Writing from Walsh Mountain

Good morning… Or should I say “Creepy morning…” since we have a Jessica R. Patch character in the house.

Hey! Just because I am an agent from the Strange Crimes Unit, doesn’t mean that this morning has to be creepy. Though, I guess since we’re in the middle of a case involving dead girls covered with floral tattoos, this morning’s already got a sinister start. I’m Tiberius Granger, by the way.

Can I call you Ty?

Certainly.

Well, I’m thrilled to have you here, Ty. No one writes creepy stories with real psychological meat behind them like your creator. Her opening scene gave me goosebumps, and put me right into the headspace of one of the Garden Girls whose bodies have shown up in front of random lighthouses.

I picture the chain on the wall in that small square room, but he doesn’t take me there. Instead, he leads me to the second floor living room, takes a remote and clicks it. The entertainment system slides open, revealing a hidden room. It’s tall and round like a tower with a heavily tinted glass dome. Inside the room is tiled and full of potted plants and flowers. The sound of bubbling water snags my attention; a large seven-tier fountain sits dead center.

It’s like an English garden indoors. Beautiful. Exquisite. Masterfully done.

How could someone so vile create such beauty? My thought withers when I see seven large wrought iron birdcages painted white surrounding the glorious fountain.

No birds reside in the cages.

Women do.

Women exactly like me.

The killer we are after is a very evil man. A highly intelligent narcissist who justifies the terrible things he does to women. The worst sort of human being.

It’s awful. Just so disturbing, how people take beautiful things and misuse them. Like how the phrase, “Bloom where you’re planted” might be the inspiration for this series of murders.

Yes. And now a missing girl who may be related to the case… [Pauses to swallow and gain his composure] She’s my ex-girlfriend’s younger sister. This girl was like our own child.

Oh no! Don’t tell me this young girl you knew and loved is one of your weird serial killer victims!

[Face pale and grim] It’s a possibility. A strong possibility.

That’s terrible. How deep were your feelings for your ex?

Bexley is the one who got away. I wanted to marry her. We made plans. But frankly, our relationship ended in a very mortifying way seventeen years ago.

Have you seen Bexley yet? I mean, I’m sure you’ll have to interact with her during the investigation…

Yes. It was really hard to face her for the first time. I dreaded telling her that a sadistic killer might have targeted her sister as revenge against me.

Terrible news to have to break. I’m sorry, Ty. How did Bexley seem? Has she changed a lot?

She still has the same crazy mane of black curls. She’s a little more curvaceous and even more beautiful. However, she acts as if she is hiding something. She was almost shifty. But I know whatever she is hiding has nothing to do with her sister’s disappearance.

I love how even you main characters have baggage, just like real people. Wounds that need the light of God’s love.

No offense, but I don’t need the light of God’s love. I’ve seen the twisted things religious people do. I am an expert in the how religious texts are perverted for evil purposes. So I guess any baggage I have is baggage I’ll always carry.

[Chuckles softly] Well, I guess I’ve read a little further into your story than you’ve lived out. I think you’ll be trapped under the beam of God’s light yet.

“Knowing you were alive wasn’t closure, Bex. Now I know why you did what you did, but I feel like we have three dots after our names.”

“An ellipsis?”

Tiberius grinned. “You were always the smarter one.”

“I don’t know about that.”

“How many perfect shells do you find out here?” He rolled the tiny pieces through his fingers.

“Not many.”

“We’re all broken, aren’t we? We’ve all been chipped away at in one form or other. Beaten up. Beaten down. Lied to. Exposed, exploited. Betrayed,” he whispered. “We never arrive on sandy shores unscathed.”

“No. We don’t. We carry scars, little chips and cracks. They reveal our story, but there’s hope, Tiberius. There’s always hope that what was marred can be mended.”

His eyes filled with moisture. “I could use some hope. Some mending.”

Couldn’t they all? Without hope, there was no meaning in life. The ocean was vast and shadowy, always reminding her that darkness lurked and was immense, terrifying and unpredictable, but when dawn peeped over the horizon it brought light to the darkness and color. Vibrant and beautiful. That was hope—light piercing the darkness, overwhelming it with its glory and majesty, bringing a new day and fresh mercy. Light chased away shadows and sparkled on the shores, beckoning one to come and stand in its presence with outstretched arms and to be wrapped in its warmth. Yielding to hope was possible. For Tiberius. For anyone who wanted to come and partake.

No offense, but I think we are getting a little too personal.

Sorry! We’d better get you fed so you can get back to your investigation into the case of the Garden Girls’ killer. What are some of your favorite foods and drinks? I’ll hook you up with some treats from Character Cafe before you head back out into the field.

[Visibly brightens] You wouldn’t have anything with pepperoni, mushrooms, and lobster, would you? There’s a seafood pizzeria along the Pamlico Sound that has really good pizza. Can’t stop thinking of how good it tasted.

Hmm. No, we specialize in breakfast items here… But you know what? We have an excellent lobster breakfast casserole recipe from “Get Maine Lobster,” and I bet our chef could throw in some pepperoni and mushrooms, and it will be simply delicious. https://getmainelobster.com/blogs/recipes/ultimate-lobster-breakfast-casserole

What would you like to drink?

You have good coffee?

Uh… we specialize in tea here at Character Cafe. How about this… Since there is a special character in your story you may not have met yet who loves sweet tea, I’m going to give you a taste of the best southern sweet tea I’ve had. https://southernsweetteacompany.com/

Sounds good.

Readers, make sure you check out The Garden Girls. It’s such a fascinating tale. Even if you aren’t into mysteries, I can just about promise you’ll find Jessica R. Patch’s writing intriguing. Plus, each book has a romance involved. You’ll find the men swoony and the women identifiable. I listened to my first of her books last spring when I was walking 100 miles to raise money for the American Cancer Society. I walked dozens of miles listening to A Cry in the Dark, and let me tell you that I got pretty creeped out at times. I have fond memories of hiking as suspenseful scenes played out and nature sang with blooming trees, daffodils, and fire bushes. One day, I passed a wooded area with the ruins of an abandoned house, right during a very creepy scene in the novel. There were swirls of fog around me because it had just stopped raining and the temperature had dropped. It was the best combination of nature’s beauty, urban decay, and wonderful but sinister writing. So much fun! (But I can tell you I booked it straight home after that!)

FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape.

Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.

As the slashing winds and rain of a deadly hurricane approach the coast of North Carolina, the search leads Ty and Bex to an island that hides a grisly secret. But in his quest for the truth, Ty has ignored the fact that this time, he’s not just the hunter. Every move has been orchestrated by a killer into a perfect storm of terror, and they will need all their skills to survive…

Welcome to the Blog Tour for The Garden Girls by Jessica R. Patch, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Tour Giveaway

One winner will win a signed paperback copy of Her Darkest Secret and A Cry in the Dark and a $25 Amazon card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight April 15, 2024 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on April 22, 2024. Winners will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only for print. Ebooks available if winner is Canadian. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to JustRead Publicity Tours Giveaway Policies.

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