# Free with KU Death of an Idiot Boss



## jec (May 13, 2015)

*If You Like Your Cozies With Attitude, 
You'll Love The Kadence MacBride Mysteries*​*Free with Kindle Unlimited or as an Amazon Prime Borrow*​
*Death of an Idiot Boss* http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t             

Ever had a boss you'd happily kill?
Somebody beat her to it.
Amateur sleuth was never part of Kadence MacBride's career plan. Neither was murder suspect. Between unearthing Civil Rights era secrets someone wants to stay buried and fending off a cop driven by expediency over truth, Kadence may end up trading her red power suit for an orange jumpsuit.



*Page One*
There are some days I'd love to bottle up and save: the day I graduated summa cum laude, the days I married and divorced my ex, and if everything worked out, today.

My orange juice was perfect: fresh squeezed with a twist of lime. A basket of warm sweet-potato muffins from Momma Pearl's scented the air with home-made goodness. A bouquet of yellow roses lay on the seat beside me. Despite asking him not to, my boyfriend Terrence had thought of everything down to the new red silk power suit I sported.

"Ante victoriam ne canan triumphum: don't sing triumphs before the victory," I'd said.

Terrence didn't share my fondness for Latin. "Victory is yours," he'd countered, and so he'd sent all this stuff plus a limo to ferry me to work.

"All set, Ms. MacBride?" the driver asked.

"Carry on, Jeeves." His name tag said Jerome. That's no name for a limo driver. Course, some folks might say Kadence MacBride was no name for a thirty-something African-American woman.

Stretch limos didn't grace my neighborhood that often, especially not on a Friday morning. More than a few curtains rustled as we passed. There'd be more than curtains rustling if I showed up to work in this thing. "So, Jeeves, I need you to let me out about two blocks from my building. I'll walk the rest of the way."

Jeeves shook his head. "I'm to deliver you to the front door. Mr. Chandler's instructions were very specific."

"Mr. Chandler will never know. You do want me to give him a good report, don't you?"

Raising two fingers to his chauffeur's cap, Jeeves saluted. "As you wish."

I leaned back and sipped my juice. Luther Vandross crooned, "So Amazing," over speakers that made it sound like he was in the limo with me. No matter what happened today, next Saturday morning I'd be on the first Caribbean-bound flight to meet Terrence for five whole weeks, the most vacation I'd ever taken at one time. As much vacation as I had banked I could have taken off five months.

No phone. No television. The brush of tropical breezes against our skin. The sound of waves crashing on the shore. The smell of--what was that smell? I knocked on the partition separating us.

Jeeves slid it open. "Don't panic."


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*If You Like An Amateur Sleuth With Attitude, You'll Love Kadence MacBride*​*Free with Kindle Unlimited or as an Amazon Prime Borrow*​
I'd almost finished approving this month's invoices when my door flew open. Somebody had lost their mind. No surprise that Winston, Doug's nephew, walked in.

He reached for my red folder. "You finish the invoices?"

I pulled it away. "Still working on them."

"We're not on C.P. time," Winston said. "They're due today."

This boy didn't know nothing about C.P. time, but he had a Ph.D. in working my reserve nerve. He also had this bad habit of forgetting I was his boss.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Ninety-nine cents through Aug. 26. If You Like Your Cozies With Attitude, You'll Love The Kadence MacBride Mysteries*​*Free with Kindle Unlimited or as an Amazon Prime Borrow*​
*Death of an Idiot Boss* http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t
Ever had a boss you'd happily kill?
Somebody beat her to it.
Amateur sleuth was never part of Kadence MacBride's career plan. Neither was murder suspect. Between unearthing Civil Rights era secrets someone wants to stay buried and fending off a cop driven by expediency over truth, Kadence may wind up trading her red power suit for an orange jumpsuit.

*Excerpt*
Taking a deep breath and saying a quick prayer for patience, I entered Winston's office. He sifted through mounds of PattyCakes magazines covering his desk.

"Got the agency working on a great new idea," he said.

"I know. Angie called."

To reach his desk, I navigated an obstacle course of PattyCakes strewn all over the floor. I misjudged and accidentally stepped on the November '82 anniversary issue. That magazine cover was slick as a sheet of ice; I struggled to keep from falling.

"Careful," Winston said. "That's valuable property."

I'm pretty sure I wasn't the valuable property he referred to.

"The photo shoot is Wednesday. Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been. "What blanks?"

"All those numbers you do. I've seen the reports. The blanks. I need to review the numbers with Uncle Doug so we can launch this thing. Got the girls picked out. Look." Winston flipped to the centerfold and showed me his choices. "No real man could get one of these babes in his mailbox and not open the mailer. We'll have to put clothes on them. Probably some law about sending pictures of naked women through the mail. I'm thinking bikinis. Get me some research on the best colors."


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*If You Like An Amateur Sleuth With Attitude, You'll Love Kadence MacBride*​*Free with Kindle Unlimited or as an Amazon Prime Borrow*​
*Excerpt Death of an Idiot Boss*
I'd never been in Doug's inner office before. With its leather couch, big comfy chairs, and desk tucked away in the corner like an afterthought, it looked like a den. Doug posed with various celebrities in the autographed photos covering the walls. I didn't know any of the sports figures but recognized Martin Luther King Jr. and a very young Jesse Jackson.

The largest photo, an October 1967 blow-up from the Chicago Defender, was one of those group shots like in high school. The caption read: Local Illinois man joins voter registration drive in Mississippi. Someone had circled Doug's head. Since he was the only white person in the picture, I didn't need the visual aid. The woman standing next to him cheesed for the camera like Miss Black America.

I looked at the picture again. In his younger days Doug looked like Winston's twin: tall, blond, movie-star handsome. Unlike Winston, I'd always given Doug credit for brains as well as beauty. Given what he'd just done, I'd have to rethink my position.

"Those were heady days." Doug stood in the doorway, a bottle of guava juice in his hand. "We didn't just sing "We Shall Overcome," we overcame. You're here because of the sacrifices we made. You know my father--"

"Helped desegregate Thornwood schools. Your grandfather organized protests against lynching. The Holmes' mansion was a stop on the Underground Railroad, and you helped register voters in Mississippi. I grew up hearing the stories. They're a big part of why I wanted to work for you."

"There's one more chapter left in the Holmes. Winston's story is yet to be written."

"I didn't come for a history lesson." Or a fairy tale if he actually thought Winston would add anything of value to the Holmes' legacy.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

"The photo shoot is Wednesday," Winston said. "Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been.

Death of an Idiot Boss Look inside the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Excerpt Chapter 2*

The phone rang. "Let it go to voice mail," Charlene said.

Winston's number flashed on the call display. "I'd better take it.' If I didn't he might come down. I picked up the receiver and pressed the hold button. "This should only take a minute." Lord, please don't let my voice tremble when I talk to this fool.

"That's my boss," Charlene said. "When duty calls, she answers. That's why she's in the big chair"

I released the hold button and picked up the receiver.

"Sorry I'm late for the party," Winston said. "Doug wanted to talk."

"Did you need something?" I sounded like a Munchkin.

"Just want to get a few things straight. First, don't ever put me on hold again. I hate that damn elevator music. Second, when I call you answer, not your admin, you. If you need to take a p*ss , transfer calls to your cell phone and take it with you."

My lip stopped trembling. "Anything else?" My voice stopped trembling too.

"Yeah, Doug wants to get out a formal announcement. Press release for the local papers. Article for the employee news. Something for him to read on Monday's chat. You're writing them. You can write, can't you?"

My nails dug into my palms. "Can do."

"Need it on my desk E.O.D. The d means today."

The d meant day, idiot. "End of day. Got it. Anything else?"

"Yeah, put me on speaker."

"Why?"

"Guess."

I didn't need to guess.

"I could come down there. Might be better in person."

Or not. I hung up on him. Despite knowing I'd pay for it later, it sure felt good now. "I had to take that call because Winston's my new boss," I said.

A litany of four-letter words, some of which I'd never heard strung together quite that way before, erupted in the room. Soon after that the party packed up and moved to Tom's Bar. Dominic and Charlene wanted to stay. I sent them home with a promise we'd talk Monday.

Noah suffered through forty days and forty nights of rain. The children of Israel wandered through the desert for forty years. Surely, I could survive eighty-nine more days of Winston.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Except Chapter 3
*
"That's a limited edition," Winston yelled.
Even after I'd slammed his door closed, he still yelled. Maybe he'd give himself a heart attack to match the stroke he was trying to give me. It felt like flames were shooting out the top of my head. I didn't stop to smell the roses or count the paper clips as I flew through Lilly's office.
"Now, dear, a lady never loses her--"

"Whatever a lady never loses, I'd already lost.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

Bump

_reminder -- very short or one/two word posts are discouraged and may be deleted at the moderators' discretion. Please see our Forum Decorum._


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

Fill up your Kindle for the holidays ahead. Make a date with Kadence MacBride.

Winston snatched the gift card off my rubber plant. A leaf fluttered to the floor. "Superior Printing congratulates you," he read. "Suck-ups." 

The dropped card landed a few inches from the leaf. Winston glanced at his watch. "Gotta fly. Big meeting with Uncle Doug. Make sure you finish your work before you move on up to the big house. I want those invoices on my desk today." 

I wanted his head on my wall now and started counting before Winston's shadow left the room. "Decem, noven, octo, septem." Counting in Latin made me focus on the counting instead of its source. By the time I'd made it down to unus, the urge to smack Winston into next week had passed. 

Besides, I should be glad, not mad. I'd kept my temper in check for the thousandth time. Hadn't given Winston anything he could use against me, and it was almost over. 

Instead of running to HR every time Winston messed up, I'd compiled an inch-thick dossier. The market analysis underscored the whole thing. Because he hadn't finished it on time, we'd missed some early media buys increasing our fourth-quarter ad costs by at least twenty-five percent. 

Next week, I'd walk HR down the path of Winston's incompetence. Although Doug wouldn't fire him, I had enough to get him kicked out of my group. Let somebody else carry Winston. He's too heavy, and he ain't my brother.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

Stock up for your holiday reading. From now through Sunday December 13, both books in the Kadence MacBride Mystery Series, Death of an Idiot Boss and Death of an Island Tart, are on sale for only 99 cents.

http://amzn.to/1GR2k4E


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Santa brought you a new Kindle for Christmas. 
Now you need some new books. 
Why not check out the Kadence MacBride Mysteries? 

[size=12pt]Praise for Kadence MacBride
Kadence MacBride is quite the memorable character.

An original and engaging protagonist.

Kadence is a definite keeper.*


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*The Kadence MacBride Mystery Series*
Best friends since college, Kadence and Terrence have supported each other through failed marriages and dead-end relationships. Despite their strong mutual attraction, they've been unwilling to risk their friendship for a chance at love, until now. They'd be well on their way to happily ever after if they could just stop stumbling over dead bodies.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Snowed in this weekend?
Curl up on the couch with Kadence MacBride in Death of an Idiot Boss.*

Not your average sleuth.
"I peeled the newspaper from my butt, emerged from the tow truck as a queen would from her carriage and glided in the building."

Not your average mystery.
What's done in the dark comes out in the light even fifty years later

*If you like a sleuth with attitude. You'll love Kadence MacBride.
Free with Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime.*​


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Spend the weekend with Kadence MacBride*​
Winston jumped off the couch and jabbed his finger in my face. "You don't make a move without consulting me. You got that?

What I had were my hands clasped behind my back to keep from slapping him.

*If you like a sleuth with attitude, you'll love Kadence MacBride.*​


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Looking for a great read?
Spend the weekend with Kadence MacBride.*

*Review from a verified purchase*
"What a great book! Kept me guessing to the very end! Ms. Croom has an easy style of downhome writing. Love the parts where Kadance talks to her Momma & Daddy. She's a bright woman who is trying to make it in the corporate world. Her struggles are real. Ms. Croom is a wonderful writer with a sense of humor!"


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Spend Valentine's Day with Kadence MacBride*

*Five Star Review from verified purchaser*
"...She keeps you guessing who the killer is until the end. And the tension--worrying about Kadence and how she was going to get out of this scrape--really kept you emotionally involved in your reading. I can't say enough about this book and I read the first chapter of the next in the series provided at the end and can't wait for more! Plus--I can't wait to try the pound cake recipe in the back! Sounds delish!"


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Looking for a great read? 
Curl up on the couch with Kadence MacBride in Death of an Idiot Boss. *​
*Not your average sleuth.*
"I peeled the newspaper from my butt, emerged from the tow truck as a queen would from her carriage and glided in the building."

*Not your average mystery.*
Ever since he'd tap danced on her last nerve, Kadence had dreamed of smacking her new boss upside his head, but she never dreamed somebody would do it for real and that she'd wind up the prime suspect. The key to solving the murder lies within the African-American community she'd largely abandoned in her climb up the corporate ladder. Can she go home again?

*If you like a sleuth with attitude, you'll love Kadence MacBride.
Free with Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime.*​


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

If you like a sleuth with attitude
You'll love Kadence MacBride
Only 99 cents through March 7
Pick up your copy today.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Looking for a new weekend read?
Make a date with Kadence MacBride in Death of an Idiot Boss?*

Amateur sleuth was never in Kadence's career plan. Neither was murder suspect. If you like a sleuth with attitude, you'll love Kadence MacBride.

Only $2.99. Free with Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Review from a verified purchaser*
Kadence is a bright black woman about to be promoted to VP in corporate America, or so she thinks. But instead the son - a blundering idiot - is given the promotion and Kadence is to be rewarded greatly for getting the son in line. Only he gets himself murdered and she's the obvious suspect, and a black female in a white male corporate world. She sets out with Dominic's help to try to figure out who really killed the idiot boss and finds out a lot more, not only about the other possible suspects, the head of the corporation, and the police officer, Cooper, who is determined to arrest her. Kadence shuts out Terrance - doesn't even take his calls - and doesn't share her problems with her parents, even when she moves in with them. This all unfolds with a steady pace and the resolution is unexpected, but believable. Well written and engaging, it's not clear why she shuts out Terrence. Maybe we find that out in Book 2

If you like a sleuth with attitude, you'll love Kadence MacBride. Look inside the book on Amazon. http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Review from a verified purchaser*
Kadence is a bright black woman about to be promoted to VP in corporate America, or so she thinks. But instead the son - a blundering idiot - is given the promotion and Kadence is to be rewarded greatly for getting the son in line. Only he gets himself murdered and she's the obvious suspect, and a black female in a white male corporate world. She sets out with Dominic's help to try to figure out who really killed the idiot boss and finds out a lot more, not only about the other possible suspects, the head of the corporation, and the police officer, Cooper, who is determined to arrest her. Kadence shuts out Terrance - doesn't even take his calls - and doesn't share her problems with her parents, even when she moves in with them. This all unfolds with a steady pace and the resolution is unexpected, but believable. Well written and engaging, it's not clear why she shuts out Terrence. Maybe we find that out in Book 2

If you like a sleuth with attitude, you'll love Kadence MacBride. Look inside the book on Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Death-Island-Tart-Kadence-MacBride-ebook/dp/B00UZBEN1G


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Vacation time is coming. Why not take Kadence MacBride with you?*

Praise for Kadence MacBride
Kadence MacBride is quite the memorable character.

An original and engaging protagonist.

Kadence is a definite keeper.

If you love a sleuth with attitude, you'll love the Kadence MacBride Mysteries: Death of an Idiot Boss and Death of an Island Tart.


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

"The photo shoot is Wednesday," Winston said. "Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been.

Death of an Idiot Boss Look inside the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

"The photo shoot is Wednesday," Winston said. "Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been.

Death of an Idiot Boss Look inside the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

"The photo shoot is Wednesday," Winston said. "Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been.

Death of an Idiot Boss Look inside the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1GR2k4E


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Save 66%. Death of an Idiot Boss will be only ninety-nine cents through Wednesday May 18. *

If you like a sleuth with attitude, you'll love Kadence MacBride.

*Praise for Kadence MacBride*
Kadence MacBride is quite the memorable character.
An original and engaging protagonist.
Kadence is a definite keeper


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

Summer is coming. Pack your Kindle as well as your suitcase with the Kadence MacBride Mysteries, Death of an Idiot Boss and Death of an Island Tart. If you like a sleuth with attitude, you'll love Kadence MacBride. Free with Amazon Prime and Kindle Unlimited.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Vacation is coming
Now you need some new books. 
Why not check out the Kadence MacBride Mysteries? *​
*Praise for Kadence MacBride*
Kadence MacBride is quite the memorable character.

An original and engaging protagonist.

Kadence is a definite keeper.


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Spend the weekend with Kadence MacBride*​
Winston jumped off the couch and jabbed his finger in my face. "You don't make a move without consulting me. You got that?

What I had were my hands clasped behind my back to keep from slapping him.

If you like a sleuth with attitude, you'll love Kadence MacBride.


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Praise for Kadence MacBride*​
Kadence MacBride is quite the memorable character.

An original and engaging protagonist.

Kadence is a definite keeper.

If you love a sleuth with attitude, you'll love the Kadence MacBride Mysteries: Death of an Idiot Boss and Death of an Island Tart.


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

I'd almost finished approving this month's invoices when my door flew open. Somebody had lost their mind. No surprise that Winston, Doug's nephew, walked in.

He reached for my red folder. "You finish the invoices?"

I pulled it away. "Still working on them."

"We're not on C.P. time," Winston said. "They're due today."

This boy didn't know nothing about C.P. time, but he had a Ph.D. in working my reserve nerve. He also had this bad habit of forgetting I was his boss.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Except Chapter 3*

"That's a limited edition," Winston yelled.
Even after I'd slammed his door closed, he still yelled. Maybe he'd give himself a heart attack to match the stroke he was trying to give me. It felt like flames were shooting out the top of my head. I didn't stop to smell the roses or count the paper clips as I flew through Lilly's office.
"Now, dear, a lady never loses her--"

"Whatever a lady never loses, I'd already lost.


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Excerpt Chapter 1*

Winston snatched the gift card off my rubber plant. A leaf fluttered to the floor. "Superior Printing congratulates you," he read. "Suck-ups."

The dropped card landed a few inches from the leaf. Winston glanced at his watch. "Gotta fly. Big meeting with Uncle Doug. Make sure you finish your work before you move on up to the big house. I want those invoices on my desk today."

I wanted his head on my wall now and started counting before Winston's shadow left the room.


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

*If You Like An Amateur Sleuth With Attitude, You'll Love Kadence MacBride
Free with Kindle Unlimited or as an Amazon Prime Borrow​
I'd almost finished approving this month's invoices when my door flew open. Somebody had lost their mind. No surprise that Winston, Doug's nephew, walked in.

He reached for my red folder. "You finish the invoices?"

I pulled it away. "Still working on them."

"We're not on C.P. time," Winston said. "They're due today."

This boy didn't know nothing about C.P. time, but he had a Ph.D. in working my reserve nerve. He also had this bad habit of forgetting I was his boss.*


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Five Star Review *

Ms Croom gives us a solid, suspense-filled cozy mystery. I don't generally like cozies. I loved this one.

The book is dripping with wit and down home humor and wisdom. The main character is delightfully not perfect. A good business woman whose personal life is suffering from vast amounts of neglect. Kadence is a proud woman and we all know pride goes before a fall. She's too proud to ask for help. She has to do everything herself and that's the problem. I love Kadence. She's real. Like people I know. Maybe even a bit like me.

The secondary characters not only add color, but are well-drawn. They aren't merely window dressing. Their presence makes the story come alive.

If you like mysteries, this one is one you don't want to miss. It's delicious. Just like Daddy's ribs and Momma's pound cake.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Looking for a great beach read?
Check out Death of an Idiot Boss*​
"The photo shoot is Wednesday," Winston said. "Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been.

Death of an Idiot Boss Look inside the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1GR2k4E


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

*If You Like An Amateur Sleuth With Attitude, You'll Love Kadence MacBride
Free with Kindle Unlimited or as an Amazon Prime Borrow*​
I'd almost finished approving this month's invoices when my door flew open. Somebody had lost their mind. No surprise that Winston, Doug's nephew, walked in.

He reached for my red folder. "You finish the invoices?"

I pulled it away. "Still working on them."

"We're not on C.P. time," Winston said. "They're due today."

This boy didn't know nothing about C.P. time, but he had a Ph.D. in working my reserve nerve. He also had this bad habit of forgetting I was his boss.


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Not your average sleuth.*
"I peeled the newspaper from my butt, emerged from the tow truck as a queen would from her carriage and glided in the building."

*Not your average mystery.*
What's done in the dark comes out in the light even fifty years later

If you like a sleuth with attitude. You'll love Kadence MacBride.
Free with Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime.


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

[size=14pt]*Ninety-nine cents through September 7, 2016. 
If You Like Your Cozies With Attitude, 
You'll Love The Kadence MacBride Mysteries
Free with Kindle Unlimited or as an Amazon Prime Borrow*​
Death of an Idiot Boss http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t
Ever had a boss you'd happily kill?
Somebody beat her to it.
Amateur sleuth was never part of Kadence MacBride's career plan. Neither was murder suspect. Between unearthing Civil Rights era secrets someone wants to stay buried and fending off a cop driven by expediency over truth, Kadence may wind up trading her red power suit for an orange jumpsuit.

Excerpt
Taking a deep breath and saying a quick prayer for patience, I entered Winston's office. He sifted through mounds of PattyCakes magazines covering his desk.

"Got the agency working on a great new idea," he said.

"I know. Angie called."

To reach his desk, I navigated an obstacle course of PattyCakes strewn all over the floor. I misjudged and accidentally stepped on the November '82 anniversary issue. That magazine cover was slick as a sheet of ice; I struggled to keep from falling.

"Careful," Winston said. "That's valuable property."

I'm pretty sure I wasn't the valuable property he referred to.

"The photo shoot is Wednesday. Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been. "What blanks?"

"All those numbers you do. I've seen the reports. The blanks. I need to review the numbers with Uncle Doug so we can launch this thing. Got the girls picked out. Look." Winston flipped to the centerfold and showed me his choices. "No real man could get one of these babes in his mailbox and not open the mailer. We'll have to put clothes on them. Probably some law about sending pictures of naked women through the mail. I'm thinking bikinis. Get me some research on the best colors."


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!*
By Debion January 11, 2016
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
What a great book! Kept me guessing to the very end! Ms. Croom has an easy style of downhome writing. Love the parts where Kadance talks to her Momma & Daddy. She's a bright woman who is trying to make it in the corporate world. Her struggles are real. Ms. Croom is a wonderful writer with a sense of humor!


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

Excerpt Chapter 2

The phone rang. "Let it go to voice mail," Charlene said.

Winston's number flashed on the call display. "I'd better take it.' If I didn't he might come down. I picked up the receiver and pressed the hold button. "This should only take a minute." Lord, please don't let my voice tremble when I talk to this fool.

"That's my boss," Charlene said. "When duty calls, she answers. That's why she's in the big chair"

I released the hold button and picked up the receiver.

"Sorry I'm late for the party," Winston said. "Doug wanted to talk."

"Did you need something?" I sounded like a Munchkin.

"Just want to get a few things straight. First, don't ever put me on hold again. I hate that damn elevator music. Second, when I call you answer, not your admin, you. If you need to take a  p*ss , transfer calls to your cell phone and take it with you."

My lip stopped trembling. "Anything else?" My voice stopped trembling too.

"Yeah, Doug wants to get out a formal announcement. Press release for the local papers. Article for the employee news. Something for him to read on Monday's chat. You're writing them. You can write, can't you?"

My nails dug into my palms. "Can do."

"Need it on my desk E.O.D. The d means today."

The d meant day, idiot. "End of day. Got it. Anything else?"

"Yeah, put me on speaker."

"Why?"

"Guess."

I didn't need to guess.

"I could come down there. Might be better in person."

Or not. I hung up on him. Despite knowing I'd pay for it later, it sure felt good now. "I had to take that call because Winston's my new boss," I said.

A litany of four-letter words, some of which I'd never heard strung together quite that way before, erupted in the room. Soon after that the party packed up and moved to Tom's Bar. Dominic and Charlene wanted to stay. I sent them home with a promise we'd talk Monday.

Noah suffered through forty days and forty nights of rain. The children of Israel wandered through the desert for forty years. Surely, I could survive eighty-nine more days of Winston.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

Except Chapter 3

"That's a limited edition," Winston yelled.
Even after I'd slammed his door closed, he still yelled. Maybe he'd give himself a heart attack to match the stroke he was trying to give me. It felt like flames were shooting out the top of my head. I didn't stop to smell the roses or count the paper clips as I flew through Lilly's office.
"Now, dear, a lady never loses her--"

"Whatever a lady never loses, I'd already lost.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

Except Chapter 3

"That's a limited edition," Winston yelled.
Even after I'd slammed his door closed, he still yelled. Maybe he'd give himself a heart attack to match the stroke he was trying to give me. It felt like flames were shooting out the top of my head. I didn't stop to smell the roses or count the paper clips as I flew through Lilly's office.
"Now, dear, a lady never loses her--"

"Whatever a lady never loses, I'd already lost.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Taking it easy this weekend?
Curl up on the couch with Kadence MacBride in Death of an Idiot Boss.*​
Not your average sleuth.
"I peeled the newspaper from my butt, emerged from the tow truck as a queen would from her carriage and glided in the building."

Not your average mystery.
What's done in the dark comes out in the light even fifty years later

*If you like a sleuth with attitude. You'll love Kadence MacBride.
Free with Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime.*​


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Excerpt*
Taking a deep breath and saying a quick prayer for patience, I entered Winston's office. He sifted through mounds of PattyCakes magazines covering his desk.

"Got the agency working on a great new idea," he said.

"I know. Angie called."

To reach his desk, I navigated an obstacle course of PattyCakes strewn all over the floor. I misjudged and accidentally stepped on the November '82 anniversary issue. That magazine cover was slick as a sheet of ice; I struggled to keep from falling.

"Careful," Winston said. "That's valuable property."

I'm pretty sure I wasn't the valuable property he referred to.

"The photo shoot is Wednesday. Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been. "What blanks?"

"All those numbers you do. I've seen the reports. The blanks. I need to review the numbers with Uncle Doug so we can launch this thing. Got the girls picked out. Look." Winston flipped to the centerfold and showed me his choices. "No real man could get one of these babes in his mailbox and not open the mailer. We'll have to put clothes on them. Probably some law about sending pictures of naked women through the mail. I'm thinking bikinis. Get me some research on the best colors."


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Except Chapter 3*

"That's a limited edition," Winston yelled.
Even after I'd slammed his door closed, he still yelled. Maybe he'd give himself a heart attack to match the stroke he was trying to give me. It felt like flames were shooting out the top of my head. I didn't stop to smell the roses or count the paper clips as I flew through Lilly's office.
"Now, dear, a lady never loses her--"

"Whatever a lady never loses, I'd already lost.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

"The photo shoot is Wednesday," Winston said. "Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been.

Death of an Idiot Boss Look inside the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Except Chapter 3*

"That's a limited edition," Winston yelled.
Even after I'd slammed his door closed, he still yelled. Maybe he'd give himself a heart attack to match the stroke he was trying to give me. It felt like flames were shooting out the top of my head. I didn't stop to smell the roses or count the paper clips as I flew through Lilly's office.
"Now, dear, a lady never loses her--"

"Whatever a lady never loses, I'd already lost.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Now Available in Paperback*​
Death of an Idiot Boss is now available in paperback for only $7.99 on Amazon.

Have a boss you'd happily kill?
Somebody beat her to it.

Corporate climber Kadence MacBride is smashing the glass ceiling with her size ten pumps, or so she thinks. Not only does she get passed over, her promotion goes to her idiot employee and he becomes her new boss.

Worst day ever, or so she thinks. Worst doesn't have a floor, and idiots tend to get themselves killed.

Losing a promotion-bad 
Becoming a prime murder suspect-Catastrophic

Police Captain Cooper has hit his own glass ceiling. Solving this case quickly will break him through it, so Cooper doesn't care what's true. Since Kadence makes the easiest target, he's gunning for her.

Long buried secrets from the Civil Rights era seek vengeance from the grave. Kadence has her own secrets to keep.

There are some things you don't delegate. Adding amateur sleuth to her resume, Kadence sets out to find the real killer. Failing that, she'll trade her red power suit for an orange jumpsuit.

If you like a sleuth with attitude, you'll love Kadence MacBride.

Praise for Kadence MacBride
Kadence MacBride is quite the memorable character.
An original and engaging protagonist.
Kadence is a definite keeper.


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

Save $2.00 thru January 8, 2017. Only 99 cents.

Ever had a boss you'd happily kill?
Somebody beat her to it.
Amateur sleuth was never part of Kadence MacBride's career plan. Neither was murder suspect. Between unearthing Civil Rights era secrets someone wants to stay buried and fending off a cop driven by expediency over truth, Kadence may end up trading her red power suit for an orange jumpsuit.

Look inside the book http://amzn.to/1M43UAV


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Have a boss you'd happily kill?
Somebody beat her to it.*
*Death of an Idiot Boss* Look inside the book http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00UZIA87W

There are some days I'd love to bottle up and save: the day I graduated summa cum laude, the days I married and divorced my ex, and if everything worked out, today. 
My orange juice was perfect: fresh squeezed with a twist of lime. A basket of warm sweet-potato muffins from Momma Pearl's scented the air with home-made goodness. A bouquet of yellow roses lay on the seat beside me. Despite asking him not to, my boyfriend Terrence had thought of everything down to the new red silk power suit I sported. 
"Ante victoriam ne canan triumphum: don't sing triumphs before the victory," I'd said. 
Terrence didn't share my fondness for Latin. "Victory is yours," he'd countered, and so he'd sent all this stuff plus a limo to ferry me to work. 
"All set, Ms. MacBride?" the driver asked.
"Carry on, Jeeves." His name tag said Jerome. That's no name for a limo driver. Course, some folks might say Kadence MacBride was no name for a thirty-something African-American woman. 
Stretch limos didn't grace my neighborhood that often, especially not on a Friday morning. More than a few curtains rustled as we passed. There'd be more than curtains rustling if I showed up to work in this thing. 
"So, Jeeves, I need you to let me out about two blocks from my building. I'll walk the rest of the way."
Jeeves shook his head. "I'm to deliver you to the front door. Mr. Wright's instructions were very specific."
"Mr. Wright will never know. You do want me to give him a good report, don't you?"
Raising two fingers to his chauffeur's cap, Jeeves saluted. "As you wish." 
I leaned back and sipped my juice. Luther Vandross crooned, "So Amazing," over speakers that made it sound like he was in the limo with me. No matter what happened today, next Saturday morning I'd be on the first Caribbean-bound flight to meet Terrence for five whole weeks. 
No phone. No television. The brush of tropical breezes against our skin. The sound of waves crashing on the shore. The smell of--what was that smell? I knocked on the partition separating us. 
Jeeves slid it open. "Don't panic."


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Excerpt*

I'd almost finished approving this month's invoices when my door flew open. Somebody had lost their mind. No surprise that Winston, Doug's nephew, walked in.

He reached for my red folder. "You finish the invoices?"

I pulled it away. "Still working on them."

"We're not on C.P. time," Winston said. "They're due today."

This boy didn't know nothing about C.P. time, but he had a Ph.D. in working my reserve nerve. He also had this bad habit of forgetting I was his boss


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Amazon Five Star Review​
I really enjoyed this murder mystery. Love the plot twists and turns. And the African-American lead character with her family and their history raised a lot of interesting issues and gave the book depth.*


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Excerpt Chapter 2*

The phone rang. "Let it go to voice mail," Charlene said.

Winston's number flashed on the call display. "I'd better take it.' If I didn't he might come down. I picked up the receiver and pressed the hold button. "This should only take a minute." Lord, please don't let my voice tremble when I talk to this fool.

"That's my boss," Charlene said. "When duty calls, she answers. That's why she's in the big chair"

I released the hold button and picked up the receiver.

"Sorry I'm late for the party," Winston said. "Doug wanted to talk."

"Did you need something?" I sounded like a Munchkin.

"Just want to get a few things straight. First, don't ever put me on hold again. I hate that damn elevator music. Second, when I call you answer, not your admin, you. If you need to take a p*ss , transfer calls to your cell phone and take it with you."

My lip stopped trembling. "Anything else?" My voice stopped trembling too.

"Yeah, Doug wants to get out a formal announcement. Press release for the local papers. Article for the employee news. Something for him to read on Monday's chat. You're writing them. You can write, can't you?"

My nails dug into my palms. "Can do."

"Need it on my desk E.O.D. The d means today."

The d meant day, idiot. "End of day. Got it. Anything else?"

"Yeah, put me on speaker."

"Why?"

"Guess."

I didn't need to guess.

"I could come down there. Might be better in person."

Or not. I hung up on him. Despite knowing I'd pay for it later, it sure felt good now. "I had to take that call because Winston's my new boss," I said.

A litany of four-letter words, some of which I'd never heard strung together quite that way before, erupted in the room. Soon after that the party packed up and moved to Tom's Bar. Dominic and Charlene wanted to stay. I sent them home with a promise we'd talk Monday.

Noah suffered through forty days and forty nights of rain. The children of Israel wandered through the desert for forty years. Surely, I could survive eighty-nine more days of Winston.


----------



## jec (May 13, 2015)

"The photo shoot is Wednesday," Winston said. "Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been.

Death of an Idiot Boss Look inside the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Excerpt*
I stepped off the elevator onto the executive floor. Eight years out of college, one year into the new millennium and all the late nights, lost weekends and canceled vacations had led me to this. I paused at the conference room door. Ten feet tall, solid oak, entry by invitation only; walking through it meant more than entering a room. It meant entering a new life and doing my part to take Dr. King's dream one step further. After a quick prayer I opened the door. 
Doug's executive counsel, the vice presidents of all the departments, welcomed me on board. Yesterday these same folks wouldn't have opened their mouths to speak to me. Today I'd become a member of their club. 
Shirley, Doug's admin, asked what my favorite snacks were so she could stock the kitchen. I told her I favored fresh-squeezed guava juice and Japanese-pickled vegetables. Since I could have whatever I wanted, I wasn't asking for a soda.

Look inside the book. http://amzn.to/1M43UAV


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

"The photo shoot is Wednesday," Winston said. "Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been.

Death of an Idiot Boss Look inside the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Latest 5 star review*
"You will love Kadence MacBride and how she solves her new boss's death, since she is the prime suspect. The comical remarks and boyfriend issue mixed in with the deaths are fantastic mystery that captivates to the last page. Rated 5 stars and I recommend it to all mature readers. Enjoy!"


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

"The photo shoot is Wednesday," Winston said. "Angie owes me beach recommendations tomorrow. This thing is moving fast. Once the agency comes back with costs, I'll need you to fill in the blanks."

The only blank I wanted to fill in was the space where his brain should have been.

Death of an Idiot Boss Look inside the book on Amazon http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t


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## jec (May 13, 2015)

*Ninety-nine cents through November 16. 
If You Like Your Cozies With Attitude, You'll Love The Kadence MacBride Mysteries
Free with Kindle Unlimited or as an Amazon Prime Borrow
*
Death of an Idiot Boss http://amzn.to/1NE8S5t
Ever had a boss you'd happily kill?
Somebody beat her to it.
Amateur sleuth was never part of Kadence MacBride's career plan. Neither was murder suspect. Between unearthing Civil Rights era secrets someone wants to stay buried and fending off a cop driven by expediency over truth, Kadence may wind up trading her red power suit for an orange jumpsuit.


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