Let's Talk Murder!

With Jim Bronyaur -

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Hey there everyone!  I’m glad to be here, blogging away, and talking about murder.  Of course the murder I talk about is fictional murder, the ones appearing in my cozy mystery series, the Minivan Mom Mystery Series.

Starting with the first book was pretty easy for me as I had the entire story outlined, ready to go, minus a few details that my wife stepped in and helped me with.  When I decided to write the second book, I didn’t want to fall into a trap and have the same book be written over and over.  I needed the same characters and the same setting (for the most part), but what I needed differently was the murder.  That’s the one part of the story I fully control and enjoy.  After that, the characters take over – along with my wife.  Getting my main character, Eve, involved with the story is a pivotal part too, but let’s talk about murder. 

In the first book, If Errands Could Kill, I had Eve Bailey trying to help a person she knew.  The ending result is that Eve sees the woman get murdered.  The murder is done by gunshot as a black Lincoln pulls up next to the woman’s car.  This pulls Eve right into the mix of things as she can’t believe something so sinister has happened in her town, not to mention the rumors that start flying around town about the murdered woman. 

When I sat down for the second book, I wanted something totally different.  I wanted to entertain my readers again but with a new story.  But I had to get Eve involved… but how?

If you haven’t read the second book, A Mess to Die For, you should because it’s a wild ride.  The murder finally came to me… it’s a normal Friday night and when Eve goes to check on her street, she sees a pair of headlights in the distance, swerving.  The car coming down the road is erratic, running a stop sign, thus prompting Eve to think it’s a drunk driver.  When the car comes to a stop, Eve wants to confront the driver and guess what she finds?  A murdered man in the car.

The murder is different because it’s done with a knife, and the man to Eve is unknown.  This is a complete opposite from the first book.  Now, you may be asking, why does Eve get involved then?  What’s the catch?  Well, I’m not going to give it away… you’ll have to read to find out!

But back to murder…

I believe that in a good cozy mystery, the murder should be present but not graphic.  To me, dead is dead, let it be and move on.  The story follows Eve as she tries to piece together what exactly has happened on her street.  Who would stab a man?  Why was that man on her street?  Before long, Eve is now in the middle of the inner workings of a dysfunctional family who just may be the key to the murder.

I liked creating a different murder because it gave the story a new twist for me to write – and for you to read.  I didn’t want the same old dead body to just show up in the same old setting.  After what happened in the first book, Eve is just looking for a little peace and quiet.  But she gets the exact opposite.

People have already starting to ask me about a third book… and while there is talk about a third book before the end of 2012, I can promise you that the murder and setup in that book will be different and original.  I don’t condone murder in real life, but in fiction, have some fun with it!  The best part too is that you need gore and blood to make murder effective.  Sometimes the best part is the story around the murder and what put someone in a position to make such a deadly decision.

Hope you all take the time to read and enjoy the Minivan Mom Mystery Series!  Feel free to get in touch with me on Twitter @JimBronyaur

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If Errands Could Kill AND A Mess to Die For are both available on Amazon!

If Errands Could Kill -


Up at sunrise to enjoy the quiet of a sleeping household, Eve Bailey gets her coffee, prepares breakfast for her three children, and has a spare tie ready knowing that her husband, Ben, will definitely spill something on the one he is wearing. Their oldest daughter, Delaney, is one game away from moving onto the soccer championships, their son, Cody, skipped school yesterday, and innocent 7 year old Penny is trying to communicate with her goldfish. Eve’s days are that of a typical stay at home mom.

Her typical day changes drastically after she drives Cody to school as part of his punishment for skipping school. Cody’s creepy science teacher, Mr. Jackson, approaches Eve to let her know that her check for Cody’s field trip had bounced. Knowing it had to be an error, Eve heads to the bank to figure it out. While in line, she chats with her mother in law who works at the bank. Then she notices Janet, another bank employee and self-made town outcast, acting very strange at the back counter.

Eve’s concern grows when she is leaving the bank and sees Janet open the gas tank door and then drives away. Against her better judgment, Eve follows Janet. What happens next is something unheard of in quiet Marysville, Pennsylvania.
Janet is murdered in front of Eve’s eyes, and the police find drugs in her car.

Murder and drugs? It doesn’t make sense. Eve is now a witness and determined to disprove the “drug deal gone wrong” theory. 

Can she convince the police that she knows who the killer is, save her family, and make it to Delaney’s big soccer game in time?


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A Mess to Die For -

It seems that Eve Bailey has the worst luck and timing. Just like every night, Eve opens her front door to check her street before locking up for the night. However, on Friday evening, there is a swerving car heading right down the Bailey’s street. It finally comes to a rest when it collides with a stop sign on Eve’s corner. Assuming it is a drunk driver, Eve yells for her husband, Ben, to call police as she heads out to confront the ignorant person. What she finds instead is a man dead from a stab wound in his stomach. 
Even though it is not the first dead body she has ever seen, Eve is more bothered by the particular knife sticking out of the man’s gut. The dead man turns out to be the owner of the new casino from the town over. Police investigate and all ties seem to point to a mob hit. Eve starts to believe it also… until someone from her past is suddenly attacked while the suspects are in custody. Now, she must remember where she has seen that knife before. 
On top of trying to track down a killer in Marysville, Eve must clean up her own family’s messes. Ben is ashamed to be associated with the new casino. Cody is in trouble at school, again. Delaney has lost her favorite soccer medal, and Penny is faced with a bully at school. 

Can Eve possibly solve all of their problems and find the killer before someone else becomes a victim?


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