SPOTLIGHT ON: FIVE DAYS NOTICE

"I have wanted to kiss you for so long, but I never knew it would feel so good." - Five Days Notice.

There's a quote that will jumpstart your day! It's from a fantastic new romantic suspense book by Alex Sinclair called, Five Days Notice. Alex has been kind enough to visit us today and tell us about how he developed the characters and plot in this terrific book, Alex:

            I never know what characters are going to pop into existence when I start writing. I start each story with a question and I try to unlock the answer. 

            Five Days Notice is based around the simple question of…  How far are people willing to go to survive? I don’t mean in war, but if the world we lived in became dramatically more complicated and there were no new jobs. What if people were forced to work long hours for hardly any pay? If they are the lucky ones then what happens to the rest of society? You can guess from this the world of, Five Days Notice, is a dark and depressing place to live. So, I needed some brilliant characters to bring the story of passion, corruption, betrayal and love to life. All in all there are seven main characters Malcolm the manager, Michael, Kerry, Ariel, Hope, River and Alan.

            Once again I based each character on a question. What if your job was your only anchor to reality? What if you loved someone you were not supposed to? Could you really sell yourself and destroy your morals in order to keep your job? Could you murder someone that you have known for so many years? At what point is enough-enough? And so on. This meant that every character has a different question to answer and this meant drastically different back stories and different motivations as to why they should keep their jobs. It also meant certain characters could and would betray, deceive and manipulate and some couldn’t do that even though that had the means.

            There are two main love stories in, Five Days Notice; the most central one is between Ariel and River. Ariel is in her late thirties and River is in his early twenties. I wanted to show no matter what age, background or personal experiences people can fall in love. The two of them have great chemistry in the book. Writing the dialogue has never been so easy, as it flowed perfectly between them. It is a really sweet and gentle love story about two people that have been madly in love for so long, but never had the courage to take a leap of faith. 

             The other love story is completely opposite. It is purely physical and about a woman manipulating a weak willed married man so that she can keep her job. It is a very hot romance and that doesn’t mean it is wrong. It is a different form of love, as people need different things at certain points in their life and in this relationship both parties benefit.

            There are no good guys or bad guys in, Five Days Notice. Originally I picked one or two people to be the villains, but by the end of the novel you actually end up relating to the reasons why they did it. One man suffers physical abuse by his drunken wife and one of the women characters has a daughter that she would die for. I think that is the beauty of this story and why it is my personal favorite. It is a story about ordinary people in an extraordinary situation. They are pushed to their limits, as they don’t want to become one of the damned in society by losing their job.  The characters go to extreme lengths to make sure that by the end of the working week they still have a job to go to, but you can understand and sympathize with everything that they do. 

              From readers feedback I know many people actually connected with different characters. It meant some people had a happy ending, some had a sad ending, some had a rather unique ending, but from the reviews I am safe to stay that no one was left disappointed.

*****************************************************
Romanctic Suspense Novel, Five Days Notice, now only $0.99 on Kindle.

Buy it at Amazon

 *****************************************************
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT FIVE DAYS NOTICE:

A novel of intrigue, fear, love, betrayal, and root instinct...The reader is drawn into the chaotic world of the poor and damned, all while focusing on the desires and traumas of River and his love and his willingness to do anything to ensure Ariel does not loose her job in a world where jobs are even rarer than gold...

Thrilling and enticing, Five Days Notice is a fascinating and a must read for indie authors!!!

Julian Drury
Author of   Utopolis
*******************************************************************
Alex Sinclair has done it right again.
He weaves his tale taking the reader with him as he goes in and out of the personal
struggles and emotion roller coaster of her characters. He does not do it with one
chapter at a time dedicated to each one as many writers before him. He treats us with little snippets of intrigue as we learn to like, unlike and like again those he presents to us.

Before Alex is through we see rational people metamorphose into being: self-destructive, a murder, thief just to stay employed at a dead end job.

Read Five Day Notice and see if you agree who does and who does not deserve to have their lives forever affected by management.Five Days Notice

WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING...

ABOUT "SUNNY DAYS, MOONLIT NIGHTS"


It's time to share some of the wonderful reviews "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights" has received from reviewers.

ONE TWIST - LEAVE A COMMENT AND BE ENTERED IN A DRAWING FOR A FREE COPY OF "SUNNY DAYS, MOONLIT NIGHTS".

To listen to the first two chapters, read by me on the radio yesterday, click on radio link at the end of this blog. 

The Pen and Muse Review: Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights by Jean Joachim

Joachim provides us with a sweet romance with a tale of powerful love that is once again found. Sunny Days, Moonlit Night follows the story of Caroline who leaves her controlling husband. Caroline finds herself with a Mike, a childhood crush. Together they have a wonderful tension. Together they rekindle something that they had a long time ago. Will that be enough to get rid of Caroline’s controlling husband, Brad who won’t let go? A man who is used to getting what he wants. Unfortunately he thinks he can step out on Caroline and have her sit and take it. Caroline leaves for this very reason although Brad’s trouble seems to find her again. Joachim enchants us with these lovable characters and bonds us to them. We will root for both Caroline and Mike. As an author she has a wonderful talent to put you right in the characters mind and their world. Be enchanted and enjoy the ride that Caroline takes on where love actually conquers all.
******************************************************

REVIEW BY DR. J

What Are Friends For? "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights" by Jean C. Joachim

Caroline Davis White is a well-known artist and married to a wealthy, controlling man. She has everything money could buy except one thing: love. Brad refuses to give her a divorce she so desperately wants. With no money, family, or friends, she flees to the Catskill Mountains where she spent her summers as a young adult.

Mike Foster has achieved success and made more money than he could have thought possible, but it destroyed his marriage and cost him his son. he is wary of every woman he meets, knowing his money may be more attractive than his good looks. Caroline reconnects with the life she had and friends from long ago. Mike stepped out of her teenage dreams into her life again, looking more handsome and tempting than ever. Caroline knew Mike back then, but is he still the man she fell in love with?

This is a very provocative love story about two hurting, disillusioned people who reconnect after many years but who now bring a sizeable load of baggage with them. Once they were young and carefree, spending their summers with friends, enjoying the mountains and swimming in the local lake, looking forwarrd to life's many possibilities. Now both have been hurt in significant ways and even though the old feelings seem to be alive in each of them, they both have secrets and along with those secrets come fears that revealing their true selves and the present dimensions of their lives, they could lose far more than they ever have before.

Caroline has been married for a number of years to a man who seemed to care for her in the early days of their marriage. Now, for the past two or three years, he has reverted back to his old ways and has been openly unfaithful to her, even to the point of discussing his affairs openly with her. He refuses her requests for divorce because in his mind, Caroline is a possession--a beautiful asset to his position as a wealthy man and a figure in New York society. Her fame as an artist has also become his "property" and no matter what she says to him, Brad takes delight in controlling every aspect of her life. Somehow she has amassed some funds and she is now walking out on him when he is out of town, hiding her location from him, and beginning divorce proceedings. With the help of a very good attorney who happens to be a good friend, Caroline tries to get her life back.

Her destination is the old summer cabin her family used for years in the Catskills. There she runs into the handyman who looks familiar--turns out he is her long-time friend and buddy Mike Foster. He is still doing odd jobs in the area and on several nights a week he appears at a local establishment with his rock band. Caroline is delighted to find her old friend who happens to be the man who made her heart sing so many years ago. He is now more handsome than ever, and while she is fully aware that she is still married, she knows that down deep she is still in love with him. Their old friendship is re-established and the old feelings re-emerge for them both. But Caroline and Mike are deeply fearful of being blunt honest--he is a multi-millionaire who has returned to his boyhood home, and she is a married lady in the midst of a messy divorce. This does not bode well for either of them or for their future together unless they can get past all these secrets.

This novel really digs into the heart of what it means to build trust between two people whose emotions become entangled. Obviously, withholding such basic facts about their individual situation is not a good foundation for building any semblance of relationship. While they are having fun reconnecting, their are others who are seeking to bring them both down publically. The media is seeking the "missing wife" of the wealthy New Yorker which places her ability to get her life away from Brad in danger, and any dirt they can dig up or manufacture on Mike is going to put his visitation rights with his son in difficulty. Lots of serious consequences for these two if all does not go well. Caroline has her art and Mike has his life and his music. Can they find a way past the fear and distrust and disappointment and find their way back to each other?

Both Caroline & Mike are like so many today who have become caught up in their lives, in their circumstances, and who have been injured deeply by persons in their lives they once loved and trusted. Those are the most painful kinds of wounds. There does come a time when the new and very vulnerable relationship between Mike and Caroline takes a beating--is really in danger of being destroyed, and how they get past that challenge with all its questions and sadness is a large part of the latter half of the novel. Their story reflects the kinds of challenges so many face when somehow they must find a way to rebuild what was once a good and emotionally satisfying love. Sometimes it works out, but for others the relationship cannot every be rebuilt.

I found this novel compelling and as is true in so much fiction, it combines true literary entertainment with some insight on living that can be helpful to many. Certainly it is instructive to think carefully about the values of honesty and open communication no matter what. In Caroline's case, would it have really hurt her chances with Mike if she had been upfront with him from the beginning? I don't think so. Perhaps his experience of going through a painful divorce could have been a helpful resource for her. Is there really any value in "going it alone" if there exists a friend whose judgment is trustworthy? Again, I don't think so. These were two critical errors Caroline made that came back to bite her in the backside. Reading this story was a very good experience and the book is one that I am sure I will be re-reading in the near future. I don't think this is a simplistic story--too many interesting characters and too much at stake for it to be simply a "girl meets boy" kind of romance. The situations in this story are messy because human life and relationships are messy. That is one of the things that makes for good fiction.

So I recommend this to romance fans and believe it will be a book well worth reading. I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

Posted by Dr J at 11:35 AM

 **************************************************

Book Review: Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights

8:52 AM | Posted by An Open Book | | Edit Post

Review By: Dawne Prochilo

Title: Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights
Author: Jean Joachim
Publisher: Astraea Press
Recommend? Yes

Review: Artist Carolina Davis White is stuck in a loveless marriage. After years of feeling trapped and stuck, she runs away from her cheating husband and his money, which he uses to benefit himself. She finds herself at the family cabin in the solitude of the Catskills and reconnects with old friends including Mike Foster. Finding peace, obtaining her divorce and falling for Mike are in Carolina's future. But alas, watch out for that selfish husband, Brad. If ever a man needed to be knocked down a notch, he is a prime suspect.

Mike is dealing with his own loss, his son years ago and all the money he's made over the years mean nothing to him without true love. Add in that he's wary of all women, who may be after his money.

If you're looking for a sweet, sensual side to romance, this is the book for you. Take the beautiful and charming Catskills, add in love, friendship and romance and this book will grab you in. I was drawn into the storyline immediately and Joachim's dynamic writing style, dialogue between Carolina and Mike is so remarkable. The love grows with each scene creating the love all women cherish and desire in life.

******************************************************

 From WebbWeaver Book Review Blog

This is book is an awesome love story. I started reading and couldn't stop...my favorite kind of romance. It has all the makings of a good love story; a friendship/crush/love that is re-kindled after several years and then goes thru some drama to finally end in a 'forever' scenario. There are some twist and turns that will keep you turning pages and the characters seem real and not 'too' perfect. T.Lane

*****************************************************

Ms Joachim uses her writing talents to paint vivid characters that are real to anyone. Nothing about this romance seem false in the story's delivery or characters. It has a bit of spicy, but just enough to keep the reader interested.

The ending is tied up so nice and well. I find this book so charming and good. I cant rave enough about this novel

Now, Would I read this again? Yes, you better believe it..I would wish some of these audio romance publishers like Brillance or Harper Collins) would record this piece to CD or download. It is made for spoken word. It sings off the pages as you read it!

Bennet Pomerantz
AUDIOWORLD

To listen to my reading of first two chapters, click radio 
This will take you to the site. You will have to fast forward through the interview part to get to the reading. Thank you for listening!

 ******************************************************

Buy the book for only $3.99 at

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Astraea Press(all formats)

TUESDAY TALES ON WEDNESDAY THIS WEEK

Confessions and Lies has been cancelled this week. Instead we have Tuesdays Tales. Some writers chose to continue with the ice cream prompt as they are into their stories. The prompt for this week is: the post office. 

I have posted intro sentences to the writers short stories with links to click on to get to the rest. My blog will follow at the end here. Click on the word "here" to read the rest of the story of each author.



FELICIA ROGERS (ICE CREAM & POST OFFICE):
Two weeks. Two weeks until Harrison’s Ice Cream Parlor reopened for business. The new counter tops shone beneath the incandescent bulbs. The coated walls carried an odor of fresh paint. The tiled floors gleamed after the extreme buffing.   CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...


J. GUNNAR GREY (THE POST OFFICE):

“William.” Mum paused in the library doorway, keys in hand. She wore her best silk traveling suit and a twist of pearls, overdressed for a quick delivery of her younger son to the next town although I liked the color. Poised as she was on the balls of her strappy sandals, chin in the air and eyes alive, she seemed to hover on the verge of something long desired and all-too-long out of reach. “Charles is leaving for school.”   CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...

J. F. JENKINS (THE POST OFFICE):
Instantly, I recognize the handwriting and my stomach starts
to turn itself into knots. The significance of the jawbreaker and the bracelet clicking in my head.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...


KAY SPRINGSTEEN (ICE CREAM & THE POST OFFICE):
Kevin halted his steps at the gate, as intrigued by the nicely rounded rear end as he was by the fact that the woman was playing in the dirt behind her house.  CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...



JEAN JOACHIM (ICE CREAM & POST OFFICE):
The Post Office story follows Chapter Two of the ice cream story, "Mint Chip"


Ice Cream

Nina and Clint met when they collided at The Creamery and Clint's mint chip ice cream ended up on Nina's shirt. After cleaning herself up, Nina introduced herself to Clint and discovered they both like mint chip ice cream. Here is the last paragraph and chapter two of  "Mint Chip" :

“Can I at least buy you a cup of coffee to make up for the

shirt I wrecked?”

“Why don’t you come over and I’ll make us both

some  coffee. Some noise in my too quiet house would
make me feel better.”

“Great. Meet you there,” he said, finishing the last of his

cone.

Chapter Two

        Nina returned home before Clint arrived. She ducked into the bedroom to change. While she had her shirt off, she took a look in the full length mirror on the back of the closet door. Trying to be objective, she admitted she didn’t look too bad. Everything may have been a touch lower than it was ten years ago, but she still looked good.

        Rummaging through her drawer, she found a raspberry tee shirt, rather low cut and slipped it on.

        Don’t be ridiculous! He’s ten years younger than you! Grow up.

        But she brushed her hair, refreshed her make-up and inched the shirt a little lower, giving her cleavage some exposure. Nothing wrong with flirting. I need practice and he’s perfect since he’ll never be interested in me!

        She descended the stairs quickly, a new lightness to her step and got busy in the kitchen. While she was rummaging through the refrigerator for something more than coffee to serve, she heard the doorbell at the back door. It was Clint.

        “Coffee smells delicious,” he said, sniffing the air as he walked into her kitchen.

        He stopped and looked around.

        “My kitchen next door doesn’t look anything like this. This is awesome,” he said, running his hand over the granite counter top and looking at the pristine oak floor.

        “We renovated the kitchen last year.”

        “I love the light green on the walls,” Clint said, his gaze traveling from the recessed lighting to the country artwork, finally settling on her.

        He looked her up and down, unashamed to be sizing her up, his brown eyes lighting up when they met her big blues. She fidgeted with the hem of her tee shirt, her gaze dropping to the floor trying to remember why he was there, totally discomfited by his appraisal.

        “Coffee! Yes…it’s ready,” she said, glancing at the pot.

        “Can I help?” Clint offered.

        Nina shook her head as she took out two mugs with country prints on them and put them on the tray with the sugar bowl and a small pitcher of milk.

        “Sit over there,” she suggested, pointing to the snug booth carved into the alcove.

        Clint did as he was told. Nina poured the coffee into the mugs and took the tray over to the table, concentrating on keeping her hands steady and wondering why she was so nervous all of a sudden. This isn’t a date! He’s a neighbor. You’re being friendly, neighborly. It isn’t a date…is it?

        After moving the mugs, milk and sugar to the table, Nina slipped into the booth opposite Clint, raised her mug,looked up at him and asked,

        “At the risk of being mundane, what do you do, Clint?”

        “I teach English, high school English. But I’m here this summer to write a play,” he admitted, embarrassed.

        “A play! How fabulous!”

        He looked up at her, surprised.

        “That’s wonderful. I’m an actress. What are you writing about? Can I read it? Can I help by reading aloud? It would be good practice for me,” she babbled on.

        Clint’s smile seemed to reach from ear to ear.

        “I haven’t written it yet, but sure…I’d love to have you read…maybe even help me write?”
        “I’m no writer,” she said, looking down at her mug.

        “I don’t know if I am either,” he laughed.

        “Tell me what it’s about,” she said.

        “The story is about a man and woman getting a divorce. They have a child who is manipulating them, trying to get them back together by behaving badly…” he paused.

        “Is it working?”

        He nodded.

        “She’s making them work together to get her back on track and while they are, they fall in love again.”

        “What a lovely story…” she said.

        He looked down at his mug, raised it to his lips and drank. She watched his face carefully.

        “None of this is based on real life, is it?” she asked.

        He shook his head.

        “Six months ago, when I got the idea, I wished it was, but now I know it can’t be so…no, not based on real life.”

        “Can I play the wife or am I too old?”

        “Nothing old about you,” he said, sweeping his gaze down to her waist and back to her eyes, lingering on her chest for a moment.

His eyes connected with hers producing a spark of electricity in her, reddening her cheeks. While his gaze held hers, he slowly smiled as if seeing her for the first time. Feeling heat from him, she blushed deeply and her mouth went dry as his gaze settled on her lips.

“Ice cream?” she asked him, feebly.

“Mint chip. All because of mint chip,” he said, covering her hand with his.

(To be continued)


Post Office

PRIORITY MAIL

By

Jean Joachim

 Chapter One

             When Sandy agreed to come to Pine Grove for the summer to help out her Aunt Clarice who had her hip replaced, she never dreamed so much drama could be going on in a small town. Sandy was filling in for Clarice at the post office for the summer months until her aunt could get her bearings and come back to work. Sandy worked every summer in the post office during her school years in Portland, Oregon, where she lived with her parents until she graduated college.

            Last summer, Sandy set up housekeeping with Dennis, her college sweetheart, until she found him cheating on her this past April and moved back in with her parents. Sandy was still recovering from the break-up and her parents thought it a Godsend for Clarice to send for her. The young woman was looking forward to a change of scenery.

            On her first day, she met Bill Wilton, the man who picked up and dropped off packages. Bill was about thirty years old, handsome with brown hair and blue eyes and built like an athlete.

            “You’re Clary’s fill-in?”

            She nodded.

            “Nice,” he said, looking her over.

            Sandy blushed and continued to look around, getting familiar with where everything was.

            “I come in here twice a day, Sandy, once to pick up and once to deliver.  Which one will it be for you, sweetheart?”

            She stared at him as if he was speaking Chinese.

            “Just jokin’, babe. Calm down. Relax, you’re cute but I’m not going to attack you or anything.”

            She smiled as he tipped his hat and was out the door with a load of packages. Sandy opened the mailbag Bill brought with him and began to sort the letters and small packages. When she was done it was ten o’clock. People began to come by and check their post boxes for mail. Although Pine Grove was a small town, at least forty people had post boxes. Sandy watched them enter.  Cecelia Wright, a woman of fifty years, opened her box and squealed with delight as she pulled out a small package.

            “Grandkids!” she said to Sandy as she carefully ripped open the package and shared the photos from her daughter.

            Sandy smiled and cooed over each photo until someone needed service. She sold stamps and weighed several packages before Allison Gray came in. She had trouble getting her key in the lock as her hand was trembling.

            “Allison’s waiting for a letter from Rob. Her fiancé,” Cecelia whispered to Sandy.

            Sandy cocked her head, giving Cecelia an inquisitive look.

            “He’s in Afghanistan. She hasn’t heard from him in over two weeks.”

            Allison opened the small door to the post box and didn’t see anything. She reached her hand into the box and moved it around to make sure there wasn’t something small in there she couldn’t see. By the time she pulled her hand out, tears had started. She gave Cecelia a small smile, wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and left quickly.

            Cecelia packed up her photos and smiled at Sandy.

            “Welcome to Pine Grove, honey. We’re small but you’ll be busier than you know.”             Sandy spent the rest of the day selling stamps, helping re-wrap packages and distributing the shopper to box holders. Late in the afternoon, the door opened and a young man came in.

            “Fifty priority mail stamps and envelopes, please,” he said.

            Sandy looked over the counter at him. He was blond, about six feet tall with bright blue eyes and maybe twenty-eight years old, she figured. He propped the door open as he hauled in box after box of small manila envelopes.

            He dropped the last box in front of the counter and looked up at Sandy. She couldn’t taker her eyes off him.

            “I’m Price Quincy,” he said, extending his hand.

            “Sandy Franklin,” she said, taking his warm, dry hand.

            “You’ll be seeing a lot of me. I have a mail order fishing business,” he said.

            “You sell fish through the mail?” Sandy asked, chuckling.

            “Fishing equipment. Particularly flies,” he said with a laugh.

            “Flies? Like the ones I kill with a fly swatter?”

            He shook his head and laughed heartily.

            “Hand-tied flies for fly fishermen. Stuff like that.”

            “Oh, oh, I see,” Sandy said when she clearly didn’t.

            “You’re Clary’s replacement? Where are you from?”

            “Portland, Oregon.”

            “Big city girl, eh?”

            “I suppose so,” she said, leveling her hazel eyes at his.

            She tossed her light brown shoulder-length hair at him and he smiled. His smile lit up his whole face, rivaling the reflected sun off the lake for brightness. Sandy almost lost her cool.

            “Welcome to Pine Grove, smallest town in the county,” he said.

            “Thanks,” she said, “now how many of these stamps did you want?”

            Sandy sold Price the stamps, gave him the envelopes and stayed after closing helping him to pack the merchandise.

            “Do you send out this many packages every week?”

            “Only in the fishing season and then, only in a good week.”

            Sandy turned away and smiled where Price couldn’t see her. She was happy he would be back every week. She had no intention of telling him Bill would pick up so many envelopes.

            “Do you mail these on the same day every week? I could have things ready for you if you do,” she offered.

            “It depends on the orders. You’ll know about my orders because you’ll be putting them in my box…box 52,” Price offered, looking her over when he thought she wasn’t looking.

            “How long does it take you to fulfill them?”

            “Depends on the order. I tie flies in advance but orders vary. I can’t always predict what will sell.”

            “You make a living ties and selling flies?”

            “That and taking people fishing. I’m also a writer, but that is an uphill battle.”

            “Have you been published?”

            “One book…a non-fiction on fly fishing,” he said.

            Sandy laughed.

            “That’s why you have so many orders, eh?”

            “I guess. I’m trying fiction now, though. I’ve been kicked to the curb by about ten agents so far. Summer is my big season for flies…my writing takes a backseat until winter sets in.”

            “But it’s always summer somewhere, right?”

            “Don’t you want me to write?”

            Sandy blushed.

            “Of course. Do whatever you want…just sayin’”             “I’m keeping you past closing,” Price said, looking at his watch.

            “I don’t mind.”

            “I’ll bet Clary’s wondering where you are. Can I give you a lift?”

            “Sure, thanks,” she said, taking her purse and locking up the stamps and money drawer.

            Sandy walked slightly ahead of Price, who watched the sway of her hips with interest. He opened the door for her, glancing at her legs as she got in and her skirt hiked up.

            “What are you going to do when Clary gets well enough to come back to work?”

            “Haven’t thought that far ahead yet.”

            “Maybe you’ll stay here then?”

            “Maybe, but why? I need to work and this job goes back to Clary in two months.”

            “Maybe you could do something else?”             “What?”

            “I…don’t know…but you never know.”

            “I won’t rule it out, but won’t count on it, either.”

            He dropped her at the door. Sandy saw Clary looking out the window as she thanked Price, got out of the car and started up the front steps.

            “Who was that drove you home?” Clarice demanded as soon as Sandy came through the door.

            “Price Quincy, why?”

            “No reason,” she said, smiling.

(To be continued)

If you like these stories, try "Sunny Days, Moonlit Nights" a sweet contemporary romance available for only $3.99  at
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Astraea Press

           

READING & REVIEWING "CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS" BRAND-NEW THRILLER!

"CRUELTY TO INNOCENTS""
By CK Webb and DJ Weaver


Find a bit about the book, the prologue, Chapter One and at the end, my review. 

ALL COMMENTS WILL BE ENTERED TO WIN A FREE COPY OF THIS MARVELOUS BOOK

About the book:
Who’s abducting children from 911 emergency scenes?

What if you were in your car alone with your small child and you came upon an emergency scene? Would you stop to help? What if, while you are trying to assist a victim of an accident or mugging, you left your young child alone in the car, thinking he or she would be safe. What if, instead of help, the call to 911 brought a terrifying, sinister result?

Someone’s abducting children from 911 emergency scenes in Aberdeen Maryland, while their parents call for help and lend aid to accident victims. Someone who’s also listening in, is a monster and vicious child abductor. In the midst of the chaos and confusion of the scene, that monster slips in and steals the innocent children leaving behind no trace for authorities.

Sloanne Kelly is unprepared for what awaits in her hometown as she travels back to Maryland. Her goddaughter is one of the victims and the clock is ticking. Together with her best friend and a local fireman, Shawn Tyler, Sloanne will face the most insidious of criminals and fight to recover the children before there is anymore, Cruelty to Innocents.

 PROLOGUE
I hear it beckoning me from the other room, the faint crackle of my scanner as it comes to life. Something is happening somewhere; a car wreck, a shooting, an emergency. She is there all alone. I know it. The ones who are supposed to love and protect her are busy trying to help complete strangers. They are trying to save the life of others, but they are neglecting the one they should be watching over. They have forgotten her, left her…forsaken her. I race to the scene, my mind tearing me in two directions.
One side says, „Not again’. But the other side screams, begs, „Please, just one more’. That voice muffles out the cries of the other and wins again. It always wins.
I have to be quick. I pan the crowd searching for her. The blood pounds in my ears and my breath is ragged and quick. All other sounds slip away. I search the crowd with starving eyes. Where is she? I can‟t find her. Wait…there…she is all alone and so beautiful. She needs me. I see the purity in her eyes, the longing. She is a good girl. I won‟t have to punish her like the others. She will be different. She is so beautiful. I promise myself she will be the last. I have to have her, just one more. I wait for the perfect moment to take her away from all this. No one is watching as I make my way through the crowd of gaping onlookers. Stealthily, quickly, I am beside her. She looks up with loving, innocent eyes and smiles just for me. „Now‟! My mind screams. „Take her‟. I turn to embrace her and she is mine.

Chapter 1:  Taken

Chloe Jacobs sighed and clinched the steering wheel tighter as her daughter continued to badger her about the un-chaperoned sleep-over. A sleepover Chloe had no intention of letting her daughter attend that night.

“Why can't I go to the party? All the other girls are going and I want to go too. This is not fair, Mother," Chloe’s beautiful, thirteen-year-old daughter Danielle, barked at her mom.

Danni was being relentless on this sleep-over conversation and Chloe endured about all of this subject she could. As Danni talked, she was compulsively flipping through the stations on the radio, which made the tension in the car even more unbearable. The two were making their way to the local Klein’s Super Market in Chloe's late-model Honda.

Chloe considered herself to be the typical, single parent. She was thirty-one-years old, but still young enough to remember what it was like to be thirteen. All of those feelings you have as a thirteen-year-old, always feeling like everything is so permanent. She knew Danni believed it would be the end of the world if she didn’t attend the party. When Chloe was thirteen, she believed she knew everything about life: how it worked and how it would turn out. She realized now that she was older, how very wrong she had been. How could she make her daughter understand there would be many more big events in her life? Chloe just wanted Danni to slow down and enjoy being a kid.

Many people considered Chloe a classic beauty with her long, flaxen-blond hair and pale, crystal-blue eyes, all of which still drew the occasional wolf-whistle from men on the street. Those that knew her thought of her as an intelligent, responsible and well-put-together person who made a wonderful home for her only daughter.

Her full-time job with the Aberdeen Family Medical Clinic demanded long working hours and with a teen-age daughter to raise, that left little time for dating. Chloe knew there was no room in their life for a relationship and for now she was content.

"Danni, you are not going to an all-nighter without chaperones and that's final," Chloe said for the umpteenth time.

Danni wrinkled up her face and slumped down in her seat while giving her mom that, 'I am old enough to do what I want' look. Since Danni hit her teens, it was not unusual for them to have these stand-offs over boundary issues, but when push came to shove, Danni was a good kid who minded her mother and was always there when Chloe needed her.

The crime rate in Aberdeen was low and it had always been a relatively safe town. Nothing bad ever happened to disturb the quiet peacefulness and it was small enough to allow local law enforcement to keep a watchful eye on everything. The kids who were planning to attend the party would be safe enough, but this wasn’t about safety. This was about boundaries and Danni needed to learn hers.

"I hate you when you act like I am a baby, Mom," her daughter huffed with a big pout on her face. "I'm not your little girl anymore. I'm thirteen and I know what's happening¾stop treating me like a child. I wish Dad was here."

Danni knew how badly Chloe hated it when her father's name was thrown into these conversations and Chloe was convinced Danni did it for that very reason. This was one of Danni’s manipulations and Chloe recognized it all too well. Danni did it just to make Chloe feel bad in the hope that she would give in. But, Danni's dad wasn't there and Chloe refused to feel guilty…not this time.

"Danni, if you mention this party one more time, I swear you will be sitting in your room until you are at least thirty. Now get over it." Chloe said almost gritting her teeth.

Danni ignored her mom as she stared out the car window at the local scenery. Chloe hoped that would end the conversation. She longed for the days when Danni was easier to get along with.

They passed the outlet mall on I-95, the main highway that ran through Aberdeen Maryland and pulled into the grocery store parking lot. As they got out, Danni rolled her eyes and looked over at her mom with a pout on her face. So much like her dad, Chloe thought to herself. Great. Just what she needed, both Danni and her ex-husband giving her the evil eye all the way through the grocery store. During moments like these--when Danni was being a defiant teenager--motherhood was the most difficult. Chloe sighed to herself as she thought.

"Well, since I'm stuck at home tonight while everyone else is at the party, can we at least have pizza for dinner and maybe pick up a movie?"

Danni flipped her hair back in that charming way she had and just like a puff of smoke, her attitude disappeared. It was as if the conversation never took place at all.

“Good idea. Can we have mushrooms on the pizza?” Chloe now beamed at her daughter

“Eeewww…how about mushrooms on half the pizza...your half.”

Danni did a little happy dance into the store.

They started their rounds through the store as usual: cereal, milk, butter, eggs and pizza fixings. These trips to the grocery usually made Danni happy because she liked picking out ingredients for her next 'masterpiece'. That's what she called the crazy recipes she would throw together on her own and serve whenever her mother was late from work. Mostly the meals were pretty good with the occasional flop, but all in all, Danni was turning out to be a fairly good cook. Today, Chloe could see her daughter was really into it, no longer worrying about the sleep-over business.

They began to talk about things at school. Danni told her mom about the new girl with a nose ring and tattoo. Danni proceeded to tell Chloe about the tattoo she wanted for herself. Chloe cringed at the thought.

“I think a small angel on the back of my neck would be awesome,” Danni beamed at her mom. Chloe smiled, but tried not to encourage or discourage her daughter. There had been enough bickering for one day and she really wanted Danni to be happy.

“I think an angel would be okay, but maybe you should wait a few years before making any major decisions. I used to like frogs when I was your age, but can you imagine me with a big, frog tattoo now. That would be too funny,” Chloe teased and they both laughed at the imagined sight of Kermit tattooed on Chloe.

They made their way up and down the aisles as they continued to laugh and talk. As Chloe turned her cart to start down the next aisle, she noticed an older man a few feet away with a contorted look of pain on his face. She saw this just as he put one hand out to grab the end cap he was standing by, while his other hand went to his chest. He made a grating sound in his throat and his face twisted into an awful grimace that told Chloe he was definitely in trouble. She stepped towards the man to ask if she could help just as his body stiffened and started to fall. Chloe knew she'd never be able to catch the guy, but tried to at least, break his fall. He must have out-weighed her by one hundred pounds and despite her attempts to help, the man hit the floor hard, taking out the end cap display as he fell. Bags of chips, pretzels and tortillas crashed to the floor along with the shelving as the man toppled over.

Vaguely remembering her CPR training, Chloe pulled the man's head back and listened for breath sounds, but heard none. Her heart began to race and her adrenaline shot up. She checked for a pulse, but found nothing there either. She heard Danni ask if the man was dead, but Chloe could only focus on helping the stranger. She did not reply to her daughter. Chloe screamed for anyone in the gathering crowd of shoppers to call 9-1-1 and began giving the man breaths of air as best she could. It felt as if time stopped as she frantically tried to resuscitate the old man. She knew she should be pumping his chest as well, but panic was enveloping her and her mind no longer felt connected to her body.

She frantically scanned the crowd, searching for anyone who could help. A young man she knew as one of the store's stock boys stepped out of the crowd and bent down to the old man. He immediately began giving the man chest compressions as Chloe counted out the breaths she was administering. Hours passed by in minutes. Somewhere in Chloe's head, she heard the sound of whining--or was it sirens?

"Here come the paramedics," Chloe heard someone say. She was running out of air as two men materialized beside her and began to work on the old man without missing a beat. Chloe stood up and stepped aside so both paramedics could get to the victim. The scene before her took on a surreal feeling, as if she were watching a movie. She vaguely heard Charlie, the store manager, say something about her quick thinking and good work, but she could not take her eyes from the horrible scene before them. Then, in a commanding voice, Charlie directed the crowd to step back and give the EMTs room to work.

"I've got no breath sounds and no pulse,” the EMTs voice was clear and strong over the murmur of the crowd that gathered.
"Charge the paddles to two hundred,” the other EMT was already into the bag and charging the portable defibrillator.
"Clear," yelled the paramedic and the old man's body jumped.
"Nothing. Charge to three hundred and hit him again."
"Clear," yelled the EMT again and the old man's body danced around on the floor like a rag doll.

Chloe began to think the old man was not going to make it. The crowd quieted and she could now hear the soft crying of an older lady behind her. She was still concentrating on the scene before her and could not bring herself to comfort the woman.

"Still nothing. Hit him again.”

The EMT charged the paddles to three hundred fifty and yelled, "Clear."

This time the man's body seemed to come completely off the floor, falling back down with a thump. The EMT again checked the old man's pulse and shook his head.

"This guy is gone, but we need to get him to the Medical Center." The EMT looked at the people standing around and asked, "Does anyone know who this man is?"

A man in the crowd said he thought the gentleman’s first name was Homer, but did not know his last name. Chloe noticed there were two police officers standing back from the crowd. Funny, she had not noticed them before, but she assumed they heard the emergency response call and followed in behind the EMTs. She had been so focused on Homer, but now her mind was clearing and Chloe realized Danni was not visible.

"Danni.” Chloe called out, but no voice came back to her.
"Danielle, where are you?” Chloe yelled, louder this time and with more force.

As the paramedics loaded the man's body on a gurney and the crowd started to thin, Chloe's eyes scanned the front of the store. She felt a sickening fear rising through her. Where was her daughter?

"Danni! Danielle!”

Chloe looked at every face in the fading crowd and the area all around her. She moved towards her cart and headed to the back of the store. She quickly made her way through the swinging doors that led back in the direction of the stock room. The ladies restroom was the last door on the left. Chloe burst through the door and quickly checked all the stalls, yelling Danni's name as she went. Complete panic was setting in now. Chloe knew her daughter would never intentionally scare her by disappearing this way. Finding no signs of Danni, she turned and flew back towards the front of the store.

The young, stock boy who helped her with the old man was standing close to the front entrance. Chloe jerked him by the arm, spinning him around to quickly ask if he had seen Danni.

"Have you seen my daughter? Have you seen Danni?" she demanded.

The boy's puzzled look made Chloe even more anxious and before he could say anything, Chloe spoke again.

"You've seen her before. You know, thirteen-years-old, about four-eleven, thin build, long, blond hair. She was wearing dark, blue shorts, tennis shoes and a light, blue ball shirt with 'Aberdeen Blue Angels' on the front and #33 on the back."

Halfway through her description, one of the police officers seeing her distress, approached her and the young man.

"My name is Officer Parker. Can I help, ma'am?"
"Yes, please. I can't seem to find my daughter. She was standing right here when the gentleman fell and I know she was here part of the time. I was trying to help, but then I lost track of her. It's not like her to just walk away. I don't understand where she could be."

Chloe massaged her temple.

The stock boy began to speak with concern in his voice, "I am sure she was standing right behind you when I first came up to help, but after that I just don't know. I'm Sorry. Let me help you look for her."

The officer looked up from his note pad, "Can you give me that description again?"

Chloe ran through it quickly for him. She began to feel a little better. The police would surely find Danni and things would go back to normal. Then, they would go on with their evening as planned.

"I will notify the manager and have him lock down the store. No one in and no one out. My partner and I will check around the back of the store and cruise the parking lot to see if we can find her. She probably just stepped outside. Maybe this whole thing upset her, you know how kids are? You stay close by in case she returns. We'll be back shortly."

The officer then turned to the stock boy and asked him to look around the store for Danni and to notify the other employees to do the same.

“Yes, sir.”

The boy quickly spun around and started walking towards the meat department, looking down each aisle as he passed by. He yelled out to the man behind the meat counter, giving him a quick description of Danni. The butcher then turned and started toward the back of the store, relaying the description of the missing girl to the store manager as he passed him. The store manager headed towards the customer service area. Only a few moments passed before Chloe heard him paging Danni over the PA system, requesting she come to the front of the store.

She turned to walk out the front entrance to check whether or not Danni might have gone to the car. When she reached the front door, she was detained by a clerk who informed her she could not leave. The store manager overheard the conversation and informed the clerk Chloe was the missing child’s mother and would be the only one permitted to exit or enter the store, besides the police.

By this time, Chloe was starting to freak out. Danni knew how easily she worried and Chloe wondered why her daughter would just disappear without saying a word. Surely Danni hadn't decided to walk home or to a friend's house. No, she wouldn't do that to me. Would she? Chloe thought to herself as she scanned the spaces between the parked cars. Her mind raced through every scenario she could think of. Where could Danni be?

As she arrived at her car, she could see Danni was nowhere in sight. Panic began to rise again and Chloe felt breathless, almost choking. She pulled out her cell and started thumbing through phone numbers, but thought better of calling anyone. Chloe knew Danni was not the sort of kid who did things like this and now she was even more worried.

Just as she slipped her cell back in her pocket, the two police officers pulled up and Officer Parker--whom Chloe had given the description to--jumped out of the car and came towards her. For the second time today, the minutes moved like hours. Chloe could see a look of dread on the officer’s face and she started to shake. Her mind began to race again as the officer strode towards her.

"Ma'am, was your daughter wearing any jewelry when you last saw her?" the officer asked with a strange tone in his voice.
"I'm sure she probably had on earrings. Her ears are pierced so she wears them all the time. Why?"

Chloe's voice was shaking now. Blood was pounding in her head. What was happening?

"Anything else? Any other jewelry?" the officer asked again.

The answer flashed through Chloe's mind.

"A watch…a “Twilight” watch. It has a picture of Edward and Bella on the face. I just bought it for her last week. It's her favorite book and…"

Chloe was breathing too hard and her hands were trembling now, almost uncontrollably. Fear gripped her stomach nearly making her gag.

The look on the officer's face as he held out his hand to her was one Chloe would never forget.

"Is this the watch?"

Chloe's knees started to go weak as the officer spoke.

"Oh my god. Where did you find this? It's Danni's watch! Oh my god! Where is my daughter?" Chloe screamed at the officer.
"We found it around back of the store, ma'am. There were some tire marks in the lot next to where the watch was laying, as if somebody took off in a hurry. We spoke to an older woman who lives next to the back parking lot. She was out in her yard and thinks she saw a dark blue or black car leaving the lot in a hurry. She noticed because she heard the tires squealing," he explained to Chloe.

"We think Danni must have dropped the watch by accident. Is Danni close with her dad? He could have picked her up and she may have dropped the watch while getting in his car. Is that possible?”
"No, no. Danni's dad is gone. There is no one she could have left here with. Her grand parents are dead and besides, Danni would never just leave and not tell me," Chloe stammered.
"Does Danni have a boyfriend? Is there anyone you can think of who she could have gone to visit? Did you two have a fight or disagreement? Maybe she ran off mad or…”
"No! Oh god. Someone must have taken her! Please help me. 

Someone had to have taken her. She's a good girl. She would never worry me like this. Please help me find her," Chloe begged, beside herself, tears rolling down her face.

Panic tasted like vomit in her mouth and she half fell, half sat down right there in the parking lot. The officer stooped down and touched Chloe's shoulder. He turned his head and silently directed the other officer to call for medical assistance. Chloe’s head began to spin and bright flashes of light appeared before her eyes.

"Don't worry now, ma'am. Your daughter is probably just walking around somewhere or heading home. I'll call this in right away. Normally, we don't follow up on these things for a certain period of time, but this watch makes me uneasy. Since you declared there is no one else she could have left with, I’m going to contact my chief who will in turn contact the Detective Division. They will be the ones who will determine whether an Amber Alert should be issued. We are going to cordon off the area and radio this in. A detective will be here shortly and we’ll start processing the witnesses inside the store. Stranger abductions are considered the most crucial and in those cases time is very important. You should call everyone your daughter might have been in contact with while we wait. Do you feel like you can get up? My partner will help you inside where you’ll be more comfortable. After I talk to the chief, I'll be back inside. Do you have a picture of Danni with you, by any chance?”

Chloe then realized she left her purse in the cart she had been pushing in the store.

“I do, but I left my purse inside. Do you really think someone has taken my daughter? But why? Why would anyone want to take Danni? Why?" Chloe cried.
"I don't know, ma'am, but I don’t want to take any chances on this. 

If she shows up, well, that’s a good thing, but we have to go at this as what it looks like…an abduction. Now you head inside with Officer George and he'll help you with the phone calls. I'll come in when the detectives arrive. I know this is difficult, but please try not to worry," the officer said. “We’re going to do everything we can to get your daughter home safe.”

The officer tried to help Chloe up, but by this time she was on the verge of hysteria and could barely stand or speak. She ran the question through her mind. Why would someone take her Danni? She just could not comprehend it. Not her sweet baby girl, Danni. Not her only child. This couldn't be happening…not to Danni…not to her.

Chloe braced herself as Officer George helped her to her feet. They walked around to the front entrance and the store employee opened the door for them. The store manager saw them enter and immediately grabbed a chair for Chloe to sit in. Her mind was so tired. She could barely think as the officer asked her for numbers from her cell phone.

Officer Parker strode to the police cruiser and grabbed the microphone, dread washing over him as he went.

“Central, this is car thirty-six, come back.”
“Thirty-six, this is Central, go ahead.”
“Central, we have a Code Adam at Klein’s Super Market. I need to speak to the chief, ASAP.”
“Connecting you now thirty-six, go ahead.”
“Chief, this is Parker. We have a Code Adam at Klein’s and we need a detective on-scene right away.”
“Copy that, Parker. I’ll issue a BOLO immediately and send Detective Howard right out. Give me a rundown and description of the victim.”

Parker knew a BOLO was a “Be on look out” and exact descriptions were imperative for locating a suspect or victim, but they had very little to go on. Parker ran through the description of Danni and what they found in the parking lot. He also told the chief about the small car that was spotted leaving the scene. The chief assured him Detective Howard would be there in no time and quickly ran through procedures on questioning the witnesses.

Parker had barely hung up the microphone when he heard sirens in the distance getting louder as they approached. What had gone from a 9-1-1 medical emergency call, escalated into something far worse. Parker never worked a kidnapping in Aberdeen and had a bad feeling this was not going to end well.

LEAVE A COMMENT TO BE ENTERED TO WIN A FREE COPY!
Find Chapter Two on their website 
Buy for only $2.99 from Amazon 
Buy for only $2.99 from Barnes & Noble 

 MY REVIEW 
Wow! This debut novel of these two authors is an amazing ride. The suspense pulls you in immediately. The story of an abduction of a child is scary, but the novel doesn't leave you there. It then begins to weave the stories of the lives of the many people involved and the feeling and flavor of an entire town. The organization and flow of this book was totally professional, pulling me along, introducing new characters and fully fleshing them out for me. Everyone seemed so real and the story so believable I felt like I was walking the streets of Aberdeen.

The book is beautifully written, the language is lyrical, descriptive and evocative, including all the important details to paint a complete picture.

I did not guess the ending, either...and I often do! So masterfully written, Cruelty to Innocents shouldn't be missed by anyone who loves a mystery or thriller...with a little love story tucked in here and there for us romantics. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It was an amazing read and I hope to heck they are coming out with a sequel, because I want to walk with these characters again!

MY MONDAY - WITH LINDSAY KLUG

Today we welcome Lindsay Klug who is sharing her work-in-progress with us today on "My Monday."

Hi, there! I’m Lindsay Klug, author of The Life And Times of Delila and the upcoming, What I’ve Learned. I’ve been happily married for almost a decade, with two lovely children, a dog, and two cats. When I’m not writing, you can catch me chasing the kids or dreaming up my next tattoo. Pretty soon, I won’t have much skin left. 

A little about this excerpt:

This is the beginning of a sequel to Delila. She wouldn’t shut up, so I was forced to give her another book. It’s about halfway complete, currently sitting at thirty thousand words. Hope you like it!

EXCERPT

The impatient drumming of my fingertips on the cool wood tabletop echoed around the chamber of nervous men as they shifted uncomfortably under my glare. Flickering light from the candles set in odd intervals on the wall created a quite unnecessary theatrical effect, and one which was only serving to make my irritation that much worse.

“Gentlemen,” I said suddenly, making the entire room start in surprise, “surely your leader knows I have much better things to do with my time than sit here and stare at you, lovely as you all are.”

A man to my left stood and bowed deeply. “Of course, Delila. Please excuse me. I’ll seek him out immediately.” He left with a swoosh of his robe and the room fell silent once more. My cell phone rang in my pocket, making a man nearby leap from his seat. His chair tumbled backwards, the crash echoing off the cavernous ceiling.

I stared at him with aplomb. 

“Really, Lucius. It’s just a cell phone. Hello?”

“Hello, Delila,” answered Ana, my lovely daughter.

Well, she’s my adopted daughter, a half werewolf which I raised from infancy. As I am a vampire, it was quite the odd coupling. “Hello, my dearest. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?”

“Not a pleasure, I’m afraid. My pack has found a dead wolf on our land. Looks like a vampire attack.”

My anger flared. In the year since I killed the former Alpha wolf, and Ana’s father, and taken over as Elder to the vampires I had explicitly banned all war between our races. Ana had done the same as the reigning Alpha; the precious balance between our sides could be obliterated if news such as this escaped. “I see. I’m out of country right now, but as soon as I return we’ll sit down and talk.”

No sooner had I hung up than the vampire in the long robe came sweeping back in with a tall man in tow. His hair, spiked and standing on end, brushed the top of the archway as he entered, and dark green eyes shone out from his pale skin. I rose and extended my hand, which he took and kissed the knuckles while bowing deeply. “Delila,” he said reverently. “It is an honor to be in your presence.”

I rolled my eyes before he glanced up. “You must be Otto.”

“Yes, I am Otto. Shall we?” He indicated the chair I had just been occupying, so I settled back into it and watched him closely.

“For what purpose am I sitting in this dungeon, Otto?”

“I am afraid,” he said, shaking his head, “That someone has been creating vampires in the villages on our outskirts.”

This vampire was no more than two hundred years old. Why he was speaking as though he were from the dark ages was beyond my understanding, first off. And second, why had he called me in on a regional matter? 
“Pardon? You summoned me all the way from the United States on a regional concern?” He sputtered for a moment, sensing the mistake. “Do I not have enough responsibility on my shoulders, Otto? Isn’t this a matter you could have handled on your own?”

“My lady,” interjected Lucius, an old friend of mine. “This is not an average vampire. We believe him to be a half breed.”

I looked at Lucius from under my eyelashes. “What exactly do you mean by ‘half breed’?” The atmosphere changed as the vampires glanced between each other, nervous and hesitant. “Would anyone care to tell me what this half breed vampire is so I can kill it?” I slammed my hand on the table with the last phrase, bringing their attention back to me.

“We – We’re not sure,” Otto whispered.

Sighing, I rubbed my eyes. “You’re not sure. Have you seen it?” I received a chorus of shaking heads. “So all you have are newborn vampires rampaging through your villages.”

“They’re not rampaging. They’re making new vampires,” Lucius told the floor. Obviously, he didn’t want to look at me for some reason.

Perhaps it was the rage. My chair flipped backwards and the candles behind me snuffed out with the wind as I launched out of my seat. 

“What did you just say?” I asked in a controlled voice. My fists were balled onto the table. “How long has this been going on right under your nose?” No one answered. A muscle in my jaw clenched as I grabbed Otto by the throat and slammed him against the wall. His feet were dangling from the ground as he kicked and struggled. My nails dug into his flesh, drawing blood and a gasp of pain from him. 
“How long?”

“Three months,” he managed before I sent him flying across the room and into a rack of wine bottles, my fangs down and a thirst for blood surging through my veins.

Read more about Lindsay's books on her website or her blog 

Thank you for coming by today, Lindsay. We look forward to the release of your work-in-progress and wish you much luck for it's success.