Jaded by Michelle Bellon Book Release for Promotional Book Tours!

New Release!

To what lengths will a man go for the woman he loves? Reed Dartmouth will learn the answer to those questions time and time again throughout his relationship with Jade Montgomery. When he first meets her as a young, gentle boy the heartache from losing his mother only a year before is still fresh and painful. Jade is different from anyone else he’s ever met; tough, sassy, and even a bit cruel. But she’s also the same as he is: she knows what it’s like to lose a parent. Their friendship begins and a bond like no other is formed. Time passes and Reed learns that not only are Jade’s parents dead, they were murdered and she’s made an oath to one day bring them justice. No matter the price. As they grow older their love evolves but for Jade, old habits die hard and she can’t stop hurting those she loves the most. Even in the midst of searching for her parents’ killers, passion ignites and jealousy burns as Jade tests Reed’s devotion for her. Will she push him too far?

Buy on Amazon

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About the author:

Michelle Bellon lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their four children. She drinks ungodly amounts of coffee and has an addiction to chapstick. She works at a surgery center as a registered nurse and in her spare time writes novels. She writes in the genres of romance suspense, young adult, women’s fiction, and literary fiction. She has won three literary awards.

Website | Facebook | Facebook Author Page | LinkedIn

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Check out Michelle's Other Books

 

A Better World by Marcus Sakey Book Spotlight and Excerpt!

LIFE ISN'T EASY

But it's harder for our kind.

• For readers born knowing daddy's darkest secrets
• For eidetics reliving every humiliation
• For tier ones despised for being better

No matter what you're feeling, you are not alone. We've all been there. Literally --- our suicide hotline is staffed entirely by brilliant volunteers.

Everybody gets blue.

But if you're thinking about hurting yourself, call us first.

1-800-2BRIGHT

Just because you burn twice as bright . . .

doesn't mean you should burn half as long.

 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Set in a near-future America tragically accustomed to terrorism, Edgar finalist Sakey’s stellar sequel to 2013’s Brilliance holds the reader in thrall until the final crack of an unthinkable doom—then offers more.”

– Publishers Weekly, starred review

“This is one fine, thumping thriller . . . Sakey’s series has been taken as an allegory of America devouring its own. Could be. But recommend it, too, as a first-rate actioner forever pulsing forward, told in vivid, even poetic prose.”

– Booklist, starred review

“I love this story so much.”

– Gillian Flynn, New York Times best-selling author of Gone Girl

A BETTER WORLD

By Marcus Sakey

Book Two of the Brilliance Saga

 Marcus Sakey’s Edgar Award-nominated Brilliance was one of the most critically acclaimed thrillers of 2013, a riveting and suspenseful introduction to an alternate present day where one percent of people – the “brilliants” – are born savants, able to overmatch and outperform the rest of us on every level. Assigned to track the most dangerous terrorist in America, Federal Agent Nick Cooper, a brilliant himself, was forced to put his life and the lives of those he loved on the line to save his country – and his soul.

A BETTER WORLD (Thomas & Mercer; June 17, 2014) continues the Brilliance saga. Cooper, now an advisor to the President of the United States, must face off against a shadowy network led by brilliants hell-bent on inciting a civil war. With three cities under terrorist control and panic spreading rapidly, Cooper must put everything on the line – and choose between his country and his own kind. 

Marcus Sakey has been called “one of our best storytellers” (Michael Connelly) and “a prodigious talent” (Laura Lippman). In A BETTER WORLD, he takes readers on a relentless adventure through a world all too close to our own.

A BETTER WORLD by Marcus Sakey * On-Sale Date: June 17, 2014

Price: $14.95 * Format: Trade Paperback, Audio, and E-Book * Thomas & Mercer

About the Author

 Marcus Sakey's thrillers have been nominated for more than fifteen awards, named New York Times Editor's Picks, and selected among Esquire's Top 5 Books of The Year. His novels Good People and Brilliance are both in development as feature films. Marcus is also the host of the acclaimed television show "Hidden City" on Travel Channel, for which he is routinely pepper-sprayed and attacked by dogs. Prior to writing, he worked as a landscaper, a theatrical carpenter, a 3D animator, a woefully unprepared movie reviewer, a tutor, and a graphic designer who couldn't draw. Marcus lives in Chicago with his wife and daughter.

Praise for BRILLIANCE (Book One in the Brillance Saga):

“Brilliance is a tightly plotted thriller with classic questions beating in its geeky heart.”

– NPR.org, Best Books of 2013

“Sakey’s premise is utterly compelling; no committed thriller aficionado will be able to set the book down. His complex characters are deeply engaging, and his writing is propulsive. Best, however, is his insightful evocation of government and popular reaction to the “brilliants.” We’ve already seen it: in doctrines of preemptive war, enhanced interrogation techniques, the Patriot Act, the civil rights struggle, and the ginned-up, gnawing fear that sets Americans against Americans. Brilliance is disturbing—and brilliant.” – Booklist, starred review

“In this parable of democracy’s downfall told in rapid-fire cuts, Sakey upends truths Cooper once thought self-evident, the truths people don’t seem to want any more, preferring instead, “safe lives and nice electronics and full fridges”—nothing less than the tragedy of our times.”

– Publishers Weekly, starred review

“One of the finest thrillers I have ever read . . . if ever there were truth in advertising, Brilliance lives up to its name. It is an utterly brilliant read from a brilliant mind. . . . A masterpiece . . . easily the best book I have read this year.” – Crimespree Magazine

 “Take a dash of Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, mix a pinch of Huxley's Brave New World and mix thoroughly with Marcus Sakey's distinct voice, view and style and you'll come out with the hauntingly wonderful beginning of a trilogy . . . Brilliance is timeless and may very well be the next American classic.” – Jen Forbus, Jen’s Book Thoughts blog

“An awesome summer read . . . will make you happy from start to finish.”

– Gillian Flynn in Entertainment Weekly

“Recommended . . . more than lives up to the title.” – Newcity (Chicago)

“With Sakey's newest novel Brilliance, though, he's blasted in a new stylistic direction that definitely spins his image.” – New London (CT) Day

“At once mystery, thriller, family saga and romance . . . The plot takes many unpredictable twists, the characters are multidimensional, the world quite believable and the social/political commentary pointed and often chilling.”

– Chicago Tribune

“This high-concept, genre-bending yarn . . .is an uncategorizable stew of mystery, thriller, speculative and science fiction enriched with generous dollops of allegory and social satire.” – Chicago Sun-Times

“If the second and third books in this trilogy please as much as this first, Sakey has a solid winner on his hands.” – Mystery Scene

“Perfectly titled, this tour-de-force has it all -- a credible protagonist, a riveting plot, and enough philosophical questions for a roomful of Jesuits.”

– Cleveland Plain-Dealer, Grade A Review

“The emotional guts of Brilliance are my favorite part. The hero has a child, and he’s afraid the youngun will test positive for the mutant gene and be taken for testing by the government. It drives him through the story. That’s the well-done stuff, and it counterbalances the stuff you’ve seen before. Give this one a look.”

– RevolutionSF.com

“We join Cooper on this chase after a hidden world of terror suspects, which includes enough plot twists to satisfy the most demanding thriller reader, and just enough social commentary for the politically aware reader. His work asks the right questions and refuses the easy answers. And it is an exciting thriller. Rarely do we see both in the same book.” – Daily Kos

“Brilliance is . . . I don't want to say brilliant, but only because that's a gimme. But it is. It keeps the pulse pounding and the mind fully engaged, a perspicacious beginning of a new saga.” –Examiner.com

“Gripping . . . Sakey weaves together a fast-paced and gripping story, balancing action and political intrigue.” – io9.com

 “Loaded with suspense from beginning to end . . . This is one of those great and rare books that has a large page count but reads quickly, driven in equal parts by characterization and plot as well as by Sakey’s own highly developed literary skills. Reading as if it is a cross between the X-Men universe and The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick’s classic science fiction work,Brilliance will stay with you while it leaves you wanting more – a wish that fortunately will be granted.” – Bookreporter.com

“Sakey doesn't write "safe" books. He writes books that cut their own course and keep the readers off balance. He is such a talented man that he knows exactly where each plot twist is going and is able to justify it all in the end. . .  Reading a good Sakey novel, and this is definitely a good Sakey novel, is like running an obstacle course. You have to be prepared for the unexpected and you must have the stamina to stick with the story, because most readers will want to finish it in one sitting. So go ahead and jump on the Marcus Sakey bandwagon now. Might as well since it is heading your way, and familiarity and admiration are inevitable.” – Huffington Post

“Marcus Sakey’s new supernatural thriller, Brilliance, lives up to its name. From the very start, this first novel in a projected series is full of action and intrigue. . . Through some twisted ups and downs, the fast-paced Brilliance has all of the best with manipulation, revolution and social commentary in a world disturbingly close to our own.”

– Bookpage

“Summer is the perfect time of year to dive into thrillers that will burn away the afternoon and make you forget about your job, the heat or your visiting in-laws. Two new page-turners out in July fit that description, breaking new ground in the techno-thriller genre, which draws upon themes in science fiction, espionage and action . . . Marcus Sakey's Brilliance is part science fiction, part high-speed chase with a healthy dose of "Big Brother" paranoia.” – CNN.com

Excerpted from A BETTER WORLD by Marcus Sakey.  Copyright 2014. Published By Thomas & Mercer. Used by permission of the publisher. Not for reprint without permission.

Air Force One was an hour shy of DC when the Secret Service agent told Cooper that he was wanted in the conference room.

Across a military and agency career, Cooper had ridden on posh private jets and rattling Army transports, had soared in a glider over the Wyoming desert and jumped out of a perfectly good C-17 with a chute on his back.  But Air Force One was unlike any aircraft he’d ever been on. 

A customized 747, the plane had three decks, two galleys, luxury sleeping quarters, a fully-equipped surgery, national broadcasting capabilities, first-class seating for the press corps and the secret service, and the capability to fly a third of the way around the world without refueling—which it could do mid-air. 

Cooper unbuckled his seatbelt and walked fore.  The agents at the door of the conference room nodded at him. 

The room was a mobile version of the situation room, with a broad conference table and plush chairs.  A holo-conferencing screen showed a sharp tri-d of Marla Keevers in her office at the White House. The president sat at the head of the table, with Owen Leahy at his right and Holden Archer at his left.

Archer glanced at him, said, “Tulsa, Fresno, and Cleveland have lost power.” 

President Clay said, “Marla, how bad is it?”

“Based off satellite imagery, we estimate that the entire metro area of all three cities has gone dark.”

“Why based off satellite imagery?”  Clay asked. 

“Because engineers in charge of the power grid for each region report no unusual activity.  All substations report back green.”

“A cyber attack,” Leahy said.  “A virus tells the system to send massive amounts of power from the grid to individual transformers, blowing them out, while at the same time co-opting the safety systems so that there’s no warning indicator.”

“Yes,” Keevers said.  “That’s what’s got the engineers rattled.  Work crews say there’s no damage to the substations.  The transformers are working.  They’re just not providing power to the cities.”

“How is that possible?”

“The Children of Darwin,” Cooper said.

Keevers nodded.  “It would appear our protocols have been rewritten.  It would take abnorm programmers to pull that off.”

“So what you’re telling me,” the president said, “is that a terrorist organization has turned off three cities like they flipped a switch?”

“I’m afraid so, sir.  With some anomalies.  In each city, several regions still have power.  Two in Fresno, three in Tulsa, and two in Cleveland.”

The image of Keevers was replaced by live satellite footage.  The view was haunting.  Instead of the riotous glow of cities at night, the holograms showed deep black marked by faint ribbons of light that must have been highways.  The only bright spots were in discreet blocks, roughly rectangular, where things looked normal. 

“So the virus wasn’t a hundred percent effective,” Archer said.  “It’s a small comfort, but it’s something.”

Cooper leaned forward, staring at the maps.  There was a pattern, he was—

Two areas in Fresno, three in Tulsa, two in Cleveland.

Go Away Home by Carol Bodensteiner Review for Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour!!

Publication Date: July 1, 2014Rising Sun Press
Formats: eBook, Paperback

Genre: Historical Fiction

READ AN EXCERPT.

Liddie Treadway grew up on a family farm where options for her future were marriage or teaching. Encouraged by suffragette rhetoric and her maiden aunt, Liddie is determined to avoid both and pursue a career. Her goal is within her grasp when her older sister’s abrupt departure threatens to keep her on the farm forever.

Once she is able to experience the world she’s dreamed of, Liddie is enthralled with her independence, a new-found passion for photography, and the man who teaches her. Yet, the family, friends, and life of her youth tug at her heart, and she must face the reality that life is not as simple, or the choices as clear-cut, as she once imagined.

GO AWAY HOME is a coming-of-age novel that explores the enduring themes of family, friendship, and love, as well as death and grief. This novel will resonate with anyone who’s confronted the conflict between dreams and reality and come to recognize that getting what you want can be a two-edged sword.

Praise for Go Away Home

“Go Away Home is … a tale of choices, dreams realized and rejected, and how values evolve … gently compelling and highly believable.” – D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“Excellent characters and an extremely realistic plot … Go Away Home is the perfect story of coming home.” – Samantha Rivera, Readers’ Favorite reviewer

“… a heart-warming and heart-wrenching tale … a story that promises to fulfill what it is to be alive when one chooses the life one wants to live, despite the consequences” – Paulette Mahurin, author of The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap

“Go Away Home is a coming of age novel that is well-written, compelling, and endearing … a strong sense of place, excellent character development, and an engaging plot line.” – Kara Logsden, Iowa City Public Library

“Every life is a story, no matter how mundane it may appear on the surface, but it takes a writer like Carol Bodensteiner to draw a reader in and keep them turning the pages. Bodensteiner … writes characters with depth … she’s captured the era … with meticulous historical detail.“ – J. P. Lane, author of The Tangled Web.

About the Author

Carol Bodensteiner grew up in the heartland of the United States, and she continues to draw writing inspiration from the people, places, culture, and history of the area. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society. She is the author of Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl, a memoir. Her essays have been published in several anthologies. Go Away Home is her first novel.

For more information please visit Carol Bodensteiner’s Website/Blog. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and LinkedIn. Sign up for Carol’s Newsletter.

My Thoughts

Go Away Home is a story that takes the reader back to just before, during and at the very end of World War II in the American Midwest. Liddie Treadway is a young girl at the beginning of the story and has dreams to leave the farm she lives on with her parents and sister Amelia. She just may be able to get away and move to a close town to apprentice with a seamstress. Her parents of course want her to settle down, marry and have children, which she does want someday but not for awhile. She is growing up in a time of the suffragette and with the help of her spinster aunt, they convince Liddie's parents to let her go and do the apprenticeship. In an unforseen tragedy in the Treadway household, Liddie's father dies as a result of an accident on the farm. Liddie sees her dreams go out the window because she knows she will be needed at home on the farm. 

Liddie's mother does eventually relent and Liddie is off to her apprenticeship. She learns a lot about making clothes and loves what she is doing until she meets a young man, Thomas Littman, who is a photographer. Liddie finds a passion she never knew she had and when Thomas proposes marriage to her she says yes and is eager to go to Paris to live with Thomas. There had been a young man, Joe, who had lived with the Treadway's for most of his life and helped out on the farm and became one of the family. Joe decides to move to Canada and take up farming on his own. Liddie keeps up a relationship with Joe by letters over a period of years. Joe comes home for a visit and Liddie is forced to rethink what she really wants out of life.

This is a story that will grab at your heartstrings, through tragedy and loss comes love and hopes for the future. Heartbreak for her and her family seem to break the family but ultimately in the end Liddie realizes that what she most wanted to do when a young girl is not what she wants in her heart. Go Away Home is written abut the daily struggles within a family during a tough time in our American history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am not sure if there is to be a sequel, but I think it would be interesting to see what happens to Liddie in the future. I highly recommend this book!

I received a copy for review and was not monetarily compensated for said review.

Go Away Home Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, July 8
Interview & Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Thursday, July 10
Guest Post at Closed the Cover

Friday, July 11
Review & Giveaway at History From a Woman’s Perspective

Monday, July 14
Review at Svetlana’s Reads and Views
Review & Giveaway at Peeking Between the Pages

Tuesday, July 15
Guest Post & Giveaway at Let Them Read Books

Thursday, July 17
Review at Jorie Loves a Story
Review & Giveaway at Broken Teepee

Friday, July 18
Review at A Bibliotaph’s Reviews
Guest Post at Jorie Loves a Story

Monday, July 21
Review at CelticLady’s Reviews

Tuesday, July 22
Spotlight & Giveaway at Caroline Wilson Writes

Thursday, July 24
Review & Giveaway at Closed the Cover

Friday, July 25
Tour Recap at Passages to the Past

Tour Schedule: http://hfvirtualbooktours.com/goawayhometour

Hashtags: #GoAwayHomeBlogTour #HFVBTBlogTour #HistNov #HistFic
Twitter Tags: @hfvbt @CABodensteiner

Everyday Celebrations by Maria Loggia Spotlight!

Maria Loggia’s kitchen door is always open. Her home and garden are a gathering place for friends and family, who come to share her easygoing enthusiasm and generosity – and her inspired Italian cuisine. In this, her second book, Loggia celebrates the seasons with 16 sumptuous menus – from a spontaneous al fresco garden party to a slow-simmered midwinter feast and a traditional Sunday family lunch.

Everyday Celebrations with Maria Loggia is on a spotlight tour from July 14 to 18.

Author & Chef: Maria Loggia

Category: Non-fiction

Genre: Cooking, Food & Wine, 176 pages

Publisher: Cardinal Publishing

Published: Oct 1, 2012

Amazon.ca  *  Cardinal Publishing  *  Amazon.com

Try One of the Recipes!

Petto di Pollo Farcito con Uva e Noci

Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Grapes and Walnuts

Ingredienti

For filling:

1 tbsp (15 ml) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
¾ cup (180 ml) walnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup (125 ml) red seedless grapes, quartered
2 tbsp (30 ml) finely chopped fresh chives
2 tbsp (30 ml) bread crumbs
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
7 oz (200 g) soft goat cheese, cut in 6 slices 

For chicken:
6 tbsp (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
6 bone-in chicken breasts, skin on
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
3 tbsp (45 ml) unsalted butter, softened
1 orange, cut into wedges
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, each cut in half
5 bay leaves

 
To serve:
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange

Preparazione
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

To prepare filling: Heat butter and oil in a large skillet and sauté shallots until soft, 1 to 2 minutes, and remove from heat. Stir in walnuts, grapes, chives and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool slightly. Leave goat cheese aside for now.

To prepare chicken: Oil a 14-inch (35 cm) round earthenware tiella or roasting pan with 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the olive oil and set aside. On a baking sheet, season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Make a lengthwise slit in each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through. (This will form the pocket for the stuffing.) Rub remaining 4 tbsp (60 ml) olive oil into the chicken (including in the pockets). Divide stuffing equally among chicken breasts, stuffing it into the slit in each breast, and top with a slice of goat cheese. Pull the chicken skin over the filling and secure with toothpicks. Smear butter over the skin and season again to taste with salt and pepper.

Gently transfer chicken to prepared tiella. Scatter orange wedges, rosemary and bay leaves around chicken. Roast 35 to 40 minutes, or until juices run clear when the thickest part of the breast is pierced. Then broil 2 to 3 minutes, or until skin is crisp and golden. Drizzle with orange juice and serve warm with pan juices.

Serves 6

Tips from Maria:

Consigli di cucina (kitchen tips)
The chicken breasts can be assembled the day before, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated. When ready to serve, bring chicken to room temperature and cook as instructed. Doing it this way allows the flavours time to meld together beautifully.

Che cos’è? (what is it?)
I’m convinced food tastes better when cooked in a shallow, glazed earthenware dish known in Italian as a tiella. I find earthenware dishes distribute heat slowly and evenly as the food cooks. Aromas and flavours are intensified and casseroles never stick or dry out.

To season a tiella: Before using your tiella the first time, immerse the dish in cold water to soak overnight. The next day, empty the tiella and wipe it dry. Rub the inside with olive oil and place in a preheated 300°F (150°C) oven for 1½ hours. Remove seasoned tiella from oven and place on a wooden board or thick tablecloth to cool. (If placed on a surface like granite or a cold stovetop, it will crack.) To clean a tiella, soak it in warm, soapy water, then scrub with a soft sponge.

Meet the Author

Maria Loggia is one of Montreal's best-loved Italian cooking teachers. Her Tavola Mia cooking school in the village of Hudson is a warm, inviting place to learn about Italian cuisine. She also appears regularly on television, is featured in newspapers and magazines, and leads culinary tours in Italy.

Maria finds inspiration in her Italian heritage and draws on family recipes that go back generations. She founded Tavola Mia, her at-home cooking school in 1999. Through her study of Italy's regional cuisines, which has included numerous sojourns back to her native country, she has acquired great expertise in the art of Italian cooking. Her passion, humor and dedication to excellence have made her an inspiring teacher. Using fresh local ingredients, Tavola Mia celebrates the seasons in authentic, irrepressible Italian style.

An Interview with Maria Loggia

Maria Loggia from Pierre Blais on Vimeo.

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Tour Schedule

July 14
Being Tilly's Mummy
Walking with Nora
Rockin' Book Reviews
Bookroom Reviews
Musings from Sri Lanka
The 1000th Voice

July 15
One Frugal Girl
Essentially Italian
Off the Cuff...
A Mama's Corner of the World
Kincavel Korner
Book Blast Central
Storeybook Reviews

July 16
Like a Bump on a Blog
Beagle Book Space
Il Mio Tesore
The Book Faery Reviews
Black Lilac Kitty Cozy Book Corner

July 17
I'd Rather be at the Beach
Cheryl's Book Nook
Cindy's Love of Books
Brooke Blogs
Carole's Book Corner

July 18 
3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &. Sissy, Too!
Library of Clean Reads
Celticlady's Reviews
Deal Sharing Aunt
Ivory Owl Reviews

Techno Crazed by Sara Makela Spotlight with Giveaway!

Title: Techno Crazed (Hacked Investigations) 
Author: Sarah Makela 
Genre: New Adult Paranormal Romance (with SciFi flare) 
Sexual Content: Hot bordering on erotic 
Publish Date: July 11, 2013 
Publisher: Kissa Press LLC

~Synopsis~

Private investigator Hannah Franklin's life is turned upside down after being contacted by a former employee of MAX Home Security, the leader in security services. But they're not just protecting people anymore. Hannah's informant claims to have proof that MAX has ordered the assassination of politicians who stood against the corporation. When her informant is killed and an attempt is made on her life, Hannah has no choice but to contact a freelance hacker. Her only hope now lies in the hands of a man she never expected to welcome back into her life. Ian Bradley has lost his girlfriend and his job, as well as having acquired a very annoying gnome. Now his ex, Hannah, is in danger, and she needs his help. Ian vows to protect Hannah with every resource available to him -- and as a technomage in a high-tech world, his resources are almost endless...  

Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon | Amazon UK

   

About the Author

Sarah Mäkelä loves her fiction dark, magical, and passionate. She is a paranormal romance author, but she’s written all over the romance spectrum with cyberpunk, sci-fi, fantasy, urban fantasy… even a sweet contemporary romance!

A life-long paranormal fan, she still sleeps with a night light. In her spare time, she reads sexy books, watches scary movies and Ghost Adventures, and plays computer games with her husband. When she gets the chance, she loves traveling the world too.

Connect with the Author: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog

Read an Excerpt

Excerpt :

Hannah rested her forehead against the cool, metal desk. She anxiously awaited the moment when she could dive into bed and close her eyes. Cheating spouse cases currently flooded her office. Most of the ones she’d worked were fueled by insecurity and simple misunderstandings that could’ve been resolved through conversation or therapy. Just two more reports to file, then she’d be able to call it.

Memories of her soft blankets and the comfort of her pillow relaxed her bunched shoulders. Her eyelids drooped, and she exhaled, ready to give into her exhaustion.

Ringing jarred her from the edge of sleep. She jerked upright and rubbed her eyes. Clearing her throat, she reached for the office telephone. She used an old landline since they were more secure than the wireless communication devices on the market, which ranged from implants in the ear to high-tech cell phones.

“Franklin Investigations, how may I help you?” she asked, stifling a yawn.

“Is this Hannah Franklin? I need to speak with Hannah.” The male’s deep voice radiated urgency, with panic underlying his tone.

“This is she. Who’s calling?” Her spine stiffened, and tension tightly wound its way through her. She grabbed a stylus pen and poised it over her e-ink notepad. The electronic leaflet awoke within seconds filled with comments from her previous assignment. Tapping an icon in the top right corner, she brought up a clean page.

“Rich Granger. Listen, I can’t talk for long.” He paused. “Shit! Hold on.” Rummaging and his frantic breathing sounded over the phone. “Okay. This is the deal. I used to work for MAX Home Security. Everything was fine until a few months ago. A turnover happened with the corporate execs. You’ve heard the news, right?”

How could she not? Everyone was talking about the scandals involving the home security giant. Some of it was a bit too sci-fi weird, even for her. Yet, it also made her think of… Grrr… No, she wouldn’t do that to herself.

“Yes, I have. What’s this about?” She kept her voice professional and scribbled down notes about the new potential client.

“You know the senators who spoke against them are dead, yeah? Well, that’s not a coincidence. I have proof that MAX killed them. Meet me at the donut shop on the corner of Fifth and Main Street. You need to see this. Shit!” Sneakers smacked pavement and tires screeched over the phone line. “It’s too late,” Rich said. “They’re here. A freelance hacker I know can help you finish this. Malloc. Reach out to him. This needs to stop.”

The hackers she’d met weren’t the most trustworthy, but if he could help… And wait, she’d be finishing this? Alone? Reluctance rose within her. Her caseload was already full. Besides, after opening her own firm, she needed compensation for her time. Bills streamed in faster than paychecks. However, none of her current assignments held this level of excitement. This case could drive in more business.

“All right, I will.” She scribbled down the hacker’s name and notes about the donut shop.

Men yelling and the distant sound of thundering footsteps disrupted her thoughts.

“Mr. Granger? Rich? Hello?” She glanced at the caller ID to write down Rich’s number and turned to her computer, keying in the digits to a reverse lookup search engine. She needed to know who exactly this guy was.

A gunshot blast rang through her ear, and she jumped out of her chair, dropping the phone. Blowing out a calming breath, she grabbed the phone and listened again.

A pained whimper yanked at her heartstrings, and plastic clattered against a hard surface, presumably Rich’s cell phone hitting the sidewalk. Two more shots fired.

She slammed the handset onto the receiver, a wave of nausea and helplessness crashing into her. Bile rose in her throat, but she shoved it down. Now wasn’t the time. Slumping back into her chair, she stared at the name on her notepad. Malloc. Geez. Hackers could be impossible to track down. This wasn’t the first time she’d looked one up. The last hacker had taken several days to locate. Time wasn’t on her side now.

Giveaway

$5 Dollar Gift Card 2 Ebooks of Authors Backlist

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