Hi, my name is Jennie Marts and I am excited to share a little bit with you about my recently released romantic comedy, Another Saturday Night and I Ain’t Got No Body. My story features an ordinary school teacher named Sunny Vale whose well-meaning friends decide to help her find her Mr. Right.

Sunny considers herself a dog-loving, romance-reading, homebody. But her life goes from dull to deadly when her book club fires her from her own love life and sets her up on six blind dates- one of whom might be with a murderer. More trouble arrives in the dead of night, in the form of Jake Landon, a mysterious stranger, who breaks into her neighbor’s house and possibly her heart. But Jake is packing more than a loaded gun in his well-fitting Levi’s. He brings an arsenal of secrets and plenty of heat to Sunny’s ho-hum summer.

Jake Landon finds himself caught up in the capers of the sexy blonde in the house next door. But he has his own agenda which doesn’t involve playing hero to a curvy second-grade teacher and babysitting her panty-puking puppy. He’s got other problems like fiery explosions, a missing person…and a parade of jerks Sunny insists on dating.

Could Sunny’s Mr. Right be right under her nose? Even though Jake is gorgeous, likes her dog, and has abs she can crack an egg on, can she really go out with him if he’s just murdered her next door neighbor?

 JAKE’S COFEESHOP INTERVIEW

Today, I am sharing with you a little inside scoop not available in the book. Let’s take a peek into the small town of Pleasant Valley, CO, where Janice Tuttlebaum, local reporter has just cornered Jake in the coffeeshop. The whole town is talking about Walter’s disappearance and this handsome stranger who has moved into Walter’s home. Nobody’s nosier than Janice, except maybe Edna, Sunny’s 80-year-old neighbor, friend and fellow book club member. Edna has been suspicious of Jake from the start, ever since she saw him sneaking around the night of the — but I’m giving too much away.

I think Janice is trying to interview Jake now. She certainly has her chair pulled close enough to his to smell his aftershave or sneak a bite of his danish. Let’s listen in…..

“This is Janice Tuttlebaum from the Pleasant Valley Times,” she says into a small handheld recorder. She also has a steno pad on the table and is scribbling notes whiles she talks. “I am here today interviewing Jake Landon, the witness who reported our local townsmen, Walter Mead, missing. Jake, what do you know about Mr. Mead’s disappearance?”

Jake sighs and folds his newspaper in half. “Not much. I expected him to be here when I arrived in town. It’s been several weeks and we really have no idea what happened to him.” He takes a sip of his coffee, then turns the questions to Janice. “How well do you know Walter? What can you tell me about him?”

“Well, he was just the sweetest old man. He fixed my front gate last summer and wouldn’t let me pay him a thing. He said his only payment was to have me bake him one of my cherry pies. My pies are prize winning at the county fair every summer. I mean, er…..I will be conducting this interview, Mr. Landon.” Flustered by the attention of this handsome rogue, Janice pats her chest and tries to take back control of the interview. “Exactly what is your relationship with Walter, er…Mr. Mead?”

Jake gives her a mischievous grin. “I’d rather talk about this cherry pie of yours….”

A bell tinkles as the front door opens, and in walks Edna, fanning herself from the summer heat. “Whoo-ee, it’s hotter than two rats — What are you doing here, Mr. Froofroo Coffee? Do you think you have enough whipped cream on that drink?”

Another sigh escapes Jake. “I ran into Ms. Tuttlebaum here while I was getting my coffee, and she asked to interview me for the local paper.”

“Why are you sitting so close together?” Edna asks, as she squeezes a chair in between them. Fluffing her hair, she turns to Janice. “Now, let me tell you, I have been neighbors with Walter for almost twenty years, and I am telling you, I suspect foul play. You work for the paper, what are you doing to find Walter?”

“Well, we…uh…we certainly would cooperate or try to help….wait a minute….doesn’t anyone understand I am the reporter here. I ask the questions.”

“Geez, touchy.” Edna turns to Jake. “What did you do to make her mad?”

“Nothing! I don’t even know her. I was just sitting here drinking my coffee, trying to read the paper…”

“Why is she all grouchy then?” Edna asks in a not-so-subtle whisper.

Janice huffs. “I am most certainly not grouchy. Now if you will excuse us, I was trying to conduct an interview, Ms……?”

“Allen. That’s with two L’s.” Edna looks pointedly at her steno pad, and gives her a conspiratorial wink. “In case you want to quote me.”

The bell tinkles again and Sunny marches in, eyes scanning the store for her neighbor. “Edna, what is taking so long? I’ve been in the car for 10 minutes…… Oh, hi, Jake. What are you doing here?”

“Evidently NOT drinking coffee, OR reading the paper. I think I’ll just take my coffee to go. Bye, Sunny.” Jake nods his goodbye at the women. “See you around. Edna. Nice to meet you, Janice.”

Janice and Sunny watch him walk out the door, both obviously appreciating the view.

Edna taps on the reporter’s notebook. “Alright Janice, now we can get down to the real story. If you two could peel your eyes off the man’s bum for a minute, I am telling you this guy, Jake, is the real trouble. We don’t know where he came from or what he does. I think he’s dangerous.”

Sunny scoffs. “Oh Edna, you are always exaggerating! Don’t start rumors.”

Janice, now all ears, flips to a new page in her steno notepad, clicks her pen several times then begins taking notes. “Now, Ms Allen, with two L’s, you said. What exactly do you mean by danger?”

“Well, now I’ve got your attention. You might want to wipe that drool off your chin, Janice. Let me tell you about this Jake character….”

“Alright, that’s enough.” Sunny says. “Sorry, we don’t really know anything about the man.”

“Oh, she’s just saying that because she has the hotsie-totsie’s for him! If you know what I mean, Janice.” Edna winks at the reporter again, but Janice doesn’t notice as she continues to write furiously.

“What? I do not! What are you writing there?” Sunny cranes her neck to see Janice’s pad. “Quit writing! Edna, I am leaving, so if you want a ride home, you better get your hotsie-totsie out to the car! I don’t even want coffee anymore!” She pulls on Edna’s purse strap while Edna is making ‘call me’ miming motions with her hand up to her ear to Janice.

“I gotta go, Janice. But mark my words, this guy might be booty-licious, but there is trouble brewing in Pleasant Valley…”

Well, that’s a small dose of life in Pleasant Valley. For more of the antics of Sunny and her pals, the Pleasant Valley Page Turners, check out ‘Another Saturday Night and I Ain’t Got No Body, available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle editions.

I am often told that Edna is a favorite character in my book, due to her fun and quirky personality. I would love it if you left a comment about a favorite character you love, in fiction or in real life, that makes you laugh just by thinking about them. Edna is a composite character made up of several older women in my life, but especially, my own grandmother, who always had me stitches.

Leave a comment for a chance to win a free Kindle copy of Another Saturday Night and I Ain’t Got No Body. And I have included one of Edna’s favorite recipes- Better Than Sex Chocolate Cake- it is easy and so yummy! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy the book.

Facebook:   Jennie Marts Books

Email:   jenniemarts@yahoo.com

Amazon buy links for Another Saturday Night and I Ain’t Got No Body:

Kindle

Paperback