Thursday, July 29, 2021

The Heartstone & Giveaway

 

 


The Heartstone
Smoke and Mirrors Book 2
by Helene Opocensky
Genre: Middle Grade, YA Fantasy


Corbin, a powerful shapeshifting young mage, is just beginning to learn to flex and harness his magical powers. When he hears that a young witch, who doesn’t know that her strangeness is due to magic, has run away for fear of being institutionalized for a second time, he knows that he has to help his friends find her so that she can learn to celebrate what makes her different rather than fear it.

What he doesn’t know is that finding her will snowball him into a position where he again feels obligated to his scheming former mentor, Max Grobian. Nor does he know that Max will, once more, try to manipulate him into betraying her daughter Lorelei, a girl Corbin feels heart-bound to, yet fears to fully love.




The Trueheart
Smoke and Mirrors Book 1


How could Corbin possibly do what he was supposed to do?

After Corbin’s mother died, Maxim Moritz Grobian took him, penniless orphan that he was, under his wing and taught him the magic that was their heritage. Corbin owed Max everything, and now Max had given him a mission. Corbin was to bring Max's estranged daughter to New York. Lorelei was the only one, Max insisted, that could use the Heartstone, a crystal of phenomenal power, to keep mages safe from the Inquisitors that hunted them and allow mages to finally take their rightful place in the world.

A worthy goal, thought Corbin initially, but now that he had actually met Lorelei all he really wanted to do was to run for the hills. Both afraid of hurting her and endangering himself, he needed to stay away from her, not befriend her to do Max’s bidding. Besides, his instructions were more than to just befriend her. He was supposed to make her fall in love with him.

There was no way, absolutely no way he was going to do that – not after what she had told him.







Helene Opocensky was born in Germany and immigrated to the United States as a child.
After college graduation, she worked for an insurance company for ten years but, after filing a sex discrimination lawsuit against them, she was hired by her law firm and encouraged to attend law school.
After graduation, she worked for many years in the child support department as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Connecticut.





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Hexes & Hijinks & Giveaway

 

 


Hexes & Hijinks
Danika Dreary Mystery Book 1
by Sherry Soule
Genre: Cozy Paranormal Mystery


This book will appeal to readers of Nancy Warren, Angie Fox, Molly Fitz, and Kate Allenton!

A whimsical matchmaker. A bizarre murder. And a psychic amateur sleuth...

Danika Dreary’s life is a hot mess. After her latest soul-crushing crisis, Danika moves in with her eccentric grandma, Elsie.

But there’s a catch: Danika must work at Karma Moon within the quaint town of Mystique, California. Except this is no ordinary new-age bookshop, it’s also where Elsie—a legendary matchmaker—helps the lonely residents find love.

When Ryker Van Allan demands his money back on a true love package, Elsie and Danika are shocked. Yet Ryker insists the woman never showed up for the date. And he’s telling the truth—Danika has a built-in lie detector that warns her whenever someone’s being dishonest.

That night, the woman’s body is found near the shop, and Elsie is accused of the murder. Danika can’t let her grandma serve time for a crime she didn’t commit. But the victim has more enemies than the town has secrets, and Danika can’t throw a tarot card without hitting a potential suspect.

With the clock ticking, Danika must prove Elsie’s innocence, suffer through the horrors of retail, and maybe even find a place where she truly belongs.

Do you enjoy clean cozy mysteries with a slice of romance and a dash of paranormal?

Then buy your copy now or read for FREE with a Kindle Unlimited subscription!




Multi-Genre Author of Bewitching Mysteries, Unconventional Heroines & Swoony Romances!
Sherry Soule lives in Northern California with her family and two spoiled rescue cats. She writes cozy paranormal mysteries, supernatural mysteries, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and sci-fi romance. Many of her books have been on the Amazon bestseller lists and nominated as top picks in the "Best Paranormal Romance" categories on numerous review sites.





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BODY CONSCIOUS & Giveaway

 


Body Conscious

by Ana Diamond

 

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

 

GENRE: Romantic Cozy Mystery

 

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

 


BLURB:

 

Mortician, Lily Reynolds is used to seeing bodies, but not the type murdered in her own funeral home. As Detective James Rivers zeroes in on her as the town’s number one suspect she must rise above the accusations and rumors to solve the case herself while keeping her attraction to the troubled detective at bay.

 

James has a past. The last time he let someone into his life she wound up dead. Vowing never to let that happen again he has sworn off dating for good. Until he meets Lily. In his gut he knows she’s not the murderer but pressure to solve the case puts him on the wrong trail while he struggles to keep Lily off the case. 

 

Can she solve the case on her own or will their scandalous romance get in the way of proving her innocence?

 

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

 

Excerpt:

 

“That’s Detective James Rivers,” Abrams said. “He came all the way up from New York City to our little town in the scenic Hudson Valley. He’ll be the lead investigator on this case since I know you ladies will be frequent callers.”

 

“Let’s be clear, I’ve never called you,” Lily said. “It’s always been Shanna.”

Abrams gave her a coy smile. He seemed flattered by the idea.

 

“Nice to meet you, Detective Rivers,” Lily said, finally turning toward the man who approached them.

 

Her breath caught in her throat. She didn’t know what she had been expecting, but not this—the angelic face with large sky-blue eyes, pronounced cheekbones and silken black hair. The only part of him that matched her ideas of what detectives looked like were his tattooed arms. She should know; her dad had been a cop.

 

May he rest in peace.

 

But James’s tattoos weren’t subtle. Snakes slid up his arms, past his rolled-up shirtsleeves, coiling around his thick forearms and biceps. One corner of his mouth lifted as he caught her staring.

 

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

 


AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

When Ana Diamond isn't writing about tough gals finding love in unexpected places, she’s at work by day in the medical field. She writes romantic cozy mystery novels with feisty strong women and alluring men who can’t resist them. Her books are fast paced, entertaining and heartfelt all at once.

Ana is a 2020 Tara Contest Finalist for Body Conscious and 2015 Melody of Love contest finalist. She lives in New York with her husband, two children and two needy but wildly entertaining kitty cats.

Links

 

https://twitter.com/AuthorDiamond

 

https://www.instagram.com/anadiamondauthor/

 

https://www.facebook.com/anadiamondauthor/

 

https://www.tiktok.com/@anadiamondauthor?lang=en

 

https://books2read.com/anadiamondauthor

 

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Wednesday, July 28, 2021

The Inn at Summer Island

 

The Inn at Summer Island
Rachel Magee
Published by: Entangled: Amara
Publication date: August 23rd 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Millie Leclair is a mess, complete with a dead-end career and a flat-lining love life. So when she inherits her great aunt’s oceanfront B&B in a resort town in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, she doesn’t hesitate to pack up her car and set off on a new adventure. It’ll be fun.

Of course, life seldom goes according to plan. The B&B is barely habitable for one person, let alone ready to open for business. With dwindling funds, Millie has no choice but to roll up her sleeves and tackle the repairs by herself. Yeah, so much fun.

Ex-pro golfer Braxton Channing thought being a full-time single parent kept him on his toes. That was before he spotted his new neighbor teetering on her rooftop—which is only the beginning of her long list of renovations for the old house—and he added keeping her safe to his to-do list.

But Millie is determined to dive headfirst into repairs regardless of the risk, and suddenly, battling with his daughter over brushing her teeth seems easier than winning an argument with Millie. She’s exasperating. And oddly delightful. And most definitely shouldn’t be let anywhere near a tall ladder.

For a guy who’s sworn off romantic relationships, why does he suddenly want to be the one who gets the privilege of watching Millie conquer not just the B&B but his heart as well?

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Author Bio:

Rachel wrote her first novel when she was twelve and entered it into a contest for young author/illustrators. Unfortunately, the judges weren't impressed with her stick figures. So she dropped the dream of becoming a world famous illustrator and stuck to spinning stories. When she's not busy working on her latest book, she loves to travel with her family and friends. By far, her favorite destination is the beach, which tends to work its way into most of her stories. Between vacations, you can find her at home in The Woodlands, TX with her wonderful husband, their two adventurous kids and a couple of spirited pets, all of whom share Rachel's love of the ocean. Well, except the cat and dog. They're both afraid of water. Find out more about what Rachel has been up to at rachelmageebooks.com.

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WORKING MAN by L.B. Alexander

 

  • Excerpt Reveal & Teaser Share

  • WORKING MAN

    by L.B. Alexander

  • Release Date: July 28, 2021

  • COVER DESIGN:
     Cormar Covers

  • GENRE: 
    Contemporary romance

  • Synopsis

  • Violet Luna is a new brand of “It Girl.”

    Young.

    Beautiful.

    Executive Director of a viral sensation dating app.

    To the outside world, her life is an unattainable fantasy of glitz and glamor. Well... the “fantasy” part is true.

    Reeling from a nasty break-up with an up-and-coming movie star, Violet is painfully aware that it will tarnish her company’s reputation if she shows up to their annual retreat alone. What’s a girl to do but hire the most devastatingly sexy elite male escort she can find?

    Gabriel de Graaf was meant to be nothing more than a dirty little secret as Violet dared to walk on the wild side. But when he awakens a passion within her, Violet soon realizes that one night with this handsome Dutchman won't be close to enough...


    ** Author L.B. Alexander delivers a gender-swapped Pretty Woman romance that will leave readers swooning over each sizzling page!

  • Excerpt

  • I’d never before subscribed to the aphoristic notion correlating a man’s ability to dance with his ability to perform in bed.

    That was until I danced with Gabriel de Graaf.

    Still stewing from my ego-crushing exchange with Nathan, I accepted a shot of Glenlivet, downed a glass of Dom Perignon, and even took a mild puff off of a low-dose sativa pen, before following Gabriel onto the dance floor, twisting and shaking my body as if I were in a nightclub.

    And that direct contact with his body, surrounded by smoky darkness and too-loud music, was more arousing than any foreplay I’d ever experienced.

    It was as if I’d only taken small hits of Gabriel throughout the night, and now I was really experiencing the soaring high that he was. He was a potent force, lust personified in the otherworldly form of a man way too beautiful for the mortal realm. I drunkenly imagined him as the ancient vinous deity as he towered over me on the dance floor, his electric gaze captivating me even through the throng of tipsy bodies and pulsing beats. He was silently commanding, with his eyes and with his body, and I’d become a lascivious worshipper, his maenad, eager and ecstatic to dance for him.

    He was confident as he rhythmically moved, gently domineering, expertly guiding me as I awkwardly swayed in the heels that were starting to ache.

    As if he sensed that my feet were hurting, Gabriel suddenly stood even closer, wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, and actually lifted me several inches off the floor.

    The DJ was playing a dirty remix of a Cardi B track, amplified by a prolonged, sexy bass line that empowered my inner stripper, and I became acutely aware of the steady bump and roll of Gabriel’s hips against my backside as I curled against him in our new position.

    He paused against me for a brief second as the bass dropped low, and I could have sworn I felt something—something hard—positioned right against me.

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    WORKING MAN

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  • About the Author

  • I’m an American author based in perpetually sunny Southern California. I've spent my entire life enraptured by the sheer transformative power of the written word, and in December 2018, I published my first romance novel, Swan Lake, a contemporary reimagining of the beloved ballet. In addition to writing, I am a professional marketeer, a baker, an animal-lover, a tree-hugger, a perpetual wanderluster, and a massive art history nerd. An optimist at heart, aficionada of luxury, and true believer in happily ever afters, I strive to tell memorable, passionate stories that can intrigue, challenge, arouse, and most importantly, inspire.

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Tears of Change & Giveaway

 


Poetry

Date Published: 6/29/2021

Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing


photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

 

Tears of Change is a collection of poems and quotes that takes you on a journey through the everyday emotions of life. In this book you will find unique, one-of-a-kind poems. Some will touch your heart and bring you to a place of appreciation and peace, and others may change the way you view and look at things. You will find ones that will move you through joy, loss, acceptance and renewal, as well as pain and sorrow. My hope is that one or many will inspire you to take a leap into expressing all of your own emotions so you can reach a deeper place of love and gratitude within yourself.

 

 


 

 

 

Author Contact Links

Website

Facebook


Purchase Links

Amazon

 


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Sledgehammer by JC Jaye

 

 

Sledgehammer by JC Jaye is LIVE!

Genre: Steamy Contemporary Romance
Trope: Blue Collar Romance
Series: Dirty Boys Do It Better, Book 2

Available Now: https://amzn.to/3xY5qA2 

Add it to your TBR on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SledgehammerTBR
Save it to your wish list on BookBub: https://bit.ly/SledgehammerBB

Start the Dirty Boys Do It Better Series today with Gravedigger, Book #1!
One-Click: https://amzn.to/3AuxcWT
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/GravediggerTBR


The man’s got a mighty hammer.

Joe “Sledge” Jaggard is the gold standard for imaginative homeowners craving the three B’s: Big, Bearded, and Brawny. But this hardworking hunk isn’t risking his rep with any messy, on-the-job hookups. No way—he’ll do his playing after hours, once he scrubs the sweat off. But when a luscious little kitten hires him for a summerlong project, he’s incurably bewitched.
Just his luck, she’s wearin’ the wrong man’s ring…

The lady’s got a mighty dilemma.

Becca Calhoun has inherited her gran’s overrun mansion, and is determined to restore its grandeur with Sledgehammer Inc.’s expertise. But concentrating on her To-Do List isn’t easy, not with a dirty demon singeing her six days a week with his hot green eyes. Dare the future bed-and-breakfast host follow her heart, and ditch control-freak fiancé for laid-back bad boy?

Maybe, but fate’s got other plans…

Contractor and client fall, and they fall hard. But a tumble off a tall ladder and a shocking diagnosis tests their trust and staying power, and the passionate pair learn that even the strongest bond isn’t immune to fissures.

**Adult content and language.

PreOrder: https://amzn.to/3xY5qA2
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SledgehammerTBR
BookBub: https://bit.ly/SledgehammerBB


MEET THE AUTHOR:

It was all Rhett and Scarlett's fault.
(Talkin' the grand staircase scene, people.)

Stung by the literary lovebug at a tender young age, JC has been devouring spicy romantic fiction ever since. Seriously... What could possibly be more delectable at the end of a rough day than a big, bad, moody male brought to his alphahole knees by a gorgeous, kick-ass, rock star of a heroine?

Well, besides a hefty goblet of vino and some imported Brie.

Dreaming up "I wish" fantasies while slogging through the woefully Rhett-scarce world, JC invites readers to indulge in decadent escape through her foulmouthed and passion-saturated tales.

You heard foulmouthed, right?

WEBSITE | AMAZON | FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM | GOODREADS | TIKTOK

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THE F.I.G. MYSTERIES & Giveaway

 


The F.I.G. Mysteries

by Barbara Casey

 

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

 

GENRE: Mystery

 

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

 


BLURB:

 

THE F.I.G. MYSTERIES

 

Dara Roux, abandoned when she was 7 years old by her mother.  Exceptionally gifted in foreign languages. Orphan.

 

Mackenzie Yarborough, no record of her parents or where she was born. Exceptionally gifted in math and problem-solving. Orphan.

 

Jennifer Torres, both parents killed in an automobile accident when she was 16. Exceptionally gifted in music and art.  Orphan.

 


THE CADENCE OF GYPSIES: Book 1

 

Known as the F.I.G.s (Females of Intellectual Genius), three high-spirited 17 year olds with intelligent quotients in the genius range, accompany their teacher and mentor, Carolina Lovel, to Frascati, Italy, a few weeks before they are to graduate from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women.  Carolina's purpose in planning the trip is to remove her unusually gifted, creative students from the Wood Rose campus located in Raleigh, North Carolina, so they can't cause any more problems ("expressions of creativity") for the headmaster, faculty, and other students – which they do with regularity. Carolina also wants to visit the Villa Mondragone where the Voynich Manuscript, the most mysterious document in the world, was first discovered and attempt to find out how it is related to a paper written in the same script she received on her 18th birthday when she was told that she was adopted.

 


THE WISH RIDER: Book 2

 

When Carolina and the F.I.G.s return to Wood Rose, Dara decides that she wants to try to locate her birth mother when she learns that she might be living in New York City. Carolina, Mackenzie, and Jennifer accompany her and their search leads them to a secret dangerous shadow world hidden deep beneath Grand Central, constructed in what Mackinzie identifies as chevroned magic squares—N X N matrixes in which every row, column, and diagonal add up to the same number—and cloaked in the discordant B flat minor key music that only Jennifer can hear. 

 


THE CLOCK FLOWER: Book 3

 

The three FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—graduate from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women after returning from New York City where Dara learned why her mother abandoned her all those years ago, and they are now attending universities where they can further their special talents. This means they will be separated from each other and from Carolina, their much-loved mentor and teacher who is “one of them,” for the first time in their young lives. They vow to try living apart for one semester, in the so-called real world that doesn’t include the orphanage; but if things don’t work out, they will come up with another plan—a plan where they can be together once again. Dara is invited through Yale University to take part in an exciting archeological project in China. Jennifer, once again visualizing black and white images and the unusual sounds of another cadence that seem to be connected to Mackenzie, is engrossed in creating her next symphony at Juilliard. Mackenzie, because of her genius at problem-solving, is personally chosen by a US Senator to get involved in a mysterious, secret research project involving immortality that is being conducted in a small village in China—not too far from where Dara is involved with the archeological site. Once there, however, she finds herself facing a terrifying death from the blood-dripping teeth of an ancient evil dragon. Her best friends, the FIGs and Carolina, rely on their own unique genius and special talents to save her as she discovers the truth of her birth parents.

 

THE NIGHTJAR’S PROMISE: Book 4

 

Jennifer Torres, one of the three FIGs (Females of Intellectual Genius) who is a genius in both music and art, is the last to leave the closed rehearsal for her upcoming performance over Thanksgiving break at Carnegie Hall when she hears something in the darkened Hall. Recognizing the tilt of the woman’s head and the slight limp of the man as they hurry out an exit door, she realizes it is her parents who were supposedly killed in a terrible car accident when she was 15 years old. Devastated and feeling betrayed, she sends a text to Carolina and the other two FIGs—THURGOOD. It is the code word they all agreed to use if ever one of them got into trouble or something happened that was too difficult to handle. They would all meet back at Carolina’s bungalow at Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women to figure it out. As soon as they receive the text, because of their genius, Dara starts thinking of words in ancient Hebrew, German, and Yiddish, while Mackenzie’s visions of unique math formulae keep bringing up the date October 11, 1943. And as Carolina waits for the FIGs to return to Wood Rose, she hears warnings from Lyuba, her gypsy mother, to watch for the nightjar, the ancient name for the whip-poor-will.

In their search for “The Nightjar’s Promise” and the truth surrounding it, Carolina and the FIGs come face to face with evil that threatens to destroy not only their genius, but their very lives.

 

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

 



 

Excerpt:

 

Excerpt from The Nightjar’s Promise

 

In less than a half-hour, Carolina and the FIGs were standing in front of a large black wrought iron gate peering through the tall scrolled railings. Dara was the first to notice the words inscribed above the gate—Beit Almin. “That means ‘house of eternity,’” she said. “This is a Jewish cemetery.”

 

“That must explain why they weren’t buried in the cemetery in Fredericksburg,” said Jennifer. “My parents must have definitely been Jewish. You can’t get into one of these places unless you are Jewish.” Then, after a moment, “I never knew—we never discussed religion.” She looked at her best friends, “I guess that makes me Jewish, too.”

 

Inside the walled cemetery, there was only one massive mausoleum that had been built on the side of a hill that extended underground. After passing through the entrance, they followed the dimly-lighted path farther underground that took them to where the graves were located. Arranged in neat rows extending in different directions like a radial, each gravesite was covered by either a stone slab or a monument.

 

“These are like the Jewish catacombs in Rome, Italy,” whispered Mackenzie as she realized the enormity of where they were.

 

“It is the Jewish belief that the dead must be buried in a wooden casket underground—even in a mausoleum,” explained Dara, “and that the burial must take place within 24 hours of death.” She put her arm around Jennifer. “That must be why Schomer said your parents would be buried the day after the so-called accident. Keeping within the Jewish tradition—or at least the appearance—even though they were’t dead.”

 

 “Why the stones?” asked Jennifer.

 

Dara looked around at the different monuments near where they were standing. Small stones had been placed on some of the monuments; others had flowers. “The stones indicate someone has visited. Symbolically they mean that love and remembrance is as lasting as stone,” she said. “It comes from the Old Testament stating that God is a rock.”

 

“There must be over a hundred graves in here.” Mackenzie glanced around, “and some of them are dated from the 1800s and even before.” Then, her problem-solving instincts kicking in, “I think we’d better split up and each of us can take a few rows to see if we can find the name ‘Torres.’”

 

Each FIG and Carolina started walking in a different direction, reading the inscriptions on the monuments they passed. It didn’t take long for Jennifer to quickly reach the end of one row and start down another when she saw it. It was only providential that she be the one to locate the large, gray stone monument, tall and ornate. It was the castle with a single tower that had been carved at the top of the monument that first caught her attention—signifying the name “Torres” just as Dara had discovered in her research. Her mother’s and father’s names were chiseled in the stone along with their dates of birth and death—the day of the car accident. Even knowing her parents weren’t buried there, seeing their names on a grave monument along with the date they supposedly died was sobering.

 

Even more sobering, however, was the fact that there were also fresh flowers placed at the base of the monument. Wondering who would have left the flowers, Jennifer bent down to more closely examine them when she became aware of a strange odor—like a nervous sweat smell, and something else—coffee, and then movement—someone approaching out of the shadows. The rock immediately exploded in her chest as abject fear swept over her and through every pore in her body. Without saying a word, the tall figure moved silently and purposefully toward her, arms raised and extended, hands flexing as though eager.

 

Flashes of the ugly, thick black lines, one crossing the other filled Jennifer’s thoughts pushing out all others, and, just as quickly, changed into images of brilliant gold, a garden, a young woman, and a single bird. She could hear ancient music playing in her mind—the lyre and harp, and something else… a hollowed-out ram’s horn, but all the while, the mute figure kept moving closer to her.

 

Jas was excited now. It was definitely the same girl as in the photo he had been given. This was the moment he had been waiting for, what he had dreamed about all these past months while sitting in the dark on a hard slab of stone in a stinking graveyard. The girl was in reach. She was small—petite. He would have no problem restraining her and getting her to his truck. He could almost hear the adulations of his superiors. His comrades would be jealous. He would be hailed as a hero.

 

With no hesitation, he lunged at Jennifer and grabbed her, covering her mouth with his hand and lifting her off the ground. Desperately, Jennifer fought to get away from him, kicking and punching, doing whatever she could but he was strong. He became the ugly black brush stroke crossed by another, he was the embodiment of intolerance and hatred. She bit his hand covering her mouth, tried to call for help, but she couldn’t, and she heard Carolina’s voice not too far away—unaware—“Do you smell that?”

 

Evil, dear daughter! It is present! The young girl needs help. Hurry—

 

—and a scream—Carolina’s scream—

 

Carolina ran toward the scuffling noises and the moving shadows, and there in the dim light she saw someone trying to drag Jennifer away. Terrified, she rushed forward striking out with every ounce of strength she had, thrashing and beating at his face, his arms, his body, trying to pull Jennifer away from this evil, when suddenly he let her go and then fell to the ground gasping for air, crawling, struggling to stand, bent over holding his side and arm.

 

Sobbing, Carolina put her arms around Jennifer and the two of them watched in horror as the staggering dark figure faded into the shadows from where it had come.

 

“Jennifer, are you all right?” Carolina held Jennifer in front of her checking for any injuries. There didn’t seem to be any. For a moment, Carolina wondered if she had even seen anyone—if anything had happened at all—except that both she and Jennifer were trembling, and her mother’s words of warning and the smell of nervous sweat and coffee still lingered.

 

She heard Dara yelling her name.

 

“We’re over here.”

 

“What happened? Who was that?” Dara asked, as she and Mackenzie ran toward them out of the dim light from another direction.

 

“We’re fine,” said Carolina still holding onto Jennifer.

 

“Are you sure? We heard a scream.” Tears ran down Mackenzie’s face. “And someone horrible—“ She held onto Carolina’s arm, afraid to let it go, as she glanced around at all of the grave stones and monuments surrounding them, visualizing them as hiding places for all things bad and wicked.

 

Dara continued to stare in the direction of where she had also seen the figure, her right eyebrow arched. Then, answering her own question, “Probably some pervert.”

 

Jennifer could only shake her head. Not only had there been that horrible man, there was someone else. Someone who had attacked him. Someone who had helped save her.

 

“Well, whoever it was, they’re gone now,” said Mackenzie, unable to say the word “was” clearly, and standing as close to Carolina and Jennifer as she could without toppling all of them over.

 

Recognizing the stone carving of the castle and single tower, Dara read the names on the monument. “You found it, Jennifer!” Then, noticing the flowers, “Someone else has visited here—recently,” she said, pointing to the fresh flowers.

 

Mackenzie gasped at what she saw, and then reached down to move the flowers to one side. There carved in the stone just beneath Jennifer’s parents’ names “Aaron and Esther Torres” were the words “and daughter.”

 

“Well, that is rich, isn’t it!?” said Jennifer, the paralyzing fear she had felt moments earlier no longer there as she fought back her enraged, twisted emotions. “They didn’t even bother to put my name on the monument. I was relegated to just plain ‘and daughter!’”

 

It would have been even more heartbreaking except for the fact that they knew Jennifer’s parents weren’t buried there because they weren’t dead. And neither was Jennifer. None of it made sense. “I think we need to leave this place—now,” said Carolina as she glanced around, still hearing the warning of her mother.

 

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

THE F.I.G. MYSTERIES

By

Barbara Casey

 

Interview

 

What would we find under your bed?

Not much, and certainly nothing interesting. I am a real neat freak when it comes to my house, and I deliberately avoid putting anything under my bed so dust doesn’t accumulate.

 

What was the scariest moment of your life?

My younger daughter was hit by a riding lawn mower when she was three years old. It seriously cut her foot and fractured her leg. I was terrified that her injuries wouldn’t heal properly. Even though it was during exams at the university where I was getting my degree, I stayed with my daughter night and day in the hospital until I knew she was going to be all right. It was a horrible accident, and something I still occasionally remember. Fortunately, the professors at the university allowed me to make up my exams at a later time. And my daughter’s injuries healed.

 

Do you listen to music while writing? If so what?

I do listen to music while I am writing as well as most other times. I have always loved classical music, even as a very young child, so that is what I listen to.

 

What is something you'd like to accomplish in your writing career next year?

I write both nonfiction and fiction for adults and young adults. Two of my nonfiction books have been optioned for major films and one is under contract. I would love to see the production of one if not both of these books completed and on screen. I would also love to see The F.I.G. Mysteries made into film.

 

How long did it take you to write this book?

All writers have their own way of writing. I like to sort it all out in my mind before I even start to write. Normally, I will have the beginning, the ending, and key situations plotted out before I even start to write. Then when I do start to write it down, it doesn’t take that long. For each of the F.I.G. Mysteries, I completed them in about six or seven months. I spent a great deal of that time doing research.

  

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Originally from Carrollton, Illinois, author/agent/publisher Barbara Casey attended the University of North Carolina, N.C. State University, and N.C. Wesleyan College where she received a BA degree, summa cum laude, with a double major in English and history.  In 1978 she left her position as Director of Public Relations and Vice President of Development at North Carolina Wesleyan College to write full time and develop her own manuscript evaluation and editorial service.  In 1995 she established the Barbara Casey Agency and since that time has represented authors from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. In 2014, she became a partner with Strategic Media Books, an independent nonfiction publisher of true crime, where she oversees acquisitions, day-to-day operations, and book production.

           

Ms. Casey has written over a dozen award-winning books of fiction and nonfiction for both young adults and adults. The awards include the National Association of University Women Literary Award, the Sir Walter Raleigh Literary Award, the Independent Publisher Book Award, the Dana Award for Outstanding Novel, the IP Best Book for Regional Fiction, among others. Two of her nonfiction books have been optioned for major films, one of which is under contract.

 

Her award-winning articles, short stories, and poetry for adults have appeared in both national and international publications including the North Carolina Christian Advocate Magazine, The New East Magazine, the Raleigh (N.C.) News and Observer, the Rocky Mount (N.C.) Sunday Telegram, Dog Fancy, ByLine, The Christian Record, Skirt! Magazine, and True Story.  A thirty-minute television special which Ms. Casey wrote and coordinated was broadcast on WRAL, Channel 5, in Raleigh, North Carolina.  She also received special recognition for her editorial work on the English translations of Albanian children’s stories. Her award-winning science fiction short stories for adults are featured in The Cosmic Unicorn and CrossTime science fiction anthologies.  Ms. Casey's essays and other works appear in The Chrysalis Reader, the international literary journal of the Swedenborg Foundation, 221 One-Minute Monologues from Literature (Smith and Kraus Publishers), and A Cup of Comfort (Adams Media Corporation).

 

Ms. Casey is a former director of BookFest of the Palm Beaches, Florida, where she served as guest author and panelist.  She has served as judge for the Pathfinder Literary Awards in Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Florida, and was the Florida Regional Advisor for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators from 1991 through 2003.  In 2018 Ms. Casey received the prestigious Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and Top Professional Award for her extensive experience and notable accomplishments in the field of publishing and other areas. She makes her home on the top of a mountain in northwest Georgia with three cats who adopted her, Homer, Reese and Earl Gray - Reese’s best friend.

 

www.barbaracaseyauthor.com

www.barbaracaseyagency.com

 

Amazon Author Page with Buy Links:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Barbara-Casey/e/B001K7S4IW/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_book_1

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