The Talented J. Q. Rose stops by Penny's Tales - with a giveaway of her book, Deadly Undertaking!

Thank you, Penny, for hosting me on your blog today.  Since February is the month of love, I’m delighted to give away my latest mystery/romance e-book, Deadly Undertaking, to a lucky commenter.

Childhood Experiences by J.Q. Rose

This week a friend asked me if I play the card game, Euchre. She was getting a group together to play the game every Sunday evening at the community center in our park.

When she mentioned this old game, the memory of learning to play it flashed through my mind. My mother didn’t like to play cards or board games, so our family never played them. But when I went with my BFF and her parents to the White River in Arkansas for a fishing trip during the summer after seventh grade, we spent every night playing Euchre. They were patient with me as they taught me about trump cards, right and left bowers which are the jacks, the highest cards in the deck, not the ace.

Staying in the little cabin by the river, spending the day on the water, learning to water ski, and sitting around the table in the evenings playing cards are all fond memories for me. Now after a lifetime of playing the game, I have the chance to play again with friends fifty years later.

Many of our fun times from childhood become life-long interests. Music, art, sports.  Unfortunately public school systems are cutting out these important subjects because of the financial crisis in the state governments. Kids lose out on broadening and enriching their lives not only in the present, but also in their future. Are your schools eliminating these classes too?

Reading and writing have been life-long interests for me. My first “novel” was written in seventh grade. The story was suspiciously similar to Black Beauty, my favorite book at the time. My grandmother was so proud of the story, she typed it up for me. Seeing my words on a type-written sheet, instead of my scrawling on the blue-lined paper, gave me the bug to write more stories and novels. My grandmother, Ma, was my cheerleader who encouraged me to continue to pen more stories for her.

My latest mystery/romance/paranormal novel, Deadly Undertaking, is based on my childhood experiences. The story takes place in a funeral home because the main character is the daughter of a funeral director. Just like me. Who would know better than me about “undertaking?” My two funeral director brothers advised me on the current practices that have evolved since I was a kid growing up dusting caskets and helping my mom haul funeral flowers to the cemetery for the graveside interment service.

I must admit it was difficult to write the story until I figured out I was not my main character, Lauren Staab. I had to make her completely unique from me. The setting and some of the experiences are from my real-life. Just to be clear, there was never a shadow man in our funeral home! At least, I don’t think so…

Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose

Tagline: A handsome detective, a shadow man, and a murder victim kill Lauren’s plan for a simple life.

Back of the Book: Deadly Undertaking by J.Q. Rose

Lauren Staab knew there would be dead bodies around when she returned home. After all, her family is in the funeral business, Staab and Blood Funeral Home. Still, finding an extra body on the floor of the garage between the hearse and the flower car shocked her. Lauren’s plan to return to her hometown to help care for her mother and keep the books for the funeral home suddenly turns upside down in a struggle to prove she and her family are not guilty of murdering the man. But will the real killer return for her, her dad, her brother? Her mother’s secrets, a killer, a handsome policeman, and a shadow man muddle up her intention to have a simple life.

Welcome home, Lauren!

Deadly Undertaking is available to download a sample and/or purchase for the February sale price of 99 cents at the following links and at all major online booksellers.

Amazon US  http://amzn.to/20kKUmN

Amazon CA http://amzn.to/1nFVuH4

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1nrEx3v

Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1H72tvV

Kobo https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/deadly-undertaking

About J.Q.:

 After writing feature articles in magazines, newspapers, and online magazines for over fifteen years, J.Q. Rose entered the world of fiction. Her published mysteries are Sunshine Boulevard, Coda to Murder, and Deadly Undertaking. Blogging, photography, Pegs and Jokers board games, and travel are the things that keep her out of trouble. She and her husband, Gardener Ted, spend winters in Florida and summers up north camping and hunting toads, frogs, and salamanders with her four grandsons and granddaughter.

Connect with J.Q. Rose online at

J.Q. Rose blog http://www.jqrose.com/

Facebook http://facebook.com/jqroseauthor

Google+ google.com/+JQRose

J. Q.  Rose Amazon Author Page http://tinyurl.com/aeuv4m4

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/jqrose

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/janetglaser/