Book Title: HOMICIDE HONEYMOON
Character Name: Kristy Piper, Wedding Director at the Aloha Lagoon Resort and Spa
How would you describe your family or your childhood?
I grew up in Denver, a place of natural beauty. I learned to ski at an early age and always loved being in the mountains. However, the one aspect that I never got accustomed to was the cold. I was never a fan of the ice and the wind. Going to school in the snow sounds nostalgic and character-building, but bunding up and then stomping through the ice was never my cup of tea. During the cold winter nights, I would listen to the wind howl outside while watching the old Hawaii Five-O reruns with my dad. I’m talking about the ones from the seventies starring Jack Lord. I would sit and look at the palm trees, white beaches, and the people in aloha shirts and think it was the most beautiful place on earth. From the time I was in fifth or sixth grade, I made it a life goal to live in Hawaii, or at least somewhere beautiful where it never snowed.
What was your greatest talent?
I’m a natural organizer and planner. I discovered this talent while I was attending Arizona State University in Tempe. I started informally planning parties and weddings for my friends in between classes, and I gradually turned it into a business. I can keep track of the details of six or eight weddings at a time. Over the years, I’ve even developed a system of keeping all the details on my tablet. That helps me be successful in making sure that things can go right with planning a dozen weddings at once.
Significant other?
While I was in college, I foolishly fell in love with one of my finance professors, a man named Andrew. We got married and lived happily together in Scottsdale for almost seven years. I thought things were going great until his admin, Julie, broke into my email and started to ruin my weddings purposefully. She would cancel caterers, cancel venues, or even send out notices that the wedding had been postponed. After six months of this, I was pretty much ruined as a wedding coordinator in Scottsdale. I later found out that she had been dating Andrew for years and wanted to destroy my marriage so she could have him. I gladly granted her wish and divorced my scummy cheating husband.
I then got a job as the wedding director at the Aloha Lagoon Resort and Spa in southern Kauai. While there, I met Jake Hunter, a beautiful man who happened to be a close friend of the brother of my best friend, Leilani.
Biggest challenge in relationships?
The biggest challenge with dating Jake is that I don’t want to mess it up by pushing too hard or going too fast. Jake has been burned before, and I can see that his previous relationships still spook him.
Where do you live?
I live in an incredibly small one-bedroom house in the town of Aloha Lagoon, about a mile from the resort. I was tempted to get an apartment to save some money, but I ultimately decided that I wanted a place that was mine. Now, I can sit on my tiny lanai and look out over the parking lot of the liquor store in the strip mall next door. It’s not overly fancy, but it suits my needs, for the moment anyway.
Do you have any enemies?
Not really. I suppose if I thought about it, my ex’s admin, Julie, is about the only person who had ever actively plotted against me. I try not to hold a grudge and think that people generally won’t go out of their way to be jerks to me, either.
How do you feel about the place where you are now? Is there something you are particularly attached to, or particularly repelled by, in this place?
What? Are you kidding? I live in Hawaii and work at an amazing beachside resort. What’s not to love? I’ve been here almost a year now, and I’m still not used to the stunning beauty of the place.
Do you have children, pets, both, or neither?
Unfortunately, between my hectic work schedule and tiny house, I couldn’t have a pet. But I love all animals, especially cats. My boyfriend, Jake, has a black cat named Admiral Chester Nimitz, and I have always enjoyed being with him.
What do you do for a living?
I have the best job in the world. I’m the wedding director at the Aloha Lagoon Resort and Spa. I get paid to help brides have the most perfect weddings you can imagine. I sometimes feel a little guilty that they pay me to do something that’s so much fun.
Greatest disappointment?
I’d have to say that having my marriage fall apart still irks me. I’d always assumed that Andrew and I would have children and grow old together. Maybe there wasn’t anything I could have done to prevent what happened, but whenever I think about how it all fell apart back then, it still upsets me, a little.
Greatest source of joy?
I love being with family and friends. Here in Hawaii, I have my best friend, Leilani. My boyfriend, Jake. And my office manager, Dorothy. These people are my social circle and my support system. I don’t know what I’d do without them.
What do you do to entertain yourself or have fun?
Fun? What’s that? I never seem to have time for fun. I’m lucky to have a few hours here or there to take a quick hike around the island or go bar hopping with my best friend, Leilani.
What is your greatest personal failing, in your view?
I’m almost thirty, and if I had asked my younger self where I’d be by now, I would have said two kids and a loving husband. It’s funny how things don’t work out like you assume they will.
What keeps you awake at night?
Unfortunately, there have been a couple of murders at work. I’ve never been associated with dead bodies before or dealing with a murder investigation. Now, I’m well acquainted with both. It’s an aspect that I didn’t expect when I moved to Aloha Lagoon, but I’ve heard that a surprising number of murders have occurred at the resort over the years.
What is the most pressing problem you have at the moment?
At work, we’re always in the process of juggling a dozen weddings at once. These are expensive and time-consuming to set up. The brides expect a high level of service and go ballistic whenever the smallest thing goes wrong.
Is there something that you need or want that you don’t have? For yourself or for someone important to you?
After everything fell apart in Scottsdale, I came to Kauai as a way to have a fresh start. I downsized my house, my possessions, and my expectations. I’m in the middle of the long process of rebuilding my life, but I’m not in a hurry. I’m a firm believer that hard work will bring rewards. So far, I’ve found a close friend and a great boyfriend. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next. Only, I hope I don’t end up finding any more dead bodies. That part is always a little disturbing.
HOMICIDE HONEYMOON by B. A. Trimmer
From author B.A. Timmer comes a honey of a murder mystery!
As the wedding planner at the Aloha Lagoon resort in Hawaii, Kristy Piper has seen some strange parties…but bride Claire Jackson’s wedding party may be the oddest yet! Between a man-hungry bridesmaid, an overbearing mother of the groom, and a feisty tween guest, Kristy has her hands full! But when Claire’s former fiancé is found dead—murdered by a luau serving fork!—things go from strange to downright dangerous. To make matters worse, Claire is discovered next to the dead body, sobbing uncontrollably. Is it shock…or guilt?
The local homicide detective is sure Claire is to blame for the death. Luckily he works on “island time,” which gives Kristy the opportunity to prove her latest bride-to-be is innocent. With the help of her longtime office manager, her best friend Leilani, and her dreamy new boyfriend, photographer Jake Hunter, Kristy takes it upon herself to wade through an entire wedding party full of suspects. Together, they’ll solve the murder and save the wedding…or die trying!
Mystery Cozy | Mystery Woman Sleuth [Gemma Halliday Publishing, On Sale: June 18, 2024, e-Book, / eISBN: 9798224970988]
Buy HOMICIDE HONEYMOON: Kindle | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About B. A. Trimmer
I’m thrilled to announce that Kristy, our favorite Scottsdale wedding planner, has taken up residence in Aloha Lagoon! After the crazy events of Scottsdale Silence, Kristy finally achieved her lifelong dream of moving to paradise. She took a job in Hawaii as the Aloha Lagoon resort wedding planner on the gorgeous island of Kauai. Sun, surf, sandy beaches, and glowing brides…what could possibly go wrong?
Turns out, everything.
Want to know more? Check out Hula Homicide, the latest book in the Aloha Lagoon Mystery Series. This series is written by several authors, including Leslie Langtry, Beth Prentice, and Cathern Bruns. Each is a complete stand-alone novel, or you can read them one after the other.
As for me, halfway through a successful career in technical writing, marketing, and sales, along with having four beautiful children, I somehow veered into fiction. Combining a love of the desert, derived from many years of living in Arizona, with an appreciation of the modern romantic detective story, the Scottsdale Series was born. I hope you like the results!
Thanks to all for the great comments and suggestions. As always, I’d love to hear from you.
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