Wednesday, November 25, 2015
Margay Leah Justice: Book Blitz and Giveaway: Anarchy Found by J.A. Hus...
Margay Leah Justice: Book Blitz and Giveaway: Anarchy Found by J.A. Hus...: Anarchy Found J.A. Huss (SuperAlpha Series) Publication date: December 2nd 2015 Genres: Superhero Romance Everyone needs a hero. T...
Monday, November 2, 2015
Spotlight and Giveaway: Frosh by Monica B. Wagner
FROSH: First Blush by Mónica B. Wagner
“Fresh, authentic, and smart. This is a feel good book, but think twice about reading it in public. Some parts will make you feel really good!
”
During welcome week at Hillson University, the FROSH will hit the fan.
Type-A aspiring journalist Ellie plans to take freshman year by storm. But hell-bent on breaking a huge on-campus scandal, she risks becoming one herself—and getting the mysterious, heart-melting QB in serious trouble.
Grant, star quarterback and charismatic chick-magnet, is hiding a life-altering secret. The last thing he needs is an overeager (absolutely adorable) journalist asking questions. He’s got a reputation to protect.
High-society legacy student Devon is ready to catch the football hottie of her dreams. If the tabloids feature her with the “it” boy on her arm, her tainted past will be buried—or so she thinks.
Charlie, pre-med, is done being the sweet and funny geek that girls like Devon ignore. But if he tries to impress her with a new edgy, spontaneous attitude, will his heart end up in the emergency room?
FROSH intertwines the stories of Ellie, Grant, Devon, and Charlie in Mónica B. Wagner’s sexy NA debut series, about falling in love and falling apart.
Type-A aspiring journalist Ellie plans to take freshman year by storm. But hell-bent on breaking a huge on-campus scandal, she risks becoming one herself—and getting the mysterious, heart-melting QB in serious trouble.
Grant, star quarterback and charismatic chick-magnet, is hiding a life-altering secret. The last thing he needs is an overeager (absolutely adorable) journalist asking questions. He’s got a reputation to protect.
High-society legacy student Devon is ready to catch the football hottie of her dreams. If the tabloids feature her with the “it” boy on her arm, her tainted past will be buried—or so she thinks.
Charlie, pre-med, is done being the sweet and funny geek that girls like Devon ignore. But if he tries to impress her with a new edgy, spontaneous attitude, will his heart end up in the emergency room?
FROSH intertwines the stories of Ellie, Grant, Devon, and Charlie in Mónica B. Wagner’s sexy NA debut series, about falling in love and falling apart.
DOWNLOAD TODAY!
Mónica was born in a Peruvian city by a snow-capped volcano. Growing up, books were her constant companion as she traveled with her family to places like India (where she became a vegetarian), Thailand (where she *almost* met Leonardo di Caprio), France (where she pretended to learn French), and countless other places that inspired her to write. Now, Mónica lives in Chile with her husband, three boys, eleven hens, and stray dog.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, April 27, 2015
Cover Reveal and Giveaway: The Tale of Willaby Creek by Victoria Lindstrom
I'm excited to share the cover reveal of The Tale of Willaby Creek by Victoria Lindstrom! This is a middle grade adventure fantasy that releases in June 2015.
About the Book:
A magical tale of amazing sacrifice...When a violent windstorm strikes an enchanted rain forest many of the woodland creatures of Willaby Creek are stranded, injured, or lost forever to the frenzied force of the tempest. Basil, a black bear full of doubt and fear, becomes the unlikely leader to head the woodland creatures' rescue. He is joined by Daphne, a spunky blue dryad; Oliver, a wise horned owl; Elbert, a noble elk; and a host of other creatures that inhabit the enchanted rain forest.
Dangerous twists and turns in this animal adventure fantasy cause Basil to discover a courage, and a conviction, he never knew he had. The answers to the ancient mysteries in this magical tale emerge in an extraordinary finale under the tall timbers of the hidden hinterland.
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About the Author:
VICTORIA LINDSTROM is a full-time writer, a voracious reader, and the author of the children's picture book, The Scandinavian Santa. She loves to wander through the woods, capture the beauty of Nature in photographs, and visit museums and fine art galleries. She and her husband, Michael, live near the shore of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest. You may visit Victoria at: www.victorialindstrom.com
Giveaway:
One hardcover copy of The Tale of Willaby Creek (US) and an ebook of The Tale of Willaby Creek (INT)
(Books will be delivered upon release, or shortly before.)
Ends May 19, 2015
One hardcover copy of The Tale of Willaby Creek (US) and an ebook of The Tale of Willaby Creek (INT)
(Books will be delivered upon release, or shortly before.)
Ends May 19, 2015
Friday, April 3, 2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
Margay Leah Justice: New Cover! New Title! Jack Hammer is Now Stripped ...
Margay Leah Justice: New Cover! New Title! Jack Hammer is Now Stripped ...: You guys, this book by the incredible writing duo of Tabatha Vargo and Melissa Andrea has undergone a renovation with a new title and bo...
Monday, March 16, 2015
Margay Leah Justice: Spotlight Tour & $100 American Express Gift Card G...
Margay Leah Justice: Spotlight Tour & $100 American Express Gift Card G...: Book Information Title: Feeding the Fire Author: Andrea Laurence Release Date: March 16, 2015 Genre: Contemporary Romance S...
Friday, February 27, 2015
Tina Gayle's Unique Flavors of Life: The Scent of Humanity by Margay Leah Justice an #E...
Tina Gayle's Unique Flavors of Life: The Scent of Humanity by Margay Leah Justice an #E...: Lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice. In theory. But in one small town, in one family, that theory is put to the test. Growing up...
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Margay Leah Justice: Release Blitz and Giveaway: Suspicious Minds by El...
Margay Leah Justice: Release Blitz and Giveaway: Suspicious Minds by El...: Title: Suspicious Minds ( Fate , #3) Author: Elizabeth Reyes Genre: NA | Contemporary Romance Release Date: January 21, 2015 ...
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Pump Up Your Book Presents Budapest Romance Virtual Book Publicity Tour
Title: Budapest
Author: Rozsa Gaston
Publisher: Rozsa Gaston
Pages: 266
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Paperback/Kindle/Audible
Purchase at AMAZONAuthor: Rozsa Gaston
Publisher: Rozsa Gaston
Pages: 266
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Paperback/Kindle/Audible
When
Kati Dunai travels to Budapest Manhattan
But from
the moment she sets foot in the city of her father's youth, it's pleasure that
pursues her. At the thermal bath spa hotel where she's staying, she meets a
Dutchman who reminds her of Béla Dunai, her Hungarian refugee father, who fled
his homeland shortly after its 1956 revolution.
Jan
Klassen is in Budapest
Jan has
never met a woman like Kati before. Her blend of New
England restraint with gypsy spirit captivates him. While Jan
introduces Kati to Budapest
When
Kati returns to New York Europe 's
crown jewels.
Which
will Kati put first—her new career or her new love; a man who reminds her of
the father she never fully understood? And is it the Hungarian pleasure-loving
side of herself that she really needs to understand before she can offer her
heart to the man who has awakened her to who she truly is?
Book Excerpt:
How could she not notice being noticed?
Floating in a thermal bath pool at a spa hotel in Budapest
He
had glanced in her direction several times over the past two days.
She
was mourning the death of her father the month before, and was in no shape to
be looking at the opposite sex. But the man's shaggy, blond hair had caught her
eye that first evening in the pools; it had wandered down over his shoulders
and powerful chest as well. Béla
Dunai would have forgiven her, she knew.
At that moment, the man lifted his head and
looked directly at her. Immediately, she pretended to be studying the clock on
the wall behind him. She hoped he was too far away to notice the blush that had
sprung onto her face. She wanted to pass for a sophisticated European woman
while in Hungary
The next evening at the baths, Kati made a
point of keeping a cool expression on her face as she surveyed the room.
The blond man was there again. Careful not
to glance in his direction, she obliquely noted he was near a group of men
playing chess in the water. He sat at the side of the pool, idly swinging his
legs while watching their game. Her eyes flicked over his legs; oak tree trunks
came to mind.
Pretending not to have seen him, she stared
dreamily in the other direction. Did she sense the blond man’s eyes upon her?
Arching her neck, she jutted her chin out, hoping it made her look more like
her favorite movie actress, Audrey Hepburn.
She wanted to know if he was watching her.
Again pretending to look at the clock on the wall behind him, she arched her
eyebrows as if realizing she had an important appointment. She didn’t.
The man looked directly at her.
Kati completely lost her nerve. Summoning
the remains of her composure, she rose slowly from the pool and disappeared
into the women’s locker room. How could she maintain a dignified mourning
posture when she was being distracted by a blond bear of a man?
Upstairs in her room, she felt restless.
Her body warmed by the thermal baths, she went out on her balcony where the
cold night air pinched her. Something else did too. Her father’s spirit nudged
her at the railing.
Who
are you kidding, little daughter? You may be mourning my loss, but there’s
someone with eyes on you now who wants to get to know you. Let him.
Dad,
I’m here to wrap up your affairs. Not meet a man. It’s completely
inappropriate.
Let
life happen to you, Katika. Don't run from it. Once, long ago, I couldn’t help
noticing your mother. Thanks to her noticing me back, here you are.
Kati fled inside and got into bed. That
night, she dreamt about a golden bear stalking her in the woods. She’d run away
from the bear—slowly. Then, she let him catch her. Instead of eating her, he’d
kissed her, thoroughly. It was a long dream. When she woke up the next morning,
she felt refreshed, with a plan.
On
the following evening, Kati eased herself into the middle of the three large
pools in the bath hall and closed her eyes. Instantly, her dream of the night
before returned. When she opened her eyes, she looked in the direction of the
clock. Directly under it the blond stranger caught her gaze.
She gasped. Then she tossed back her hair.
Out of the corner of her eye, she watched
as he climbed out of the water and shook himself off like an enormous golden
retriever. She turned her head away, unable to keep from smiling at the image.
Next thing she knew, he was at the side of
the pool next to her. He crouched, resting muscular arms on well-formed,
golden-haired knees.
About the Author
Her books include Budapest Romance, The Ava Series:
For More Information
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Book Spotlight and Giveaway: Shadows in the Fog by Greg Messel
Author: Greg Messel
Publisher: Sunbreaks Publishing
Pages: 353
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Format: Paperback/Kindle
The story begins on a stormy morning in February of
1959. The front page of the morning paper is dominated by news of the plane
crash which killed rock ’n roll stars Buddy Holly, the Big Bopper and Richie
Valens.
Private Eye Sam Slater is hired to perform what he
thinks is a routine two-day job as a favor for a friend. However, it all goes
terribly wrong when a young San
Francisco
The murder sets off a chain of events which will
pull Sam and his wife and partner, Amelia, into a dangerous web of intrigue in
the dark, shadowy alleys and back rooms of San Francisco Chinatown .
In the winter of 1959, Amelia resigns as a TWA
stewardess and is now Sam’s full time partner in the private eye
business.
Sam and Amelia inadvertently come in conflict with
the San Francisco Chinatown . Now a mysterious dark
car follows the Slaters every where they go. Sam and Amelia discover a hidden
world of corrupt cops, gambling parlors, brothels and human trafficking exists
right under their noses.
At the same time, a rising California
As Sam and Amelia pursue these cases, they discover
that all the clues lead them back to Chinatown .
The Slaters want to avoid taking on the San
Francisco Chinatown
to find her before it’s too late.
The reader will be drawn into fast moving events
which culminate in a harrowing conclusion as Sam Slater races against the clock
on a foggy night in Chinatown .
“Shadows In The Fog” is the fifth book in the the
award winning Sam Slater Mysteries Series but is a stand-alone thriller in the
tradition of great whodunits.
Book Excerpt:
The heavy blanket of clouds that had hung on the
city all day was especially thick in the Ocean Beach
When Amelia arrived at her car, which she had
parked in a side lot by the Funhouse, she opened the door before removing her
trench coat and tossing it on the front seat. She had been overdressed in
Cassandra’s parlor, leaving on her coat over her gray wool dress.
As she stood by her car, a slow moving large blue
car caught her eye. She froze. There were two lines of parked cars in the
lot. Amelia noticed that the driver of the car seemed to be watching her
as he slowly drove through the parking lot.
She watched the man suspiciously and wondered if he
might be looking for a parking spot. Maybe the man in the blue car was waiting
for her to vacate her spot. Amelia continue to watch him and thought if he
tried something she could always turn and run into the Funhouse.
The large blue car then stopped as it entered the
row where Amelia was parked.
Amelia leaned in to place her purse on the seat and
thought of taking the handgun out of her purse. It was then that the blue car
suddenly accelerated and then slammed on it’s brakes with a screech right
behind Amelia’s car.
Amelia had been concentrating on the slow-moving
car and never saw the second man rapidly approaching her from behind. The
assailant put a black hood over Amelia’s head and grabbed her arm, painfully
twisting it behind her before pushing her into the back seat of the blue car.
The swiftness of the attack was so unexpected that Amelia had no chance to cry
out before she felt herself being held down on the back seat by the large
powerful man.
She heard the car door slam. “Let’s get outta
here!” the man said to his partner and the car began to drive away.
Book
Trailer:
About the Author
Greg Messel has spent most of his adult life interested in writing, including a career in the newspaper business. He won a Wyoming Press Association Award as a columnist and has contributed articles to various magazines. Greg retired from the corporate world and now lives in South Jordan , Utah
Greg has written eight novels. His latest is "Shadows In The Fog" which is the fifth in a series of mysteries set in 1959 San Francisco Fog City
Greg is currently working on his ninth novel--the sixth in the mystery series--"Cable Car Mystery"--which will be published in late 2015.
For More Information
- Visit Greg Messel’s website.
- Connect with Greg on Facebook and Twitter.
- Find out more about Greg at Goodreads.
- More books by Greg Messel.
- Contact Greg.
Giveaway:
Greg Messel is giving away a $25
Amazon Gift Card!
Terms & Conditions:
- By entering
the giveaway, you are confirming you are at least 18 years old.
- One winner
will be chosen via Rafflecopter.
- This
giveaway begins December 1 and ends February 13.
- Winner will
be contacted via email on Monday, February 1i6.
- Winner has
48 hours to reply.
Good luck everyone!
ENTER TO WIN!
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Book Spotlight: Charlotte Mysteries Series (Run & Stand) by Becky Johnson
Title: Run
Author: Becky Johnson
Publisher: Becky Johnson
Pages: 160
Genre: Mystery Suspense
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Purchase at AMAZONAuthor: Becky Johnson
Publisher: Becky Johnson
Pages: 160
Genre: Mystery Suspense
Format: Paperback/Kindle
A
decades old mystery and a deadly game of cat and mouse will change Charlotte
Marshall forever.
Charlotte has a good life: friends, family, a successful career. Her perfect life is destroyed when research for a book and a connection from her past plunges her into the middle of her worst nightmare.
On the run, with no one to trust, Charlotte begins to unravel the work of a sadistic murderer. Afraid and alone, she will learn the meaning of trust and just when to run.
It’s ironic really, the chain of events that led me here,
kneeling in the dirt with a gun to my head.
My tale of woe, if I can be so bold as to call it that,
started innocently enough. It started with spelling words and dinner.
1992
As a student I was smart but a horrible speller.
(Dyslexia will do that to you.) In order to get me through my spelling test
every week, my mother, who naturally was a school teacher, worked with me every
night on my spelling words. While I sat at the table working on my spelling,
she watched the news and made dinner. It would not be an understatement to say
it was the least favorite part of my day. I would sit at the kitchen table
wanting to be outside or really just about anywhere else, and write out my
words for the week ten times each, then in a sentence, then test myself with
flashcards.
Certain, certain, certain. I am certain I do not want to be doing this.
However, however, however. However, I don’t
have a choice…
“Earlier today, police in Cherry Hill responded to a call
from local kids at the park…”
Balance, balance, balance. What sentence could I use for balance…? The seal
balanced a ball on his nose. Stupid but it would work.
“…the body of an unidentified female adolescent was
discovered…”
My attention was caught. Spelling words forgotten.
“…sources say the victim was raped and tortured before
she was murdered. Her body was mutilated. Police are asking that anyone…”
What? The words of the newscaster left me feeling
unsettled. I knew something bad had happened; for the first time, the world was
scary. I knew enough to put that together, but the why left me shaken. Why
would someone kill a girl?
“I don’t get it, Mom, what happened?”
Once my mom realized I was talking about the news, the TV
was turned off and I was redirected back to my spelling words. I bent back over
my spelling words while my mind whirled. I knew there was something different
about this story. The unknown girl stuck in my head.
Title: Stand
Author: Becky Johnson
Publisher: Becky Johnson
Pages: 160
Genre: Mystery Suspense
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Purchase at AMAZONAuthor: Becky Johnson
Publisher: Becky Johnson
Pages: 160
Genre: Mystery Suspense
Format: Paperback/Kindle
Nine months ago Charlotte
Marshall survived a nightmare when she was hunted by a sadistic killer. Now
routine, ritual, and a vigorous self-defense schedule barely keep the fear at
bay.
Desperate to move onCharlotte
WhileCharlotte Charlotte
Book Excerpt:Desperate to move on
While
My own scream woke me.
Zero to sixty in less than a second. One second I was
sound asleep, and the next I was bolt upright in bed with the sound of my
scream still echoing across the bedroom. My heart thundered in my chest, and my
panting breaths sounded loud in the silence. My shaking hands gripped the
blanket in tight fists. Kitty looked up at me from her cozy spot at the end of
the bed. Yellow eyes blinked. Then she meowed in sympathy and dropped her
calico head back down onto her paws. She used to love sleeping curled right up
against me. But my regular nightmares disrupted her. Unfortunately nightmares
are not an uncommon occurrence. I have suffered from them ever since Lawrence
Pheares.
Nine months ago I faced a monster, a murderer responsible
for the deaths of twenty-three innocent girls. At night he haunts me. Sometimes
the dreams are a reenactment of the events. I see Pheares choking me. Or I
remember Jack and Pheares fighting. Sometimes the nightmares are filled with
images of my lost girls. I watch helpless as Emily runs from a mad man. I
cannot save her. The worst ones though, the dreams that make it impossible for
me to go back to sleep, are the ones like the nightmare I just woke up from.
They leave me with a jumble of images and tangled feelings. Nothing concrete
that makes sense. When I wake up screaming, I am overwhelmed with terror.
That’s the only feeling or sense I get from these dreams, bone deep fear.
According to my therapist I am suffering from PTSD.
Simple letters for a life that is changed by trauma. Nine months ago I had
lived the nightmare. It all began so simply. I was doing research for my next
novel when I stumbled onto a serial killer and twenty-three girls who were
abducted, raped, tortured, murdered, and then thrown away. When I found the
killer, he found me. I almost didn’t survive. In the end I beat Lawrence
Pheares, but in doing so I was forever changed.
Without conscious thought, my hand reached over to cover
the E tattooed on the inside of my right arm, a daily reminder of what I had
survived and a tribute to those innocent girls who did not.
In the months since I discovered evidence of a serial
killer and my life became entwined with those lost girls who were heartlessly
killed by a madman, I had become a different person, scared of my own shadow.
At first it wasn’t so bad. I was still cruising on adrenaline. Now every day is
a battle.
When I let myself really think about it, thoughts of
Georgia frighten me the most. I never learned from Pheares what role she played
in the killings, but I knew in my heart that she had one. Pheares was dead. But
I knew Georgia was still out there. There was no evidence of this, but my gut
told me different. I knew she was alive. I could feel her watching me.
I looked over at my bedside clock. It was four
forty-three in the morning. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep.
My body was slick with sweat and the hands I ran over my face shook. Max, my
black Pit Bull mix, looked at me from his spot beside my bed. His ears were
perked. Brown eyes focused on me. He looked ready to get up with me or go back
to sleep, depending on my next move. These days Max rarely leaves my side. He
is a good friend.
I swung my legs over and sat on the edge of the bed. A
few deep breaths later my heart was no longer racing, and I was ready to get
up.
I start every morning with yoga. It is one of my
therapies. Sometimes I think if I don’t do the little things like yoga,
running, and journaling, I will plunge into a well of terror that will dominate
me. So every morning, no matter what, I make myself stick to my routine, as
though that alone will save me. That morning my poses were a little shaky from
my nightmare, but I made it through them. Mountain pose. Forward bend. Down
dog. I could feel myself steadying. Warrior two. Down dog. Tree pose. I
finished with two sun salutations then stood in mountain pose just breathing.
Max knows my new pattern. When my routine was finished he
was ready to go. He leaned his big body against me and gave that look dog
owners everywhere know – outside please.
I will admit I am afraid of becoming agoraphobic. It
would be so easy. But I make myself go outside. If I didn’t, I think I could
live a very content and safe life, never leaving the safety of my home. But
that would mean that Pheares won. I can’t let him win. So, every day I force myself
to venture outdoors. I stand outside and consider it a small victory in the
midst of many battles. Max helps.
I grabbed Max’s leash from the hall closet and layered on
warm winter gear. Coat, gloves, hat, boots. December in New Jersey is cold. It
was so early that it was dark outside and very still. It had already been a
rough icy winter. There were several inches of snow on the ground. I paused at
my front door, Max waited patiently on his leash beside me. A few deep breaths,
and I was able to convince myself to open the door.
My last home burned down, part of the drama I endured
nine months ago with Pheares. He burned my home and destroyed everything I
owned. He took so much from me, but at the end I was still standing. After a
brief stay in a temporary condo, courtesy of my agent, my new home is
comfortably located in a quiet development with lots of space between the
houses and a big fenced backyard for Max. The small two story home has a nice
open floor plan downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. It backs up to trees and
a lake, so it is quiet.
It feels like too much quiet sometimes, but I like it.
The only nice thing about taking Max outside in the
winter is that he is as happy to move quickly and get back inside as I am. He
is not a fan of the cold. My breath left cold puffs of fog in the air and I
shifted in place to stay warm. It was eerily quiet out, still too early for
most of the world to be stirring. As I waited for Max to finish his business,
headlights flashed over my front door. A car turned the corner onto my street.
I tensed. As it rolled closer I recognized the logo of the security company
hired to patrol my neighborhood. It was one of things that attracted me to this
development. I was looking for a sense of security, wanting to feel safe. It
hasn’t worked, but I gave the security car a wave as it slowly moved past my
house. Looks like Carl. I had made a point to know every guard that patrolled.
I know everyone who is a help or a possible threat in my fragile world.
Max finished his business, shivered from the chilly air,
and whined to go back inside. We ran toward the door. After the cold the first
wave of warmth was almost too much. I didn’t really relax until I heard the
locks click. I was glad to be out of the cold and the dark. I always breathe a
little easier when I am safely locked inside my home.
I striped off all the winter gear I had piled on and put
them back in their respective places in the hall closet.
After a shower to wash away the sweat from my nightmare
and yoga, and then a bowl of Cheerios, I felt almost ready to face the day.
I stood facing the mirror wearing a pair of yoga pants
and a sports bra, my other daily ritual. I took stock of my body and its
changes. Same long light blonde hair pulled back into a sensible ponytail, same
dark blue eyes and overbite. The differences from nine months ago are obvious.
I’ve lost over twenty-five pounds. Anything less than a hundred and twenty on
my frame is too skinny. I was too skinny. The dark circles under my eyes were
almost permanent. The biggest change though is my eyes. I used to be innocent,
innocent to murder and cruelty. I’m not anymore. My eyes now are old. The
changes were obvious. However, they were not all negative. I was strong. My
arms had muscles they never had before. I was tough, inside and out. Looking at
my reflection I repeated the same positive mantra I said every morning. You
are strong. You are a survivor. Then I finished getting dressed and drove
into Philly.
About the Author
Books are Becky Johnson’s
passion and always have been. She used to get in trouble in school for reading
during class!
Becky has Master’s degrees
in social work and history, and for her day job she is a social worker. In her
writing she tries to answer a question that is important to both social work
and history: Why? She always wants to
know why people do the things they do or feel the way they feel.
When not reading or writing
she enjoys yoga, cooking, and makes a pretty mean chili!
For More Information
Book Spotlight and Giveaway: Broken Bonds by Karen Harper
Author: Karen Harper
Publisher: MIRA
Pages: 384
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format: Hardback, Paperback, Kindle
Haunted by the past…
Cold Creek is a place with a dark history, especially for
the Lockwoods. Now adults, the three Lockwood sisters are still recovering from
the events that led to the destruction of their family when they were children.
Determined to move forward, Tess and Kate are making fresh starts, ready to put
bad—even deadly—memories to rest and settle happily in the small but booming
town. And they're hoping their older sister, Charlene, can do the same.
Char is back in town seeking comfort as she figures out
her next move. A social worker used to difficult situations, she soon runs
afoul of some locals who think she's sticking her nose where it doesn't belong.
She's certain something sinister is being covered up, and when she witnesses
Matt Rowan being run off the road, she knows she's right.
Working together, Matt and Char figure uncovering the
truth will be dangerous, but living in Cold Creek won't be safe for any of them
until its secrets are revealed.
Book Excerpt:
Excerpt # 1
As she made the next sharp
turn, Char gasped. A white truck with Lake Azure, Inc. painted on its side was
tipped nearly off the cliff, right where the school bus stopped for the kids
who lived above. She’d heard a horn honk long and loud a few minutes earlier.
Maybe the truck missed the last turn and spun out, since its rear, not its
front, was dangling over the edge, propped up by two trees. No other vehicle
was nearby to help.
She put her emergency
blinkers on and pulled as close to the cliff face as she could. She jumped down
from her truck and ran across the road toward the truck. A man was inside!
“What should I do?” she
shouted, her voice shrill. It sounded like a stupid question. She had to get
the man out of his truck before it crashed over the edge.
The bitter, strong wind
ripped at her hair and jacket. What if a blast of air tipped him off? Or maybe
even if he moved. She’d swear the two tree trunks that held his truck were
shaking as hard as she was.
She could hear the engine
was still running. The driver opened an automatic window.
“A guy in a truck shoved me
off,” he shouted. “Meant to. I don’t have any traction. I’m afraid if I shift
my weight or open a door to jump out, I’ll send it over.”
The fact someone had done
this on purpose stunned her. What was going on? If her cell phone worked up
here, she’d call her brother-in-law, the county sheriff, for help, but she was
on her own. It wouldn’t help to go back up for help from Elinor and Penny.
“Don’t move until I get
something you can hang on to if the truck goes. I have some jump ropes I can
tie together. Those trees are shaky.”
“I’m shaky. Hurry!”
She ran to her truck and
knotted together the three jump ropes she had, tying square knots because she
knew they would hold. But she’d never be able to balance the man’s weight if
the truck went over the edge.
“I’ve got ropes here, but
I’ll have to tie the end to a tree. I don’t dare drive close enough to you to
tie it to my truck. It would never stretch that far.”
She knotted it around the
trunk of a pine tree that looked sturdy enough, though that almost took the
length of one rope. This wasn’t going to work.
A grinding sound, then a
crunch reverberated as the truck seemed to jerk once then settled closer to the
cliff edge.
“Now or never!” he shouted
and opened his door fast.
Excerpt # 2
Matt grabbed her—almost
tackled her—and rolled them off the low concrete single step into the wet
leaves. He pulled her around the corner of the cabin, where they huddled, kneeling
with her pressed between him and the outside wall.
“I—I can’t believe that,”
she whispered. “We could have—could have been hit.”
“And I’m the common
denominator. Either someone’s been following me, looking for another chance at
me, or someone’s staked out your place, knowing we’re together.”
They were whispering in each
other’s ears. “The headlights made us the perfect target,” she said. “If we
hadn’t stepped apart…the arrow came head high, not chest level.”
“Either way it could have
killed one or both of us.”
She was not only scared but
furious. Someone had ruined her new place, ruined this beautiful night.
“Stay here,” he said. “I’m
going to get to the car, turn it around so the headlights shine into the trees
where the arrow must have come from. It’s sticking in the wood at an upward
angle—like it was shot from the sky. Probably just arced up, then hit.”
“Should we call Gabe?”
“Not unless we spot someone.
My bet is we’ll find no one out there. And it’s late. Let’s give him a break
and call him in the morning. Tonight you can go down to stay in one of the
guest rooms at the lodge where—”
“It’s my first night here!
I’m not running, even if some stupid hunter or even worse wants to scare me
off.”
“Char, just for the night!”
“I’m not going to leave. I’m
going to get that arrow for evidence, tape up the hole and lock my doors.”
“Then I’m staying, too.”
“What?”
“I’ll sleep on the couch,
just in case.”
“And if it’s you the
shooter’s after? That could have been the second attempt on your life.”
Excerpt # 3
She started to get out until
she saw the driver of the truck was really covered up for the weather. She
could see through his windshield that he wore a ski mask, leaving only his eyes
visible. He climbed down and started toward her truck, holding up his hands as
if to apologize.
Could this be the man who
nearly ran Matt off the cliff?
She turned the ignition back
on, put the truck in Reverse, yanked the steering wheel and tried to back up to
get some maneuvering room, but she was held tight by the tree, and her wheels
spun. She laid on her horn, but saw no other vehicle on the road.
The man went back to his
truck and returned, holding a metal carjack, the kind needed to change a flat
tire. He walked now with swift, strong strides. She knew he was going to use it
to smash her window. Was this guy desperate or crazy? They were on a public
road in broad daylight.
She waited until he came
close and raised the car jack. He hit the glass of the driver’s-side window,
which only cracked on the first blow. She had to do the unexpected and fast,
run for help. She’d seen a car parked at her childhood home if she could make
it there. She dug in her big purse for her phone. Too much in here—couldn’t
feel it. She had to go now or he’d have her!
In an instant, she unlocked
her doors, tried to grab her heavy purse, but he reached for it, too, yanked it
and tipped her toward him. She slid away from the steering wheel and clambered
out the other side, forced to leave the purse, the phone. She had no illusions
he just wanted the purse. She slipped to her knees in the ice-crusted snow,
then clawed her way up and raced toward the trees.
About the Author
A New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, Karen Harper is a former college English instructor (The Ohio State University) and high school literature and writing teacher. A lifelong Ohioan, Karen and her husband Don divide their time between the midwest and the southeast, both locations she has used in her books. Besides her American settings, Karen loves the British Isles, where her Scottish and English roots run deep, and where she has set many of her historical Tudor-era mysteries and her historical novels about real and dynamic British women. Karen's books have been published in many foreign languages and she won the Mary Higgins Clark Award for 2005. Karen has given numerous talks to readers and writers across the county.
For More Information
- Visit Karen Harper’s website.
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