December 31, 1999

Hi. My name is Kendra Clayton and guess what I’m doing right now? If you said partying like its 1999, you’d be wrong. I’m currently sitting on my grandmother’s couch ringing in the year 2000 alone. No, I take that back. There’s a beagle—asleep and snoring—on the floor by my feet. She’s not even my beagle. Queenie belongs to my new step-grandfather, Leonard Duncan. Wow. Step-grandfather. That’s going to take some getting used to. Mama called me last night and invited me over for breakfast, insisting I not be late. I’d arrived at her house this morning with my mouth watering for her buttermilk waffles. Instead, I’d found a note informing me that she and Leonard had flown to Hawaii the night before to get married and asking me to take care of the house and the dog. Actually, she ordered me to take care of the house and the dog. Asking me to do anything isn’t her style. Anyway, I came for waffles and got a house to sit and a dog to take care of until they get back from their honeymoon. I don’t mind. . .much. It’s not like I have a lot going on in my life at the moment.

Up until this past summer, I was in a relationship with a man I cared deeply for. He’d even proposed. We loved each other. But, it just wasn’t meant to be. Of course, there’s a lot more to the story. There always is. And I’m sure my habit of getting myself involved in police investigations didn’t exactly help matters. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. But it’s not like I go looking for trouble. Okay, that’s not entirely true. To be clear, no, I don’t go looking for murder investigations to involve myself in. I don’t have a criminal justice background, and I’m not a private eye. I’m just a part-time English teacher/restaurant hostess, who has barely been out of my hometown of Willow, Ohio. But if a friend or loved is accused of a crime they didn’t commit, then, yes, I’m all up in it.

I even helped someone in exchange for some juicy dirt on Leonard Duncan when he and Mama were dating. Now, that was a wild ride! To say Mama was not thrilled would be the understatement of the century. To date, I’ve helped a coworker at the literacy center where I work, a former student, my sister, my high school reunion committee, and the daughter of a murdered local art dealer clear themselves of murder charges. I guess you could say I have a strong sense of justice. At least that’s what I call it. Others would say I’m nosy. And you know what? I am nosy. I’m also hungry and wondering where the pizza I ordered is. I knew I should have gone to pick it up. It’s not like its New Year’s Eve or anything. Ah, there’s the doorbell. Be right back.

I’m back. Uh-huh, I see you looking at my large pepperoni and extra cheese pizza. You’re probably wondering if I’m planning to eat it all. And the answer is, yes. Not only am I nosy, but I’m also greedy. And if I’m brutally honest with myself, I’m lonely, too. My best friend Lynette has been after me for months to sign up for an online dating service called Web of Love. She has a cousin who met her husband online and is tired of watching me pine over my ex. And since I have no desire to be alone again on New Year’s Eve next year, I think I’m going to give it a shot. And why not? What’s the worst that could happen? Now, if you’ll excuse me, it’s been nice meeting you, but this pizza isn’t going to eat itself. Happy New Year!

Giveaway: How do you celebrate New Years? Leave a comment below with your answer for your chance to win a Kindle copy of Doing It To Death. The giveaway ends August 25, 2019. The winner will be notified by email (so check your spam folder). Good luck everyone!

You can read more about Kendra in Doing It To Death, the sixth book in the “Kendra Clayton” traditional mystery series, released June 24, 2019.

Just when Kendra Clayton’s life has finally calmed down, trouble finds her once again. A case of mistaken identity lands her smack in the middle of a beef between an ex-con named Dibb Bentley and Lewis Watts—her least favorite person on the planet. Dibb hid something in Lewis’s house before he went to prison three decades ago. Now he’s out. And he wants it back. Only Lewis claims he doesn’t know what it is let alone where it could be. Then Dibb’s dead body turns up in Lewis’s trunk and he’s promptly arrested. Lewis begs Kendra to help him. But she’d love nothing more than to walk away. Unfortunately, Kendra can’t turn a blind eye when the evidence against Lewis just doesn’t add up. And to make matters worse, she’s become a target herself. To figure out what the killer wants, Kendra must dig into a thirty-year-old murder case revealing the seedy side of her beloved hometown. Helping Lewis also puts her at odds with sexy and infuriating homicide detective Blake Mason. When the threats against her life escalate, Mason insists she stay with him. But Kendra can’t decide what she’s more afraid of, a killer lurking in the shadows or her growing attraction to Mason.

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About the author
Angela Henry was once told that her past life careers included spy, researcher, and investigator. She stuck with what she knew because today she’s a mystery writing library reference specialist, who loves to people watch and eavesdrop on conversations. She’s the author of six mysteries featuring equally nosy amateur sleuth Kendra Clayton, the thriller The Paris Secret, and the Xavier Knight urban fantasy series. When she’s not working, writing, or practicing her stealth, she loves to travel, is connoisseur of B horror movies, and a functioning anime addict. She lives in Ohio and is currently hard at work trying to meet her next deadline.

To learn more about Angela, visit her website at angelahenry.com.

All comments are welcomed.