Guest Post by Randy Rawls, author of Jingle and his Magnificent Seven

Please welcome author Randy Rawls as he promotes  his book, Jingle and his Magnificent Seven.  Enjoy his guest blog!

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:

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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.

www.randyrawls.com

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