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I hadn’t realized how far away I’d travelled until I returned to my hometown of Jenkins, Arkansas with my new husband, Jonas. (I still smile every time I use the word husband, but for some reason the word wife just makes me giggle.) I hadn’t realized there were so many Southern phrases that hadn’t crossed my lips in more than a month of Sundays.

Jonas was surely a fish out of water in Arkansas. He kept pointing out all the unusual sayings. At least he didn’t have a conniption when everyone kept making fun of his, oops, our last name of Trout. He is definitely the sweetest man, unlike some others, who will go unmentioned, who think the sun comes up just to hear them crow. Not to mention a certain woman, whose name I don’t even want to think about, who thinks she’s finer than frog fur.

Getting accused of murder on that trip? Well, that was a fine how-do-you-do. At least Jonas sure kept his cool. When my ex-high school-boyfriend-turned-deputy arrested me, I thought he was just goofing around. Then I come to find out he was serious as a heart attack. If you thought I had a bee in my bonnet, you should have seen my mama. She was madder than a wet hen. Let me tell you, I needed a stay in prison like I need a hole in my head.

Fortunately Jonas and I managed to figure everything out before it all turned into a sufferfest. Things got a little heated in more ways than one, but Jonas stayed cooler than the other side of the pillow.

I’d explain further but I think Marc Jedel did a great job telling the whole story in FISH OUT OF WATER. Y’all really should go read it now. It’s a fun clean read with lots of twists, town secrets and an exciting race to the ending. Well, I’m just happy it’s all over now.

FISH OUT OF WATER is the first book in Marc Jedel’s new Ozarks Lake Mystery series. I think it’s pretty cool of him to tell more stories about me and Jonas but I sure hope his other stories don’t involve me going to prison. I’ve heard the second book will be titled SWIMMING WITH THE FISHES. Plus, he’s still writing more books in his Silicon Valley Mystery series. I haven’t read those but I hear they’re very funny. That doesn’t surprise me any as them Californians are strange folk, and none stranger than the protagonist, Marty.