stewart/Miranda Parker leaves a strong literary legacy fostered by a life of love, service and commitment. Here at Black Pearls Magazine, we would like to offer our sincere condolences to the family and friends of our beloved Davidae Y. Stewart. She is survived by her mother Dorothy J. Stewart, father David Stewart, Sr., twin brother David V. Stewart, sister Melana Jones and her precious daughter Selah Skye Stewart.
Dee left such a valued footprint in the lives of those within her massive literary circle. She was passionate about helping many of our artists and authors achieve their dreams. A global friend base from Twitter, Facebook and the literary world will pay tribute to the passing of one of our greatest stars. We will all miss Dee but we find comfort in knowing Heaven is rejoicing! She has definitely earned her wings!
Author, Dee Stewart - Go Red Foundation Facebook Group - This group has been formed to share information on Women’s Heart Health Awareness and Lupus, two illnesses that Dee suffered with that many may not know much about. UNIFIED in Dee’s spirit of generosity, kindness, love and support this group will help educate and keep each other informed and up to date on any news in regard to these often debilitating illnesses. A Facebook group has been created in her honor to help carry on her legacy: https://www.facebook.com/groups/194080144060466
Intimate Conversation with Miranda Parker
Dee, writing as Miranda Parker, was the author of the Angel Crawford Series. Miranda Parker wrote comic romance suspense novels. Writing fun, feisty, redemptive bad-girl-gone-good stories was her passion. She has been featured in the Atlanta Journal Constitution, RT Book Reviews Magazine and Publishers Weekly. Author Miranda Parker has also made featured author appearances at the Decatur Book Festival, 2012 SC Book Festival, the 2011 (NBCC) National Book Club Convention, Black Pearl Magazine's 2011 Chocolate Social, and the 2011 Atlanta Press Club Holiday Author Party.
Dee graduated from Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia where she studied Math (because she loves to solve problems) and Architectural Studies (because she likes to create solutions). She has worked as a journalist, architectural preservationist for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics, and an IT consultant for The Coca Cola Company. But, Miranda Parker was thrilled to spend her days devising ways to make her readers seriously contemplate whether they should read another chapter or get some sleep. The interview below is the last written interview she created for Black Pearls Magazine: www.blackpearlsmagazine.com.
BPM: Tell us about your journey becoming a successfully published author. Do you have anyone in your life that was heavily influential in your deciding to become an author?
I have been an insider in publishing for many years before I attempted to write a novel. For six years I’ve been a reviewer for RT Books Reviews Magazine, a book awards judge for two different book awards, a reader for a publishing house, a marketing consultant for two publishing houses, a publishing industry trade paper, an event planner for public libraries, a workshop coordinator for RT Booklover’s Conference, a journalist, and a publicist for national recording artist, authors, touring plays, and thespians. I have been around and didn’t think writing novels was something else to add to my table.
I wrote this story years ago as a part of a year -long writing workshop with author Chuck Palahnuik (Fight Club, Choke) that was featured in Poets & Writers Magazine. ChuckyPalahnuik taught us how to tell a modern story in a way that glues the reader to the character’s journey. At the time I was the only African-American and woman in the group. They gave me a lot of grief about my romantic story lines, but it was the best fun. They helped me come out of my shell and realize what type of stories intrigued me.
Moreover, I got the toughest and best critiques to help me become a better writer. It helped me develop a tough skin and define my writing voice, which I think is essential in not just getting a book deal, but standing out of the large number of published novels that enter the marketplace every month. Chucky P was kind enough to make a personal beaded necklace with both our names on it, send me a pack of forget-me-nots, and a purple beanie baby to put near my computer when I write. He wrote me a letter to encourage me on my writing and to remind me to have fun with this. How sweet?!
Around the same time I was invited to join a local writers group. Essence Magazine Bestselling authors Tia McCollor (Moody) and Sherri Lewis (Urban Christian) founded the group. It was comprised of ten aspiring authors. As of now most of us have become published: Ashea Goldson, Dwan Abrams, Rhonda McKnight and myself. Six out of ten is great number and we’re not done yet. (That message is for my write-or-die chicks.)
However, my writing journey has not been easy. It’s been a series of disappointments and tests and revelations about my endurance and the people who support me. I have a limited income because I am a parent with disabilities. Sherri sent me all expenses paid to a writer’s conference in Dallas, TX. My writing group sent me to a writer’s retreat in Destin, Florida. Cindy Woodsmall (Random House) paid for my ACFW dues two years in a row. I lost this novel twice when my computers committed suicide. Tia gave me her laptop.
Thanks to my ACFW WORD writing group buddies, they helped me rewrite the story and my Atlanta Faith Based Writers Group pushed me to the Romance Slam Jam Writing Contest. I placed third! What’s funny about that is when I received my notes back from the judges I realized one of my critique buddies had notes hidden in the manuscript that I forgot to delete. LOL.
Deatri King Bey of Romance Slam Jam gifted me a chance to have A Good Excuse to Be Bad read by Selena James at Kensington Publishing Corp. She loved it and here we are. I hope readers will love it, too.
BPM: What authors made a difference in your life?
Chuck Palahniuk helped me become a better writer. I can’t stress that enough. ReShonda Tate Billingsley showed me that this business could be fun. She’s very transparent and giving to me. Claudia Mair Burney is the most brilliant writer and a dear friend. She encouraged me to be different. My bud Rhonda McKnight never gave up on me. Tiffany L. Warren has been a friend for a long time. Sharon Ewell Foster and Pat G’orge Walker are my Amen corners. They keep me humbled and grounded. Glenville Lovell befriended me around the time I decided to step my toe in crime noir writing and didn’t discourage me, because I didn’t want to include graphic sex or violence in the story.
As a writer, I’m influenced by Doris Lessing, Paulo Coelho, Edgar Allen Poe, Thomas Hardy, President Barack Obama, Toni Morrison, Gayl Jones, Jane Austen, William Shakespeare, William Faulkner, Flannery O Connor, Nella Larsen, Iola Leroy, Walter Mosley, and Amy Tan.
BPM: Which books have been the most influencial on your writing career?
Gail Carson Levine's Writing Magic: Creating Stories that Fly, Chris Anderson's The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More, Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the d’Ubbervilles, Alice Walker’s Color Purple, Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress, and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.
BPM: How has your writing style evolved over the years? What stimulated your growth the most?
When I began writing my background was in literary fiction and criticism. My influences were Toni Morrison, William Faulkner, Ann Lamott, and thus, my sentences were long like this one. Therefore, I needed to understand commercial fiction better. I needed to find a way to incorporate my literary background with a fast paced, relevant story for a mass audience.
As I said before I took Chucky P’s writing workshop and it changed the way I write. I also joined Romance Writers of America (RWA) and attended those writing workshops. Ana DeStefano is a great instructor, if you ever get the chance to take her class. Randy Ingermason’s workshops also helped me plot better chapters. My write-or-die chicks can tell you that my first work was a little over the place, had pretty words, but wasn’t going anywhere. Although my writing is still a work in progress, my style is sophisticated, fast-paced, complicated posts with large doses of southern charm.
BPM: What have you realized about yourself since becoming a published author?
Although the book has just released, I’ve been receiving many email requests about Book 2 Someone Bad and Something Blue. I must admit I’m very nervous. I hope I don’t disappoint them. Before I became published I wrote what I wanted. Now I have not just my editor, but fans of Angel Crawford to satisfy. I wasn’t expecting this much responsibility so soon. As I write Book 3, I have my fans emails front and center. I want to make sure they are more than satisfied now that I know what they love the most about A Good Excuse to Be Bad.
BPM: What are some of the benefits of being an author that makes it all worthwhile?
After years of reviewing books I noticed that what I was reading wasn’t satisfying me anymore. I wanted something different, something more like the shows and movies I watch. So the largest benefit to me has been creating a story that satisfies me.
Other benefits have been seeing my daughter’s face when she sees my books in stores. The feeling of accomplishment is also tops. When you spend many years working on becoming a better writer it feels good to know that your efforts weren’t in vain. I also like having a team or paid professionals helping to make my story the best possible. Selena James and the staff at Kensington have been very welcoming and supportive of my writing career.
Before I created the Angel Crawford series I had decided that I would not submit anymore book proposals to a publisher or an agent unless I believed it would be something others wanted to read. There are so many great authors out here with exceptional books. At the same time there are many books out there that say the same thing. I didn’t want to my book to be that. I wanted to write something very different and I hope I accomplished that.
BPM: Do you have any advice for people seeking to publish a book?
Think of publishing a book with a commercial artist mindset. What you are creating isn’t just art, but a sellable product…sellable art. If you can’t wrap your mind around that truth, you won’t be able to take constructive criticism from your editor, a book reviewer, or your fans.
Moreover, you will not know how to explain your book to a book club president, you will not know how to help marketing and sales sell your book to their business partners, because you don’t know how to step away from the story and determine why anyone would want to buy it. I know it doesn’t sound glamorous, but you need basic business acumen to work in any artist industry today.
If you don’t have it, seek resources in writer’s groups, mentors, writing coaches, other published writers, and indy insiders. Many have helped me like: ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Claudia Mair Burney, Mike Silva, Ella Curry, Creston Mapes, Nakea Murray, Gina Holmes, Troy Johnson to name a few. Read my acknowledgements section where I’m more detailed about those who helped.
BPM: Introduce us to your book series and the main characters. Do you have any favorites?
Angel Crawford is the heroine of the entire series. She’s a mom and bounty hunter. The series is about how she tries to balance the two. Evangeline “Angel” Crawford is busy raising her daughter and attempting to get thoughts of her sexy new pastor, Justus, out of her mind. Then her twin sister Avalyn shows up on her doorstep with her children in tow and hours later Avalyn’s husband, a prominent bishop, is murdered. Angel’s reporter instincts kick in and she must work fast to clear her sister’s name, and enlists Justus to help bring the killer to justice.
Justus Morgan is Angel’s pastor and has found himself in a problematic situation. He thinks he is falling for the secretive mom who sits on the last pew in his church. When he gets the opportunity to learn more about her he gets more than he bargained for. She may be too dangerous for the life he leads.
Ava Crawford is Angel’s estranged twin sister. She is also the first lady of Greater Atlanta Faith Church. Her sister Angel hates her husband Devon and that has put a rift between them. However, when she faces tragedy the only person she can rely on is Angel.
Big Tiger Jones is Angel’s boss and owner of BT Trusted Bail Bonds. He is also a childhood friend of both Ava and Angel. He’s Angel’s reality check.
Whitney Curtis is Ava and Angel’s young sister. She lives with Angel, takes care of Angel’s daughter Bella and mediates between the two sisters. She is also Angel and Justus’ matchmaker. She’s in law school at Emory Law.
Angel is my favorite. I love the idea of a feisty female heroine who falls for the worst person at the worst time in her life and then have to honor her responsibilities as a young mom at the same time. As a mom who is not married, I have had my share of romances, while trying to raise my daughter. And I wanted to explore those issues in a book. In many of the novels I read or movies I see there’s this single mom character who needs to be rescued somehow. I wanted to create a character who rescued everyone else. Because that’s really the truth. It’s on both Nook and Kindle.
BPM: How much of Angel Crawford's story is real?
I questioned local bounty hunters in this state and DeKalb County Police about the probability of events in the story and how the bail bonds process works here. I wrote a few articles years ago about the IRS’ investigation of two Atlanta megachurches and the rise of Armor Bearers as security forces in nondenominational megachurches. These stories became the background I needed to flesh out my story. Moreover, I am a twin, so that didn’t require special research.
I want to share this cool CRIME SCENE Infographic with you. I used it to remind myself to not go off on a tangent while trying to create the Angel Crawford series.
http://www.elocallawyers.com/infographics/crime-scene-science.php
BPM: In writing your novels, how do you develop the plot? Did you have difficulty keeping the story on point?
A Good Excuse to Be Bad - Plot development:
I covered a story about eight years ago for a newspaper I once wrote for, but we had to kill it. It was too sensational for our core readers and some advertisers had relationships with the focus of the story. Yet, I couldn’t let it go.
So a few years ago while work-shopping another novel about a hot missionary’s return to the states I began thinking about this story. How can I build a readtastic story around it? I needed an antihero that my missionary couldn’t help but fall hard for and keep her on her toes. Angel. Once I got the two main leads firmly in my mind I plotted the story using a basic eight point story structure that I use for creating novels. Hashed out the plot with both of my writing groups then wrote. I wrote ten drafts of this novel before it was contracted. I spent four months on the opening paragraph.
BPM: What was the most challenging part of writing the Angel Crawford series? How much research was required, if any?
Good question! The hardest part of writing my book is trying to keep the reader guessing until the end and at the same time leaving hints so that when the reader gets to the end they want to read it over again, because although they are surprised they can now see it. I want my readers to ask themselves, “Oh, why didn’t I miss that?”
A Good Excuse to Be Bad - Research:
· I questioned local bounty hunters in this state and DeKalb County Police about the probability of events in the story and how the bail bonds process works here.
· I wrote a few articles years ago about the IRS’ investigation of two Atlanta mega churches and the rise of Armor Bearers as security forces in nondenominational mega churches. These stories became the background I needed to flesh out my story.
· I am a twin, so that didn’t require special research.
A Good Excuse To Be Bad by Miranda Parker
Read the first chapter, click here and scroll down a little bit.
Smart, gorgeous, and too tough for her own good, bail recovery agent and single mom Evangeline Crawford moved to the burbs for a quiet life. Fortunately, it’s not turning out that way…
Angel has to admit she’s feeling restless. The only excitement in her new life is her schoolgirl crush on the town’s new pastor, Justus-too-Hot-to-be-Holy Morgan. But a fateful encounter and a job gone wrong at Club Night Candy in underground Atlanta is about to change all that…
Soon, Angel’s trying to save her divazilla twin sister from her big mouth and a scandalous murder charge, and probing a church cover-up—with none other than Justus by her side. But Angel has one more pressing concern: will Bella be ready for kindergarten? Only time will tell for this bad girl gone good whose days are once again far from boring—and hopefully far from numbered…
What Others are Saying about A Good Excuse to Be Bad
“Angel is a good girl in a fast paced, kick butt, bad boy chase, sexy thrill-ride. Can't wait for the next man hunt.”
-- ReShonda Tate Billingsley, A Good Man is Hard to Find (Simon & Schuster)
“With a surprise around every corner, A Good Excuse to Be Bad will keep readers on their toes. The combination of a juicy mystery and the drama of a mega-church is an unbeatable one that makes this novel a real page-turner.”
-- 4 Stars RT Book Reviews Magazine
“I love the way Parker romances a sentence--the obvious love affair she has with words makes the story spring to life with delicious flavor. This story is different and exciting and readers are going to love it. I know I do!”
-- Trice Hickman, Unexpected Interruptions (Kensington)
“The characters are intriguing and I wanted/needed to finish this book in a hurry to find out what really happened. Parker sets us up for the beginning of this series. You will definitely want to read more. I recommend this book for lovers of romance and mysteries alike.”
--5 Stars Donnica Copeland, APOOO Book Club
Purchase A Good Excuse to Be Bad by Miranda Parker
•ISBN: 0758259506
•ISBN-13: 9780758259509
Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Good-Excuse-Be-Bad/dp/0758259506
Barnes & Noble
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/good-excuse-to-be-bad-miranda-parker/1101102124
Someone Bad And Something Blue
Read the first chapter
Beautiful, brainy, and tough-as-nails, single mom and bail recovery agent turned sleuth Angel Crawford has a lot on her plate. But between crime-solving and kindergarten carpool, it’s all in a day’s work…
Ordered to take a vacation, Angel gives in—and sets out to solve the mystery that’s got her living on the edge: a disturbing delivery and haunting message that transports her back to the tragic day her fiancée, Gabriel Hwang, was murdered. Convinced the trail to the killer is no longer cold after six long years, Angel embarks on a hunt for the truth that propels her into Atlanta’s secretive speakeasy society, the annual Running of the Brides, and a romp around a swamp with a handsome U.S. Marshall that may ruin her future with Pastor Justus Too-Hot-To-Be-Holy Morgan. That is, providing she has a future. . . .
Praise for Miranda Parker’s A Good Excuse to Be Bad by Miranda Parker
“One of the brightest authors on the horizon.”
—Creston Mapes
“Miranda Parker’s debut is deliciously fun! It has the perfect amount of intrigue, romance, action and all-out girl-power!”
—Tiffany Warren, author of In the Midst of It All
“A surprise around every corner….The combination of juicy mystery and the drama of a mega-church is an unbeatable one that makes this novel a real page-turner.” —RT Book Reviews
Excerpt from Someone Bad and Something Blue
An Angel Crawford Novel: In the bestselling tradition of Janet Evanovich, Miranda Parker's debut novel, A Good Excuse To Be Bad, brilliantly blended mystery and humor, and introduced a beautiful, brainy, and tough-as-nails, single mom and bail recovery agent turned sleuth. In Parker’s second novel,
Someone Bad And Something Blue, Angel Crawford has a lot on her plate—but between crime-solving and kindergarten carpool, it’s all in a day’s work…
Angel Crawford appears to be on good terms with her family and on the cusp of a budding romance with her sidekick/pastor/crush, Justus Too-Hot-to-Be-Holy Morgan. But Angel still hasn’t solved a mystery that has haunted her for six years—her fiancé Gabriel’s murder. Then she receives a mysterious delivery on her doorstep that not only splits Gabe’s case wide open, but sends her on a chase through Atlanta’s secretive speakeasy society, the annual Running of the Brides, and a romp around the Okefenokee Swamp with a hot U.S. Marshall. Will Angel find the answers she seeks, or just unearth more danger?
Chapter One - Someone Bad And Something Blue
Friday, 8:00 AM
Greyhound Bus Terminal, Atlanta, Georgia
Just as I was about to cuff Misty Wetherington for ditching DUI court for the fifth time so she could hit the slots at Harrah’s casino with her book club buddies, my phone buzzed. I looked down. It was my calendar app, reminding me that I had to be at Bella’s school in ninety minutes. “Crap, I forgot.” I sighed.
My daughter, Bella, had asked me if I could join her at Sugar Hill Elementary School today for Doughnuts for Dads. It was a PTA event to celebrate fathers, more like a back- door way to get men into the classroom without them feeling awkward. However, Bella’s best friend Lacy’s mom came to the last one and, according to my friends at the Sugar Hill Church Ladies’ Brunch, no one seemed to mind. And ...today was Bella’s seventh birthday. I had to be there.
However, I was a little under an hour’s drive from the school. If I could punch it without getting a speeding ticket, I would make it in time. The only problem was I didn’t know what to do with Misty. With the exhaustively long lines at the City of Atlanta’s traffic court, who knew how long it would take to process her? I wondered as I looked down at her bleached, moppy hair.
She was still on the parking lot ground, face to the gritty, piss-stained pavement while I straddled her back. My handcuffs dangled in my hands.
“Misty, you have been caught on a particularly good day for you....”
I placed the cuffs on the ground near her face so she could see them. I waited until she turned her head in the cuff’s direction before I continued.
“Look. It’s my daughter’s birthday and I need to be with her. We both know that what I’ll make for hauling your butt to jail is about the cost of two tickets to the Atlanta Aquarium, the Coke Museum, and one night’s stay in the Georgian Terrace. So here’s my proposition. Today, I let you go. I’ll have Big Tiger finesse the city into giving you another FTA hearing, but on one condition: You fork over the money you were about to spend at the casino. I can surprise my girl with a kid-cation in Atlanta. What do you say?”
Big Tiger was the bail bondsman who kept me under contract. He introduced me to bail recovery and taught me the tools of the trade.
“And if I don’t?” She grunted.
“How confident are you that the City of Atlanta will grant you a new FTA hearing after five no-shows without some help from Big Tiger? How confident are you that some other bail recovery agent isn’t lurking behind any of these cars out here, waiting for the chance to take you from me? And uh . . . where are your gambling buddies when you need them?”
Her gaze searched the parking lot. “Did they leave?”
“Darling, they are the ones who turned you in. Now those are friends to keep. I can be your friend, too. Just say the magic words.”
She sighed. “The money’s in my front pocket, Angel.”
“Bingo.” I hopped off her and flipped her over.
She reluctantly pulled the money out. I stretched out my palm until she placed the money into my hand. Misty was carrying five hundred dollars.
I placed the money in my back pocket and smiled. “Happy Birthday to Bella.”
Friday, 10:10 AM
Sugar Hill Elementary School, Sugar Hill, Georgia
Sugar Hill Elementary School was unusually packed when I pulled into the parking lot. “I can’t believe this many men are here to eat doughnuts,” I said to myself as I sped up the boardwalk to the school’s entrance.
When I walked into the foyer, Dale Baker, the president of our homeowners’ association, waved me down and mouthed good morning. I waved back and continued toward the front office. Inside, I spotted the parents’ sign-in sheet, pulled a pen out of the flowerpot pen holder, and signed my name.
The front office manager, whose name I could never remember because the constant scowl on her face reminded me of the taste of a bitter honeysuckle, pulled her glasses down her nose and shook her head at me. I called her Mrs. Bitter behind her back.
She pointed to the sign-in sheet. Her aged fingers seemed swollen, even for someone her age. “Uh . . . Miss Crawford, you don’t sign in here. This is for Doughnuts for Dads.”
“I know that,” I said with a don’t-start-with-me smile.
“Honey, I know you’re rough-and-tumble. I see you on the news, bursting down doors and pushing men around. But here at Sugar Hill we don’t need that kind of confusion for Isabella.”
“No offense, but I know what I’m doing.” I brushed her off.
This wasn’t the first time an older Southern woman had tried to tell me how to parent. It didn’t offend me, but today I didn’t have the time to extend her more kindness than the fake smile I’d already offered. Doughnuts for Dads lasted thirty minutes. Ten minutes had already passed and Bella was still waiting in her homeroom class to be called.
“Can you please call Isabella Crawford up to the front before it’s too late?” I checked my watch and turned away from her.
She huffed. “I’m sure you think you know what you’re doing, but have you thought of how what you do affects Isabella?”
And she didn’t shut up. While I watched her mouth moving, my fingers curled into a ball. This was the first time since I became a single mom that I felt inadequate. It angered me. Thus, my resolve to be good faded the more she preached. Mrs. Bitter was about five seconds from getting her feelings hurt. I counted to ten real slow and hoped for some miracle to stop me from knocking the taste out of her big, meddling mouth.
“Mrs. Montgomery, I’m afraid this young lady has plans for Ms. Crawford.” Justus Morgan’s voice made me tremble.
I turned around. He stood in the front office threshold and looked down. Bella was in front of him. Her smile was as wide as the summer days were long. The shame I’d just felt faded away with every second of her presence in the room.
“Surprise, sweetie!” I knelt down and hugged Bella.
She broke free and grabbed my hand. “Come on, Mommy. Mr. Baker has saved us the biggest sprinkled cupcakes in the entire world because it’s my birthday.”
I mouthed thank you to Justus as Bella whisked me away from Mrs. Bitter. When I glanced back, I noticed her head had dropped. Justus was saying something to her that made her cower.
After Doughnuts for Dads, I thanked Dale and the rest of the PTA Room Moms’ Committee for putting this together and walked toward Justus. He had just completed a conversation with Principal Boyd.
He must have seen me coming, because his face lit up bright. It made me blush.
Justus was my pastor and once my secret crush. Now I avoided him when I could, because apparently he had a thing for me, too, which was even scarier than pining for him from afar. The last man I loved died in my arms and left me his daughter to parent on my own. I was still gun shy of good love and terrified of Justus To Hot to Be Holy Morgan.
“Thank you,” I spat out before I lost the nerve.
“For what?” He grinned. His deep right dimple humbled me even more.
“For coming to my rescue with Mrs. Bi—Mrs. Montgomery.”
He looked down and chuckled. “I finally get to be the hero.”
“Look around this place, Justus. You’re always the hero.”
He didn’t respond, just looked at me in that way that made me feverish around my lips.
“What are you doing here? Trish’s boys needed a stand- in?”
Justus’s sister, Trish, was a military wife. Her husband, Mike, was deployed overseas more than he stayed stateside.
Yet they managed to have three children despite his long stays away. They had a teenage drama queen daughter named Kelly and twin sons who were about Bella’s age. But rumor around Sugar Hill Community Church was that Trish had a new bun in the oven.
“No, actually Mike was here. He couldn’t stay long. You probably missed him when you were chatting with Mrs. Montgomery.”
“Good news for them.” I smiled.
He stopped smiling. “He’s being called to Afghanistan.”
“Wow.”
“Wow indeed.” He nodded. “I’m here because I came to invite the dads to the North Georgia Bike and Car show.”
“Bike and Car show?” I stepped back in surprise. “You bike.”
“Among other things. Since you keep giving me rain checks on our date, you miss out on these cool things about me.”
Our date? I folded my arms over my chest. Are we still on that subject?
The last time Justus and I were together was at my brother-in-law Devon’s homegoing celebration. I had admitted that I had considered a relationship with him, but the reality of our situations didn’t seem like they would ever mesh. He’s a minister and I’m . . . well, I need a lot of prayer. He had brushed off my excuse as if I’d never said it, while I’d dodged him every chance I’d gotten since then.
Today, after what he’d done for me, I owed him at least a straight answer.
“Justus—”
“Wait before you come up with another weak excuse why you can’t date me. Let me stop you by telling you that I’m letting you off the hook. You don’t owe me anything,” he said.
“Good, because I don’t want to date you. . . .”
The fire in his cheeks had gone out. “I understand.”
I walked closer toward him and stood short of his boots. “I want to know if we could have a future together.”
His eyes blazed. His smile outdid Bella’s. “What if I already know the answer is yes?”
“Then I’m giving you the chance to prove it.”
“No time like the present,” he said. “Tonight we begin.”
“You make that sound really, really, really hot, but I don’t have a babysitter for tonight. It’s Bella’s birthday. Besides, Whitney has plans. Her bestie is getting married and the bridal team is getting together to powwow about the wedding plans. Ava is taking the kids to spend time with Devon’s family, and Momma . . . hopefully she’s on her honeymoon with my quiet-is-as-kept, new step daddy.”
“You want to know if I can fit into your world. That world includes Bella and her perfect birthday. Let’s do her up big. Let’s take her to the circus. They’re in town.”
“Last-minute tickets for something like that is killer,” I said while those five hundred dollars burned holes in my pocket.
“My treat,” he said.
“That’s sweet, but a night at the circus with a kindergartner doesn’t sound like hot date material.”
“Who says I want a hot date?” He touched my hand. “I want you. That’s all. Any time with you is blue hot in my book.”
There was something about his hand squeeze, the sincere look in his eyes, and his way with words that made me wish very hard that was true.
“Okay, then. Tonight we begin,” I said, but it didn’t sound as cute as when Justus had said it.
( Continued... )
© 2012 All rights reserved. Book excerpt reprinted by permission of the author Miranda Parker. This excerpt has been adapted for general audience previewing. Do not reproduce, copy or use without the author's written permission. Copyright infringement is a serious offense. This excerpt is used for promotional purposes only. Share a link to this page or the author's website if you really like this promotional excerpt.
Purchase Someone Bad And Something Blue by Miranda Parker
ISBN-10: 0758259522
ISBN-13: 978-0758259523
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