Angel Sefer's Blog, page 30

A wonderful review by Olga Núñez Miret for Deadly Secrets - a Mystery/Suspense/Thriller Romance Novel in The Greek Isles Series

Oh, to be young and in love!I must confess that although I’ve been reading more romantic books of recent (partly in my role as reviewer) it is not a genre I’m an expert in. I’ve probably watched more movies that fall under that label than read books, but it is rare to find books, movies and TV series, whatever the subject, where there isn’t a hint of a romance, even if that’s not the main driving force of the plot. Deadly Secrets  is the first book in The Greek Isles Series that I read, so I cannot compare it to the first one in the series ( Spellbound in His Arms ), that I’m aware has proven very popular and it is a favourite with many romance readers. This is a romance were the setting plays a very important part in the story. I’d say it’s a secondary character. Helena, the protagonist, is a girl whose father was Greek and she spent her early childhood in Mikonos. When her father disappeared under mysterious circumstances, her mother took her to the UK with her and her links with Greece and the island were severed. But she’d always felt the pull of her birthplace and had wished to go back. Helena, who is young and impulsive, when her mother dies, makes the decision to go back to the island, despite her mother’s warning...Read the Review on Lit World Interviews
The Review on Amazon:
 Oh, to be young and in love!, June 12, 2015By OlgaNM "Olga"This review is from: Deadly Secrets (The Greek Isles Series Book 2) (Kindle Edition)
I must confess that although I’ve been reading more romantic books of recent (partly in my role as reviewer) it is not a genre I’m an expert in. I’ve probably watched more movies that fall under that label than read books, but it is rare to find books, movies and TV series, whatever the subject, where there isn’t a hint of a romance, even if that’s not the main driving force of the plot.
Deadly Secrets is the first book in The Greek Isles Series that I read, so I cannot compare it to the first one in the series (Spellbound in His Arms), that I’m aware has proven very popular and it is a favourite with many romance readers. This is a romance were the setting plays a very important part in the story. I’d say it’s a secondary character. Helena, the protagonist, is a girl whose father was Greek and she spent her early childhood in Mikonos. When her father disappeared under mysterious circumstances, her mother took her to the UK with her and her links with Greece and the island were severed. But she’d always felt the pull of her birthplace and had wished to go back. Helena, who is young and impulsive, when her mother dies, makes the decision to go back to the island, despite her mother’s warning.
Helena is presented as a passionate girl, a woman of strong intuition (not always right) and a particular sensibility. She is quick to like or dislike people and her judgement is not always the best. This is a case of a story where you want to grab the protagonists by the neck and shake them. Can’t you see what’s going on? Both her and Dimitris (there’s a story about them that goes many years back, although she is not aware of it. Poor Helena has been kept in the dark about many things) are blinded by their emotions and keep making the wrong assumptions and judgements. Yes, if this were a TV show, you’d be shouting at them.
There are mysteries that are eventually resolved, likeable and very dislikeable characters, confusion and misunderstandings, danger, and magic. Although there is a touch of the paranormal, when I refer to magic I’m talking about the islands. You feel as if you were there and it’s difficult not to go straight and book a ticket when you finish reading the book.
As in many romantic stories, the characters and their life-story and circumstances were completely alien to me and I can’t say I identified with anybody (although some of the self-doubts and hesitations are easily recognisable) but that is precisely the beauty of it. It allows us to escape into a life that’s completely different and live other adventures vicariously. It’s an easy read perfect for a holiday, or for a very cold and cloudy day.
Link to the Review on Amazon

The long-awaited fourth Mystery/Thriller/Suspense Romance novel in The Greek Isles Series is finally released!

Blurb:

A mysterious death…
Christina Connors wakes up on a freezing hard surface surrounded by spine-chilling darkness. Realizing that she has been dumped in an alley next to a dead body, she searches her mind for an explanation but it’s terrifyingly blank. As the fog lifts, memories of dreadful events come crashing down.
A secret identity…
When the handsome police detective Dan Mallory finds Christina injured and terrified, he is enchanted with her beauty and resilience. But his instincts tell him she is more than a simple jewelry designer in the wrong place at the wrong time. When she disappears from the hospital, he feels responsible but his suspicions grow. Is she truly an innocent victim or a deceitful charmer who stole his heart?
A deadly game…
Christina and Detective Mallory find themselves caught in a deadly game of conspiracy, murder, and vengeance. While the detective fights to save Christina and protect his career, she must discover how to play the game without revealing her true identity. But her secret won’t stay buried for long, and the truth could mean death for them both.

Read the first three Chapters here

Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble

I welcome to my blog my wonderful and talented author friend Olga Núñez Miret and her Angelic Business Collection

Hi all: First of all thank you very much for taking part in my Blog Tour for Angelic Business 1. Pink Matters.

Reader, don't worry, I'm not here forever, just twisting the arm of your favourite blogger and borrowing a bit of space.


Author Olga Núñez Miret

My name is Olga Núñez Miret and I’m a writer, translator, reader, psychiatrist, I love movies, plays, fitness, owls and recently have taken up meditation (mindfulness). (I thought I might as well summarize and not take too much of your time). I'll leave you some links at the end just in case you want to find out even more about me (I'm not sure I'd recommend it, but hey…do your worst!).

I've been writing since I was quite young and I write in whatever style the story I have in my head wants to be written in. So far literary fiction, romance, YA, thriller…and a few unfinished works.

Around five years ago I discovered and read quite a few interesting Young Adult books and had an idea for what I thought could be a series. At the time I wrote the first of the novels and after trying to find an agent or a traditional publisher without much success, I started self-publishing, but decided to publish some of my other books first. Since then I've published 12 books (6 original books and their translations, as I write in English and Spanish). I kept thinking about Angelic Business and a few months later wrote the second novel in the series: Shades of Greg. (No, nothing to do with…) And last year, as part of NaNoWriMo I wrote the third novel in the series, Pink, Angel or Demon? As I had written the three, I thought I'd publish them pretty close to each other so people wouldn’t have to wait to know what happened next (at least not too much).

The three books in the Angelic Business collection are now available for pre-order at the special price of $0.99 each. It’s a bargain price and they'll go up shortly after publication. Here, a video: Link: https://youtu.be/ZKWP_Q89CiQ
Don’t worry. My writing is better than my video-creating skills, but as I’d been taking all those pictures of angels, I thought I might as well.


The Angelic Business Collection: 

Angelic Business 1. Pink Matters

You are Pink, not the prettiest girl, but smart and with plenty of resources. What do you do when your best male friend offers to have sex with you, because he thinks you’re a lost cause? You plot your revenge with your two best female friends, of course! It seems you're in luck when a new and mysterious student appears. And, to top it all, he seems interested in you too. He could take part in the plan. But then, he seems to have a plan of his own… He insists he’s not just an ordinary boy. And what seemed so easy to begin with, gets more and more complicated when Heaven and Hell come knocking at Pink’s door.

Pink Matters is the story of Pink, a 17 year old girl, good student, articulate and smart. What she has never been the centre of attention or made the top ten of the most popular and attractive girls at school. When two guys, both claiming to be angels, insist that she is, indeed, ‘special’, fight for her attention and help and tell her she is the key to the future of the universe, she can't help but ask: Why me?

And a snippet:
“Who are you?” Lorna asked. Before she could say anything else, she froze as if paralysed. And the same happened to Sylvia.
“Oh no, not again” I said.
“Hi Pink. I’m Azrael. I’m…”
“Let me guess...You’re an angel.” I could say he smiled but it was more like a white light radiating from between his lips. His voice also seemed slightly “otherworldly”. He was nothing like G. Flesh and blood didn’t seem to be his priority.
“Yes. I am.”
“O...K....And...to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit? If you are going to make an announcement of some sort...I could have done with some notice.”
The light now seemed to radiate from his whole “body” if that was what it was. Somehow his show was much more believable than G’s. And scarier.
“It’s not an announcement as such. But you should know...G...”
“Yes?”
“I know he told you he’s an angel.”
I looked at him. Maybe he was different to G but he could be as annoying as him. And interfering.
“Yes. I also “know” things...In my case it is because “I” am an angel. He has not been truthful about his identity.”

Pink Matters is currently available for pre-order and will be published on the 26th of June 2015.

I’m also publishing it in other platforms although as their processing speed is different the dates might vary. Do check there or in my website, that I regularly update.

Link: http://rxe.me/YIHTW96


In case you’re intrigued, I leave you the cover (reveal!) and links to the other two books:



Angelic Business 2. Shapes of Greg

What more could happen after the death and resurrection of your mother? What could Heaven and Hell toss at Pink to top that? Well, to start with, she gets a new hellish babysitter, who is seriously hot. And although everybody likes him, he only has eyes for her. When she learns what the price was for the ‘miracle’ of saving her mother, she realizes that she must be careful, as Hell doesn't lose gracefully. One of her friends wants to find the perfect man, the other one gets into a relationship she refuses to talk about, there’s a demon who doesn't know when to give up and an angel who seems to have his own agenda. What on Earth, Hell or Heaven is going on? Shapes of Greg is available for pre-order and will be published on the 15th of July.

Link: http://rxe.me/YHZ21O2


And last, but not least:



Angelic Business 3. Pink, Angel or Demon?

OK, OK, OK. Pink gets it. She’s the Elected, whether she likes it or no. Heaven and Hell are closing in, and their envois are closer home than ever. So close she can’t ignore them. And she’ll do everything but. However long she has, she’s determined to make it count. She'll sort her friends out, she'll help her family and, she'll live a bit. And then, she'll take charge. Because no one will say that Pink went down without a fight. However big and bad the enemy. Gender benders, romances, old loves that come to fruition, new challenges, divine interventions, tears, laughter and magic. All of that and more. Because, if you're gonna go, you might as well go with a bang.

Pink, Angel or Demon? is available for pre-order and will be published on the 30th July.

Link: http://rxe.me/YHZHUYS


As I threatened you before, here are some link:
My website is: www.OlgaNM.com
I have a Twitter account: @OlgaNM7
My blog is: http://OlgaNM.wordpress.com
I also have a Facebook author page www.facebook.com/OlgaNunezMiret
In Amazon: http://amzn.to/XLnZTo
My Goodreads author page is: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6562510.Olga_N_ez_Miret
G+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/118443714277719085351
Pinterest : (Don’t miss my board about angels) http://pinterest.com/olganm7/
Wattpad: http://wattpad.com/OlgaNM

Thanks so much for allowing me to visit and post, thanks so much for reading, and as I always tell them in my blog, if you’ve found it interesting, like, share, comment and CLICK! Oh, and I love reblogs! Ah, and thanks to Lourdes Vidal for her covers.   

"A mystery that will keep you riveted from the first page to the last line..."

 A Romantic Thriller, an Exotic Island and Sensual characters, June 20, 2015By Claude D.Verified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: The Heiress of Santorini (The Greek Isles Series Book 3) (Kindle Edition)A mystery that will keep you riveted from the first page to the last line. A thriller the reader will want to finish in one sitting, as I did! If you like a good romantic thriller, with sensual and intelligent characters surrounded by the beauty of the Aegean and the Greek Isles, then this is the one for you. Follow the glorious characters and the nasty enemies who want their demise, while, like in any good mystery, you try to figure out who the bad guys really are.
Enjoy this story with the beautiful characters and the unequaled majestic beauty of Santorini.

This is not the first book I’ve read by the author, and certainly not the last. 
Pick up a copy now. You’ll be glad you did!
Highly recommended.
Read the Review on Amazon

"This is definitely a murder/romance you don't want to miss reading..."

 The story line will keep you enthralled and reading well into the night., February 19, 2015
By MikiHopeVerified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: Spellbound in His Arms (The Greek Isles Series Book 1) (Kindle Edition)The depiction of the Green Isles is stunning, making me want to go and visit there. The story line will keep you enthralled and reading well into the night. Who are the good guys and who is the worst of the bad guys and will Jackie make it out alive? This is definitely a murder/romance you don't want to miss reading. There are at least two more in this series which I will just have to get my hands on--this one can be read as a stand alone and from what I have read so can the others!
Read the Review on Amazon

Excerpt from Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense Romance Dark Shadows of the Past - Chapter Three, Part Two

Read Chapter One, Part One here...
Read Chapter One, Part Two here...
Read Chapter One, Part Three here...
Read Chapter Two, Part One here...
Read Chapter Two, Part Two here...

Read Chapter Two, Part Three here...
Read Chapter Three, Part One here...

When the sun set, she felt very edgy. The noises had calmed down in the last couple of hours, and all was quiet now. Though she wouldn’t try anything until midnight, she remained on edge.The sound of the door opening caught her off guard.The same mobster from that morning appeared at the door. “Come on!” he said in a harsh voice. “We’re leaving.”Christina stared at him in despair. Leaving…leaving for where? she wanted to cry out but instead kept her mouth shut.The man didn’t seem willing to move unless she came with him.“I need to put some shoes on,” she mumbled and rushed to the closet. She grabbed the notebook and hid it underneath her shirt. With the boots in her hand, she walked back to the bedroom.Without a word, she put on the boots and followed him. He took her downstairs and out to the front yard. She glanced around and saw the truck she had heard earlier parked on the side. The two guards from the yard were standing next to it, talking to a third man, while the dogs were lying at their feet. Two other cars and a black limousine were also in the driveway.The mobster pulled her toward one of the cars and pushed her in the back seat. He climbed inside next to her and waited. A few minutes later, Christina saw some more thugs coming out of the house. Finally, the dark-haired one who found her in the yard came outside accompanied by an older man dressed in a gray suit, and they walked toward the limo.Christina stared at the older one and felt her heart stop. Shrinking back in fear, she wished she could become invisible. However, she didn’t have to worry. The old man didn’t even glance toward her direction. It was the younger one who turned and stared toward the car Christina was in. Even though the car had tinted windows, Christina could swear he stared her straight in the eyes… And what she saw in those gray eyes of his scared her to death.I have to stop letting my imagination run free. They couldn’t possibly know anything about me. How could they? If they did, I would be dead by now…She took a glimpse at the guy named Roberto next to her. What about him? she wondered, recalling the look in his eyes when he saw the locket. Christina was almost sure he’d recognized it and was puzzled by his behavior. If he did, why didn’t he say anything to anybody? Or maybe he did say something? How could she be so sure?She glanced at the two men approaching the limo. What if they knew? She turned her eyes to Roberto, who was watching the others, not paying any attention to her.The two men climbed into the limo with two bodyguards and the driver. Other men got in the other car, and the guards climbed in the back of the truck along with the dogs. The two bullies came to the car that Christina and Roberto were in.A whole army, she thought desperately, thinking that her chance to escape was almost nonexistent.The other car left first, followed by the limo, then the truck. The last one to leave was the car Christina was in. Darkness stretched, and she couldn’t see much, but it seemed that the driveway was twisting and turning through the woods. After a few minutes, they came to a gate with an armed guard on duty. He opened the gate and let them through. They turned onto a country road running parallel to the tall cement wall surrounding the property.Even if I had managed to escape, I would have never been able to climb over that wall, Christina realized.She glanced around, but there were no other cars on the road, except their small convoy. She couldn’t tell which way they were heading, but she knew she had to stay alert. When she finally saw a couple of cars passing them on the road, she realized they were approaching closer to occupied areas and shifted anxiously.“Stay put!” the mobster next to her growled. “If you try anything, I’ll kill you.”Christina froze in her seat; she could tell he meant it.A few minutes later, they turned onto a main highway. Christina read the signs and realized they were on I-75 heading south. We’re heading to South Georgia or maybe Florida. Now they were traveling next to quite a few cars. All I have to do is catch someone’s attention. Then again, she thought of the man next to her and sat still. I’ll find a chance, she promised herself and clenched her fists.
***
Dan had spent most of the day in one of the small rooms they used for questioning in the back of the police department. He and Miles had taken turns interrogating Collins, using the good-cop, bad-cop technique. But so far, they had learned nothing. Late in the evening, he left the room, followed by Miles.“There’s a chance he might in fact not know anything,” Miles said. “Even though, I doubt it.”“I doubt it, also,” Dan replied. “I think he’s too scared to talk, and that worries me even more.”Miles glanced at him silently.“If he’s afraid of someone even more than he’s afraid of us, then we’re dealing with some awfully dangerous people,” Dan pointed out.He marched to the coffee machine, frustrated, thinking they were losing valuable time. “Our chances of solving this and finding the girl alive are diminishing,” he thought out loud. Walking to his desk, he took a look at his messages. Nothing important. I’ll take care of them tomorrow. He stepped into the corridor outside, holding the coffee cup in his hands.He was still pacing back and forth when he noticed a man in uniform, coming in through the front door. Who the hell is he? he wondered, having never seen him before. He kept a close eye on the cop who was heading toward the back rooms. Picking up his pace to catch up with him, he saw the cop reaching for his gun.“Freeze!” Dan yelled, grabbing his own gun.The guy turned abruptly and fired at Dan, who fired back. Dan’s bullet found its target, and the man in uniform dropped to the floor. The door leading to the interrogation room swung open, and Wilson appeared in the doorway holding his gun and pointing it at the guy lying down.Dan ran down the corridor and kicked the gun away from the guy. Then he reached, turned him over, and checked his pulse. He’s dead.“What happened?” Miles asked, appearing around the corner, out of breath.“Probably a hit man!” Dan replied and glanced at Collins, who appeared at the entrance of the interrogation room. His eyes were opened wide in horror, and his face had turned white. “You better tell us everything you know,” he urged him. “Otherwise, we can’t protect you.”“You can’t protect me, anyway,” Collins mumbled and swallowed hard, staring at the guy lying dead on the floor.“If you talk to us,” Dan said, “we’ll take you to a safe house until it’s all over.”“And then what?” Collins inquired in a squeaky voice. “No one has ever turned on them and survived. There’s always going to be someone waiting for me around the corner.”“If you help us, we can get you on the witness protection program,” Miles said. “Tell us all you know, and we’ll hide you until the trial. Then we’ll help you disappear and make a fresh start somewhere else.”Collins kept his mouth shut, still staring at the hit man.“All right!” Dan said, pretending to lose his patience. “Let him go.”Wilson glanced at him surprised but kept his mouth shut. So did Miles, who probably understood Dan’s bluff.Collins didn’t seem to understand.“Go on!” Dan ordered him. “Get the hell out of here! You’re free to go.”Collins swallowed hard and stared at him with eyes wide open. “You must be joking!” he stammered. “I won’t be able to take one step outside this station. They’ll never believe I didn’t talk to you.”“That’s not my problem now, is it?” Dan pointed out, and noticing the trembling in Collins’s hands he turned on his heel to leave.“No, please…” Collins begged.Dan glanced over his shoulder. Collins had both elbows on the table, holding his head between his hands. “I’ll tell you all I know,” Collins said under his breath, keeping his eyes lowered to the table.

***
Christina felt sick to her stomach; she was scared to death, and the fact that she hadn’t had anything to eat all day but a sandwich made things worse. The three men in the car with her remained quiet most of the way. Keeping her eyes on the taillights of the truck she almost drifted off. I must stay awake, but I am so tired…She was woken up suddenly by an abrupt stop. Frantically glancing around, she realized they weren’t on the highway anymore. The truck had stopped farther up the road.“What’s wrong?” the guy next to her barked, shifting uneasily.“I don’t know,” the one sitting next to the driver replied. “I better go check. Keep an eye on her,” he added, pointing at Christina with his head.The man jumped out of the car. Holding a gun in his hands, he started up the road heading for the truck. Suddenly, shots were fired. People ran toward the woods on the side of the road. The mobster next to her cursed and grabbed his gun. He jumped out of the car and ran to the truck.Christina’s pulse accelerated. She glanced at the driver in the mirror. He wasn’t paying attention to her. Abruptly, she opened the door, jumped out, and sprinted toward the woods. She heard the driver jump out of the car, yelling at her to stop. A bullet hissed right over her head. She ducked and kept on running in the dark.“Stop!” the guy yelled and fired again, but Christina wasn’t about to listen. She kept running, feeling the branches of the trees tearing her face and arms. She fell a couple times but got up again. She had no sense of direction, but she tried to get as far away from the yelling and shooting on the road as possible.After a while, she collapsed on the ground, exhausted and in terrible pain. Remaining still, she tried to listen… Nothing. I have to keep on going, she thought, not allowing herself to hope they’d lost her. Then again, she was too tired to go any farther.I’m going to hide for a moment, catch my breath, and then go on. She crawled underneath some bushes and remained there holding her breath. She didn’t know how long she stayed there. Then she heard barking. Oh! My God! The dogs are going to find me! Seeing flashlight beams coming her way, she closed her eyes and lay still, feeling her body go numb.

I hope you enjoyed the first three chapters of Dark Shadows of the Past. The novel will be released soon.
Read the blurb here

"The Heiress of Santorini is a fabulous third installment of The Greek Isles Series" - 5 Star Review by best-selling author Caroline Fardig

 Great book—I highly recommend it!, June 9, 2015By Caroline FardigVerified Purchase(What's this?)This review is from: The Heiress of Santorini (The Greek Isles Series Book 3) (Kindle Edition)The Heiress of Santorini is a fabulous third installment of The Greek Isles Series. I’ve read the writer’s previous books, and she’s really hit her stride with this one. The descriptions are artfully crafted, and you can feel the characters’ emotions. Everything that happened was so vivid, I felt like I was immersed in the story.

The heat between Alexandra and Mark was amazing and didn’t let up as the book went on. The author did a great job of making the reader ache for them to be together yet at the same time feel hopeless about their fate. I loved how the story took a turn at the end, and the villain was not who I expected it to be.

Great book—I highly recommend it!
Amazon / Amazon UK / Barnes & Noble
The Heiress of Santorini is FREE on Amazon for a limited time only! Download it now!

GIVEAWAY!

My mystery/thriller romance novel The Heiress of Santorini, taking place on the awe-inspiring island of Santorini, is FREE today on Amazon.

Download it for FREE here...

Excerpt from Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense Romance Dark Shadows of the Past - Chapter Three, Part One

Read Chapter One, Part One here...
Read Chapter One, Part Two here...
Read Chapter One, Part Three here...
Read Chapter Two, Part One here...
Read Chapter Two, Part Two here...
Read Chapter Two, Part Three here...


CHAPTER THREE


The sun was shining brightly when Christina woke up. She sat up disoriented and scanned her surroundings, trying to get her bearings. A cold wave of fear washed over her as last night’s events came crashing down on her. Taking deep breaths to subside the pain in her chest, she wondered what happened to the girl the night before. Was she still alive? And what about herself? Why were they keeping her here, and what would happen to her? She knew that at any time she could end up a victim of those bullies’ rage and lust, just like the maid.Stumbling to the floor, she rushed to the bathroom, feeling her stomach doing flips. After throwing some cold water on her face, she stepped back to the bedroom and collapsed at the edge of the bed. I need to stay strong, she thought determined but couldn’t help but being disappointed for not having found a phone to notify the police, or any way to escape.An eerie feeling washed over her, realizing how quiet the house was this morning; she hadn’t heard anyone coming or going so far. Glancing at the clock, she was surprised to see it was twelve-thirty. Something is up. By this time, someone usually had come to bring her something to eat, or at least check up on her.She approached the French doors leading to the balcony. No one was in the yard. Stepping outside, she glanced at the woods that started where the grass ended and stretched all the way down the hill.Lost in her thoughts, she was abruptly brought back to reality by the fierce barking of the dogs. They appeared from the woods, rushed toward the house, and ran around the corner where she couldn’t see them anymore. I have to try to escape tonight. But how can I manage it with those dogs out there?A couple minutes later, two guards sprinted from the woods toward the house. What’s happening? She leaned over the railings as much as she could and tried to take a peek around the corner the guards and dogs had disappeared, but it was useless; she couldn’t see anything.All of a sudden, she heard a truck pulling up. Someone is here, she thought and then remembered the young maid telling her that someone was coming soon.Whatever happened to that girl? Christina wondered and felt her heart sinking. I hope she’s still alive, she thought, but deep down inside, she doubted it.The sound of her bedroom door opening made Christina jump in surprise. Anxiously, she rushed back inside. It wasn’t the usual maid who brought her the tray. This time it was a man—a scary, muscular man who had a gun strapped to his side. He laid the tray heavily on the table, and his eyes scanned the room and then rested on Christina intensely.Christina stayed as far away from him as she could, too scared to even breathe. Her heart skipped a beat as he looked at her straight in the eyes. Christina tried to avoid making eye contact until she heard him inhaling deeply and glanced at him, uneasily. A jolt of fear shot through her as she saw him staring at her breasts. Oh, no! She bit her lower lip in agony. All she needed was to be sexually assaulted by this mobster. Instinctively, she raised her hand and pulled her shirt closed all the way to her throat.As the man took another step closer, Christina frantically scanned around for a way out. But there was nowhere to go… Feeling shaky inside, she retreated until her back was against the wall.She stared at him with eyes wide open from fear and swallowed hard, unable to move or speak. Seeing his big, hairy hand reaching for her, she almost fainted. She shut her eyes tightly and drew a sharp intake of breath. Feeling his hand grabbing the locket hanging just above her bust, her eyes flew open, and she stared at him, astonished.“Where did you get this?” he asked in a deep voice with a thick Italian accent, peering at Christina strangely.Christina swallowed hard as a warning bell went off inside her head. Be careful, she cautioned herself.“I found it in a pawn shop,” she whispered and as soon as she said it, she wanted to take it back. If he knew something, he would want more details now.“Where?” he asked firmly.“I told you, in a pawn shop,” she repeated and tried to hide how nervous she was.“Where is that pawn shop?” he insisted, searching her face closely.“In New York,” Christina lied, trying to cover her tracks.The man stared at her for a couple minutes, which seemed like an eternity.Christina could tell he wasn’t satisfied with her answer. He was about to ask something else when a loud noise from downstairs drew his attention.A moment later, another man showed up at her door. “Roberto! Come on!” the man yelled, giving Christina a sharp look.Roberto glanced at the other one standing by the door and then at Christina. He hesitated for a moment before turning around and leaving the room.Christina drew a deep breath and rushed to the table. With shaky hands, she lifted the cup of coffee and drunk a couple of sips. Then, she lifted the locket and looked at it. Oh, no! She was wearing it with the crest up front. What the hell? she wondered, and then remembered that the nurse at the hospital brought her the locket and helped her put it on.A flutter of chills rippled up her spine, thinking that the man seemed to have recognized the crest on the locket. Oh! God! Where am I? Could it be that I’ve fallen into the hands of the same people I’ve been trying my whole life to hide from? Please help me! she prayed silently.She drank the rest of her coffee and drew some deep breaths, letting them out slowly. When her hands stopped shaking, she walked back out on the balcony. A lot of commotion and conversations were coming from the front of the house, but due to the fact that her balcony was in the back, she couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying or see anything. Something is happening for sure. I have to find a way out of here as soon as possible!She thought of Detective Mallory and wondered what he might be doing right now. She was sure he was searching for her, but there was no way she could let him know where she was. If only I had found a phone. No phones were in the bedrooms she had checked the night before, but what about the office downstairs? There must be a phone there.The more she thought about it, the more she realized it was worth a try. Tonight, she would go downstairs and see if she could make her way to the office and call Mallory. However, how can I tell them where I am when I don’t even know myself? Realizing the police could trace the phone call and find her, she relaxed again. I’ll make it, somehow! she promised herself. She wasn’t about to give up.
***
I’ll be posting a new section every Tuesday and Friday. The novel will be published in June 2015.
Read the blurb here

Exciting News!

My dear friends and fans, you’re welcome to hear a recording of my interview with The Author’s Show—a show consistently rated as the top internet show in its category globally.
Speaking with Linda Thompson was a fascinating experience, and I’m thrilled and grateful for the exposure this show has to offer.
Today, June 8th, the interview can be heard on the web from anywhere around the world, non-stop for one full day.
So, just click on The Authors Showand enjoy!