Karen Docter's Blog, page 206
August 21, 2016
**Author Peek** Interview with Kenna McKinnon
**Author Peek** Interview with
KENNA McKINNON!
INTRODUCING…Kenna.
Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full-time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
Hola, I’m a senior Canadian woman author, have written all my life since I could first print and at the age of five rhymed “stars” with “Mars” to impress my cousin. My first paid article was published only in 2010 and a couple of years later, my debut novel, SpaceHive. Cheryl Tardif from Imajin Books took a chance on me six years ago. That was my first venture into eBooks and eventually print. Since then I’ve had two children’s books released by a small press and was also self-published. I recently signed with Creativia, which I like very much.
Toronto, Ontario was my birthplace. My parents brought me west when I was an infant. We subsequently lived on a small farm in the Peace River country of northeastern British Columbia, Canada. In 1963 I moved to Calgary, Alberta where I met my first husband, who died in a motorcycle accident in 1971. Before his death, we lived in Oklahoma City, USA for three years during the mid-1960s and then moved back to Canada and Edmonton, Alberta, where I’ve lived ever since. I have three wonderful adult children and three grandsons. One of my children, my son Steve, died in September 2012 of aggressive esophageal/stomach cancer.
My interests are quite broad and I’m interested in health and fitness, cooking, drumming, caricatures, church and volunteer activities. I’ve owned my own medical transcription business since 1999 and work at home.
1. What appeals to you about the genre that you write?
I write various genres but prefer mystery, I think, although I don’t read a lot of mysteries. The character of Annie is drawn from my own experiences with schizophrenia. I also like fantasy, which appeals to me because I can use the length and breadth of the universe as a canvas on which to write from pure imagination and, I hope, a bit of science and talent.
2. Are you a plotter or a pantser (one who writes “by the seat of your pants”)?
Both, I would say. I began by writing from the seat of my pants but have more recently begun to write outlines.
3. What is your favorite part of writing?
I think the beginning is my favorite part, where there is a fresh outline and characters/plot to develop. It is quite exciting to me to sit down to a blank page and begin to fill it with a story.
4. If you had to give up writing and do something else, what would you do instead?
I already am a medical transcriptionist and do it well, I think. I don’t know if I would choose transcription. It just sort of happened over the course of my career that I fell into administrative work. I might be a student again and study archeology, but my age makes it unlikely that it would be a viable alternative. I plan to retire in four or five years. I like to travel.
5. What’s your favorite meal of the day?
Lunch, I think. I sometimes don’t eat breakfast but I like salads, soups, the sort of thing one would have for lunch. I also like to cook, and often stock my freezer with meals.
6. Which are your favorite characters to write, the female characters or the male characters? Why?
The female characters because I understand the female characters better than I understand the male, and I also like strong women protagonists.
7. If you had a superpower, what would it be, and how would you use it?
I would like to be very strong and lift vehicles off people who are in accidents, or rescue them from cave-ins or natural disasters.
8. Many writers dream of having the ideal location to write. If you could live anywhere in the world or live a particular lifestyle, where would you be answering these questions right now?
Maui, Hawaii, in a condo overlooking the ocean, with a trade wind stirring the coconut palms and men and women in colorful shirts and shorts surfing in the distance, or riding their bicycles down a scenic road just within my line of vision, eating a fresh pineapple and with a coconut drink in my hand, perhaps sitting in a 1950s style diner.
9. Do you have any rejection stories to share? Reviews that meant something special to you?
Oh, I’ve had a lot of rejection slips in the early days before self-publishing and the internet. All reviews mean something special to me but I think the best was from my sister, who suggested she would like to see a sequel to Blood Sister, and that Annie was a character she would like to see again in a mystery. I modeled Annie Hansen after myself, and a couple of friends, so that meant a lot to me that someone close to me would like her that much.
10. Tell us about your next book & when is it being published?
My next book is a paranormal/fantasy trilogy of novellas called Den of Dark Angels, and it was published in June of this year by Creativia. I’m quite excited about it as it’s my first venture into paranormal. It’s a bit of horror, too, I think, in places. I’m working on a novel about a dragon and a princess called The Smallest Red Dragon, an adult mildly erotic story. That is my WIP. I haven’t progressed very far with it.
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Be sure to come back to read more about Kenna and BLOOD SISTER on Wednesday’s Karen’s Killer Book Bench. Happy Reading!
~~~
Links to Kenna’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon:
http://amzn.to/2aUO1xA
Author blog:
Twitter:
LinkedIn:
Amazon Author Page:
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Kenna is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky reader who comments on her **Author Peek** or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs.
Thank you, Kenna, for sharing your story with us. Don’t miss the chance to read these books!
August 19, 2016
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Back to School Daze **SALE** Killing Secrets (Thorne’s Thorns Series Book 1) by K.L. Docter
Back to School Daze
SALE*SALE*SALE*
Limited Time
If you’ve put KILLING SECRETS, Thorne’s Thorns Series Book 1, by K.L. Docter on your wish list, now is the time to get your digital copy with the brand new cover for only $2.99!! That’s $2 off for a limited time.
KILLING SECRETS
Thorne’s Thorns Book 1
BY K.L. DOCTER
Blurb
Some secrets are better left dead.
Rachel James’ ex-husband is released from prison determined to reclaim her and her little girl — the child is his key to controlling the James fortune. Frightened, Rachel flees to Denver with the child who hasn’t uttered a word since her daddy went to prison.
Contractor Patrick Thorne wants nothing to do with another of his parents’ charity cases. He failed his own wife so abysmally she took her own life as well as his unborn son’s. After two years, it’s time to concentrate on the bid he’s won and the saboteur trying to destroy his construction firm.
There is no room for trust in either of their hearts. But trust is all that will untangle the secrets that dominate their lives, free a little girl of her silent prison, and save them all from a serial killer who stands too close.
What reviewers re saying…
“The first sentence, in the villain’s point of view, sent chills up my spine, and I was hooked. This romantic suspense is full of wonderful secrets, twists, turns and has an evil serial killing villain. The kind of killer we see on the TV show CRIMINAL MINDS.” ~ Bernadette Cychner, RT Book Reviews
“This is my first book by K.L. Docter, but it certainly won’t be the last. Suspense at every turn!” ~ Amazon Reader
“I have to say this book has me teetering on changing my favorite genre, it as that good.” ~ Amazon Reader
“Fantastic Thriller You Won’t Want to Put Down!” ~ Amazon Reader
KILLING SECRETS
Thorne’s Thorns Book 1
BY K.L. DOCTER
EXCERPT
“I’ve only filed three police reports, but I’m sure I can lay half a dozen more attacks at this bugger’s door.” He ran his hand through his hair to corral his frustration. “What about fingerprints on the hammer? Have you identified anything in the clothes left behind?” Somehow, the single untouched wall with women’s clothing stapled all over it like some kind of macabre trophy wall was more disturbing than the vicious holes his saboteur left everywhere else.
“It’s one of your own hammers kept in a tool box with a broken lock. Anybody could have handled it. I’ll be surprised if they find a viable print, although the clothes might reveal something.” Jack heaved a long suffering sigh. “We’ve barely had time to catalogue the evidence since you called us this morning. We’re not exactly sitting on our thumbs, no matter what you think.”
“What I think is it’s becoming more and more difficult to keep my problems under wraps.”
“Well, you wouldn’t know it after reading that sweet, full-page feature the Denver Post ran on you yesterday.” Jack picked up the newspaper section sitting on the corner of Patrick’s desk and read the headline aloud, “‘No Thorns in Thorne Enterprise’s Rosy Future’. According to this you’re ‘a new contractor barely in his thirties with a Midas touch who’s made it to the major leagues with the multi-million dollar, upscale Villas at Three Oaks Ranch’. You must have really schmoozed that reporter, bro.”
“The headline would have read something radically different,” Patrick replied sourly, “if she’d dug a little deeper and uncovered the truth.”
Angry again at the thought of what he stood to lose, he reached across the desk, snatched the newspaper out of Jack’s hand, and threw it into a wire basket for his office manager, Jane Brown, to file. “You know what I’ve been dealing with these last few months,” he said. “Vandals tag building sites. Supplies go missing. Equipment breaks down.
“But this is different, Jack. You saw those walls at Southgate. This isn’t kids on a lark, pissing out territorial boundaries.”
“I agree. But as my captain pointed out, I’m a little close to the situation and I’m not on the case.”
Patrick barked a harsh laugh. “What does this guy have to do before the department takes this seriously? Leave a dead body?”
“It might take just that,” Jack retorted. “Right now we’re up to our armpits in what’s rolled downhill from the mayor’s office after the kidnapping of that councilman’s daughter last week.”
If it weren’t for the radios blasting all day on his sites Patrick wouldn’t keep up with local events but even he’d heard about the coed who’d disappeared while he was in Cheyenne. “She’s been gone, what, four days? Do you have any leads?”
“We don’t even have a ransom note. After a co-worker dropped her off at her apartment complex, it’s like the girl disappeared into thin air.”
Patrick saw Jack’s jaw tighten, a sign of the increasing stress he’d been under in recent months. “You think she’s a victim of the Angel Killer, don’t you?” The local news media had dubbed the serial killer with the name because of the angel tattoo he’d burned into each of the girls he brutally killed. He remembered Jack’s fury, as one of the detectives on the task force, over the leak of that critical piece of information.
Meet Author K.L. Docter
… 
Bestselling Author Karen Docter writes contemporary romance. When she feels the need to feed the dark side, she writes intense suspense thrillers as K.L. Docter. She’s an award-winning author, a four-time Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® finalist, and won the coveted Kiss of Death Romance Writers Daphne du Maurier Award Category (Series) Romantic Mystery Unpublished division.
When she’s not saving her characters from death and destruction or helping them to fall in love, she loves camping and fishing with her family, reading, gardening and cooking. If she an most of those thing over a campfire, all the better!
~~~
Links to K.L.’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2b6P7t4
B&N: goo.gl/wsqVxB
Kobo: goo.gl/KM563U
iTunes: goo.gl/pg58wN
All Romance:
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-killingsecrets-201…
Website/Blog: http://www.karendocter.com
Twitter: @KarenDocter
Karen Docter FB: goo.gl/6TXc5X
K.L. Docter FB: goo.gl/uD1iGL
Goodreads: https://goo.gl/bsswDd
~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: K.L. is giving away one digital copy of KILLING SECRETS to one lucky reader who answers the question: What do you love about suspense on today’s blog. There are no right or wrong answers!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
August 18, 2016
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Cherie Claire #recipe ~ MARTIN’S SEAFOOD GUMBO
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with CHERIE CLAIRE!
Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, CHERIE CLAIRE, and her favorite recipe for MARTIN’S SEAFOOD GUMBO.
~~~
TICKET TO PARADISE
The Cajun Embassy Book 1
By CHERIE CLAIRE
Blurb
PR executive Lizzy Guidry is having the worst day of her life, thanks to newspaperman Martin Taylor, whose editorial has raised the ire of Lizzy’s boss, the mayor of Santa Helena, California. Martin is on the verge of losing his newspaper, which is why he’s buying yet another lottery ticket the night he runs into Lizzy.
Still fuming, Lizzy beats him to it, nabbing the last ticket before the machines close. Topping off Martin’s worst day of his life, Lizzy’s ticket wins. Only she doesn’t know it. As Martin attempts to romance his way to five million dollars, will he lose his heart in the process? Will they both realize that love, more than money, is the ticket to paradise?
The Cajun Embassy series follows three Columbia journalism coeds homesick for Louisiana who find comfort in a bowl of Cajun gumbo. Each book — Ticket to Paradise, Damn Yankees and Gone Pecan — follow these dedicated friends as they make their way into the world. Because love — and a good gumbo — cures everything.
TICKET TO PARADISE
The Cajun Embassy Book 1
By CHERIE CLAIRE
EXCERPT
Dear God, Martin thought. She didn’t know she had won. Five million dollars was probably sitting on the bottom of that disaster she called a briefcase, more than likely cast aside like a useless scrap of paper.
Five million dollars!
Of all the luck. Martin had faithfully bought his tickets twice a week, never so much as winning more than five dollars, once the bonus number, and here Lizzy waltzes into the Mini Mart and claims the entire jackpot. Enough to save The Banner. Enough to help his family. Enough to put his life back in order.
And it was his dollar that paid for her winnings!
Lady Luck was definitely a woman.
“Young man,” an authoritative voice sounded, waking him from his misery. “We have to talk.”
The mayor and his entourage of assistants headed toward the door, but Tom Whitley paused long enough to send home a message, a directive Martin read loud and clear in his eyes. “Yes, sir, I think that would be wise.”
“Tomorrow morning?” the mayor asked. “Ten a.m. in my office?”
“Tom,” Lizzy said, touching the mayor’s arm. “My car broke down in a tow-away zone. It’s in the pound.”
Tom glanced over at Martin. “Then get it out, Lizzy.”
Lizzy pulled on the mayor’s sleeve, tugging him away. “It’s two hundred dollars,” she whispered. “I thought you could call Darryl and use your influence to…”
Martin watched as the mayor feigned innocence, no doubt on his behalf, as he listened to Lizzy’s tale. “I don’t pull strings.” Tom glanced in Martin’s direction. “You know that, Lizzy. You’re on your own.”
Holly placed the opened umbrella over the Mayor’s head and sent Lizzy a sympathetic look as they headed for the parking lot. When Lizzy turned back toward Martin, knowing he was the cause of the mayor’s refusal to help, the tears had disappeared, replaced by an anger he knew all too well. But Martin had a plan.
“I have a friend at the pound,” he said. “He owes me a favor.
Swallowing hard, no doubt to combat more tears, Lizzy shuffled past him to the table to retrieve her briefcase. “You’ve done enough for two days, Martin. Do me a favor and leave me alone.”
Martin leaned against the desk, one hip against the side of her briefcase interrupting her actions. “Now why would I do that, Lizzy, when I have a warm, dry car and your ride just left?”
He expected his seductive words to warm her heart, but instead Lizzy bolted out the door, scanning the parking lot for the mayor’s car. As she glanced around the half-deserted lot of the Board of Education, rain spotted her face. Whether it was raindrops or tears streaking her cheeks, the sight caused Martin’s heart to constrict.
“Damn,” he muttered to himself. He hated losing control.
Martin opened the door, feeling the rush of cold air greet him, snaked an arm about her waist and pulled her back inside the lobby.
“Get your hands off me,” she protested, although again the fire had left her eyes.
“I have a car,” he said firmly, like a big brother. “I’ll take you home. It’s too late to call the pound but I can pick you up in the morning and get your car.”
“I don’t want anything from you.” She pulled free from his embrace.
“Then allow me, at least, to help you as a form of apology.”
Lizzy stopped fighting and gazed suspiciously into his eyes. For a moment, Martin imagined she knew exactly what he was up to.
“I’m sorry about the editorial,” he quickly said. “I didn’t mean to include you in my condemnation of Mayor Whitley. I just thought you had better ethics than to clean up that clear disregard for the law by the D.A.’s office.”
The fire returned, full force. “It’s called a job, Martin. Maybe you don’t know what that means, having had a newspaper fall into your lap, never having to worry about your next paycheck.”
Martin couldn’t help himself. He laughed, which only infuriated Lizzy further. The irony being played out before him was too much to bear.
“I assure you, Ms. Guidry,” he bit out harshly, his humor gone, “that I do not live on Easy Street.”
He meant it as charming sarcasm, but anger and resentment emerged with the words. Martin wanted to follow up with something funny, something seductive to cover his blunder, but Lizzy’s features softened and she stared at him with new eyes.
For a moment, he swore Lizzy saw the real Martin Taylor. Not the joking bachelor who caressed women with his beguiling words, nor the brother and son who laughed off the problems surrounding the newspaper to his family, convincing them all he had both his life and his career under control. For a moment, he swore Lizzy saw right through him. And it scared him to death.
About Author Cherie Claire… 
Cherie Claire is the award-winning author of several Louisiana romances and a paranormal mystery series.
Cherie is the author of “The Cajun Embassy” series of contemporary romances – “Ticket to Paradise,” “Damn Yankees” and “Gone Pecan.” Originally published with Kensington, her “Cajun Series” of historical romance follows a family of Acadians (Cajuns) who travel to South Louisiana and start anew after being exiled from their Nova Scotia home.
Cherie’s fall 2016 novel, “A Ghost of a Chance,” begins a paranormal mystery series featuring New Orleans travel writer and ghost sleuth Viola Valentine.
Cherie lives in South Louisiana where she works as a travel and food writer when not indulging in Cajun culture. Visit her website at www.cherieclaire.net and write to her at CajunRomances@Yahoo.com.
~~~
Links to Cherie’s Website, Books, & Social Media:
Website: www.CherieClaire.net
Cherie’s My Louisiana Home blog:
http://www.cherieclaire.net/my-louisiana-home
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/authorcherieclaire/
Twitter: Claire_Cherie
Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Cherie-Claire/e/B000APFZ6E/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1465502879&sr=8-1
Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Query=cherie+claire
Apple:
https://itunesconnect.apple.com/WebObjects/iTunesConnect.woa/da/books
Ticket to Paradise
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2beFZ7H
B&N:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ticket-to-paradise-cherie-claire/1124070621?ean=2940153404783
Apple:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1131416489
Kobo:
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/ticket-to-paradise-8
I hope you enjoy the recipe Cherie is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 273 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MARTIN’S SEAFOOD GUMBO
Note from Cherie: In each of The Cajun Embassy books, I include a gumbo recipe. The following recipe is by Martin Taylor, the hero of “A Ticket to Paradise,” and it utilizes seafood. I’m from New Orleans where we include a lot of seafood in our gumbos and the roux is usually lighter. In Cajun Country where I now live, chicken and andouille sausage with a darker roux is more prevalent.
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup flour
2 large yellow onions, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 pound shrimp (about 30-35 shrimp), preferably wild Louisiana shrimp
1 pound crabmeat
1 dozen shucked oysters, liquid reserved
Crab pieces, if desired
2 (32-ounce) boxes seafood stock
Salt, pepper and/or Cajun/Creole seasoning to taste
2 cups cooked Louisiana rice
Green onions, chopped, for garnish
Directions: In a large soup pot, over medium heat, mix the oil and flour for a roux, stirring constantly, being careful not to let the roux burn. Keep stirring until you receive the right darkness of roux. The color and time it takes to finish the roux will depend upon your preference but a light roux is preferable for a seafood gumbo.
Add to the pot the chopped onions, bell peppers and celery, known as the “Cajun Trinity,” and stir. Cook over medium-high heat until the vegetables are tender or until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the seafood stock and oyster juice and bring to a gentle boil, then simmer, uncovered for about 30 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook for 5 minutes. Add the oysters and crabmeat and cook for 5 minutes. Add additional salt, pepper or Cajun seasoning to taste. Remove from heat, serve gumbo over rice and garnish with chopped green onions.
Note: A cast iron soup pot works best. You can also make your own seafood stock, but we listed boxed seafood stock that is easily found in grocery stores. Also, Walmart sells Guidry’s Creole Seasoning mix — the “Cajun Holy Trinity” of onions, bell peppers and celery — so for those who want to save time, substitute Guidry’s.
~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Cherie is giving away TICKET TO PARADISE #FREE to every reader who stops by Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Cherie, for sharing your story and recipe with us.
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
August 17, 2016
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Evelyn’s Cross: Deluxe Edition by S.W. Frank
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
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EVELYN’S CROSS: DELUXE EDITION
BY S.W. FRANK
Blurb
A lone Seer is an ominous omen. Thus, this presents a dilemma for The Engel Guild. Her name is Evelyn. Although, in appearance she is a young adult, in an angel’s lifespan she is but an Infant Seer unaware of her potential. She is strong-willed, and rebellious. The Engel Guild is concerned. To maintain balance, they choose a respected and feared warrior that leads Citadels. The High Steward Lukanos bears the skin ruins with a Seer’s marking. A warrior of his stature paired with a visionary is unheard of in The Highland. Traditionally, warrior to warrior or warrior to healer is the ideal suits. Will opposing spirits unsettle the harmony of Engels and unleash great sorrow upon the world?
EVELYN’S CROSS: DELUXE EDITION
BY S.W. FRANK
Trailer
Video: https://youtu.be/techUqfrxf8
Meet Author S.W. Frank …
Author S.W. Frank resides in New York. Aside from the love of family, the arts and writing have been mainstays in her life since childhood. A former FDNY-EMT and later a writer for her law school’s journal, the stories weaved are certain to have a touch of excitement and intrigue. The author’s novels are diverse, multicultural and touches on social issues, which readers have considered, “bold and apologetic in it’s delivery.”
~~~
Links to S.W.’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2b1xdbk
Website: http://1swfrank.wixsite.com/authorswfrank
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/SWFrank
~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: S.W. is giving away an e-book copy of EVELYN’S CROSS: DELUXE EDITION to two lucky readers who comment on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Thank you, S.W., for sharing your story with us.
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
August 16, 2016
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: How Do Private Eyes Do That? by PI & Best-selling Author Colleen Collins
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
HOW DO PRIVATE EYES DO THAT?
Second Edition
BY COLLEEN COLLINS
Blurb
This second edition of How Do Private Eyes Do That? is a compilation of new and updated articles written by Colleen Collins, a real-life PI. Sample topics: History of PIs; an investigator’s equipment and online techniques; conducting surveillances; how PIs work with cold crime scenes; case studies; writing tips for crafting plausible private eye characters and stories; glossary of PI terms; and lists of PI blogs, websites, training courses, and online magazines.
Audiences: Private investigators, mystery writers, armchair detectives, fans of the private-eye genre, and those curious about the real world of private eyes.
HOW DO PRIVATE EYES DO THAT?
Second Edition
BY COLLEEN COLLINS
EXCERPT
A Mysterious Blonde and a Missing Quarter-Million Dollars
I thought Karen’s Killer Book Bench readers would enjoy this real-life mystery that we solved based on a single piece of information from our client: He suspected a thirty-ish, blonde woman. That was it.
Lots of Assumptions and No Evidence
Our client told us his elderly uncle had been a Scrooge-like character who’d saved a lot of money over the years, at least a quarter million. But after his sudden death by heart attack, they discovered his savings account had next to nothing in it.
How did our client know that his uncle had previously saved a lot of money? Apparently he’d once shown a bank statement to his young great-niece who had since moved to another state to attend college.
A Neighbor Claimed the Blonde Was a Regular Visitor
Figure 18: A neighbor saw a tall blonde visiting the elderly man (image licensed by Colleen Collins)
Our client suspected a blonde woman, possibly in her early thirties, might have defrauded his uncle as she had been his only visitor in the last six months of his life, according to a neighbor who’d observed the blonde’s comings and goings. He had no idea who this blonde was or what her relationship might have been with his uncle.
The uncle liked talking to a young great-niece, but wasn’t on speaking terms with our client and other relatives. Any attempts to communicate with him were met with hostility and anger, so no one in the family had any idea who this blonde might be. One night I said to my husband, “Maybe the uncle was living the life he liked. Ignoring relatives who got on his nerves, and talking only to lovely young women.”
Was the blonde for real? The snoopy neighbor said the blonde had always “walked away from” the uncle’s house. This could mean the blonde had been walking down the sidewalk away from someone else’s house.
We decided to start canvassing the neighborhood, ask if anyone had seen this blonde actually visiting the elderly man.
Knocking on Neighbors’ Doors
We knocked on door after door, asking if anyone had noticed a thirty-something blonde visiting the man’s home. After numerous “no’s,” we finally got a yes.
A young man said he’d noticed a tall blonde entering or leaving the old man’s place several times a week, and that she drove a vintage sports car. However, he’d only caught a glimpse of the car as she always parked on the far side of the man’s home, where it wasn’t visible to most people on the block.
And another yes. A middle-aged woman said the day after the elderly man’s death, a blonde had entered his house with a key, and exited with several boxes of items.
We Extended Our Canvassing
The blonde was real. And apparently quite close to the uncle if she had a key to his place. We let our client know of our findings, and suggested he change the locks.
We brainstormed what steps to take next. Was the blonde a paid companion? If so, maybe the two of them only had visitations in his home, after which she left. In our walk-through of the house, however, we didn’t see anything that helped to identify her.
Or maybe the uncle thought she was his girlfriend? He didn’t drive, nor did he have a car, and no one had noticed the blonde driving the uncle anywhere. Maybe they walked to one of the nearby bars or restaurants for their dates? In the evenings they wouldn’t have been easily seen.
A Bartender Knew Her Name
Figure 19: A bartender recalled her name and her favorite cocktail (image in public domain)
We walked from the uncle’s house, visiting every bar and restaurant in the neighborhood, showing his photo and asking waitresses, bartenders, hostesses if they had ever seen this man with a younger blonde.
Finally, a bartender remembered the woman and the elderly uncle. “They liked to sit at the bar and enjoy a few cocktails. She always ordered a Cosmopolitan. Afterward they’d move to a back booth and have dinner.”
He even knew her first name. Said she’d once mentioned driving up from [town name] to visit the old guy.
We knew this town, approximately a forty-minute drive from the uncle’s home. Lucky for us, it was also a small town, which meant we’d have better luck identifying her via a proprietary database search, from which we learned her full name, date of birth, and that the vintage automobile had been purchased within the last six months.
We next ran her data in our state court records database, and discovered she had a criminal record for—guess what?—embezzlement.
We forwarded the information to our client, with the suggestion he contact a probate attorney ASAP.
Meet Author Colleen Collins …
Colleen Collins has worked as an improv comedienne, technical editor, telecommunications manager, and private investigator. Since selling her first novel in 1996, she has written nearly thirty novels and five nonfiction books. Her articles and book excerpts have appeared in Cosmopolitan, PI Magazine, Pursuit Magazine, USA Today, and other publications.
~~~
Links to Colleen’s website, blog, books, etc.
How Do Private Eyes Do That? is currently available on Kindle. But you don’t need a Kindle to read the book. Amazon’s easy-to-download app lets you read it in your browser and on a variety of devices. A print version will be available in the near future.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2bnJFk2
Colleen Collins Books:
http://www.colleencollinsbooks.com
Guns, Gams, and Gumshoes (PI blog):
https://writingpis.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @writingpis
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/colleencollinsbooks
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Colleen-Collins/e/B001H6SFP8
~~
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Colleen is giving away a Kindle copy of HOW DO PRIVATE EYES DO THAT? to two lucky readers who comment or ask a question about private investigations on her **Author Peek** or Karen’s Killer Book Bench blogs. Thank you, Colleen, for sharing your story with us.
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
August 15, 2016
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Chased by Love (Love in Bloom: The Ryders #3) by Melissa Foster
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
CHASED BY LOVE
Love In Bloom: The Ryders #3
BY MELISSA FOSTER
Blurb
Actress Trish Ryder takes her job seriously and has no time for those who don’t. When she’s awarded a major role in a new movie featuring America’s hottest rock star, Boone Stryker, she’s beyond excited. The six-two, tattooed hunk of burning desire is known for his dedication to his craft—but when he ditches their first meeting, she begins to wonder if he’s just another rocker with a great PR team.
Sex, booze, women, and music pretty much sum up Boone Stryker’s private world. He’s coasted through life playing by his own rules with plenty of people willing to cover his tracks, and he’s not likely to change—until he meets a woman who refuses to give him the time of day, much less anything more.
Sparks fly from the first moment Trish and Boone meet—Tensions run hot and desire runs hotter when they’re trapped together on a remote location with no place to hide. Will sparks ignite, or will a hurricane douse the flames?
Meet Author Melissa Foster
… 
Melissa Foster is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling and award-winning author. She writes sexy and heartwarming contemporary romance, new adult romance, and women’s fiction with emotionally compelling characters that stay with you long after you turn the last page. Melissa’s emotional journeys are lovingly erotic, perfect beach reads, and always family oriented.
~~~
Links to Melissa’s website, blog, books, etc.
Link to Follow Tour:
http://www.tastybooktours.com/2016/06/chased-by-love-love-in-bloom-ryders-3.html
Goodreads Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23123778-chased-by-love
Goodreads Series Link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/135715-love-in-bloom-the-ryders
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | Google | iTunes | Kobo
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads |Newsletter
~~
Thank you, Melissa, for sharing your story with us.
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
August 14, 2016
**Author Peek** Interview with Colleen Collins
**Author Peek** Interview with
COLLEEN COLLINS!
~~
INTRODUCING…Colleen.
Before we get started talking about your writing, tell us a little about yourself, where you’re from, what you do for a living (if you’re not a full-time writer) what hobbies you have, etc. Whatever you’d like to share to introduce yourself.
After earning a theatre degree at UC Santa Barbara, I packed up my car and moved to Hollywood to find a job in film production. Eventually, I worked as a “script girl” on a TV sitcom, and later an assistant to Michael Ovitz, at the time the most powerful agent in Hollywood, which was a crazy, fun, stressful job.
After stints as a tech writer/editor, even an improv comedienne!, I sold my first novel, RIGHT CHEST, WRONG NAME, to Harlequin in 1996.
In 2003, I opened a private investigations agency with Shaun, my then-boyfriend and current husband. As a former criminal lawyer, he had trained many PIs, so he mentored me in the fine art of sleuthing.
More recently, I’ve written a romantic-mystery series for Harlequin Superromance, and self-published three mysteries and five nonfiction books, one being my current release, How Do Private Eyes Do That?. If any of Karen’s Killer Book Bench readers would like to win a Kindle copy of How Do Private Eyes Do That?, leave a comment (or a question about private investigations, if you’d like). Two winners’ names will be randomly picked from the comments.
1. What appeals to you about the genre that you write?
Romantic-mysteries appeal to my romance-writer background and my investigator reality. Writing nonfiction appeals to the left side of my brain
August 11, 2016
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special** with Lilly Wilde #recipe THAI FRIED RICE
Karen’s Killer Fixin’s
**AUTHOR SPECIAL**
with LILLY WILDE!
Welcome to my Friday bonus feature called Karen’s Killer Fixin’s **Author Special**!! Today, in lieu of one of my own recipes, I’m going to introduce you to a new author who will share one of her favorite recipes. Not only will you and I occasionally learn how to make something new and delicious, but we’ll get a chance to check out some wonderful authors. Introducing author, LILLY WILDE, and her favorite recipe for THAI FRIED RICE.
~~~
ONLY HIS TOUCH
The Untouched Series, Book Five
By LILLY WILDE
Blurb
The pain of deceit was fresh, but love and desire overruled everything else. Now, Aria and Aiden face their greatest challenge yet.
Aria Cason’s life took an unexpected turn when she reconnected with Aiden Raine, the man who awakened a pure and undeniable love she’d thought was lost forever. Aria’s love for him burns deep, yet he still pushes for more—the total surrender of her heart. When a painful memory becomes her guiding light, she questions if a happily ever after really exists for a girl who never wanted one.
After stepping away from his birthright, Aiden’s need to protect his new family becomes his top priority. Fragile bonds are soon stretched to the breaking point as his need for vengeance threatens to destroy the very thing he’s come to value most. When his unyielding determination starts to push Aria away, he presents her with a challenge that will test them both.
Will the searing passion that reunited this couple keep them together, or will it burn them to ash?
Ties will be broken. Lies will become the truth. Aria and Aiden’s heart-wrenching story continues in the fourth book of The Untouched Series, Only His Touch.
ONLY HIS TOUCH
The Untouched Series, Book Five
By LILLY WILDE
EXCERPT
I stepped under the stream of water and reached up, touching his face. He lowered his head and kissed me. I was like a wild animal, licking his lips and then his tongue, kissing the tip and then sucking it hard, pulling it into my mouth. He took control of the kiss and slowed my pace, drawing me closer to his hard body, molding me to him. His tongue was in my mouth, building my arousal, seducing me into a world that always took me to the edge. His kiss did that to me. It was like sex—it was the capture and total surrender of my mind and body.
Once he broke our kiss, he stepped back and looked down at me, his dark eyes seductive and hungry. I knew what he wanted. He wanted me naked—he wanted to be inside me. I lifted the wet shirt over my head and tossed it aside. Unsnapping the front of my bra, I let it drape open and I watched as his eyes left my face and skimmed my swollen breasts. They were pleading for the pleasure of his touch. His gaze dropped to my pants and then his eyes met mine, the darkening of his irises communicating exactly what he expected of me. I shimmied out of the wet jeans and was wearing only my panties.
“Come on. Don’t stop now,” he coaxed.
About Author Lilly Wilde…
Lilly Wilde is the Author of The Untouched Series (Untouched, Touched, Touched By Him, Only His Touch and Forever Touched). She is a wife and mom who loves to fill each day with happiness and laughter. Lilly loves to dream, get lost in fantasy and create alternate worlds in which we can escape ever so often. She’s down-to-earth, engaging and compassionate with a great sense of humor. Her laughter is one of the first qualities that you’ll notice; you’ll become instantly drawn to her witty and fun-loving spirit. Lilly spent a lot of time daydreaming as a child which led to numerous hours of reading and eventually the writing of poetry. The first story Lilly began writing was entitled He Lied To Me, a novel she plans to complete in the near future. After years of starting and stopping several novels, she eventually set a goal to complete her debut novel, Untouched. Her stories are of strength, growth, facing demons and stepping outside your comfort zone; they often surround topics of family and love and the beauty of both.
~~~
Links to Lilly’s Website, Books, & Social Media:
Have you read UNTOUCHED?!?!
If you haven’t been touched just yet, it’s long overdue! It’s time to check out what everyone says is keeping them up until 2:00 and 3:00 AM!
Untouched (Book One in The Untouched Series)
✦ Amazon US ➙ http://tinyurl.com/zlnrvky
✦ Amazon AU ➙ http://tinyurl.com/zvarqxt
✦ Amazon CA ➙ http://tinyurl.com/zcxxcmd
✦ Amazon UK ➙ http://tinyurl.com/jdb6sck
✦ iTunes➙ http://tinyurl.com/zljbg5j
✦ Barnes & Noble➙ http://tinyurl.com/hr7mha9
✦Kobo➙ http://tinyurl.com/gnwygwl
Only His Touch, Part Two is available for pre-orders on iTunes, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and Smashwords (Amazon e-books will be available for purchase on release day…no pre-orders for Amazon.)
(Book Five of the Untouched Series)
✦ Barnes and Noble ➙ http://tinyurl.com/gvup7ly
✦ iTunes ➙ http://tinyurl.com/zcu656m
✦ Kobo ➙ http://tinyurl.com/j2266ww
✦ Smashwords ➙ http://tinyurl.com/z9vycza
For all updates, follow Lilly Wilde on:
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/h3xdl5q
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/zayrdtj
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorlilly
Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/gkuz3s2
Book Group: http://tinyurl.com/jpnepcv
Newsletter Sign Up: http://www.lillywilde.com/newsletter
Blog: http://lillywildebooks.blogspot.com/
Website: www.lillywilde.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorlillywilde/
I hope you enjoy the recipe Lilly is sharing with us today on Karen’s Killer Fixin’s. Happy eating!
Karen
P.S. We’re at 272 recipes and counting with this posting. Hope you find some recipes you like. If this is your first visit, please check out past blogs for more Killer Fixin’s. In the right hand column menu, you can even look up past recipes by type. i.e. Desserts, Breads, Beef, Chicken, Soups, Author Specials, etc.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THAI FRIED RICE
2 tbsps vegetable oil, divided
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 lb cut into thin strips* (optional) boneless skinless chicken breasts, beef or pork
1/2 cup such as bell peppers strips, sliced carrots and snow peas assorted vegetables
2 cups Thai Kitchen® Jasmine Rice
2 tbsps Thai Kitchen® Spicy Thai Chili Sauce
1 tbsp Thai Kitchen® Premium Fish Sauce
1 lightly beaten egg
*Or use 1/4 pound peeled and deveined small shrimp (optional)
HEAT 1 tablespoon of the oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; stir fry about 30 seconds or until garlic is lightly browned. Add meat and vegetables; stir fry 3 minutes or until meat is cooked through.
STIR in rice, chili sauce and fish sauce; stir fry 3 minutes or until rice is heated through. Push rice mixture to side of skillet. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to middle of skillet. Add egg; scramble until set. Stir into rice mixture.
THAI Kitchen Tip: For an extra kick, serve with additional Thai Kitchen® Spicy Thai Chili Sauce on the side.
NUTRITION Information Per Serving: 265 Calories, Fat 9g, Protein 6g, Carbohydrates 40g, Cholesterol 53mg, Sodium 521mg, Fiber 1g
*A THAI KITCHEN RECIPE
**SPECIAL GIVEAWAY**: Lilly is giving away a Direct-to-Kindle copy of TOUCHED, Book Two of The Untouched Series, AND a $5 Amazon Gift Card to one reader who comments on this Karen’s Killer Fixin’s blog. Thank you, Lilly, for sharing your stories and recipe with us.
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
August 10, 2016
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Live, Laugh, Love: 5 Romantic Comedies by Shelley K. Wall, Evan Purcell, Dana Volney, Jenny Jacobs & Tiffany N. York
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE: 5 ROMANTIC COMEDIES
By Shelley K. Wall, Evan Purcell, Dana Volney,
Jenny Jacobs & Tiffany N. York
Blurb
Love not only captures your heart but tickles your funnybone in these five fabulous romantic comedies. The hilarious antics and wacky hijinks will leave you in stitches.
Waking Up to Love: Fans of While You Were Sleeping will love this debut tale! When Scott McInney’s mom gets a slight case of amnesia, he convinces Ramona, the identical twin sister of his runaway wife, to step into her heels. Ramona reluctantly agrees to help out, but when the pretending gets too real, will Scott figure out that he might have married the wrong twin?
Find Me: Amanda Gillespie never bargained on seeing Jackson Holstenar, her former coworker and mortal enemy, again. But he just happens to be best buddies with the great new guy she’s seeing. Three’s definitely a crowd, but as they bicker and surprisingly bond, old feelings rekindle. Now Amanda must decide if the Mr. Right she thought she found is the one she really wants.
Paradise Point: Liv Barnette needs coffee, she needs food . . . hell, she needs a new life. So inheriting fifty percent ownership in Paradise Point marina is a lucky break she’ll embrace with open arms. The sexy downside? Sharing her windfall with Army Ranger Adam Lark, who will go to any extreme to see her gone . . . or so he thinks.
The Matchmaker Meets Her Match: Matchmaker Rilka Arpad has seen enough bad behavior to wonder how anyone can withstand a first date, never mind forever. Her new client, war veteran Jeremy Ford, is officially the worst – announcing boldly at their first meeting that he just wants to get laid. But it turns out that Jeremy wants more than a one-night stand . . . and he wants it from Rilka!
The Meatball Mistress: Big-haired Brooklynite Cara Manzoni’s life has become a cliche – she found her fiance cheating with her hairdresser and now she has no apartment, no job, and nowhere to go. When she flees to the Jersey Shore, she winds up at Ryan Garridy’s struggling Italian restaurant. Ryan thinks fiesty Cara’s trouble with a capital T, but her Sicilian meatballs are to die for! Can this secretive stunner save more than just this commitment-phobic restaurateur’s business?
LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE: 5 ROMANTIC COMEDIES
By Shelley K. Wall, Evan Purcell, Dana Volney,
Jenny Jacobs & Tiffany N. York
Find Me by Shelley K. Wall
Excerpt
Jackson scowled when Carter winked at Amanda and threw the box onto his shoulder in a fireman’s hold. “Piece of cake. You look amazing by the way.”
Amanda slammed her trunk closed and dropped a hand into the pockets of her tight cargo shorts. She shot Carter another megawatt smile. “Thanks. I wasn’t really sure what was appropriate for this kind of thing.” Jackson felt his face flush. Seriously? She was flirting?
Steam started to rise from his already sweating forehead. Couldn’t she see what an idiot/asshole Carter was? Surely Jackson wasn’t the only person to notice his complete lack of personality.
Amanda tucked a hand into Carter’s arm and walked alongside as he toted her things.
At the trail head, the organizer handed out maps to everyone then told them to be back at five. “The sun goes down at six so if we don’t have a full headcount at 5:15, we’ll send out a search party.” The man laughed then waved his hands like Moses sending his flock into the ship, two by two. Carter dropped into step by Amanda and her friend. It was a dumb move since the path wasn’t wide enough. Then Jackson had a thought.
He and Carter had competed in almost everything since they were kids. Technically it started right after Carter’s sister died but he never brought up specific dates. Carter was strong and built like a college quarterback. He worked hard to stay fit and hated that Jackson’s natural athleticism often beat out his own work ethic. Jackson sidled up to his friend. “Have you looked at the map yet?”
Carter glinted into the sun above Jackson’s head. “No, why?”
Jackson unfolded the paper. “There are four trails. Each one is different and they’re classified by difficulty. Let’s take this one here and first one to the summit buys the other a beer.”
Carter glanced at the map. “You do realize that the drinks in the cooler are free and they have beer, water, and juices? Technically, we’re not buying anything.”
Jackson slapped Carter on the back. “Such a smartass. Okay, then first one up to the summit and back wins. That means the first to reach that cooler full of drinks.”
Carter’s eyes flickered with interest. “What do I win?”
“Assuming you actually make it down first, you win…I don’t know. What about…”
Amanda twisted the cap off a water bottle with a click. “Skinny dipping in the river behind those trees while the rest of us cook and clean up.”
Gulp. Jackson leaned into her ear and whispered, “Would that be with or without you?”
Her hair whipped his cheek as she stepped into a power walk. She glanced over her shoulder. “Without. This isn’t a team event. See you in my dust, Jax.”
Hmmmm. That idea backfired. Beating Carter would be easy; the guy never bested him at anything. Beating Amanda though? He could do it but she might hate him even more.
Four more steps and she vanished into the trees. The image of Amanda skinny dipping stopped him dead for a couple of seconds. Long enough for Carter to dart past and disappear behind her. Oh, hell no. If anyone was going to be in that ice-cold, fish-infested water with—or just watching—Amanda, it wasn’t going to be Carter.
Meet Author Shelley K. Wall
… 
Shelley grew up in Missouri, graduated from Oklahoma State University, and took post graduate courses from OSU and the University of Wyoming. She’s a member of RWA, Sisters In Crime (SinC), The Literary Guild, and Houston Writer’s Guild. She writes daily, striving to perfect a voice that supplies enjoyable and romantic reads. She has yet to meet a person she doesn’t like or a job that’s not worth enjoying. She writes with humor, drama, and a desire to share life’s precious moments. Shelley currently lives in Texas with her family.
~~~
Links to Shelley’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2b3PaIe
Website: http://shelleykwall.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skwallbooks
Twitter: @skwallbooks
~~
Thank you, Shelley, for sharing your stories with us.
Don’t miss the chance to read this box set!
Karen’s Killer Book Bench: Introducing Interstellar Bride, Sarah Mills, Heroine of MATED TO THE BEAST by Grace Goodwin
KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
~~
MATED TO THE BEAST
By GRACE GOODWIN
Blurb
After two of her brothers are killed in battle with the relentless alien menace that threatens the entire Interstellar Coalition, Sarah Mills volunteers to join the fight in an effort to bring home her last surviving brother. When she is mistakenly processed as a bride rather than a soldier, however, she rejects the match. But her mate has other ideas…
Dax is an Atlan warlord, and like all the men of his race, a primal beast lurks within him, ready to emerge in the fury of battle or the heat of the mating fever. When he learns that his bride has chosen to fight on the front lines rather than share his bed, he sets out to track her down and take what the beast demands.
Sarah is none too pleased when a massive brute claiming to be her mate arrives suddenly in the midst of a battle, and her displeasure turns to fury when Dax’s presence disrupts her mission and leads to the capture of her brother. But after her commanding officer refuses to authorize a rescue mission, Sarah’s best hope of saving the only family she has left is to accept Dax’s offer to help, even if that means giving herself to him in return.
Though he is thrilled to have located his wayward bride, Dax quickly discovers that Sarah is nothing like the meek, submissive women of his world. If he wants her, he will have to tame her, with a firm hand applied to her bare bottom if necessary. But Dax doesn’t just want Sarah, he needs her. Can she satisfy the fearsome beast within him before he loses control completely?
Publisher’s Note: Mated to the Beast is a stand-alone book set in the same world as Assigned a Mate, Mated to the Warriors, Claimed by Her Mates, and Taken by Her Mates. It is an erotic romance novel that includes spankings, sexual scenes, elements of BDSM, and more. If such material offends you, please don’t buy this book.
MATED TO THE BEAST
By GRACE GOODWIN
Excerpt
Sarah Mills, Interstellar Bride Processing Center, Earth
“Is there a reason I am shackled to this chair?”
The last thing I remembered was sitting across from the little mouse of a woman—who now practically cowered next to the confident warden—and taking a small pill from her hand. I washed it down with a paper cup full of water. I was now naked beneath my gown—I could feel my bare ass against the hard plastic—and restrained. If I were to be dressed in anything at all, it shouldn’t be this ridiculous medical gown, but a warrior’s uniform for my induction as a coalition fighter.
The warden glanced at me and offered an efficient smile. Everything about her seemed to be professional, unlike the mouse.
“Some women have strong reactions to the testing. The restraints are for your own safety.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind removing them now?”
I felt out of control with my arms pinned. If there was danger of some kind, I could kick an attacker since my legs were free, but they’d certainly get an eyeful when I lifted my leg.
“Not until we are finished. Per protocol,” she added, as if that would make a difference.
She took a seat at the table across from me, the mouse easing into a seat beside her.
“We have some standard questions in order to proceed, Miss Mills.”
I tried not to roll my eyes, but knew the military was a stickler for paperwork and organization. I shouldn’t be surprised that a military organization made up of over two hundred member planets had some hoops I would have to jump through. My induction into the U.S. Army had taken days of paperwork, and that was for a small country, on one small blue planet out of hundreds. Hell, I’d be lucky if the aliens’ coalition process didn’t take two months.
“All right,” I replied, eager to get this done. I had a brother to find and time was wasting. Every second I was stuck here on Earth was another second my crazy, hell-raising brother might do something stupid and get himself killed.
“Your name is Sarah Mills, correct?”
“Yes.”
“You are not married.”
“No.”
“No children?”
Now I did roll my eyes. I wouldn’t volunteer for active duty military service, in outer space, battling the terrifying Hive if I had kids. I was about to sign on the dotted line for a two-year deployment and would never leave children behind. Not even for the promise I’d made my father on his deathbed.
“No. I do not have any children.”
“Very well. You’ve been matched to the planet Atlan.”
I frowned. “That’s nowhere near the front lines.” I did know where the fighting was happening because my two brothers, John and Chris, had died out there in space and my youngest brother, Seth, was still fighting.
“That’s correct.” She looked over my shoulder and had a vague stare of someone who was thinking. “If my geography is correct, Atlan is about three lightyears away from the closest active Hive outpost.”
“Then why am I going there?”
It was the warden’s turn to frown, her gaze focused on my face. “Because that is where your matched mate will come from.”
My mouth fell open and I stared at the woman, my eyes so heavy with shock it felt like they were about to pop out of my head. “My mate? Why would I want a mate?”
My surprised tone and blatantly shocked expression were clearly new to the woman. She flicked a glance at the mouse, then back at me. “Well, um… because you are here for the Interstellar Bride Program processing and testing. Sometimes a woman takes longer to recover from the testing and can wake… confused. However, no woman has ever forgotten the reason she was here. I find your line of questioning worrisome. Miss Mills, are you feeling all right?” She turned to the mouse. “Call downstairs. I think she might need a repeat on the brain scan.”
“I do not need a scan.” I sat up then and fought the restraints, but I couldn’t move. My struggles had both women sitting up straight in their chairs as I continued. “I’m feeling fine. I think she—” I opened my fist and pointed at the mouse, who was now biting her lip and clenching the edge of the table, “—made a big mistake.”
Warden Egara remained unflappable as her fingers flew over the tablet. A minute passed, then another. She looked up at me. “You are Sarah Mills and you have volunteered to be a bride in the Interstellar Bride Program.”
Laughter bubbled up and escaped. It probably was a good thing I was restrained. “No way. I’m the last person who needs to be matched to a man. I grew up with three brothers and an overprotective daddy who were all neck deep in my personal life. They were bossy as hell and scared off any guy who even thought about me in any kind of sexual way.” I did figure out how to keep some things secret, including men, but what my family didn’t know hadn’t hurt them. “Why on Earth would I need a mate?”
“He wouldn’t be on Earth,” the mouse piped up.
Whipping her head around, Warden Egara glared at the mouse and I was quite impressed. Not many civilian women I knew had the whole death stare down. The warden, however, was a pro.
“Then why are you here?” The warden returned her attention to me, her head tilted to the side as if I were a puzzle she was trying to solve.
“I’m now wondering where here is, but I volunteered for Earth’s contingent as a coalition fighter.”
“But you’re a woman,” the mouse countered, her eyes wide.
I glanced down my body as I replied. I was strong, not thin. My bones were heavy and I’d spent nearly as many hours in the weight room as most of the guys in my unit. Despite all the hours of training, I was still curvy, with lush hips and full breasts, and could not be mistaken for a man. “Yes, my brothers took great pleasure in pointing that out to me.”
I thought of them, two now gone and one up in space fighting the Hive. I’d hated their pestering at the time, but with John and Chris now dead, I’d give anything—including fighting the Hive myself—to hear Seth tease me again. Seth was still out there, somewhere. And I was going to find him and bring him home.
The last thing I wanted or needed was a mate.
Share in the adventure as Warlord Dax tracks down and claims his wayward bride in Mated to the Beast!
Meet Author Grace Goodwin …
Grace Goodwin blasted onto the sci-fi romance scene in 2016 with five consecutive #1 erotic bestsellers. Don’t miss her Interstellar Bride series – mail-order brides in space.
Assigned a Mate, Mated to the Warriors, Claimed by Her Mates, Taken by Her Mates, and Mated to the Beast. Each book is a stand-alone erotic romance with an HEA.
~~~
Links to Grace’s website, blog, books, etc.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2aG8fL6
NOOK: http://goo.gl/mLWGnr
Google Play: https://goo.gl/NUH3tz
iBooks: https://goo.gl/5NR8tv
Kobo: https://goo.gl/zkRngG
~~
Thank you, Grace, for sharing your story with us.
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
