BOOK JUNKIEZ

by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | January 27, 2021 · 5:00 am

Snowflake Tour

YA. Political thriller. Climate thriller. Coming of age.

Date Published: May 18, 2020

Publisher: Global Animal (Indie publisher)

★ EDITOR’S CHOICE,

Booklife ★ NOTABLE BOOK, Blue Ink Review ★

A scholarship student at a private high school decides he must kill the president as an act of environmental protection.

18-year-old Ben Wallace didn’t set out to become an environmental activist, let alone a presidential assassin. But after a mind-altering experience and two near tragedies, Ben discovers some facts about earth’s rapid global warming and none of it is good news:

◆ “A Species Goes Extinct Every 20 Minutes, 26,000 A Year”–

NY Times

◆ “Worldwide, 7 Million People A Year Die from Air Pollution” –

Science Daily

◆ “Humankind Has Wiped Out 60% of All Animals Since 1970” –

The Guardian

Ben becomes outraged by the president’s climate change lies, attacks on climate science, and destruction of the natural world. He decides there is only one solution—a desperate, but necessary act of environmental activism and social justice to protect his generation—Ben must kill POTUS.

At his exclusive private school, Ben becomes a loner, self-isolated from the other students who appear—on Instagram anyway—not to have a care in the world. Not a single student seems to notice the planet is burning. It’s all too much denial and lies—he’s got to act! Skipping his meds and therapist to prepare for his mission, the actions of this teenage vegan stress-tests the line between madness and morality.

During the six weeks leading up to his assassination of the President of the United States, Ben realizes he’ll never get close enough to kill the president with a gun. Instead, he hatches a realistic hi-tech strategy, meticulously prepping for the daunting challenge he faces to assassinate a president.

Throughout this controversial climate change novel, Ben grapples with the philosophical, practical, and moral reasons that make his radical actions necessary. Mr. Hale, Ben’s STEM teacher, and a former Navy Seal sees that his best student is struggling and attempts to take Ben under his wing. But Hale makes a fateful mistake by ignoring the signs of Ben’s unraveling.

With a narrative structure that springs from Ben’s brief journal entries, a ritual that helps him process his overactive mind into a singular confessional voice, the events tighten into a gripping suspense thriller racing to a shocking conclusion. For those who feel like its young protagonist, angry and helpless as we blow past irreversible tipping points, the novel is an urgent battle cry—if not to take up arms, then to become a climate change activist fighting against humankind’s extinction.

⚠

WARNING: Snowflake, a Cli-Fi novel and political thriller, is a work of contemporary historical fiction—it swims the current of America’s craziest cultural waters and terrifying global warming facts. But the climate science Ben cites is real, the politics are true, and the president’s attacks against the environment are accurate. So, as it promotes the truth about climate change, some may find Snowflake a dark and disturbing novel.⚠

EXCERPT

I’m trying not to bug out, downloading this horrible day in a damn Kimpton Boutique Hotel in Westwood because Dad had some points on a credit card. The hotel advertises “Wilshire Chic,” and I’m up on the roof deck with a tiny pool, watching fires rim the distant hills under a nuclear bomb of smoke. Couples drink twenty-dollar “craft cocktails,” like somebody spent a year woodworking them into existence. Like nothing is wrong. And for now, for them, I guess nothing is.

About the Author

Working in Hollywood as a WGA writer, Arthur Jeon sold many scripts, including thrillers to Warner Bros, before becoming an author. Random House published two of his non-fiction books: City Dharma: Keeping Your Cool in the Chaos; and Sex, Love & Dharma: Finding Love Without Losing Your Way. Both books apply mindfulness to the stresses of modern life.

Arthur’s love of animals led him to co-creating the non-profit Global Animal Foundation (globalanimal.org). This animal welfare work exposed him to the alarming habitat destruction and extinction rates that generated the idea for Snowflake, his debut novel. Arthur Jeon has a BA in Humanities from Harvard Extension and an MFA in screenwriting from USC Film School.

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | · 5:00 am

Dirty Wedding Dress Tour

The Dirty Past

Romance

Date Published: February 19, 2020

Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company

“Don’t get drug through the mud to end up at the altar in a dirty wedding dress”

I swear, every day of my life, not a day goes by where there isn’t a relationship crises that I am pulled into. It doesn’t matter where I go; someone is talking about relationships and marriages. Hell, love and relationships are the top talking points at my gynecologist office, geesh!

Both men and women aspire to attain a traditional “happily ever after” in their relationships/marriages, it seems. However, it’s looking more and more as if the tradition of marriage is being discarded and strewn to the wayside in our fast-paced society.

Too many relationships are plagued with infidelity, abuse, financial woes, and an absence of a spiritual foundation. With that recipe, how can a relationship survive and thrive?

After countless lessons in my life and simply observing others, I’ve witnessed and learned a lot. If marriage or a committed relationship is what you desire, complaining to others will most likely not yield a positive result.

There are some things you must never forget! Some things are good. Some things are bad. Others are simply a lesson you’re meant to learn.

You are about to experience an immersive lesson on relationships and what it all means in this real world, and it’s guaranteed to be a lesson you will never forget!

“Her white dress and white veil signifies her innocence, which is glowingly visible on her face. Meanwhile, her side smile tells the entire story of her tainted love affair.”

“Some of our behaviors were quite nefarious. Behind the “good girl” public image, there lived a fun girl to the 100th power!”

“But through it all, your father always professed his love for me. He swore he’d never leave me. He said he didn’t know why he beat me, but he was so sorry…always sorry.”

“I thought if I could just hold on and gain the title of being his wife, all the wrongdoings would somehow instantaneously be made right.”

“He would come by our house to see my mother for a few hours, here and there. He never once stayed overnight.”

“Barely able to speak, she said, “I can’t do this anymore.”

COMING SOON

Dirty Wedding Dress

“The Dirty Cheater”

The Novel

“The Day I Met Oprah”

Excerpt – Quote

“I thought if I could just hold on and gain the title of being his wife, all the wrongdoings would somehow instantaneously be made right. “

About the Author

I am a published Author of a 5- star rated romance novel. Go figure!

Most of us have unrealized dreams and aspirations, right? In many cases some never reach their full potential because the biggest obstacle in stagnation is self. You’ve heard the saying “ Get out of your own way!”

Since writing Dirty Wedding Dress : The Dirty Past, I’ve been asked by other aspiring Authors the exact same question; How did you do it?

Well, I remember when my journey began. It was over 35 years ago! Yes, that is how long this process has been in the works for me.

At around age 16, I began having a recurring dream. In the dream, I found myself speaking before an incalculable audience of people.

For many years afterwards, I questioned God. I sought answers to the who, what, when and where. “God, why am I having the same dream but more importantly what in the world am I talking about that people are interested in hearing?”

As with most things, when I didn’t receive immediate clarification, I simply continued living. Life goes on was my thinking,

In 2014, I had another dream. But, in this dream, I saw the words Dirty Wedding Dress. I mumbled under my voice, “hmmm, interesting.” I vaguely remember writing on that subject, but then I stopped. I mean we all know how life can be. Too busy to add another line item to my overcrowded To Do List, right?

I continued on about my busy life. Until one night in 2019, I had another dream. The same as before. The words Dirty Wedding Dress. I paused.

In my past, I was not what I considered to be a “serial dater.” I never married. I enjoyed being a free spirit. I guess that is the Aquarius in me. The social butterfly.

Ironically, at this exact same time, I was in a relationship and let me tell you, that is an entirely different novel of its own! Dating these days is nothing like I remember, I will just leave it there for now.

But getting back to the dream and the words Dirty Wedding Dress. I felt different about the dream this time. It felt like a “charge” a demand even. I quickly began doing what most do when we do not want to comply with something. I began making excuses.

I told myself I was busy. I was tired. I was sick. I tried everything. But I could not shake the “charge.”

Once I accepted that I would complete writing the book Dirty Wedding Dress, I began researching. I had been an owner of an Independent Record Label during the 2000’s. I knew I would need a Publisher.

I called my current Publisher, Dorrance Publishing. I remember asking the agent a very straight forward question, “how do I write a book?” We both chuckled! Little did he know, I was profoundly serious because I had only read 2 books in my entire life. PS I love you and the King James Bible (which I have been working on half of my life and it is still pending)

I did not know the first thing about writing a book. But the agent’s response somehow calmed my fears. He said, “if you can tell a good story, you can write a book.”

Later that night, I prayed about writing the book Dirty Wedding Dress. When I awoke, I knew that I had been writing this book my entire life. When I sat down at my computer the words seemingly attached themselves to paper, effortlessly.

To all who aspire to write a book or whatever that nagging voice is telling you to do, I say stop making excuses and do it! It may just change your life as it has changed mine️.

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | · 5:00 am

The Franklin Chemists Blitz

Middle Grade

Published: December 2020

Publisher: Warblebox

Elephant Toothpaste… submarines… rockets and a chase across the lakes of England. This book follows the adventures of Hannah and George as they find themselves on an unexpected adventure with their scientific Aunt Rosalind. When she disappears, they must protect her biggest scientific discovery from two scientists intent on stealing it as their own.

A fun and enjoyable STEM tale from an exceptional author.

#TheFranklinChemists #TillyTurbet #Warblebox #STEM #BookBuzz

Other Books by Tilly Turbet:

One Thousand-Eyed Spies

Publisher: Warblebox

Published: June 2018

Middle Grade

One Thousand-Eyed Spies is a fantastical middle-grade children’s story about Gopi, a hapless soldier who is tasked by his Queen with a quest to save the White Island. Gopi must cross an ocean, battle a sea dragon and deliver the heir to the Island to the Upper World and to safety until he is ready to return and fight for his legacy.

Eleven years later and Nana tells her grandson Jag the story of the White Island and how it came to sink to the bottom of the sea. Jag soon realises that there is more to his history than he has been told and a great sea voyage delivers him to a very different destination, one which exists many leagues under the sea and where he must fight for his destiny and the future of the White Island.

Amazon

Excerpt

“Listen.” She leant forward, whispering. “Between you and me, I don’t really like children. In fact, they’re just about my least favourite animal in the whole world. Worse than spiders. I just can’t bring 9 myself to care about your little plastic toys or your annoyingly loud games or your shocking lack of vocabulary. What’s your name?” “George.” “And yours?” “Hannah.” “It doesn’t matter, because I’ve forgotten you already,” confided Mrs Muddle. “I see forty, maybe fifty children just like you every week. If I cared about every child that I sent away from their family, it might make me sad; and you wouldn’t want me to be sad, would you? So instead, I don’t care. I don’t lose any sleep. I don’t shed a tear. Not ever.”

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | · 5:00 am

Krampusnacht Tour

Book 4 in the Shadow Tales Series

Supernatural Action-Adventure

Date Published: 11/17/2020

photo add-to-goodreads-button_zpsc7b3c634.png

In a small Austrian town, Krampus Night turns real.

The yearly celebration of Krampusnacht is one of Bad Gastein’s most
cherished traditions. Rachel Chochopi arrives right in the middle of the
festivities to investigate an unexplained atmospheric disturbance and soon
realizes that something else supernatural has arrived in town as well.

Children are going missing.

The recently turned vampire puts her own dilemmas aside and sets her mind
to rescuing the kidnapped kids. Her first faceoff with the kidnapper leaves
no question that she’s outmatched. The rest of the European
Huntsman’s Network can’t reach her due to a once-in-a-lifetime
storm, so Rachel must team with some new acquaintances to defeat a
Christmastime monster.

EXCERPT

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Caroling was Felix’s favorite Christmastime tradition. Had been ever since he was five years old. He still really C enjoyed it at fourteen but had begun pretending to be weary of the activity to avoid persecution from his peers. As the troupe he was a member of walked from house to house, he’d roll his eyes with pretend exasperation or occasionally give the chorus’s chaperon a fake scowl. Whenever he saw someone he knew, he’d trudge through the snow dramatically, dragging his feet while complaining that his parents had once again goaded him into participating.

He couldn’t let others know how he truly felt.

However, when it came time to sing, Felix couldn’t hide his true sentiments. He enjoyed the act too much. Multiple people had told him he had a good voice, and who in their right mind didn’t relish doing something they were good at? Felix wholeheartedly enjoyed it. He’d belt out the carols exuberantly, often with a big smile. This was especially true when performing his two favorites: “O Holy Night” and “Good King Wenceslas.”

But this year was different. This year his reluctance to go caroling was sincere. For starters, it was no fun being out in such extreme weather. The town was slowly sinking into a sea of gray 1

and white, and the biting cold caused his lips to go numb, making it difficult to sing. It also felt odd to be caroling in the early afternoon hours, even though the sky was overcast enough to give the appearance of late evening.

Then there was the Krampus.

Felix had begged his parents to let him stay home. His father had responded by giving him an extra scarf and a short speech about the importance of honoring one’s commitments. Due to the weather and the two kidnappings, the caroling had been rescheduled for the afternoon, easing the concerns of the carolers’ parents. Most of them had agreed to let their children spread some much-needed cheer after being assured by the group’s chaperon that he would escort each child home afterward.

No one spoke of monsters.

That included Felix, who hadn’t mentioned the fabled beast since giving his statement about Simon’s abduction to the police.

He wished he hadn’t mentioned it then either. Neither the police, nor his parents, believed his story. Instead, Felix was sure they were questioning why he’d made up such a wild tale. Soon they might question why he and his friends had been in such close proximity to Simon when he was kidnapped. They might start making connections Felix didn’t want them to make. For that reason, he’d not raised his concerns about the monster when begging his parents to let him skip caroling.

It certainly wouldn’t have helped, and even though he was frightened and half-frozen, Felix had to admit that now that he was out, he wasn’t completely hating it. There was a small part of him that was starting to appreciate that his parents had forced him to participate.

The community did seem to welcome the distraction. Many of the families they visited stepped outside, onto their front stoops, closing the door behind them so as not to let any heat from their fireplaces escape. Bundled up in coats and blankets, they laughed, sang along, and applauded, happy to experience the joy of the season.

By about the fifth or sixth house, Felix found that he was 2

actually feeling some of that joy too. So much so that he was able to relax and nearly forget about the creature he’d seen in the forest. Then, on the way to the seventh house, the group’s chaperon announced they’d be singing “Good King Wenceslas” next.

This was the moment he’d been waiting for. Felix did his best to shake off the cold. He stamped his feet and clapped his hands together while he waited for the home’s occupants to appear.

The second the door opened, he and his fellow choristers broke into song.

“Good King Wenceslas looked out upon the Feast of Stephen,” Felix sang joyfully. “When the snow lay ’round about, deep and crisp and even.

Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel. When a poor man came in sight gath’ring winter fuu-u-ell .”

About two hundred and ninety-three miles northwest of Bad Gastein, Toby Hoffman was also starting to feel more positive about things. After only two hours of research, he was confident he’d identified the beast Rachel had sensed in the woods. He marched into Frederick’s office and plopped a large, leather-bound book onto his employer’s desk. It was already opened to the chapter he wanted everyone to see.

Tapping the page several times, he pointed to the title. “I think this might be our monster.”

Frederick turned away from his computer screen, peered at the text Toby was pointing to, and then gave his hunter a dubious look. “The Krampus?”

“You asked me to look into any legends or myths associated with the area,” Toby replied. “This thing comes up every time, in every book. It’s the most infamous creature from that part of Europe.”

Henry, who was sitting off to the side of Frederick’s desk, studying a few books of his own, picked up the one Toby had brought and started leafing through the pages.

“I was hoping for something a little less . . . yuletide,”

Frederick said, returning to his computer screen. “A legend or myth not so tied to the season. Even better, something we have 3

record of as being more than just a legend or a myth. Something a hunter has actually encountered.”

Toby’s certainty crumbled a little bit. “You’re saying nobody has ever seen one of these things before?”

“I’m saying nobody we have reason to trust has ever seen one of these things before.”

Toby hadn’t been aware that there was no record of any hunters encountering a Krampus. He still wasn’t even totally clear on what the heck a Krampus was. The only reason the creature had seemed like a worthwhile lead was the fact that he, or it, was known to annually beset Austrian towns right around the holidays. Truth be told, Toby had been anxious to present even a semi-promising lead to his employer because he was eager to jump ahead to the part where they discussed sending him to Bad Gastein to help.

“Krampus, whose name is derived from the German word krampen, meaning claw, is said to be the son of Hel in Norse mythology,” Henry stated, reading from the book. “According to the folklore, he begins surfacing each year on Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night, which is traditionally the night of December sixth.”

“That was the night of the disturbance,” Frederick noted, not offering any additional details on what sort of disturbance he was talking about.

“He then continues his work throughout the holiday season,” Henry continued. “Up until all the bad children have been punished or until he’s successfully banished by Saint Nicholas.”

“I worry we might have trouble enlisting Saint Nicholas’s services,” Frederick said dryly. He rolled his wheelchair over to where Henry was sitting and took a look at the book. “Perhaps we should see if there’s another way to defeat the beast, and, while we’re at it, continue looking for a more feasible culprit than Santa Claus’s dark equivalent.”

“I want to go down there,” Toby stated. “It was a mistake to send Rachel on her own.”

“It was what she needed,” Frederick answered.

“She needs help. Some support from those who care about her.”

“Not if she isn’t ready for it.”

“That’s a bunch of B.S.”

Frederick looked up from the book and asked, “After your mother died, did you eagerly accept all the support others were offering?”

He sure hadn’t. Toby wanted to volley back some sort of protest but realized he didn’t have a leg to stand on. His employer had swiftly and adeptly swept both out from under him. Still, this wasn’t just about self-pity or giving Rachel the time she needed to work through things on her own. There was a very good chance that she could be in danger.

“I’m sending Jack,” Frederick continued. “Only Jack. Until I have reason to believe a larger team is needed.”

Toby held his tongue. The truth was, they simply didn’t yet know enough about the threat to determine if it was an all-hands-on-deck situation. If Frederick was going to send others to Bad Gastein, he was going to need a clear-cut reason for doing so.

Toby needed to find him one.

About the Author

James Drummond is the author of chilling supernatural action-adventure. A
lifelong fan of scary stories and hero’s journeys, he’s put his own spin on
familiar folklore with his Shadow Tales series. He lives in Chicago with his
wife Angela and two former shelter cats named Snowball and Suzette. In
between early morning and late-night writing sessions he works as a Senior
Instructional Designer at an e-learning development company where he often
employs storytelling techniques to convey new concepts to different learning
audiences. You can visit https://www.jamesdrummondwrites.com to learn more
about James and his four-book (one day to be seven-book) series.

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by Jennifer Reed/ bookjunkiez | January 26, 2021 · 5:00 am

Beyond Power Blitz

Florida Wildlife Warriors, Book 2

Romantic Suspense

Release Date: January 26, 2021

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Sultry romantic suspense set in Florida’s untamed wilderness…

When your heart’s involved…

If you dare venture beyond Disney’s magic and Miami’s high-rises, you’ll find yourself in Florida’s untamed wilderness.

A bush pilot and officer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Josh Tanner is one of the tough cops needed to manage these rugged areas. And the minute he finds Delilah Atwood deep in the woods without a good explanation, he knows something is very wrong…

All the stakes are raised…

Delilah barely escaped her ultra-fundamental militia family years ago. Now she’s back to save her sixteen-year-old sister, and no government man is going to stop her. Josh isn’t going to stand by and watch Delilah risk her life, but unless he can get her to trust him, she may end up being the next victim.

Other Books in the Florida Wildlife Warriors Series:

Beyond Risk

Florida Wildlife Warriors, Book 1

Release Date: January 2019

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Author Connie Mann delivers clean romance with a side of intrigue and suspense the likes of which you’ve never seen. Florida’s untamed wilderness beckons with its beauty and mystery, but this paradise has a dark side that’s waiting for you to step off the path…

Former Florida Fish & Wildlife Officer Charlotte “Charlee” Tanner still carries the guilt of a tragic drowning accident that occurred on her watch. She hoped moving back home to central Florida would provide a safe haven―until she learns that her beloved wilderness is full of twisted lies and deadly secrets, including the fact that the death that’s haunted her was no accident…and she was the intended target.

Tough and decisive, Lieutenant Hunter Boudreau has just been promoted as a law enforcement officer with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, though not everyone on the force is happy about the change. Despite the friction at work, Charlee is his best friend, so when she comes under fire, he’s not letting her out of his sight until the killer is caught. But Hunter has secrets of his own, and Charlee is determined not to let anyone else die for her.

As danger closes in and Charlee and Hunter’s attraction threatens to consume them, Charlee has to decide whether she can trust Hunter. And to save Charlee, Hunter will have to trust her, too.

Amazon

Excerpt

Delilah raced after Mary, ignoring the gunshots spitting sand up at her. She’d pulled her weapon from her waistband, but she didn’t fire, wouldn’t risk hitting Mary by mistake. She just had to find her, fast.

If Mary disappeared now, Delilah might never see her again. Her family would disappear, and their like-minded friends would make sure no one could find them. She couldn’t bear the idea of her sister going through what she had.

She ran despite the bullets that just kept coming. Some part of her brain was surprised she wasn’t down on the ground, bleeding, but whoever it was knew exactly where they were placing those shots. They were trying to keep her away, not kill her.

The moon slid behind some clouds, and Delilah momentarily lost sight of her sister. One minute, Mary was ahead of her, and the next, she’d disappeared.

Delilah ran farther, heart pounding, until the gunshots stopped and the silence told her Mary was gone. Panting, defeated, she collapsed against a live oak tree and slid down to the ground. Bark scraped her back, but she didn’t notice. “Oh God. Mary.”

She’d hoped once her sister knew she’d come to rescue her, she’d meekly follow and they’d get the heck out of Dodge. Easy-peasy. She snorted at her own naïveté. What had made perfect sense in her Tallahassee apartment she now saw for the same childlike thinking that had gotten her trapped eight years ago.

Frustrated, she climbed to her feet. She wasn’t that scared girl anymore, but she understood Mary’s thinking. Her sister had no doubt been rigorously indoctrinated into the importance of family and sticking together against the outside world. Her reaction tonight said she’d also seen enough to want to protect Mama.

But given the gunshots, Mary’s cooperation was only part of the equation. Either Aaron or John Henry obviously didn’t want her to leave. They didn’t go to that much trouble for a “mere woman” without good reason.

Which meant she not only had to find them, she had to find out exactly what they were planning so she could use that as leverage, too.

When Delilah stopped behind a tree, Josh deliberately made noise as he approached so as not to startle her. He was shocked to his toes when she stepped into view, Glock held in front of her, hands rock steady on the grip, eyes hard. “Hands up and move closer so I can see you,” she ordered.

He froze, stunned. Her confidence hit him square in the gut and made the attraction he felt for her burn even hotter. Damn, she looked good like that.

“It’s Josh Tanner, Fish and Wildlife. Please put down the gun, Delilah, for my safety and yours.”

Through his night-vision goggles, he saw her eyes narrow in surprise and suspicion, but she immediately holstered the gun.

He stepped into the small clearing, hands on his utility belt, in reach of his own weapon.

She gave his uniform a quick once-over, then fisted both hands on her hips. “What are you doing here?”

“I was going to ask you the same question,” he responded, her attitude fueling his own. He pulled off his goggles. “Why are you sneaking around out here in the middle of the night?”

She huffed out a breath. “Seriously? Since when can’t people go outside at night without being interrogated by Fish and Wildlife?”

He almost laughed at her belligerent tone. Almost. But then he noticed the pain shadowing her features. He softened his voice. “Who were you meeting with?”

Her chin came up, lips pursed. “I’m not sure that’s any of your concern.”

She was dressed in black from head to toe, the fabric of her T-shirt clinging to her curves, her hands propped on a utility belt that looked a lot like his own. He’d thought her beautiful when she was sipping coffee. But whoever the girl was, she’d sent Delilah into full-on protective mode, reminding him of Xena, the warrior princess. He felt the jolt all the way to his toes.

He took a step closer, and she stilled. When he reached out and plucked a leaf from her hair, she captured his wrist, questions swirling in her huge blue eyes. Seconds ticked by as they watched each other, her mix of strength and vulnerability drawing him closer. He ran his thumb along her jaw, and her grip on his arm tightened. He studied her lips, lush and full, and the urge to taste had him inclining his head. Inches before their mouths touched, their eyes met, held. She blinked, effectively breaking the spell as she eased out of reach.

He shook his head to clear his muddled thoughts. Focus, Tanner. “Who was the girl?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and regarded him steadily. “And if I said, again, that it was none of your business?”

“I would say I was making it my business, since you are considered a person of interest in a recent death here in the forest.”

Her eyes narrowed right before she huffed out a laugh and called his bluff. “Seriously? You and your FWC buddies have declared me a person of interest because some poor hunter got killed by a bear?”

Josh had to tread lightly. He couldn’t discuss an active investigation, but that death scene wasn’t right, which was why he was out here in the middle of the night to begin with.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t like being backed into a corner, Officer Tanner.”

Josh propped his fists on his hips. “Are you going to make me drag this information out of you one word at a time?”

“Never answer a question you haven’t been asked. And never offer more information than what is required.” She tossed the words out in a way that made Josh think they had been drilled into her from childhood.

He pulled back his irritation. There was something else at play here, something that clearly worried her. “I am not your enemy, Delilah. Talk to me. Let me help.”

By the light of the moon, he saw myriad emotions cross her face. “I appreciate that, but you can’t. This is a family matter, something I have to deal with myself.” She squared her shoulders and set off again.

He easily caught up to her and matched his steps to hers. “You don’t have to say a word to me if you don’t want to, but if you’re heading back toward your camper”—he hitched a thumb over his shoulder—“you’re heading in the wrong direction.”

About The Author

Connie Mann is a licensed boat captain and loves writing romantic suspense stories set in Florida’s small towns and unspoiled wilderness. She is the author of the Florida Wildlife Warriors series and the Safe Harbor series, as well as several stand-alone titles. When she’s not dreaming up plotlines, you’ll find “Captain Connie” on Central Florida’s waterways, introducing boats full of schoolchildren to their first alligator. She is also passionate about helping women and children in developing countries break the poverty cycle and build a better future for themselves and their families. Besides boating, she and her husband enjoy hanging out with family and friends and planning their next adventure. Connect with Connie online at: www.conniemann.com

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