Flamingo Cove is a fictional Florida town located on the Gulf Coast, between Tampa and the Withlacoochee State Forest.
The Ward Family
Wysdom Ward is our heroine. She just turned 40 and found out she’s come down with an incurable case of peri-menopause. Plus, this Flaming Cove Police Sergeant may never make detective because of a rookie mistake, her low arrest record, and the burning desire to punch her ex-husband in the face. It’s only a problem when the ex is your boss. Wysdom is tall with short, fire-engine-red hair, sharp blue eyes, and the burning desire to throat punch the next man to tell her to “calm down.” Perimenopausal Irritation is real y’all.
Wyatt “Deuce” Ward, II is the Flamingo Cove Police Department’s Chief. He’s married to Denise. Wysdom calls Deuce “Chief Dad.”
Denise Ward is married to Deuce and often referred to as Wysdom’s “Bonus Mom.” Wysdom’s mom died when Wysdom was six years old, and Deuce married Denise when Wys was eight. Denise didn’t like the phrase stepmother and wanted Wysdom to think of her as a “bonus” mom. The term stuck.
Wyatt “Tripp” Ward, III is Deuce and Denise’s son and Wysdom’s middle brother. He’s 30 years old and can be a bit of a robotic tool without even realizing it. His saving grace is Hope Archer, Tripp’s 30-year-old pregnant fiancee. They’ve been perpetually engaged for seven years because Hope wanted to make sure things would work out before committing.
Wynn Ward is the youngest son of Denise and Deuce and the pride and joy of the Ward family. This brown-haired, green-eyed 28-year-old just made detective in the Flamingo Cove Police Department and can have his share of “badge bunnies” – women who throw themselves at cops. He believes in sowing his wild oats before settling down with one woman.
Dixon “Dix” Abreo is Wysdom’s uncle. The 65-year-old is built like a fireplug at 5’9″ tall with a gray flat top and sharp blue eyes. Dixon and Deuce were police partners until Deuce married Dixon’s sister (Deuce’s first wife), and they couldn’t be partners anymore. When Deuce became Police Chief of Flamingo Cove, Dix retired and bought The Squad Room cop bar. It’s known for its five-minute express lunches for police officers, professional drinkers, and rickety bar stools. You’ll often see Dixon sporting a wacky t-shirt with sayings like Zero Ducks Given. Damn Autocorrect.
The Saber Family
Lucio “Luke” Saber, a.k.a. Luke Nelson, a.k.a. The God Among Men, is Wysdom’s love interest. Their first date is on her 40th birthday, where he agrees to be her birthday present, no questions asked. After too much Champagne and chocolate, they have a sleepover that Wysdom can’t remember. Her humiliation is complete the next day when she does the run of shame away from the God Among Men’s house. It might have ended there if he hadn’t become the number one suspect in the murder of a local artist. Luke is a former Marine who runs a secretive military contracting and security company.
Celia Saber Cruz, a Goddess Among Men and Luke’s youngest sister. She’s a federal agent with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. Somehow she manages to wear white suits and not get a single stain on them. And she talks like she moonlights as a phone sex operator. She doesn’t cuss, even though her jackwagon of an ex-husband keeps trying to get money out of her. Celia has twins from her first marriage. Lance & Logan Cruz. Celia gets her happy ever after in Rock, Saber, Scissors (Book 1 of the Saber Sisters series.)
Carolina Saber is the oldest of Luke’s sisters and a Secret Service agent who stops counterfeiters. Has a sunny personality and believes jazz hands should be required at all events. Her favorite movie is The Princess Bride, and named her ginger cat Inigo Montoya after her favorite character. She’s harboring a dark secret that comes to light in the second book of the Saber Sisters series – Saber Stalked.
Camellia “Cam” Saber is a former Flame Jumpers firefighter who battled wildfires in Florida before a major heartbreak sent her to Alaska. She eventually moved to the D.C. area and began working for the ATF. Cam is forced to return to Flamingo Cove and face her heartbreaking past in Saber’s Edge (Saber Sisters Book 3).
Catalina “Cat” Saber is Cam’s fraternal twin sister. She was an MP in the Army before returning to the U.S. to work with the Marshal’s Service. She tracks down fugitives. Not a fan of bad boys and tattoos. That all changes in Saber Fool’s Day (Saber Sisters Book 4).
Other players in Flamingo Cove
Tatiana Martel is a pocket-sized hacker who once got in trouble for changing her grades in her professional ethics class. She can track anyone, anywhere, anytime. She might be tracking you right now. She has appeared in every Flamingo Cove and Saber Sisters novel.
Lou Martel, a.k.a. “Midnight Louise,” a 6’7″ tall drag queen and Midnight Louise’s Drag Show Emporium owner. Lou earned the Heismann Trophy during his SEC Championship days at the University of Florida as a Gator linebacker. He may be fabulous in his Dolly Parton persona, but by day he’s just the humble husband of Tatiana.
Dr. Faith Jackson, 38-years-old with blue eyes and a round face surrounded by blonde curls. She looks like a cherub but has a demon streak a mile wide. Faith is the regional medical examiner and loves nothing more than shoving meat thermometers into cadavers and giving high school students excruciating details of autopsies when they visit for Career Day. Wysdom and Faith bonded over their “weird” first names when Faith was new on the job.
Jake “Sol” Solomon, 42, has bronze skin, black hair, and blue eyes. Sol is the proprietor of Belissimo Italian Restaurant in Downtown Flamingo Cove. He’s also a former Marine who served with Luke and sometimes works with his best friend at the secretive military contracting company. Has a major crush on Faith. But this former Marine keeps missing the boat on asking her out. They get their first date in Booty Call. It’s all fun and games until the pirates show up.
Kate “The Snake” Sweeney. She is one of the three police captains in the Flamingo Cove PD who keep passing over Wysdom for promotion. Wysdom swears the room gets 20 degrees colder when Kate enters and lulls you into a false sense of security with her reptilian green eyes.
Bodie Davis looks like a young Taye Diggs. He’s an officer with the Flamingo Cove PD and Wysdom Ward’s partner at the beginning of A Hot Flash of Homicide. Bodie was the quarterback on the same Gator Football team as Lou Martel. His fashion sense is second-to-none, and he is often seen sporting a pair of thousand-dollar shoes with red soles.
Kirk Chamberlain, Wysdom Ward’s ex-husband and current boss in A Hot Flash of Homicide. He irritates the stuffing out of his ex-wife, like calling her “Firecracker” – a nickname that refers to her lady parts. He does it one time too many, and she punches him in the face for it. Wysdom Ward’s Extenuating Circumstances meant Wysdom didn’t get fired.