The Cha-Cha Babes of Pelican Way
Cozy Mystery
Wild River Consulting & Publishing, LLC (June 21, 2018)
Paperback: 506 pages

Synopsis

Would you move a dead body for the sake of your best friend? Ask cha-cha babe Celia Ewing, a sixty-five-year-old widow who has just settled into Boca Pelicano Palms, the Florida retirement community of her dreams. When Celia’s best friend Marcy calls her and their friend Deb for help in the middle of the night, they find a naked Marcy trapped under the body of her beau, the community’s board president, Melvin. And he’s dead. The three friends secretly move Melvin back to his apartment setting off a chain of events that will threaten to tear their community apart and send them to jail. Melvin is one of a number of residents who are dying under suspicious circumstances; and soon Celia becomes an amateur sleuth in an attempt to identify what she suspects is a serial murderer.

Filled with humorous, witty observations about retirement communities, the realities of getting older, and the promise of new love, the Cha-Cha Babes of Pelican Way celebrates the deep bonds of female friendships, the desire for companionship at any age, and shows us that it’s never too late to learn how to cha-cha through life.

Guest Post

Thank you, Frances, for being here today.  Today she shares her thoughts on a romance between older people.

Romance with people of a certain age

Do you gag at the thought of an older person in a hot, romantic relationship? Get over it! It’s a subject I’ve dealt with in THE CHA-CHA BABES OF PELICAN WAY. They are babes who hunger for intimacy as much as younger people do. Marcy, an important secondary character, seeks romance actively. Celia, the main character, is more subtle but open to the idea.

If older folks dared to step away from the unwritten rules of “age appropriate” you’d find a vibrant, exciting person who is still very curious and open to life changes. Each time I think there’s a stage later in life where new things stop happening there is a big surprise and something comes along to stir mental juices. Look at the new movie soon to be released, The Book Club. Those women appear quite willing to seek romance. Well, in my novel, it’s The Cha-Cha Club with the same aspirations.

NEWS FLASH: Mature people desire romance as much as younger people. For many, needs and desires don’t dissipate. Why should they? It is adult fun and games and more exciting than video games. Maybe mature romance is not involved with all aspects of what once occurred in youth. Maybe sex takes place, but it might not. It’s slower with creakier backs and limited flexibility, but nonetheless, intimacy is an aspect of mature relationships. Maybe it’s about cuddling, hugging, kissing with your one and only. Holding hands while strolling along a thoroughfare, pinching a cheek, a warm kiss (even in public, heaven forbid) is all part of any romance and doesn’t exclude oldsters. Here is the cry to all ages — find romance and cherish it. Treat it with care. If nothing else, it might be the best medicine you can find.

And being without a romantic partner doesn’t mean the end of life. The romance is icing on the cake, but your life is the whole cake. Take big bites by having good friends and being a good friend. Get people you enjoy together to give dinner parties, go to movies, theater, readings even happy hour. Contact with family is heartening, too. Whatever your interests are, you can find people to enjoy them with you. It’s great if you all have the same interests, but if not, consider trying something new to accommodate someone else.

About the Author

Frances Metzman, a graduate of Moore College of Art and a Masters degree from the University of Pennsylvania, co-authored a novel, Ugly Cookies, by Pella Press. Her short story collection, The Hungry Heart: Stories, was published by Wilderness House Press, February 1, 2012. In 2009 she won a nomination for a Dzanc Books award, “Best of the Web.” In addition to publishing numerous (25) short stories in various literary journals, she has a novel published by Wild River Books, 2018, The Cha-Cha Babes of Pelican Way. Her teaching credits include Adjunct professor at Rosemont College to graduate school, Temple University at OLLI (creative writing and memoir). Other writing workshops, memoir/creative writing, have been given at universities and colleges such as Bryn Mawr, Penn State, Delaware, University of Pennsylvania, Widener, etc. As fiction editor for a literary journal, Schuylkill Valley Journal, she selects and edits the submissions. Many articles, essays, and stories she writes deal with aspects of society that influences relationships for all ages, including the mature set (sometimes tongue in cheek). Many articles are dedicated to improving attitudes toward the mature folks and address myths about “age appropriate” thinking.

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