Diane Rapp's Blog: She's a Mystery and Science Fiction Writer! - Posts Tagged "murder"

The Books-a-Fire authors will be posting excerpts on their blogs during the next couple of weeks. I'll add an excerpt for each of my books so check back. Go to www.booksafire.com to find the special deals.

The Aurora is docked on Dominica:

At the bottom of the gangway, Kayla paused to gaze at the escarpment above the dock. Fort Shirley sat atop the bluff, an irregular black outline silhouetted against a cloudless blue sky. She checked her watch and decided to take an easy morning walk through the ruins. Once on top she wandered through the lonely stone skeleton, a solitary tourist taking photos of the ship and Portsmouth Bay.

From her lofty perch on top of the dungeon walls, Kayla surveyed the vast expanse of Dominica’s high country. In contrast to relatively flat coral islands, Dominica resembled a collection of craggy mountains plucked from the heart of the Alps and dumped into the ocean by some mischievous giant. Kayla felt a pang of homesickness for the snow-covered mountains of Colorado.

Rusty cannons stood sentinel along Fort Shirley’s moss-covered skeleton of chiseled rock. Ghostly breezes whispered eerie tales of slavery and revolt, of soldiers marching through a jungle filled with twisting ravines, and of hostile Carib Indians stalking their prey through dense foliage. A twig snapped. Leaves chattered over cobblestones as a gust of wind whipped them into a miniature tornado, and a tree branch tapped an eerie warning overhead. Kayla suddenly felt sure someone was watching.

Glancing around, she felt vulnerable, wandering alone through the ruins. Trying to walk with a normal pace, Kayla headed back down the deserted path, but her pace quickened into a near run as she yearned to reach the safety of the cruise ship pier. A man stepped from behind a tree and blocked her path.

Be sure to visit the following links to read excerpts from other authors in Books-a-Fire.

Calinda B http://blog.calindab.com/?p=1421

J. Heather Leigh http://jheatherleigh.blogspot.com/p/b...

Charles Dougherty http://www.clrdougherty.com/p/excerpt...

Tami Kidd http://www.tamikidd.com/?page_id=5

Jennifer Donohoe http://wp.me/p2zxAX-4Q

Reb MacRath www.rebmacrath.blogspot.com

Kayla experiences a vision from the Lady:

Taking the stairs two at a time, Kayla nearly tripped. The world tilted on its axis, her vision blurred, and her stomach lurched. She grabbed the handrail. Icy coldness stung her fingers and she jerked free. A miasma enveloped her senses. The smell of lavender and kelp drifted like a heavy mist through the open glass doors from the moonlit deck outside. Light fixtures shaped like seashells flickered, illuminating gold carpet and avocado green walls. She clutched a folded note between gloved fingers…

I’m not wearing gloves! Kayla thought and shuddered. A loud “ding” announced the arrival of the elevator. Expecting to see the Lady standing inside, Kayla tried to run but stood frozen in place. The doors slid open and her mouth felt too dry to swallow. Her vision blurred—and cheerful passengers walked lazily from the elevator to the sunny deck outside. A balmy breeze filled the corridor and a shaft of golden sunshine gleamed across salmon-colored carpet and coral walls.

Kayla’s knees buckled. She gripped the solid wood handrail to steady wobbly legs and gulped deep breaths. What happened to me? Glancing at her shaking bare hands, Kayla wished she’d read the note before it disappeared.



Be sure to visit the following links to read excerpts from other authors in Books-a-Fire and visit our website to find bargains www.booksafire.com

Calinda B http://blog.calindab.com/?p=1421

J. Heather Leigh http://jheatherleigh.blogspot.com/p/b...

Charles Dougherty http://www.clrdougherty.com/p/excerpt...

Tami Kidd http://www.tamikidd.com/?page_id=5

Jennifer Donohoe http://wp.me/p2zxAX-4Q

Reb MacRath www.rebmacrath.blogspot.com