D.E. Haggerty's Blog, page 92
December 9, 2015
Cover Reveal ~ Game of Shadows by Amanda K. Byrne
Title: Game of Shadows
Author: Amanda K. Byrne
Publisher: Lyrical Underground
Publication Date: July 5, 2016
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format: Ebook
The girl next door just got deadly.
On the outside, Cass Turner looks like any other beautiful California college girl. But besides studying at UCLA, she’s hiding a shocking secret: she’s a highly trained assassin with multiple kills under her belt. After a year spent avoiding the family business, she takes what she hopes will be her final job and winds up saving her target’s life and getting way more than she bargained for…
As a lieutenant in LA’s largest crime family, Dominic Kosta is determined to find out who wants him dead, and he’s convinced Cass can help him. But the longer they search for the truth, the more questions arise…and the deeper their attraction grows. Nick has his own reasons for wanting to resist Cass, but it’s a losing battle. And together, they’re free of secrets and lies. Still, getting involved with Nick has put a target on Cass’ back—and in this game, it’s either kill or be killed.
When she’s not plotting ways to sneak her latest shoe purchase past her partner, Amanda writes sexy, snarky romance and urban fantasy. She likes her heroines smart and unafraid to make mistakes, and her heroes strong enough to take them on.
If she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking hot chocolate, and trying not to destroy her house with her newest DIY project. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and no, it really doesn’t rain that much.
Sapphyria’s Book Review
Musings from an Addicted Book Reader
Alpha Book Club
Around the World in Books
Author C.A. Milson
Extreme Bookaholics Blog
Readsalot
Absurd Book Nerd
Crystal’s Chaotic Confessions
The Revolving Bookshelf
I’m Shelf-ish
Literal Exposure
Harmonious Publicity
Write and Take Flight
The Writer’s Life
My Bookish Pleasures
The Dark Phantom
A Taste of My Mind
From Paperback to Leatherbound
The Literary Nook
Christmas Confession & Cocktails by Vicki LeSage
American-turned-Parisian Vicki tells it like it is, from her crazy Christmases growing up in the Midwest to her even crazier holidays in her new home in France. Bizarre gifts, stomach-turning food, and holiday travel disasters are just some of the tales you’ll chuckle at in this installment of the Paris Confessions series.
This Christmas-themed memoir features 25 funny and heartwarming essays, all with a tenuous tie to Christmas, and pairs each ith a delicious drink recipe. So grab your martini shaker and get ready for tasty cocktails and hearty laughs this holiday season!
A humorous collection of holiday-inspired stories with Christmas drink recipes
If you’re looking for a great read this holiday season, don’t miss Christmas Confessions & Cocktails! The 25 stories in this holiday collection take you on an adventure full of Christmas spirit (and spirits, including Christmas cocktail recipes like Christmas Cookie Martini, Peppermintini, and Glitter & Gold). And it makes the perfect Christmas gift!
~ Excerpt ~
“Christmas is a few days away!” I said, giddy with excitement. “What kind of cookies do you want to leave out for Santa?”
Mika stared back at me blankly.
“You know… how we leave out milk and cookies for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve?”
Still no clue.
“I know Leo is a bit young but it’s an excuse for us to eat cookies!”
“Sorry,” he said, snapping out of it. “I was confused. In France we leave out carrots and water. For the reindeer.”
No wonder the French are so skinny.
If that was the tradition in the U.S., not only would we have less of an obesity problem, but I might not have ever figured out Santa wasn’t real.
Each Christmas, Stephen and I would faithfully set out cookies and milk, selecting different treats each year so that Santa wouldn’t get bored.
“Should we give him Oreos or Pitter Patters?” I asked my four-year-old brother one holiday season.
He pondered the question with the seriousness it deserved. “We got Oreos last year. What about Chips Ahoy? They’re the yummiest!”
“Yeah! Mommy, can you please buy Chips Ahoy for Santa?” I asked.
“Sure, honey.”
Except she didn’t. ’Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a Chips Ahoy was in sight, nor Nestle Tollhouse.
“Mommy, what’s this?” I asked, eyeing the plate of Fig Newtons set out next to a glass of water.
“I thought Santa might want something different this year. He’ll like it, you’ll see.”
Nobody liked Fig Newtons except Mom. And water? Who preferred water with cookies when you had the choice of milk? Except for Mom.
Wait a minute…
At six years old, I wasn’t 100% positive about my assumption. Plus, I didn’t want to sabotage my chance of getting gifts if there really was a Santa Claus. I decided to play along, just to be safe.
The next morning, bountiful presents were packed under the Christmas tree. Whew, Santa had come after all.
But then I discovered a second clue. “Mommy, Santa Claus has the same handwriting as you,” I said, pointing to a gift tag.
“What a coincidence!”
“And he liked Fig Newtons and water, just like you.”
“Well isn’t that funny!”
“Yes, that is funny.” I was on to her but didn’t want to ruin Stephen’s fun.
But he was on to her, too. “Wait a minute, Mommy. Are YOU Santa Claus?”
She was caught red-handed.
If only we had set out carrots and water for the “reindeer,” we kids would have never been the wiser. Because if there’s one thing Mom likes more than Fig Newtons (and one thing even more boring than Fig Newtons), it’s carrot sticks.
~ Follow the tour ~
December 7 – Chick Lit Plus – Review
December 8 – A Southern Girls Bookshelf – Excerpt
December 8 – Chick Lit Goddess – Q&A & Excerpt
December 8 – Living Life With Joy – Q&A & Excerpt
December 9 – Readsalot – Excerpt
December 10 – Around the World in Books – Excerpt
December 11 – Caroline Fardig – Excerpt
December 11 – Granny Loves to Read – Review
December 15 – Whispering Stories – Review, Guest Post & Excerpt
December 16 – Love Chick Lit – Review
December 16 – My Pretty Little Book Reviews – Review & Excerpt
December 16 – One Book At a Time – Review, Guest Post & Excerpt
December 16 – Leigh Anderson Romance – Q&A, Guest Post & Excerpt
December 17 – Book Lover in Florida – Review & Excerpt
December 18 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – Review, Guest Post & Excerpt
December 18 – A Page To Turn – Review
Author Bio:
Bestselling author Vicki Lesage proves daily that raising two French kids isn’t as easy as
the hype lets on. In her three minutes of spare time per week, she writes, sips
bubbly, and prepares for the impending zombie apocalypse. She lives in Paris
with her French husband, rambunctious son, and charming daughter, all of whom
mercifully don’t laugh when she says “au revoir.” She penned the Paris Confessions series in between diaper changes and wine refills. She writes about the ups and downs of life in the City of Light at VickiLesage.com.
~ Get in touch ~
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads
December 7, 2015
Cover Reveal ~ Cecilia Gray’s Kiss a Bell Series
Welcome to the cover reveal of the Kiss A Bell series by Cecilia Gray! The Kiss a Bell series are regency romances and release in February.
A brand new series from the author of The Gentlemen Next Door, praised for being a “delightful Regency romp… in the spirit of Georgette Heyer.”
THE KISS A BELLE SERIES
Five supportive sisters.
Five friendly gentlemen.
Five stolen kisses.
Everyone has kissed someone, but who has kissed whom?
Secrets of the past will become very much present as arrangements are made and proposals fly in this charming, Regency-style series.
Book 1: Kiss Me After
Book 2: Kiss Me Darkly
Book 3: Kiss Me Sweetly
Book 4: Kiss Me Softly
Book 5: Kiss Me Again
While all of the stories can be enjoyed as standalones, you may want to read them all. Books 1–3 occur concurrently and can be read in any order; Books 4 and 5 follow respectively.
Kiss Me After Meet Alice Belle—the Bossy Belle—used to getting her way. If anyone has to fall on the matrimonial sword it will be she and not her sisters. She has set her sights on the richest, most titled gentlemen in her acquaintance. The perfect man to make her father happy, leaving her beloved sisters free to marry whom they choose.
Meet Robert Crawford—ringleader—used to masterminding his way. If anyone is going to marry Alice Belle, it is he. Never mind that he’s poor, without a title, and completely unsuitable for Alice in the eyes of her father. He loves her. Which makes him the perfect man to make her happy, whether she realizes it or not.
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N
Kiss Me DarklyMeet Dinah Belle—the Blasé Belle—who never gets emotional because there is no problem—including love—that she cannot solve with her superior intellect. The irrational emotion of love has destroyed her family, but it must have a cure, and she has the perfect test case by which to discover it.
Meet Graham Abernathy—the popular duke’s son—a gentleman who goes out of his way to please others and be well liked. Not that it’s done him any good, since the woman he loves has thrown him over for someone else. Heartbroken, he attracts the interest of one Dinah Belle, who has her sights set on him—for research, of all things.
Dinah has no intention of failing. He has no intention of being cured.
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N
Kiss Me SweetlyMeet Bridget Belle—the Bookish Belle—her head full of mischief and ideas. Unlike her sisters, she has every intention of marrying a storybook hero. Someone romantic and passionate—just like her.
Meet Benjamin Abernathy—the sensible duke’s son—his head firmly on his shoulders. Being the rational one amongst his friends has seen him through school and the war. But it will take more than reason and logic to win a battle of wits against Bridget.
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N
Kiss Me SoftlyMeet Seraphina Belle—the Belle Belle—whose face has launched a legion of metaphorical ships. Since her birth caused her mother’s death, she’s determined to be the perfect daughter. As a dowager duchess at the height of respectability, she is known for turning out perfect matches… until he threatens to ruin her perfect reputation.
Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | B&N
Kiss Me AgainMeet Charlotte Belle—the Bovine Belle—who has made a career of being utterly unremarkable. The middle and forgotten child, she is completely unseen, until he sees her. Not that it matters, because the only thing worse than falling in love is doing so with someone who can never love you back.
Amazon | Kobo
About Cecilia
Cecilia Gray writes sweet stories about smart girls and nice guys.
When she isn’t writing, she’s into books, movies, TV, food, and hanging out with her friends. Subscribe to her newsletter for updates on new releases, sneak peeks, and giveaways.
Website | Facebook | Twitter
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GIVEAWAY:
$55 egift card to retailer of choice (INT)
Ends Dec. 23
Prizing is provided by the author, hosts are not responsible. Must be 13 or older to enter and have parental permission if under 17. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary to win.
This event was organized by CBB Book Promotions.
December 6, 2015
Where do story ideas come from anyway?
Recently a friend indicated that she’d like to write a story or book, but it’s tooo hard to come up with ideas (and yeah, it totally sounded whiney like that). You need a big imagination! She lamented. Yeah, okay, writing fiction requires lots of imagination and I don’t deny that I have a wonderful imagination. I love to make up stories about people. What better pastime to occupy yourself with while people watching and drinking a beer? But there’s more to it than that. What about plain ‘ol experience? Doesn’t that count for something? Not all of my story ideas come from my imagination. I actually get a lot of writing fodder from life experiences and my somewhat crazy personality. I’ve boiled it down to the following:
Vocation . I always say I’ve lead several lives and it certainly feels like that when I look at the vastly different types of ‘careers’ I’ve had. I’ve managed a store at a sports stadium, been a military policewoman, practiced law, and owned a bed and breakfast – to mention a few. And what a wealth of anecdotes I’ve gained to use as story ideas! I even wrote a whole book about Army basic training (Unforeseen Consequences). But everyday work experiences can also lead to your next writing project
Practicing law . Being a lawyer is not all hours and hours of reviewing boring contracts – although there’s certainly enough of that! I also spent a lot of time negotiating contracts and that sometimes resulted in some pretty weird situations. I once ended up locked in a board room at the opposing counsel’s law firm in the middle of the night. Luckily, they did send food in for us.
Owning a bed and breakfast provided a plethora of experiences for my writing. I’ve found condoms (used and not used) and thongs. I’ve seen every type of body fluid there is soiling the sheets and dirtying the bathtubs. I’ve gotten hit on from people from all over the world. I was once even offered money when I turned the man down! I still can’t believe some of the crazy things guests said over breakfast. And – proving once again that life is crazier than fiction – the lives some of the guests had lead were sometimes truly fascinating and definitely eye opening.
Aging. I like to write books with characters who are over 30. Being a middle-aged woman myself, I can tell you there is just a ton of weird shit that starts happening to your body once you hit 40. You can scream and cry about it or you can laugh and make an anecdote for a book. I choose the latter.
Ex-pat living . I grew up in the U.S. and have lived in several states, but I’ve also lived in Germany, the Netherlands, and Turkey. We’re actually currently on the look-out for our next posting. In addition to the sometimes strange cultural differences I encounter, I meet a lot of people moving from country to country. I may not want to make friends with all the strange people I meet, but they certainly provide a lot of fodder for characters in my novels.
Dreams . When I wake up from dreaming that I purposely goaded a dictator into having me killed and his hit squad chased me through an amusement park trying to take me out on roller coaster after roller coaster, I can call the nearest mental hospital to see if they have any openings or I can use the dream as the starting point for a story.
Living life to the fullest . I am genuinely one of those crazy people who takes life by the horns and rides. I’ve done everything from running drunk through the desert to spending the night in jail to getting into a bar room brawl. But you don’t have to be a total crazy person like me to use life experiences in your stories. After all, it isn’t very believable if every character in a novel is going balls to the wall. You can use small personality traits as well.
Being a klutz . In Murder, Mystery & Dating Mayhem, the heroine is a total klutz. Many of the hilarious situations she finds herself in are actual events I experienced and survived.
Low self-esteem. Having low self-esteem often results with me trying to show off how strong I am to people (It’s not all fat – there’s muscle too!). So it’s not a strange occurrence for me to grab a beer from a man and try to wrestle the cap off of his beer bottle – especially if it’s not a twist off. Then, I have to spend the entire evening pretending like my hand is not killing me.
If you’re having a difficult time coming up with ideas or characters or storylines, take a look at your life and experiences. You can use even the most mundane every day occurrences as a starting point for your writing. There’s a wealth of anecdotes just waiting for you to pluck them from your memory.
Cover Reveal ~ Game On by Dani Jace
Title: Game On
Author: Dani Jace
Publisher: Lyrical Press
Publication Date: June 21, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Ebook
It’s time to take it to the next level.
Heath Lancaster’s happy to be on the practice squad of a professional football team, but instead of a lucky break taking him to the next level, a league-wide strike leaves him unemployed. Until he finds a new semi-pro league in Virginia Beach, where a bikini-clad hottie snags one of his passes on the beach and offers him a tour of the area . . .
A scandalous affair turned Jordan Kelly into media fodder–and in no hurry to get back into the dating game. But the easy going tight end of the new Triton’s team unleashes an inhibited wild streak in her and has her tempting him with a game of her own. But when she finds out who the owner of the Tritons is, she’s wondering if she’ll repeat her mistakes . . .
ORDER INFORMATION
Game On is available for order at
Dani Jace enjoys writing headstrong, flip-flop casual heroines and everyday heroes who work with their hands―and other body parts. Claiming the Outer Banks of North Carolina as her second home, she includes the scenic and legendary chain of barrier islands as a setting for many of her tales. When not working on her next novel, she’s dipping her toes in the ocean, reading or checking out the newest action flick. Her husband, son and black Lab, plus her many imaginary characters make life complete.
Please visit her at danijace.com, https://www.facebook.com/dani.jace.5 or Twitter: @dani_jace.
December 3, 2015
Cover Reveal ~ Ready to Fall by Olivia Dade
Title: Ready to Fall
Author: Olivia Dade
Publisher: Lyrical Shine
Publication Date: June 21, 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Ebook
Elementary school teacher and part-time librarian Sarah Mayhew has the perfect plan: show off her cycling skills at her school’s bike retreat and attract her oblivious coworker in the process. Her end game? Fall in love. Only one problem: she needs to find someone to teach her how to ride a bike pronto. But when she catches sight of Chris Dean’s gorgeous physique, her best laid plans are about to go off track . . .
Chris is not looking for a girlfriend. He’s getting over his last one by focusing on his bike repair business. So when a feisty, sexy schoolteacher urges him to help improve her cycling skills, he does it strictly for the money. He vows he won’t repeat history, even for a blonde bombshell like Sarah. But when the two find themselves alone on the road, they can’t help taking a detour straight into each other’s arms . . .
ORDER INFORMATION
Ready to Fall is available for order at
While I was growing up, my mother kept a stack of books hidden in her closet. She told me I couldn’t read them. So, naturally, whenever she left me alone for any length of time, I took them out and flipped through them. Those books raised quite a few questions in my prepubescent brain. Namely: 1) Why were there so many pirates? 2) Did women really get kidnapped that often? 3) Where did all the throbbing come from? 4) What was a “manhood”? 5) And why did the hero and heroine seem overcome by images of waves and fireworks every few pages, especially after an episode of mysterious throbbing in the hero’s manhood?
Thirty or so years later, I have a few answers. 1) Because my mom apparently fancied pirates at that time. Now she hoards romances involving cowboys and babies. If a book cover features a shirtless man in a Stetson cradling an infant, her ovaries basically explode and her credit card emerges. I have a similar reaction to romances involving spinsters, governesses, and librarians. 2) Yes, at least in romantic suspense novels. And it’s still gloriously dramatic.3) His manhood. Also, her womanhood. 4) It’s his “hard length,” sometimes compared in terms of rigidity to iron. I prefer to use other names for it in my own writing. However, I am not picky when it comes to descriptions of iron-hard lengths. At least in romances. 5) Because explaining how an orgasm feels can prove difficult. Or maybe the couples all had sex on New Year’s Eve at Cancun.
During those thirty years, I accomplished a few things. I graduated from Wake Forest University and earned my M.A. in American History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I worked at a variety of jobs that required me to bury my bawdiness and potty mouth under a demure exterior: costumed interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, high school teacher, and librarian. But I always, always read romances. Funny, filthy, sweet—it didn’t matter. I loved them all.
Now I’m writing my own romances with the encouragement of my husband and daughter. I found a kick-ass agent: Jessica Alvarez from Bookends, LLC. I have my own stack of books in my closet that I’d rather my daughter not read, at least not for a few years. I can swear whenever I want, except around said daughter. And I get to spend all day writing about love and iron-hard lengths.
So thank you, Mom, for perving so hard on pirates during my childhood. I owe you.
For More Information
Visit Olivia’s website
Connect with Olivia on Facebook and Twitter
Alpha Book Club
Around the World in Books
Author C.A. Milson
Extreme Bookaholics
Readsalot
Crystal’s Chaotic Confessions
Review From Here
Literal Exposure
I’m Shelf-ish
Voodoo Princess
The Writer’s Life
The Dark Phantom
Harmonious Publicity
Write and Take Flight
A Title Wave
My Bookish Pleasures
December 2, 2015
Trail of Secrets
Title: Trail of Secrets
Author: Laura Wolfe
Published: August 27th, 2015
Publisher: Fire and Ice YA
Genre: YA Mystery
Content Warning: PG-13
Synopsis: Spending three weeks of her summer at the elite Foxwoode Riding Academy in northern Michigan should have been one of the happiest times of sixteen year-old Brynlei’s life. But from the moment Brynlei arrives at Foxwoode, she can’t shake the feeling she’s being watched. Then she hears the story of a girl who vanished on a trail ride four years earlier. While the other girls laugh over the story of the dead girl who haunts Foxwoode, Brynlei senses that the girl—or her ghost—may be lurking in the shadows.
Brynlei’s quest to reveal the truth interferes with her plan to keep her head down and win Foxwoode’s coveted “Top Rider” award. To make things worse, someone discovers Brynlei’s search for answers and will go to any length to stop her. As Brynlei begins to unravel the facts surrounding the missing girl’s disappearance, she is faced with an impossible choice. Will she protect a valuable secret? Or save a life?
~ Get a copy ~
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | GoodReads
Book Trailer Link: https://youtu.be/1agKipTUZZQ
~ Excerpt ~
Jett plodded rhythmically through the pristine landscape. The earthy scent of pine needles, tree moss, and raspberries filled Brynlei’s senses. Wild raspberry bushes sprouted up along the trail, their thorns threatening to impale anyone who reached for the ripe fruit. A small creek with crystal clear water babbled to the right of the trail. She could see straight through the rushing water to the leaves and stones on the bottom.
Anna turned back toward Brynlei. “We’re stopping for minute to let the horses drink from the creek. Pass it on.”
Brynlei passed the same message back to Kaitlyn. She guided Jett over to the creek and let him stretch his head toward the water. Out of the corner of her eye, Brynlei saw something dart behind one of the trees in the distance. She would have dismissed it as a squirrel or a deer, but it was too tall. It almost looked like a person, but then it was gone. The hairs on Brynlei’s neck stood on end. The dark energy prickled her skin. She could feel someone watching her. Jett jerked his head up and perked his ears toward the trees beyond the creek. His nostrils flared and his feet danced. He was on alert and so was Brynlei.
~ About the Author ~
Laura Wolfe is a lover of animals and nature. When she is not writing, Laura can be found playing games with her highly-energetic kids, riding horses, growing vegetables in her garden, or spoiling her rescue dog. She lives in her home state of Michigan with her husband, son, and daughter. Laura holds a BA in English from the University of Michigan and a JD from DePaul University. She is an active member of multiple writing groups, including Sisters in Crime and the SCBWI. In addition to Trail of Secrets, Laura’s writing credits include an article in Practical Horseman Magazine, and a picture book, Henrietta’s Hoof Polish (forthcoming from Guardian Angel Publishing).
Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads
~ Giveaway ~
There is a tour wide giveaway.
A $10 Amazon gift card.
Giveaway is International.
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December 1, 2015
Steady is the Fall ~Emily Ruth Verona
Title: Steady is the Fall
Author: Emily Ruth Verona
Published: October 28, 2015
Genre: General Fiction/Literary
~ Synopsis ~
Holly Dorren can’t breathe. Think. Feel. Her cousin is dead. Nothing will bring him back. And nothing will ever make her whole again.
In the days following Larry’s funeral, Holly begins to reflect on the childhood they shared. She looks for answers in both the past and the present, convinced that understanding his fascination with death might somehow allow her to cope with his absence. She doesn’t want to disappear, but already she’s fading away from the life she’s led.
Holly knew her cousin better than anyone, she was his best friend, and yet there is still a great deal she cannot accept in their relationship. In him. In herself. She doesn’t know how to move on without him, but refusing to accept his death carries it’s own devastating price.
~ Excerpt ~
We were in a car accident as children. I was eight at the time and could never remember the details afterwards. My cousin Larry remembered everything, even though he was two years younger than me. It might sound strange that a six-year-old would remember more than an eight-year-old, but it wouldn’t seem odd at all if you knew Larry.
Even as the years passed and my memory of the event faded more and more, Larry’s recollection of it only grew stronger. His parents never liked that much. Neither did mine. I was the only one who ever listened with the sort of unease and appreciation that he craved. We’d sit huddled on the sofa in my living room while my mother was out and my father was upstairs. I’d hug a pillow against my chest and he’d sit on his knees, hunched forward with his hands slicing through the air as he described it all in active detail.
Larry never called it an accident. Not once. He referred to it instead as an imperfect moment or that time in the truck. Keep in mind this was coming from a boy of six, and then eight, and then fifteen, but Larry was incredibly articulate from the very beginning. Every phrase was deliberate with him—each letter carefully chosen. With such a gift for language and grace as a speaker, my cousin should have been a better storyteller, but he wasn’t. His descriptions were clear, but for some reason Larry couldn’t milk it. He always started at the same spot—when we were in his father’s gray pickup truck, where Larry was seated in the middle between his father and me.
Riding in that truck was really something to a couple of kids because it was the only time we didn’t have to sit in the backseat. We felt like proper adults up there in the front with the steering wheel and the dashboard. The cloth interior smelled like motor oil and old takeout. Larry loved that. He found it comforting. Nostalgic. His mother was a health nut, but his father possessed a particular fondness for anything that could be gotten from a drive-thru window. Abandoned hamburger wrappers and soda straws sat in huddled piles at our feet and we just kicked our heels together and smiled with gleaming, crooked teeth.
It had been snowing all morning, Larry often explained, with tiny white flakes falling onto the windshield and dissolving the same as they do when they fall onto your tongue. It was still fairly early in the day, though the clouds made it seem much later. Larry’s father had promised to take us out for lunch if we helped him in emptying out the garage. It was simple enough. He’d hand us something and have us run it upstairs to Larry’s mother in the study to see if she wanted to keep it or if the item could be thrown away. Larry and I made it a game, racing one another to see who could reach his mother first. Mostly we just tied, but I think I might have managed to win a time or two.
Most of the boxes from the garage were filled with old baby clothes and broken toys that were old enough to possibly be worth something at auction if only they had been properly maintained. Larry’s mother enjoyed finding value in the obsolete. They had a garage sale monthly for about five years. It drove Larry’s younger sisters mad because all their toys were constantly being sold before the girls were ready to part with them. They’d toss their red little heads up in the air and call it unfair. Larry called it capitalism.
By noon we had finished with the garage and were out in the truck on our way to lunch to well-known and beloved Barkley Diner. The place had these dark brown seats, which looked like leather but weren’t, and the lights were yellow-tinted which made everything look like it was lip up by a warm, crackling fire. They served the standard fare. Burgers. Fries. Eggs. Pie. It could have been swapped out with any other diner in the country and no one would have noticed. And yet it was our very own place. The historic Barkley Diner.
The drive only took ten minutes from Larry’s house, but to get there we had to drive along Redwood Road, which consisted of one wide lane that stretched through the woods and down beyond the park. The road was about six miles in length though we only had to travel about two of those before turning onto Wharton Avenue, which emptied into the intersection by the traffic light that sat opposite the diner. The trees, whose bare branches lurched overhead as we gazed out the window, were coated with a light brush of fresh snow. Everything seemed frozen and icy. It was the middle of October but it looked more like December. That day entered the record books as the earliest snowfall Garner County ever received. I used to like to tell my friends that in school. It made me feel knowledgeable—powerful even. It’s strange how children grasp so tightly to what they cannot make sense of, finding importance in all the wrong places.
Both Larry and his father remembered the radio as being on that afternoon but only Larry knew the song that was playing prior to and following the accident. Stairway to Heaven. Larry was particularly proud of that little detail. After a point he even became smug about it. Stairway to Heaven. Imagine that. He claimed it started about two or three minutes before the crash and continued amidst the static on the radio until an ambulance arrived. No one bothered to turn the engine off. It just kept on playing all the way through.
Being hit, he said, was like sitting in one of those spinning teacups at an amusement park. The other car tried to yield as it came to a fork in the road but there was ice on the pavement and so the little sedan went barreling into the left side of our truck. We spun three or four times before hitting a tree. Larry compared the impact to a violent punch in the chest. It made him dizzy and, gasping, he looked up to see that his father’s nose was cracked and the man’s mouth had set on muttering every curse that could be called upon. Then, Larry said, he turned to me. I didn’t stir when he touched my arm. Blood had begun to seep through my hair, painting the window bright red. The impact left a thin scar up near my temple, just under the hairline, from where my skull split the glass. Larry explained that his father looked me over, but was afraid to move my arms or head. My uncle then instructed his son to run over and check on the other driver. He didn’t though. He didn’t want to leave me—he couldn’t leave me. He didn’t even want to get out of the car. So Larry’s father told him to watch me and he opened the door and ran over and called to the man in the sedan. Larry just continued to sit there. Staring. He claimed he couldn’t stop staring at me as that song continued to play and his head continued to spin. It was like the teacup never stopped turning, he said. It just never stopped.
When the paramedics arrived they took me away. Larry wanted to sit in the ambulance with me but they drove us separately, claiming my injuries to be more severe. Whether Larry’s disappointment in not being allowed to go with me came from a concern for my safety or his fascination with the blood, I’ll never know. It was probably a little of both. Afterwards he swore it was because he was worried about me. He was always a rotten liar, and since I believed him it was most likely true. Or maybe I just wanted to believe him. Too much has happened since to ever really know.
Larry sprained his arm in the accident, but other than that there was little harm done to him. He was always disappointed about that and at first his parents took that disappointment to be displaced guilt; they thought he felt ashamed to have gotten away with barely a scratch. But really he was just disappointed that he hadn’t experienced more. Felt more. The accident wasn’t nearly enough to settle him.
The only solid thing I could ever recall about that afternoon was how bright the lights were when they rolled me into the hospital. I looked up at those round, white lights along the ceiling and thought I was dreaming. Or dying. The lights looked hot and it stung so viscously to stare at them that I had to close my eyes. There was nothing after that. The memory just tapered off and the next thing I could recall was being back at home.
The doctors did their work and were proud of my recovery, given that my injuries were more severe than they at first suspected. I received a concussion from hitting my head and one of my lungs collapsed in the ambulance. The latter actually served me well in later years. I was able to avoid my parent’s insistence that I join the soccer team that spring, and in high school it got me out of having to run the mile required to pass gym. The cold weather sometimes made my chest ache and I couldn’t breathe well after running, but those doctors considered me lucky. I could have died. Larry used to say that all doctors tell the parents of surviving patients that their children were lucky. He thought it was nonsense. There was nothing lucky about it. For years I thought I understood what he meant. Only later did I realize that I was wrong.
Larry clung to the particulars of that afternoon. They mattered so much to him, and so in time they began to mean a great deal to me as well. His memories became mine. His story did, too, and for a while it looked like that was all the accident would be: a good story. Those involved recovered, even the other driver who suffered nothing beyond a split lip. No one pressed charges. No one died. The flesh healed quickly. At the time it looked as if nothing much had changed. Only later did we come to realize the extent of the damage it had done.
My parent’s never let Larry’s father off the hook, even though it wasn’t his fault. The fact that guilt nearly drowned him became inconsequential. No one seemed to notice that it was only after the accident that he started drinking again. It didn’t matter, not to my parents. At the time I was an only child and my mother maintained that nothing ever scorched her soul like that phone call informing her that her lovely little girl had been brought to the hospital. It was the last time she ever took the trouble to care about me as a mother. In that respect, the accident also did me good. I knew from that afternoon that she loved me and I remembered it when she left my forty-five year old father for a twenty-six year old physical therapist in Florida. I remembered it when she stopped visiting. I remembered it when she stopped calling. For the rest of my childhood I had the comfort of knowing that for one day as I lay on the very verge of death, my mother truly loved me. That love was so strong that it scorched her soul. Some people might have needed more than that, but I considered it to be plenty. It was more than my father had. It’s more than my brother, who was only three when she left, was ever likely to receive.
Larry always regretted the accident more than I did, which many thought was strange for a lot of different reasons that did not really apply. They thought he wished it hadn’t happened, but really it was what didn’t happen that disappointed him. Larry saw something in the accident—the potential for something—that he couldn’t get over. He became fascinated by it—addicted to it. The dizziness never left him and so he never stopped spinning. Instilled in him was the need to know. He was stuffed full of the cruel and compelling need to understand every aspect of it. Every vile little detail. Every curious moment. It was unfortunate really. All those years of waiting and wondering and he never shared a single answer with me, even though I was quite possibly the only one who actually wanted to understand. And he tried. He always tried to make it clear what it was he wanted to find and why it meant more to him than all the rest, but as articulate as he was, he couldn’t put it into words. It became impossible to convince any of us. Not that it really mattered when all was said and done. There was nothing worth finding in it because Larry ended up dead. It happened on a Thursday. Suicide. No one was surprised.
~ About the Author ~
Emily Ruth Verona is the author of the novel Steady Is The Fall. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Cinema Studies from the State University of New York at Purchase. She is the recipient of the 2014 Pinch Literary Award in Fiction and a 2014 Jane Austen Short Story Award. Previous publication credits include work featured in Read. Learn. Write., The Lost Country, The Toast, and Popmatters. She lives in New Jersey with a very small dog.
$300 Holiday Cash Giveaway
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November 30, 2015
Book Blast ~ City of Gold
CITY OF GOLD
by Carolyn Arnold
(Matthew Connor Adventure Series Book 1)
Hardcover: 314 pages
Publisher: Hibbert & Stiles Publishing Inc (November 27, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1988064666
ASIN: B016LLDQIY
Synopsis
Action-adventure books for the mystery lover. In this series, modern-day archaeologist and adventurer Matthew Connor travels the globe with his two closest friends to unearth treasure and discover legends the world has all but forgotten. Indiana Jones meets the twenty-first century.
Finding the Inca’s lost City of Gold would be the discovery of a lifetime. But failing could mean her death…
Archaeologist Matthew Connor and his friends Cal and Robyn are finally home after a dangerous retrieval expedition in India. While they succeeded in obtaining the priceless Pandu artifact they sought, it almost cost them their lives. Still, Matthew is ready for the next adventure. Yet when new intel surfaces indicating the possible location of the legendary City of Gold, Matthew is hesitant to embark on the quest.
Not only is the evidence questionable but it means looking for the lost city of Paititi far away from where other explorers have concentrated their efforts. As appealing as making the discovery would be, it’s just too risky. But when Cal’s girlfriend, Sophie, is abducted by Matthew’s old nemesis who is dead-set on acquiring the Pandu statue, Matthew may be forced into action. Saving Sophie’s life means either breaking into the Royal Ontario Museum to steal the relic or offering up something no one in his or her right mind can refuse–the City of Gold.
Now Matthew and his two closest friends have to find a city and a treasure that have been lost for centuries. And they only have seven days to do it. As they race against the clock, they quickly discover that the streets they seek aren’t actually paved with gold, but with blood.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international best-selling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.™
Carolyn was born in a small town, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big. And on par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives in a city near Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
Website – http://carolynarnold.net/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold
And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.
Purchase Links
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