Hi, I’m Emma Justice. I’m a realist and a dreamer. My husband died soon after our daughter was born, and I spent years working as a pharmacy technician while dreaming of growing flowers.

My daughter, Abby, started college in January, and I’m officially an empty-nester. Thanks to her dad’s insurance money paying for college, I quit my job and started my business as the official flower farmer in Lutz, Texas. I usually begin my days watering and weeding my flower gardens in my big back yard.

Recently, I visited Anytime Coffee Shop with my travel mug and expected to order my usual green tea and honey. Instead, a new barista tried to convince me to order his coffee of the day. Jake Hunter has turned out to be both helpful and aggravating, but if you get in a bind, you’ll want him on your side. I’ve learned to try and enjoy his creative coffee drinks, and he’s learned to save coffee grounds for my compost.

I don’t officially arrange flowers or take orders for bouquets and other floral arrangements. The local florist had hip surgery, and she asked me to fill a few of her orders while she recovered. We’re a small town and often help each other out. No big deal.

My home is on the edge of downtown, and I’m able to walk most places easily. I carry flowers in a pretty tote to leave at the places requesting flowers like the local bed-and-breakfast. Hardly a day goes by when I don’t visit my best friend Sophie Becker at her bakery. We bonded almost from the first day we met almost twenty years ago.

Saturday is my favorite day of the week because I have a booth at the local farmers market. It’s held in a parking lot near the train tracks, and it’s not farm from my home. Despite the short distance, I drive Miss Daisy, my Chevy pickup to carry all the supplies and flowers. I love seeing so many people at the market and spreading beauty by selling my flowers. The day starts early and usually wraps up late in the afternoon. If I have flowers left over, I usually take them to the community church and retirement community.

Some of my favorite people are the Nelle sisters. They are in their eighties, and nothing gets by them. One of them even has a little crush on Jake Hunter who’s close to forty years younger than her. It makes me laugh when she flirts with Jake, but he’s always kind and plays along.

When I’m not working in the garden or selling flowers, you might find me tracking down clues to a murder. I enjoy reading mysteries in the evenings, and I host our local book club on Monday nights, but I wouldn’t have dreamed of trying to solve a murder if a good friend hadn’t begged me to prove she’s innocent. For the love of daffodils! I couldn’t say no.

So now I’m juggling my business and solving the murder. Wish me luck!

Weeding Out Lies, A Texas Flower Farmer Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: July 2023
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

Flower farmer Emma Justice’s life is firmly rooted in Lutz, Texas where she has recently begun her new business. One morning while delivering flowers, she stumbles upon a prominent citizen. Dead. When a friend is accused of murder, Emma launches her own investigation. She’s used to separating weeds from flowers. Emma will dig for clues, weed out red herrings and cultivate a plan to find the killer.

About the author
Jackie Layton is the author of A Texas Flower Farmer Cozy Mystery series and A Low Country Dog Walker Mystery series. She loves her life on the coast of South Carolina, and it inspired the setting for her series. Jackie also works as a compounding pharmacist. When she’s not writing, Jackie enjoys golf cart rides along the marsh and walks on the beach. She also enjoys traveling, especially to visit family in Kentucky and Texas. She always keeps a notebook handy to write down ideas for future stories. Be careful what you say around her, because it might end up in a book.

All comments are welcomed.