Showing results by author "J. B. Hawker" in All Categories

The pastor's wife is missing! Is the escaped felon to blame? Whether living in a rectory, manse or parsonage, life married to a small town minister calls for faith, hope, and charity; plus heaping helpings of tact and the skin of a rhinoceros. New to this life in the small coastal town of Bannoch, Oregon, Naidenne Davidson turns for support to her fellow ministers’ wives of The First Ladies Club. The women share sympathy, friendship and tips on dealing with difficult church members, but when tall, shapely Naidenne catches the eye of an escaped killer, the Club goes beyond mere friendship....

In the happily hectic holidays, it's a treat to slip away to a comfy corner with a hot beverage and a tasty treat, and curl up in a favorite chair for a few moments peace with a cozy holiday story. The twelve short stories in this collection are in a variety of genres to provide something for every taste as you enjoy a short, sweet retreat on each of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Along with every entertaining story, the author has provided a favorite holiday recipe for the goodies enjoyed by her characters.

Life's been a struggle for Bunny Elder since her pastor husband's murder. Where better to try to begin a new life than a small tourist town on the beautiful Oregon Coast? A midlife identity crisis prompts a career change and this former pastor's wife steps into uncharted waters attempting to become a freelance writer. She hopes the sun, sand and sea will inspire and heal. New career, new friends, and a possible new romance make life by the seaside seem idyllic until an innocent walk on the beach introduces Bunny to the world of International criminals and the horrific reality of human ...

Sailing on the ocean blue, just you and the love of your life. What could be more romantic? Middle-aged bride and groom, Bunny and Max, set sail for the Great Barrier Reef on a dream honeymoon trip certain to give the couple plenty of privacy as their sloop cuts through the waves toward Australia. The bride distrusts the open sea, but commits to the journey to please her new husband. Her sacrifice is rewarded with romance and pleasant surprises, until the newlyweds drift into the path of a hijacked cruise ship and are seized by seagoing marauders. Once aboard the ship, Max and Bunny work as...

Mrs. Matilda Thistlethwaite and her gentleman friend, Slim Bottoms, never let their advanced age get in the way of living life to the fullest, with humor and grace. Whether rescuing kidnapped teenagers, tackling domestic violence or solving a murder, they, along with their cluster of mature friends, bring their wisdom and good sense to the challenge at hand. But, has old age finally caught up with Mrs. Thistlethwaite’s remarkable memory? When Tillie encounters a murder victim at the bus stop, she calls her friend, Detective Ransom, but when he arrives Tillie is unconscious and there is no...

At the ripe and ready age of 85, and always on the lookout for new experiences, adorable Tillie Thistlethwaite signs up for a senior citizens self-defense class, never imagining how soon she will be called upon to apply the techniques she learns. Mrs. Thistlethwaite and her special friend, Slim Bottoms, strike a blow against domestic violence in this second book in the Tillamook Tillie series.

Remember the deliciously scary stories we shared around the campfire when we were kids? J.B. Hawker has written a collection of spooky tales with a cozy twist to share around your fireside today. Taking her cue from those creepy campground tales and horror film classics, she spins yarns certain to either put a lump in your throat or tickle your funny bone. These humorous short stories introduce the character of Matilda Thistlethwaite, soon to be featured in her own series of cozy mysteries.

Early praise for Mrs. Thistlethwaite and the Magpie: "Super early review on Mrs. Thistlethwaite book from beta reader, Lisa Hudson: AN ABSOLUTE DELIGHT!! I've been a fan of J.B. Hawker's fantastic writing for sometime. This book is outstanding!! Her ability to use elderly characters - Matilda Thistlewaite and Slim Bottoms - is brilliant!! These characters (as well as all the other characters) are painted so vividly that you feel as though you would recognize them if you met them in your local church, grocery store, or neighborhood. The story is set in a small town and reflects the ...

This second book in the Bunny Elder series, a B.R.A.G. Medallion award winner, finds Bunny flying off to romantic Italy as traveling companion to her newly widowed sister, Dolly Parton look-alike Linda. She never suspects this trip to add a special Neapolitan nativity set to her sister's collection will include smugglers, Italian mobsters, kidnapping, and death.

Ever on the lookout for new experiences to keep life interesting, Tillie Thistlethwaite joins the local community choir, where she is drawn into an adventure which soon has her questioning her penchant for amature sleuthing. Surprised when she is chosen as the new soloist, Tillie is dismayed to become the focus of the local diva's resentment and animosity. Inadvertantly, our delightful Mrs. Thistlethwaite soon finds herself embroiled in yet another mysterious crime. Will she find the culprit before becoming another victim? BONUS: Recipe and whimsical short story Included!

Bunny’s fans have been wondering what she’s been up to since sailing off on a “happily-ever-after” honeymoon with the love of her life, Max. In this sweet holiday novella, we learn that not everything has been smooth sailing for Bunny. She approaches this Christmas with sadness. Will she be able to find joy in the season ever again? Christmas can be a magical time. However, despite the music, decorations, gifts, and festivities, the Holiday Season can be a difficult time of year for some people. This is the case for twice-widowed Bunny Elder Banks. Since the tragic death of her ...

Hope Masterson, who first appears in the popular Tillamook Tillie series, is an independent-minded ex-Marine. Currently teaching self-defense in the seaside community of Bannoch, Oregon, and recently married to Reverend Gideon Hopkins (introduced in Mrs. Thistlethwaite and the Whippersnapper), himself a former Army Ranger, Hope finds herself on unusually shaky ground as she adjusts to the unfamiliar challenges facing a pastor’s wife. Although the members of the First Ladies Club are eager to help her, Hope’s prior struggles have left her reluctant to lean on anyone. Hope’s efforts to ...

A low moan penetrated Merrill’s illness-and-antihistamine-befogged dreams, pulling her from a deep sleep. Squinting through sleep-glazed eyes at the unfamiliar room, she recalled where she was. The bedroom walls of her new home seemed to be vibrating with the deep bellow of a fog-horn. When high-pitched whines and squeals followed the low rumble, she blinked and sat up in alarm. Small town secrets can lead to big trouble. When Reverend Merrillanne Bishop accepts leadership of the First Baptist church in the picturesque seaside community of Bannoch, Oregon, she doesn’t know what to ...

A teenager’s romantic fantasies lead to tragedy and her butcher walks away. The young girl’s bones, hidden for decades in the deep woods, cry out for justice. A life cut short, a cowardly killer and a middle-aged flowerchild are stirred together into a tasty stew of wild mushrooms, herbs, vanity and deceit in award-winning author, J. B. Hawker’s latest book. Will pastor’s wife, Judy Falls, uncover more than a new vegan recipe when she goes hunting for natural ingredients to tempt her husband’s taste buds? Many lives will be changed forever in the small seaside community of Bannoch...

Ah, Autumn! Crisp weather, colorful leaves, cozy fires, and Halloween, with candy, costumes and … corpses? Newly-widowed Bunny Elder draws solace from the fall season as she recovers from the shock of her pastor husband’s accidental death. With a new home, new job and renewed relationships, she is groping her way to stability, only to be jerked off the healing path by the dead bodies and body parts thrust in her way by a serial killer who uses the small mountain community’s Halloween decorations to display his victims. Will Bunny be able to cope, when this madman sets his sights on ...