Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Date of publication: September 2017
When Jingle Bell, Santa’s SEIC
Santa-Elf-in-Charge) for Southeastern operations of the SBI (Santa Bureau of
Investigation) is assigned to recover the naughty list from a rogue elf, he
finds himself in need of human partners. He recruits Nep Thomas, a PI in Coral
Lakes, Florida. But the problem grows as Jingle, aka Rocky, discovers that his
adversary, Rime, is dealing with Abdul Abaddah, a Mid-East terrorist recruiter
and financier. More support is needed. Soon, Rocky’s group grows to a
magnificent seven, but they face a dirty dozen. Only when the dozen has been
neutralized – without serious injury – can Rocky bring Rime to justice.
Buy link for Jingle and his Magnificent Seven:
JINGLE
AND HIS MAGNIFICIENT SEVEN
By
Randy Rawls
Every once
in a while, I tire of writing serious crime fiction. I’ve written murders,
burglaries, conspiracies, drug lords, coffee barons, etc. Then that day comes
when my inner-Randy jumps up and says, “Write something lighter. Plant a
chuckle along the way.”
Several
years ago, in a similar situation, I wrote a book I called JINGLE’S CHRISTMAS.
It featured a Santa Elf who contacted my PI, Ace Edwards, for help. It was a
fun write and, I hope, a fun read. Well, about a year ago my psyche yelled at
me, “Why not another Jingle?”
I thought
about it and decided it was an excellent idea. So, let me see, I thought. I
need to move Jingle to South Florida. Oh, he is now the SEIC (Santa-Elf-in-Charge)
of the southeastern region of the SBI (Santa Bureau of Investigation). And he is
on the trail of a rogue elf who has . . . has . . . stolen the Naughty List and
is looking to sell it. He might be negotiating with . . . with . . . How about
the leader of a Middle Eastern terrorist cell? What a deal? If the terrorist
could get a copy of the Naughty List, they’d have the name and identifying data
on every potential terrorist in the world. Wow, I thought, patting myself on
the back, I’m onto something here.
But, Jingle
ran into a problem, almost wrecking my wonderful idea. Santa has a firm rule
that a Santa Elf can bring no harm to a human. How could he get to Rime without
hurting Abdul Abaddah, the cell leader? He couldn’t—not without help. Then Jingle
has a revelation. All he has to do is get a local PI to help him. He recruits
Nep Thomas.
Now, Nep’s
not exactly a pushover for a red-bearded, two-foot tall elf, but he can be
convinced. However, after meeting Abaddah, Nep knows they need more help. He
cannot go to the police. I mean, picture this: “Ah, Mr. Police Chief, I’m
reporting the leader of a Middle Eastern terrorist cell who is about to buy
Santa’s Naughty List and recruit millions of followers.” And the Chief says,
“How do you know this?” Nep, being an honest PI says, “An elf told me.” About
that time, the guys with the white jackets with the sleeves that tie in the
back would rush in, and Nep would get a nice stay in a comfortable room—padded
walls and all.
Nope. Jingle
and Nep have a problem. The answer is to recruit more PIs. Fortunately, I’ve
written a lot of PIs over my career, so Jingle and Nep have a group from which
to recruit. Within a few chapters, the Magnificent Seven is created: Nep
Thomas, Cassie Casey, Ace Edwards, Kit Carsen, Beth Bowman, Josh Hawkins, and
Chief. And with those seven heads working the problem, Abdul Abaddah and his
dirty dozen are in deep reindeer do-do.
Are the
Magnificent Seven successful? Ask Santa.
About the author:
Randy Rawls was born and reared in Williamston, North Carolina, a
small town in the northeastern part of the state. From there, he says he
inherited a sense of responsibility, a belief in fair play, and a love of
country. As a career US Army officer, he had the opportunity to learn, travel,
teach, and hone talents inherited from his parents. Following retirement, he
worked in other ventures for the US Government. Every job has in some way been
fun. Even the dark days of Vietnam had their light moments, and he cherishes
the camaraderie that was an integral part of survival in that hostile world.
Today, he has short stories in several anthologies, and a growing
list of novels to his credit. As a prolific reader, the reads across several
genres and takes that into his writing. He has written mysteries, thrillers, an
historical, and two fantasy/mystery/thrillers featuring a Santa Elf. The count
is now at fourteen and growing. He is a regular contributor to Happy Homicides,
a twice annual anthology of cozy short stories. He also has a series of short
stories featuring a cattle-herding burro. Wherever his imagination will take
him, he follows.
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