Saturday, October 20, 2018

Blog Tour: The Collective Season 2 by Various

xx

The Collective Season 2
New Release - October 18th

Eight outstanding authors celebrate the release of The Collective Season Two. Eight standalone novels that interconnect and weave together taking readers on a thrill ride of deceit and deception. 

Are you ready to find out what all the buzz is about?

We’ve set the stage, created the characters, and fashioned a world full of twists and turns. Now it’s your turn to sit back and immerse yourself in this incredible series. Each episode weaves the characters and storylines of our standalone novels together to give you an epic crossover series.

No one is safe as corrupt politicians and dirty cops rule the street. A child’s death puts targets on the backs of those in law enforcement and sets two cities ablaze with riots. When the police chief’s daughter is kidnapped amid the chaos, will the Collective solve the case and rescue her in time?
༺⋆༻•༺•*⊱⋆✰⋆⊰*•༻•༺⋆༻
Absolution: The Collective Season Two, Episode One
Author: B.R. Bradley
Genre: Mafia Romance
124 pages






Makenna

Four years ago, the man I loved was murdered in cold blood right before my eyes. The moment his heart stopped beating mine did too. 

Until Callisto Suppato came along, and a whole new world began to unravel. 

In his arms I found comfort in the darkness I used to run from. The future we both always dreamed of is finally within reach.

All we have to do is let go of our past...


Callisto

For seven years, I loved Makenna from the shadows. It was the only way to keep her safe. In my world, love is a death sentence. But I couldn't stay away. 

Now here she is, walking through Hell with the devil as her guide. 

Just when our life is starting to feel normal, my best friend's sister is kidnapped and Makenna could be next. 

I promised her no more secrets, but I have to keep her safe. 

She thinks she knows me. 

She thinks she loves me. 

She's about to find out who I really am…


Universal Amazon Link:
http://geni.us/jeYhBVa
༺⋆༻•༺•*⊱⋆✰⋆⊰*•༻•༺⋆༻
Ensnared: The Collective Season Two, Episode 2
Author: Leona Windwalker
Genre: Male/Male BDSM Romance
198 pages






“To My Soul Mate On Our Anniversary”

It was a beautiful card. The problem was Hisoka wasn’t celebrating. It was another unwanted token from the Dom who’d trained him in the fine art of Shibari and to understand and appreciate the gift of submission. Hisoka knew things had to change as Jeff had become too fixated with having his former apprentice on his knees for him.

Moving to San Francisco should have been a fresh start—a new city, a new job, new friends, and a new club. And, best of all, a new sub. Danilo looked simply gorgeous wearing his Master’s knot work. However, things aren’t going as smoothly as Hisoka had hoped. Family issues, city-wide riots, and a stalker have complicated his life, but he’s determined to stand his ground for one reason—Danilo. The sub is worth it. Will Hisoka keep the best thing that’s ever happened to him or will outside forces destroy everything?







Universal buy link for the entire series: mybook.to/Collectiveseason2

Universal link to my Amazon author page: author.to/LeonaWindwalker






Leona is an Army Brat and veteran as well as a longtime staunch supporter of human rights and environmental causes. Her favourite genre to read is M/M fiction and she particularly enjoys the science fiction, fantasy, and action/suspense subgenres--especially if they have a nice seasoning of romance and at least a hint of kink. She has far too many books on her Kindle, has overloaded her phone with even more and, when not reading, writing, being driven to distraction by her children, or being overlorded by her seven(!) cats and two Newfoundland dogs, can be found trying to locate the portal that the sock monster uses to steal socks from her dryer. That is, when she’s not run off on another adventure while holing up in her beloved caravan.


Social media links:









༺⋆༻•༺•*⊱⋆✰⋆⊰*•༻•༺⋆༻
Gravity: The Collective Season Two - Episode 3
Author: J. L. Leslie
Genre: MC Romance
149 pages



Remy…

As a rehabilitation therapist for the California State Prison, I look for the best in people. Sometimes, it’s hard for me to find the best in myself though. I only wanted an escape. That’s all I have ever wanted. I walked into that bar and found my escape in a man I had no intentions of seeing again. 

I didn’t have any expectations from the stranger from the bar. I didn’t expect him to save me from a riot that broke out in the city. I certainly didn’t expect to feel this unexplainable pull to him. But I do. And now I know who he is. He’s a member of the Iron Claw MC.


Riggers…

She was supposed to be a one-time thing. Neither of us wanted more. Instead, she turned my world upside down. I don’t know who I am when I’m with her. A good guy, or the guy I have always been? The guy who follows orders from my president. No matter the cost.

I can’t expect Remy to be part of my world. She’s heaven and I’m hell. It doesn’t matter that gravity continues to pull us to each other. I can’t drag her down with me, especially when the things I do for the club will forever change her life.

**This book contains adult content, graphic language, violence, and sexual situations. It is intended for mature readers only.**



Universal Amazon Buy Link:
http://geni.us/uvNIe









I am a happily married mother of three (two boys and one girl). I live in a very small town in Alabama. Never lived anywhere else. I’ve been writing since my early twenties, but I couldn’t seem to finish a book. I started self-publishing with the encouragement from my mom. Without her encouragement, I don’t think I would’ve done it!

I get my inspiration from life experiences, movies, television, other authors, and music. Music is definitely a big influence on my writing. I can hear a song and it can inspire an entire book for me. I listen to it while I’m driving or before I start writing and it keeps me inspired. I like to put music in my books, even if it’s just one song the characters listen to or hear at some point. Sometimes music has gotten me through the really tough times in my life and that’s why it inspires me.

I like to write fast-paced, steamy romance reads. I like for my males to be alpha-males and my heroines to be strong, but both need to have one weakness- each other. I am an avid reader. I absolutely love romance books!


Social Media Links: 

You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Goodreads, and Amazon!


Fan group/reader group, J.L. Leslie’s Lovelies: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1120018351380810/

Street Team, J.L. Leslie’s Pimpin’ Peeps:


Exclusive Author Group, Sexy Kissaways Book Club:


Instagram:




༺⋆༻•༺•*⊱⋆✰⋆⊰*•༻•༺⋆༻
Swayed: The Collective Season Two, Episode 4
Author: Erin Trejo
Genre: Mafia Romance
126 pages




I wanted to be on top. I vowed to make all the things my father wronged right. Arranged marriages have been happening in our family for a very long time and I was no different. I took it in stride with the mindset that my father had instilled in me. I could rule her as well as this family. Sadly, that was my first mistake.

Are you ready to find out what all the buzz is about?

We’ve set the stage, created the characters, and fashioned a world full of twists and turns. Now it’s your turn to sit back and immerse yourself in this incredible series. Each episode weaves the characters and storylines of our standalone novels together to give you an epic crossover series.

No one is safe as corrupt politicians and dirty cops rule the street. A child’s death puts targets on the backs of those in law enforcement and sets two cities ablaze with riots. When the police chief’s daughter is kidnapped amid the chaos, will the Collective solve the case and rescue her in time?



Universal Amazon Link:






I am an author that doesn't fit well into any category. The books I write have romance in them but they are not your typical read. Not all fairytales have a happy ending and in my books, it is always hard for the characters to stay together. They really have to work for it. There is usually a lot of drama and/or suspense also.


SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:







༺⋆༻•༺•*⊱⋆✰⋆⊰*•༻•༺⋆༻
Flawed: The Collective Season Two, Episode 5
Author: Jade Royal
Genre: Multicultural Romance
Pages




Him 

After a horrible breakup, Donovan swore off women and focused on his dream of building a web design empire. Family and one-night stands had to be enough to cure his broken heart or at least distract him from the pain. All love wanted to do was string you along and make false promises. Who needs that? All was well without that. Then he saw HER.


Her 

Kayleena is called home from college because things are falling apart without her. She only has one semester left at school before she’s done but it doesn’t look to be in her near future. Covered in flour and icing, she never expected to see HIM. She’d put enough distance between them so that she would never have to deal with being just friends. Her heart has always craved forever with him, but he proposed to another. Now he’s back in her life and dead set on them being friends. Will she have the power to walk away again or should she settle for his friendship?




Universal Amazon Buy Link:








When the voices begin to speak, Jade Royal sits down in her lab to write the tale. The story unfolds with each keystroke as she listens to her instincts bring the words to life. For as long as she can remember, Jade has always expressed her creative nature artistically, especially by writing. She refers to herself as “Slave to the Pen” because it’s difficult for her to resist the call to write.

Jade resides in Cincinnati, Ohio where she was born and raised. She has many siblings and is very family oriented. She spends Sunday evenings eating dinner with them keeping the bond between family nice and strong.

Jade Royal is the author of the series Limits of Love. The series focuses on love, romance, and the eroticism of the two combined. The first book was released in December of 2016.

As an author, Jade hopes to pull in her readers to experience a community of stories that they can relate to on various levels. The emotional roller coaster that is bestowed will hopefully make her readers stalk her words and provide literate entertainment.

For more information on Jade Royal, follow her on her website and social media avenues.



Stalk Jade Royal’s Seductive Words… 
She writes just for you.












༺⋆༻•༺•*⊱⋆✰⋆⊰*•༻•༺⋆༻
Trust: The Collective Season Two, Episode 6
Author: Riley Edwards
Genre: Detective Suspense Thriller
224 pages



I have a million reasons to keep running—and one to stay.

I’m a dead woman walking; there’s a target on my back and a million-dollar price tag on my head. I shouldn’t have fallen in love, not if I wanted to stay alive. I’m a liar, a con, I’ve changed my name so many times I can barely remember who I am.

They’ve found me and I have to leave. I keep telling myself it’s better this way. He’s too good for me. The detective and the mafia princess, can you image?

She ran like a thief in the night taking my heart with her. The city I’ve sworn to protect is in chaos; buildings are burning and there are riots in the streets. Innocent people are being killed and all I can think about is her. 

I’ve uncovered her secrets. Now all I have to do is find her and convince her I can keep her safe. 

Easier said than done—the woman has trust issues. 



Universal Amazon Buy Link:









Hey everyone. *waves*...For those of you who are new to me, my name is Riley Edwards. My debut novel Nightstalker released in July. It's a Military Thriller romance. With a badass female lead! Of Course, there is plenty of smoking hot sexiness sprinkled throughout a storyline that will keep you guessing! What is a romance novel without a sexy alpha male that challenges his woman in and out of the sack?
Anyway....back to me. :) I tried to come up with some interesting stuff about myself you would like to know. You know some witty funny stuff that would make me sound 
fab-u-lous, but alas I am boring as hell. Just an FYI, nothing will depress you faster than that realization.

 A close friend recently described me as, and I quote "You are annoying, brash, sexy, loud, boobed, beautiful, needy, supportive, wonderful, interesting, aggressive, and fun. All to varying degrees throughout each and every day."

 And that about sums me up.



Social Media Links:



Email - thecollectivenovels@gmail.com

Newsletter sign up - http://eepurl.com/cxCJFb



༺⋆༻•༺•*⊱⋆✰⋆⊰*•༻•༺⋆༻
Angst: The Collective Season Two, Episode 7
Author: Samantha A. Cole
Genre: Male/Male BDSM Romantic Thriller





Quinn and Carson’s long-term D/s relationship is on the rocks. Between Quinn’s job as a US Marshal and Carson’s as the Head of anesthesiology at San Francisco’s only trauma center, they haven’t had much time together lately. Quinn’s aversion to discussing what’s bothering him doesn’t help matters. 

When all hell breaks loose in the city, riots, dirty cops, and a missing woman put Quinn and others in danger. Carson discovers trying to get his lover to open up to him might be the least of his worries. Before he can salvage their relationship, will he lose the love of his life forever?



Universal Amazon Link:












USA Today Bestselling Author and Award-Winning Author Samantha A. Cole is a retired police officer and paramedic. She's lived her entire life in the suburbs of New York City and is looking forward to becoming a snow-bird between New York and Florida someday. Her two fur-babies, Jinx and Bella, keep her company and remind their mom to take a break from writing every once in a while to go for a walk, which is the best way to deal with a stubborn case of writer’s block.

An avid reader since childhood, Samantha was often found with a book in hand and sometimes one in each. After being gifted with a stack of romance novels from her grandmother, her love affair with the genre began in her teens. Many years later, she discovered her love for writing stories was just as strong. Taking her life experiences and training, she strives to find the perfect mix of suspense and romance for her readers to enjoy.

Her standalone novel, The Friar, won the silver medal in the 2017 Readers' Favorite Awards in the Contemporary Romance genre out of more than 1000 entries. 

While the original planned stories for the Trident Security series have been completed, they have brought many opportunities for Samantha to spread her wings and bring her readers more characters and stories to love. Look for her new Hazard Falls series, the Trident Security Omega Team series, the Doms of The Covenant series, the Blackhawk Security series, and more from the Malone Brothers series, in addition to several standalone projects.



Social Media Links:

Sexy Six-Pack’s Sirens Group—


Subscribe to my newsletter—www.smarturl.it/SSPNL












༺⋆༻•༺•*⊱⋆✰⋆⊰*•༻•༺⋆༻
Redemption: The Collective Season Two, Episode 8
Author: Ellie Masters
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages




Jennifer:

Our city is in flames.

Crooked cops and corrupt politicians rule the streets. 

All it took was the murder of an innocent to ignite a firestorm and set two cities ablaze. 

While our cities burn, I face the devastation on the streets, saving lives while my marriage falls apart. I once thought Patton and I could survive anything, but we’re not coming out of this unscathed. We’ve lost too much and our love is stretched beyond the breaking point.

The choices I make aren’t easy, but at the end of a long and brutal night, I’ll see what remains of both my city and the love of the man I can’t live without. 


Patton:

Overcome with grief, I walked away from the love of my life. Jen is on the streets, doing what she does best. She’s saving lives while I watch the city burn.

But, when she goes missing in the middle of the riots, I can no longer ignore the truth. She’s my wife. My love. She's my life. I’ll do whatever it takes to find her and beg for forgiveness.

I’m not sure if I’m strong enough or worthy of such redemption, but I will bring my wife home.



Universal Amazon Buy Link:


ELLIE MASTERS is a multi-genre author, writing the stories she loves to read. These are dark erotic tales. Or maybe sweet contemporary stories. How about a romantic thriller to whet your appetite? Ellie writes it all. Want to read passionate poems and sensual secrets? She does that too. Dip into the eclectic mind of Ellie Masters, spend time exploring the sensual realm where she breathes life into her characters and brings them from her mind to the page and into the heart of her readers every day.

When not writing, Ellie can be found outside, where her passion for all things outdoor reigns supreme: ATV-ing, scuba diving, hiking, and breathing fresh air are top on her list. Ellie's favorite way to spend an evening is curled up on a couch, laptop in place, watching a fire, drinking a good wine, and bringing forth all the characters from her Mind-to-the-Page and eventually into the hearts of her readers.


Social Media Links:








༺⋆༻•༺•*⊱⋆✰⋆⊰*•༻•༺⋆༻




1 comment:
Labels: , , ,

Friday, October 19, 2018

Showcase: The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren

The Vampire Knitting Club

by Nancy Warren

on Tour October 15 - November 16, 2018

Synopsis:

The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren
At a crossroads between a cringe-worthy past (Todd the Toad) and an uncertain future (she's not exactly homeless, but it's close), Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to visit her grandmother. With Gran's undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey's, Gran's knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she's going to do.
Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there's a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on?
When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there's no body in the grave. Between a hot 800-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan. The only one who seems to know what's going on is her cat ... or is it ... her familiar?

First in a new series of paranormal cozy mysteries!

 

Book Details:

Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Published by: Ambleside Publishing
Publication Date: September 2018
Number of Pages: 250
ISBN:13 9781981498970
ASIN: B07HDBQ7BB Series: The Vampire
Knitting Club #1
Purchase Links: Amazon Goodreads
 

Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER ONE
Cardinal Woolsey’s knitting shop has appeared on postcards celebrating the quaint views of Oxford, of which there are many. But when a visitor has tired of writing ‘wish you were here’ on the back of pictures of the various colleges, the dreaming spires, and the dome of the Radcliffe Camera, a cozy little shop painted blue, brimming with baskets of wool and hand-knit goods, can be so much more inviting.
My grandmother Agnes Bartlett owned the knitting shop and I was on my way to visit after spending a very hot month at a dig site in Egypt visiting my archeologist parents.
Gran was always ready to wrap her warm arms around me and tell me everything was going to be all right. I needed comforting after discovering my boyfriend of two years Todd had stuck his salami in someone else’s sandwich. I referred to him now as my ex-boyfriend The Toad. I was thinking about Gran’s wisdom, her hugs and her home made gingersnaps, when I started to feel as though cold, wet fingers were walking down the back of my neck.
My wheeled suitcase clanked and rattled behind me along the cobblestones of Harrington Street as I looked around, wondering what had caused the heebie-jeebies.
The October day was chilly and crisp and, in the mid-afternoon, the street was busy with shoppers, tourists and students. Church bells chimed three o’clock. When I glanced ahead, I saw my beloved Gran. She wore a black skirt, sensible shoes and one of her hand-knit cardigans, this one in orange and blue. She was walking with a glamorous woman in her sixties whom I didn’t recognize. I thought Gran looked confused and my hackles immediately rose. The glamor puss was holding an umbrella over Gran’s head, even though the day was dry and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
I waved and called, “Gran!” moving faster so my suitcase began to bounce.
I was sure they saw me, but as I sped toward them, they veered down a side street. What on earth? I lifted my case and began to run; though my case was so heavy it was more of a grunting stagger.
“Gran!” I yelled again. I stopped at the bottom of the road where I’d last seen them. There was no one there. A dry, shriveled leaf tumbled toward me and from a window ledge a small, black cat regarded me with what looked like pity. Otherwise, the street was empty.
“Agnes Bartlett!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
I stood, panting. The side street was lined with a mixture of half-timbered cottages and Victorian row houses, all clearly residential. Gran hadn’t popped into a shop and would soon emerge. She was visiting in one of those homes, presumably. I wondered if it belonged to her friend.
Well, there was no point standing there. I’d go to Cardinal Woolsey’s and wait for Gran there. Her assistant, Rosemary, would be running the shop and I could let myself into the upstairs flat and unpack while I waited for my grandmother to return.
I retraced my steps, but when I reached the entrance to the quaint shop and tried the door, it didn’t open. I tried again, pushing harder, before my other senses kicked in and I realized that no lights were on inside.
A printed sign hung on the windowed front door. It said, “Cardinal Woolsey’s is closed until further notice.” At the bottom was a phone number.
Closed until further notice?
Gran never closed the shop outside her regular closing days. And if she had, where was her assistant?
I stood on the sidewalk that feeling came again, like cold fingers on the nape of my neck.
***
Excerpt from The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren. Copyright © 2018 by Nancy Warren. Reproduced with permission from Nancy Warren. All rights reserved.
 

Author Bio:

Nancy Warren
Nancy Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 60 novels including the Toni Diamond cozy mystery series.
She shares her time between Victoria, British Columbia, and Bath in the UK.

Catch Up With Nancy Warren On: nancywarren.net, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!  

Enter To Win:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Nancy Warren. There will be one (1) winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on October 15, 2018 and runs through November 17, 2018. Void where prohibited.

Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours


2 comments:
Labels: , , , , ,

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Cover Reveal: Being Reshma by Reshma Qureshi and Tania Singh

~ Cover Reveal ~

Being Reshma by Reshma Qureshi and Tania Singh





About the Book:

On 19 May 2014, as seventeen-year-old Reshma Qureshi left home for the examination centre, everything happened in a flash. The men rushed towards her. Grabbed her. Tugged at her hair. Poured acid on her face. Soon she started to burn like a living corpse. The acid ate through her skin and aimed for her bones, but it could not quell the fire in her heart.

It lifted Reshma from tragedy and suffering and propelled her to New York, where she made global headlines by becoming the first acid-attack survivor to walk the runway at the New York Fashion Week. Now an international anti-acid-sale activist, vlogger, model, and the face of Make Love Not Scars, Reshma works tirelessly towards empowering other acid-attack survivors like herself and has become a beacon of hope for millions.

Inspiring and life-affirming, Being Reshma is the extraordinary story of a young girl from the slums of Mumbai, who overcame insurmountable odds in an unjust world and dared to change it.

About the Authors:

Reshma Qureshi is an Indian model, vlogger, and anti-acid activist. She is also the face of Make Love Not Scars, an NGO that works towards rehabilitating and empowering acid-attack survivors.

Tania Singh is the CEO of Make Love Not Scars. She lives in New Delhi.



Praise for the Book


‘Reshma’s story of suffering and survival is also a wonderful triumph of the human spirit, highlighting this young woman’s remarkable determination to turn tragedy and despair into a powerful movement for change’—SIR RICHARD BRANSON

‘Reshma Qureshi’s strength and determination to reclaim her life, and, in doing so, to become a global beacon of hope is truly inspirational’—JOHN SWINNEY

‘Reshma's story is a must-read for everyone … There is much to learn from her inspirational life’—SACHIN TENDULKAR

‘Being Reshma is a powerful story of courage, perseverance and triumph … A significant achievement and a compelling read’—SHASHI THAROOR

‘A wake-up call to fix the abysmal state of medical care in India, and the deeply entrenched insensitivity, of hospitals, and even of celebrated doctors’—KAVITA KRISHNAN

‘A powerful memoir. Tragic, haunting and inspiring’—KESHAV SURI
No comments:
Labels: , , , , , ,

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Showcase: Scar Tissue by Patricia Hale

Scar Tissue

by Patricia Hale

on Tour October 1-31, 2018

Synopsis:


Scar Tissue by Patricia Hale

Track star, Ashley Lambert, has just been accepted into the prestigious Johns Hopkins University, so when she jumps eighteen stories to her death her parents hire the PI team of Griff Cole and Britt Callahan to find out why. The investigation exposes a deeply disturbed family hiding behind a façade of perfection and follows Ashley’s descent into performance enhancing drugs and blackmail. Ashley’s coaches, peers and even her parents come into question. The disturbing truth behind Ashley’s death is testimony to lines crossed and allegiances sworn…. in the name of love.
Meanwhile, things don’t add up next door. Britt’s working overtime researching their new neighbors whose one-year-old son disappeared four years ago. Rhea McKenzie, has a secret and bruises aren’t the only thing she’s trying to hide. When an off-hand comment discloses a connection to Ashley Lambert the two cases become entwined, setting off an unstoppable chain of events. Britt is sucked into an alliance with Rhea and driven to make decisions that challenge her ethics, threaten her relationship and in the end, push her over a line she never thought she’d cross.

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Intrigue Publishing
Publication Date: September 1, 2018
Number of Pages: 194
ISBN: 978-1-940758-85-5
Series: Cole and Callahan #3
Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
 

Read an excerpt:

“I don’t believe my daughter jumped. She wouldn’t have done that. I told the police, but they dismissed me. Evidently, they knew my daughter better than I did.”
“What’s your feeling on that, Mrs. Lambert?” I asked. Parents don’t always share perspectives on their children.
When she looked at me, her eyes were moist. She cradled the columbine in her palm. “Call me Gwen.”
I nodded.
“Ashley was a good girl. She worked very hard at everything she did.”
“She was the best, always. She made sure of it,” Greg chimed in.
Or else you did, I thought.
“It would have gone against her nature to jump off that building. It just wasn’t her way,” Gwen added.
“Her way?” Greg squinted at his wife, his face twisted in disgust as though studying an insect on flypaper. “What the hell does that mean?” He stood and walked around the circumference of our seating arrangement and then came back and took his chair again. “My girl did as she was told. And only what she was told.”
“It’s not always easy to tell a senior in college what to do,” I said. “At some point they start making their own choices even if some are ones their parents might not like.”
“Not my girl.” Greg shook his head, knocking my theory out of the park. Dismissed as impossible.
I couldn’t help but notice he kept referring to Ashley as my girl not our girl as though he’d created her, given birth and raised her throughout her short life singlehandedly. I didn’t like him. My assessment of Gwen was still up in the air, but she was wrapped so tight I couldn’t get a glimpse inside. It’s never easy to work for someone you don’t like, but Ashley’s case held the interest factor. Why had this seemingly perfect child jumped to her death?
“She was a star athlete at the top of her class and a week from graduation,” Greg continued. “She’d been accepted at Johns Hopkins Berman Institute for Bioethics. And you’re telling me that’s a kid who makes bad decisions? I don’t think so, Ms. Callahan.”
Okay, he shut me up. (A momentary lull.)
“Mr. Lambert,” Griff spoke up. “I have a daughter. I can’t imagine what you must be going through dealing with all this. What is it you think we can do for you?”
“I told the police and the medical examiner that my daughter wouldn’t take her own life. Cops shook their heads, said it wasn’t their call to make. The medical examiner said it presented as a cut and dried suicide.”
“And what do you say, Mr. Lambert?”
“My daughter was murdered.”
I glanced at Gwen. “Do you agree, Mrs. Lambert?”
She raised her eyes, glanced at her husband and then to me. “I’m not convinced, but I do agree that suicide doesn’t fit with who my daughter was.”
Griff kept his focus on Greg. “What makes you think someone would have killed your daughter? Did she have enemies that you’re aware of?”
“No, no enemies that I know of, but her jumping makes no sense. She had everything going for her and absolutely no reason to end her life. She would never have done that to me.”
Strike two. The selfish bastard assumed his daughter’s tragic death had more to do with him than whatever had driven her to that fateful state of mind. “Suicide is about what’s going on within the person themselves,” I said trying not to let my voice betray my disgust. “I doubt Ashley was consciously doing anything to you at the moment she jumped. If she jumped.”
“She knew the goals we’d set,” he said dismissing my remark. “And she had every intention of attaining them.”
“Goals?” I asked.
“Johns Hopkins, her PhD, an Olympic gold medal.”
“Had she been accepted to compete in the Olympics?” Griff asked.
“It was in the works,” he said annunciating each word as though we were hard of hearing.
“Did you let the medical examiner know how you felt?”
“Of course, I did.”
“And was an autopsy performed?”
Greg Lambert glanced at his wife. She looked away. Touchy subject, I gathered.
“Useless,” he said. “They found nothing.” He turned to Gwen. “Go get my checkbook.”
She rose and disappeared inside the house without a word, still holding the columbine in her hand.
I caught Griff’s eye and he raised his eyebrows as though asking, should we?
“Look Mr. Lambert,” he said. “Britt and I like to discuss a case before we commit to it. We want to feel some degree of surety that we can help you before money changes hands and we sign a contract. Give us time to talk it over and we’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
Gwen reappeared holding a large, black-spiraled checkbook. Greg took it from her along with the pen she offered and flipped open the front of the book. He looked at Griff. “How much do you want?” he asked.
“Mr. Lambert, I…” Griff started.
“We’ll give you the information you need to get started. I don’t have any doubt you’ll see it my way. What’s the retainer?” He held the pen poised over the checkbook.
“Five thousand,” Griff said.
I thought that was a little high. He must be thinking about the pool we wanted to install.
“And a list of names. Professors, coaches and friends,” he added.
Greg pointed to his wife. “Put that together.”
Dismissed, Gwen went inside to gather what we needed.
Once we had the necessary information from Gwen, and Greg’s check was folded inside Griff’s pocket, Carole stepped onto the deck and offered to show us out.
“We’ll be in touch,” Griff said. He stood extending a hand toward Greg.
Greg Lambert rose from his chair and placed his hands on his hips. “When?”
“As soon as I have something to tell you,” Griff said lowering his arm.
Griff’s ability to come off unfazed by blatant rude behavior is beyond me. I couldn’t get off that porch fast enough. If I’d lingered I would have placed a well-directed snap kick to Greg Lambert’s groin.
We followed Carole to the front door. She swung it wide and stepped with us outside then pulled the door closed behind her. On the front step she glanced from one of us to the other then dropped her head and stared at the granite, clearly trying to make up her mind. We waited. When she looked up she extended her arm toward Griff as though intending to shake.
“Look,” she said. “I’m probably way out of line here and dipshit in there will have me banned if he knows I’m talking to you. I’m already on probation around here so whatever I say stays between us, all right?”
Griff nodded and reached for her hand, keeping his eyes on her face.
She slipped a folded piece of paper into his palm. “I’m Carole Weston, Gwen’s sister. Call me,” she said. “There’s more to this. A lot more.”
***
Excerpt from Scar Tissue by Patricia Hale. Copyright © 2018 by Patricia Hale. Reproduced with permission from Patricia Hale. All rights reserved.
  Patricia Hale 

Author Bio:

Patricia Hale lives in Standish, ME with her husband. She is a graduate of the MFA program at Goddard College, a member of International Thriller Writers, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance and the NH Writers Project. Scar Tissue is the third book in the Cole & Callahan thriller series. When the computer is off, you can find Patricia on the sideline of her grandsons’ sporting events or hiking the trails near her home with her German shepherd and one very bossy Beagle.

Catch Up With Our Author On: Website, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!

 

Tour Participants:

Visit these other great hosts on this tour for more great reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways!  

Enter To Win:

This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Patricia Hale. There will be 1 winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on October 1, 2018 and runs through November 1, 2018. Void where prohibited.


Get More Great Reads at Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours

 


2 comments:
Labels: , , ,
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)