For all of my readers who have read my short story, "Worth Fighting For", please leave a comment with your email and I'll send you an ebook copy of "Take My Heart" which is book #1 of my Heroic Rogues series.
Lindsay Lennox, daughter of the governor of Turkey, worries she’ll
never have the chance to meet a man and fall in love. Being the youngest of
eight daughters, it is customary for all of her sisters to marry before she can
be out in society and even meet a man. Her twenty-fourth birthday is coming
quickly, and she’s running out of hope. Desperation takes hold and she
disguises herself as a servant in order to slip through the palace gates.
Disaster strikes when she meets a handsome sea captain and is mistakenly
whisked across the sea to England. Lindsay knows her only hope of salvation
will be to find her Whitton relatives in England and beg for help.
Unfortunately, the devastating Captain Braxton proves more temptation than her
lonely heart can resist.
Mercedes
Maxwell is devastated when her twin sister is driven to take her own life by
none other than her husband, William Braxton. Determined to make her
brother-in-law pay for the injustice, Mercedes travels to Philadelphia to find
him. She is shocked to find that William is unaware of his wife's death, and
when Mercedes is mistaken for her sister, she decides to pose as her twin to
glean some answers. Mercedes embarks on an adventure she never dreamed of in
hopes of bringing justice to her sister. Instead of justice, Mercedes uncovers
a plethora of secrets and mystery. As she works to unravel the mystery and
discover who she can trust, Mercedes finds that all is not as it seems, and
that William Braxton may be the one man she can trust.
I can't believe I'm nearly finished with this story. I've only been working on it for sixteen days, and yet, the story is flowing perfectly, and my characters are having so much fun...well, as much fun as one can have in a murder mystery story. And, believe it or not, this book will start a new series - "Your Every Day Hero." I'm going to try really hard to have this baby available for purchase by the end of the month.
Because I'm so excited about this story, I thought I'd share an excerpt. Aren't I nice?
When Detective Brittany Russell goes undercover to expose a
murderer, she had no idea what she was getting herself into—especially after
meeting wealthy businessman, Austin Reeder…who happens to be a suspect. He is
hiding something, and Brittany is determined to bring him down. Unfortunately,
to catch the killer, she might have to break a few rules. The longer she talks
with the charmer of women, the more she’s drawn to the gorgeous man.
Thankfully, her partner, Kurt Hamill, is the one who has always kept her out of
trouble. Loving him comes easy. But now she’s stuck in the middle of a
love-triangle. Too bad she doesn’t know which Prince Charming is telling her
the truth.
**unedited excerpt**
Detective Brittany
Russell from Seattle’s west precinct, raised her fist to knock on the door, but
when she placed it on the hard wood, the barrier pushed open. She held her
breath and listened for signs of movement inside the penthouse apartment. Why
would the door just open when her informant assured her Austin Reeder would be
in a meeting all day? Apparently, her informant wasn’t very accurate.
She cleared her
throat and called into the quiet apartment, “This is Detective Russell with Seattle
Police Department. I need to ask you a few questions.”
Still, she heard
nothing.
She opened her
decorative, black, beaded purse that hung over her shoulder, and grabbed her
phone, quickly dialing her partner. Hamill
here. I’m busy, so leave a message.
She growled. Where
was he? He was supposed to be here with her. “Kurt, get your butt over here,
pronto. I’m at Austin Reeder’s suite, and I think there might be a break-in…or
maybe even another murder scene. The door is cracked open, but I don’t hear
anything inside. So get over here—” click.
The phone disconnected. He really needed to make the phone message time a
little longer than that.
“Mr. Reeder?” she
called into the room. “Are you there? Are you hurt?”
Once again,
silence greeted her.
Glancing at the
elevator, she tried to decide what to do. She couldn’t go inside the suite
until Kurt showed up. It was too dangerous to go in alone. But because her
partner wasn’t answering his phone—
A heavy thud came
from inside the penthouse suite. Her heart knocked against her ribs harder, and
she quickly grasped her glock inside the purse. She still didn’t dare go
inside. She was overdressed for this particular assignment, but when Captain Martinez
told her to check out one of the suspects—insisting it was to be done now—who was Brittany to argue? Besides,
when the captain wanted something immediately, he didn’t want to hear excuses. Trying
to explain that Brittany was at her father’s, and soon-to-be stepmother’s,
afternoon engagement party wouldn’t have hit the stubborn captain’s ears,
anyway.
Her red, silk
dress that showed too much of her legs, and the matching jacket she wore was
definitely not the required uniform. Anybody would think she was a Charlie’s
Angel wannabe in this getup. Unfortunately, she was here to do her job, no
matter what she looked like. However, her precinct would get a hardy chuckle
out of this. She wasn’t sure she was ready to laugh along with them. Not yet.
Another heavy thud
came from inside. “Mr. Reeder? Can you hear me?”
When she didn’t
hear him, instinct told her that she needed to go inside and check it out. Taking
careful steps, she entered the room with her G42 weapon held high. She quickly
swept her gaze around the room, but so far it appeared the occupant wasn’t at
home.
She wasn’t
surprised to see Mr. Reeder’s place decorated with expensive Chippendale
chairs, antique furniture, and Persian rugs. The man was extremely wealthy.
Then again, he did own three banks and this luxury hotel where his penthouse
apartment was located.
As she took three
more steps, her three-inch heels tapped on the floor of the entryway. Silently,
she groaned. This was one of the reasons she’d wanted to go home and change,
but Captain Martinez wouldn’t have it.
“Is anyone here?”
she called out again but received no reply.
Although she
really should turn and leave, her gut feeling told her to stay. She had heard
heavy thuds. If Mr. Reeder wasn’t here, perhaps this was a break-in after all.
That would certainly explain why the front door was cracked open.
Brittany should
certainly search his penthouse suite. He was a suspect of a murder, after all.
The victim of the
brutal murder was twenty-six year old, Hillary Banks. Brittany remembered the
woman from high school. They weren’t in the same grade, but being a year younger,
Brittany watched everyone and knew a lot about them, as well. Even back then,
her detective instincts were taking control of her life.
Hillary had been a
religious girl in high school, but once she graduated, she went to college at
WSU in Pullman, and Brittany hadn’t heard what happened to the woman. Only two
days ago, Hillary had been murdered in her family’s home right here in Seattle.
Her parents were at work, and her younger brother was at school. Hillary had just
gotten out of the tub and wrapped a robe around her body. Within moments of
leaving the bathroom, the woman was smashed over the head with a large object,
crushing her skull, and killing her instantly.
Suspiciously, the murder
weapon was not found on the premises. No fingerprints were found on the crime
scene, except for the family who lived there. The only thing the police had to
use for leads was the list of men written on a piece of paper that was folded
and found in Hillary’s robe.
Since that
discovery, her team had been trying to locate the men on the list and interview
them. Austin Reeder’s name was at the bottom of the list. Brittany and her
partner, Kurt Hamill, had planned to visit Mr. Reeder tomorrow. Why Captain
Martinez wanted this done immediately, Brittany wished she knew. And where was
Kurt? As her partner, he should have been here to back her up.
She reached into
her beaded purse again and pulled out her cell. Just like before, it went to
his voicemail.
“Hamill, where are
you?” she growled. “I know you received Martinez’s call, so why are you
ignoring me?”
As she put the
cell back in her purse, she seriously hoped he was on the way. Back up was most
important in her line of work.
A bead of moisture
trickled down her neck. Good grief! Why did it feel overly warm in here? It was
early summer, so unless he was trying to cook food on his counter top, the
temperature shouldn’t be this hot. Either that, or she’d found a hidden trap
door into Satan’s lair.
She clutched her
G42 and walked into the room further. The wealthy businessman had a glass case
liquor bar, a large dining area, and living room. The three bookcases filled from
edge to edge. It would seem he didn’t have a social life, and probably stayed
at home reading. She’d had almost this many books when she was in college, and
of course, she really didn’t have a social life, either.
She took another
step, heading toward the hallway, but before reaching it, the floor creaked.
She jerked to a stop and listened closer.
The door to one of
the rooms opened, and out walked a man. He was tall, built like a quarterback,
and wore a black bathrobe that reached his knees. His wet hair was slicked back
on his head, and his face appeared freshly shaven. His attention was on his
ipod as he scrolled through it. In his ears were earphones with a cord attached
to the electronic device.
Inwardly, she
groaned. No wonder he hadn’t heard her calling out, announcing herself! A good detective checks every room, Russell.
But in her defense, she was about to when he walked out.
Panic hammered
away in her chest, bringing a momentary shut-down to her brain…and her lungs,
because at this moment as she stared at his bathrobe and the muscular bare
legs, she couldn’t breathe. Her worst nightmare—for today, anyway—had come
true. She’d been caught in the suspect’s apartment looking like a girl going to
her first prom, and holding a G42, no less! What kind of bad horror flick was
this?
The rhythm of her
heart was as fast as a speeding train, and she knew it would derail and crash
at any moment. If that happened, she’d be standing in the middle of his room,
looking like a complete idiot in a fancy dress, with a gun.
What would he
think when he saw her? Although she could imagine plenty, it worried her that
she didn’t look like a police detective. Naturally, he’d think someone was here
to end his life. She definitely didn’t want him thinking that.
Without another
thought, she pushed the glock back in her beaded purse. Just then, the man raised
his head and saw her. He stopped. His mouth hung open as his gaze moved over
her. It didn’t bother her the way he scanned up and down her body like some
kind of hungry coyote, but what concerned her was the way her mouth dried so
quickly and cotton had taken up residence in her throat. This man was
absolutely the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on—and she’d seen many in
her twenty-five years.
Watch book trailer-
Here's what book two will look like. Isn't it romantic?
Today I’m
interviewing an awesome author, Linda Weaver Clarke.
Linda Weaver
Clarke is from Color Country, which is located in southern Utah. It’s a
beautiful area full of red mountains, which sits likes an oasis in the middle
of the desert. She had traveled throughout the United States, teaching people
to write their family history and autobiography at libraries. She is the mother
of six daughters and has several grandchildren. Linda is the author of several
historical romances, a mystery suspense series, a children’s book, and a cozy
mystery series. All her books are family friendly. Visit www.lindaweaverclarke.com.
Linda, I
noticed you are writing a cozy mystery series. This is different from what
you’re used to writing. What made you decide on cozy mysteries?
After writing
historical romances for a while, I wanted to reach out and challenge myself a
little more by trying another genre. The writing process between romance and
mystery is quite a change for me with a completely different mind set. With
romance, you plan out the plot around the meeting of a couple. As you write,
you develop some sort of charisma between the characters, making the reader
feel excited that one day they're going to fall in love. You, as the reader,
know the outcome. But with a mystery, the reader is in the dark. The author has
to come up with a plot that no one can figure out until towards the end of the
story. In a way, it’s more challenging. This genre is quite popular and it’s
one of my husband’s favorites.
That does sound like it would be fun to write! So it looks like your new release is #7 of the Amelia Moore Detective Series. Tell us briefly
about The Lighthouse Secret.
I call this
series a “romantic” cozy mystery. Amelia Moore, the founder of the Moore
Detective Agency, specializes in missing persons. With the help of her
good-looking partner, Rick Bonito, the business is flourishing. Rick Bonito’s
uncle supposedly drowned five years ago and his body was never found, but
something did not seem right about the report. Uncle Antonio was an excellent
swimmer. His disappearance seems quite suspicious to Rick’s father. He never
felt the complete truth had come out about his brother. It is now up to Amelia
and Rick to find out the truth about his uncle.
Wow! This story sounds like something I'd really love to read. Will there
be any more books in this series?
After
writing seven romantic cozy mysteries and four mystery suspense novels, I
decided to go back to historical romance, which is my favorite, after this last
book. I’ve already started a new series and I’m very excited about it.
My books are
available in print and e-book form at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. If you go to
http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/purchasebook.html, then it will lead you to the
correct bookstore with one click.
Thank you, Linda. I know you'll do great with this series.
**CONTEST**
Leave a message on this blog with your name and email, and you will be entered to win a free ebook of Linda's newest release, "The Lighthouse Secret".
I found an awesome review that I just had to blog about!!
My first YA Fantasy book, The Witch Hunt (book 1 of the fairy tale series, Where Dreams Come True) was reviewed by InD'tale! magazine! Not only did the reviewer give it a 4.5 star review, but they gave it a "Crowned Heart" for excellence, which means it's one of their TOP PICKS!
The Witch Hunt (Where Dreams Come True#1) Marie Higgins,
Dusti Miller FANTASY:
The story’s prologue occurs in 1720 Salem, Massachusetts,
with a cursed book snatching two teenage brothers from their world into a fantasy
forest. The first chapter picks up in current day Salem, with
football-jock-cheerleader chasing Rick Stevenson taking on a hundred-dollar
dare from fellow jocks to break into the local “haunted” King family house. His
nosey (and polar opposite) twin sister, Brooke, follows him inside, hoping to
talk him out of it. Eric King, their strange, reclusive neighbor discovers them
but not before Brooke takes the troublemaking book. Eric is the King family’s
“Keeper” of the book, but is no match for Brooke’s curiosity. Eventually, all
three teens are sucked into a land of macabre fairytales gone wrong.
This story is sure to
tickle the fantasy of YA readers, keeping them glued to the pages until the
very end! Although television series like “Once Upon a Time” have cheated
stories like these of their uniqueness, this one is still quite an entertaining
read, with plenty of conflict for young minds to ponder. What’s more, the story
is bursting at the seams with uplifting morals and lessons in the form of
facing fears, respecting opinions of others, and most notably, not judging a
book —or individuals—by outward appearances.
Ms. Higgins and Ms. Miller have scored a winner with this
fantasy geared toward younger readers from pre-teens to fourteen or so, as well
as more mature readers who are young at heart! Lori Leger
When
she entered the children’s ward, some of the children cheered and waved. The
head nurse rushed to her and curtsied. “Welcome home, Princess.”
“Thank
you, Mrs. Meyers. Is my father around?”
“He
is still in a meeting, I’m afraid.”
Clarissa
grinned. “Good. That means I can spend more time with the children.”
There
were many new faces but a few she’d recognized from a year ago. These were the
terminally ill children that came in regularly for treatments. Her heart went
out to them, wishing she could cure them somehow. But for now, her friendship
would just have to suffice.
Charlotte,
the sickest out of all of them, lay in bed but her gaze followed Clarissa. When
she moved closer to the girl’s bed, she smiled wide.
“It’s
so good to see you again.” She patted the girl’s hand tenderly.
“I
have missed your stories, Princess.”
Chimes
of the phrase me too rang through the
room and Clarissa laughed. “Do you want me to tell you a story, then?” The
chimes turned into shouts of excitement, which made her laugh harder. “All
right, I shall.”
Mrs.
Meyers brought a chair for her as the children gathered around…well, those who
could get out of bed, anyway. “What story do you wish me to tell?”
The
children were silent as they looked from one to the other. Finally Charlotte
straightened slightly in her bed. “I would love to hear the story about the man
and the Rapunzel flower.”
Clarissa
had always told the children stories, making them sound as if they were
fictitious. They’d be surprised to know that most of these stories were true.
But it was more fun to tell them as though they were not real.
“Once
upon a time,” she began and the children hushed, “there was a man who was to
become king, and he fell in love with the most beautiful girl in the kingdom.
He wanted to win her love by doing something no other man had dared to do before.
He wanted to obtain for her the most beautiful of flowers…the Rapunzel flower.
But the only place the flower grew was near a tower in the east forest where a
wicked old witch lived, recluse from the rest of the kingdom.”
She
paused, linking her fingers together and resting them on her lap. Before she
continued, she noticed a man had walked into the room, wearing a familiar
uniform. It surprised her to see Ryder here, but then, he was probably assigned
to keep watch on her today. Secretly, she found herself hoping he was there for
her and not his duty to watch over her. He smiled at her as he leaned against
the wall, folding his arms over his wide chest.
“Nobody
else had dared enter the witch’s gardens,” she continued, peering back at the
children. “But this man was different. He was the bravest in the whole kingdom,
and he would do what was necessary to win the fair maiden’s love.” She lowered
her voice for this next part. “So one night, he scaled the large rock wall that
separated the witch from the rest of the kingdom, and entered her gardens.
Cautiously, he crept to the Rapunzel flower and plucked it from the ground.”
She
paused, trying to create a suspenseful moment. The children seemed enthralled
with the story so far as they all leaned toward her and remained silent.
“But
before this man could leave, the witch jumped in his path, stopping him.” Some
of the children sucked in their breath. “She wanted to cast a spell over him
for stealing her flower, but he convinced her not to harm him. He told the
witch of his great love for a fair maiden, and how he wanted to impress her
with the loveliest flower in the kingdom. The witch was taken with this man’s devotion,
so she promised to let him go on one condition.”
Once
again, she paused for affect. But the children became restless and asked, “What
was the condition?” She sneaked a peak at Ryder, and he even appeared eager to
hear the rest of the story. She bit back a laugh and focused on the children.
“Her
condition was this—that he could take the flower to the fair maiden and marry
her, but their first daughter would have to be named after the witch.”
The
children cringed and shook their head.
“Ewww…”
one said. “Why would anyone want to name their child after an ugly witch?”
“Well
you see,” Clarissa interrupted, “a long time ago, the witch had been a
beautiful woman and many men had vied for her attention. But when they
discovered she was a witch, they hated her. Over the years her heart hardened,
and she built the rock wall to separate herself from the rest of the kingdom
because she felt everyone had judged her harshly.”
“So
did the man follow the witch’s orders?” Charlotte asked, pulling away from her
pillow and sitting up in bed.
Clarissa
nodded. “Indeed, he did. He presented the fair maiden with the Rapunzel flower
and they married. Their first child was a girl, and they named her after the
witch.” She paused again, but not as long this time. “However, the story did
not stop there. Oh, no. The witch wanted more. Much more.”
The
children’s eyes widened, but they didn’t ask questions this time.
“You
see, for a few years, the witch had been watching the little girl from afar,
and the witch wanted the girl for herself. So one day when the little girl was
playing in her yard, the witch snatched her and took her to the large tower.”
Prickles
of recollection ran over her arms and up her back. She tried shaking off the
eerie sensation, but she couldn’t. The dream she’d had this morning had seemed
so real. Was she finally remembering what had happened back then?
She
continued before the children became restless again. “Nobody saw the witch take
the girl, so when her parents noticed she was missing, they scoured the kingdom
looking for her, but she couldn’t be found. Several days passed, and the search
grew hopeless. But then one day, the man realized there was one place they
hadn’t looked.”
“The
witch’s tower,” a little boy shouted.
Clarissa
laughed. “Exactly. The witch’s tower.” She rubbed her hands over her arms,
hoping the unsettling awareness still within her would disappear. “The man
decided he was going to sneak back into her yard and watch her. Two more days
passed and he couldn’t see any trace of his daughter. But then one day he
watched as the witch called up to the tower window, “Rapunzel, let down the
rope so I can climb up.”
One
of the girls giggled. “They named the girl after the flower?”
“No,
but this was what the witch called her, because the little girl reminded the
witch of the lovely flower.”
The
children nodded and the little boy asked, “Then what happened?”
“Just
as the little girl lowered the rope out the window for the witch to climb, the
man jumped out from his hiding spot and knocked the witch unconscious. He then
climbed the rope and rescued his daughter.”
They
clapped and cheered, but Clarissa motioned her hand to calm them. “The story
isn’t over yet.”
“It’s
not?” one asked.
“No.
You see, just as the man had left the tower with his daughter, the witch became
alert and attacked the man. She hit him with a large stick. Thankfully, the
king was strong, so he fought her, and of course, eventually killed the witch.”
The
children stood and cheered. Clarissa laughed, clapping her hands at their
display. She loved their reaction. They always responded this way with her
stories. Perhaps that was why she loved coming to the children’s ward so much.
Their infectious laugh was the best kind of medicine.
“Princess?”
one of the children asked. “What was the witch’s name?”
Clarissa
shook her head. “I’ll have to save that question for another time. Perhaps we
can make a game of it.”
Once
again, the children shouted with excitement. She looked at Ryder. His smile
stretched from ear to ear as he applauded. Her heart warmed to see the
enjoyment etched in his expression. Just as she remembered, his eyes gleamed
with happiness. She realized how hard it was to look at anything else when he
was in the room. He was such a handsome man—one she would love to get to know a
little better now that they were grown.
As
many times as she’d told that story over the years, she thought her memories
would bring back the fear she once had of strangers. But the fear was no longer
with her. Perhaps she hadn’t recalled how it had really happened word for word, but she’d only been six years old
when the witch had kidnapped her, so she didn’t remember a lot. Had these
reoccurring dreams opened up her memory in some way?
Her
father hated this story, and scolded her for telling it to the children. But
she was happy to know he loved her enough to rescue her and destroy the witch,
which of course was the moral of the story, anyway.
Of
course, she couldn’t help but sigh knowing her father loved her mother so much
that he risked his life by climbing the rock wall to get her the Rapunzel
flower.
She
leaned back in her chair. Perhaps that was the very reason she hadn’t found a
man she’d consider marrying. She wanted a love like her parents had. She wanted
a man who would risk his life to prove his love.
Too
bad that was the fictitious part of all of this. There was no man out there
like her father.
