Falling On Southport by M.J. Slater

Falling On Southport

by M.J. Slater

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Book Blurb:

Perfect marriage. Prestigious family. Political privilege. Abigail Lethican’s world unravels when her husband admits to infidelity. Reeling from his betrayal, she follows him—only to become the prime suspect when he turns up dead. With her trial looming and the media circling, she finds an unexpected ally in her handsome and enigmatic neighbor. As they search for the truth, Abigail discovers her husband's polished facade concealed a maze of dangerous secrets. Sometimes, the deadliest lies hide in plain sight.

Excerpt:

My grandfather stood erect. His powerful form was equally matched against Jim’s. My grandmother sat in her wheelchair. She was immaculately coiffed with the cardigan of her twin sweater set arranged over her petite shoulders, but her expressionless face remained intent on the wall in front of her.  

“Hello, Grandfather!” Bounding down the stairs, I leaped down, hugging him hard and breathing in his scent. “It’s so good to see you.” I kneeled and took my grandmother’s hand in my own. “Hello, Grandmother, I’m your granddaughter, Abigail.”  

My grandmother looked up and smiled. “That’s so nice. You know, you have such a nice face, dear. Maybe you can help me. Do you know when they serve lunch on this flight?”  

My mother stepped in and wheeled her mother to the kitchen. “Yes, ma’am, lunch is being served right now. Allow me to take you to your seat.”  

“She’s getting worse,” I said to no one in particular. “Yes, she is. The doctor is not very positive about her progress. The nature of Alzheimer’s, you know,” Grandfather said, looking up at Jim and clapping him on the shoulder. “I’ve been talking to your fella here, Abigail, and I approve. He has a fine head on his shoulders. I’d better go check on your grandmother and maybe sneak a canapé or two.”  

Alone now, I looked at Jim and smiled. “So you’ve met Grandfather. What do you think?”  

“I mean, he’s great. I feel giddy. It’s crazy that the senator is your grandfather. He’s been behind every major piece of legislation for forty years.”  

“Well, he’s still just Grandfather to me. I’m glad you got a chance to meet him. He means a lot to me.”  

Devin walked in, slightly unstable. “Aha, I see you’ve met the esteemed senator and worshiped at his alter no doubt.” Miraculously the words were not slurred. Jim’s fist clenched. “I just introduced myself. You know, you should consider yourself lucky to have such a great man in the family. My grandfather was best known for his moonshine.” He paused. “Then again, maybe you would have had more in common with him than you do the senator.”  

Devin’s face grew dark and his chest puffed up, the rage rolling off of him toward Jim. I cut in between them, immediately hit by the smell of alcohol on my brother’s breath. “Relax! Cut it out. This is not the place to start one of your childish fights. Also, you stink of booze. It’s not even two in the afternoon. Keep it together. Dad is going to kill you. Maybe you should go have some coffee. Or let’s all go get something to eat in the kitchen. Mom made deviled eggs. You both like those. Maybe you could bond over that.”  

Devin’s hostility toward Jim set off alarm bells in my head. He was a born curmudgeon, but his new predilection for plain cruelty was off-putting. “Just ignore him,” I whispered in Jim’s ear as we headed toward the kitchen door. “Apparently, he and Dad had a big fight. He’s just upset and taking it out on you.”  

“That’s no excuse for it. If he wasn’t your brother, I would have taken a swing at him.” 

Author Bio:

M. J. Slater is a native Chicagoan. After attending the University of Chicago, she spent 15 years in finance. She loves film noir, yoga, and walking along Lake Michigan with her dog. She lives in the suburbs with her husband and two girls.

Dreams of the Future by Laura Hunsaker

Dreams of the Future

by Laura Hunsaker

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Book Blurb: 

Kate Landry is soon to be Kate Donovan, if only the groom would show up… 

 

Maid of honor Cara Nguyen wants everything to go smoothly for her best friend's wedding, yet almost immediately, the wedding turns into a fiasco. Kate and Kyle deserve to have the wedding of their dreams, and Cara wants to make it happen. How can she pull off the wedding of their dreams when the flowers are delivered to the wrong location, the groom is missing, and the lovely sunny day has become a sweltering hot mess? There’s a lot to do, and so little time to do it. She definitely doesn’t have time to get distracted by a sexy groomsman in a kilt. 

Kyle Donovan is ready to marry the love of his life, but first he has to get back to the church… 

Dash Helms is in the small town of Chester, California for his friend Kyle’s wedding. This should be a happy event, yet it seems everything is going haywire. A caravan of wedding guests breaks down on their way to the venue, one of the groomsmen misses his flight, and the wedding has to be moved inside. Yet the beautiful maid of honor is the only thing he can concentrate on. When Dash is asked to step in at the last minute as a replacement groomsman, of course he says yes. While the striking brunette walking down the aisle ahead of him wants nothing to do with him, even she can’t deny the sparks that fly between them. 

 With everything seeming to go wrong, what can go right? 

In this wedding short story written for Kate and Kyle from Dark Past, the cast of the Fatal Instincts series comes together to celebrate their friends. With everyone in the same place at once, and romance in the air, can this small town handle them? 

Excerpt:

 Chapter 1 

The weather was gorgeous. A light fog wrapped around the gazebo, snaking its fingers in between the leaves and flowers that were woven into the slats decorating it. One last cool foggy touch before the morning sun burned it off.  

The warm, buttery yellow sunlight hitting the tall trees of the Sierra Nevada was the most beautiful backdrop she could think of for the day she married her love. Although she could marry him inside an old shed, and she wouldn’t care. She just wanted to start her new life.  

And after the year she had had? She deserved something nice. They all did. She wanted the day to go smoothly, not so much for herself, but for her fiancé Kyle. He had risked his life for her; he knew all her secrets and every skeleton in her closet, and miracle of miracles, he loved her. She wanted today to be perfect.  

She glanced up at the picturesque view once more. She would never tire of the beauty here. The fires had torn through the California mountains a couple of seasons ago, but the new growth was coming in, and this area still had a lot of tall trees standing. It was beyond beautiful. They had survived. So, too, would she. Kate closed her eyes, and she tipped her face to the sun. And she would thrive.  

One more deep breath in, one more glance at the majestic scene, one more day as Kate Landry. From the looks of it, today would be perfect.  

Kate smiled to herself before turning back inside, her white satin robe whispering against her legs as she walked. She trusted that her family and friends had a handle on things. She could breathe, if not relax. She wasn’t feeling the stress she associated with weddings at all. Maybe because it was her own wedding? She shrugged to herself as she walked to the bridal suite to meet her bridesmaids. With a deep breath, she released the shadows of her past, and looked steadfastly to her future. Today was going to be fine.  

*** 

 

Nothing was fine. 

The flowers had been delivered to the wrong location. How on earth had the flowers been delivered to the wrong place? The town had 2,000 people on a good day, so how had they been delivered to the wrong location? 

Cara Nguyen was sweating in her bridesmaid gown as she contemplated the flower situation. She and the other bridesmaids had walked over from the hotel across the street, and didn’t have a rental car to go get the flowers. Topping it off, the lovely morning had become a miserable, sweltering day. The humidity was ridiculous, and she was worried the flowers would wilt if they weren’t brought into the air conditioning. Could the air conditioning even keep up with the outside heat? She didn’t know, but she prayed it could. 

The maid of honor was supposed to have a stressful job, she knew that, but this? This was beyond stress. 

One of the bridesmaids, Jenny, popped her head in. “The flowers are here. I called the company and when they refused to re-deliver them, even though it was their mistake, Scott rallied the guys and they brought the flowers over. Our bouquets are in the fridge in the reception hall.” 

Thank goodness. Cara wanted to sink into a chair and let her nerves settle. She really wanted this day to be perfect for Kate. She deserved it. But a maid of honor’s duty was never done. She ran her hands down her dove gray, strapless, tea-length gown, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles from the silk. She took a deep breath, held it, counted to ten, and released it. There, all calm.  

“Great. Jenny, will you stay with Kate and make sure she doesn’t sneak off to see Kyle?” 

“Hey. It was just for a moment.” Kate didn’t even sound repentant.  

“You know the rule. The groom can’t see the bride before the wedding.”  

“I know, trust me. You guys made me stay at a hotel instead of, you know”—she narrowed her eyes— “my own bed.” 

“Uh, it was Girl’s Night! Plus, we totally pampered you.” Cara thought last night had been perfect. 

“Besides,” piped in Jenny, “You get to spend the rest of your life with Kyle. One night away isn’t the end of the world. It’s just the last night as Kate Landry, and after today, you will be Kate Donovan.” 

 

Author Bio:

Laura Hunsaker is an award-winning writer who writes romance set in the Scottish Highlands, but with a twist. Somewhere in between Historical and Paranormal, she writes Scottish Time Travel Romance and Paranormal Romance. She's hard at work right now, writing about protective men paired with strong women who knock them off their feet. 

Her Romantic Suspense series has really taken off, and readers everywhere are asking for more! 

She is a hybrid author being both traditionally published and self-published, as well as a member of Romance Writers of America® Cactus Rose Chapter and the Celtic Hearts Romance Writers. 

She earned degrees in English and German, with a specialty in British Literature, and taught for a few years. As of now, Laura has a full-time day job which leaves nights for traveling through the mists of Scotland and beyond. 

Her latest adventure has been writing hockey romance as Kenzie MacLir with contemporary romance author Heather Lire. Their debut story is in the Icing the Puck anthology available now, and look for a new book to release this hockey season! 

 

 

San Antonio and the Rose Window by Stephanie Suesan Smith

 

Rose Window

San Antonio, Texas

For a large number of years, my parents, my sister, and I went to Padre Island, Texas for three days, then to San Antonio, Texas for four days.  We could only stand the beach for a few days before we got sunburned and sick.  When we went to San Antonio, it usually rained.  Sometimes buckets of rain.  

No matter, we always had to go on the Mission trail.  This is a collection of five Spanish missions built by the priests who accompanied Spanish soldiers to occupy the land and enslave the indigenous people.  The Spanish did their level best to exterminate the local population, or at least make them Catholic.  They forced them to build the missions and an aqueduct that still carries water today.

I personally didn't like going to the missions. I saw them once and wasn't impressed, but Mom liked to look at them. My sister and I have a series of photographs standing beside the rose window for several years running.

After the Mission trail, we would go to the Riverwalk and eat Mexican food.  That was the part of San Antonio I liked.  We would also walk through the open-air market.  Things were too expensive to buy, but looking didn't cost anything.  Of course, we ate Mexican food practically every meal while we were in San Antonio.

One year, my Dad got stung on the heel of his foot by a wasp.  He limped around for a day before Mom made him go to an urgent care place.  He was given antibiotics and a tetanus shot because, as the doctor said, you never knew where the wasp had been.

An Agent for Magdala

by Caroline Clemmons

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Magdala, on the other hand, got to stay in the best hotel in San Antonio and try to catch a jewel thief who didn't want to be caught.  She also went to the market. 

Here is the blurb:

She craves adventure, but this may be too much…His job means the world to him…Capturing jewel thieves will test them…

Magdala leaps at the opportunity to become a Pinkerton agent. Learning the position requires a paper marriage shocks but doesn’t deter her. Maggie plans to get an annulment before her unusual family learns of the situation. She’s determined to prove she has the grit to be an excellent investigator. But, why does she have to be partnered with the one man who has been rude to her?

Douglas “Cloud” Ryan loves being a Pinkerton agent. Otherwise, he’d never go along with his boss’ crazy plan to marry him to a female agent. He’s certain women have no business dealing with criminals. After barely surviving the stagecoach trip from Denver to San Antonio Maggie needs to stay in the background and let him solve the case. He has reasons to distrust women, especially women like Maggie.

Can Maggie and Cloud catch the jewel thieves plaguing an historic San Antonio hotel without becoming victims? Will they take a chance on the love growing between them?

I Have A Story by Colleen L. Donnelly

I Have A Story

by Colleen L. Donnelly

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Book Blurb 

Jim Turner writes crime but doesn’t live it. He respects his grandfather’s tales of heroes but doesn’t believe them. When his failing grandfather sends him to a remote peninsula to write the end of his own heroic love story, Jim includes a war criminal interview to maintain his edge. 

Chastity is an anomaly, a misfit in pre-WWII culture as well as in Jim’s life. Her spritely charm and endearing features turn Jim’s world upside down, especially when she reveals his grandfather’s peninsula as the site of her upcoming wedding. 

Do good journalists flee when their interviewee is murdered? Do heroes write fiancés out of another’s story and themselves in? “The End” become the hardest words for Jim to write. 

Excerpt 

“So,” Chastity said. “Tell me more about the grandfather who impacted you so much.” 

I felt him in the room. Or maybe it was in Grove. Mountain Grove. Or because we had been on his beloved peninsula, she with her yellowish hair. It was as if he joined Chastity and me, and she sensed it too. His hands and heart were in this decrepit building with us, his presence and hers making it feel like a castle instead. 

“If it wasn’t for him, who knows where you might be now instead of here helping me.” She squeezed my hand. 

How did she know? Because of Grandpa I came to Grove and searched for a peninsula that brought me to Chastity…who actually brought me to it. “My grandfather is a wonderful man… But before we discuss him, there are things you should know about.” I had to be honest. “Tasks you can’t help me with.” Like crime and violence, dangerous interviews, and the way I felt about her. 

A face unlike any I had ever seen…and never would again…should send my heroic heart to the ladder where I would gather a million splinters in my hands by sliding to the ground, risking pain and infection to keep her safe by leaving. 

Her features looked watery as I gazed at her. Tears? I never cried. Her pastel throw rugs turned into colorful puddles blurred by an emotion I had never experienced before. 

“You are supposed to be here, Jim. And I am supposed to help you.” 

For a moment, something ominous crept into my thoughts. Something of the old crime writer in me, who with several clicks of a typewriter’s keys could turn any story the direction I wanted. I welcomed him back, then set him aside. Because in the blue of her eyes, I saw something stronger—my promise. 

If friendship was defined by a long period of time and a large number of interactions, Chastity didn’t qualify. And maybe my initial carnal fascination which became a pitter-patter my heart couldn’t beat without didn’t meet the definition of love. But she was at least partially right. For three days we were supposed to be together and help each other. For three days we had an eternity. 

Author Bio

Colleen L Donnelly put her science education to use for years and then put it behind her to pursue other passions. Her first love is writing and her second is hunting—hunting for that next good story, hunting for shed antlers or mushrooms in the woods, hunting for the next good author to read. An avid believer in work hard/play hard, Colleen splits her time between indoors and out, always busy at something. 

 

Tender Misdemeanors by Alana Lorens

Tender Misdemeanors

by Alana Lorens

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Blurb:

Caryn Orlane has law enforcement in her blood; her father was a cop, and his father, too. She's a federal agent in northwest Montana, protecting the old forests and keeping the peace. 

Levi Bradshaw also believes in protecting the forests, but has a very different MO. He's the leader of a group of eco-warriors, determined to save the trees of the Bitterroot by legal—and illegal—means. Sometimes this means allying with anti-government groups with a dangerous separate agenda. 

When Caryn and Levi meet in the woods at gunpoint, their encounter ignites a spark of interest, despite operating on opposite sides of the law. When their worlds turn on them, they only grow closer. If they don’t work together, can either survive? 

Excerpt:

Watching over her shoulder, she missed a thick fallen log in her path and tripped over it, falling hard on the ground, her breath snatched away for a few moments. The impact knocked the gun from her hand, and she struggled to retrieve it as the dog came crashing through the brush. The Rhodesian Ridgeback landed squarely on her, still barking, its nails driving into her back, its hot breath in her ear. She expected to feel the sharp bite of teeth at any moment. Desperate, her fingers quested forward for the gun.  

A shrill whistle sounded off to her right. “Rosie, what have you got there?”  

The dog bounded off her. Caryn lurched for the gun, then shoved herself up into a seated position, holding her weapon in both hands. The person who had spoken appeared in her sights. Aware of the panting animal not three feet away, she couldn’t spare a look, her attention focused on the man.  

Nearly six feet tall (or was it just her perspective from the ground?), he stared down at her, seemingly in shock. Thick dark hair lay tousled across his brow, as though he’d just removed one of those ski masks. He wore a simple red plaid flannel shirt and denim jeans, with heavy nut-colored work boots. His build was athletic, and she guessed there was plenty of muscle under the fabric of his shirt and his padded black ski vest. He could have been a model in one of those outdoorsy catalogs, a perfect example of a rugged, handsome western mountain man.  

At first, his warm brown eyes captured her interest.  But second, his quick movement brought a handgun of his own from behind him, perhaps tucked into his belt, and he pointed it directly at her. 

Author Bio:

Alana Lorens has been a published writer for more than forty years. Currently a resident of Asheville, North Carolina, she loves her time in the smoky blue mountains. One of her novellas, That Girl’s The One I Love, is set in the city of Asheville during the old Bele Chere festival. She lives with her daughter, who is the youngest of her seven children, three crotchety cats, and four kittens of various ages. 

Website: https://wordpress.com/page/alana-lorens.com/21 

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

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4829967.Alana_Lorens 

Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Alana-Lorens/e/B005GE0WBC/ 

Watch the exciting book trailer here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlVFvMZw0a0&t=63s 

 

Changing Lanes by Claire Yezbak Fadden

 

 

For fifty-something Roxy Adams, the days are drenched in sunshine and a passion for her boyfriend, Sam Reyes. That is until he turns up dead in the trunk of Roxy's limo and she's arrested for his murder.

Changing Lanes

A Roxy Adams Mystery Book 1

by Claire Yezbak Fadden

Genre: Humorous Cozy Mystery, Romantic Suspense

For fifty-something Roxy Adams, life is simple and beautiful. Her days are drenched in southern California sunshine and passion for Sam Reyes, the man she loves and shares a business with.

When Sam vanishes with their savings, leaving only a note behind, Roxy is faced with a harsh reality. Broke and confused, she learns they never owned the business. The actual owner will let her keep her job if she provides him with benefits.

Convinced there’s no knight in shining armor riding to her rescue, Roxy dusts off her chauffeur’s hat and returns to the career she trailblazed twenty years earlier.

With a steady income, new friends, and the possibility of romance, joy slowly replaces insecurity. Foxy Roxy is back. Life is wonderful and exciting once again. Until Sam turns up dead in the trunk of her limo. And Roxy is arrested for his murder.

 

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Roxy paced what might soon be her ex-living room, glad her last shift at the food truck was over. She’d never have to deal with Chuck again. That was the good news the bad news drowned out. With about five hundred dollars to her name, she needed a new job. And fast. Three weeks had passed while she waited and hoped to hear from Sam. A frantic call begging for her forgiveness. Telling her everything was a big mistake, that he was sorry, and he was coming home. But no call came. Sam had vanished completely, taking with him any sliver of love she had felt for the man. Taped to her front door that morning, Roxy found a handwritten note from Flora, the apartment manager, threatening a thirty-day eviction notice. She had crumpled the paper and thrown it near the empty television stand. Along with Sam, her sixty-five-inch wide-screen now lived somewhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Next to the wadded notification rested a balled-up bank statement. The account where she and Sam had regularly deposited their pay held a hundred-dollar balance. Once again, the reality invaded her. Sam was gone, cleaning out their bank account and leaving unpaid bills in his wake. Roxy gulped back a tear and coiled onto her secondhand couch, stained and lumpy. She was on her own. Not that she couldn’t survive. Roxy prided herself on being a strong, self-sufficient woman. Still, she hadn’t planned on moving into midlife alone and broke. Practically in the dead of night, Sam had sold his business and left for Tennessee. Apparently, turning sixty lit a fire under him to move closer to the wife he had abandoned long before Roxy had met him. Now that their children were grown and the responsibilities fewer, Sam had happily traded the hustle and chaos of Los Angeles for back-country fishing holes and lazy days with grandkids he’d never met. At fifty-three, Roxy understood the draw of reevaluating your life, accomplishing goals before getting too old to remember what they were. She and Sam had chased those dreams together. After all, he encouraged her to abandon her career as one of the few female limo drivers in California, probably in the country. Instead, he persuaded her to join him slinging hash from his food truck on a side street near the corner of Vine and Fountain in downtown LA. Roxy groaned at the thought. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. She’d given up pocketing hundreds of dollars in cash tips while meeting the area’s famous, wealthy, and colorful. Sam supplied everything she had missed during her early years—a steady life, a reliable partner, a consistent income. Things she never had growing up in Downey. A solidness she’d never find in the capricious chauffeuring world.

Pennsylvania-native Claire Yezbak Fadden lives in Orange County, California with her husband and two spoiled dogs. She spends her spare time playing with her four grandchildren and immersing herself in the words of other authors.

 

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The Poseidon Project by E. William Podojil

 

 

Molly, accompanied by her son and his boyfriend, embarks on a high-stakes mission to rescue her kidnapped husband, unraveling secrets while racing against the clock to prevent a technology from falling into destructive hands.

The Poseidon Project

The Herb Society Mysteries Book 1

by E. William Podojil

Genre: Techno Thriller, Adventure, Romantic Suspense 

Molly Halloran and her friends have a secret past.

Their bucolic retirement is suddenly upended when Molly’s husband is abducted and held for a steep ransom. Now she, her friends, her tech executive son, Lukas and his Air Force pilot boyfriend must race against the clock and travel halfway around the world to meet the kidnappers’ demands.

But when they learn why her husband has been abducted, they realize how high the stakes truly are. Molly and her friends now must face their past in order to save the future. But not only their futures; the world’s.

 

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It was a map of currents in the Persian Gulf. Taylor studied the map and asked everyone to move closer so they could see the screen. “Okay, so this is the northeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula. There’s Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and up here toward the point is Dubai,” Taylor explained.  

“That’s the Strait of Hormuz, right?” Donna asked. 

“Yep, and right next door is Oman. Dubai is closer to Oman than it is to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE,” Lukas pointed out.  

“So what does this have to do with John?” Linda asked. “Other than showing us where Dubai is located, what are you suggesting?”  

“Not suggesting anything right now, but wanted to show you something,” Taylor replied. “Lukas, can you click the animation on this map?” 

Suddenly the arrows within the map started to move as Taylor studied it. “See how the currents churn counterclockwise? That’s pretty consistent from what I remember. The current is affected by salinity and water temperature, so as it churns, it creates a system of lower pressure in the middle…more or less a gyre.”  

Lukas pointed his finger to follow the current. “So if Dad’s boat was found off the coast of Palm Jumeirah, his paddle and life vest would have likely circled this gyre and ended up right back where they started.” Taylor nodded.  

Molly jumped in. “The search is supposedly focused on where they found the kayak, but Taylor, you’re saying the boat had probably traveled a bit. John would have only been missing hours by this point, not days. How could his kayak still be relatively close to Dubai?” 

“I’m going to take a stab here,” Taylor jumped in. “If currents were relatively predictable and there were no storms, which I don’t imagine there were since John probably wouldn’t have ventured out. But let’s assume it was normal, in thirty-six hours, John’s boat would have been closer to the coast of Iran than to Dubai.”  

“The search was focused on the waters off Dubai. That’s what the embassy told me,” Molly responded.  

“Mom, add that question to your list when you call the embassy. Ask them where the search has been conducted and where it will go next.”  

Molly jotted that down. A question had been on her mind. “Isn’t the Persian Gulf pretty crowded with ships? I read there are traffic jams going through the Strait of Hormuz.”  

Taylor nodded. “You have hundreds of oil tankers from the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, and Saudi Arabia going in and out of the gulf every day. It’s a prime target for terrorists and also disputes between Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Iran. Iran has threatened to shut off the Strait due to sanctions imposed by the Americans.”  

“So it’s a pretty busy place,” Molly confirmed.  

“And a disaster waiting to happen,” Donna commented.  

“Which is why it’s so heavily patrolled,” Lukas added. “I read that about twenty five percent of the world’s oil passes through the Strait and Persian Gulf every day.” 

“Molly,” Taylor asked, “Lukas said the kayak was found by a pleasure boat out on a fishing trip, correct?”  

Molly nodded. “That’s what the embassy told me.”  

“Fishing areas usually begin about forty miles offshore. I wonder why the boat that found the kayak was closer to shore…five miles wasn’t it?” Taylor asked.  

“Maybe it was more like a booze cruise,” Linda commented.  

“Mom, I think that could be another question for your call tomorrow,” Lukas added. 

It was already ten p.m. and Molly and her guests were fading. “I’ve got my alarm set for three a.m. tomorrow so I can speak with the embassy during their business day. We spent so much time talking we didn’t have time to check flights.”  

“We can do that tomorrow,” Linda answered. “I’m way past my bedtime.”  

After cleaning up, Linda and Betty boarded Donna’s golf cart. “No way I’m walking home tonight,” Betty said. “Too many coyotes out. We’ll see you tomorrow, Molly. I hope the embassy has some good news.”  

Lukas walked Taylor to the door. Molly gave him a big hug. “Thank you for talking to us tonight. You sure know a lot about the world. I feel more informed, but there is something that doesn’t add up. You touched on it, Taylor, and it’s been nagging at me.”  

“And what part was that?” Taylor asked. 

“The paddle and the life vest. Why wouldn’t everything be in roughly the same place; the kayak, paddle, and the life vest, regardless of whether John’s body was in it,” Molly pointed out. “I can’t understand why search and rescue has not turned up anything else.  

“I don’t know, Molly. I thought about that, too. The search and rescue part of me is wired into my DNA.” 

“Well, good night and I hope to see you again, Taylor.” Molly returned back into the house leaving Lukas and Taylor alone on the front porch.  

“Well, you are a bountiful supply of information,” Lukas thanked him. “Thanks for engaging my mom and her friends. That was sweet of you. I think you gave my mom a bit of hope.”  

E. William Podojil is an international business executive and novelist. He has traveled extensively and visited over sixty countries while living in Europe and the United States. Podojil works as an executive business advisor, and strategist while also pursuing his love of storytelling and writing. Podojil's first novel, The Tenth Man, was published in 2004. His second novel, The Poseidon Project, was released in August, 2024 by The Wild Rose Press, and is the first in The Herb Society Mysteries, a series of adventure thrillers. His novels and other writing are showcased on his website www.ewpodojil.com. Here he also writes a personal blog with humorous stories of his life and travels with his husband and three sons. He and his family currently reside in Northeast Ohio.

 

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Protected by Sharon C. Cooper

 

 

He walked away to protect her, but now he wants her back.

Protected

Atlanta’s Finest Series Book 8

by Sharon C. Cooper

Genre: Romantic Suspense 

He walked away to protect her, but now he wants her back.

Personal security specialist Parker Wilcox should be dead. Instead, he’s been hiding in plain sight for years. But when a mishap threatens his cover, he’s terrified his past will bring danger to the lives of those he loves—especially Chelsey Bailey. The only way to protect her is to put distance between them, but how can he live without the only woman who owns his heart?

As a parole officer, Chelsey believes in second chances…for her parolees. Not for Parker—a man who claimed to love her but then dropped her without warning. While she’s trying to bury her pain in work, Parker comes back on the scene, begging to try again. The excuse he gives for abandoning her in the first place is ridiculous. There’s no way he’s some kind of cartel prince on the run from his murderous father. Right?

Parker will never have the life he desires with Chelsey if he doesn’t destroy his father, but will he survive this time around? And will he and Chelsey ever get to have the life they’ve been dreaming of?

*All books in this series can be read as a standalone.

 

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God must hate me. 

Why else would He open up doors for her to get her dream job, then drop Parker dead smack in the middle of her first real assignment? It wasn’t fair. Even more than that, she had to be near the man while he was looking like he had just stepped out of a GQ magazine photo shoot.  

Sometime between last night, when he threatened her date, until now, he must have visited the barber shop. His low fade haircut looked fresh and showed off his natural waves, and his mustache and goatee were perfectly groomed.  

Chelsey had always been drawn to dark chocolate men, and they didn’t come any finer than Parker Wilcox. The man was beautiful, and he had the body to go with it. He always wore his suits fitted, and they showed off his wide shoulders that tapered to his narrowed waist.  

Tonight, though, everything about him was popping, including his muscular biceps pushing against the dark fabric. As her gaze took him in, a deep longing for him burrowed into her and landed dead smack into her chest. 

Damn him! 

“You can not wear that,” Parker ground out, his words and tone jolting her out of her perusal of him. “This is a security assignment, not some…some party! You shouldn’t be going anyway until you’ve had more training.” 

Chelsey stepped further into the kitchen, barely hanging on to her anger. “Clearly you have forgotten that I was once a cop. But why am I even talking to you? You’re not my boss, and in case no one told you, I belong on this detail!”  

His long legs carried him across the room in three steps, and he stopped in front of her. She had opted for dressy wedge-heels since she could run better in them, and they added a few inches to her 5’8” height. Still Parker had a few inches on her. Between his gorgeous eyes that were boring into her, and his enticing woodsy scent, she lost herself in his presence. But then he opened his mouth.  

“No one is going to take you seriously if you’re wearing that and claiming to be a security specialist. Every asshole in that place tonight will be pawing at you like you’re their next meal, and what are you going to do? Like you, Laz and I have a job to do, and we won’t be able to keep an eye on you while protecting our client.” 

Chelsey gritted her teeth, refusing to let his words turn her into a screaming lunatic. But she was seriously tempted to knock him upside his big head with her handbag. The handbag that held one of her weapons. She had another strapped to her inner thigh with a garter holster that was well hidden but easy to reach. 

“Parker, you don’t have to worry about me. Ever. I can take care of myself while also doing my job. So keep your focus on our client and worry about your own damn self.”  

She wanted to ask him who was going to keep the lonely women attending the event from grabbing his gorgeous ass. Because no doubt he’d be luring all the honeys his way tonight. The man was too fine for his own good. 

“And another thing, why do you even care?” she snapped. She wanted to add that he’d given up any right to anything about her, but she kept that thought to herself. 

“Because…” His eyes blazed with anger as his chest heaved. “Because I love you, dammit.” He moved closer. Close enough to kiss, and Chelsey stilled. “And I care because if anything ever happened to you, it would kill me!” he roared and shoved past her before storming out of the room.  

**Don’t miss the rest of the Atlanta’s Finest Series!**

*All books in this series can be read as a standalone.

Find out more at 

the Author’s Site Here! 

 

USA Today bestselling author Sharon C. Cooper loves anything involving romance with a happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies, or real life. She writes contemporary romance, romantic suspense, and dabbles in romantic comedy. She enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Sharon’s stories have won numerous awards over the years, and when she isn’t writing, she’s hanging out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work, or reading a good book (a romance of course). To read more about Sharon and her novels, visit www.sharoncooper.net

 

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The Mirror: The Lost Bride Trilogy, Book 2 by Nora Roberts

The Mirror: The Lost Bride Trilogy, Book 2

By Nora Roberts

Amazon Link

 I like Nora Roberts' romantic suspense novels, and this one is very good.  I hate that I have to wait a year to find out what happens next, though.  At least I know it will all work out in the end.  You should read the books in order, or you won't understand everything that goes on.

Book Blurb:

When Sonya MacTavish inherits the huge Victorian mansion on the coast of Maine, she has no idea that the house is haunted. The footsteps she hears at night, the doors slamming, the music playing, are not figments of her imagination. In her dreams she sees glimpses of the past. In the present she finds portraits of brides. And when she has visions of an antique mirror, she is drawn to it, sensing it holds dark family secrets.

Then one night the mirror appears and Sonya glides through this looking glass, into the past—and sees a bride murdered on her wedding day, the circle of gold torn from her finger. It is a scene that will play out again and again—a centuries-old curse that must be broken—and a puzzle she must solve if there is any hope of breaking the curse.

Liar by Nora Roberts

Liar

by Nora Roberts

Amazon Link

I really like Nora Roberts' romantic suspense books.  I am reading this one.  It is an older book, from 2015, but it is very good.  I think this book is just right for a rainy day where you snuggle in a chair by a fire and read all afternoon.

Book Blurb

Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions…
 
The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs. The man she loved wasn’t just dead. He never really existed.
 
Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows—and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning...

Check out my latest news at Smart Girls Read Romance as well.  Thanks for reading.

 

Ultimate Justice: K-9 Special Ops Book 3 by Tee O'Fallon

 

 

Some truths are worth dying for.

Ultimate Justice

K-9 Special Ops Book 3

by Tee O’ Fallon

Genre: Thriller, Romantic Suspense

 

Some truths are worth dying for.

While tracking down an escaped felon, FBI Special Agent Evan McGarry and his K-9, Blue, uncover a smoking hot lead on the location of dozens of missing children―including Evan's own sister. The shocking discovery reopens cold cases throughout Colorado, along with painful wounds and the heartbreaking guilt Evan's kept buried for decades.

Three years ago, hospital custodian Marlie Foxe's world imploded, causing her to cut herself off from the world. But when one of the missing boys turns up at her hospital, he only allows Marlie to get close. Now, Evan needs her help with the boy―and he won't take no for an answer. When she finally agrees to work with him, Evan suspects there's more to the woman than she's letting on. She's hiding something. The question is what.

As Evan and Marlie unearth a cult targeting runaways, they're forced to confront not only dangerous criminals but the truths they've both been avoiding―including the blistering passion they can no longer deny. But when more children disappear, they'll have to risk more than just their hearts.

Each book in the K-9 Special Ops series is STANDALONE:
* Tough Justice
* Burning Justice
* Ultimate Justice

 

“Ultimate Justice is romantic suspense done right! It has great characters, a riveting plot, and sizzling romance. Tee O’Fallon’s law enforcement background shines through in the realistic and suspenseful plot… The story moves at a brisk pace that will keep the pages flying… This is one of my favorite books of the year and Tee O’Fallon is an author to seek out.” – Just Another Damn Book Blog

  

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“Evan arched a brow. Liar. The woman looked anything but happy. 

 

Her knuckles were white where she had her long blond braid in a 

death grip, and the smooth skin over her carotid pulsed rapidly. She shot what he could 

swear was a panicked look at the door. Bottom line…Marlie Foxe looked ready to bolt 

faster than a deer on opening day of hunting season. 

 

Her deep blue gaze met his, and he was struck by the sad, haunted 

look in hers. He’d seen that look. It was the same one he’d seen in the mirror on his 

own face and those of his parents in the days and months after Gracie disappeared. He 

wondered if it would ever stop. 

 

Now, for the first time in twenty-four years, he was, potentially, on 

the verge of discovering the answer to his family’s burning question: what happened to 

their daughter, his sister? 

 

If only he wasn’t exhausted. Make that totally beat to shit. He’d 

 

barely slept, and then only because he’d had to. 

 

In the two days he’d been waiting to interview Noah, he’d fully 

briefed his SAIC—Special Agent in Charge—the FBI director via Zoom, the U.S. 

Attorney’s Office in Denver, gotten an arrest warrant for Francis Manello and served 

another search warrant at the man’s house. He and a team of agents had tossed the 

house from top to bottom. Forensics was dumping every scrap of information on 

Manello’s computer, but all Evan could think about was that Polaroid. He still couldn’t 

believe it, but it was her—Gracie—wearing the same pink shirt she’d had on the last 

time he’d seen her. Guilt squeezed his heart tighter than a bank vault door. 

 

Focus, dammit! Focus! 

“Blue, come.” He hitched his head to the dog who’d been his 

 

partner for more than four years. 

 

As Blue trotted to the bed, Evan pointed, and his dog situated 

himself between Marlie and the bed and rested his head on the edge of the mattress. 

Despite Blue’s size, Marlie didn’t cringe or back away. 

 

“Can I pet him?” Noah looked at Evan expectantly. 

“You bet. That’s what I brought him for.” Pretty much every kid 

Noah’s age wanted a dog. A dog’s attention and comfort were great for improving 

emotional health, especially after a traumatic experience. The only thing necessary was 

for the dog to be gentle and friendly, which Blue was. Except when hunting down a 

homicidal felon. 

 

It wasn’t quite a smile, but the corners of Marlie’s pink, full lips lifted 

a fraction as she watched Noah pet Blue. She had the most interesting face he’d ever 

seen. Heart-shaped. Yet it was her eyes that drew him in. Eyes were the windows to the 

soul, and he wondered about hers. 

 

“He likes having his ears stroked,” Evan said, casting a glance over 

his shoulder. The good doctor, who looked eerily like an undertaker, would be back soon 

with those extra chairs. Noah didn’t like the man. Getting him out the door, even for a 

few minutes, seemed like a stellar idea. 

 

Blue leaned into the boy’s hand and groaned like he’d just scarfed 

down a meaty T-bone. The deep rumble in the back of Blue’s throat made Noah giggle. 

He hadn’t quite reached adolescence and still had the high-pitched voice of youth. 

“Do you like dogs?” he asked, taking the first step in his forensic 

 

interview of the boy: establishing rapport. 

He nodded. 

 

In the interest of not towering over the bed, Evan sat in the vacant chair, leaving 

Kinnemara, the FBI’s Office for Victim Assistance advocate, standing quietly by the 

door. 

 

Normally, he’d approach any interview with methodical calm, but 

that Polaroid of his sister made him feel like a powder keg with a little fuse. He wanted 

to trash protocol and dive right in. With children, rushing in too quickly could be 

disastrous. “Did you ever have a dog before?” 

 

Noah shook his head, his attention still focused on Blue. “I wanted 

 

one, but Sheila and Mike—my foster parents—wouldn’t let me.” 

 

No surprise there. Noah Lund’s background check had included his 

former foster parents. Sheila and Mike Hamilton had been too busy peddling drugs out 

their back door to care about anyone else. He’d bet they’d only taken Noah in to get 

state money for fostering a child. The state’s screening process was seriously flawed. 

More like, seriously sucked. 

Evan caught Marlie scrutinizing him. The haunted look in her eyes had been 

replaced by something else. Suspicion. Still drilling him with those piercing blue eyes, 

she rested a hand on Noah’s shoulder, telling him something else—North Metro’s 

custodian was protective of the boy. Somehow, in the span of only two days, they’d 

formed a bond, one he needed to be cautious of. Perhaps, take advantage of. 

“Do you like baseball?” The kid’s pjs were baseball-themed. 

“Yeah.” Noah kept petting Blue. 

“Me too. I played in school.” 

Finally, the boy looked up. “What position?” 

“Centerfield. You?” 

Noah shrugged. “Don’t know. Never played on a team. Just 

 

with Caleb.” 

 

“Who’s Caleb?” He already knew the kid had no siblings and 

 

no other blood relatives the state was aware of. 

 

“My friend. I think he got caught. He—” 

Caught? 

Squealing came from the hallway as Dr. Strobie wheeled in 

two more chairs, positioning one beside Evan’s and leaving the other at the foot of the 

bed for Kinnemara. 

 

Strobie sat and scooted his chair closer. Noah stopped 

petting Blue and tugged the sheet on his lap higher, gripping it tightly in his fists, as if 

forming a protective shield. The kid really didn’t like the hospital shrink. If he could eject 

the doc from the room, he gladly would. The man’s presence had the same effect as 

slapping a strip of duct tape over the boy’s mouth. Strobie had also procured a legal- 

size notepad and sat poised with a ballpoint pen in his hand. 

 

This guy was a pain in the ass. The best way to establish 

rapport and trust with a child was to show them you were listening and that you cared. 

Not by writing down every word. 

**Don’t miss the other books in the series!**

Find them on Amazon! 

Tee O'Fallon is the author of the Federal K-9 Series and the NYPD Blue & Gold Series. Tee has been a federal agent for twenty-three years and is now a police investigator, giving her hands-on experience in the field of law enforcement that she combines with her love of romantic suspense. When not writing, Tee enjoys cooking, gardening, chocolate, lychee martinis, and spending time with her Belgian Sheepdogs Loki and Kyrie. Tee loves hearing from readers and can be contacted via her website https://teeofallon.com where you can also sign up for Tee’s newsletters.

  

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