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Miles Away by Addison Kline

12/15/2015

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The mafia couldn't kill him. 

Prison couldn't break him. 

Going home threatens to do both. 

Miles Capadonno has made some mistakes. Once part of the Capadonno crime family, he took the fall for another member of the crime family who once tried to kill him. At age 17, they put a contract out on Miles' head for neglecting to complete a job. It was a matter of priority. Miles went to his dying mother's side instead of picking up stolen merchandise from the ship yard. When you're in with the Capadonno's, whether you're blood or sworn in, when they say jump you jump, when they say kill you kill. Ignoring an order is an offense of the highest degree. When they couldn't kill him, they let Miles take the fall for another Capadonno family member. Now 15 years later, Miles is being released. He is ready to put his past behind him. There's only one problem. There is still a contract on Miles' head. This time, Miles is man enough to collect on owed debts, and he will not back down from the family that stabbed him in the back. 

Leticia "Letty" Alves is a saucy Latina and Miles' old high school girlfriend. She was only 16 when Miles was arrested, but she hasn't stopped wondering about the boy who charmed her all those years ago. Now working as a nurse for a home health agency, Letty's priorities are to take care of herself and her 18 month old son, Gabriel. But when Miles walks back into her life everything changes, and suddenly, the family that she had avoided all her life, is now breathing down her neck looking for Miles. Letty is no damsel in distress, though. She's a fighter, and she never backs down from a challenge. 

Sparks fly when Miles and Letty reunite. Can they put their differences aside to become one again? Can Miles set down his pride and accept the help and love that Letty can provide? Will Letty get over her resentment over being left so long ago when Miles was arrested? Only readers know for sure.

Welcome to Carrion, New Jersey, where the Capadonno's call the shots. Miles was away for so long, but now the prodigal son has returned. One thing is for sure, the family business isn't ready for a bastard like him.
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AUTHOR

Addison Kline is an award winning, best selling novelist who writes mystery, psychological thrillers and romantic suspense novels. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, their sons and two rambunctious dogs.


Addison has had a love affair with the written word since before she entered school. Her grandmother taught her the glory of taking an adventure in the pages of a book. When Addison isn’t writing, you can find her reading, going for an adventure with her sons, or traveling with her family.

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Broken Flowers by Howard Finkelstein

10/29/2015

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A dramatic psychological suspense/thriller about the devastating consequences of drug addiction, Broken Flowers is a powerful story about brokenness, healing, and hope.

Dr. Mary Crawford is a fifty-year-old psychotherapist operating a successful practice in Los Angeles. Noted for her addiction assistance and suicide prevention techniques, she leads group therapy sessions with addicts in the throes of recovery.

During one particular session, she is called upon for a case involving an extremely depressed fifteen-year-old girl who was the victim of a violent rape and has survived a suicide attempt. The daughter of a noted brain surgeon, the troubled teen becomes the doctor’s private patient.

But on a day when the young girl spirals into a suicidal depression, she is unable to reach the doctor and successfully ends her own life. When the girl’s father discovers the circumstances of his daughter’s suicide—as well as the real truth behind the doctor’s mysterious absence—he vows to destroy the doctor at all costs. Now Dr. Crawford’s life hangs in the balance, and her only hope for survival is the broken people around her.
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EXCERPT

Then Valarie handed the pipe and torch to Stu, who turned off the torch and put them down. The boys were watching Valarie, and were tripping out on the hit she had taken. Valarie held her breath for as long as she could. When she could not hold back anymore, she let the smoke out in a huge exhale. Jeff’s voice was filled with admiration as he told her, “That was one hell of a blast.” Suddenly, Valarie’s eyes went wide, and her body went absolutely stiff. A horrible sound was coming from her throat, like a constricted scream as she fell backwards. Even though this was happening in front of the two men, her fall was like she was thrown backward. They could not catch her, and she hit the floor hard.

Jeff dropped to one knee beside her as he was starting to panic. “My God, Stu she’s overdosed. What do we do?"


Stu was on the floor next to Jeff. “Don’t panic man, don’t panic.”

Jeff grabbed Valarie’s shoulders and shook her. Valarie’s legs were convulsing. There was drool coming from her mouth.

Stu was screaming in her ear. “Valarie, Valarie! Do you hear me; do you hear me dam it? Stu, go get some ice water. A lot of it. Hurry man!”

As Jeff ran out the door Stu continued to shake the girl.  Her legs stopped shaking and her eyes were starting to close.

“Hurry, Jeff we’re losing her.”

Stu slapped Valarie sharply across the face. There was a slight reaction. Her legs started to twitch as Jeff came running into the room with two buckets of ice water.

“Quick, throw a bucket on her face.” Jeffery did so. The water drenched Valarie’s hair and shoulders. Her legs started to convulse again.
 
Jeffery was crying, “Valarie don’t die. Please don’t die.”



AUTHOR

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Howard Finkelstein is 77 years old, who lives with his wife and dog in South Pasadena. He is a master dog trainer, and ASCAP lyrist. He is a former drug addict who has not used drugs in 27 years. Broken Flowers is his first novel.


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Uniquely Mine by Theresa Sederholt

10/29/2015

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Release Date Nov 10, 2015

Photo Credit: Eric Battershell Photography
Cover Model: Burton Hughes
Cover Model: Tessi Conquest
Cover Design: Wicked By Design
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When the latest string of murders, sweeping New York City, lands on Detective Fitzgerald S. Rodriguez’s desk, the signature evidence hits too close to home. Being unable to stop the murder of his own mother has made Fitz a jaded man. Now he will stop at nothing to protect the one he loves.


Serial killer, Mark Chambers, is like a cat that preys on unsuspecting mice for sport. When a fresh kill no longer quenches his sexual appetite, he sets his sights on Makenna Justice. The fiery-redhead, with her emerald green eyes, ignites a fire in him that he hasn’t had since his first kill.

Time is of the essence for all three of them.

Mark must feed into his desires once more without leaving a trail.

Fitz has to dig himself deep into a killer’s mind to catch him.

And Makenna?—She just has to stay alive.
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The Unraveled Trilogy

The Unraveling of Raven (Book 1)
Darkness Into Dawn (Book 2)
Shattered Lies (Book 3)
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Heavy Hour by Patrick Brown

10/15/2015

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Publication Date: September 16, 2015


From the author of the suspense thriller, VARIED TRAITS, comes the sequel, HEAVY HOUR!

Four teenagers form a bond during a hot Atlanta summer. Ten years later, a tragic event takes place during a swanky Midtown wedding reception. When the police come up empty in the search for a vicious killer, Salem Reid is summoned to investigate by a stripper whom he has recently saved from a murderous group of thugs. Reid can’t say no to a friend in need, so he puts his business on hold while he plunges into the case.

As Reid looks into the victim’s past, the motivation for the brutal murder and the identity of the predator are slowly revealed. But the killer remains elusive. As the story unfolds, a cast of characters emerges—from a beautiful young widow to a bevy of streetwalkers, from young professionals to a mentally challenged boy—all who assist Salem Reid in his search for the killer.

HEAVY HOUR leads us on a journey into an urban underworld of prostitution, pornography, and sexual deviance that author Patrick Brown describes in graphic detail. Following up from the prequel, VARIED TRAITS, we are rocketed into a world where we might be afraid to venture outside…or stay in, as the case may be.
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EXCERPT

2004

THE YOUNGER BOY MET THE OLDER BOY in the woods along a gravel road behind Murphy Candler Pool. The former was fourteen, and a year younger than the older boy. The latter had a 1.5L bottle of unopened Cella Lambrusco wine that he had stolen.

The younger boy didn’t concern himself with where the wine had come from; he was just pleased that the older boy had brought it. They had done this before. It was a Tuesday afternoon in late July. The pair would share about half of the wine, and then they would go to the pool, both a little drunk. They had been friends since they were eight and nine years old, which was a long time for teenagers. The younger boy had a dark complexion year-round, and even more so in the middle of the summer. He had black, wavy hair, straight white teeth, dark brown eyes, and a medium athletic build. He was handsome. The older boy was pale. He was tall and lanky with thin, sandy hair, and blue eyes. He had a wiry build and was surprisingly strong. He was neither attractive nor unattractive. He was nondescript. They were both very good on the diving board at the pool; they could both perform the gainer flip and they could also do a double front flip. It didn’t matter if they were drunk, stoned, or sober. They could do it well any old way. They were excellent on their skateboards too, and used them frequently to wheel around the northeast Atlanta neighborhood where they lived. Among other skater tricks, they both were proficient with the 360 Ollie. They would fly off a ledge or a concrete stairway and twist all the way around, landing smoothly and evenly every time. It didn’t matter if they were drunk, stoned, or sober. They could do it well any old way. The older boy twisted the top off the bottle and took a long pull.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and he passed the bottle to the younger boy. He chugged a healthy portion, and wiped his mouth on his bare upper arm. They rarely wore shirts outside of school from May to September. It was the best time of year.

“Look, dude, I hear Jimmy’s grandpa keeps cash in a file cabinet in his bedroom. I bet we can get our hands on it,” the older boy said, as he took the bottle back from his friend.

“How much money?” asked the younger boy.

“Don’t know. I say we find out,” the older boy said, and then he took another big pull from the jug of wine.

“Who told you this?” asked the younger boy.

“Jimmy. He’s a dipshit,” the older boy said, and passed the wine to his pal.

The younger boy drank some more wine, shivered slightly, and then took another gulp. “So is Jimmy just gonna let us in the house?” he asked.

“Nah. The little pansy has piano lessons on Wednesdays at two o’clock. His grandpa, Morrie, takes him. His mom will be at work.

I left a window unlocked in the back of his house. We can climb in and check it out. It won’t take long,” he said.

“I could use some cash. I’d hate to have to mow a lawn or something,” the younger boy said, and they both laughed.

The older boy said, “Okay. Let’s meet here about one o’clock tomorrow and plan it out. Johnny Krimmer has a pound of weed he just bought. We can get some primo pot and party the rest of the week.

I bet we can sell some of it too, and maybe break even.”

Johnny Krimmer was an eighteen-year-old high school dropout who dealt drugs all over Chamblee, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody.

“Johnny freaks me out a bit. Dude has a twitchy eye and a droopy mouth. He sucks his teeth all the time too,” the younger boy said.

“He’s pretty creepy, bro, but he’s got the goods. We can handle him together,” said the older boy.

Johnny Krimmer was rumored to be short tempered and mean spirited. He was sometimes quick to use his fists when things didn’t exactly go his way.

“That’s for sure,” said the younger boy, the alcohol giving him courage.

“Okay then. Let’s drink some more wine and head to the pool,” the older boy said. So that’s what they did.

The two friends hid the bottle for later in a ditch by the lake. They threw some leaves and branches over it. It would be easy to locate later that evening when they would be ready to drink some more. They swam and dove off the diving board for the remainder of the afternoon.

During the last adult swim, they struck up a conversation with a couple of fifteen-year-old girls from school. They invited them to join them later in the woods for some wine. The girls seemed interested, but were a little nervous about being caught or getting into trouble. The boys were persuasive, though, and the girls acquiesced. They were both pretty girls. One was tall and leggy, with well-developed hips, but smaller breasts than her friend. The other girl was tanned, medium height, and busty. The two girls, having grown up in the neighborhood together, had been friends since they were toddlers. They did everything together.

When the pool closed for the day, the four teenagers strolled into the woods as dusk was approaching. The tall Georgia Pines filtered the setting sun that was glimmering off the lake as the kids approached the ditch where the wine was hidden. The younger boy pulled the branches and leaves from the ditch, and the older boy reached down and plucked the bottle from its hiding place. There was a little over half a bottle remaining. The older boy unscrewed the cap and handed the bottle to the tall, leggy girl. She took a swig and scrunched up her face, as the boys laughed good-naturedly. She passed the bottle to her shorter friend, and she took an even bigger pull. The boys both took a couple of big drinks, and then they passed the bottle around until it was empty. They had a good buzz going, and the girls were a little past just buzzed.

The younger boy picked up a flat rock, and skimmed it over the lake’s surface. It skipped six times. The shorter, tanned girl was impressed.

“That’s pretty good,” she said.

“Here, let me show you how it’s done,” he replied, and took her by the hand and led her closer to the lake. He moved another thirty yards along the shore, deftly isolating the girl and himself from the other two.

He picked up another flat rock and Threw it side-armed into the lake. It was a righteous toss. It skimmed eleven times, and reached past the middle of the lake before it faded into the water’s surface.

“Here, you give it a try,” he said to the giggling girl with the large breasts.

She giggled some more and tossed it into the lake with a three-quarter-arm angle. When she threw the stone, she stepped with her right leg as she threw with her right arm. The rock sank immediately.

“You throw like a girl,” the younger boy said.

She gave him a stern look, but then started giggling again. “I am a girl,” she slurred, and fell into him. Her breasts pushed into his chest, and he quickly pulled her close to keep her from falling.

He felt himself stir. “Yes, you are a girl—a very pretty one,” he said, as he moved in for a kiss.

She let him, but soon giggled again. He pulled her back and kissed her harder, this time exploring her mouth with his tongue. She reciprocated. She tasted like wine and the Fritos he had seen her eating at the pool. He pulled her down to the ground and they continued kissing. His erection was straining against his shorts. He moved to touch her boobs, and she allowed him to do so. He played with her breasts through her bathing suit top, and he thought she liked it. He reached behind her quickly and pulled her bathing suit string, and her top fell to her lap.

The younger boy gasped. He had seen breasts before, and even touched a girl’s boobs in the seventh grade, but nothing like these.

She reached up and covered herself with her hands, but she resisted only a little when he gently pushed them away. He bent to kiss one. Her nipple was hard in his mouth. He sucked on it, and she moaned. He tried the other one and found it equally fascinating.

He alternated between kissing her breasts and her lips, and he thought she liked it. Then he got bold. He moved his hand inside her shorts and touched the top of her pubic hair before she pushed his hand away.

“No,” she said.

The moment was gone. She re-tied her top, and sat facing the lake.

He placed his arm around her and she let him. He had almost gotten to third base with her, and his hard-on was raging. He took a few deep breaths, and contented himself with just sitting there with her.

He was pleased when she placed her head on his shoulder. He would try again on another day.

The pair turned when they heard the crunching of gravel and leaves as the older boy and tall girl approached. The tall girl had a slightly strained look on her face, and the younger boy couldn’t be sure if it was because of the wine or something the older boy had done. The newcomers sat next to their friends and said nothing. The older boy was smirking.

After a few moments the taller girl said, “We should be going home now. I don’t want to get into trouble.”

Her friend said, “Okay.” She turned to the younger boy, and said, “I had fun skipping stones with you.” She blushed, but now it was too dark to notice.

The group walked up the hill to the pool, where they headed north on Candler Lake West. The two boys peeled off on Navajo Trail and the two girls continued down the road towards their homes on Ashwoody Court. Darkness had arrived completely, closing the curtain on the day with finality.


AUTHOR

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Patrick Brown is the author of Varied Traits. He resides in Northeast Atlanta with his wife and two teenage children. Heavy Hour is the second book in the Salem Reid series. He is currently writing his third novel, Spare Change.


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Women Under Fire by Jacki Delecki

10/3/2015

 
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Life has heated up for Grayce Walters: thrust into the public eye and hounded by the media after solving an arson case with a critical clue from a French Poodle. When Ewan Davis, the sexy arson investigator Grayce has been steaming things up with, starts talking commitment, she definitely feels the burn.

Then a desperate mother begs Grayce to help find her missing daughter—an Afghanistan war veteran suffering from PTSD, and Grayce reluctantly takes on the case, following a disturbing clue provided by the missing young woman’s cat. Calling once again on the aid of her cross-dressing best friend and her shrewd assistant, Grayce uncovers a terrorist plot with chilling international implications.

Grayce races to rescue the young veteran before the escalating danger explodes. But if she manages to escape the threat, will she find the courage to commit to the fiery passion that awaits her wrapped in Davis’s arms?

EXCERPT

Grayce Walters sat upright, uncomfortable on the cold metal chair in the fire investigator’s waiting room. The chair creaked each time she shifted her weight.

Today was about facts and only facts.

Lieutenant Davis had been clear on the phone. “I’ll take your statement. Nothing to worry about. Just routine.”

Routine. There was nothing routine about last night’s explosion, and plenty for Grayce to worry about. She came to the lieutenant’s office because she didn’t want last night’s violence to disrupt her animal patients. She refused to allow that stress into her healing space.

“Ma’am? Lieutenant Davis will see you now, third door on the right.”

With the help of three inches from her Jimmy Choos, a birthday present from her best friend, Grayce pulled herself up to a full five feet three.

Why was she worried? She was doing a public service, acting as a witness who had seen a suspect on the wharf, just before the blaze. Her certainty that this man had assaulted Baxter and started the shed fire wouldn’t be mentioned.

She walked down a long white corridor. There was nothing creative about this workplace, although located above an eminent art gallery in Pioneer Square. The energy in the building was contained and functional, just like the lieutenant. From his efficient manner on the phone, she suspected that Lieutenant Davis would have no tolerance for her intuition. Though, who was she kidding, few people would. Her ability to read and heal energy states was hard to explain.

The historic building smelled of years of rain and mold. With each step on the uneven floor, her pantyhose began to slip and sag. She resisted the urge to pull on the damn things—they’d likely be puddled at her knees and feet by the time she got to the lieutenant’s office. She hadn’t worn tights since last year. She hated dressing up. She felt constricted, contained, and crabby.

A mass of black fur, nails clicking, bounded toward her. Shocked to see a dog running free in the fire station, she didn’t notice a gap in the floorboards. Her heel wedged into a crack. The black lab tried to stop, but unable to get traction on the wood floor, slid straight into Grayce’s legs. Grayce teetered then tumbled backward. She looked up into a pair of warm dark eyes. Doggie breath wafted across her face.

“Henny!” A loud voice reverberated in the narrow hallway.

“Oh, you’re in trouble now.” Grayce rubbed the dog’s head, smiling into the soft eyes; then she tried to stand.

The dog placed one of her enormous paws on Grayce’s shoulder and began to lick her face.

“My God, get off,” a man shouted as he strode toward them. From her position on the floor, he looked to be at least seven feet tall. His white shirt pulled tautly across his broad chest and muscular arms, he was a man capable of carrying victims out of a burning building.

Grayce locked stares with the man who towered over her. His face was all angles and planes, like a model out of one of those edgy photo shoots in Nordstrom’s catalogue. An electrifying shiver coursed through her. This man exuded the same controlled power as Samba, the Bengal tiger she had treated at the zoo.

“Henny!”

Both Henny and Grayce stiffened.

He pulled the dog by her collar. “I’m sorry. She never disobeys.”

“I seem to have that effect on dogs.” Grayce smiled and straightened her skirt that had hiked up to mid-thigh. She couldn’t help noticing how his eyes trailed over her legs.

“I apologize, ma’am. I’m Lieutenant Ewan Davis, the Fire Investigator you spoke with on the phone. And now you’ve met Henny, usually a well-behaved part of our crew and our accelerant dog.”

He grasped Grayce’s hand to help her up. His giant hand enveloped hers, sending an elemental surge through to her toes. His heat radiated in her palm while she brushed off her skirt.

“It wasn’t Henny. She’s great. It was my darn heels.”

Lieutenant Davis’s gaze dropped to her shoes, then moved back up her legs.

Grayce felt fully exposed as if he saw her as a woman, not a witness. It wasn’t just her Jimmy Choos knocking her off balance.
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GRAYCE WALTERS SERIES

INNER FIRE (Book 1)

Grayce Walters, animal acupuncturist, harbors a secret. She hides her intuitive gifts from the world until she becomes embroiled in arson on Seattle’s waterfront.

As a key crime witness, Grayce must convince the attractive, logical, by-the-numbers fire investigator, Ewan Davis, that the fire she witnessed is part of a larger criminal conspiracy. Grayce embarks upon a mission to gather proof of the dangerous threat. She enlists the help of her cross-dressing best friend, her street-wise assistant, and Davis’ poodle, to conduct her own investigation.

As her feelings for Davis shift between white hot passion and cold fear, Grayce must risk exposing her secrets to save Davis’ life. Davis must accept things, he can neither see, nor understand to solve the mystery and finally find the love he has stopped believing in.

With nudges from the protective poodle, Grayce and Davis confront shocking betrayal and international crime on the rain soaked streets of Seattle.

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MEN UNDER FIRE (Book 3)
Marine veteran Maddy Jeffers never expected her most demanding and daunting mission would come off the battlefield. Ordered to infiltrate a Seattle terrorist cell, Maddy must pose as a loving wife to Major Hunter Hines. The undercover role begins to feel all too real when Maddy falls hard for the rugged, macho Marine.

Duty and discipline are Hunter Hines’s credo, guiding every decision and every action. But constant proximity with the fierce and enticing Maddy is veering his mission wildly off course. Although their role as man and wife is only pretend, there is nothing false about his out-of-control desire for his partner.

When Maddy’s life is threatened by an ISIS cell, protecting her becomes the only mission that matters, and Hunter is willing to break all the rules to save her. As the danger heats up around these two veteran heroes, Maddy and Hunter must walk a narrow path between passion and survival.

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MARRIAGE UNDER FIRE (Book 4)
Hollie Thomas, the feisty, tattooed office assistant to Grayce Walters, has come a long way from living on the streets. Along with finding a job she loves, she’s found friends and safety. When her new life unravels, she faces dangers that dwarf her troubled past. Fighting to survive, she discovers that sometimes what you need the most might be found in the one person you failed to see coming.

Returning home from the war and struggling to find his way, Sergeant Nick Welby, and his bomb-sniffing golden lab, use their skill set in the last place he’d ever imagined—Seattle’s Waterfront. To protect the one woman who matters, Nick and his trusty canine partner will risk everything to rescue her and Seattle from disaster.

Embroiled in Grayce Walters’ most perilous case—a terrorist plot with the threat of deadly explosives—can Nick and Hollie work together to save themselves and each other before it’s too late?

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AUTHOR

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Jacki Delecki is a Best-Selling, Romantic Suspense writer. Delecki’s Grayce Walters Series, which chronicles the adventures of a Seattle animal acupuncturist, was an editor’s selection by USA Today. Delecki’s Romantic Regency The Code Breaker Series hit number one on Amazon.

Both acclaimed series are available for purchase at http://www.JackiDelecki.com

To learn more about Jacki and her books and to be the first to hear about giveaways join her newsletter found on her website. Follow her on FB—Jacki Delecki; Twitter @jackidelecki.
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Short Stories by Thomas Ryan

10/2/2015

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Genre: Suspense/Thriller/Short Stories
Publication Date: January 2014

From Best Selling Author of The Jeff Bradley Thriller Series Thomas Ryan is a collection of suspense/thriller short stories.

Award winning thriller novelist, Thomas Ryan, is a prolific writer of short stories. Ryan’s short story’s span the spectrum of human emotions, from the creepy ‘Nightmares’, to the fun and humour of ‘The World’s Biggest Bun’. Ryan believes all good short stories should have unexpected twists and turns. Applying his thriller writing skills he manages to achieve this end and readers will find Ryan’s short story writing gripping but also easy to read. Quoting a recent review, ‘these are very intriguing, original stories, all well written and enjoyable. Ryan really gets inside his characters and makes their world our world, whatever its moral code or unwritten rules. These stories are powerful and stay with you once you've finished them.

Volume Two Was Released in February 2015 - Short Stories Volume 2”: Incudes 'John Wayne' and 'Gerry'
Available on Amazon


EXCERPT

Ruth

After hitting the kitchen floor and suffering the sickening sensation of her head bouncing off the grey slate, Ruth Deverett found her vision blurry. Squinting eyes couldn’t make out the position of the hands on the wall clock above the fridge. No matter. She knew it was six o’clock. There was no mistaking the news signature tune streaming from the television set in the lounge.

And the day?

Easy.

From the cheese and garlic aromas in her nostrils, the dish now splattered across the floor could only have been lasagna. Robert demanded she keep a strict mealtime regimen. Roast on Sunday, steak on Monday, curry on Tuesday and….

Lasagna on Wednesday.

So, Wednesday it was.

A cautious hand lifted from the tiles and drew up the rough weave of her husband-prescribed white linen apron. Tips of fingers gently patted the side of her head. A wince as Ruth encountered a newly formed lump.

Her head never used to jar this badly when it hit vinyl. She had argued with Robert against replacing the vinyl, but as usual a forceful justification of the soundness of his decision had silenced her. How fortunate, Ruth continually reminded herself, to have a husband who was so supremely confident of the correctness of his opinions.

Out the corner of her eye she caught sight of a movement. A defensive hand flew to her side. A boot deflected off her wrist and into her thigh. Needles of pain stabbed through her upper arm. She knew another blow would come and squeezed her eyes tight. She worried her wrist might be broken. How could she iron Robert’s shirt in the morning with a broken wrist? Her own fault really, she should not have tried to defend herself. Robert had repeatedly yelled at her not to do so. It only made him angrier.

She should apologise for her foolishness. After all, Robert only ever offered helpful advice.


Without opening her eyes Ruth curled into a fetal position and waited. The toe of Robert’s boot tapped against the table leg. She sensed him looking down at her, almost certainly disgusted by her weakness and deliberating his next move. This usually meant he was calming. She held her breath, guarding against sound. A groan would set him off again. She ached, but it wasn’t so bad. Not as bad as other times.

She heard the news reader introduce a news bulletin.

That meant the ad break was over. Robert would not miss the news, not on her account.

A bowl smashed against the wall. Ruth flinched. Lettuce and tomato sprinkled across her exposed calf. Shards of crockery skittered across the floor. This was a good sign. Robert only threw dishes at the wall when it was over. A final vent. Footsteps moved away from her. The sound became muffled. He’d reached the thickness of the broadloom carpet in the sitting room.

“Don’t move yet,” she whispered. “Not yet.”


AUTHOR

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Award winning novelist, Thomas Ryan, has been a soldier in a theatre of war, he has traded in Eastern Europe, trampled the jungles of Asia, and struggled through the trials of love and loss. Armed with these life experiences Ryan turned to writing thriller novels and short stories. Ryan considers himself a story teller, a creator who has enthusiastically plunged his psyche into the world of creativity and fantasy. With the reader in mind he weaves colourful characters into the threads of his riveting storylines. Taking readers on a thrilling journey is what motivates Ryan as a writer. Find out more about Thomas Ryan and his books on his official website.

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Author Spotlight of D.M. Earl

9/15/2015

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My name is Quinn and in one night my life changed forever. I lost not only part of my family, but also a huge part of who I was. Struggling to make it through each dark day, uncertain of everything in my life, I’m barely living just existing until a professional suggests I start writing down my thoughts in a journal.

My journals help me muddle through the personal and emotional baggage. Allow me to manage the past with all my Anguish; to function in the present plotting Vengeance; and to hope for my Awakening to a future full of all my dreams for a better life.

That is, until my past comes full force into my present and threatens my future. And the only person who can help me is someone from my past. The same person who has been around in the shadows protecting me, even when I didn’t know he was there, apparently has always had my back.
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Follow Des as he introduces you to each one of his crew at Wheels & Hogs in this short Novella. Start to understand how a group of strangers become not only friends but family over the years. Get a snapshot of why when life pushes you down, in this garage, you push back until you are on your feet again.


Welcome to Desmond Connelly's Horde or better known as his extended family at Wheels & Hogs Garage. For years these survivors have been dealing with what life throws them while trying to move forward from the atrocities in their lives. Some have secrets not shared while others are working through problems that are continually present in their lives.
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Cadence Powers is tattooed, pierced, and panty dropping gorgeous. Women love him and men want to be him. It appears to the world that he has it all, but what people don't see is that Cadence is a damaged haunted man, held back by untold secrets that keep him from living a real life.

When he meets Trinity Vinkers, he feels as if he can finally live the life he desperately wants. However, just as their friendship begins to grow, one stupid act causes that friendship to shatter, all because he lets his guard down allowing her into his life.

Trinity appears to be the light to Cadence's dark. Innocent, naïve, and goofy, she seems to bring out the best in everyone around her, but she has her own dark secret. Her persona allows her to fake her way through life, at least until she meets him. Trying not to let her feelings for Cadence get the best of her is taken out of her hands when she makes a wrong decision that leaves her left with an unexpected fallout.

As life takes both Cadence and Trinity down a path that neither will forget, they are unaware of the evil lurking around them. It's watching, waiting to step in and take everything from Cadence.

As the young lovers struggle with their secrets, a close friend will also be fighting for something,... her life. As time goes by, Cadence and the Horde from Wheels & Hogs decide that they have to do whatever it takes to keep what is theirs safe, even as death hovers around like a dark angel.
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Fern knew the instant she fell into Gabriel’s arms all those years ago, that she had found her “one and only.” He became her everything-owning her heart and soul. As they made it through their life journey together, nothing could tear their unbreakable bond. Life struggles, financial losses, and even devastating miscarriages didn’t stand a chance until the day she received the phone call that finally shattered their world to the core, leaving Fern preparing for the fight of her life.

As Doc and Fern struggle through each day, praying for a miracle, one presents itself. Do they dare have hope, or do they accept that the fight is over as a dark shadow waits patiently to make a move to alter their lives forever.

Gabriel “Doc” Murphy found the woman he’d planned to treasure for the rest of his life in a young, shy girl he had seen being bullied in a hallway between classes when they were just kids. Over the years, Doc loved and protected her with all he had, until the day came when he received news that there was something that could take her away from him…Cancer. Being faced with the possibility of losing the love of his life, Doc would turn the world inside-out to save and keep the only love that could shatter him, body and soul, if he couldn’t save her.
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AUTHOR

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D. M. Earl lives in Northwest Indiana. She is an avid reader and will devour a book usually in a day. She reads anything from romance, contemporary, erotica and dark reads. Loves to rider her Harley next to her hubby. Also D.M. likes being outdoors either working in her veggie or flower gardens or just hanging with her 10 four legged fur "kids."


Connelly's Horde is her first published work released July 3, 2014. This is a Novella in her series Wheels & Hogs. Cadence Reflection Book 2 released on 11/21/2014. Gabriel's Treasure Book 3 in the series released on 7/6/2015.

 Also D.M. started a second series, The Journals Trilogy which is filled with suspense and is a much darker read. Anguish #One released on May 11, 2015. The Journals #Two and #Three will hopefully release before end of 2015.

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In the Dark by Chris Patchell

9/12/2015

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Genre: Suspense / Thriller Date
Publication Date: August 2015

Marissa Rooney stands in her daughter’s empty dorm room, a half-used vial of insulin clutched in her trembling hand. Brooke has been missing for days. Her roommate hasn’t seen her since that night in the bar. And if Marissa has Brooke’s insulin, it means that Brooke does not.

But Marissa isn’t alone in her terror. A phantom from her past is lurking in the shadows, waiting in the night, and holding her family captive…

In the dark.
Available on Amazon


PRAISE FOR THE BOOK

" An edge-of-your-seat suspense novel. It scared the hell out of me. Read it with the lights on! " - Robert Dugoni, Amazon #1 and New York Times bestselling author of My Sister's Grave

EXCERPT

Prologue

The heavy gate groaned shut. After engaging the lock, he pulled the backpack out of his Jeep and slung it over his shoulder. It was a rare fall day in the Pacific Northwest, and he planned to take full advantage of the good weather.

He had work to do.

He walked a quarter of a mile along the fence line and stopped. Then he pulled a “No Trespassing” sign from the pack and propped it against the fence. With a few sure strokes of a hammer, he nailed it to the post. The dull blows echoed in the quiet woods.

Branches and fallen leaves popped and crackled beneath his feet as he worked his way methodically along the ridge, checking the barbed wire fence for gaps. The cinnamon smell of the turning leaves was a sure sign that hunting season would soon begin, and he couldn’t afford to have strangers stumbling onto his property.

He nailed the last sign to the post.

There. That should keep the bastards out.

He turned and started down the rugged trail carved into the steep hillside. A couple of hundred feet below, the valley floor glimmered like an emerald in the late-day sun. Three cabins stood in the clearing beside the Tolt River. A half dozen more were scattered along the upper ridge, overlooking Lake Langlois.

The place had been a youth camp once, before the drowning of a teenage girl had destroyed its reputation. Afterward the camp had closed and the cabins had fallen into disrepair.

It was a shame, really. He had fond memories of the place. While his father had spent the summer basking in an alcoholic haze, he’d spent it exploring the woods, far away from his father’s violent mood swings. By any measure it was a win-win.

Dappled sunlight shone through the thick canopy of branches overhead. He loved days like this. Alone in the woods, he felt at peace with the world.

A scream rent the air, shattering the stillness of the afternoon. It was shrill. Human.

Crows fled the safety of the trees, a torrent of black wings flooding the blue sky. Heart racing, he started to run. The uneven ground slid beneath his boots. Branches slapped at his face, and he ran faster, driven on by her panicked cries.

The valley floor was muddy after the long weeks of rain. The spongy earth slowed his pace as he raced toward the river.

Another scream. Louder. “Help me. Oh God. Please.”

It was coming from the cabin farthest from the water’s edge.

His boots pounded up the wooden steps. Hinges squawked in protest as he crashed through the door.

The stench hit him hard—stale sweat and human waste. His stomach churned.

At first he could see nothing, his eyes blinded in the dim light. Then her slender form materialized out of the darkness—a slip of a girl, barely more than a hundred pounds. She was standing near the center of the room, her hands bound behind her back. A soiled University of Washington T-shirt hanging from her skinny frame. Pink panties. And nothing else.

The relief on her face froze the instant she spotted him. A small sob escaped her lips. She stepped back, retreating into the shadows.

As if she could hide.

“Now, Kim,” he said. “What was the rule?”

Her jaw worked, but no sound emerged. She took another pitiful step back, her wide eyes brimming with fear.

“What was the rule?”

His voice boomed in the small cabin. She flinched like a beaten dog. “No calling out,” she mumbled.

“I can’t hear you. What’s the rule?” “No calling out.”

“No calling out,” he repeated, smiling thinly. “That’s right. You leave me no choice.” “Please,” she said, voice trembling, tears leaking from her eyes. “I’ll do better, I promise. I promise . . .”

He stepped toward her, his tread echoing on the bare plank floor. She shrank back, trembling, and stumbled over the bucket. Without her hands to stop her, she crashed to the floor.

He stopped. His six-foot frame loomed above her. She averted her gaze, looking anywhere but at him.

This will not do.

He hunkered down and gripped her narrow chin, forcing her gaze to meet his. “Please,” she whispered.

Her mouth trembled.

“Aw, princess,” he said, running his thumb slowly across her swollen bottom lip. “I’m afraid it’s too late for that.”

He reached down and unbuckled his belt.


AUTHOR

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A tech worker by day and an author by night, Chris Patchell writes gritty suspense novels set in the Pacific Northwest that are sure to keep you up reading late, turning pages well past dark. Her debut novel, Deadly Lies, won a 2015 Indie Reader Discovery Award for best fiction. Her latest novel, In the Dark, was released on August 4, 2015 from Kindle Press.

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The Forgotten Ones by Brian McGilloway

8/27/2015

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From the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of LITTLE GIRL LOST comes a brand-new thriller featuring Lucy Black - a twisting, gripping story of secrets and lies, perfect for fans of LOUISE PENNY and TANA FRENCH.

The body of an elderly man is hauled out of the rushing water of the River Foyle, cold dead. Detective Lucy Black is called in to investigate when it becomes evident that this was not a suicide: the man’s body was embalmed before it ever entered the water.

Confounded and exhausted, Lucy heads home to review the case in quiet; but there will be no rest for her tonight. She’s barely in the front door when a neighbor knocks because his wife’s sister has been attacked and they need her help.

As a string of strange crimes is unspooled throughout the city, Lucy is pulled in countless different directions… until she realizes there may be something dark and dangerous connecting everything.

Soulful and suspenseful, featuring one of the most appealing characters in suspense fiction, THE FORGOTTEN ONES is a novel to take your breath away.
Available on Amazon
Available on Harper Collins


EXCERPT

The bruising extended from his temple, around the curve of the eye socket and down almost to where the fold of his laughter line curled round to meet his lip.

Lucy gently touched the purpled skin with the tips of her fingers, afraid that too much pressure might cause him to wake. She moved back slightly and traced down along his neck to where she saw a second shadow on the skin, this time the injury aged and yellowed around the edges, just visible above the collar of his vest. Wisps of gray hair curled over the material, rising and falling lightly with each breath.

She drew back the blanket from him, seeing for the first time the leather strap that encircled the safety bar at the side of his bed, its other end fastened around her father’s wrist.

“Dad?” she whispered, tapping him lightly on the arm in an attempt to rouse him. “Dad, what happened?”

For a moment, his eyelids fluttered, his face inclining toward hers. Then he settled back on the bed again, his head barely denting the pillow. His brow shone with perspiration, despite the presence of a portable fan in the room.

She pushed back from the bed, opened the door, and went out into the corridor. Seeing no staff, she moved up toward the main workstation on the ward. Just as she approached, an orderly came around the corner.

“DS Black? Just the person.”

“What happened to my father?” Lucy demanded. “His face? What happened?”

The man raised his hands in placation. “I’m sorry, Miss Black. I thought you’d been … He became aggressive with some of the other patients and took a fall,” he said.

“He’s chained to the bed,” Lucy said.

“He’s not chain—” he said, seemingly swallowing back his protest at her comment. “We had to restrain him to stop it happening again; he was uncontrollable.”

“He has a bruise on his chest, too.”

“I don’t know—it … it may have been when he was being subdued. Look, I understand you’re annoyed. And I know you’re off duty, but … well, we think there’s a body in the river.”


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brian McGilloway was born in Derry, Northern Ireland. After studying English at Queen’s University, Belfast, he took up a teaching position in St Columb’s College in Derry, where he was Head of English. His first novel, Borderlands, published by Macmillan New Writing, was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger 2007 and was hailed by The Times as “one of (2007’s) most impressive debuts.” The second novel in the series, Gallows Lane, was shortlisted for the 2009 Irish Book Awards/Ireland AM Crime Novel of the Year. The third Devlin, Bleed a River Deep, was selected by Publishers Weekly as one of their Best Books of 2010. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling Lucy Black series, all to be published by Witness. Brian lives near the Irish borderlands with his wife and their four children.

Author's Website
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Dazzled (A Nikki Easton Mystery) by Maxine Nunes

8/26/2015

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Genre: Mystery / Contemporary Noir
Publication Date: June 25, 2015

During a brutal L.A. heatwave, four people are murdered in the Hollywood Hills and Nikki Easton's best friend Darla Ward has disappeared. The police think she might be one of the victims.
 
 In her relentless search for the truth, Nikki discovers the hidden side of her friend's life, laying bare secrets buried before Darla was born, and uncovering widening layers of corruption that reach far beyond Hollywood to the highest levels of government.
Available on Amazon
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EXCERPT

Chapter 1

What’s real? Darla used to ask me. How do you know what’s real? I never understood the question. But then I didn’t have platinum hair and cheekbones that could cut glass, and no one ever offered to buy me a Rolls if I spent one night naked in his bed. Darla was a brilliant neon sign flashing pure escape. You almost didn’t notice that those lovely green eyes didn’t blaze like the rest of her. She was both main attraction and sad observer at the carnival. Something had damaged her at a very young age. We never talked much about it, but we recognized this in each other from the start. Isn’t that what friendship is?

The week she disappeared was as extreme as she was. Triple-digit heat in late August and wavy layers of smog suffocating the city. By ten in the morning, it was brutal everywhere, and on the sidewalks in front of the homeless shelter, with the sun bouncing off the film crew trailers and the odor of unwashed bodies and general decay, it was a very special episode of hell. Beneath an archway, a tall man with a filthy blanket draped over his head rolled his eyes heavenward like a biblical prophet. Or a Star Trek castaway waiting to be beamed up.

In one of those trailers, where air conditioning brought the temperature down to the high nineties, I was being stuffed into a fitted leather jacket two sizes too small. Perspiration had already ruined my makeup and the dark circles under my eyes were starting to show through.

Heat keeping you up, hon? the makeup girl had asked. I’d nodded. Half the truth.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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Maxine Nunes is a New Yorker who's spent most of her life in Los Angeles. She has written and produced for television, and currently writes for several publications including the Los Angeles Times. Her satiric parody of a White House scandal won the Pen USA West International Imitation Hemingway Competition.

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    The Bookish Ailurophile

    Shin is a 27-year-old mom of a fury baby, named Mofa, who had crossed the rainbow bridge, 2 years ago. She is a bookworm who loves books that give her adrenaline rush and makes her  feel the characters' emotions. When she's not reading, she spends her time listening to oldies music while making some crafty stuffs made out of old book pages, or spends her time reading books with children at an orphanage. Also, she loves to scare herself with gory movies in the middle of the night.

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