Thespian Wench Thursday - Please Welcome Laurie White
Ahoy Fellow Fathomers....today in The Locker we have the lovely, Laurie White. Today, Laurie will give away a copy of her new release to one lucky reader. So, please give her a shout out in the comments section and leave contact information. She will draw one name.
As is my rule on Thespian Wench Thursday....the guest takes over...so, Laurie, take it away!
Thanks for hosting me, Davee! It is always nice to guest on
a fellow author's blog. I write romantic suspense, which is also my favorite
genre to read...I just love that combination of danger and passion, and it's
pretty fun coming up with a nasty, evil villain in addition to a smoldering,
seductive hero and a feisty, sexy heroine! Rachel and Matt are both trying to
put tragic pasts behind them, yet are drawn to each other despite their
misgivings. I do hope your blog readers will check out WITHOUT A TRACE!
EXCERPT:
Something wasn't right.
Rachel Bennett felt uneasy from the moment she'd set foot in
her sister's apartment. A bead of perspiration trickled between her shoulder
blades.
She'd been unable to reach her younger sister Paige for the
past three days. She hadn't even shown up at work. Rachel cut short a
long-awaited Palm Springs vacation out of concern for her. The three-hour drive
back to Los Angeles this morning was a blur.
“Paige?”
Something made her almost whisper the word. She paused outside
Paige's half-open bedroom door before peering into the sun-splashed room. A
hint of Paige's signature scent, Ed Hardy, hung in the air. The bed, normally
covered with a cheerful floral comforter, sat unmade in the messy room. Unusual
for her neatnik sister.
She would never just take off like this. At least not
willingly.
What's happened to my sister?
Rachel noticed several black smudges on the wall by the
window. A nervous feeling gnawed at her. Slowly, she stepped into the bedroom,
toward the telephone. She needed to call for help.
“Police! Stop right there.”
The resonant male voice was strong and authoritative. Rachel
froze, confused, blood pounding in her head. The hair on the back of her neck
prickled. “I'm Rachel Bennett. My sister, Paige Bennett, lives here. I have a
key.”
“Okay. Turn around.”
In slow, careful movements, Rachel complied. Her pulse
thrummed even harder as she came face-to-face with the most overwhelming man
she'd ever laid eyes on. His features were rugged and darkly handsome, his hair
black as sin. She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she'd been
holding.
A twinge of wariness assailed Rachel as her gaze took in the
man. All in all, he made a dangerously sexy package despite his ordinary dark
gray suit and tie. He looked like no cop she'd ever seen, but his open-legged
stance and the familiarity with which he held his pistol—aimed at her—seemed to
show years of experience on the force. Or simply a lot of practice using a
gun.
Certainly he won't shoot, she told herself, heart crashing
hard against her chest. “Can I see your ID?”
The man's steely dark eyes never left hers as he unclipped
the gold badge from his belt and held it out to her.
“Matt Romero, LAPD Detective Support and Vice,” he
said.
Rachel studied the badge. In her work as a writer for
Southland Life magazine, she'd seen enough cop badges to know this was the real
thing. What sort of trouble could Paige be in?
“How did you…”
“The apartment manager let us in. We had a search warrant.”
He lowered his gun, then clipped his badge back onto his belt.
“Search warrant? Has something happened to Paige?” A cold
knot formed in the pit of her stomach. Although a part of her didn't want to
know, her reporter's instinct demanded answers.
Skepticism flickered across Romero's face, but as he studied
her he seemed to relax. He holstered his weapon. “I saw a photo on the desk over
there of you with your sister. You resemble each other very much. Why don't we
sit down?” He motioned toward the living room.
Rachel trudged down the hallway, struggling to prepare
herself for whatever this man was about to tell her. Horrifying possibilities
whirled in her mind. Had Paige been arrested for some reason? Worse yet, badly
hurt or even—no, she couldn't allow herself to think about that last one. A
shudder rippled through her.
Then she felt one of the detective's large hands on the
center of her back. The guiding gesture, although gentle, unnerved her. The
heat from his palm burned through the thin fabric of her blouse. She walked a
bit faster.
In the living room, Rachel sank into Paige's comfortable
powder blue sofa. She took a deep breath to calm herself, but her stomach
knotted up when Romero settled into the chair beside the sofa, right next to
her.
“Why are you here, Detective? Where is Paige?”
“That's what my partner and I are trying to find out, Ms.
Bennett.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, managing to sound a lot less
anxious—and a lot less aware of the man across from her—than she really
was.
He looked her dead in the eye. “Your sister is missing, Ms.
Bennett.”
BUY LINKS:
Secret Cravings: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=4&products_id=817
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/without-a-trace
All Romance E-books: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-withoutatrace-1411515-149.html
ABOUT LAURIE:
Laurie White is the author of two romantic suspense novels
from Sweet Cravings Publishing. Her latest novel, WITHOUT A TRACE, was released
January 30, 2014 from Secret Cravings Publishing. Laurie is a member of Romance
Writers of America and Georgia Romance Writers. Aside from writing, she enjoys
reading, spending time with family, traveling, and watching movies. She is the
proud mama of four adorable cats and lives in the hills of Tennessee.
PUBLISHED NOVELS:
WITHOUT A TRACE - Available NOW from Secret Cravings
Publishing!
TWIST OF FATE - February 2013 from Sweet Cravings Publishing
DESERT HEAT - October 2012 from Sweet Cravings Publishing
Laurie, thank you so much for joining me and I hope you visit again soon. Readers, please remember to comment!!
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