Alright you guys, today is the day. My mystery novel, All Good People Here, is out. And to celebrate, I wanted to read you the first chapter. 1. Chrissy 1994 The residents of Waukeruse, Indiana, could spin Gossip faster than a spider spind its web.
Each time one of their own did something they shouldn't, when Abby Schmuckers got caught shoplifting lipstick from the dime store, when the Becker kit dropped out of the 4-H volunteer club. When Jonas Schneider fell asleep and snored in church, the Waukeruse, the gossip chain, would flap their jaws, chewing the tidbit over so thoroughly that by the time they'd finally spat it out again, the truth was mis-happened and unrecognizable, warped into the story. And because the people of Waukeruse were church-going, law-abiding, capital-G, God-fearing people, the story was always adorned with pearls of sweetness to coated sharp edges. Bless her heart, but I'll be praying for them because, did you hear? Lord have mercy on their souls.
Even before everything happened, Chrissy Jacobs had understood the power of Waukeruse's rumor mill, which is why she so strangely avoided its teeth. She went to church every Sunday, she dressed her daughter in pink and her son in blue, she wore the right shoes and made sure her husband had the right ties. It wasn't because she believed any of it mattered. It was simply because she had so much to lose. This life, her family, their farm and house wasn't what she'd wanted, was even close, but it was more than she'd ever had before, and so she held onto it, hands tight.
On the day it all slipped through her fingers, Chrissy got up to the sound of her alarm at 5 AM, like she had every other morning in her life as a farmer's wife. She slid out of bed quietly, so as not to disturb Billy, even though the alarm was for him too. Then she stepped out of the darkened bedroom and made her way down the old wooden staircase of the kitchen. She spotted the writing on the wall before she even made it down the last step, her breath kicking out of her lungs. The world in blood red oversized letters read three horrific messages.
F*** your family, that bitch is gone. This is what you get. Chrissy's heart pounded hard and painful against her ribs. Her first thought, bizarre and ill-fitting, was that the words looked so intrusive here, on her old but pristine white walls in the falling apart with still beautiful kitchen. Those nasty violent words didn't belong in quaint Waukruza, Indiana, full of good, pious people.
When the town got wind of this, Chrissy knew those words would taint every member of her family for the rest of their lives. She stood on the bottom step, shaking. Although the sun was not yet up, her mind was foggy. It was clear these words were the advent of something terrible. That bitch is gone.
Chrissy read again. And this time, shame colored her panic. Here, something was horribly, horribly wrong. And all she'd been able to think was what will the neighbors say? There you have it.
That is the first chapter of my debut novel, All Good People Here. And I promise you, you will be in suspense until the very last page. The story is about Chrissy's daughter, January Jacobs, who was murdered way back in the 90s and a journalist who comes home to solve the case. It's full of twists and turns. I promise you that you won't see coming.
Just when you think you know who did it, you'll be wrong. You can get a copy of All Good People Here, wherever books, ebooks and audiobooks are sold. It's available in the US and internationally, and you can get more information at AshleyFlowers.com. Oh, and just to heads up, you guys, I can ask this a lot. No, I am not reading the audiobook.
I do read the epilogue, but for an audiobook, there's a ton of different characters and voices, which, you know, my podcasting experience has not prepared me for. So I actually found some amazing voice actors to read this book to you and really make it come to life. I've been waiting for what feels like forever to share my book with all of you, and I cannot wait for you to dive into this story. So please grab your hard copies or your ebooks and transport to Walker-Rusa, Indiana with me. Again, you can get All Good People Here, wherever books are sold.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your support. It means so much to me. I did this for you guys. Literally, my dedication in the book is for all my crime junkies, so I hope you enjoy it.