Monthly Archives: October 2017

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | October 25, 2017 · 5:00 am

Black Snow – Blitz

Black Snow BANNER

Paranormal Fantasy

Publisher: FAB Publishing

Release Date: October 24, 2017

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Snow’s best friend is a bird. An osprey, to be specific.

Everyone knows Snow’s parents died a long time ago, and she has perfected her happy smile and girly giggle so no one suspects that she hides a darker side of herself deep inside. No one, except her bird – and Nick, who always seems to know how she feels.

Then Hawker Johns blackmails her into joining his covert group of protectors. The imposing sheriff from Norton sends Snow to the Islands to investigate Jamie Jamieson, one of her friends and a man she dates casually, and once the first fury has passed, she’s eager to go. Mostly so that she can come back and shove Hawker’s suspicions down his throat.

Things are not what they seem on the Islands, though, and when Snow has been shot at, almost drowned and fallen through the roof of a cave, she starts thinking about her life, and her past.

Then she suddenly finds herself in a situation where she has a tough choice to make. Will she follow her heart or the pull from her family and friends? And will she ever find peace with her past?

Black Snow is the fourth book in the Birds of a Feather series, a young adult/coming of age series with paranormal elements, full of laughter, mystery, and romance.

Other Books in the Birds of a Feather Series

Wilder

Birds of a Feather, Book 1

Publisher: FAB Publishing

Release Date: December 14, 2016

Wilder’s wonderful grandfather is dead, and so is her mother, but Grandpa Willy gives her one final gift in his will – the knowledge that her father is only her step-father.

Once she meets Hawker, the scary man who turns out to be her real dad, her life takes an unexpected turn. She finds out about a heritage she never knew she had, and secrets from the past are uncovered as she fights to save her part of the world from destruction.

And then there’s Mac, with his green eyes and a soft voice that flows through her like sweet honey. He’s there to help Wilder when she needs it the most, and as she struggles with how to fit into the group of people around her dad – having Mac in her life becomes more important with every bad thing that happens.

“Wilder” is the first in the Birds of a Feather series and a spin-off from the Dreughan trilogy. It’s set in modern time and can be read stand-alone.

Sweet Water

Birds of a Feather, Book 2

Publisher: FAB Publishing

Published: March 2017

Jiminella “Jinx” Sweetwater is a genius. She’s a scholar, an inventor, hardworking and loyal, and well known in the scientific circles around the University in Prosper City.

Being smarter than everyone else might seem like a good thing, but it isn’t. At least, it isn’t to Jinx who has two friends, a small condo, and no life.

After a fight with her best friend Wilder, it just gets worse. Someone breaks into her home and when her parents show up in all their hippie-like glory, Jinx has had enough and escapes to a small village by the sea.

Suddenly, Jinx finds herself involved in village life, living with the unpleasant Mrs. Fratinelli and trying her best to juggle all the things that seem to end up on her plate. And then there’s calm, cool and gorgeous Dante – Snow’s boyfriend, who seems to see right through the shields Jinx has put up around herself, straight into her mind.

Picture This

Birds of a Feather, Book 3

Publisher: FAB Publishing

Release Date: June 29, 2017

Life just keeps slapping Mary in the face.

She had it rough growing up, and when it finally looks like she’s getting her life firmly back on track, breaking up with her boyfriend starts a string of events that threatens to bring Mary to her knees.

Fortunately, there are good people in her life who will do everything in their powers to help her when she needs it. Mary’s girlfriends, Jinx and Wilder are there for her, and after she’s rescued from being kidnapped, Carson and Bo take her into their home, becoming the family she always wanted but never seemed to get to keep.

As the group around Hawker Johns hunt the men who wanted to trade Mary for the valuable crystal from the mountains, she slowly recovers. Then life throws her another few curveballs, and it looks like she’ll lose everything yet again.

Mary is resilient and used to restarting her life from nothing, but when it looks like she’ll also lose the man she loves, maybe the happy girl has just had enough?

Picture this is the third book in the Birds of a Feather series, a young adult/coming of age series with paranormal elements, full of laughter, mystery, and romance.

Excerpt

I found the ledge, and it was barely wide enough for my toes so I couldn’t stand on it for long. The arm holding me up started to burn, and I looked around frantically for somewhere to go.

“Snow,” my bird said. “Big rock. Have to jump, one arm’s length to the right, one head up.”

I looked and thought I saw the outline of the overhang she was talking about. The rock had hit my shoulder, but the numbness had subsided, and I clenched the hand a few times. It seemed to be working. Then my left foot slipped, and for a few seconds, I thought I’d fall, but I managed to hold on and find the ledge with both my feet again.

“Almost there,” Nick said.

Was he crazy? He was coming up right underneath me, something that was against all common sense.

“Get out of the way, Nick,” I repeated. “If I fall I’ll crash right into you.”

He didn’t stop, and my body was screaming at me to do something, so I made up my mind. Then I made sure my safety rope was loose enough, bent my knees as much as I could, tightened all my muscles, and jumped straight into the darkness.

My hands gripped the overhang firmly, and I held on.

“Twist legs right. Another rock,” the osprey said calmly.

I did, and felt my knee hit a rock, bent the leg upward and over it, and heaved myself up over the edge.

“I’m secure,” I called out to Nick and was met with a resounding silence. “Nicky?” I shouted.

He couldn’t have fallen because I would have heard, so why wasn’t he answering?

“Good,” he suddenly rumbled out of nowhere. “Is there an anchor there somewhere?”

My hands slid along the cold, hard rock and found another rusty piece of metal. I yanked it a few times, and it seemed to be safe, so I secured my rope to it.

“Yeah,” I said. “Do you want my rope?

“Yeah,” he echoed.

The overhang was big enough for both of us to sit on. I leaned my back against the mountainside and tilted my head a little to nudge his broad shoulder.

“That was fun,” I murmured.

He snorted out something unintelligible, and I giggled. It wasn’t my fake giggle, it was a real one, from happiness and adrenaline.

About the Author

The proper way to put it here would probably be to describe how I love to play with our two big dogs, adore my fantastic daughters and how much I love to read.

Another way would be to use my imagination and then I would be a super powerful warrior woman, think Xena the warrior princess (though with less tacky clothes). Or when I think of it, maybe I’m actually more of a Hercule Poirot (sans the suit and moustache). Or maybe I’m like Aragorn, strong and cool and then I might get to meet Gandalf! Or I could be Bella’s pretty cousin and snap Jacob up in a second (yeah, I’m so not team Edward), or wait, maybe I could be like one of them heroines in historical novels who swoon all the time. I’ve always wanted to swoon…

Well, I guess you get how my mind is working (or not working, some say).

Anyways, I like to write. Stories, adventures, romantic and happy stuff mixed up with sorrow and hardship, and bit of laughter here and there because the way I see it – life is way too short to go around feeling grumpy.

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Tagged as Black Snow, blitz, lena north, Paranormal Fantasy

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | October 24, 2017 · 5:43 pm

The Billionaire’s Beach: Shark Fin By Maggie Carpenter

The billionaire's beach: shark fin cover

Title: The Billionaire Beach: Shark Fin (Alpha Male Masters Series 7)
Author: Maggie Carpenter
Publisher: Dark Secrets Press
Release Date: October 21, 2017

Blurb:
HE WANTS PRIVACY ~ ~ SHE WANTS PAYBACK

Avery Madison, a farm girl from Montana and struggling interior decorator, has been trespassing on a private beach as payback for a broken promise.

For weeks billionaire Dean Guthrie has been irritated by a young woman disrupting his solitude, and finally catching her he pulls her over his knee. Infuriated she marches into the water not noticing the menace lurking in the shallow depths.

Dean’s frantic shouts of warning send her racing back to the sand, and barely escaping the jaws of the great white she falls into his arms at the water’s edge.

Moments later he recognizes the dark-haired green-eyed beauty. At a chance meeting months before she’d begged him to look at her ideas for his house. Though he’d agreed and was eager to see her again the portfolio had failed to appear.

They realize conniving forces must have interfered, but who, and why? As smoldering passion ignites, more questions surface as they are faced with a mysterious spate of nasty misdeeds.

Does someone want to keep them apart, or are Avery and Dean in serious danger…?

A menace lurks and romance flames in this sexy romance. If you enjoy mystery and suspense with take-charge alpha male and feisty female, you’ll love The Billionaire’s Beach. Grab your sunscreen and click the link today.

Buy Links:
AMAZON
Available in Kindle Unlimited

The billionaire's beach: shark fin teaser1

EXCERPT:
A ripple of something indefinable was moving through his body. He’d wronged her, but who was she, and what had he done?
“This isn’t about me owning this property,” he exclaimed. “Tell me, dammit. What’s going on with you?”
“I’m leaving, that’s what’s going on with me,” she snapped, and turning away she hurried towards the water, but to his surprise she abruptly stopped, spun around, and glowered at him. “I’m glad I was irritating, I’m glad I messed with your perfect little world,” she shouted. “Maybe I was wrong to trespass, but you deserved every aggravating moment, and I might have a sore backside but it’s worth it. It’s time you did some thinking…asshole!”
As she stormed off a second time, he stared after her in complete disbelief. The bikini-clad, beautiful young woman had been the source of ongoing irritation for many weeks, and he’d done what came naturally. He was a dominant, spanking was as inherent as breathing, but had he acted too quickly? Clearly there was more to the story, but why hadn’t she told him? He thought about chasing after her but changed his mind. She was in a state, and he wasn’t feeling particularly happy either. Striding across to the staircase he punched the code into the gate keypad and started up the steps. His habit was to take them two at a time for exercise. He’d been tempted to put in an electric chair, but he liked the forced workout.
“Avery Madison,” he muttered. “I’d remember that name, but her voice, I know her voice, dammit.”
She had a knock-out body, but how could he recognize any woman wearing such large dark sunglasses? Any time he’d studied her through the telescope they’d covered her face. Had it been purposeful? Had she deliberately been hiding behind them so he wouldn’t recognize her?
“Dammit. I should have made her take them off. What’s wrong with me?”
He couldn’t abide sand in his house, and before entering he made it a point to clean it off with a brush he kept hanging on the railing. As he swept his feet and legs he continued pondering, and moving inside he headed up the stairs to his bedroom. As he dropped his clothes into the bathroom hamper, and washed his hands and face, the young woman’s attitude and words continued to weigh on his mind.
“We’ve met,” he mumbled. “I can feel it, and I know your voice. It’ll come to me. Once I calm down, it’ll come to me.”
Quickly dressing in comfortable slacks and a thin v-neck cashmere sweater, he moved swiftly back to the kitchen and filled a mug with coffee from his built-in coffeemaker. Curious to see if she’d left he carried the hot drink outside to the deck, and walking to the railing he stared down at his beach. To his surprise he saw her standing thigh-deep in the water. The baseball cap was gone, and her long dark hair was flirting with the wind. The sun, huge and low on the horizon, was sending a myriad of colors across the sky and sea. The sight was breathtaking. It was a photograph waiting to be taken.
Hurrying inside he grabbed his phone, moved quickly back to the railing and framed the shot. He snapped the picture, and as he stared at the captured image he felt a strange stirring in his soul. He glanced down at her, and to his surprise she turned around and gazed up at him. Had she felt his eyes on her? The moment felt almost ethereal, and impulsively he raised his hand in a simple wave. As she briefly lifted hers in response, he wanted to run down the stairs and pull her out of the water. Without those damn sunglasses he’d know her, he was sure of it, but she had already turned back to face the sea and was moving slowly forward.
“I’m going to have this printed out,” he mumbled looking back at the photograph, then seeing what looked like a speck of dirt on the glass he brushed it aside.
It didn’t move.
He enlarged the image.
A shard of panic sliced through his being.
It was a shark’s fin, and it was perilously close to shore.
It was perilously close to her.
Author Info:
Award-winning and best-selling author Maggie Carpenter has published over fifty romance novels, and is the recipient of a number Spanking Romance Reviews awards spanning a variety of genres. Her readers describe her work as, romantic, funny, suspenseful, beyond a five-star read, exciting romance with a ton of surprises.

Her work includes a best-selling twelve-book contemporary cowboy series, Cowboys After Dark, (https://amzn.to/2ihCNtp), a warrior fantasy trilogy, Warriors After Dark, (https://amzn.to/2iE0cDa) contemporary love stories, and several Victorian romances. His Willful Bride was a #1 best-seller for several weeks and a BookBub Feature Deal. She is best known for her smart, witty, strong-willed women who bring unexpected challenge, mystery and humor into the lives of passionate, dominant men.

Maggie has a history in show-business both in front of and behind the camera, but moved from Los Angeles to live in the Pacific Northwest to pursue her writing. She is an equine enthusiast who rides every day, and writes until the wee hours of the morning when her eyes close only because they must.

This author loves to hear from readers. You can contact her through her website: www.MaggieCarpenter.com. To sample her work for free, go to, www.3FreeBooks.com.

Author Social Media:
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Website
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Tagged as Alpha Male Masters Series 7, contemporary romance, Maggie Carpenter, The billionaire's beach: shark fin

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | · 5:00 am

The Summer Springsteen’s Songs Saved Me – Blitz

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The Summer Springsteen's Songs Saved Me cover

Women’s Fiction

Date Published: October 24, 2017

Coming home to catch her husband with his face between the long, silky legs of another woman is the last thing Sofia expects—and on today of all days. So, after scratching an expletive into his Porsche and setting the cheating bastard’s clothes on fire, she cranks up her beloved Bruce and flees, vowing never to look back.

Seeking solace in the peaceful beachside town of Bradley Beach, NJ, Sof is determined to start over. And, with the help of best friends, new acquaintances, a sexy neighbor, and the powerful songs of Springsteen, this may be the place where her wounds can heal. But, as if she hasn’t faced her share of life’s challenges, a final flurry of obstacles awaits.

In order to head courageously toward the future, Sofia must first let go of her past, find freedom, and mend her broken soul.

Excerpt

The sighs from my supposed-to-be-empty bedroom grow into moans, and my pulse thuds in my temples. I know the dark place might suck me in if I’m not careful, but I can’t stop myself from looking.

I peer through the half-open door. My husband crouches naked on the bed with his face buried between long, shapely legs. Gorgeous, oddly-familiar legs.

“Oooh, oooh,” groans the owner of the silky limbs.

“Mmm, mmmmm,” answers Jerome. His rear wags from side to side. The two bald spots in the center of his butt cheeks stare at me, and my skin tingles the way it did when I drew too close to the sparklers little Benjamin played with on the fourth of July.

The bed creaks. After twenty-six years the thing still makes the same noise. A chill winds its way up my back, and pain sears beneath my ribcage. My breaths rush in and out.

How can he? What the hell? In our bed. Today of all days.

Darkness grows, and flames erupt behind my eyelids. In a red fury, I howl and charge. I whoop again and bear down on the startled couple.

With a jolt, the name of the owner of the legs explodes into my mind.

Mandy.

I know Mandy. Sort of.

Jerome’s personal trainer. Mandy Malone.

I slip on the area rug and lose my balance. Oh, yes. I know Mandy. At the gym Christmas party Mandy’s hips sported a short, pink thing that appeared to be more like a headband than a skirt. The Christmas party was where I saw those legs before.

Mandy jumps out of bed and pulls the covers around her. She cowers in the corner.

I’m not proud of what I do next.

I grab a red high heel from the floor and climb to my feet. Taking aim, I hurl the shoe, but Jerome rolls away and the stiletto lands on the pillow. I reach for one of Jerome’s wing tips resting annoyingly on the floor beside a pair of red panties and matching bustier. I launch the shoe, and the ever-athletic creep dodges and leaps from the bed. A pink rubber phallus lands with a thunk, and a yowl bursts from deep within me. “Sex toys. You’re using sex toys.” My hands grasp the floor lamp and level it like a spear.

“Sof, cut it out.” Jerome’s voice quavers, and he holds his hands over his privates.

Yanking the plug from the wall, I swing the lamp in a circle with no idea of what I’m doing, acting on instinct. I run towards him, but Jerome darts out of the way. The lamp smashes into the headboard, shattering bulbs and sending the pole flying from my hands. Shards of glass cover the bed and floor.

A tiny red mini-skirt and pink tank top catch my attention. My God, she must shop in the children’s department. And what an awful color combination.

“Sof, this isn’t doing anyone any good. Can we talk?” He’s bobbing and weaving now, waiting for the next assault.

“Talk? Talk? What’s there to talk about?” My brain sizzles, and my thoughts stab mercilessly. I seize his belt from the floor and hurl it, grazing the top of his head. “Do you remember when we bought this bed?”

No answer leaves his lips.

“I do.” I snatch up his other wingtip, and this one catches him in the back. “We couldn’t afford it, but you wouldn’t take no for an answer. You said it would last a lifetime.” I rip at the all-cotton sheets, yanking them off the mattress. “I just bought these at Macy’s. I changed the bed yesterday. You told me polyester blends make you sweat. So does she!” I yell, jerking my arm towards the cowering blonde and fighting the fury twisting inside my gut.

Jerome approaches the closet. His hairy bare rear with its Orphan Annie blank orbs shines in the morning light. I tug on the curtains, and as the metal rod falls we both reach for it. He twists hard, and I let go causing him to lose his balance and send the pole clattering against the oak flooring. I swoop up the rod in a death grip and connect with the back of his knees. He falls to the rug and writhes in agony.

“Stop,” he shouts.

“Sure,” I say, launching myself on top of him and boxing his ears. “How’s this?”

He rolls to the side throwing me off, and my face plants onto the carpet. I scramble to my feet and collect the scattered clothing, stumbling down the hallway to the spare bedroom.

About the Author

Barbara Quinn is an award-winning short story writer and author of a variety of novels.

Her travels have taken her to forty-seven states and five continents where she’s encountered fascinating settings and inspiring people that populate her work.

Her many past jobs include lawyer, record shop owner, reporter, process server, lingerie sales clerk, waitress, and postal worker. She’s a native New Yorker with roots in the Bronx, Long Island, and Westchester. She currently resides with her husband in Bradley Beach, NJ and Holmes Beach, FL. She enjoys spending time with her son and his family and planning her next adventure. She wants to remind everyone that when you meet her, SHE’S NOT SHOUTING, SHE’S ITALIAN.

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | · 5:00 am

Good Cop – Blitz

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Romance

Heroes of Henderson, Book 1

Publisher: Kelly Girl Productions

FREE until the end of the Year!!!

What happens when best friends fall for the same girl?

A bromance, a romance, and a love triangle.

Local sports heroes Brooks Bennett and Vance Evans are used to being part of a winning team. Yet when it comes to romance their good cop, bad cop images have them handcuffed. They want a woman’s point of view to help unshackle their reputations, and they’ve picked out one pretty, pony-tailed firecracker to do it.

Lolly DuVal longs for a summer fling that can set off all her bells and whistles. So she agrees to tutor Henderson’s hunkiest heroes on what women really want. But now she finds herself caught between two cops and a hard place. And those bells and whistles? They are starting to sound a whole lot more like alarms.

The Newest Release in the Heroes of Henderson Romance Series

Release Day – October 24, 2017

Mr. Wright

Heroes of Henderson, Book 6

Publisher: Kelly Girl Productions

Release Date: October 24, 2017

After Dallas, Laidey Bartholomew finds Henderson to be a breath of fresh air. Out from under the expectations of her socialite family, she can be as invisible as she chooses. She’s perfectly happy flying under the radar, until a hot-tempered, masculine work of art roars into town on his Road King and zeroes in on her.

All of a sudden, Laidey’s not invisible anymore.

Xavier Wright hasn’t lived in Henderson for fourteen years. You’d think by now everyone would have forgotten about his juvenile antics. Knowing his sick ma doesn’t need any additional stress in her life, he’s determined to make amends for his bad-boy ways. Unfortunately, a certain little newcomer continually brings out the worst in him.

She’s way too prissy for him. He’s way too domineering for her.

Harry believes it’s a match made in heaven.

All the books in the Heroes of Henderson Series are complete romances. They do not need to be read in order, but it might be more fun that way as characters continue to show up in Henderson in big ways and small.

Heroes of Henderson Reading Order

Good Cop Heroes of Henderson ~ Book 1

Bad Cop Heroes of Henderson ~ Book 2

Taming MollyHeroes of Henderson ~ Book 2.5 (Novella)

Top Dog Heroes of Henderson ~ Book 3

Tempting ViviHeroes of Henderson ~ Book 3.5

Kissing Cooper Heroes of Henderson ~ A Christmas Edition

UnderDog Heroes of Henderson ~ Book 4

Mr. Wrong Heroes of Henderson ~ Book 5

Mr. Wright Heroes of Henderson ~ Book 6

About the Author

Growing up every summer in a place where dancing and romancing are literally part of its theme song, Liz Kelly can’t help but be a romantic at heart. And since her favorite author, Kathleen E. Woodiwiss wrote some of the world’s greatest romances, she’s just trying to give the world a little more of that. (Okay, maybe a little sexier that, but we are now in a new millennium after all.)

A graduate of Wake Forest University, where she met her handsome golf-addicted husband, (who is now sporting dark glasses everywhere he goes) Liz is a mother of two grown sons (also sporting dark glasses) and a miniature Labradoodle named Annabelle. They split their time between The Windy City of Chicago and the Fountain of Youth, a.k.a. Naples, FL where dancing and romancing continues on ad infinitum.

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | October 23, 2017 · 11:43 am

Work & Wagers – Blitz

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Murder Mystery, Cozy Mystery

Meet David Wagers, a cool, collected and incredibly handsome Private Investigator in the New York City area. David is hired to investigate the unsolved murder case of Courtney Tabbin, a popular, young woman with a promising future. Along the way, David encounters some interesting and suspicious characters and a complex office drama. Was Courtney’s murder just a random act of violence, or something more personal?

While digging deeper for answers, David also manages to juggle an understaffed office and even forms an alluring, new friendship with Victoria under the unlikeliest of circumstances. With impeccable skills of observation, deduction and razor-sharp instincts, David moves steadily towards solving the case but not without a few twists and turns, and managing to turn a few heads along the way.

Work & Wagers (David Wagers Case #1), a cozy murder mystery, is the first book in the new and exciting David Wagers detective series.

Excerpt

CHAPTER 1

David could already hear the phone ringing as he unlocked his office door. “I guess I really need to get someone in here,” he acknowledged to himself, knowing that he should have hired an assistant a good month ago. Business was beginning to pick up and no longer consisted of just background checks and unfaithful spouses.

His office suite was in a mid-rise building and consisted of two rooms; a small waiting room and his even smaller private office. It really wasn’t a bad trade off considering he had a view – or a snippet of a view – of the New York City skyline.

Sitting at his desk, David snapped his laptop into its docking station and turned it on. He would need to weed through his voicemail messages but that would have to wait for the time being.

One call that he had received the evening before was from Walter Huffs, a respected local attorney. Walter’s niece had been murdered and the crime remained unsolved. Concerned for his sister’s mental health and not wanting the case to go cold, Walter had hired him to investigate further. It was a case that David really wanted to handle, for a number of reasons.

“Courtney Tabbin,” he typed into the search engine on his sluggish computer. Page after page of search results came up. David began to comb through each and every one of them.

He remembered the incident very well. No more than a year ago, Courtney Tabbin’s body had been found in a secluded wooded area in Northern New Jersey, savagely beaten and left in a nearby stream. There had been no sign of sexual assault. Stolen items including a necklace and a wallet containing cash suggested a robbery, but the nature of the wounds suggested something more.

“I will have to speak to your sister, Joanne, about your niece,” David had said to Walter at the time, “and in doing so she will have to relive the crime and the loss of her daughter all over again. Will she be up for it?”

“Yes,” Walter had replied. “I discussed this with my sister before contacting you. It will be hard for her but not as hard as not having closure.”

According to past news articles, the night that Courtney disappeared she was supposed to meet with some co-workers for dinner. At first, when it appeared that Courtney was running late, a couple of the girls had tried to reach her on her cell phone. When she completely failed to show up, one of her co-workers had called Courtney’s house and had spoken to her mother. Her car had eventually been discovered on a desolate road, not far from where her remains had been found.

David’s concentration was broken into to when the phone rang. “David Wagers,” he quickly answered.

“Hi, David, did you get any of my messages?” It was Penny Irvines, a spousal surveillance client. Penny was in her mid-forties and well preserved, but was not the teeny bopper that she thought herself to be.

“Hello, Penny. Yes, I did,” David replied. Penny had left a message yesterday evening. “I just got into the office a few minutes ago.”

“Did you find anything out last night?” she asked sweetly. He could almost hear her batting her eyelashes.

“No,” David admitted. “I didn’t. It seems as if Troy was just working late.”

“Ohhh, how could that be?!” Penny exclaimed. “Are you sure about that?’

“There hasn’t been any evidence of infidelity so far,” he stated.

“You know he still has that business meeting outside of the office at the end of the week,” Penny continued.

“Yes, I’m prepared for his meeting on Friday,” David answered.

“David, dear, I didn’t mean to suggest that you weren’t prepared,” Penny said innocently. “It’s just so hard for me to be home alone all the time when I know he’s out gallivanting.”

“We’ll see what his meeting on Friday turns up. I’ll give you a call at the end of the week,” David said, eager to get her off the phone.

“Thank you, David,” Penny purred. “I’ll be waiting.”

David was getting the distinct impression that Penny just wanted an excuse to get out of her marriage, but he didn’t want to jump to any conclusions.

Picking up the phone, he dialed in his voicemail passcode. Now was as good a time as any to go through the rest of his calls.

***

After picking up records on the Tabbin case graciously supplied by Detective Woods at the local police department, David was on his way to meet with Joanne Tabbin.

Joanne resided in a prestigious area in Northern New Jersey with her husband, a senior accountant and owner of his own CPA firm. Courtney had been their only child, which had made their loss that much harder to bear.

Arriving right on time, David pulled into the driveway of the attached, oversized two-car garage, as Joanne had advised. As he made his way up the front walk, the sun shined down brightly in the quiet, serene neighborhood, attempting to conceal the anguish that he could feel lingering underneath.

David rang the bell and waited for just a couple of minutes, hearing soft footsteps on the other side of the door.

Joanne answered the door looking haggard. In her early fifties she appeared older, with her salt and pepper hair and deep, dark circles beneath her eyes. She quickly extended her hand.

“So nice to meet you, Mr. Wagers,” she said, her gaze meeting his with unexpected determination. “Please, come in.”

“Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Tabbin,” David responded. “Your home is lovely.” The center hall colonial opened to a two story entry foyer which delivered a dramatic first impression.

“Thank you so much,” Joanne said. “Come, make yourself comfortable.” She led David to a formal living room where he took a seat on a small sofa. A framed picture of Courtney, a pretty brunette, sat on a nearby end table.

“Would you like anything?” she asked.

“No, thank you,” David said.

Joanne sat down in an armchair across from him. “So, where do we begin?”

“Well,” David said, taking a pad and pen from out of his briefcase, “We could start with that night.”

“Yes, a night I will never forget,” she stated.

Joanne then proceeded to rehash the events of that fateful evening. How Courtney had come home right after work and changed to go out to dinner for a girls’ night out with her co-workers. They were set to meet at the restaurant at seven thirty that evening, and Courtney had left at approximately five forty-five.

“Why did she leave so early?” David asked as he jotted down notes.

“She was probably taking into consideration the rush hour traffic,” Joanne speculated. “I know she was planning to stop for gas and the bank before it closed.”

“Could she have been planning to meet up with someone else before going to dinner?” David questioned.

“Courtney never mentioned that, but I supposed it’s not out of the question,” Joanne said.

“What about boyfriends? Was she seeing anyone at the time?” he continued.

“She did have one boyfriend but he was away in Connecticut for his last year of college,” Joanne answered.

“I’m sure you’ve been asked all of this before, but I need to ask again,” David commented.

“I understand that,” she nodded.

David hesitated for a moment. “Did Courtney have any enemies that you know of, any jealousies or dramas occurring in her life at that time?”

“Not that I know of,” Joanne stated. “Courtney was a popular girl and always had a lot of friends. She was beautiful and outgoing so, yes, there were some jealousies from time to time but nothing drastic.”

“I understand that Courtney was working at a major corporation in the area,” David said, “What was her role in the company?”

“Courtney was working for Well Metro, a health insurance company,” Joanne said, “She worked as a paralegal in their legal department. She was considering going further and becoming an attorney.”

“How long was she working at Well Metro?” David asked.

“She had just started. Maybe six months,” she recalled.

Tapping the pad with his pen, David asked, “Was Courtney having any problems at work?”

“No, not at all,” Joanne answered. “She loved the work she was doing. Her co-workers seemed like a nice group of girls. They were very concerned for her the night she went missing. I actually still talk to one of the girls. She’s very upset about Courtney’s murder and has been very supportive.”

“Could I have her name?” David asked.

“Pam Jobley,” she said. “She’s a very nice girl. In fact, I know she’s looking to move and I was actually considering offering her our lower level suite. It’s been so quiet in the house since Courtney has been gone. Pam is very cooperative and I’m sure she would answer any questions you might have about Courtney should you want to speak with her.”

“Maybe I will,” David said, looking up from his notes.

***

After speaking with Joanne for a little while longer, David left with a list of names of friends, classmates and co-workers of Courtney’s. Although none of the information he obtained was anything new from what was already on record, he was hoping that a different approach would bring forward different results.

It was obvious that Joanne leaned toward the idea that the murder was the result of a robbery gone wrong, some random person that, hopefully, someone would remember seeing Courtney cross paths with that night. David wasn’t so sure, however, and planned to leave no stone unturned.

About the Author

Sherrie Sushko is the author of three books, Remain, Lost Love, and Work & Wagers. When not writing or reading, Sherrie enjoys spending time outdoors with her dog. Sherrie currently resides in the United States.

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