Release Blitz: The Miss Fortune Series: Christmas in the Bayou (Kindle Worlds Novella)

A Cozy Mystery Written for 

Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune Series at Kindle Worlds

About Christmas in the Bayou 

Mayor Celia Arceneaux orchestrates a special holiday surprise. She wants to celebrate Christmas by giving back to Sinful’s most unappreciated citizens—the town’s elementary school teachers. 

Handing down an AOO, also known as the Arceneaux Official Order, Celia calls upon friends and foes to carry out her plans. Gertie and Ida Belle are willing to help, but Fortune doesn’t share their enthusiasm. Taking a temporary post at the school library, the former CIA assassin braces for Christmas and everything the season holds. 

From trimming trees to snow on the ground, Sinful residents will celebrate a Christmas to remember. That is, until small town Louisiana makes national headlines thanks to a school shooting that isn’t what it seems. 

Preview 

It was as quiet as it might have been in a confessional booth. Not that I’d been in a confessional booth. Since my arrival in Sinful, I’d become a devoted Baptist, which was a better choice for someone like me.

Given my career, I was afraid that the Catholics wouldn’t want me, mainly because of the confession aspect. If I started listing out my sins, the whole charade would take several days. My acknowledgement of sin would turn into a full declaration of guilt which would inevitably supersede denial before it would lead to a request for forgiveness.

The whole process would take days, weeks even. A regular rotation of priests would be required and that same question would hang in the balance: “Is she still here?” Followed by, “How many sins can one woman commit?”

An assassin carried around quite a few.

I’d actually had nightmares about confessing my sins so I was relieved to discover that Gertie and Ida Belle attended the Baptist Church. Not only did we stand out as the current pudding wars champions, but I never worried about finding an “Out of Order” or “Out to Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner” sign on a confessional booth. Baptists didn’t have sinners’ stalls and if they did, they hadn’t mentioned it to me.

 “Who are you? Where’s Mrs. Weems?” The questions jolted me to the present. “Only real teachers are supposed to take off today. She doesn’t look like a librarian. That’s because she isn’t a real librarian.” All heads turned. “Where are you from? Will you be here all week? Who are you again?”

“Great,” I grumbled, facing Carter and ignoring the mix of ricocheting questions. “Why don’t you take the first part of class?”

“You’ll be fine,” Carter mouthed.

I bit back a groan, but quickly decided that the good deputy had just provided an out and didn’t know it. I’d gladly turn over the class and leave the last forty-five minutes for Carter. This particular bunch looked like an interesting crowd. They would appreciate a deputy’s monologue.  

“I’m Fortune….I mean…Miss Morrow.”

One rambunctious little boy with red hair and freckles stood up and wiggled around as he asked, “Can we call you by your first name?” He kept his eyes downcast, one hand on the table, and rotated left to right. “Where are you from, Fortune?”  

“It’s not Fortune. It’s Miss Morrow.” For some reason, I glanced at Carter right at that very moment. He shot me a crooked smile. He didn’t think I could handle this young crowd. An unspoken challenge was on the table.

“You’re on.” I mouthed the words, knowing that Carter would understand. Pacing in front of the students, I began again. “My name is Miss Morrow. You can call me…” I spun around for theatrics. “Miss Morrow.”

Amazon Kindle Worlds 

Spotlight on 2015 Releases: Ravenous

Ravenous-A Vampire Diaries at Kindle Worlds Novella

“So you’re the family pet.” Katherine struck a pose and cocked her head. Layers of dark brown hair tumbled down her back. Her brown eyes twinkled with mischief but Gage wasn’t easily fooled. Behind the impish smile and cocksure attitude lived a woman with a reputation among the worst.

Katherine Pierce, also known as Katerina Petrova, had lived for well over five hundred years. Some would argue that she had wasted the better part of her time on earth marking her place in history by behaving badly.  

“And you must be the legendary Katherine.” Gage resisted the urge to tell her that she’d become quite legendary. After her death, there had been rampant jokes about the former Mikaelson lapdog. One minute she was running from her masters. The next, she was doing tricks to please them.

Elijah, from what Gage had been told, was the one who kept her in line. Klaus, on the other hand, chased her away with threats of death. Apparently that didn’t last long. From what Gage had been told, Katherine had been on the run for more than two-thirds of her life. Klaus, apparently, didn’t dwell on trying to find her.  

“I was surprised to hear from you,” Katherine said, dragging her fingers across the back of his sofa.

“You were probably more surprised to learn that Klaus has another brother.”

“I knew about you.” She brushed her palms against the backs of the cushions. “What I want to know is how I ended up here and why you think I can help you.”

Gage studied her suspiciously then, wondering if Katherine realized she had been dead for several years. She didn’t look disoriented or act as if she had just taken her first steps beyond the grave. “We can help one another.” He hadn’t known she would reappear on the outskirts of Mystic Falls, but he had bumped into her in town nonetheless. Considering how it had happened, he considered their connection a real gift.

“We all want something in life, Katherine. I’m willing to give you what you want if you’ll do the same for me.”

She laughed and it was then when Gage paid closer attention to her empty gaze, certain then that any and all emotions wouldn’t quite reach their more telling spot in her eyes. Perhaps there was a lot to be said about lost souls and those who had already visited their final resting place.

“You haven’t spent a lot of time with the Mikaelsons or else you would know that most people tend to steer clear of Klaus and his siblings when they hear the word help. Those who know them best understand that help means, they need something and can use the one they’ve approached.”  

“I’m not a Mikaelson.”

“You’re Klaus’s brother.”

“We share the same father. The Mikaelson problems were inherited from their lunatic of a mother.” He let her think about that before he added, “Isn’t she the one who turned them into monsters?”

“She is the one who started this all,” Katherine agreed. “But never kid yourself. Esther was following through on Mikael’s demands.” She shivered then as if Mikael’s name alone brought with it an unprecedented amount of fear.

Surprised by her act, and certain it was an act given where she’d been, Gage asked, “Will you work with me or not?”

“It depends.” She pranced around the luxuriously appointed room, seemingly distant as she studied the expensive furnishings. She flopped down on the canopy bed and caressed the comforter before asking, “What’s in it for me?”

The Vampire Diaries: Ravenous (Kindle Worlds Novella) (Love Bites Back Trilogy Book 2)