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Encounter
Teo Haroun and the other lawyers in his firm look forward in varying degrees to the retreat at the Sherman Ranch in northern New Mexico. The boss has laid down some rules—no phones, no computers, no communication with the outside world—that makes them uneasy. But the corporate team-building exercises are necessary for this firm to survive its inner sniping and turmoil—and to protect the secrets they hold.
Inez Suela and thirty other Mexicans have paid a coyote hundreds of pesos to take them across the border into the United States, where they hope to make a better life. The crowded truck heads north into New Mexico to meet their local driver, the occupants unaware that a freak March snowstorm is waiting in its path.
Jake Patrin, the caretaker of the Ranch, fights demons of his own as he struggles daily with addiction. Working far from the city on the lonely Ranch, hosting those who rent the facility, is his protection and solace. But he’s about to lose the only peace he’s been able to grasp.
Davi Pilar needs to make some fast money to appease a couple of St. Louis loan sharks, so he agrees to pick up a truckload of illegals and take them to St. Louis. He drives to New Mexico, not knowing that Inez, the woman who rejected him years before, is one of those on that truck.
The intersection of these people, the collision of their cultures, the revelation of their secrets—all these things lead to violence, death, and even redemption in their New Mexico ENCOUNTER.
Inez Suela and thirty other Mexicans have paid a coyote hundreds of pesos to take them across the border into the United States, where they hope to make a better life. The crowded truck heads north into New Mexico to meet their local driver, the occupants unaware that a freak March snowstorm is waiting in its path.
Jake Patrin, the caretaker of the Ranch, fights demons of his own as he struggles daily with addiction. Working far from the city on the lonely Ranch, hosting those who rent the facility, is his protection and solace. But he’s about to lose the only peace he’s been able to grasp.
Davi Pilar needs to make some fast money to appease a couple of St. Louis loan sharks, so he agrees to pick up a truckload of illegals and take them to St. Louis. He drives to New Mexico, not knowing that Inez, the woman who rejected him years before, is one of those on that truck.
The intersection of these people, the collision of their cultures, the revelation of their secrets—all these things lead to violence, death, and even redemption in their New Mexico ENCOUNTER.
238 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 21, 2014
2 people are currently reading
2 people want to read
About the author
Alana Lorens
19 books95 followersAlana Lorens (aka Barbara Mountjoy) has been a published writer for over 45 years, including seven years as a reporter and editor at the South Dade News Leader in Homestead, Florida. Her list of publications includes the non-fiction book 101 Little Instructions for Surviving Your Divorce, published by Impact Publishers in 1999, stories in A Cup of Comfort for Divorced Women, in December 2008, and A Cup of Comfort for Adoptive Parents, in June 2009.
Read romantic suspense novel SECRETS IN THE SAND, That Girl's the One I Love, Conviction of the Heart and Voodoo Dreams from The Wild Rose Press
TENDER MISDEMEANORS, a romantic suspense set in Montana, from the Wild Rose Press. See trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlVFv...
ENCOUNTER, a suspense thriller about illegal aliens and a fancy lawyer's retreat, from Dragonfly Publishing.
See trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb96v...
A Recipe For Success, a story in the anthology SIDEKICKS, publishing in spring 2013 from Alliteration Ink
The Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers series:
Conviction of the Heart, romantic suspense from The Wild Rose Press, 2012
See trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a84IZo...
Second Chances, Zumaya Publications,July 2012
See trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEMtSx...
Voodoo Dreams, romantic suspense from The Wild Rose Press, October 2013
See book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D1aJ...
and SECRETS IN THE SAND, in the Crimson Rose line from The Wild Rose Press.
See book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U26_...
She also blogs on a variety of subjects, including autism, science fiction and life at http://awalkabout.wordpress.com
Her Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series (as Lyndi Alexander) is available from Dragonfly Publishing; THE ELF QUEEN ,THE ELF CHILD, THE ELF MAGE and THE ELF GUARDIAN.
To learn more about Alana, see
http://alana-lorens.com
Friend Alana on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AlanaLorens
Read romantic suspense novel SECRETS IN THE SAND, That Girl's the One I Love, Conviction of the Heart and Voodoo Dreams from The Wild Rose Press
TENDER MISDEMEANORS, a romantic suspense set in Montana, from the Wild Rose Press. See trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlVFv...
ENCOUNTER, a suspense thriller about illegal aliens and a fancy lawyer's retreat, from Dragonfly Publishing.
See trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mb96v...
A Recipe For Success, a story in the anthology SIDEKICKS, publishing in spring 2013 from Alliteration Ink
The Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers series:
Conviction of the Heart, romantic suspense from The Wild Rose Press, 2012
See trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a84IZo...
Second Chances, Zumaya Publications,July 2012
See trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEMtSx...
Voodoo Dreams, romantic suspense from The Wild Rose Press, October 2013
See book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D1aJ...
and SECRETS IN THE SAND, in the Crimson Rose line from The Wild Rose Press.
See book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U26_...
She also blogs on a variety of subjects, including autism, science fiction and life at http://awalkabout.wordpress.com
Her Clan Elves of the Bitterroot series (as Lyndi Alexander) is available from Dragonfly Publishing; THE ELF QUEEN ,THE ELF CHILD, THE ELF MAGE and THE ELF GUARDIAN.
To learn more about Alana, see
http://alana-lorens.com
Friend Alana on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/AlanaLorens
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 25, 2023
Alana Lorens mixes high powered lawyers, desperate undocumented immigrants, greedy coyotes, and sensible retreat staffers with a New Mexican desert snow storm for a suspenseful novel.
Her masterful character development makes each character easy to distinguish. Characters follow their own arcs. This diversity allows all sides of the immigration issue affecting the storyline to arise naturally.
Fiction readers who care about people and like page turning adventures will enjoy Encounter. Those with un poco de español will enjoy the story even more.
Her masterful character development makes each character easy to distinguish. Characters follow their own arcs. This diversity allows all sides of the immigration issue affecting the storyline to arise naturally.
Fiction readers who care about people and like page turning adventures will enjoy Encounter. Those with un poco de español will enjoy the story even more.
August 3, 2021
This book really pulled at my heartstrings and kept me engrossed. The author did an excellent job of conveying the plight of the characters. There were several characters and all were well developed and realistic. It's not a read you'll soon forget.
July 31, 2014
Secrets lie within all people. Inez is travelling illegally to America for a chance at a better life, Teo is on a corporate retreat that may end up forcing him to reveal a very real and possibly deadly truth. Jake is hosting the corporate retreat but with his secret addiction things could get dangerous. Finally, Davi is supposed to transport the illegals to America to help pay off his secret. These people and their secrets will converge on one snow filled night. Will all come out unscathed or will their dangerous secrets lead to violence and death?
At the beginning this book really had promise. The story wove nicely and the characters grew as their mysteries became more pronounced. Unfortunately, the story ended up falling off the tracks around the point when its should have really been speeding up toward the end. It almost seemed like the author ended up with too many viewpoints to keep up with. I was a let down when the suspense was less suspenseful and more cluttered. That being said this story really did have potential. The characters were good and their backstory was well thought out. I definitely would like to pick up another book by Alana Lorens but for me this story just ended up falling short.
At the beginning this book really had promise. The story wove nicely and the characters grew as their mysteries became more pronounced. Unfortunately, the story ended up falling off the tracks around the point when its should have really been speeding up toward the end. It almost seemed like the author ended up with too many viewpoints to keep up with. I was a let down when the suspense was less suspenseful and more cluttered. That being said this story really did have potential. The characters were good and their backstory was well thought out. I definitely would like to pick up another book by Alana Lorens but for me this story just ended up falling short.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews