Where do I start? Well, my grandfather was an FBI agent who’s been running for something for as long as I’ve known him. And my dad’s been running from him. My family has been completely blown apart, but I want to fix it. I’m going to try anyway.
My name is Stella O’Neil and I’m from Seattle Washington, before I moved to Brookfield, Pennsylvania. I rent this cute cabin out in the country, which is quite a change from busy downtown Seattle.
I work for my uncle who also is estranged from his dad. My uncle is a retired race car driver who now owns the Flamingo Realty. The name came about in a crazy way. More about that later.
I’m as single as single can be. No love interests, despite the well-meaning intentions of my friends, my father, my uncle, my landlord, ad nauseam. It’s not that I don’t appreciate their intentions, it’s that either they don’t know me very well, or there’s something horrible I don’t know about myself. Because these guys they pick. . .
Anyway, the house I live in needs a lot of work, so I’m slowly learning the ins-and-outs of wallpaper removal —seriously what’s the need to paper every square inch?—and painting. I’m getting my realtor’s license and learning the ropes on selling houses to people with screaming kids, single guys trying to hit on me, and looky-lous who just want to peek about. It’s actually quite fun, now that I’ve said all that. I enjoy the challenge, and there’s some really interesting people to meet.
Unfortunately, it’s at one of these showings that I see a dead man. Nothing in life prepares you for that. And now I have to figure out who’s doing it, because there’s rumors he was looking for a missing treasure. Now the house is flooded with people searching for the same thing.
This move across the country has been a good one so far. It’s the bravest thing I’ve ever done. My dad told me I have the blood of my great-great grandma running through my veins. I’ve recently learned about her, through a stack of letters that she wrote her mother. She’s amazing.
My dad had sent me those letters, along with my childhood stuffed animal, BunBun. Funny, how much that animal made me smile when I took it out of the box. Read about my adventures more in the Flamingo Realty Mysteries. There are four in the series.
And I’m having a fun giveaway! Tell me below in the comments what childhood toy you remember from growing up. I’ll pick 5 winners to receive a free e-copy of the first book in the series, Mind Your Manors. And if you don’t want to wait, it’s just 99c as a special price. The giveaway ends January 3, 2019. Good luck everyone!
Thanks for letting me share! Hope to see you soon on a house hunting expedition!
Stella O’Neil
You can read more about Stella in Mind Your Manors, the first book in the NEW “Flamingo Realty”cozy mystery series, released December 30, 2018.
Meet Stella O’Neil, retired FBI agent Oscar O’Neil’s granddaughter. She’s got a lot on her plate, trying to figure out her crazy, stubborn family, the hidden secrets that caused her grandfather’s estrangement from her dad, and starting out as a realtor. Throw in a dead body found in what used to be the town’s “royalty” family’s manor, and she’s neck deep in a mystery.
She may be sweet, but she’s pretty stubborn herself.
As Stella’s curiosity leads her from one town resident to the next, a dramatic tale of family secrets starts to appear, but is she getting too close to the truth? A scary car chase in the dark has her nerves on edge, but she won’t give up until she finds out who the skeleton once was. She’s so close. . . but someone. . . maybe more than one person. . . will do anything to stop her.
Purchase Link
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Meet the author
Hi, Everyone! I’m CeeCee James. I’m most well-known for my cozy mysteries, but I also have a few other things up my sleeve. I’m a public speaker as an advocate for adult survivors of child abuse and sexual assault. Here is my personal story, Ghost No More. It’s my story of beauty from ashes.
I’m a USA Today bestselling writer who got my story-telling feet wet with the many bedtime stories I told my children through the years. Some of my mystery series, beside the Flamingo Realty Mysteries include- the Baker Street Mysteries, Angel Lake Cozy Mysteries, and the Oceanside Hotel mysteries. I love writing flawed sleuths with a good sense of humor and an added dash of romance. The Tempting Taste of Danger was a finalist for the kindle book awards for best mystery.
My favorite place to write is curled up in an oversized squashy chair with a cup of coffee and a sleeping dog by my feet. Usually I’m joined by my two mini-dachshunds who like to snore and chase things in their sleep, and squish me into a corner of the chair. In honor of them, there are usually dogs in my books, with the exception of the Angel Lake series, which has a cat in honor of the one in my author picture.
Writing has been a lifelong passion. I love writing about love and the celebration of life.
Connect with CeeCee at ceeceejames-author.com, her Amazon page, BookBub and on Facebook.
All comments are welcomed.
Sounds like an interesting new series. I suppose my most memorable childhood toy was my Barbie doll… with all her friends and accessories.
Nice! Did you ever give her a hair cut? I did on a couple.
I still have the dolls from my childhood: my Barbie from my fifth birthday, my Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy from when I was 4, my monkey Zip, that will be 59 in February. Each of them is very special to me.
Aww so sweet. I have my Raggedy Ann as well!
Aww so sweet. I have my Raggedy Ann doll as well!
My Lionel train set.
Very cool! I bet you had a lot of fun with that.
I have several dolls from my childhood. Of course there are my Barbie dolls with handmade clothes made by my mother and aunt. Then there is Mary, the baby doll my grandmother gave to each of her granddaughters for Christmas, prior to her death. They bring fond memories to me.
Aww that’s SO special! It actually made my eyes sting.
We had a creepy crawler oven. You put goop in metal molds, baked them and made rubbery bugs
Haha! That sounds like fun!
I still have a little, well loved stuffed tabby cat from my childhood. It’s sitting on a shelf near me right now.
How adorable!
Sounds like a great new series. My favorite childhood toy was my dollhouse.
Me as well! In fact I’m still into miniatures. I post pictures of ones that I make all the time on Facebook. Very fun!
I had a blond teddy bear (to contrast with my big brother’s brown teddy bear) and a wonderful almost as big as me panda bear. Mom got rid of all of them when a younger sister seemed to be allergic to stuffed animals. I’m still mad.
Aww I’m so sorry. 🙁 He sounded very special.
I don’t remember a lot of toys growing up, not surprising when pictures show me pulling the toaster like a pull toy! However I do remember a large stuffed yellow bunny that had a bumble bee on it’s nose. My mom brought him home for me the day after Easter, so I named him Easter Monday. I loved that bunny, and as I grew older I discovered he was a perfect pillow to lean against as I read books on my bed. Not sure what happened to E.M., but he probably fell apart from so much loving.
I am looking forward to reading “Mind Your Mannors” and have it on my buy list. Thanks for the chance to win it first!
Happy New Year CeeCee!
Aww sorry about the lack of toys, but that’s cute about the bunny with the bee on his nose. <3 Happy New Year!
I still have my Tiny Tears doll named Laurie Ann and the clothes my grandmother made for her. I’ve had her almost 60 years. My sister and I played “house” with our dolls for years.
Wow! That’s so special that she made them and you still have them!! <3
My most remembered childhood toy was my stuffed animals, Barbies and my life sized baby dolls. My kids actually have some of my old stuffies and my daughter had my old Barbies.
I love your books and am excited for this new series!
Aww, thank you, Marla! I am loving this series myself. That’s really neat you were able to pass some of your toys down!
I had a stuffed dog who had a music box inside that I wound up to play. I slept with him every night . I even took this stuffed dog to college with me. My parents were appalled I did that because he had lost most of his fur. My roommate and her boyfriend broke his music box. I was devastated. I took him home and my dad ordered a new music box for him and tried to clean him. He stunk after that. But I still loved him. He was my comfort.
I’m so sorry your roommate ruined it, but what a sweet, amazing gesture from your dad. I hope you have a great New Year!
I remember I got my very first Barbie Doll at Christmas. I was thrilled
They were fun! <3 I loved mine as well.
I loved my Malibu Barbie and Ken and their dune buggy and pop-up camper 🙂
Oh, I remember that stuff! Did her skin tan in the sun? So fun!
I had a baby doll named Marie. She had hair and eyes that blinked. I loved her and took her every where with me, I still have her.
I love that you still have her! How special!
One of my favorite toys was a piano for my dollhouse that my grandmother gave me–it was beautiful, and loved arranging and rearranging the furniture.
**** WINNERS ****
Mind Your Manors are Robin L Coxon, Dawn, Marla, Libby Dodd, Leanna Lindquist
Congratulations!