Day 11 – Advent Calendar and Kindle Giveaway!

Happy December 11th! The Kindle contest is still underway. Here's how it works: you nominate a friend/family member/coworker/etc. who you think needs a Kindle (tell us why they need/deserve one!) I'll be collecting entries until December 21st and then a winner will be chosen and the person nominated and the one who nominated them will both receive a Kindle! You only have to nominate a person once but you can nominate different people on different days if you want to. All you have to do to enter is comment on one of the Advent Calendar posts between now and then. But there are also daily giveaways of cool stuff too! Daily winners will be selected from that day's comments.

Yesterday's winner of a signed copy of Midnight Pearls is Tara Pennington. Congratulations! To enter today's giveaway, just comment below. Today's goodie is an excerpt from I Shall Not Want which was named one of the top 10 inspirational books of the year for 2010 by Booklist. Today's winner will receive a signed copy of I Shall Not Want. Here's your goodie:

1

Cindy Preston loved Fridays. Anything-can-happen Fridays was how she liked to think of them. As they neared the holidays, they became even more deserving of their name as First Shepherd church became a center of activity. Being a secretary at a church was a far more chaotic job than most people imagined.

For Cindy, the job had gotten even more exciting several months earlier when she had stumbled across a dead body in the church sanctuary. The week that followed had seen many people murdered by a serial killer, one whom Cindy had helped stop.

For a couple of months afterward, the church had seen a large swell in attendance as people wanted to come gawk at the woman who survived attack by the Passion Week killer and helped the police turn the tables on him.

Their interest had gradually waned, and aside from three new members who actually joined the church, things had pretty much returned to normal

The one unfortunate thing was that her friendship with Jeremiah, the rabbi at the synagogue next door, forged in shared danger slowly faded as well. They still exchanged pleasantries over the shrub hedge that separated the parking lots of the church and the synagogue, but not much else. It made sense, really. They shared nothing in common.

At first the return to normalcy had been a relief, a sanctuary from the days of terror she had lived through. Lately, though, she had felt a growing restlessness. In a fit of what could only have been insanity she had actually decided to do something daring with her weekend.

Of course as daring went, participating in a speed-dating event would rank low on most people's scales. To Cindy, though, it seemed bold and risky. She was always so selective about who she dated, thoroughly getting to know a guy before even considering spending time with him alone. Many people had told her it was paranoid, but it wasn't like she didn't have a reason. After all, the last man she ate dinner alone with turned out to be the very same one who killed the man whose body she found. A girl didn't get over that quickly.

No, anything-can-happen Fridays constituted her idea of big excitement. The most risk she normally wanted to take was showing up to work that day.

It was the week before Thanksgiving and people were starting to get that crazed look in their eyes that said Christmas was coming.

Poor Thanksgiving had been relegated to being the herald of Christmas, not even allowed to stand on its own as a holiday. What a shame. It was such an American custom and in a world that seemed on the verge of constant chaos people needed that oasis of time to contemplate what had gone before and to be grateful for having survived it one more year.

Geanie, the church's graphic artist, flopped down in the chair at her desk. Her red leather mini-skirt and black silk blouse might have looked odd on someone else, but on Geanie the look was almost elegant. By contrast with her long black skirt, white sweater, and sensible shoes Cindy felt boring.

The front door to the church opened and Joseph, one of the church's most prominent members and Pine Spring's most eligible bachelors, walked in. Clarice, a large white poodle, paced beside him. Joseph walked right up to her desk without hesitation and sank into the chair across from her. The dog lay down next to her master.

"How's it going?" she asked.

Joseph looked bone-tired but smiled in that way people did when the answer was "crappy" but they were too polite to say so.

"Fine."

"Are you all set for the big event?" Cindy asked.

He nodded and closed his eyes. "You're still coming tonight, right?"

"Of course, I wouldn't miss it. This is huge and I want to support it," Cindy said.

"I knew you wouldn't let me down."

In addition to all of his church activities and owning his own media empire, Joseph kept himself busy with charity work. His latest project, targeted at helping the homeless to improve their lives and find the inspiration and help to get back on their feet, was ambitious. Many critics said he was crazy, but Cindy believed in his idea. The church, along with all the others in the area, supported a local homeless shelter, and Cindy had frequent dealings with several of its regulars. After weeks of preparation, the program was going to be launched that evening on the lawn outside of Joseph's family mansion.

"How's it going, Clarice? I haven't seen you since you had your puppies."

Clarice looked at her and gave a slight shake of the head, rattling her dog tags.

"She needed a break so I brought her with me. Seven poodle puppies is enough to drive anyone insane. They're fast and clever. She and I have been chasing them all over the house this morning trying to get them corralled into one room."

Cindy bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud at the image. Instead she changed the subject back to the event. "Six o'clock, right?"

"It starts at six. Please tell me you'll be there before that."

"I'll head straight to your house from work. It should only take me about ten minutes."

"You are an angel," he said.

"Do you need me to bring anything?" she asked.

"A sense of humor. Somebody there tonight's got to have one or this could get really depressing really fast."

She couldn't help but laugh. "I'll do the best I can."

He stood abruptly. "That's all anyone can ask of us. Thanks, Cindy."

"You're welcome."

He waved to Geanie and then left the office.

"You should totally go out with him," Geanie said.

"Not my type."

"Yes, because tall, dark, and rich are sooo unattractive," Geanie said

"Why don't you go out with him? You're not seeing anyone, right?"

Geanie made a face and Cindy bit her lip. The younger woman was once again between boyfriends and didn't like it one bit.

When five o'clock rolled around, Cindy chased everyone out of the office, locked the door, and headed for her car. Ten minutes later she was driving up the hill to Joseph's house.

She rounded a curve and was surprised to see a dozen people lined up on either side of the road holding up signs.

Pets Deserve Safe Homes.

Keep Dogs Safe

Don't Jeopardize Lives for Your Ego.

Stop Being Part of the Problem.

Born Free Live Free.

Collars Are Cruel.

Free All Captive Animals!

A homeless man with ripped coat and dreadlocks jumped in front of her car waving a sign that read Food, NOT Frivolity! She slammed on her brakes. He pounded the hood of her car. A private security officer dragged him off.

Shaken, Cindy cautiously edged the car forward, eyes darting right and left and wondering who else was going to try and stop her. If the road had been wide enough, she would have turned around and gone back. It wasn't, though, so she kept going until she made it to the designated parking lot. She wedged her car in between a humane society vehicle and a news van and turned off the ignition.

Odds were good that once the event was over, the protestors would leave. After they left, she'd leave. Until then she was sure Joseph would need a hand cleaning up or something.

Reluctantly she got out of her car. She spotted a lot more people milling about, but none of them seemed to be holding up signs, though quite a few of them appeared homeless. Half a dozen large tents had been erected on the lawn with outdoor lights illuminating them. Several small paddocks were arranged with little portable fences. Inside a variety of dogs napped, ate, or played with each other.

Joseph stood on the lawn, Clarice beside him. Cindy walked up and tried not to interrupt as he issued orders to a caterer. After the woman hurried off, Cindy asked, "How are you holding up?"

Joseph turned and hugged her impulsively. Surprised, Cindy hugged him back but pulled away when she saw a flash go off from someone's camera.

"What do you need?" she asked. "I'm your go-to girl just so long as it has nothing to do with protestors."

"Agreed. Actually, if you could go inside and tell my assistant, Derek, to bring out Buford Augustus Reginald the III, that would be great."

"Who?" Cindy asked.

"It's a puppy."

"Oh, Buford . . . August—"

Joseph stopped her with a raised hand. "Just ask him to bring out Buff."

"Okay, I think I can handle that," Cindy said. "Any idea where Derek will be?"

"No, I've called his cell twice, but he's not picking up. His car's here, though, and he's not outside, so he must be in the house. Try my office, second floor, third door on the right, first."

"Got it," Cindy said, heading for the house.

The mansion was massive, built by Joseph's grandparents. She had been in it twice before for church functions. The foyer was empty.

"Derek?" Cindy called. It wasn't dignified but it would be a lot faster than searching the house. She headed up the stairs, listening.

"Derek!" she called again as she reached the landing.

She heard the sound of smashing glass, like somebody had dropped a water goblet. It was coming from the right hand side. She walked down the hall hoping she hadn't startled Derek into dropping something.

The third door on the right was ajar. She moved toward it.

"Sorry to startle you," she said, swinging the door open.

There was no one in the room. "Derek!" she called again.

She saw a cell phone on the desk and wondered if it was Derek's. She had seen Joseph's on his belt and he had said he'd been trying to call Derek. She moved toward the desk to grab the phone, and then turned. Her shoe crunched on something and she looked down. There was broken glass to the left of the desk and some shards seemed to have flown several feet in either direction.

I did hear glass breaking. But there's no one here. What in the world?

There was a large balcony behind the desk; the sheers fluttered in the breeze. Cindy walked around to the right of the desk.

As soon as she did, she saw Derek.

He was lying on his back, a pool of blood underneath his head, and his eyes fixed in a death stare at the ceiling. In his fist he clutched a dog's leash.

Cindy screamed and leaped backwards. She dropped the cell phone on the floor, dug through her purse, and got her own cell. She hit the speed dial button that still had Detective Mark Walters phone number programmed into it.

"It's Cindy Preston," she said as he answered the phone.

"Cindy? Why on earth are you calling me?"

"I'm at Joseph's house, remember, the guy who lives on the hill who loves dogs? Someone's been murdered."

"I'm on my way. I'll call it in. Make sure nobody touches anything."

"I will."

She heard footsteps racing up the stairs and down the hall. "Are you okay?" a familiar voice asked behind her. She spun around and stared at Jeremiah in shock. "What are you doing here?"

"The charity event, the synagogue is supporting it. What are you doing here?"

"So is First Shepherd. Joseph asked me to come."

Jeremiah moved slowly into the room, eyes roving. "Did you scream?"

"Yes," she said, coming to her senses after the surprise of seeing him there.

"What happened?"

"Well, it seems you've come to my rescue again," she said, her voice starting to quiver.

"I don't follow."

She nodded to the floor behind the desk and he moved closer. He stopped and she watched him as he looked the body over. At last he turned his eyes back to her. "You just found him?"

She nodded.

"You've got to be kidding me."

She shrugged her shoulders as tears started to spill down her cheeks. "It's anything-can-happen Friday."