Beyond the Limit
By Cindy Dees
Publication Date: June 25, 2019

Synopsis

Team Reaper has a new mission…Train the first female SEALs
Navy SEAL Griffin Caldwell is not happy with his team’s top-secret mission, training the first female SEALs. Griffin’s determined to prove that that his trainee Sherri Tate—a former beauty queen no less—doesn’t have what it takes to join the world’s most elite warrior’s club. Until he sees what she’s capable of, and even this hard-nosed SEAL has to admit she’s tough as nails. What he won’t admit to is the attraction sizzling between them.

Navy media officer Sherri Tate is more than just a pretty face. When she’s given the opportunity to achieve her dream of becoming a SEAL, she won’t let anything stand in her way, not even her arrogant trainer, who is too sexy for words.

When a dangerous mission lands Sherri and Griffin in the cross hairs of the world’s most feared terrorist, it’s going to take everything they have to come out with their lives—and hearts—intact.

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Praise for Cindy Dees

“A pulse-pounding adventure that will keep readers enthralled.”—RT Book Reviews for Hot Intent

“A well-crafted plot with plenty of action, love and danger…make this a must-read romance.”—RT Book Reviews for Undercover with a SEAL

 

Excerpt

I want him to kiss me…

Maybe she should kiss him.

Must. Not.

She arched into him, pressing against him as night settled gently around them.

He started this. Why shouldn’t I finish it?

Her stare locked with his as she lifted her chin the last few millimeters into kissing range. His breath mingled with hers, light and hungry.

This is a terrible, terrible idea.

But she couldn’t think of anything she would rather do in the whole wide world than be right here, right now, surrounded by this man, crushing her breasts against his chest, about to kiss him.

Her mouth opened slightly. She ran the tip of her tongue across her suddenly dry lips. Time stopped for a long moment, as she fought a losing battle against the desire raging between them.

He tilted his head down in sudden decision, his mouth capturing hers in no uncertain terms. His dynamic presence exploded around her…or maybe that was erotic attraction exploding inside her.

Their kiss was hot and wet, a carnal thing complete with tongues and sucking and groans from deep in her throat that startled the hell out of her. This was no tentative hello, no cautious introduction. This was lust and raw, raging hunger. Apparently, Griffin was as direct about his desires as he was about his opinions.

It made him even more irresistible. He saw what he wanted and went after it. No hesitation, no doubts. It was so damned alpha of him.

She crawled all over him, turned on like mad, doing her best to suck his tonsils out of his throat. His left hand slid down her spine until he gripped her behind, pulling her snug against his groin, making no secret of how turned on he was by her.

She rubbed the junction of her thighs against that promise of sweet, sweet release, relishing the zinging pleasure ripping through her. She wanted sweat and the slap of thrusting bodies, to be filled by his hot flesh, to drive him out of his mind. She actually purred a little in the back of her throat at the thought of it—

Whoa. When did she turn into a cat in heat?

Apparently, when Griffin Caldwell kissed her.

Yeah, but what a kiss.

It was sexual and frank, and frankly fantastic.

And then, just like that, he tore his mouth away from hers. Stumbled back. He jammed his hands in his pockets, and she saw through the fabric they were balled in fists. His face abruptly looked carved from stone, his eyes glacially cold.

The cool, night air swirled around her, damp and misty, chilling her to the bone.

“That’s why women can’t be in the SEALs,” he rasped.

She registered shock first.

Then disappointment.

Dismay.

Rejection.

And then came outrage, flowing fast and hot through her veins.

Had that kiss been all about humiliating her? She’d been ready to leap into bed with him, damn him!

She glared furiously at his shadowed face and said low and angry, “You think because you deign to bestow a kiss upon me, I’m going to collapse at your feet, swooning? You think because I have sexual desires I can’t be a soldier? You think because I find you moderately attractive I can’t keep my mind on the job?” Her voice rose with each question. “Just how freaking shallow do you think I am?”

His mouth clamped shut and she caught the ripple of muscles along his jaw.

“You’re the one who kissed me,” she flung at him. “How shallow does that make you?” As her fury gathered steam, she stepped forward and poked him in the chest. “I don’t think women in the SEALs are the problem, Caldwell. I think misogynistic male chauvinist pigs in the SEALs are the problem.”

“Sherri. Calm down.”

“Don’t tell me to calm down! You keep your hands, and your mouth, and…and,” she fluttered her hands at him, “all those muscles…to yourself, mister. I’m a professional soldier, and I’m here to do a job. You either get on board this train or stay out of my way. Got it?”

“No,” he ground out. “I don’t.”

She glared at him, speechless with anger.

“No matter how fancy you slice it, Sherri, no woman has what it takes to be a SEAL. You’ll never have what it takes. You have no place on the teams and never will.”

There it was. The truth had finally been spoken aloud. The SEALs didn’t want women and would do everything in their power to keep women out. And on a more personal note, he didn’t want her.

Her anger drained away as quickly as it had flared, leaving behind only a dagger of hurt buried to the hilt in her heart.

She said soberly, “What are you going to do when I prove you wrong, Griffin?”

Frustration gleamed in his gaze as clear and bright as Venus hanging low on the horizon.

She continued implacably. “The day of the female SEAL is coming—soon. If not me, then some woman a lot like me, is going to make it past all the obstacles you throw up in her path. Where will that leave you? Will you be in…or out?”

He threw up his hands and turned away from her, but she continued battering at his ramrod stiff back. “Where will that leave you, Griffin? Will you be part of the SEALs then, or will you be obsolete? Are you going to let your prejudice and archaic attitude drive you off the teams?”

He whirled around so fast she lurched back from him reflexively. “My team is my family. My life, dammit.”

He brushed past her, striding away into the darkness. She called after him as he practically ran from her, “Then you’d better get used to the idea of women. We’re coming for you. I’m coming for you, Griffin Caldwell.

***

Excerpted from Beyond the Limit by Cindy Dees. © 2019 by Cindy Dees. Used with permission of the publisher, Sourcebooks Casablanca, an imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

About the Author

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of sixty books, 2-time RITA winner and five-time RITA finalist, Cindy Dees writes military romance and romantic suspense. A former U.S. Air Force pilot and part-time spy, she draws upon real-life experience to fuel her stories of love on the edge. She resides in eastern Texas. Cindy loves to chat with readers.

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Love, Lies, and Azure Eyes
Paranormal Romantic Suspense
Soul Mate Publishing, LLC (June 12, 2019)
Print Length: 267 pages

Synopsis

Elated by Annie’s response, Johnny caved to his impulse and pressed his mouth to her sweet lips, sparking a surge of electricity that ricocheted through his entire body, and for one glorious moment swept him up in a wave of emotion that meteorically whisked him to the edge of the universe, past swirling spirals of brightly burning stars — white dwarfs, red giants, entire galaxies. Caught in the rapture, he shed his cocoon of darkness and experienced the light — the wonderful, warm, life-affirming light. He reveled in it, felt alive. He almost believed he was. Almost.

* * *

West Coast journalist Annie Sinclair’s career, not to mention her love life, has been on the skids far too long, when she returns to Logan Point, her small, Indiana hometown. She’s back to make amends with her elderly father, and to delve into the 25-year-old, unsolved murder of her high school classmate for a writing gig with a national tabloid.

Annie’s plans soon go awry, and her mettle is tested — first when her father warns her against digging into the past; and again, when she meets the Logan Point Ledger’s handsome, but exasperating, new editor; and again still, when she reconnects with her first love, who clearly wants to rekindle what once was.

But Annie’s most arduous test appears in the form of the earthbound spirit of a boy she once knew — the boy with the azure eyes accused of the murder she is looking into. He needs her to prove his innocence, so he can break the ties that bind him to the darkness. In exchange, he will set Annie free to realize that the love she yearns for is just within her reach … if only she will open her heart.

 

 

Guest Post

Hello? … Anyone there? … Can you hear me? … I’ve been stumbling about in this darkness for what seems like forever, lost, alone, looking for that certain someone to help me break these ties and open the door to the light, the blessed life-affirming, all-forgiving, soul-saving light.

My name is Johnny Lange, and life stopped for me 25 years ago, when I was 18 years old. The last thing I remember is rocketing down the highway toward Logan Point with daddy’s boy Carter McKuen, who was at the wheel and sloshed to the gill. Let me be clear: Carter McKuen was not then, never had been, and never would be my friend. That’d be true even if he hadn’t plowed his Coupe de Ville into that tree and killed me.

Just like life, death is complicated. I always figured that when you die, one of two possibilities await: either it’s lights out, or a representative of your designated Afterlife destination escorts you there. If you figured that, too, you’d be wrong. The Afterlife can get messy, and there are as many possibilities as there are dead people.

In my case, no one was waiting for me, but I was not alone. Once I made the transition, the lost souls were everywhere, as they always had been. I just hadn’t been able to see them. Suddenly, I was one of them and feared I was doomed to this purgatory for all eternity. However, I eventually learned that heaven was waiting for me! To get there, all I had to do was clear myself as the murderer of my high school classmate, Shelayne Goodnight.

First let me be clear — I’m not the one who killed Shelayne! I don’t know who did it, but it wasn’t me. Proving that wasn’t easy, even while I was alive. I had dated her exactly twice. Unfortunately, her father, who I never liked, never liked me either and told the sheriff he suspected me. Rumors started and never stopped — even now, after I’ve been dead 25 years.

Fortunately, I used my free time to hone my communication skills. Regardless of what you’ve seen in the movies, it’s not easy for a ghost — even a friendly ghost — to make himself visible and audible to a living person without scaring the spit out of them.

Thank God, I was able to get through to Annie Sinclair and persuade her to help me. If anyone could prove my innocence and figure out the true identity of Shelayne’s killer, it’s Annie. And once she does, only one hurdle between heaven and me will remain — Annie’s heart.

Thank you for this opportunity to tell you a bit about “Love, Lies, and Azure Eyes” and how I fit into it. (Hint: My eyes are azure.) If you want to join me to learn how the story plays out and who killed Shelayne, the book is available as an ebook for just $3.99. But if you sign up for the give-away, maybe you’ll win it! And if it’s an enticement, I can assure you, my story has a happy ending. •

 

About the Author

Janis Thornton is the author of a true crime/oral history/memoir, Too Good a Girl, as well as two cozy mysteries, Dust Bunnies & Dead Bodies and Dead Air & Double Dares. She also is the author of two local history books and contributor to Undeniably Indiana. She is a member of Sisters in Crime, the Authors Guild, and the Indianapolis Writers Center. She lives in her Indiana hometown in the same house where she grew up.

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Title: The Dark Bones

Author: Loreth Anne White

Release Date: May 21, 2019

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Synopsis

When Detective Rebecca North left her rural hometown, she vowed never to return. Her father’s apparent suicide has changed that. The official report is that retired cop Noah North shot himself, knocked over a lantern, and set his isolated cabin ablaze. But Rebecca cannot believe he killed himself.

To prove it, she needs the help of Ash Haugen, the man she left behind. But Rebecca and Ash share more than broken hearts. Something darker lies between them, and the investigation is stirring it back to life. Clues lead them to the home of Olivia West and her deeply troubled twelve-year-old daughter, Tori. The child knows more about the murder than anyone can imagine, but she’s too terrified to say a word.

And as a cold-blooded killer resurfaces from the past, Rebecca and Ash begin to fear that their own secrets may be even harder to survive.

 

Guest Post

Hunting For Betrayal with Author Loreth Anne White

My newest novel, THE DARK BONES, is about a cop, Rebecca North, who learns that her father—a retired police officer—has killed himself. She can’t believe it. But in order to prove it was murder she must return to her small, rural home town and face a lot of dark things she’s been running from including the man she left behind long ago, and a cold case thought long buried.

At the core, THE DARK BONES examines the lies people tell each other and themselves—the false narratives they construct in order to hide mistakes, or bad deeds, or hurtful truths, or realities that shame and burden them. And as Rebecca North, my detective, digs deep to find the truth of what really happened to her dad, she begins to crack open a carapace of old lies that wraps around a cold case—a heinous deed that occurred in her small community twenty years in the past, a crime from which people are still hiding.

Rebecca fast learns that the secrets she is beginning to unearth are secrets people will still kill to keep. However, opening up this vault of lies and betrayals in the small town also reveals to Rebecca truths about herself, and about the man she once loved, Ash Haugen. A man who betrayed her. And in confronting those betrayals and old lies, and the reasons that underpinned them, Rebecca and Ash can finally heal, and open themselves to a love that was always meant to be. At the heart THE DARK BONES is also about second chances, and getting that opportunity to try and set right the collateral damages around betrayal.

Although THE DARK BONES stands alone, it also revisits the setting and some of the characters from an earlier book, A DARK LURE. Those earlier characters were left with a hard road to travel toward their happy end, and as some of them play a key role

in Rebecca and Ash’s story, we see them also confronting outfalls around betrayal, and getting chance to continue their journey towards a good life.

 

Excerpt

Rebecca felt warmth. She was enveloped by it. She heard the crackle and pop of dry logs burning and, in the distance, dogs barking. The smell of … fire—

Her eyes shot open, her heart thumping.

He sat there. Ash. In a chair by the fire, watching her with his ice-blue eyes. She was in his living room, and the lighting had been dimmed. The flickering glow of the flames in the hearth behind him cast his rugged features into sharp relief. The scar down the side of his face looked harsh. An old brown dog with a white muzzle slept on a rug in front of the hearth.

Rebecca’s brain slotted puzzle pieces into place as she struggled through a mental haze to backtrack and figure out how she’d gotten here: The lights following her. The razed cabin and the clues that someone had been inside the shed and maybe fled the scene. Ash shooting at her. No gas in her truck. Fear of dying. Coming here to Haugen Ranch. Shucking her dad’s gear in Ash’s mudroom. Him helping her into the living room of his old family home—a great big log house built by his grandfather. Seating her on the sofa.

She sat up slowly, trying to pull her brain into sharper focus. A down duvet was wrapped around her, a heated blanket beneath that. The duvet smelled of fresh laundry. Yes, she recalled, the fire had already been going in the hearth when he’d brought her in—she’d noticed that. Next had come hot tea with honey, warm clothes handed to her—fleece, oversize. More tea.

He’d told her not to talk. Discussion could wait.

She met his eyes now and felt a visceral connection across the darkened room. This was her first proper look at him after all these years.

Her teen lover had aged. As she had. But he’d matured in a way she found attractive. He was neither sweet nor handsome. Rugged rather. A brooding look. Sun bronzed and weathered. Her attention returned to his scar. So prominent, cutting down the left side of his face from eye to jaw. He could have had plastic surgery over the past decades, but clearly hadn’t. Her memory slipped back to the day she’d tried to patch him up with the help of a small medical kit and knowledge she’d gleaned during her part-time job as a veterinary assistant.

He lied…

Her attention shifted to his hands. His knuckles were scarred.

What were you protecting him from that day?

She recalled the blood she’d seen on those ragged and bruised knuckles that day. Why had she not told her father she didn’t know for certain he’d fallen off his horse and been dragged across sharp terrain?

Why had she not questioned more firmly, at age sixteen, Ash’s refusal to go to the ER facility on that particular day? What deep psychology had driven her to possibly blind herself to search for a darker truth?

In that tempestuous, hormone-filled year she was sixteen, had she conveniently compartmentalized something that had created cognitive dissonance, because she’d just recently started sleeping with Ash, and needed to believe him? Needed to trust him again?

How had her actions that day shaped this present? Could it—she—have possibly played a role in her father’s death?

And why, oh dear God why, did Ash still make her feel things? This—this—was why she’d stayed away. He held an animal kind of magnetism over her. She felt it now, her gaze locked with his arctic eyes. Her attraction had blinded her to the fact he was not good for her. He was a liar.

She cleared her throat. “What time is it?”

“Almost midnight. You going to be okay? Do I need to drive you to Clinton?”

From his ranch it would take almost an hour, in the dark, on bad roads. And the ER would be closed. They’d have to call 911 for emergency to open up with an on-call physician. It reminded Rebecca that out here, one looked after one’s own.

“I … I must have passed out.”

A half smile. “Slept like a baby. You must have been tired.”

A desire to tell him all rose in Rebecca: How rough her journey home had been with the storms. How seeing her father’s body had gutted her. How exhausted she felt, emotionally. But she held back as her mind sharpened and the immediacy of why she was here, with him, in this house, was pulled into clear focus.

“What made you return to my father’s place when you did, Ash? How did you come to find me?”

“I go up to the Broken Bar mesa sometimes. The view of the valley on a clear, cold night is surreal.” A pause. “I needed to think.” After seeing you. The unspoken words seemed to simmer between them. “Someplace above it all. Then as the moon rose, I caught light glinting off metal where your father’s place was. I thought it might be a vehicle, so I went to check before heading home.” He paused. “You could have died out there.”

Rebecca swallowed as this fact sank like a stone through her gut.

“Have you been sitting there watching me like that all night?”

“You worried me,” he said. Then, very quietly, he added, “And I like to look at you.” He paused. “It’s been so long.”

 

About the Author

Loreth Anne White is an internationally bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and romantic suspense. A three-time RITA finalist, she is also the 2017 Overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, and she has won the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the National Readers’ Choice Award, and the Romantic Crown for Best Romantic Suspense and Best Book Overall, in addition to being a Booksellers’ Best finalist and a multiple CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award winner. A former journalist and newspaper editor who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest with her family.

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Every Last Breath

By: Juno Rushdan

Publication Date: 4/30/2019

Synopsis

48 hours

2 covert operatives

1 chance to get it right

Maddox Kinkade is an expert at managing the impossible. Tasked with neutralizing a lethal bioweapon, she turns to the one person capable of helping her stop the threat of pandemic in time: the love of her life, back from the dead and mad as hell at her supposed betrayal. Recruiting Cole to save millions of lives may be harder than resisting the attraction still burning between them, but Maddox will do whatever it takes…even if it destroys her.

When Maddox crashes back into Cole Matthews’ life, he wants to fight back. He wants to hate her. But the crisis is too strong to ignore, and soon the two former lovers find themselves working side-by-side in a breakneck race to stop a world-class killer with a secret that could end everything.

The clock is ticking.

The Final Hour Series

Every Last Breath

Nothing to Fear (coming August 2019)

Until the End (coming early 2020)

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Excerpt

F STREET, WASHINGTON, DC

12:21 P.M. EDT

No thought of how far he’d have to run, how long he had to push, Cole held a singular focus: catch the Ghost.

To keep Maddox safe, he had to reach the devil first.

Extending his stride in a flat–out sprint, Cole gave it everything. His shoulder hurt like hell.

He was gaining on him. Less than thirty feet, chipping away at the distance with every hot lungful.

Just ahead was the Gallery Place Metro—-one of the busiest stations in DC. A throng of passengers streamed in and out of the cavernous entrance. The Ghost wove between people, darting to the left then right, flowing like a stream of water around stones.

Don’t lose him. Stay close. Almost there.

Cole knocked a man out of the way and slipped through a narrow opening in the pedestrian herd. The entrance cleared ahead, and there was Novak.

The Ghost zipped past the station agent, Metrorail vending machines, and vaulted over the turnstile in one fluid motion.

Steamrolling forward into the musty air and under the fluorescent lights of the station, Cole hopped the turnstile.

Maddox’s pounding footsteps weren’t far behind.

Cole cut to the east side of the Metro station, keeping sight of the Ghost. Escalators to the trains on the lower level were around a corner. Hopefully, passengers lining the moving staircase would slow Novak down.

What if he deployed the weapon in the station or on the Metrorail? The virus would spread fast with no way to contain it.

Novak hesitated at the escalators and snapped a glimpse over his shoulder, not looking the least bit winded. Their eyes met, and that freakish smile hitched up Novak’s mouth. In a flash, he whirled, facing the escalator.

Then he jumped onto the wide metal panel running between the escalators and slid down.

Shit!

Breathless, Cole reached the escalator and peered over the side. Down a long, steep descent running several stories below ground. Really fucking long and very steep.

Sonofabitch. Novak had no limits and kept pushing the line. Cole hated heights, but that lunatic was getting away, and Maddox was closing in. No time. No time to think.

He vaulted onto the steel divider flanked by the two escalators.

“Dude, you’re crazy,” quipped a teenage kid getting off.

It felt a hell of a lot crazier than it looked. With the constraints of the narrow panel, Cole was forced to roll onto his side as

Novak had done. Maddox’s pounding footsteps drew closer. Not giving himself a chance to chicken out, he let go and gravity took him.

In a lightning rush, he zipped down cool, smooth steel feetfirst.

“Cole!” Maddox’s voice echoed overhead.

His jackhammering heart blasted into his throat, followed by his stomach. He slid down the tight divider like a slick stone.

The faces of gawking onlookers were a blur. He braced, leaning back against the steep, eighty–foot decline. He almost swallowed his tongue.

To control his breathless descent, he thrust his forearms out to the sides.

Bad idea.

His sleeves dragged against the rubber handrails, the friction turning his quicksilver slide into a jerky ride. He feared flipping over the side onto the steel teeth of an escalator.

Weightless, helpless, he drew his arms in close to his body.

Not every Metro in DC had bumpers. The puck-sized discs didn’t stop a fall, only turned a person into tenderized meat by the time they reached the bottom. He was grateful not to face any here.

The ground below was a desperate hope rushing toward him, coming at him fast. But it was the longest eight seconds of his life.

Wild exhilaration wrestled with fear.

Fear was better.

It’d keep him sharp and hungry. Keep him alive.

Novak reached the bottom and glanced up at Cole before disappearing in the direction of the Red line.

Swooshing off the metal panel, Cole’s feet stumbled finding the floor. The electric surge rising in him was akin to being born again. He fell to one knee and sprang forward, following the trail of twisting heads and necks craned over shoulders.

The corridor spilled onto the westbound platform. People stood shoulder to shoulder. Jam-packed with kids, from teens to middle-schoolers, in a patchwork of yellow, green, light–blue, and red T-shirts.

Damn it. Summer camp field trips.

Across the tracks, the eastbound side was worse. He glanced at the inbound train sign overhead—-three minutes ETA.

Three minutes before the Ghost could be lost in the wind.

Dim lighting in the concave tunnel turned needle–in–a–haystack into finding a needle in a pine forest, at night. Red LED lights lined the bumpy tiles along the edge of the platform but did nothing to brighten the landscape. Chest heaving, he slowed his breathing while scanning for a dark ball cap, black backpack. Anyone in long sleeves.

He shouldered past people, weaving around a huddle of kids and chaperones in light blue T-shirts that read Ride the Summer Wave. Every ten steps, he checked his rear, ensuring he hadn’t missed the Ghost, somehow overlooked him in the sea of passengers.

Maddox made it down, rushing onto the eastbound side across the tracks. She scoured the platform.

Cole pressed forward. Most bodies stayed stationary or paced one to two feet within a localized space. He caught glimpses of one person with a blue ball cap and backpack. Drifting slowly. Snaking around shifting figures. Cole bulldozed his way to the thin male.

Metallic bitterness coated his tongue. He clasped a hand on the man’s shoulder and wrenched him around.

A wide-eyed young man with olive–toned skin stared back. “Hey, buddy, what’s your problem?”

“Sorry.” Cole raised his palms and backed off.

Red LED lights across the tracks on Maddox’s side flashed. A train was coming.

Two minutes until his westbound train arrived. He stepped up his pace through the milling flock of people, wiping his sweaty palms on his jeans. His sixth sense, the electric worm, carved a wriggling path from his skull down his spine, fizzing and spitting sparks across his nerve endings.

The rumble of the eastbound train resounded. Cole glanced back to see lights and Maddox peering down the tunnel at the inbound train. Dread churned his gut.

He faced forward and caught the Ghost’s steely gaze at the other end of the same platform. No baseball cap. The maniacal grin on full display. A moment. Less. A millisecond. Cole pushed toward him, storming through the gaggle of day campers.

Novak made his move. A bloodcurdling scream rent the air as the Ghost leapt off the platform, arm locked around a woman, hauling her over the side along with him. He let go of her and dashed across the westbound tracks, avoiding the electrified third rail.

Bounding over a strip of lighting in the middle, Novak rushed across the eastbound tracks. He jumped, pressing his hands onto the platform, and lifted his body with the fluidity of a gymnast. The flat–faced train whizzed into the station on the opposite side, concealing Maddox and the Ghost from sight.

Red lights flashed on Cole’s platform. He ran to help the fallen woman. Elbowing anyone in his way, he rushed to the far end.

The eastbound train on the other side stopped and the doors opened.

Cole swept paralyzed gawkers to the side and reached down to the plump woman in the light yellow T-shirt, Pirates and Princesses Summer Camp written across the front. Out of his peripheral vision, cowering children shrieked and whimpered.

“Come on.” He beckoned to the stunned woman clambering to her feet. “Take my hand.”

Chimes dinged from the train across the way, and his skin prickled. Doors were about to close.

“Let’s go, lady,” he snapped at her, trying to get her moving.

Lights of the approaching westbound train on his side did the trick.

A horn blared, kicking the woman into action, hustling to the platform. She grabbed both his hands and he held tight to her forearms and heaved. Thankfully, she was lighter than she looked, but his back still protested. A black kid in his late teens, with headphones on, helped him tug her the rest of the way up onto the platform.

“You okay?” Cole asked.

She nodded, and tears streaked down her cheeks. Covering her face with her hands, she broke into sobs. Yellow T-shirts gathered around her, and Cole shot to his feet.

The train on the other side pulled out. The steel cars vanished down the dark tunnel. He swept a frantic gaze over the platform.

Empty.

Cole’s blood drained from his head as a hot ball of panic burned a hole in his gut.

Maddox and the Ghost were both gone.

About the Author

Juno Rushdan draws from real-life inspiration as a former U.S. Air Force Intelligence Officer to craft sizzling romantic thrillers. However, you won’t find any classified leaks here. Her stories are pure fiction about kick-ass heroes and strong heroines fighting for their lives as well as their happily-ever-after.

Although Juno is a native New Yorker, wanderlust has taken her across the globe. Fortunately, she is blessed with a husband who shares her passion for travel, movies, and fantastic food. She’s visited more than twenty different countries and has lived in England and Germany. Her favorite destination for relaxation is the Amalfi Coast, Italy for its stunning seascape, cliffside lemon groves, terraced vineyards, amazing pasta, and to-die-for vino.

When she’s not writing, Juno loves spending time with her family. Exercise is not her favorite thing to do, but she squeezes some in since chocolate and red wine aren’t calorie-free.

She currently resides in Virginia with her supportive hubby, two dynamic children, and spoiled rescue dogs.

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In Her Sights

By Katie Ruggle

Publication Date: 3/26/2019

“Vivid and charming.”—CHARLAINE HARRIS, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series

Synopsis

Five bounty-hunting sisters

Deep in the heart of the Rockies

Fighting to save each other

…and the men who steal their hearts

Bounty hunter Molly Pax fought hard for everything she has, turning the bail recovery business she shares with her sisters into an unqualified success. So when their sticky-fingered mother jumps bail and puts the childhood home up as collateral, Molly’s horrified. To make matters worse, every two-bit criminal in the Rockies now sees her family’s misfortune as their next big break.

She needs help, stat.

Enter rival bounty hunter John Carmondy: six feet of pure trouble, with a cocky grin to match. John’s the most cheerfully, annoyingly gorgeous frenemy Molly’s ever had the pleasure of defeating…and he may be her only hope of making it out of this mess alive.

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Praise

“I love Ruggle’s characters. They’re sharply drawn, and vividly alive. I’m happy when they find each other. These are wonderful escapist books.”—CHARLAINE HARRIS, #1 New York Times Bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse series

“Sexy and suspenseful, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.”—JULIE ANN WALKER, New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author for Hold Your Breath

“Chills and thrills and a sexy slow-burning romance from a terrific new voice.”—D.D. AYRES, author of the K-9 Rescue Series for Hold Your Breath

Excerpt

The chilly air brushed against her damp face, making her realize how warm the bar was. She peered down the dim alley, checking both directions. Except for the dumpster that she’d warned John about, the narrow lane was empty. Frustration rose in her chest, squeezing her lungs. Sonny’d had too much time to get away. The crowd had succeeded in giving him enough of a head start to escape. Without a direction, Molly knew they had no hope of finding him.

John made an irritated sound, and Molly turned to meet his gaze. “I know. It sucks. At least we know he hasn’t left town…yet. Should we go back and see what we can pry out of the zombies? Someone has to know where he’s been crashing.”

He looked unhappy about this idea. “That’s a pretty hostile bunch. You shouldn’t go back in there.”

Although a big part of her bristled at the implication that she couldn’t take care of herself, an even bigger part was relieved. She didn’t want to question the bar patrons, and John was giving her an out. She’d be an idiot to insist on endangering them for a slight chance that someone in the crowd was willing to talk.

Letting out a disappointed huff of air, she stepped into the alley. When John didn’t immediately follow, she turned to raise a questioning eyebrow. “You weren’t planning on staying, were you?” Her stomach churned with concern at the thought of him alone in Dutch’s. Sure, he was a strong guy, but even he couldn’t fight off dozens of people if they meant him harm. Who knew how many were armed, too. The bouncer hadn’t checked the two of them for weapons, and they weren’t even regulars.

“No.” John finally followed her out, and she released the door so it swung shut behind him. “I was just surprised you didn’t insist on staying.”

She shrugged, not wanting to admit that she’d considered it out of foolish pride, even though it had just been for a moment or two. “I have a greater sense of self-preservation than that.”

“I…” Whatever he had been about to say was lost when his voice trailed off, his eyes locked on the back of a neighboring building. Molly followed his gaze to a door that was cracked open just an inch or two. Turning her head, she exchanged a speaking look with John, and they both moved quietly toward the barely open door.

“You armed?” he asked so quietly that she could barely hear him.

“Depends how you define arms.” Slipping her Taser from her pants pocket, she held it at her side. “You?”

“No gun.” His gaze stayed fixed on the dark gap between the door and the frame as they moved closer to the building. “I do have arms, though.”

She was pretty sure he flexed, although her attention, like his, was focused on the slightly open door. A touch of amusement ran through her, but it was quickly swallowed by apprehension. Who knew what kind of danger hid in the shadows of the warehouse?

When they were just a few feet from the door, Molly reached her free hand toward the edge, intending to push it open, but there was suddenly a huge man in her way. With a glare at the broad back in front of her, blocking her way and even her view of the entry, she dodged around him, giving him a sharp elbow in the side. Even if he was just trying to be chivalrous, it was still a ridiculous thing to do.

Easing the door open, she took a cautious step inside, grateful for John’s watchful presence at her back. The murky ambient light illuminated the interior just enough to see shadows and forms. Dust and the lingering hint of old chemicals prickled her nose. Before she could take a second step, a darting movement caught her attention. Molly sucked in a startled breath and spun to face the threat, her entire focus was on who—or what—was in the dark space with them. Before she could race after whoever it was, the world behind them lit up, whiting out her vision. She didn’t have time to think or plan or even duck before a ferocious boom sounded, so loud that she felt it through her entire body.

John! her brain screamed, even as she knew it was too late to help him. The explosion had already sent her flying forward, weightless, from the force of the blast.

About the Author

When she’s not writing, KATIE RUGGLE rides horses, shoots guns, and travels to warm places where she can SCUBA dive. Graduating from the Police Academy, Katie received her ice-rescue certification and can attest that the reservoirs in the Colorado Mountains really are that cold. While she still misses her off-the-grid, solar- and wind-powered house in the Rocky Mountains, she now lives in Rochester, Minnesota near her family.

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Beyond Risk 

By Connie Mann 

Publication date: 1/29/19 

Synopsis

 

The river runs wild 

Former Fish & Wildlife Officer Charlotte “Charlee” Tanner still carries the guilt of a tragic drowning accident that occurred on her watch. She hoped moving back home to the wilds of central Florida would provide a safe haven-until she learns the death was no accident, and she’s the intended target. 

But no wilder than their passion 

Tough and decisive, Lieutenant Hunter Boudreau loves his new job as a law enforcement officer with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Charlee is his best friend, so when she comes under fire, he’s not letting her out of his sight until the killer is caught. But Charlee won’t sit by and let anyone else die for her. 

As danger closes in and Charlee and Hunter’s attraction threatens to consume them, Charlee has to decide if she can trust Hunter. And to save Charlee, Hunter will have to trust her, too. 

“Heart-pounding excitement…left me sitting on the edge of my seat.”—#1 New York Times bestselling author DEBBIE MACOMBER for Angel Falls 

 

 

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Excerpt

 

While Hunter checked outside, Charlee popped the second batch of cupcakes in the oven, his words echoing in her mind. Her heart ached for him over the loss of his brother. She would have wrapped him in her arms and told him how sorry she was if she thought he’d allow it.

She, better than most, understood the kind of guilt that gnawed at your heart, the sense of failure when things went wrong that never really went away. She also knew responsibility and the need to protect those you cared about. In that way, she and Hunter were exactly the same.

She shook out her fingers to get the blood flowing after clenching the wooden spoon so tightly. She knew every bit of the frustration churning inside him. But even though she knew things were different with Hunter, he still sounded just like her brothers. Or Rick. She wouldn’t tolerate a man telling her what to do “for her own protection.”

She snorted. Please. Capable woman here. Former cop. No pats on the head or macho swagger, thank you very much.

Hadn’t she followed her instincts and done what needed doing today? It had been exactly the right thing—no matter what he thought—and had shored up her battered confidence.

She allowed herself a little smile at that, then let out a breath. Enough. She had far more important things to think about than her muddled feelings for her maddening, altogether tempting best friend.

A bowl of chocolate fudge frosting sat on the table, and she was using her pastry tube to decorate the first batch of cupcakes when Hunter strode back in, his face void of all expression. She glanced up and went back to what she was doing. She didn’t have time to decipher what he was thinking. She didn’t care, either. At least that’s what she told herself.

He walked up behind her, and she could smell his woodsy scent and the heat that emanated from him. “Look, cher, I know you don’t like it, but I’m trying to protect you—”

He didn’t get any further than that. Without conscious thought, Charlee whirled around and shot half the tube of chocolate frosting right in his face, then calmly went back to her cupcakes. “Spare me the macho crap, Lieutenant. I don’t want to hear it.”

The silence went on for several beats, and Charlee had a moment to wonder if she’d gone too far. But then she heard him start to laugh. She looked up through her lashes and saw him tip his head back and laugh like she’d never heard him laugh, with his whole body.

She tried to keep from smiling, but finally gave up and joined in.

She was so distracted by the pull his laughter stirred in her belly that she yelped in surprise when a big glob of frosting landed on her nose. Followed immediately by another blob on her right check. And then her left. She tried to fight back with her pastry tube, but his assault was relentless, swiping frosting off his own face and transferring it to hers.

“Two can play this game, cher, and I’m betting I’ll win,” he warned, adding another layer to her chin.

“Oh yeah?” She went on the offensive, and they went back and forth, smearing frosting on each other.

Laughing and breathless, Charlee took a step back, stunned at the playfulness from such a serious man. She opened her mouth, trying to decide what to say, when his eyes met hers. Their laughter stilled as they studied each other. Behind the frosting and the laughter still dancing in his eyes, Charlee saw something more. Attraction, certainly. But something that went much deeper, that reached beyond friendship and caring and connected them in ways she was almost afraid to examine too closely.

Almost.

Charlee read the clear invitation in his eyes, and suddenly, her arms were around his neck, his wrapped around her back, and his hard mouth came down on hers. But where she expected aggression, he gave her featherlight kisses and licked the frosting from her lips, a smile on his own.

A shiver shot straight to her core, and she clutched his shoulders as he pulled her flush against him. The bands of muscle under her hands tightened, and she could feel the effect she had on him, but his arms didn’t feel like a cage, the way Rick’s had. No, Hunter was different. Danger clung to him like a second skin, but it was never directed at her. He growled low in his throat as he nuzzled her neck, and Charlee shivered, burrowing closer.

She shifted, giving him access to her neck, and ran her hands over his shoulders, down his arms, loving the way his hard grip made her feel safe even as his roaming hands and woodsy scent tempted her, invited her to move closer, to explore the fire that erupted whenever their skin touched.

When he nudged her lips open, she opened her mouth, welcomed his tongue in to dance with hers, hearts pounding, the kiss sparking and bursting to life until all Charlee felt was heat—his,
hers, theirs. Being in his arms was like nothing she’d ever experienced before.

It felt…right.

 

About the Author

 

Connie Mann is a licensed boat captain and loves writing romantic suspense stories set in Florida’s small towns and unspoiled wilderness. She is the author of Beyond Risk, (Florida Wildlife Warriors #1), the Safe Harbor series (Tangled Lies, Hidden Threat, Deadly Melody), as well as Angel Falls and Trapped! She has lived in seven different states but this weather wimp has happily called the Ocala area home for more than twenty years.

When she’s not dreaming up plotlines, you’ll find “Captain Connie” on the Silver River, introducing boats full of schoolchildren to their first alligator. She is also passionate about helping women and children in developing countries break the poverty cycle and build a better future for themselves and their families. Besides boating, she and her husband enjoy hanging out with their grown children and extended family and planning their next adventure.

 

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Title: A Merciful Fate

Author: Kendra Elliot

Release Date: January 15, 2019

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Synopsis

Raised by preppers, survivalist and FBI agent Mercy Kilpatrick has a deep-rooted need for a safe place. Her getaway in the Cascade Foothills is her secret. But when skeletal remains are unearthed—those of a murdered man linked to a notorious heist—Mercy realizes she isn’t the only one with something to hide.

Thirty years ago, an armored-car robbery turned deadly. The mastermind was captured. Four conspirators vanished with a fortune. One of them, it appears, never made it out of the woods alive. For Mercy and her fiancé, Police Chief Truman Daly, their investigation opens old wounds in Eagle’s Nest that cut deeper than they imagined. Especially when a reckless tabloid reporter draws fresh blood. It’s clear to Mercy that somebody in this close-knit community is not who they seem to be.

Some are still shattered by the heist. Some still have reason to be afraid. But which one will kill again and again to hide three decades of secrets? To land this case, it’s up to Mercy to unmask a familiar stranger before someone else dies.

Excerpt

“Sit.”

Mercy sat on a stool that was too high for the makeshift table. She didn’t care. They could sit on the ground and she’d be happy with Truman. Currently the home had plywood subfloors and open framing, but part of Mercy loved the empty, bare look; it promised that something fabulous was coming.

Fabulous and practical.

Truman leaned over and poured red wine in the plastic cup by her paper plate. She sighed and buried her nose in her cup. The fragrance was deep and bold, with hints of plum and smoke.

“Italy,” she mumbled into the wine.

“What?” asked Truman.

“I want to visit Italy. How does a honeymoon in Italy sound?”

A grin filled his face, and the sensation of butterflies fluttered up her spine.

Or maybe it’s the wine.

She took a sip of her wine as she studied his face. So familiar and dear to her.

A smile to stop traffic. Eyes that crinkled in happiness. Several scars that testified to his love of law enforcement. Her attraction to him was more than skin deep. She was in love with the person he was. He was a natural leader and easily commanded respect. His people turned to him, followed him, admired him. His natural sense of honor was a magnet for her.

No. It’s not the wine.

He gets me.

He understood how her mind worked, and they fit together like a couple of complicated puzzle pieces. She’d been painfully aware of her missing puzzle piece when he’d been taken away, chained by men planning to kill him, and then rescued thanks to Ollie. The two weeks when no one knew his fate had been the worst of her life. When he’d been returned to her, she’d known she couldn’t waste any more time.

He’d been of the same mind-set and had proposed.

“I’ll try Italy.” He dished spaghetti carbonara onto their plates.

“And what’s on your agenda for tomorrow?” he asked over the rim of his plastic cup. She perked up. “The bank confirmed the money bags are from the Gamble-Helmet Heist. And I have the go-ahead to visit Shane Gamble at the Two Rivers prison tomorrow.”

“What are your thoughts on the remains?” Truman asked. “Did the medical examiner get to them yet?”

“Yes. They spent the afternoon removing the remains, and Dr. Lockhart was going to start an examination tonight. The woman never takes time off.”

“Same could be said for you.”

“Only when I’m deep in a case.”

“I guess this means your weekends are booked for a while?”

Mercy sighed. “I know. The two of us are supposed to be working on the interior of this place … We’ll get it done at some point. It’ll have to wait awhile.”

A grin filled his face.

“What?” she asked.

“You’re not the same person I met last fall. Back then, if the cabin had been in the half-completed state it is now, you’d be climbing the walls with anxiety because your safety net wasn’t perfect.”

“You’re right,” she agreed. “I had a similar thought earlier, but nearly all my supplies are still intact, so it’d be rough living but doable. I can temporarily live with that for now. Especially with this case to distract me.”

His lips twisted.

“Jealous?” she asked with a grin. “It’s an amazing case, isn’t it?”

“It is. Considering there have been no leads for decades, and the robbery is practically modern folklore. It’s like a buried treasure hunt, and Ollie found the first clue.”

“Is Ollie okay after his morning?” she asked with a small wince. She’d nearly forgotten the teen had made the grisly discovery.

“He’s okay. I spent some time with him and he was very quiet, but I could tell he was processing it. He’s dealt with death before.”

“He’s been through a lot,” sympathized Mercy.

They silently ate for a few moments until he glanced up and caught her staring at him. Longing shone in his eyes, an appetite and craving that had nothing to do with food, and she struggled to find her breath.

How does he do that to me?

“You know,” he said, his voice low and tempting, “this place hasn’t been christened yet.”

Mercy blinked. “People do that to homes?”

Patience filled his features. “That’s not what I meant.” His brown gaze held hers.

“Ohhh,” she breathed as heat flashed through her.

“Dessert.” His smile was sinful, and energy pulsed between them.

She melted. “Yes. Dessert.”

 

About the Author

Kendra Elliot has landed on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list multiple times and is the award-winning author of the Bone Secrets and Callahan & McLane series, as well as the Mercy Kilpatrick novels: A Merciful Death, A Merciful Truth, and A Merciful Secret. Kendra is a three-time winner of the Daphne du Maurier Award, an International Thriller Writers finalist, and an RT Award finalist. She has always been a voracious reader, cutting her teeth on classic female heroines such as Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and Laura Ingalls. She was born, raised, and still lives in the rainy Pacific Northwest with her husband and three daughters, but she looks forward to the day she can live in flip-flops.

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Burden of Proof

FBI Rapid Response, #1

by

DiAnn Mills

Genre: Inspirational /Mystery / Suspense / Romance

Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers

Date of Publication: October 9, 2018

Number of Pages: 416

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Reeling from a negotiation gone wrong, FBI Special Agent April Ramos is caught off guard when a frazzled young woman shoves a crying baby into her arms, then disappears. Worry for the child’s safety quickly turns to fear when a man claiming to be the girl’s father abducts them at gunpoint. April puts her hostage negotiation skills to use to learn more about who she’s dealing with: Jason Snyder, a fugitive accused of murder.

As Jason spins a tall tale about being framed for the killing of his business partner, April must sort through his claims to find the truth. A truth that becomes all the more evident after April overhears a conversation between Jason and the local sheriff and realizes something more sinister may be happening in their small town of Sweet Briar, Texas. But aligning herself with a known fugitive to uncover the burden of proof could cost April her job . . . or worse, her life and the lives of other innocent people.

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Praise

“The tension level rises as layers of lies are peeled away in multiple plot twists.” —Library Journal

“DiAnn Mills is a master of fast-paced and intricately plotted romantic suspense.” —Colleen Coble, Bestselling author

“[A] fast-moving, intricately plotted thriller.” —Publishers Weekly

 

 

 

 

DiANN MILLS SHARES SONGS THAT KEEP HER WRITING.

Music is an important part of my life and is consistently on no matter what I’m doing. The following are my top 7 musical inspirations that keep me focused, encouraged, and sometimes in suspense mode.

1. “Fear is a Liar” by Zach Williams – Inspiration, encouragement, and focused!
2. “Oceans” (Where Feet May Fall) by Hillsong –  Inspiration and encouragement
3. “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban – Inspiration and encouragement
4. Anything Andrea Bocelli does fills me with inspiration.
5. Jaws – Soundtrack. I’m sure you figured this out, but definitely, suspense music when I’m writing.

6. This is a YouTube site for 29 1/2 minutes of crime/suspense mood music:

7. This is a YouTube site for 1 hour of suspense music:

 

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She combines unforgettable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels.

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards; and been finalists for the RITA, Daphne du Maurier, Inspirational Reader’s Choice, and Carol Award contests. Firewall, the first book in her Houston: FBI series, was listed by Library Journal as one of the best Christian fiction books of 2014.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. She is co-director of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference, where she continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas. DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers.

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10/13/18	Review	Missus Gonzo
10/13/18	Excerpt	All the Ups and Downs
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Out and In

a mystery-thriller

Marie Donovan Mysteries, #1

by

Pat Dunlap Evans

  Genre: Fiction / Romantic Suspense

Publisher: A.M. Chai Literary

Date of Publication: April 27, 2016

Number of Pages: 316

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Stunning beauty and amateur cellist Marie Donovan finds herself in deep trouble after her pro-quarterback husband dives off a Dallas high rise—many say in shame after his shady investments go sour. Just months later, the grieving Marie faces capital murder charges for the death of a lecherous opera maestro. When hard evidence points squarely at her, only her best friend and defense lawyer believe her.

Marie is no stranger to struggle. During her six years as an NFL Football wife, she fends off groupies eager to take her man, all the while feeling lost in her husband’s macho culture. Studying the cello becomes Marie’s solace until her hard-drinking husband retires after an injury. Returning to Dallas, he plays with high society’s money in an investment scheme until winning at all costs leaves Marie and her twin sons on the hook for millions.

Scorned by society friends, charged with murder, Marie pins her hopes on hunky defense lawyer Ryan Ingles, one of Cole’s college football pals. After Ryan’s legal team discovers some of the maestro’s dark secrets, Marie and Ryan’s investigative troupe travel to exotic islands in search of clues Cole left behind. As the tropics weave a romantic spell, a corrupt offshore banker dashes Marie’s hopes. She wonders if she’ll ever be free of blame…and able to claim her own place in this world.

 

 

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Praise

“Out and In is the perfect mystery-thriller for the beach, a long flight, or to savor before bed…an exciting but heartfelt story about a beautiful woman who struggles to prove her innocence … As for the ending, I am still stunned.” — Lara Reznik, Amazon best-selling author of The Girl from Long Guyland and Bagels and Salsa.

“Could not put it down, once I started reading. Definitely a must-read. Look forward to reading more books from Pat Dunlap Evans. ” — five-star Amazon review by reader “Mimi”

“Awesome…flowed nicely … definitely kept you on your toes to who actually committed the murder. The lead character was a perfect blend of hard and soft. A great read.” — five-star Amazon review by reader “Tiffany”

 

 

Pat Dunlap Evans was born in Michigan but “got to Texas as soon as I could,” she says. Her family lived in San Antonio and later Dallas, where she attended South Oak Cliff High School and Southern Methodist University. Pat eventually completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English at University of Missouri, Kansas City, with emphasis on creative writing. She also taught freshman writing courses as a part-time lecturer.

After a divorce, Pat stressed her way as a single mom through twenty-five years of high-stress advertising and marketing roles before retiring to write fiction and screenplays. She lives in the Lake Travis area with her second husband Dr. Bill Evans and enjoys travel, golf, volunteer work, sailing, and the chaos of the couple’s combined five adult children, five grandchildren, and two cockalier dogs.

Pat has published two novels, To Leave a Memory and Out and In, with a third novel Those Who Try due out soon.

 

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Whispers On The Wind

by

Dana Wayne

  Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Book Lift Off

Date of Publication: March 7, 2018

Number of Pages: 277

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You didn’t stop him. He killed her.

Dire warnings from a voice only he can hear makes Sheriff Cooper Delaney doubt his sanity. When a body is found matching one from a recent nightmare, he believes he’s gone off the deep end. The dead do not talk to the living. Or do they? One body becomes two. Are there more?

Heartbroken by betrayal, Dr. Samantha Fowler finds herself starting over at thirty-three. When she meets the local sheriff, the attraction is instant and fierce, threatening to crumble the defensive walls around her heart. Once burned, twice shy, she vows to stay far away from him for the duration of her stay at the quaint B & B they share. But when she finds one body, then another, avoiding the handsome Texan is impossible.

He’s not done.

Quarry in sight, he watches and waits. “I am the master. I cannot be stopped.” 

The clock is ticking…

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Praise

“Smooth pace and lovable characters drew me in almost instantly.”

“If you love romantic suspense, you are in for a treat!”

“Masterpiece! Dana’s ability to paint a picture with words is incredible.”

“Hard to stop reading once I started.”

“It has been a long time since I enjoyed a book as much as I did this one.”

A dog and spirits…could this book get any better?  Why yes it can with well-developed characters and a murderer hiding in plain sight.

I was thrilled to be given the chance to review this book because the synopsis just pulled me into the story almost right off the bat.  Someone from the other side was talking to both Cooper and Sam.  In Coop’s case, we are led to believe it is the victim (but which one?!).  For Sam, it is her Grandmother that is watching over her.  I felt like Cooper’s ghost was impatient, yet she wasn’t giving him very many clues to unearth the killer.

The story kept me engaged throughout wondering who was behind the murders and when the truth was revealed it shocked the heck out of me!  I did NOT see that one coming!  I don’t think there are really any obvious clues to point you towards the killer.  There is a lot of misdirection and supposition (on my part) regarding the mystery portion of this book.

Now let’s talk about the characters.  I felt like all the characters were well developed and mostly likable.  Coop and Sam are mature and while they have their issues, overall they seem to be balanced. Miss Eva (she owns the B&B) and Jason, Coop’s son, add depth to the story and there is a little secret there that comes out near the end.  You’ll have to read the book to discover that secret.  One character we get just a glimpse of is Big Mama….I think there is more to her story and would love to know more about her.  And I can’t do this review without mentioning Jack, Sam’s dog.  He is very protective of her but has taken a liking to Coop.  He is key at various points in the story to Sam’s well being and safety.

This is the first book I have read by this author and can’t wait to read more.

We give this 5 paws up!

Awarding winning author Dana Wayne is a sixth generation Texan and resides in the Piney Woods with her husband, (and biggest fan), a Calico cat named Katie, three children and four grandchildren. She routinely speaks at book clubs, writer organizations and other groups about writing and self-publishing.

Her debut novel, Secrets of The Heart, was awarded First Place – Contemporary Romance, 2017 by Texas Association of Authors, was a finalist for the 2017 Scéal Award for Contemporary Romance, Reviewers Top Pick and included on the Top 10 Books to Read This Winter from Books & Benches online magazine.

Her next two novels, Mail Order Groom, released in April 2017, and Whispers On The Wind, released in April 2018, both received 5 Star Reviews from Readers Favorite among others. She was recently included in the Top 50 Indi Authors You Should Read by calebandlindapirtle.com, an international book blog site.

Affiliations include Romance Writers of America, Texas Association of Authors, Writers League of Texas, East Texas Writers Guild, Northeast Texas Writers Organization, and East Texas Writers Association.

Website ~ Facebook~ Twitter

Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

 

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GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!  GIVEAWAY!

FIRST PRIZE:  Signed Copy of Whispers on the Wind 

+ Floral Fan + $10 Amazon Gift Card

TWO RUNNERS-UP: eBook Copies of Whispers on the Wind

(Open Internationally)

  September 4-13, 2018

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out the other blogs on this tour

9/4/18	Guest Post	That’s What She’s Reading
9/5/18	Review	Forgotten Winds
9/6/18	Excerpt	Chapter Break Book Blog
9/6/18	BONUS Review	Hall Ways Blog
9/7/18	Guest Post	All the Ups and Downs
9/8/18	Review	Carpe Diem Chronicles
9/9/18	Scrapbook Page & BONUS Review	StoreyBook Reviews
9/10/18	Guest Post & BONUS Review	The Clueless Gent
9/11/18	Review	Reading by Moonlight
9/12/18	Author Interview	Books and Broomsticks
9/13/18	Review	Book Fidelity

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