Book excerpt: Did you hear about the blonde coyote? It got stuck in a trap, chewed off three legs, and was still stuck. Tressa Jayne Turner, Grandville, Iowa's own little "Calamity Jayne," is headed for the Grand Canyon State—and a wedding! Tressa's goofy Gammy is gettin' hitched, and Tressa is looking forward to a little down time in the desert. But her sunny vacation is suddenly about to have more strings attached than a dreamcatcher! Her cousin's keeping secrets, the roguishly hot Ranger Rick's sending mixed signals—more of the smokin' than smoke variety—and a "Kookamunga," a butt-ugly fertility figurine Tressa picked up at a roadside stand as a wedding gift, is turning out to be more trouble than tribal treasure. This wacky wedding's about to become a southwestern scavenger hunt of Amazing Race-meets-The Da Vinci Code proportions, featuring a washed-up actress out to kick-start her career, a suspect spiritual advisor, locals with a cause, and a ten-year-old who's a chip off a certain ranger's blockhead. It'll be a vision quest to make Thelma and Louise's southwestern spree seem like amateur night at the OK Corral. May the best spirit guide win. (NOTE: This book was previously published under the title Calamity Jayne Heads West.) Calamity Jayne Mysteries: Calamity Jayne – book #1 Calamity Jayne and the Fowl Play at the Fair – book #2 Calamity Jayne and the Haunted Homecoming – book #3 Calamity Jayne and the Campus Caper– book #4 Calamity Jayne in the Wild, Wild West– book #5 Calamity Jayne and the Hijinks on the High Seas– book #6 Calamity Jayne and the Trouble with Tandems– book #7 What critics are saying about the Calamity Jayne Mysteries: "Filled with dumb-blonde jokes, nonstop action and rapid-fire banter, this is a perfect read for chick-lit fans who enjoy a dash of mystery." ~ Publishers' Weekly "Fun and lighthearted with an interesting mystery, a light touch of romance and some fascinating characters." ~ RT Book Reviews "Throw in two parts Nancy Drew, one part Lucille Ball, add a dash of Stephanie Plum, shake it all up and you’ve got a one-of-a-kind amateur sleuth with a penchant for junk food and hot-pink snakeskin cowgirl boots. A word to the wise: if you’re prone to laughing out loud when reading funny books, try not to read Calamity Jayne when you’re sandwiched between two sleeping passengers on an airplane…sometimes we learn these things the hard way." ~ Chick Lit Cafe "Bacus provides lots of small-town fun with this lovable, fair-haired klutz and lively story, liberally salted with dumb-blond jokes." ~ Booklist *starred review*