A Day In The Life Of Maggie Brooks by Evelyn David

Apr 19, 2012 | A Day In My Life

There are days in my life that I’d be happy to repeat, sort of like the movie Groundhog Day. The day I married Pete, the love of my life. The first day I had one of my articles make the cover of Newsweek magazine. The days when my two kids Caleb and Jenny were born, although I’d be happy to skip the 10 hours of labor that preceded each of those special days.

And then there are the days that I want never to have happened. That day 18 months ago that Pete went out for his usual morning run and never came home. Plowed down by a hit-and-run driver, he was left to die alone on the side of the road. I want a do-over on that day. I want Pete to come home, sweaty, smelly, and oh so alive.

So here I am: Two kids, a dead husband, a mortgage to pay, and a lot of (younger) competition in the shrinking news business. I couldn’t go back to the fast lane. The kids needed me close by, and the truth is, I didn’t have the fire in my gut anymore. It had died along with Pete. So I landed a job with the Sound Shore Times, a small local paper. I cover bake sales, Little League games, and village meetings. It’s a far cry from my days in a war zone, but it’s a paycheck and regular hours.

One day started out simply enough. Carpool, baseball practice for Caleb, Girl Scouts for Jenny, walk the dog, laundry (always, always laundry) – and a straightforward assignment to cover a public hearing. A big New York City developer wanted to build an outlet mall in a neighboring town, much to the consternation of the local folks in my upscale village. There were some semi-interesting legal issues and I figured that maybe the article would be a great clip for my resume, for you know, when the time came. But somebody was willing to do anything to block the mall’s construction, maybe even murder.

When I found myself in the crosshairs of a killer, I worried that the next time my name was in print, it wouldn’t be my byline, it would be my obituary. Pulitzer Prizes are over-rated, unless they can stop bullets.

**Win a Free Copy** Leave a comment on this blog for a chance to win a free download of ZONED FOR MURDER from Smashwords (all e-book formats are available there). One winner will be picked at random. Be sure to leave a contact email in your comment or drop us an email at evelyn@evelyndavid.com so we know how to send you the 100% off coupon code for the download. Contest ends April 22.

Meet the author
The author of Murder Off the Books, Murder Takes the Cake, Riley Come Home, Moonlighting at the Mall and The Brianna Sullivan Mysteries e-book series, Evelyn David is the pseudonym for Marian Edelman Borden and Rhonda Dossett.

15 Comments

  1. Mare F
    Mare F on April 19, 2012 at 6:23 am

    I’m very much looking forward to this book. I really enjoy the way this author writes and I’m very pleased that there is more to come.

  2. Mare F
    Mare F on April 19, 2012 at 6:24 am

    I am very much looking forward to this book. I love the way this author writes and it’s good to know that there are more stories coming.

  3. Evelyn David
    Evelyn David on April 19, 2012 at 7:01 am

    Thanks Dru for hosting us. Evelyn David

  4. noraadrienne
    noraadrienne on April 19, 2012 at 8:25 am

    I’m interested in this story enough to enter to win a copy. I doubt the local library will get copies for circulation and I want to know why Maggie’s loving husband appears to have left her without any insurance, or insurance on their mortgage (a must have in NY).

    Yes I know I’m being picky about this.

    NoraAdrienne(at)gmail(dot)com

  5. Evelyn David
    Evelyn David on April 19, 2012 at 9:02 am

    Thanks Mare for your kind words and encouragement.

  7. Evelyn David
    Evelyn David on April 19, 2012 at 9:33 am

    Thanks Nora-Adrienne. Just to put your mind at ease, Maggie isn’t poor. Her husband left an adequate insurance policy 🙂

  8. Evelyn David
    Evelyn David on April 19, 2012 at 9:38 am

    Thanks Lori for your kind words and encouragement.

    Evelyn David

  9. Dru
    Dru on April 19, 2012 at 10:16 am

    Thanks Evelyn for letting Maggie give us a glimpse into her day.

  11. Carol N Wong (@Carolee888)
    Carol N Wong (@Carolee888) on April 19, 2012 at 11:59 am

    I would really love to read this book. More interesting because of the young widow with kids struggling with life.

    CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

  12. Nancy Roessner
    Nancy Roessner on April 19, 2012 at 1:10 pm

    Only ten hours of labor for each baby? What a lucky woman! The small, local paper has a name similar to our local paper. I’d love to read this book!

  13. Nancy Hill Bradford
    Nancy Hill Bradford on April 19, 2012 at 2:46 pm

    Sounds like a book that I will love. Hav e only read one of Ms David’s books but loved it.
    nlb1050(at)yahoo(dot)com

  14. Evelyn David
    Evelyn David on April 19, 2012 at 10:00 pm

    Thanks Nancy Hill Bradford for your kind words. So glad you enjoyed one of our books.

    Thanks too to Nan cy Roessner. You’re right those were fast labors for Maggie Brooks!

    Thanks to Carol N. Wong. We tried to explore the struggles of a young widow and her kids (but there is also lots of humor too).

    Thanks to Sue Farrell. The life of a journalist is fascinating and certainly provides ample opportunity to for sleuthing!

    We’re grateful for all the encouragement and support.

    Special thanks to Dru Ann for hosting us!

    Evelyn David

  15. Michelle Fidler
    Michelle Fidler on April 20, 2012 at 4:38 pm

    It sounds interesting and I was sorry to hear about her husband Pete dying. Before that it sounded upbeat.

    spookycat72(at)gmail(dot)com