suspense

The Suspense is killing me!

October 24, 2015 By Barbara Leave a Comment

THE FALL BOOK BASH continues! Today I’m sharing an excerpt from my Inspirational suspense novel, ALIAS RAVEN BLACK. It is the 2nd book in the Second Chances Series, but it can be read as a stand-a-lone. There is also a bit of romance for you die-hard romantics, and plenty of suspense to keep you turning pages.

~~Brenna has gone undercover as Raven Black, taking a job as nanny to the children of a widowed mobster. Working for the FBI, she needs to find evidence that will put him away for good, but taking care of children is a lot harder than taking on a new identity, and kids aren’t nearly as easy to manipulate as she’d anticipated. Her role takes on a whole new level of danger when she discovers secrets about their mother that could get her killed. ~~

ALIAS RAVEN BLACK (excerpt)

She sat on the ground and loosened the laces of the skates she’d borrowed for the occasion. They had obviously belonged to Carlotta. Maria had dug them out of a closet along with her own. They were only a half size too big so she pulled on an extra pair of socks and slipped her feet in them. The laces were long and took some time to tie.

“I see you’ve kept your word to the children.”

Giordano’s voice startled her out of her reverie. He stood behind her, his arms crossed and a smug smile on his handsome face. He wore a soft brown leather jacket over a turtleneck sweater with tan cords and hiking boots. He looked like he’d stepped out of the pages of a department store catalogue. He reached down and gave her a hand up as she finished tying the skates.

“Thank you, Mr. Giordano,” she said and tried to balance on the blades.

“Call me Anthony.” He tucked a lock of her hair back inside her knit hat as she faced him. His touch was velvet smooth and she couldn’t help smiling.

“Anthony. It seems a bit strange,” she admitted.

“What? My name or calling me by it?” His teasing tone made him seem more human. He took her arm and helped her out on the ice. “Have you ever skated before?”

She shook her head. “Not on ice. But when I was a kid I did roller skate a couple times at the rink. Not enough to excel at it of course, just enough to learn I should take up skiing instead.”

He laughed, and the sound echoed across the pond. The children turned to stare at their father. “I find that hard to believe. You look as though you’d be good at whatever you set your heart on.”

“I guess that was the problem. I didn’t have my heart set on it. I do have a passion for skiing though and I admit that I excel at it,” she bragged. She pushed off and glided slowly forward. It was easier than roller-skating. The blades slid along the ice with little effort, unlike the old four wheels she remembered. She started to fall but caught her balance almost immediately and turned back with a self-satisfied grin. “I may be better at this than I thought.”

“Pride cometh before a fall,” he called out.

“Falling doesn’t take pride, just clumsiness.” With ever lengthening strokes, she glided across the width of the pond, confidence building as she kept her balance and remained steady on the blades. Nearing the edge she tried to turn and took the corner a little too fast, spun around and landed smack down on the ice. She heard a loud crack. Was it her head or the pond? She lay there for a few seconds trying to catch her breath and heard laughter around her.

“Miss Black, are you all right?” asked Rico. He stood over her wearing a wide grin. He put out his hand as though to help her up, but his father was already kneeling beside her.

“I see you’ve mastered ice skating as well.” He grasped her hands and pulled her to her feet. His laughter was an appealing sound on the morning air and Brenna, slightly embarrassed, smiled too. She tried to pull away but her skates began to slip and he pulled her back into his arms to steady her.

“Watch out, kids, Miss Black is on the ice,” he warned. His brown eyes were filled with laughter although he tried to sound serious.

“You should let her go, Daddy,” Maria admonished. “She needs to learn on her own.”

“Very wise advise, but I’m afraid if she falls again she’s going to be concussed and won’t be able to take care of you two. That would put me right back in the predicament I was in before she came.”

“You can let her go, Dad. I can teach her to skate.” Rico watched his father strangely as though he’d never seen him act playful.

“I’m really fine.” Brenna pushed against Anthony’s chest and tried to put some distance between them for the children’s sake. They seemed uncomfortable with the situation.

“If you’re sure.” His expression turned impassive, his eyes cold as the ice beneath them. He turned to go.

“Aren’t you going to skate, Daddy?” Maria called after him. She skated haltingly to his side and took his hand. “Watch me, Daddy. Rico showed me how to turn.” She skated a few yards away and took the turn but tripped herself up with her own skate and promptly fell to the ground. She looked up eagerly, hoping for a word of encouragement.

“Keep practicing!” he called out as he strode away. “If you can’t make a simple turn without falling, there is no sense in my wasting time standing around to watch.”

Brenna slid carefully to Maria’s side and dropped to the ice beside her. The little girl’s heart was breaking. She’d thought she was doing so well until Giordano had to burst her childish bubble. The man should be horsewhipped! Maria looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

“It’s all right, honey,” Brenna said. She swept her into her arms. “I think you did just great. And with a little more practice you’ll be flying around this pond like a pro.”

“I hate him,” Rico said. His hands were balled into fists inside his gloves and his jaw was rigid with anger. “Why does he always have to ruin everything?”

Brenna didn’t know what to say so she remained silent, watching Giordano’s retreating form. Rico skated off, taking his anger out on the ice. He skated fiercely, as though each stroke of his blades took him farther away from his father. Brenna knew exactly how that felt and wished she could take away the pain that lay beneath his anger. Instead, she watched him skate, hugging Maria tighter, and wondered if there were fathers in this world who really cared for their children.

~~~ Download your copy today! Or pick up a gift copy for a friend. Christmas is right around the corner… ~~~

RUNNING HOME ALIAS RAVEN BLACK

~~~

Thanks for stopping! Hope you enjoyed the excerpt of Alias Raven Black. Leave a comment and let me know what you think or just to say hello.

Barbara

Good and Plenty, Now & Later!

September 7, 2013 By Barbara Leave a Comment

Announcing the release date of The 3^rd Fredrickson Winery Novel!!

** September 29th! **

fredwineseriesonlinead800px SAVOR will be available September 29th at all online stores & in paperback. Check back at your favorite store to Pre-Order. Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and Apple should have it available for pre-orders soon!

Savor the moment, cause it just might be your last…

Newly married and trying to keep the romance flowing along with the wine, Billie and Handel find themselves knee-deep in another mystery. Defending a wealthy San Francisco businessman against capital murder, Handel soon discovers that media attention brings more than fame and fortune. When Billie’s life is threatened and someone starts vandalizing winery property, he believes it’s connected to the case.

Across the vineyard, Margaret has problems of her own. Davy’s Italian grandfather comes to town and starts right in where his son left off. Throwing the weight of his money around, and using the rash of vandalism as a weapon, he tries to prove that Davy would be safer and better off living with him in Italy.

Romance is in the air at the Fredrickson Winery this summer. Sip a glass of Sangria and fall in love with the characters all over again.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

While you are waiting for the release of SAVOR, here is another exciting novel to pass the time… SPLIT SENSE

FREE for the weekend, Sept. 7-8 only! If you have been leery about picking this one up because you just don’t know if speculative suspense is for you, now is the time to set those qualms aside. Trust me. You’ll like it. You may love it. It’s still my favorite of the books I’ve published and I wouldn’t lie to you. Download it today!

SPLIT SENSE

When a senator and pharmaceutical giant partner to experiment with a new drug on pregnant women, they tap into a world they never knew existed – the supernatural touching the natural – and it will cost the innocent more than they know. Split Sense interweaves the lives of two families, twins separated at birth, and two different but powerful gifts that each child discovers which impacts their lives in unbelievable ways.

Barbara

Summer book tour: DARKEST HOUR

August 26, 2013 By Barbara 1 Comment

Continuing the Grace Award summer book tour, I am hosting Nike Chillemi today and showcasing the latest book in her Sanctuary Point series, Darkest Hour. Set in the 1940’s, these historically intriguing romantic suspense novels will keep you coming back for more!

A petite widow, medical secretary and sole support of her young son and grandparents, is framed for the murder of her boss. Wealthy village residents conspire with the DA to indict her and stop further investigation. The medical examiner thinks the shooter was a tall individual. When his report is shoved aside, he starts his own side-investigation trying to clear her and in the process he falls in love with her.

Lucinda Byrne lost her husband and parents at sea. When she discovers the body of her boss, his A-List society fiancee, backed up by her powerful family and a corrupt DA, accuses Lucinda of murder. She struggles on shielding her five-year-old son, her feisty grandfather and arthritic grandmother from the ugliness of her situation. She mistrusts the dapper ME, thinking he’s a ladies’ man, but soon realizes he may be the only one in her corner.

Hank Jansen, the county ME who’s had his share of pain and loss, doesn’t know if this little widow was in on the murder, but he knows by the trajectory of the bullet she’s too short to have pulled the trigger. His professional opinion ignored, he begins his own investigation and at least one cop accuses him of an ethics violation. He certainly can’t deny he’s fallen head over heals for the accused, and also is crazy about her son. A huge problem is there’s a leak inside the investigation and the murderer is always one step ahead of them.

~~~

An interview with Nike:

Barbara: In DARKEST HOUR, your heroine Lucinda Byrne isn’t as feisty as your previous heroines have been. Can you comment on that?

Nike: Lucinda Byrne certainly is strong, but she doesn’t shoot from the hip the way my other heroines did. She’s much more careful. I think a woman can show strength in many ways. Lucinda is a widow, the mother of her five-year old son, and the sole support of her grandparents. Her strength comes through as she handles her responsibilities with courage and grace while powerful individuals in the village seek to destroy her. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy writing spunky heroines, but in this story, I wanted Lucinda to have poise and dignity, first and foremost. Still, she can and does stand up for herself to the village detective and to Hank Jansen, the medical examiner, who she’s falling in love with in spite of the fact that she doesn’t know if she can trust him.

Barbara: When we first meet Hank Williams it would never occur to me he’d take any personal risks to help a young woman he hardly knew. How did you create this character?

Nike: That’s right. Hank wouldn’t be seen as a man to go out on a limb for anyone. It’s not that he’s cowardly. He’s got a backbone. It’s just that he’s been so hurt in the past he doesn’t extend himself for other people. He’s as surprised as anyone when he decides to help Lucinda Byrne. Perhaps it’s because his professional opinion has been ignored, and the one thing he’s got left is his career. Then he begins to see her as someone who’s being unjustly hurt. He can certainly identify with that.

Barbara: How did you develop the plot for DARKEST HOUR and how did you come up with the name?

Nike: In my Sanctuary Point series, one novel flows out of another. Main characters in one novel will appear as subordinate characters in the next one. Hank Jansen, the Nassau County Medical Examiner, first appeared in my Christmas/New Year’s novel in the series, GOODBYE NOEL. Then he popped up at the murder scene in PERILOUS SHADOWS. I got to like him and thought he’d be a terrific hero. He is the most flawed of my heroes, but like all my others, he seeks to right injustice. So, he needed a heroine, but I wanted a gal who would be put off by him at first. So, I created a widow with a young son who is dignified and protective of her family. At first she thinks Hank is a ladies’ man and too cavalier for her taste. Then, of course, he grows on her. It helps that he’s practically the only one who thinks she’s innocent of murder. The name DARKEST HOUR came to mind because things in this story get so scary for the heroine.

Thanks for stopping, Nike. It was great to learn more about Darkest Hour and the entire Sanctuary Point Series.

You can purchase Nike’s novels here:

Amazon/Kindle

Barnes and Noble/Nook

Author bio:

You might call Nike a crime fictionista. Her passion is crime fiction. She likes her bad guys really bad and her good guys smarter and better. She is the founding board member of the Grace Awards and is its Chairman, a reader’s choice awards for excellence in Christian fiction. You can read more about Nike & her books at her author website: http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com/

~~~

Barbara

Book Launch: Out For Blood, by Marcy Dyer

August 18, 2013 By Barbara 1 Comment

Suspense is what’s for dinner this week on the Grace Award’s book launch!

OUT FOR BLOOD by Marcy Dyer

Blurb:

Dialysis nurse, Danielle Battershawn’s, life is turned upside down when her identical twin is murdered. As she strives to deal with yet another death, the killer sets his sights on eliminating her. Can handsome security consultant, Tyler Covington, keep her alive?

Excerpt

Under the cloak of darkness, the man donned latex gloves. He picked the lock on the back door to Janine’s house and tiptoed over the threshold. The soft fragrance of her perfume permeated the air. Such a shame. Inquisitive mongrel. They could’ve shared an exciting time together, but she had to play buttinski and stick her beak into his business, cutting short their love affair. Anger threatened to engulf him, but he shook it off and turned his attention to his search.

In the living room, he pulled books off the shelves, thumbed through them, and overturned the bookcases. He slashed furniture cushions and dug through the foam, then ripped up the corners of the carpeting. As small as the drive was, the witch could’ve hidden it anywhere. He pulled her antique glassware off the fireplace and broke them open. Empty.

After he pulled pictures off the walls and slashed open the backs, he moved on to the air vents. He unscrewed each one, stuck his hand inside the duct, and felt around.

Cursing, the man moved from room to room, dumping out contents of cabinets, drawers, the dresser, and desk. He turned over the furniture and checked the backsides and underneath.

In the bathroom, he checked under the cabinets and behind the mirror. Where did the conniving broad hide the flash drive? He slashed her bed to ribbons, dug through the stuffing, and pulled out handfuls of the cotton batting, but found nothing.

He slammed his fist through the drywall. “Stupid witch.” He composed himself and explored the entire house once again.

Slipping out the front door, he removed his latex gloves and stuffed them in his pocket. As he wove through the sprawling subdivision, he hummed the tune to “Death’s Head.”

Knowing Janine, she gave it to her sister for preservation. He would search Dani’s house and, after he had the drive, he’d dispose of her. Doing away with both of the meddlesome twins would solve two problems for him. He allowed himself a smile at the thought of carousing with Dani before he got rid of her.

About the Author:

Marcy G. Dyer is a Registered Nurse and suspense author. Like so many other writers, she began writing at a very young age, but never took herself seriously as a “real” writer until about ten years ago when she began taking courses and learning the craft of writing.