JOIN OUR MAILING LIST

Monday 31 March 2014

Blog Tour Author Interview & Giveaway - The Man Test by Amanda Aksel

The Man Test
Author: Amanda Aksel
Release Date: March 25, 2014
Language: English
Format: Paperback & eBook

Book Blurb:
Marin Johns is San Francisco’s Pollyanna couples therapist. She’s months away from wedded bliss when she discovers her fiancĂ© is having an affair. After nursing her broken heart with Kleenex and break-up songs, she adopts a new brand of thinking when she uncovers a tell-all book that proves all men are liars and cheaters who will do and say anything so they’re not found out. No exceptions. 

In an attempt to convince her friends of her newfound truth, she begins a fictitious relationship with James, a do-gooder from Montana. Marin seeks any means necessary to catch him cheating from hiring a PI to enlisting the help of a fidelity tester. Will her new "boyfriend" beat the statistic or will Marin regret the satisfaction of being right?

Buy Links:



Author Interview with Amanda Aksel

1. What inspired you to want to become a writer?

I believe that being a writer is something you’re born with. It’s in your DNA. Writing has been part of my artistic expression since I was a child. Truth be told, I had no interest in being a writer even though I wrote a lot. But eventually, it caught up to me.  

2. Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.

I’ve just published my first book, but before The Man Test, I ghostwrote a New York Times Bestseller titled Vision: Your Pathway to Victory. Seeing the book on the list was worth all the hard work we put into that project.

3. If you could have a signed copy of any novel what would it be and why?

I would love to have a signed copy of Love The One You’re With by Emily Giffin. She’s my favorite author, and she has a career that I aspire to.

4. If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

I wish I could freeze time so I could get more work done, take a nap, or catch up on Grey’s Anatomy and not lose any time.

5. Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.

If you’ve ever questioned your man’s fidelity, then you relate to Marin’s journey in The Man Test.

6. Any other books in the works? Goals for future projects?

Yes, The Man Test is the first in a four part series. The next book, The Commitment Test, is expected to be out late this year.

7. Do you write as you go or do you have the book planned before you start the first draft?

I like to create a pretty basic outline of the story and the character arcs, then it’s just connecting the dots with words.

8. What movie and/or book are you looking forward to this year?

I can’t wait for Emily Giffin’s new title in May and I’m really looking forward to watching The Other Woman with Cameron Diaz. It totally relates to my book.

9. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?

San Clemente, CA.

10. Can you see yourself in any of your characters?

There are some similarities with Marin Johns and me. She’s determined and curious, but most of all she’s a romantic at heart.


About the author Amanda Aksel

Amanda Aksel is an author with an affinity for love. Becoming a couple’s therapist was her “backup” career, and after completing her BA in Psychology she was on her way to solving love's most complicated quandaries one couple at a time. The Man Test is Amanda’s debut novel, and now she plans to solve love's most complicated quandaries one novel at a time.

Author Links:




***Giveaway***

One lucky winner will win a A Lolita Flirtini Martini Glass! Click here to view the prize.

BOTW - WEEK 46 {Wattpad}

First Kiss & Broken Promises
Author: Neerunni
Genre: Teen Romance

Wattpad Book Blurb:
Seventeen year old Divya Narayan is a high-spirited young girl with an adventurous streak in her, who doesn’t think twice before taking a risk. She learns very early in life that broken promises by ones you love equals a broken heart. So she makes two promises – Never to fall in love and never to break a promise. 

One fateful night four years ago, Aryan Diaz not only broke Divya's heart but also her trust and their unique bond of friendship. When the charming heart-breaker returns next door to Divya, he holds more than a key to her locked heart; he has answers that can set her free to break the promises she made.

Click here to read the book.


The Awakened Magic (Light Seekers 1)
Author: Slayersoul
Genre: Teen Fantasy

Wattpad Book Blurb:
One young witch

One wrong spell

Three evil wizards

Her whole world is shattering around her. And her parents are suffering from her mistake. Will she be able to save them? Is she really having visions of the past or has she finally lost her mind?

If that isn't enough, two different guys from two different worlds are vying for her attention.

Can she overcome the absolute chaos that is now her life?

Click here to read the book.

Overseas
Author: ErisDecember
Genre: Teen Fiction / Short Story

Wattpad Book Blurb:
“I loved him but he loved her and she loved me.”

After all this time, they finally decide to send each other the letters they kept tucked under their mattresses.

Click here to read the book.











The Reprisal
Author: RoseSunshine
Genre: Teen Fiction / Mystery / Thriller

Wattpad Book Blurb:
Nineteen year old Jude Nelson has learned to fight. She has learned to stick it through thin and thick. Just when things are normal as they can be, she is falling downhill.

He is giving her tasks to complete. Devastating, shaking tasks which are complicating her beliefs of what she thought was true.. If Jude doesn't figure his game, it may be the end of her humanity.

After all, when a nineteen year old girl is forced to kill, it's not a mind of a sane devil. 

Suddenly, past is being retold to her, opening with it a Pandora's box of lies and Jude is getting to know of what dark answers might be boiling behind the lied truth of her whole life...

Click here to read the book.

Only Hope: A Journey to Salvation
Genre: Teen Fiction / Spiritual

Wattpad Book Blurb:
A story about courage and faith. 

Digory was born as the only child of his parents. Simple boy he is but so like the others. He is smart, kind, religious and simple person with simple dreams. He also have friends, some are seasonal, some are occasional while some last forever. As he grows up, he changed and faced many circumstances and challenges in his life.  Everyday in his life is the same thing but there comes times that he needed to make a choice and sacrifice some things.

Could he strengthen his faith in trouble times or will just abandon it together with his life?

Click here to read the book.

Saturday 29 March 2014

Book Blast & Giveaway – Unplanned Motherhood by Lena Sledge

unplanned motherhood
Unplanned Motherhood

Unplanned Motherhood is a non-fiction collection of short stories written by moms and dads about their funny inspirational or motivational journey as a parent. Unplanned Motherhood is based on the web series created by Lena Sledge.

Unplanned Motherhood is a comedy web series for perfectly imperfect families, starring Lena Sledge as Layla, a wife and mother of five that gives parenting advice on her real life mommy blog. Her unique parenting style contradicting with her perfect parenting advice lends to a distinct brand of humor. With each episode we see Layla teaching her kids life lessons as she discovers more about herself and the advice she gives to her readers. Unique to this web series is the actual blog that Layla writes where she gives the perfect parenting advice and after many of her posts, follows the tag line; to see how I really handled the situation watch this week's episode.

This web series is special because the viewers of the web series and the readers of the real life blog get to interact with Layla and let her know if her advice is on the money or share their own parenting advice. To follow the Unplanned Motherhood blog go to www.lenasledge.com. Stay tuned. Unplanned Motherhood debuts March 28th!!!!

If you'd like to submit a short story to be included in the book Unplanned Motherhood, send 500 words or less tosonnybrookfilms@yahoo.com. Short story must be clean, family friendly as well as funny, inspirational or motivational.
 
 
Sneak Peek:


Unplanned Motherhood Cast

Unplanned Motherhood Cast
Starring Morgan Hamilton as Sonny, Stefani Colvin as Brooke, Grayson Kilpatrick as Deacon, Aidan Heuer as Spoon, and Ari Heuer as Ari.


Episode 1:



Lena
About the author Lena Sledge

Lena Sledge is an awarding winning author. Her first book, a collection of short stories called If I Had My Way, won the 2012 African American Literary Award for Best Short Story/Anthology. Her short film, Grandma's Hands, won 3rd place at the River City Film Festival in March 2014. Her most recent project, a comedy web series called Unplanned Motherhood debuts on March 28th on Youtube. Lena Sledge has collaborated on many literary projects as well as tv and film projects. She offers advice, resources, and tips on writing, navigating the independent film industry as well as reviews and highlights about upcoming books and authors. Lena Sledge also enjoys photography, you can view some of her photography work on her website as well as Flickr.


Flickr ¦ Pinterest ¦ Blog ¦ Goodreads ¦ Amazon




book blast button

***Giveaway***

$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash.

Ends 4/21/14.

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. 

BOTW - List #46 {Wattpad}

BOTW WEEK 46:





Friday 28 March 2014

Guest Post and Giveaway - Stray Ally by Troy Lambert

About the author Troy Lambert

Troy works as a freelance writer, researcher, and editor. He writes historical site characterization reports for those performing remediation on former resource extraction sites, software instruction and help guides, and edits the research of others as well. His true passion is writing dark, psychological thrillers. His work includes Broken Bones, a collection of his short stories, Redemption the first in the Samuel Elijah Johnson Series, Temptation the sequel to Redemption, along with the horror Satanarium, co-authored with Poppet, a brilliant author from South Africa and published by Wild Wolf Publishing. His next novel, Stray Ally, will be published March 4th by Tirgearr Publishing. The final in the Samuel Elijah Johnson Series, Confession will be published May 1st.

Troy lives with his wife of twelve years, two of his five children and two very talented dogs. He is a skier, cyclist, hiker, fisherman, hunter, and a terrible beginning golfer.

Author Links:

Guest Post: Dog People

Anyone ever tell you if your dog doesn’t trust someone, you shouldn’t either? But if your dog likes them then they are probably okay? There is no doubt that dogs have a sense about people. They can tell when you’re scared, hurt, angry, or in need of their unique companionship. In fact, science now proves what those of us who are dog lovers have known for years: our brains are linked. (See this article for details on the study http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-26276660 )

In fiction, it really is no different. Sparky forms a special bond with Todd Clarke in Stray Ally, and immediately it tells us something about both of them. Sparky is a good boy, and Todd is a good man. If you are like me, and apparently some of the women I dated before I found my wife, you’ve used your dog to help you size someone up.

Now you can use Google and other services to search, find ‘facts’ about someone from their credit score and criminal record to their grades in high school. This history often doesn’t reveal to you their whole story, or who they might have become through those experiences. If you based buying my books or our friendship on that kind of information, you would find less than stellar credit scores, an arrest record (albeit without major violations or convictions), and mediocre grades in high school, followed by a checkered and mediocre formal education history.

It’s hardly the sum of the man. Regret is a killer, and while I might change some things about my past, I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without them. I can tell you this: from the time I was very young even until today, you introduce me to your dog? Be prepared for him to have another friend for life. And if your dog trusts me, surely you have to. After all, he’s a good dog, isn’t he?


Stray Ally
Author: Troy Lambert
Genre: Contemporary Thriller
Publusher: Tirgearr Publishing
Language: English
Format: eBook
Release Date: March 4, 2014

Book Summary:
A strange accident on the freeway, accusations of murder, and an encounter in the Idaho wilderness all propel Todd Clarke into a new friendship with a dog named Sparky. But Sparky is no ordinary dog, and there is more going on than Clarke could have imagined.

A military commander he investigated for Aryan activity and links to domestic terrorism is after him, and he’s not sure why until another chance encounter provides the answer.
With Sparky and the help of his canine friends, will he be able to figure out the Colonel’s plan and stop him in time? All Clarke knows for sure is none of it would be possible without the help of his Stray Ally.

Buy Links:

Stray Ally Excerpt

The woods came alive.

Yellow eyes stared at his every move. Something panted right behind him.

Something was there; he didn't even have to look. Half mile to the chopper, and safety. He ran, his breath coming in ragged gasps, legs on fire with every step.

Tripping over a root, his arms spun for balance. He grabbed at a tree for support, a weak young sapling. It bent under his weight, slowing his fall, whipping from his hand as he released it. As his palm brushed a fallen log, a splinter pushed deep into it, causing him to cry out. 

A bark followed by a growl sounded, close. Too close.

Picking himself up, he continued to run. Were the others with him?

He didn't care. Colonel Anderson possessed a well-founded fear of canines, and panic took over his mind. 

There it was. The chopper. He crossed the clearing and leapt inside.

Safe.

"Chief, get this bird in the air!"

No response.

"Chief?"

He crawled forward.

The pilot's throat was torn wide open, canine teeth marks surrounding the wound, blood saturating the front of his uniform. From behind him, he heard a deep growl. Pulling his sidearm he turned to face his worst fear.



***Giveaway***

$25 Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to the person who writes the best story of a dog (Stray Ally) they rescued or that helped them through a hard time.

Send your story to author@troylambertwrites.com by March 29th for a chance to win this amazing prize. Winner and story shared on the author's blog Monday, March 31st. Share your story today.

Blog Tour Organised By:

Bookvie: The Monuments Men - out February 7, 2014

  

Who's in it:
George Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray

What's it all about (book blurb from Goodreads):
At the same time Adolf Hitler was attempting to take over the western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treasures in Europe. The Fuehrer had begun cataloguing the art he planned to collect as well as the art he would destroy: "degenerate" works he despised.

In a race against time, behind enemy lines, often unarmed, a special force of American and British museum directors, curators, art historians, and others, called the Monuments Men, risked their lives scouring Europe to prevent the destruction of thousands of years of culture. 

Focusing on the eleven-month period between D-Day and V-E Day, this fascinating account follows six Monuments Men and their impossible mission to save the world's great art from the Nazis.

The Monuments Men Official Trailer


Movie Stills:







Thursday 27 March 2014

Cover Reveal & Giveaway - Forever Layla by Melissa Turner Lee


Forever Layla
Release date: May 27, 2014
Publisher: AltWit Press

Book Summary:
What if the woman you envied most is the person you are destined to become?

In 1994, high school senior David Foster was the lackey and soundboard geek for his best friend's grunge band. During spring break, the band lands a dream gig playing at a motel in Myrtle Beach, SC. David expected all the girls to ogle the guys on stage, but when a beautiful blond "Bond Girl" approaches him and calls him by name, he's shocked to find out she knows more about him than a stranger should.

She even knows about his notebooks and his visions of time travel.

What she thought was a quick time-travel-sightseeing trip takes a surprising turn when she meets the young adult version of the man she'd heard stories about as a child. His fairy-tale romance with the woman he'd loved, Layla, inspired her to accept nothing less than a love just as strong...but hopefully not as tragic. When she won't tell the younger version of him her name, he calls her Layla--and the world as she knows it changes forever.



About the author Melissa Turner Lee

Melissa Turner Lee holds a BA in Communications with a concentration in Journalism from the University of South Carolina. She has studied fiction writing since 2008, attending various writing conferences and workshops, along with guidance from professional writing coaches. She resides in Spartanburg, SC with her husband and 3 sons.

Author Links:





***Giveaway***

5 eBook ARCS of Forever Layla is up for grabs.

International contest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal Organised By:

New Release Promo - Miss Mabel's School for Girls by Katie Cross


Let's welcome Katie Cross to the blog to celebrate the release of her YA fantasy, Miss Mabel's School for Girls, which releases March 27th, 2014!

For me, writing a book involved a lot of staring at a computer screen, slapping the delete button, pulling my
hair out, and Pinterest.

Oh, yes. You heard right. Pinterest.

The power of Pinterest comes from the images. I always find photos that I want to remember and have access to, so I pin them to a board for later reference. So, I thought to myself, Hey, I'm releasing my first book, Miss Mabel's School for Girls. Why don't I give the readers something to look at in anticipation of the book?
So instead of a boring interview where I talk about how great I am, I'm here today to take you on a visual tour to give you a few ideas of what you can expect to find in this exciting new young adult fantasy novel, Miss Mabel's School for Girls.


Wrought iron fence:
There's a wrought iron fence around the outside of the ancient manor that is Miss Mabel's School for Girls much like this one. It's known for creaking in the wind.


Potions bottles:
Potion bottles hold oh-so-many possibilities. Witches love potions, and the witches in Miss Mabel's School for Girls are no exception. These particular bottles contain a variety of spices and herbs, all of which you can win during the launch giveaway March 27th-30th!


Peacock feather:
Miss Mabel loves peacock feathers. They represent beauty and vanity: her two favorite virtues.


Green mossy tree:
Miss Mabel's School is located in Letum Wood, a lush, expansive forest that hides many secrets. Some of these secrets catch up with Bianca Monroe, our sixteen-year-old heroine, in the dark of the night.


Trees/forest:
This is another view of Letum Wood as you'll expect to find it in the summer. It's lush, gorgeous, and a little on the dangerous side.


Old book photo:
A grimoire is a book filled with magical spells, a kind of magical diary passed through generations. This grimoire is available to win during the launch day giveaway! Head over to www.missmabels.com to find out how you can participate.

Hopefully these photos gave you an idea of the exciting adventure you'll find in Miss Mabel's School for Girls! Now, get your Pinterest on and start spreading the word! Visit www.missmabels.com to find out how to enter the giveaway and win lots of free stuff!


Miss Mabel's School For Girls

Never underestimate the power of a determined witch.

Letum Wood is a forest of fog and deadfall, home to the quietly famous Miss Mabel’s School for Girls, a place where young witches learn the art of magic.

Sixteen-year-old Bianca Monroe has inherited a deadly curse. Determined to break free before it kills her, she enrolls in the respected school to confront the cunning witch who cast the curse: Miss Mabel.

Bianca finds herself faced with dark magic she didn’t expect, with lessons more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. Will Bianca have the courage to save herself from the curse, or will Miss Mabel’s sinister plan be too powerful?

Miss Mabel’s School for Girls is the first novel in The Network Series, an exciting new fantasy collection. A gripping tale about the struggle to survive, it will take you to a new place and time, one you’ll never want to leave.





About the author Katie Cross

My world revolves around my husband (who is a major hottie), my Vizsla's, and the mountains.

I wear hiking boots instead of heels when I need to feel powerful, and on a bad day, I love a weightlifting workout. Actually, I love it on a good day.

I don't eat bread because my thyroid doesn't like it, although there are days I miss it. Especially ciabatta. Sweet potatoes are kind of my thing. Cookies too.

I write because I never stopped.



***Giveaway***

Go to www.missmabels.com and click on the 'giveaway' tab for more information. Enter to win a potions chest, an apothecary bag of herbs and spices, an old spell book that opens to hide apothecary herbs, amazon gift cards, and more! The giveaway lasts from March 27th at 7am to March 30th at 10 pm.

Wednesday 26 March 2014

Blog Tour Guest Post - Twelve to Murder by Lauren Carr



About the author Lauren Carr


Lauren Carr is the best-selling author of the Mac Faraday Mysteries, which takes place in Deep Creek Lake, Maryland. Twelve to Murder is the seventh installment in the Mac Faraday Mystery series.

In addition to her series set on Deep Creek Lake, Lauren Carr has also written the Lovers in Crime Mysteries, which features prosecutor Joshua Thornton with homicide detective Cameron Gates, who were introduced in Shades of Murder, the third book in the Mac Faraday Mysteries. They also make an appearance in The Lady Who Cried Murder. Dead on Ice (A Lovers in Crime Mystery) was released September 2012. The second installment, Real Murder will be out in 2014.

The owner of Acorn Book Services, Lauren is also a publishing manager, consultant, editor, cover and layout designer, and marketing agent for independent authors. This year, several books, over a variety of genre, written by independent authors will be released through the management of Acorn Book Services, which is currently accepting submissions. Visit Acorn Book Services website for more information.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes.

She lives with her husband, son, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Author Links:


Guest Post - Victim or Bad Man: Lenny Frost in Twelve to Murder

I love characters—both in real life and fictional ones.

Readers see this in my books. A common compliment from reviewers is “intriguing characters.” One of the first reviews for The Lady Who Cried Murder announced that it contained some “nasty, sick individuals.”

That is a compliment. She was talking about the villains and suspects.

Anyone who has read any of the Mac Faraday Mysteries knows that I love to create intriguing characters. I have as much fun creating the suspects and villains as I do the protagonist and regular recurring characters.

It’s the amateur pop-psychologist in me. Even when it comes to real-life people, I can’t stop at the surface with their behavior. I have to dive deeper. I want to know what motivates them to act or react the way they do. Not only do I ask “What if…” which leads to the plotline, but I ask “Why?” which will take me into the head and the backstory of the character.

In The Lady Who Cried Murder, I dove into the mentality that makes people become bullies, as well as the whole compulsion and lengths that some people will go to for fame. Khloe Everest faked her disappearance to generate media publicity to catapult herself to stardom. It worked--temporarily.

The price she paid for her fame was her life.

From reality stars, I moved on to the cost paid by child actors and teenagers in Twelve to Murder. 

Has-been child star and former teen-idol, Lenny Frost takes the employees and customers of a lakeside pub hostage when he discovers that he is wanted for the murders of his agent and her husband. Mac has twelve hours to find the killer, or Lenny will shoot everyone in the pub.

The inspiration for Lenny Frost’s character was literally ripped from the headlines.

It seems like every week there is a new teen-idol slipping from the headlines who doing something outrageous, often raunchy, in a desperate attempt to stay in front of the cameras. If you don’t believe me, google Miley Cyrus or Justin Bieber.

More often than not, despite the desperate attempts, the young star does eventually crash and burn. If not with this stunt, then a few stunts down the line when the public and media tires of it. Case in fact: Lindsay Lohan.

When exploring the character of Lenny Frost, whose crowning moment came at the tender age of eight years old when he had won an Academy Award for playing a supporting character, I turned over the situation to explore the underside of this fame culture—the truly sad situation that these young people can’t possibly understand—at least not until it is too late for them to do anything about it.

Imagine, if you will, waking up one day to discover that you had reached your peak. You are now a has-been, and most likely will never reach the height of success that you have already achieved—and you aren’t even of legal drinking age yet. You have another fifty years to live and your professional life is over.

Now, that is not the saddest part.

Because of these people’s youth and the vacuum environment in which they live, they lack the maturity and life experience to realize the vast achievement that they had made. They don’t have the equipment necessary to appreciate what they have until after it is taken away from them.

The writer in me asked, “What happens to a character who has lived through that? Do they dust themselves off and pick themselves up? Do they take responsibility for their mistakes or do they cast blame? Do they try to educate and fix the culture that allows this to happen to talented young people?”

I spent some time looking at the Lenny Frosts that our entertainment industry has churned out through the generations and found some intriguing characters. Some aspects of his personality can make for a sympathetic victim. Other characteristic point to a compelling suspect bent on revenge.

Whether he is a victim or a suspect, Lenny Frost is an intriguing character who has Mac Faraday racing the clock in Twelve to Murder, which makes this mystery one of Mac’s most challenging cases yet.


Twelve To Murder
Author: Lauren Carr
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Genre: Mystery
Format: eBook


Book Summary:

Two people are brutally murdered in their summer place on Deep Creek Lake. Suspected of the murders, former child star and one-time teenybopper idol Lenny Frost takes innocent bystanders hostage in a local pub and demands that Mac Faraday find the killer. Can Mac save the hostages and himself from the wrath of the enraged has-been by piecing together the clues in less than twelve hours, or will it be a fatal last call at the stroke of midnight?

Buy Links:








Twelve To Murder Excerpt

Stillman Mansion on Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
Sunday: 6:12 am

“Austin is back this year,” Olivia said in rhythm with the pace she had set for her power walk.

Two paces behind his wife, Roland took note of the white stone mansion along the chilly lakeshore. The mansion looked closed up. All was quiet, as it was with many of the estates along the lake in the early spring. With each passing day, the quiet was giving way to the snowbirds came in to roost at their summer homes in the resort town of Spencer, located in the corner of Deep Creek Lake in western Maryland.

As the middle aged athletic couple walked briskly on the running trail along the lake, they noted that that mansion was quiet. The only tell-tale sign of change from its winter hibernation was the yacht on the dock in the back. It had not been there the morning before.

“I wonder if Janice will be throwing her week long Fourth of July bash with all her has-been clients this year?” Roland asked.

“I can tell you right now that I’m not going if that loser Lenny is here.” Feeling her heartbeat slowing down, she picked up her pace.

“Come on,” her husband said with a laugh, “Lenny Frost isn’t that bad. He’s really kind of funny.”

“He’s crude,” she shot over her shoulder at him.

He was going to respond that he felt sorry for the least popular of Janice Stillman’s former celebrity client when a black Porsche almost hit the couple rushing pass them and turning sharply into the driveway of the white mansion.

“Do you two ever take a break?” the young man shouted at them when he threw open the door and climbed out of the sports car.

“Never,” Olivia answered with a frown at Derrick Stillman’s apparent lack of self-discipline displayed in the slight stagger in his pace, and clearly having slept in his clothes, or maybe not slept in them, but clearly having worn them the day before judging by their wrinkled and disheveled appearance.

“Well, you can work-out for me, too.”

“Party last night?” Roland asked.

“Date.” Derrick ran his fingers through his dark curly hair. “I was going to come in yesterday with my folks, but when I met Maddie the other day—“ He let out a cocky laugh. “Well, you know how it is.”

“I can imagine,” Olivia said in a bland tone.

“She’s got a body to die for and she’s crazy about me.” With a swagger in his walk, he made his way to the front door.

“Come along, Roland,” Olivia ordered.

The couple continued on their way. They had only made it to the other end of the property before Derrick’s screams stopped them. The young man was running out the front door and dropped to his knees in the yard when they made it back to the driveway.

Olivia rushed over to the young man, who had his face buried in his hands. “Cliff, what’s wrong?”

Shrieking, the young man pointed to the door.

Roland ran inside.

“What happened, Derrick?” she demanded to know. “What’s going on? What’s in there?”

His face white, Roland came running back outside.

Olivia’s heartbeat was racing. “Roland …”

“They’re dead,” he said in a panicked tone while taking his cell phone out of his pocket. “Both of them. Janice and Austin. I can’t believe this would happen here … in Spencer.”

“Who—“ she asked with tears in her eyes.

“Janice wrote something in her blood—” He stopped to turn his attention to the cell phone. “I’d like to report two murders.”

“Her killer,” Derrick spat out. “I saw it, too. Lenny. Why else would Mom have written out his name in her blood while she was dying? Lenny Frost did it. He killed my parents.”


Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE