Category Archives: Author Blog Post

January 15, 2021 · 2:50 pm

January Featured Books – Find New & Amazing Authors!!! #AHAgrp #BookWorm #AmReading #Ebooks

Looking for something new and fabulous to read? Try these…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lady Cassandra Woods thinks her aunt, who refused to marry and lives life in the country on her own terms, defiant in the face of society, is the perfect model to follow. A surprising request changes Cassie’s thinking and brings about more than saving a friend – it saves her own future happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After one concussion too many, Ben Leit is done as the NFL’s golden boy quarterback. Then his father, who was about to expose a bombshell sports scandal, is murdered.

Mimi Fitzroy, CIO for Rex Sports International, panics as she discovers thousands of stolen emails that prove Rex is breaking federal laws—big time. As Ben and Mimi work together to find a killer, they also find a connection they weren’t expecting and didn’t want.

They are headed for an explosive showdown in Seattle…and not everyone will walk away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunny Chanel’s marriage is circling the drain when her husband marks his colonoscopy on the calendar and ignores their anniversary. With divorce papers instead of roses on the horizon, she says “au revoir” Paris and croissants, and “hello” cheap New Haven apartment and ramen noodles.
Encouraged by her friends, Sunny jumps into online dating, twenty-three years and twenty pounds after her last date. To her surprise she discovers dating might require a helmet, and occasionally armor to protect her heart, but after years of being ignored, her adventurous side craves fun and conversation. She’s middle-aged not dead. Then suddenly, on the way to reinventing herself, life takes a left turn when the one man she can’t forget calls with an unexpected request.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As a rising medical malpractice attorney, Charlotte Taylor believes in standing up for the injured, giving them a voice, and advocating for their rights. She couldn’t do it for her mother, so she does it for others, even if it means losing the love of her life.

Dr. Clayton Montgomery believes in working hard and playing even harder, until he reconnects with Charlotte. Barely noticing her crush when he tutored her ten years ago, Clay has a chance to make up for lost time when the beautiful lawyer comes back into town…until he discovers her chosen career path.

Now, philosophical differences soon become a reality and Charlotte is faced with the choice of representing a client against the hospital, and against Clay. Will Charlotte give up her career and her tribute to her mother for a second chance with the man who got away?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A man who desires revenge should dig two graves.” -Anonymous
The gated mansion on Orcas Island was built as a refuge for a timber baron’s family. The Temples enjoy insulating barriers of wealth for generations. But the heirs sense of security is brutally shattered when a mysterious madman stalks family members stoking defensiveness and fear. Enter Detective Brock Thompson with the Seattle Police Department who strives to track down and stop the perpetrator as threats against the family escalate. Along the way the detective unearths Temple family secrets that were never meant to see the light of day. Thompson struggles to overcome his own phobias while investigating a darkness that nearly envelopes the Temples.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Three very different sisters find the loves of their lives if they will accept fate’s interference in their quest. Bea and her younger twin sisters search for the family denied them only to find three men willing to make them a home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Linnbert “Cheese” Oliver, a hard-luck hero in the Northwest town of North Fork, is reported missing from a late-night ferry. And for Ernie, his father figure, friend and former coach, the news hits hard. Ernie’s suffered too much loss and pain in his life—his wife, a state basketball championship, a serious medical malady—and he just can’t accept the idea that Cheese might have taken his own life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blood and Breakfast is part of the “A Friday the 13th Story” Series. 13 authors ~ 13 individual tales of murder and mayhem on Friday the 13th.

Find all the stories here:

Determined to boost the sagging ratings of her internet radio show, “A Dark Place,” murder junkie Sasha Gillette checks into the Talley House Bed and Breakfast in North Kingston, Rhode Island. She and her co-host plan to broadcast an episode about the murders that took place there thirteen years earlier on a Friday the 13th, when a man butchered his entire family.

Not long after Sasha arrives, the other guests begin to disappear. Has a killer from the past resurfaced or is there a copycat on the loose?

One of the lone survivors, Sasha finds herself trapped with a sadistic killer and, suddenly, murder isn’t as much fun as she thought.

 

Leave a comment

Filed under Author Blog Post, Ebook Deal

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

January 12, 2021 · 7:48 am

#HobbyCareerPassion: “Basic Self-Defense” ~ Author Chrys Fey ~ A Fighting Chance

Welcome to my weekly feature where authors share about the hobbies, careers, or passions of their characters.

I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest, Chrys Fey…

In A Fighting Chance, Amanda is an assistant self-defense instructor at Beth Goldwyn’s studio The Fighting Chance. Amanda is a survivor of domestic/sexual abuse. For years she has been a student at The Fighting Chance, building her courage and self-esteem and strength. Now she helps to teach others how to defend themselves and how to heal from trauma. In A Fighting Chance, we see her get to use some of the techniques that she teaches in a real situation. I believe all women and girls, as well as young/teen boys should know how to defend themselves. Here are 20 basic self-defense and safety tips that you can begin implanting now and learn. 20 Basic Self-Defense and Safety Tips:
  1. When you’re walking by yourself in a dark garage, parking lot, or neighborhood and you don’t have something that can be used as a weapon (umbrella, cane, etc.), make a fist and hold a key or pen between your fingers. If someone tries to grab you, punch him with that fist, aiming at the shoulder or other limb.
  2. Carry mace or a pepper spray keychain while walking by yourself. No mace or pepper spray? Carry perfume, room spray, disinfectant spray, or hairspray. Aerosol works best.
  3. If someone starts following you when you’re walking alone, call a friend or family member on the phone. Tell them you’re by yourself and where you are. As soon as you see other civilians, go up to them, or enter a store.
  4. If you get away from your attacker, run in a slight zigzag pattern, in case your attacker has a gun. This makes aiming more difficult.
  5. Wear a whistle around your neck or have a whistle keychain. Use it to get someone’s attention.
  6. Scream! Get someone’s attention.
  7. Bite, pinch, and scratch. All of these things can hurt.
  1. Grab anything you can get your hands on and use it against your attacker. Even dirt or sand. Throw it in their face.
  2. Kick your attacker’s shins. If you’ve played a sport, you know this can hurt.
  3. Hit your attacker’s ears with your fist or elbow. A good hit can rupture an eardrum.
  4. Kick the front or back of your attacker’s knees. Doing so will cause him to fall.
  5. Lift your arm with your hand rigid as if it is a butcher’s knife and chop (karate chop) your attacker’s neck.
  6. Hit the nose. Noses are sensitive and can easily break. Give the nose a good punch or even hit it with your elbow. If you don’t know how to punch, try creating a fist and pretending it is a hammer. You can also drive his nose up with the heel of your hand.
  7. Go for the throat. No, not with your teeth but with your fist. Doing so could collapse your attacker’s windpipe. I was hit in the throat with a football…it’s not pleasant. You’re gasping for breath, your eyes are tearing up, and pain is radiating.
CHOKE HOLDS:
  1. If you’re attacker is in front of you (choking you), take your thumbs and gauge his eyes by applying as much pressure as you can. Once he backs up and releases you, run.
  2. Also if you’re attacker is in front of you, grab his shoulder and lift your knee with as much force as you can to strike him between his legs. Even if you’re aim is higher, you’ll hit him in the gut or sternum.
  3. Another technique if you’re in a choke hold is to bring your arm between your attacker’s arms and flatten your hand in the middle of his chest by his collar bones. Push hard while turning your body away from him. He should release his hold.
  4. Yet another move is to swing your arm across your attacker’s arms almost like a windmill to break his hold. You can do the same thing if he’s behind you but you’ll just swing your arm back.
BEAR HOLD/WRIST HOLDS:
  1. If you’re ever in a bear hold with your back to your attacker, lift your arms and swing your elbows back, striking him repeatedly until the hold loosens and you can free yourself.
  2. If someone grabs your wrist, bend your knees so you’re in a squat, lean forward slightly while you bend your elbow, bringing your fist toward your body and your elbow to your attacker’s elbow. Doing this will force him to let go.
BLURB: *A FIGHTING CHANCE is Book 6 in the Disaster Crimes series, but it’s a spin-off featuring a new couple, so it can be read as a standalone.* Thorn has loved Amanda from afar, giving her whatever she needs as a survivor of abuse—space, protection, and stability. He yearns to give her more, though, to share his feelings, kiss her, love her, but he’s worried the truth will frighten her away. And Amanda is afraid. She’s scared of her attraction for Thorn. Most of all, she’s terrified of her ex-boyfriend, who is lurking nearby where no one can find him. When she grows closer to Thorn, Damon retaliates, jeopardizing their happy ending. Up against an abusive ex and Mother Nature, do Thorn and Amanda have a fighting chance? Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes EXCERPT: Amanda looked up from the current list of up-to-date payments for classes. A movement outside the glass storefront caught her eye. She tilted her head to see a man coming up the sidewalk from the side where the picnic bench sat. Through the vertical blinds, she glimpsed a square face—a short, rugged beard and long, dark hair pulled into a man bun. Her breath fled from her lungs. Her body went from icy cold to flaming hot in the span of a millisecond. She dropped to the floor and slid under the counter, beneath the ledge where they put their purses and cell phones. “What—” Beth peeked at the windows. Then she snapped her fingers at April and pointed at the stools. April jumped into action. She pushed the stools in so they blocked Amanda. The bell attached to the door jingled as April removed the jacket she wore and draped it across the stools, creating a curtain to shield Amanda. From a crack, Amanda watched Beth move to stand in front of the twins, who were in their walkers playing peacefully. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to be closing.” “I don’t give a shit. I’m here for Amanda.” The sound of Damon’s voice had her heart beating even harder. That voice had haunted her nightmares, had come back to life in her memories. Beth cocked her head to the side. “Who? There’s no one by that name here.” “Don’t bullshit me. I know she works here.” His voice was closer now. ***FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME*** THE DISASTER CURSE Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes Author’s Note: I wrote The Disaster Curse to answer a few lingering questions readers may have after reading A Fighting Chance, and to tie the whole series together with a neat, shiny, perfect little bow. Plus, there was one disaster that I hadn’t written about yet. *wink* The Disaster Crimes Series: *The Crime Before the Storm (prequel) Hurricane Crimes (novella, #1) Seismic Crimes (#2) Lightning Crimes (free short, #2.5) Tsunami Crimes (#3) Flaming Crimes (#4) Frozen Crimes (#5) A Fighting Chance (spin-off, #6) The Disaster Curse (short story, #7) *Free exclusive story to newsletter subscribers. ***LAUNCHING A WEBSITE*** TheFightingChance.org is a website dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault awareness. Inspired by the Disaster Crimes series. ***GIVEAWAY*** Prizes: Hurricane Crimes (Disaster Crimes 1) and Seismic Crimes (Disaster Crimes 2) eBooks (mobi or epub), Hurricane Crimes Playing Cards, Girl Boss Sign, and a Volcanic Blast Scented Candle Link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/23d974a92670/ ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance. She runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press. https://www.chrysfey.com Author Links: Newsletter / Website / Facebook Group /Blog / BookBub Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon

17 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, For Writers, Hobbies...Careers...Passions, New Release

Tagged as , , , ,

December 29, 2020 · 7:44 am

#HobbyCareerPassion: “Highland Brigade” ~ Author Alina K. Field ~ Fated Hearts

Welcome to my weekly feature where authors share about the hobbies, careers, or passions of their characters.

I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest,  Alina K. Field…

“Highland Brigade”  

Finnley Macbeth, the hero of my latest release, Fated Hearts, A Love After All Retelling of the Scottish Play, is a major in the Highland Brigade, now back in Britain after lengthy service in the Peninsular Wars.

For the past twenty years, his career has been leading men into battle against the French, both in Flanders and Spain. He fought in brutal battles in Badajoz and Salamanca, was welcomed with other troops into Madrid, suffered through the humiliating retreat from Burgos, and with the rest of the army, licked his wounds during the winter lull that followed. His focus had always been the next march, the next battle, and he preferred that to the dark moments when he had time to think.

With the war over, he’s had too many of those dark moments. At loose ends now, he’s recovering from a wound and suffering from memories of past battles and troubled by the Sight, which is bringing him terrifying visions of future dangers.

He fled Scotland after a devastating divorce from a wife who believed betrayed him. Upon returning to Britain, he went directly to London seeking another way to serve, in the army or in government, another way to turn his attention away from the past, to hide from his self-doubt and self-recrimination. He’s landed in a London embroiled in riots and civil unrest, and his sword is needed.

But, at a society event, he encounters a ghost from his past, his ex-wife, and then he meets the daughter he denied was his—and knows that everything he believed to be true was a lie.

As he comes to grips with his past, and his need for redemption before he can move on to the next battle, an old enemy surfaces and Macbeth the warrior is called to battle again.

 

Buy link:

Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/bQdyPP

Fated Hearts, A Love After All Retelling of the Scottish Play

Part of the Tragic Characters in Classic Lit Series.

Blurb:

Plagued by hellish memories and rattling visions of battle to come, a Scottish Baron returning from two decades at war meets the daughter he denied was his, and the wife he divorced, and learns that everything he’d believed to be true was a lie. What he can’t deny is that she’s the only woman he’s ever loved. They’re not the young lovers they once were, but when passion flares, it burns more hotly than ever it did in their youth.

They soon discover, it wasn’t fate that drove them apart, but a jealous enemy, who played on his youthful arrogance and her vulnerability. Now that old enemy has resurfaced, more treacherous than ever. When his lady falls into a trap, can he reach her in time to rescue this love that never died?

Excerpt:

A crush was what they called these suffocating occasions, and the term was apt.

Major Finnley Macbeth, Scottish baron and late of his majesty’s Highland Brigade, shifted his weight from the leg that still ached like the devil, and scanned the room for his quarry, an undersecretary in the Home Office who he’d met at the army’s winter quarters in Frenada.

From his spot near a damask covered wall, he measured each breath, trying to calm his rising unease. The heavy scent of perfume mixed with fine beeswax and hothouse florals unsettled more than his stomach. The shimmering silks and waving plumes threatened to stir the disquieting visions plaguing him lately.

Fire, explosions, rain, the screams of men and horse.

He squeezed his hands into fists. These were not the hellish memories of the recent past, dammit, but rattling visions of some battle yet to come.

Or not. Foretelling the future was for Travellers and crones, wasn’t it? Not battle-hardened men like himself. Best keep his purpose in mind—he was here to track down Sir Thomas Abernathy.

His gaze swept the room, seeking the distinctive bald pate. In spite of his own forty-three years, his eyesight was still keen enough to make out a sniper or spot the dust of a fleeing stag. Keen enough as well to relish the deep décolletages and clinging, delicate, almost transparent skirts on display this night, a vision far more cheering than the one the Sight was showing him.

A more modestly clad woman stood alone halfway across the ballroom, her back turned to him, surveying the room as he was doing.

A memory stabbed him. He’d once known a lass with hair like this, so abundant, so near to black. The lady tonight had crowned all the loveliness with dark feathers, like a glorious cormorant. His hand itched to pull out those feathers and rake his hands through the tumble of hair, as he’d once done…

He caught a steadying breath. It couldn’t be her. He’d simply been without a woman too long.

And these visions plaguing him of he knew not what? That foolishness grew from naught but fatigue, the wages of war, and the steady company of too much death.

Yet he couldn’t turn away. As he watched, she pivoted one way, and then the other, allowing a glimpse of dangling earbobs and a firm chin.

Drawn to her, he stepped out on his bad leg just as she turned.

Pain shot through his hip. The room threatened to fall away but he held onto the pain, let it shore him up whilst he swore a silent curse.

It was her.

 

Author Bio and links:

Award winning and USA Today bestselling author Alina K. Field earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and German literature, but prefers the much happier world of romance fiction. Though her roots are in the Midwestern U.S., after six very, very, very cold years in Chicago, she moved to Southern California, where she shares a midcentury home with her husband and a spunky, blond rescued terrier. She is the author of several Regency romances, including the 2014 Book Buyer’s Best winner, Rosalyn’s Ring. Though hard at work on her next series of romantic adventures, she loves to hear from readers!

Website: https://alinakfield.com/ 

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alina-K.-Field/e/B00DZHWOKY

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alinakfield 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlinaKField

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alina-k-field

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alinak.field/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7173518.Alina_K_Field

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/alinakf/

Newsletter signup: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/z6q6e3

 

5 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, For Writers, Hobbies...Careers...Passions, New Release

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

December 18, 2020 · 11:05 am

December Featured Books – Find New & Amazing Authors!!! #AHAgrp #BookWorm #AmReading #Ebooks

Looking for something new and fabulous to read? Try these…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lady Cassandra Woods thinks her aunt, who refused to marry and lives life in the country on her own terms, defiant in the face of society, is the perfect model to follow. A surprising request changes Cassie’s thinking and brings about more than saving a friend – it saves her own future happiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Regency Christmas Story

Penelope Cooper struggled to maintain a proper place in society, but found herself a failure after hearing of her brother Christopher’s gambling debt. As a gentleman, he must pay them immediately. If Penelope can’t convince the Marquess of Leighton to wait for his money, more than Christmas is endangered.

The Best Christmas Present

Lord Williamsburg found something intriguing about one debutante and after meeting her widowed mother, he understood why. Could he begin a liaison with the widow while seeking a marriage with a more appropriately aged debutante?

Sugar Plum Christmas

Lord Hedley had discovered a sweet tooth and not just for the delicious confections furnished by Gunters Tea Shop. The young female bakery chef had made an impression as well. Could she be tempted to bake for him alone?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the train US Marshal Reese Calhan is riding on explodes, he is one of two survivors. Trouble is, the other survivor is the woman who betrayed him years ago. A woman he thought was dead. This time he will not fall prey to her wiles. He’ll see the vixen jailed for her crimes if it kills him. Recovering from a recent jilting and now a train explosion, Shanna Johnston has no idea why the handsome stranger insists he knows her and calls her by another woman’s name. His heated looks and knowing kisses spark a fire in her she cannot ignore–even as her own mysterious past is closing in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With her stepfather’s sudden death, Lady Anastasia Covington goes from living a privileged lifestyle to selling vegetables in the village marketplace in the blink of an eye. Alone and at the mercy of her nefarious stepsister, she yearns for love and acceptance.

Disguised as a simple soldier, Prince Percival catches a dark-haired emerald-eyed beauty in his arms. He is bewitched. The more he sees her, the more intrigued he is by her contradictions. Forced to keep his identity a secret, he must somehow convince Lady Anastasia he is the right man for her.

But time is running out. Lady Anastasia’s mother is determined to find a proper suitor and see her wed –and someone wants her dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After one concussion too many, Ben Leit is done as the NFL’s golden boy quarterback. Then his father, who was about to expose a bombshell sports scandal, is murdered.

Mimi Fitzroy, CIO for Rex Sports International, panics as she discovers thousands of stolen emails that prove Rex is breaking federal laws—big time. As Ben and Mimi work together to find a killer, they also find a connection they weren’t expecting and didn’t want.

They are headed for an explosive showdown in Seattle…and not everyone will walk away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

COLD WONDERLAND contains basketball, mystery and murder and much more. It is about boys and men, sons and parents, and the confusions of love when we are no longer young.

The palms of sunny Southern California should be a balm for the MS-shadowed, middle-aged soul of Ernie Creekmore. The retired coach from rainy North Fork, Washington is offered a golden opportunity in the Golden State to get back into his beloved game, guiding a team of elite young athletes to the prestigious Pacific Waves basketball tournament.

But the beach trip quickly tips off into trouble. Some of the kids can’t handle the dark temptations of this sun-kissed paradise. Ernie can’t seem to handle his own love life. And soon he’s got his hands full trying to handle unfinished business from its past as it blasts back into his present.

And murder? Definitely out of bounds for Ernie.

But when Gordon Alderete, tournament director and Ernie’s long-ago nemesis, turns up toes-up next to a trash bin, the coach is not only dragged into another murder investigation, but one in which some think he might be the murderer. So while Ernie works to clear his name and keep his crew of troubled young players on track, he finds there’s no shortage of suspects — and no shortage of people in his orbit eager to protect their own secrets.

COLD WONDERLAND is the latest Coach Ernie Creekmore mystery from T.R. Kelly, a sure shot for fans of Harlan Coben’s books and other sports-themed mysteries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunny Chanel’s marriage is circling the drain when her husband marks his colonoscopy on the calendar and ignores their anniversary. With divorce papers instead of roses on the horizon, she says “au revoir” Paris and croissants, and “hello” cheap New Haven apartment and ramen noodles.
Encouraged by her friends, Sunny jumps into online dating, twenty-three years and twenty pounds after her last date. To her surprise she discovers dating might require a helmet, and occasionally armor to protect her heart, but after years of being ignored, her adventurous side craves fun and conversation. She’s middle-aged not dead. Then suddenly, on the way to reinventing herself, life takes a left turn when the one man she can’t forget calls with an unexpected request.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s 1944, and high school senior Meg Michaels has always obeyed her grandparents’ wishes, till now. They’re urging her to give up her dream of Cornell University and accept a ring from wealthy Hank Wickham before he deploys overseas. But Meg has studied hard and yearns for something better than life in the rural Finger Lakes. Plus Meg’s suddenly fascinated with her childhood friend, Arthur Young, a handsome Seneca Indian farm worker. When Meg and Arthur nurse a sick puppy to health, their friendship transforms into love. But locals look down on “injuns” and resent the fact that Arthur’s farm job exempts him from military duty. While the war rages in Europe, Meg and Arthur must fight their own battles at home…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Seven women have disappeared from bars only to be found murdered after asking for an Angel Shot. Detective Rick McCoy is handed the case after returning from leave following his wife’s horrific ordeal at the hands of the serial killer, PPP.

Criminal psychologist Patricia Holmes lost her husband to the same killer and when her current partner makes her life miserable she jumps at the chance to work with Rick again. When they determine a man currently jailed for the crimes could not have committed them the mystery deepens.

But that is the least of Rick’s worries. An imaginary alter ego appears warning him his wife is suicidal. Will they be able to solve the riddle of the Angel Shot before another victim loses her life and save his wife from taking hers?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Playing a mystery game seems the perfect way to celebrate Jamie Kydd’s promotion to Detective Sergeant rank. But the game turns real when a body turns up in the pretend crime scene. Perhaps worse than spoiling the party, the corpse is someone Jamie knows. Even though the police take on the case, Jamie asks his friend, former police detective Michael McLaren, to also investigate—concerned that the victim’s criminal past may dampen the Constabulary’s usual fervor to nab his killer. It seems to have been a smart decision, for the police aren’t expending a lot of energy on the inquiry. Suspects float around McLaren…half truthful, hard to find. More like wraiths than flesh and blood. If the victim’s burglary partner, ex-wife, or childhood friend didn’t kill Dan, who did? It’s a desperate game between McLaren and a killer who’s playing Hide and Seek.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“A man who desires revenge should dig two graves.” -Anonymous
The gated mansion on Orcas Island was built as a refuge for a timber baron’s family. The Temples enjoy insulating barriers of wealth for generations. But the heirs sense of security is brutally shattered when a mysterious madman stalks family members stoking defensiveness and fear. Enter Detective Brock Thompson with the Seattle Police Department who strives to track down and stop the perpetrator as threats against the family escalate. Along the way the detective unearths Temple family secrets that were never meant to see the light of day. Thompson struggles to overcome his own phobias while investigating a darkness that nearly envelopes the Temples.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Gigi Jenson, an up-and-coming Broadway star, finds herself in Willow Springs, Vermont, for the summer as director of their first annual community revue. This sleepy town is worlds away from her vibrant and beloved New York City, but the experience she’ll gain will be invaluable to her career.
Jason Simmons has lived in Willow Springs his entire life. Working several jobs while writing music, he yearns for a contract to record his songs. The one chance he had to make it in Nashville he blew due to stage fright.
When Jason volunteers to help Gigi with the revue, sparks ignite but their dreams are taking them in different directions. Could their love for each other guide them to the same path?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesse is determined to track down the man who killed his brother in cold blood. Impersonating an outlaw, his quest for justice becomes a living, breathing, part of his soul.

Trinity is heading to Denver to escape her vicious guardians. When her stagecoach is robbed, Jesse kidnaps her, and all her well-laid plans collide with his, leaving them both in danger.

Trapped in Prairie Ridge by a flood, Jesse and Trinity’s feelings soon run as high and wild as the river. When Jesse is accused of murder, Trinity stands by his side, and they take on the town’s tyrannical leader. As the city cowers in fear, help comes from an unexpected source, but can it save Jesse from a hangman’s noose?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tall, beautiful and slender, she dressed like a boy and fought like a warrior and won Laird Macgregor’s interest in a single moment. Jillian was fighting to protect her father and save her heritage – could she trust a Highlander to help her?

Leave a comment

Filed under Author Blog Post, Ebook Deal

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 14, 2020 · 8:40 am

Author Interview with Kara O’Neal + New Release: Love’s Redemption

I am so thrilled to host today’s guest, talented author, Kara O’Neal. Kara is a sweetheart and her books are fabulous. Take it away, Kara…

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

 I am from Texas, the east side where there are a lot of pine trees and humidity, lightning bugs and flowers, brisket and tacos and most of my family. I have three children, who won’t stop growing up, and a husband who is a lovely combination of Captain America, Mr. Darcy and Jim Halpert. I’m a teacher and work with lots of people who are my heroes and many friends who have inspired my characters. The heart of me, the center of my life, is God and family. And I think those two things shine through in my books.

Where did you get the idea for LOVE’S REDEMPTION?

 This book was born in book 2 of my series. Willa Kramer has to deal with abuse, and she does something that no twelve-year-old should have to do. She ended up having a strong relationship with Lonnie Davis, which developed into a beautiful love story.

What is the most difficult thing about writing a book?

For me, the most difficult thing is giving my characters trouble and allowing them to make mistakes. I don’t like it when people get mad or sad or hurt others’ feelings. So, it’s hard for me to write.

What was the most difficult thing about this one in particular?

 Lonnie has to lie to Willa, which is totally against his character. It was very hard to give him a reason to lie and to have him keep up with it.

What book have you read that you wish you had written?

I soooo wish I had written A Box of Peppermints. I love that book. Or Little Women.

Do you collect anything?

 Yes! I collect castles, crosses and things with the number 7 on them.

What’s the main thing that you could get rid of in your life that would give you more writing time?

 Well, that would be my day job. But it’s not time yet.

What’s your favorite book of all time and why? What’s your favorite childhood book?

My favorite book of all time is Pride And Prejudice because Lizzie Bennett and Mr. Darcy are absolutely gorgeous. Jane Austen wrote a masterpiece. And it’s so subtly done. My favorite childhood book is Riki Tiki Tavi.

What actors would you like in the main roles if your book were made into a movie?

I’m sooo glad you asked this!!! I would love Jennifer Morrison and Colin O’Donoghue to play any character they wanted. I love them together.

Would you rather have a bad review or no review?

Any review is a good review in my opinion. I like to see what people thought.

What is your favorite quote?

In daily life, “There are no perfect people in this world, only those with perfect intentions.” From the bible, “Fear not.”

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Not other books, but I do have a blog called The Story Continues. I post extra scenes about characters in published books or short stories about characters who won’t need a full book.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

Half and half. Some of my characters are based off of my siblings, my best friends, and the hero in my current release, Lonnie Davis, is based off of my husband.

Blurb:

September, 1880

Pike’s Run, Texas

When she was little more than a child, Willa Kramer went to extreme lengths to save her family from their abusive father. After that horrible day, her mother and siblings moved to Tennessee, and Willa had hoped to leave Texas, its memories and Lonnie Davis, the only boy she ever trusted, behind. But fate is unpredictable.

Five years have passed, and Lonnie finds himself reunited with Willa, the only girl he’s ever loved. He’s determined not to let her slip away again, but a figure from the past looms, threatening his hopes for the future.

Excerpt:

A sagging house stood before Oscar Kramer. His blood boiled. What the hell had happened to his brother’s home? The damn place was falling apart. The weeds rising around the rotting wood served as evidence something had gone wrong. He spat tobacco on the ground.

While he considered possible scenarios, he cracked his knuckles and narrowed his eyes. If someone had ruined his brother, Oscar would rip his heart out then get back everything that had once belonged to his kin. The acres of wheat and corn surrounding the house were in good condition. What was going on?

A cheerful whistle distracted him. He turned his head toward the sound and found a man with a hoe slung over his shoulder walking down the dirt road. Oscar stalked to the gate. “Whoa, there.”

The wiry man noticed him and paused. Caution spread over the whistler’s face. “M-Mornin’.”

Oscar jerked his head at the decaying structure behind him. “You know the people who lived here?”

The man swallowed then nodded.

When he didn’t continue, Oscar had to tamp down irritation. Grabbing him by the throat wouldn’t help get the answers he needed. “Where are they?”

“Gone.”

“Where?”

The man’s face paled. “I…uh…I don’t know. Their man died.”

The explanation knocked Oscar on the jaw. “What the hell do you mean? Willard Kramer is dead?”

White appeared around the informer’s lips. “I-I…”

Oscar shoved the gate. “Get the damn words out before I rip them from you!”

The man’s eyes shot wide. “The sheriff shot him. K-Killed him. A-After Kramer beat up the schoolteacher, Miss Parker.”

Murdered? His brother had been murdered? Because of a woman? He blinked as a roaring grew in his head. The sound of harsh breathing reminded him he wasn’t alone. He snapped out of his haze. “Get the hell out of here,” he growled.

The man didn’t hesitate. Dust followed in his wake.

Oscar’s hands trembled. He whipped back to the house. The sheriff would pay for this, and he’d find his brother’s children and take them from that bitch of a wife. He gritted his teeth as he cracked his knuckles again. No one murdered a Kramer. No one.

Buy link:

https://books2read.com/u/49lVYM

Bio and links:

Born and raised in Texas, the state had to be the setting for my first series. From the food to the fun, like floating the rivers, it is the fire in my blood that inspires me. My family and friends take center stage in my books. My sisters and best friends are my heroines, and my husband created my favorite hero. Love and family are the point of my stories, and I seek to entertain, relieve stress, and inspire people. Books can take one on a journey that one can relive over and over. I am extremely grateful to those authors who did that very thing for me. I learned and I fell in love with their words and characters. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. Please visit me at www.karaoneal.com.

Website ~ Amazon ~ B &N ~ BookBub ~ 

Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Newsletter

 

8 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post, New Release

Tagged as , ,

November 24, 2020 · 5:44 pm

Congratulations 2020 IDA Finalists and Winners!!

I’m so happy to share this year’s list of finalists and winners of the International Digital Awards. And I’m especially proud to have one of my books on the list!!

Contemporary Novel

First Place

Keeping Score by Shannon Stults

Publisher: Tule Publishing

Second Place

Cowboy True by Michelle Beattie

Publisher: Tule Publishing

Third Place

Wanted by the Marshal by Susan Lute

Publisher: Tule Publishing

Fourth Place

Judd’s Vow by Kaylie Newell

Publisher: Tule Publishing

Fifth Place

Dirty Damsels by Peggy Jaeger

Publisher: Limitless

Contemporary Short

First Place

Adelene~The Violinist by Judy Ann Davis

Publisher: Indie Published

Second Place

The Bench by Jess K. Hardy

Publisher: Evernight

Third Place

Rainbow Sprinkles by D.V. Stone

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Fourth Place

Huckleberry Happiness by Judy Ann Davis

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Fifth Place

Love Overboard by Rachelle Paige Campbell

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Erotic Novel

First Place

Love, Art, and Other Obstacles by Sadira Stone

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Second Place

Winter’s List by Jordyn Kross

Publisher: Scarlet Parlor Press, LLC

Third Place

Accidental Tryst by Mia London

Publisher: Mia London Books

Fourth Place

Hannah’s Bliss by Dania Voss

Publisher: Evernight Publishing

Fifth Place

Catch Me by Michele Arris

Publisher: Tule Publishing

Erotic Short

First Place (Tie)

Gelato Surprise by Sadira Stone

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

And

Her Dirty Secret by Melanie A. Smith

Publisher: Wicked Dreams Publishing

Second Place

Never You by Stacy Gold

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Third Place

The Eccentric Earl by Anne Shaw

Publisher: Sherri Shaftic

Fourth Place

Trust Me by Nancy Fraser

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Fifth Place

In Deep by Stacy Gold

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Historical Novel

First Place

The Whistle Stop Canteen by Barb Warner Deane

Publisher: 49 West Publishing

Second Place

Fated Beginnings by Karen Muir

Publisher:  Self Published

Third Place

Captain of My Heart by Karla Kratovil

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press

Fourth Place

The Innocent Wife by CiCi Cordelia

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Fifth Place

A Masked Earl by Kathleen Buckley

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Historical Short

First Place

Grayson, Bachelors and Babies (Book 8) by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Publisher: Inked Figments

Second Place

Mail Order Bride: The Breakaway by Kathy L. Wheeler

Publisher: Kathy L Wheeler

Third Place

A Vow for Christmas, Spinster Mail-Order Bride by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Publisher: Inked Figments

Inspirational Short

First Place

Yellowstone Yondering by Kristen Joy Wilks

Publisher: Pelican Book Group

Second Place

Waiting for a Miracle by Jennifer Wilck

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Third Place

Hanukkah Hearts by Jean C. Joachim

Publisher: Moonlight Books

Paranormal Novel

First Place

A Killing Moon by Alexis D Craig

Publisher:  Three Fortnights Publishing

Second Place

For Witch or For Poorer by AE Jones

Publisher: Indie Published

Third Place (Tie)

To Weave a Highland Tapestry by Mary Morgan

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

And

Unforgotten by Cassie Laelyn

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Fourth Place (Tie)

Vermilion Lies by L.D. Rose

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

And

Bishop Takes Knight by McKenna Dean

Publisher: Redclaw Publishing

Fifth Place

Only One Summer, Book 2, Sisters of the Legend by K.M. Daughters

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Paranormal Short

First Place

Praline Dreams by Annette Miller

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Second Place

Blood Dream by A.D. Brazeau

Publisher: Indie Published

Third Place

Breath of Life by Kristy Centeno

Publisher: Inkspell Publishing

Suspense Novel

First Place

Unexpected Risk by Desiree Holt

Publisher: Indie Published

Second Place

Publish or Perish by Kerry Blaisdell

Publisher: Indie Published

Third Place

Dangerous Water by Charlee James

Publisher: Tule Publish

Fourth Place

Deadly Deception by Marissa Garner

Publisher: Forever Yours

Fifth Place

Dream Wide Awake by CJ Zahner

Publisher: Indie Published

Suspense Short

First Place

Protecting Amy by Desiree Holt

Publisher: Aces Publishing

Second Place

A Heaven For Toasters by Nicholas C. Rossis

Publisher: Istomedia Publishing

Third Place

Precarious by Alicia Dean

Publisher: Indie Published

Young Adult Novel

First Place

Evergreen by Marissa Doyle

Publisher: Book View Cafe

Second Place

The Witches of Vegas by Mark Rosendorf

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Third Place

Cherokee Summer by Susan Antony

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

2 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post

Tagged as , , , ,

November 15, 2020 · 10:39 am

November Featured Books – Find New & Amazing Authors!!! #AHAgrp #BookWorm #AmReading #Ebooks

Looking for something new and fabulous to read? Try these…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Retiring Texas Ranger Benjamin Edwards has one last assignment before taking his final exam to become an attorney. Female Professor Jessie Reeves is primed to prove she can make it in a man’s profession. When their lives cross paths, they are never the same.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A Regency Christmas Story

Penelope Cooper struggled to maintain a proper place in society, but found herself a failure after hearing of her brother Christopher’s gambling debt. As a gentleman, he must pay them immediately. If Penelope can’t convince the Marquess of Leighton to wait for his money, more than Christmas is endangered.

The Best Christmas Present

Lord Williamsburg found something intriguing about one debutante and after meeting her widowed mother, he understood why. Could he begin a liaison with the widow while seeking a marriage with a more appropriately aged debutante?

Sugar Plum Christmas

Lord Hedley had discovered a sweet tooth and not just for the delicious confections furnished by Gunters Tea Shop. The young female bakery chef had made an impression as well. Could she be tempted to bake for him alone?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When the train US Marshal Reese Calhan is riding on explodes, he is one of two survivors. Trouble is, the other survivor is the woman who betrayed him years ago. A woman he thought was dead. This time he will not fall prey to her wiles. He’ll see the vixen jailed for her crimes if it kills him. Recovering from a recent jilting and now a train explosion, Shanna Johnston has no idea why the handsome stranger insists he knows her and calls her by another woman’s name. His heated looks and knowing kisses spark a fire in her she cannot ignore–even as her own mysterious past is closing in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

With her stepfather’s sudden death, Lady Anastasia Covington goes from living a privileged lifestyle to selling vegetables in the village marketplace in the blink of an eye. Alone and at the mercy of her nefarious stepsister, she yearns for love and acceptance.

Disguised as a simple soldier, Prince Percival catches a dark-haired emerald-eyed beauty in his arms. He is bewitched. The more he sees her, the more intrigued he is by her contradictions. Forced to keep his identity a secret, he must somehow convince Lady Anastasia he is the right man for her.

But time is running out. Lady Anastasia’s mother is determined to find a proper suitor and see her wed –and someone wants her dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After one concussion too many, Ben Leit is done as the NFL’s golden boy quarterback. Then his father, who was about to expose a bombshell sports scandal, is murdered.

Mimi Fitzroy, CIO for Rex Sports International, panics as she discovers thousands of stolen emails that prove Rex is breaking federal laws—big time. As Ben and Mimi work together to find a killer, they also find a connection they weren’t expecting and didn’t want.

They are headed for an explosive showdown in Seattle…and not everyone will walk away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Rodeo star Dillon McCoy comes home to the mountains of North Carolina to lick his wounds and take over running the family ranch, the Lazy M, unaware danger awaits. Diana Thompson is having doubts about her engagement to Trent Sawyer. Needing time away, she agrees to leave Chapel Hill and spend Thanksgiving with her friend Jenn at her ranch. When Diana and Dillon meet, neither can deny their attraction, but both must resolve past relationships before giving in to their desire. Danger lurks after Dillon turns down an anonymous offer to purchase the ranch. And when a body is found, Dillon is determined to discover who wants the McCoy land bad enough to commit murder. Can he and Diana elude the killer while the sparks of their newfound love grow?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jesse is determined to track down the man who killed his brother in cold blood. Impersonating an outlaw, his quest for justice becomes a living, breathing, part of his soul.

Trinity is heading to Denver to escape her vicious guardians. When her stagecoach is robbed, Jesse kidnaps her, and all her well-laid plans collide with his, leaving them both in danger.

Trapped in Prairie Ridge by a flood, Jesse and Trinity’s feelings soon run as high and wild as the river. When Jesse is accused of murder, Trinity stands by his side, and they take on the town’s tyrannical leader. As the city cowers in fear, help comes from an unexpected source, but can it save Jesse from a hangman’s noose?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tall, beautiful and slender, she dressed like a boy and fought like a warrior and won Laird Macgregor’s interest in a single moment. Jillian was fighting to protect her father and save her heritage – could she trust a Highlander to help her?

Leave a comment

Filed under Author Blog Post, Ebook Deal

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

November 14, 2020 · 12:12 pm

Blood and Breakast by me…Alicia Dean. :) A ‘Friday the 13th Story’

Happy Friday the 13th!! Welcome to the thirteenth and final post about a brand new series of 13 suspenseful “Friday the 13th” short stories, each by a different author.

Today, I am happy to share my Friday the 13th Short Story, “Blood and Breakfast” – Now available for sale for $1.99 or #FREE on #KindleSelect

AND…be sure to check out our contest:

Enter to win 13 FREE books brought to you by our 13 Friday the 13th authors. See contest link HERE for details.

Fun Fact:

I was plotting my story and trying to figure out why a normal family man would suddenly snap and murder his family. I realized that hallucinations could cause people to do crazy things, so I researched what could make people hallucinate. I discovered that the plant, jimson weed, can cause serious hallucinations. I also wanted to incorporate some kind of an authentic local legend in my story, so I researched legends in various states and came across the Devil’s Footrock in Rhode Island.  I was able to mesh the two–jimson weed and the Devil’s Footrock–to come up with how the husband/father in my story lost his mind and killed his family. It’s so much fun when ideas click and make a story come together. Here’s a photo of Devil’s Foot Rock:

Cool, right? You can learn about the legend surrounding the footprint by reading my story. Or, you can just google it 🙂

Now, more about Blood and Breakfast…

Blurb:

Determined to boost the sagging ratings of her internet radio show, “A Dark Place,” murder junkie Sasha Gillette checks into the Talley House Bed and Breakfast in North Kingston, Rhode Island. She and her co-host plan to broadcast an episode about the murders that took place there thirteen years earlier on a Friday the 13th, when a man butchered his entire family.

Not long after Sasha arrives, the other guests begin to disappear. Has a killer from the past resurfaced or is there a copycat on the loose?

One of the lone survivors, Sasha finds herself trapped with a sadistic killer and, suddenly, murder isn’t as much fun as she thought.

Excerpt:

The bedside lamp glowed, but the room was cast in shadows. The door to the balcony stood open, and the sheer drapes fluttered in the cool breeze. Juliana wrapped her arms around her body and strode over to close the sliding glass doors.

She paced the wooden floor, clenching and unclenching her fists. “The bitch. The little whore.” A knot formed in her throat, and she swiped at the tears streaking her cheeks. “And, the sorry son of a bitch. How could he? On our honeymoon?”

She continued to pace and curse, then took her phone from the nightstand and fired off a text to Bradley.

Sleep on the fucking couch tonight, you sorry piece of shit. I don’t want to see your face.

For a brief moment, she regretted sending it and wished she could take it back. But that lasted only a moment. His return text shattered her heart.

Fine by me. Fuck off.

The sobs that had been building broke free. She dropped to the bed and covered her face in her hands. Her soul felt like it was ripping in two. How did things go so wrong so fast? She thought he loved her. That he would fight for her. Instead, the first slut he encountered, he became a cheating asshole.

A sound penetrated her consciousness, and she sniffled back her tears. The door swung inward. In spite of her fury, her heart lifted. She stood and faced the door as she waited for Bradley to enter. Should she play it cool and make him beg? Or should she forgive him and put this behind them. Start anew?

She took a step toward the door as he entered, then froze. The man standing inside the room was not Bradley. She knew this because he was taller than Bradley, bigger. Besides, why would Bradley be wearing a ski mask?

“Who—who are you?” Her voice quivered. “What do you want?”

He stalked across the room and clapped a gloved hand over her mouth. With his other hand, he gripped her neck and squeezed. She tried to speak but could only make a gurgling sound. Her skin tightened with fear, and her stomach quivered. Terror seized her insides. She grabbed his wrists, clawing at his flesh, trying to loosen his grip. Her hands, slippery with sweat, couldn’t get a good hold.

In the murky semi-darkness, something metallic flashed in her vision. Oh God…a knife.

His hot breath wafted over her neck as he whispered into her ear, “We’re going for a walk. Make one sound, and I’ll slice you open from neck to navel.”

16 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

November 13, 2020 · 10:47 am

Fatal Legacy by Krysta Scott… A ‘Friday the 13th Story’

Happy Friday the 13th!! Welcome to the twelfth of my posts about a brand new series of 13 suspenseful “Friday the 13th” short stories, each by a different author.

Today, I am happy to share Krysta Scott’s “Fatal Legacy” – Now available for sale for $1.99 or #FREE on #KindleSelect

AND…be sure to check out our contest:

Enter to win 13 FREE books brought to you by our 13 Friday the 13th authors. See contest link HERE for details.

 

Fun Fact:

When I was a child I used to visit an arboretum. I loved the forests, gardens, and grasslands. The only thing it didn’t have was a hedge maze. It should have had one. So I gave the arboretum in Fatal Legacy a hedge maze and let my characters run wild in them.

Blurb:

Veronica Wiseman wants nothing more than a quiet life as an appellate attorney But. a serial killer is on the loose in her small town, destroying everything she holds dear. The people she cares about are in danger, and her childhood memories have turned dark. She soon learns that her sister’s death was not an accident and that her husband cannot be trusted.

As she tries to make sense of the tangled mess her life has become, a murderer draws closer. And it appears she is next on his kill list.

Excerpt:

Skeletal fingers of lightning crossed the sky, illuminating her path. For a moment, she feared she was running in the wrong direction. Then she saw it. The small indentation in the farthest hedge. Encouraged, she sped up. Her feet slipped on the gravel, and she stumbled into the bushes. She grabbed onto the slender branches, attempting to gain traction, but her knees buckled, and she swayed into the bush. Steadying herself, she leaned into the fullest part of the bush and pushed off. She stumbled to the center of the path—just as a large blade shoved through.

“Oh my, that was close, wasn’t it?” The eerie voice mocked her.

Gasping, she ran, the frightening laughter following her down the pathway.

Too close.

Adrenaline fueled her with renewed purpose. She flew across the gravel. The narrow passage loomed ahead. A place where the bushes didn’t quite grow together at the corner. Not usually noticeable to an adult but obvious to a twelve-year-old child, crawling on her belly in an attempt to hide from her sisters. Still there. Her breath whooshed from her in relief. It was just as she remembered.

“What are you doing there, Lorelei?” That chuckle again.

It sent icy shards over her skin.

“Had enough? Stymied?”

Her hand flew to her mouth, and she froze. It was like he was right behind her instead of on the other side of a line of thick shrubs.

She fell on her hands and knees. Answering him would be a futile effort. He already knew where she was, and it would be worse to let him know what she was doing. Grabbing the nearest branch, she dragged herself into the small gap between the bushes. Her hips hit a higher branch, wedging her body between the ground and shrub. Stuck! She couldn’t go any farther. The last time she’d attempted this she wasn’t even in a training bra. She’d been so thin she could slide through a leaky sieve. Now, puberty had endowed her with full hips. Her heart thudded.

She had to make it through the opening. Her life depended on it. She tugged harder. With a sickening scrape along the gravel, she moved a little farther. Biting her lip, she slipped along the mud in slow motion—trapped in one of those nightmares where you can’t run. She needed more time.

 

Bio:

Krysta Scott has always been a daydreamer, imagining worlds far away with happy endings. When she was in fifth grade, she was so caught up in fantasy she earned the dubious distinction of being named the girl who daydreams the most. The award for this questionable honor was a colorful transparent plastic poster made to look like stained glass. It was very cool. Given her flights of fancy, it came as no surprise to her family when she announced she was going to be an actress. Unfortunately, her pursuit into theater didn’t last long, because she was too withdrawn and shy to exhibit any talent in this area. Left with no other choice but to pursue a more practical avocation, she decided to major in psychology and then go to law school. Not able to let go of the worlds she created in her head, she returned to writing and was very excited when the Wild Rose Press contacted her first book.

6 Comments

Filed under Author Blog Post

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

November 12, 2020 · 10:37 am

Shattered Reflections by Tamrie Foxtail… A ‘Friday the 13th Story’

Hello and welcome to the eleventh of my posts about a brand new series of 13 suspenseful “Friday the 13th” short stories, each by a different author.

Today, I am happy to share Tamrie Foxtail’s “Shattered Reflections” – Now available for pre-order…releasing tomorrow, Nov 13.

Fun Fact:

The idea for the ruins of the family home came from a place we used to hang out as teens. It was an old, abandoned house in a small wooded area. The windows and doors were long gone. There was a big hole where a septic tank had been. We had a friend from another neighborhood visiting. We took her there one night. There was a full moon. I told her the place was haunted. The house had been abandoned after an entire family was murdered and the hole in the ground was where they had been buried. My friend, Carol, was nodding her head, confirming everything I said and adding details here and there. We frightened her so much, she took off down the path and refused to come back. No matter how much we tried, we never could convince her that I made the whole thing up.

Blurb:

Cassidy Dupree’s calm, predictable life is turned upside down when she walks into her sister’s home to find an empty house and a shattered mirror.

Cassidy thought her sister and brother-in-law had a good marriage, the kind she hoped to have one day, right up until her brother-in-law walked out on Kathryn. She thought she knew everything about Kathryn, until the moment she vanished and the secrets exploded.

Now her sister’s killer has turned his attention to Cassidy.

Excerpt:

            She’d always loved nighttime storms, tucked in her bed, warm and safe while the thunder rolled closer, making the air itself vibrate. The cadence of the rain, pounding against the roof was both a lullaby and a parade drummer. She would open the curtains and wait for the lightning to race across the dark sky, opening it up with a brilliant flash, leaving in its wake a negative image that hovered in the night for a second or two.

            But a storm when she lay curled up safe in her bed and a storm approaching when she was outside in the darkness with a killer on the loose were two very different things.

            Cassidy shivered as the storm rolled closer. She parked her car near the bridge, hesitated a moment, then got out, beeping the lock closed and walking along the park’s jogging path for the short distance until she came to the bridge. She reached into her pocket, felt her phone, familiar and reassuring.

            In the middle of the bridge a man stood silhouetted.

            “Hello, Cassidy,” he called. She recognized the voice from the phone call.

Cassidy started up the old wooden foot bridge. The boards sank a little every time she stepped on one, old wood turned soft through the years.

            Thunder rumbled off to the east.

            “Don’t worry,” he said. “The storm’s still several miles away.”

            She came a few steps closer. “I’m here. In the park in the middle of the night with a storm approaching. You can at least tell me your name.”

            “Jeff White.”

            The name zinged through her memory. “Kathryn had a friend named Jeff. They used to meet for lunch.”

            “Yes. I told you, we’d meet at The Oasis.”

            She walked a little farther up the bridge, hearing the slats creak. She rested one palm lightly on the rough wooden handrail, took another step.

            Cassidy’s heart flew to her throat as her right foot sank into nothing. She twisted, grabbing at the old rail with both hands. Splinters dug into her palms and the rail shook. Her left knee slammed against the spongy slats.

 

Bio:

Tamrie grew up in the sunshine state and came to Oklahoma when her Okie husband decided to move back home. As soon as she recovered from a rather serious case of culture shock, she fell in love with Oklahoma and the people. A former small town librarian, she now works at a local high school. She loves carousels, Shelties, soap making, scrapbooking and reading. She currently shares her home with the world’s most stuck up (and lovable) cat.

1 Comment

Filed under Author Blog Post

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,