Padme's Library

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Sale Blitz: The Perfect Spirit & Take Two by Traci Hayden

Title: The Perfect Spirit

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Release Date: April 29, 2014

Title: Take Two

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 26, 2016

Author: Traci Hayden

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The Perfect Spirit
Summary:

28 year old writer, Vanessa Fortney, has travelled the world, living life to the fullest. When she comes home due to the unexpected death of her only blood relatives, she only has one regret; never finding a love that triumphs all others.

In a beautiful valley in the Rocky Mountains, Nessa finds herself wondering about a mysterious stranger who saved her after a nearly disastrous car accident. The mystery that surrounds Daniel is quickly replaced by the increasing attraction Nessa feels for him.

Will she find that love that transcends all love or will an unforeseen tragedy keep them apart?

Take Two

Summary:

Beth Huntley, photographer and devoted bachelorette, doesn’t believe in true love. Too much hurt and disappointment has left her hiding behind the camera. All she can see is a black and white world through the lens.

William Lorde, widower and father, was once an open and carefree man. The loss of his wife has left him wrapped up in the needs of his little girl. He can no longer see the colors of the world as he struggles each and every day.

What happens when these two similarly different people meet and help each other to step out of the world they’ve created for themselves? Will they find a love that helps them heal from the past, enjoy their present and create a beautiful future?

The Perfect Spirit

She stopped just behind him, noticing his appearance. His coat was made of gray wool and fell to his knees. His hands were pushed deep inside the pockets, making his shoulders to scrunch the collar against his neck. He was massively tall making her barely five and a half foot body look small in comparison. His hair cropped short and dark brown in color. She longed to see his face, his eyes—his lips turn up as she thanked him for saving her.

She carefully reached out to touch him, afraid he would disappear again. Before she could touch her mirage, he silently turned. His piercing sapphire-blue eyes settled on hers. The longing was like an ocean wave crashing against her. The instant feeling of being home settled in her bones.

She trembled against the cold as she opened her mouth, forcing her voice to rise from within her. “Thank you.”

He smiled slightly, his full lips parting to reveal glistening white teeth. The smile radiated in the sparkle in his eyes. The tiny creases in his face deepened as he gazed down at her. “You're welcome, ma belle.”

Nessa's body melted as his deep and lusty French accent washed over her, penetrating her deepest fantasies. “My name is...”

“Vanessa. I know,” he answered. He stepped forward, pulling a gloved hand out from within his coat. “My name's Daniel.”

She looked down at his extended hand and contemplated taking it. When they touched, it would be final. Her whispering dreams of him would become real. All her fleeting thoughts of him would be physical.

Take Two

William

I watched the interaction between them through the camera lens. Beth wrapped her fingers around Angel's tiny hands, pulling her up onto her feet. Beth took a step backward, lengthening the distance between them. Angel looked down at her feet, almost willing them to move. Her leg came up, moving her foot forward in a jerky motion. Her foot landed on a patch of grass, crushing it beneath her. She looked up at Beth, her eyes wide in amazement. She giggled as Beth stepped backwards again. She looked down and pulled her leg up, then realized she couldn't move that one forward without losing her balance. She put her foot back down and raised the other leg. A smile spread across her face as she continued this beautiful dance with Beth.

They made their way slowly back to the blanket. When they were almost within arm's length of me, Beth twisted around, so she was behind Angel. I stretched out my hands towards Angel, waiting to see if she would make the attempt on her own. So many things happened at once. Beth loosened her grip on Angel, Angel took an unsupported step forward, and Angel spoke her first real word as she reached out for me. "Dada!" Her tiny voice was clear and her tongue and lips formed the word precisely.

I was almost numb from the shock. Angel had made so many incoherent sounds over the months, but it had never been like this. She’d recognized me and had come to the realization that the word and I were connected. She repeated the word again and again as she took another unsupported step towards me. Then something grabbed her attention, throwing her concentration off. She lost her balance and grew quiet as she began to fall forward. I reached out, wrapping my hands protectively around her waist, pulling her into my arms.

I fell back onto the blanket, playing airplane with Angel above me. Her face morphed into so many different forms of joy and I laughed. She was such a happy child, and I swore to myself she would always be happy and loved. She would never know sadness or disappointment, not if I could help it.

Author Bio:

My love for books began at a very small age. I lived inside the many worlds the local library could provide. The characters within those pages were my companions and my support when I needed someone most.

My imagination began to soar as I grew. I began writing small poems as a teenager, but never thought much about publishing or expanding beyond put my words to paper.

After my children were born our love for a certain TV show fueled my love for writing. Using my children as inspiration, I began to write fanfiction, my children being the characters within the stories.

My passion for putting words to paper (or screen as is the norm now) has turned from passion to obsession. I've made some incredible friends through this journey and in turn, have become not only an author but a promoter and supporter for those whose imagination dreams character and worlds that I can lose myself in.

I thank my precious children, my beautiful soul-mate and my forever sister and best friend for being my constant rock and support as I continue to walk this road called life.

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Saturday, March 18, 2017

Saturday's Series Spotlight: Pre-Order Blitz: The Exchange Series by MB Feeney

Series: Exchange #1-4

Author: MB Feeney

Genre: Young Adult, New Adult Romance

Release Date: April 4, 2017

Summary:

Previously sold individually in ebook format. Now available in one singe edition in both ebook and paperback.

Dear Diary #1

Born and bred in the UK, Holly is getting the chance of a lifetime—six weeks abroad. The Kings, a host family in the US, have invited her to stay with them and get a chance to experience life as an American. When she discovers that the King family includes two teenage boys, will she be glad she came or ready to hightail it back across the pond?

Reluctance #2

Aiden King's heart has been broken, and he's taking his anger out on his brother, Tyler.

Can he, with the help of his High School Guidance Counsellor, work through his problems.

Repentance #3

Tyler King has moved away from his family in order to help himself move on from the mistakes he made in High School.

A summer romance could lead to so much more, it could lead to him finally surrendering to his repentance for his past actions.

Dear John #4

Ellie King has a plan. Do well in her Senior Year at High School before going to study in London, England. That’s all she wants in her immediate future.

Writing to John Davids not only cements her desire to study in the UK, but gives her more if a reason to leave her family in the US.

Dear Diary #1

April 2012

Dear Diary,

God, you'd think that after all this time, I'd have a much cooler greeting than that!

I just wanted to say that I hate airports. Nothing to do, other than sit around, waiting... waiting... oh, and more waiting. What am I waiting around in the airport for? So nice of you to ask. I'm finally off to America (I'm doing a silent happy dance in my seat!) for six weeks. I never thought that my college would have arranged something like this to give a bunch of seventeen and eighteen year olds "life experience". I mean, it's not even a 'proper' exchange programme. No-one's off to the U.K. to stay in my house in return. I just get to go and stay with a family I have never met before. Oh crap, now I'm getting nervous.

Oh well, it's too late, flight's being called.

Holly x

Author Bio:

M. B. Feeney is an army brat who finally settled down in Birmingham, UK with her other half, two kids and a dog. Currently at university studying for her BA (Hons) in primary teaching, she procrastinates on her assignments by listening to music of all genres and trying to get ‘just one more paragraph’ written on whichever WIP is open. She is also a serious doodler and chocoholic. Writing has been her one true love ever since she could spell, and publishing is the final culmination of her hard work and ambition.

Her publishing career began with two novellas, and she currently has multiple projects under way whilst Honour, a compilation of her own military based shorts, was released in November 2013 and her short novel, The One That Got Away was released February 2015. Always having something on the go can often lead to block which eventually gets dissolved by good music and an even better book.

Her main reason for writing is to not only give her readers enjoyment, but also to create a story and characters that stay with readers long after the book is finished, and possibly make someone stop and think “what if...”

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Songs & Fins by B Kristin McMichael

Title: Songs & Fins

Author: B Kristin McMichael

Series: Merworld Trilogy #2

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Release Date: March 14, 2017

Publisher: Lexia Press

Summary:
Whitney was amazed she finally had a boyfriend, and was prepared for a new life with him in the siren night human world. And the fact he was a lead singer in a rock band in his free time wasn’t bad, either. Too bad having a boyfriend didn’t mean she was going to see him, as his father’s punishment included separating them. Whitney is certain she can handle it, but sure enough, that isn’t the only wrench thrown into her new life. There’s a new threat in town, a scarier one than the backstabbing siren clan she’s part of now. They are night human hunters, and Whitney is an outlawed night human breed. Could her luck get any better? Quiet and peaceful would be ideal, but that’s not what she’s about to get.

“Do you come here for the sound of the waves or the view of the sparkling water?” a deep voice asked from beside her.

Whitney didn’t look up as she scanned the water.

“I come here to be alone,” she replied, still staring at the water for any sign of her new merfamily. Why was Sam so insistent she get out and why did she feel the need to leave the water? Was there something dangerous in there?

“Ouch,” the guy said as he sat beside her. “My sister said you were having some problems with your friends, and I suppose that would make just about anyone grumpy.”

Whitney finally turned to the unknown guy. Sitting down he was taller than her by almost a whole head. He had to be at least close to her old friend Owen’s height of six foot three inches. His dark, almost black, hair was pulled back into a short ponytail which made his crystal blue eyes stand out completely. While his sister was full of color from her hair to the various tattoos, her brother was dressed only in black to go with his black hair, and aside from the eyebrow that was pierced, there was nothing about him that said dangerous like his quiet sister.

“Sorry, it’s been a bad day,” Whitney said, apologizing for her snippiness. She didn’t need him to say he was Jade’s brother; she could see the familial resemblance in the shape of his eyes and the curve of his mouth.

Jade’s brother was new in town and truly didn’t deserve her anger directed at him. He wasn’t the one keeping her boyfriend from her, or making her friends ignore her.

“I completely understand. That school isn’t the most welcoming, and if I found a few friendly faces that have now ditched me to start over, I’d be completely mad about it, too,” he told her. Obviously, he was well informed. “I’m Jax, by the way. Jade’s awesome younger brother by a whole eleven months.”

Welcome to the night human world created by B. Kristin McMichael. She’s here to answer a few questions about her new series and upcoming books, so take a read and check out the Merworld in WATER AND BLOOD. Book 2, SONGS AND FINS, arrives March 14th.

First off, what is the night human world?
The night human world was first created in the Blue Eyes Trilogy. Basically, it’s a paranormal world filled with all those creatures that stay up all night and live off of human blood, hence the name night humans. This includes but is not limited to vampires, werewolves, and all those wonderful paranormals. There are also the non-paranormals called day humans that the night humans feed off of.

What makes one a night human?
All the clans in the night human world are different. Some change shape, some change in size, some can’t go outside in daylight, while others can. They vary greatly, but what they all have in common is that their food is blood.

So your new series is also set in this world, what sort of night human is this one about?
My newest series is the Merworld Trilogy. As the title suggests, this series focuses on mermaids, but these are blood-sucking mermaids. It’s not required to read the Skinwalkers series before this one, but if you did, then you already know the main protagonist Whitney (she was the best friend to Cassie). The Merworld follows her to the beaches of Florida and her accidental encounter with the merfolk that live there.

This isn’t your first night human series. What are the other ones?
Yes, this happens to be the fourth series I’ve written that takes place in the same night human world. Each trilogy can be read on their own, but if you start with The Legend of the Blue Eyes, you meet characters that might show up in other series also. The first trilogy focuses on a young girl that turns into a vampire-like creature on her sixteenth birthday. The second series I wrote is The Day Human Trilogy, which follows the character Devin as her travels into the sidhe faerie village and finds a new path in life. The third series is The Skinwalkers’ Witchling which focuses on a witchling girl that finds out her whole community is made up of witches or skinwalkers who turn into monsters at night. And the Merworld Trilogy is the fourth in the night human world. I’m already working on a fifth series in that world also.

How would you describe the main character of Whitney in the first book WATER AND BLOOD?
Whitey is a fun character to write. She is as girly as they come, with pink everything. Sometimes comes off a bit daring and ready to jump into situations without a care in the world, but underneath she is smart and cunning. She also is a very loyal friend, which you see in the Witchling Series. In Water and Blood she is just trying to survive her last year in high school. Having to move to Florida unexpectedly after the death of her parents, she is starting over but has no direction. She’s no longer a night human and has to find a new goal in life as a day human. In Water and Blood, her direction basically falls into her lap and sets her on a new path in life.

In WATER AND BLOOD, we get to see a bit into Sam, the male protagonist. Will we learn more about him in Songs and Fins?
Yes, and even more in Scales and Legends. Sam is central to the story and I don’t want to give away his part in Water and Blood for those that haven’t read it yet. And yes, there is a lot more behind the cute guy that has been watching Whitney without her knowing.

Any last comments you want to make?
Water and Blood is a fun new series in the night human world and you don’t have to read all the others first. I personally love to read books with the same characters, but as an author, after a few books, I feel like their story is told and I like to move onto new characters. That is what I’ve been doing by staying in the same world of night humans. The first book in the night human world is The Legend of the Blue Eyes, it’s always a free ebook for anyone to try and see if they like the night human world and then there are 10 more you can read in that world, soon to be more.

And on a more personal level, being an author for the past four years has been great. All the fans and people willing to give a new author a try have been wonderful. It can be a lot of work (right now we are editing two books, writing a new book, listening and coordinating three audio books, getting new covers made, and working with a translator for another book all while marketing the books out there- it is a super busy job) but all the time spent getting the best book out there for people to read has been worth it. Thank you to all the fans that have read my book and thank you for anyone out there that has been willing to give my books a chance.

Author Bio:
B. Kristin McMichael graduated with her PhD in biology at Ohio State where she worked as a scientist before taking her passion of writing full-time. Besides writing, she enjoys chasing her kids, playing outside, and baking cookies. She lives in Ohio with her husband and three children.

B. Kristin is the author of YA and clean NA paranormal fiction. Her "Night Human World" includes the YA series "The Blue Eyes Trilogy" about a midwestern girl who comes of age in a world of battling vampire clans, the "The Day Human Trilogy" that takes place among the Appalachian Sidhe fairies, and "The Skinwalkers Witchling" trilogy that follows an apprentice witch in the Pacific Northwest. She's also the author of the NA paranormal time travel romance series "The Chalcedony Chronicles".

Subscribe to her mailing list for new release notifications and deals.

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Friday, March 17, 2017

Friday's Film Adaptions: How Green was My Valley by Richard Llewellyn

Summary:
Winner of the National Book Award in 1940 and the basis for the Academy Award Best Picture film of the same name, How Green Was My Valley is full of memorable characters, richly crafted language, and surprising humor.

Huw Morgan remembers the days when his home valley was prosperous, verdant, and beautiful—before the mines came to town. The youngest son of a respectable mining family in South Wales, he is now the only one left in the valley, and his reminiscences tell the story of a family and a town both defined and ruined by the mines.

Huw's story is both joyful and heartrending—a portrait of a place and a people existing now only in memory.

Film
A Welsh mining family faces the struggles of life together.

Release Date: October 28, 1941
Release Time: 118 minutes

Cast:
Walter Pidgeon as Mr. Gruffydd
Donald Crisp as Gwilym Morgan
Maureen O'Hara as Angharad Morgan
Roddy McDowall as Huw Morgan
Sara Allgood as Mrs. Beth Morgan
Anna Lee as Bronwyn, Ivor's wife
Patric Knowles as Ivor Morgan
John Loder as Ianto Morgan
Barry Fitzgerald as Cyfartha
Rhys Williams as Dai Bando
Morton Lowry as Mr. Jonas
Arthur Shields as Mr. Parry, deacon
Frederick Worlock as Dr. Richards
Richard Fraser as Davy Morgan
Evan S. Evans as Gwilym Morgan Jr.
James Monks as Owen Morgan
Ethel Griffies as Mrs. Nicholas
Lionel Pape as Mr. Evans senior
Marten Lamont as Iestyn Evans
Ann E. Todd as Ceinwen
Clifford Severn as Mervyn Phillips
Irving Pichel as adult Huw Morgan (the unseen narrator)

Awards:
1941 Academy Awards
Best Picture - Darryl F. Zanuck - Won
Best Director - John Ford - Won
Best Supporting Actor - Donald Crisp - Won
Best Black-and-White Cinematography - Arthur Charles Miller - Won
Best Black-and-White Art Direction-Interior Decoration - Richard Day, Nathan H. Juran and Thomas Little - Won
Best Adapted Screenplay - Philip Dunne - Nominated
Best Supporting Actress - Sara Allgood - Nominated
Best Film Editing - James B. Clark - Nominated
Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic Picture - Alfred Newman - Nominated
Best Recording Sound - Edmund H. Hansen - Nominated

Author Bio:
Richard Llewellyn (real name Richard Dafydd Vivian Llewellyn Lloyd) was a British novelist.

Llewellyn was born of Welsh parents in Hendon, north London in 1906. Only after his death was it discovered that his claim that he was born in St. Davids, West Wales was false, though of course he was of Welsh blood.

Several of his novels dealt with a Welsh theme, the best-known being How Green Was My Valley (1939), which won international acclaim and was made into a classic Hollywood film. It immortalised the way of life of the South Wales Valleys coal mining communities, where Llewellyn spent a small amount of time with his grandfather. Three sequels followed.

He lived a peripatetic life, travelling widely throughout his life. Before World War II, he spent periods working in hotels, wrote a play, worked as a coal miner and produced his best known novel. During World War II, he rose to the rank of Captain in the Welsh Guards. Following the war, he worked as a journalist, covering the Nuremberg Trials, and then as a screenwriter for MGM. Late in his life, he lived in Eilat, Israel.

Protagonists who assume new identities, often because they are transplanted into foreign cultures, are a recurring element in Llewellyn's novels, including a spy adventure that extends through several volumes.

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Two Weeks to Life by John Charles

Title: Two Weeks to Life

Author: John Charles

Series: Fated Soulmates #4

Genre: M/M Romance

Release Date: March 15, 2017

Summary:
After thirty years on the force, Detective Carl Bellwin thought he’d seen it all. He had developed a protective shield around himself, keeping the rape, murder, drugs, and other crimes compartmentalized and away from his emotions. He didn’t have time to date, didn’t have time to socialize, and didn’t have time for hobbies. The force was his life, but his protective shield was crumbling.

An innocent girl was missing. Her single mother grieved, wondering if she would be planning a funeral. The seedy part of Clarkesburgh had become the hunting ground for a gang that kidnapped teens off the street, forced retailers to launder money and sell their drugs, and victimized anyone who stood in their way. Carl, at whits end, had no leads.

Elijah Quinta traded one high stress job for another. Purchasing a bankrupt Inn and developing it into a five star resort became more than his full time job: The Bliss Inn became his life. Though he tried, anyone he dated accused him of having a mistress. They were right; he was married to the inn.

Carl never thought attending his nephew’s wedding would change his life. For the first time, he realized what he was missing. Everything he thought was important faded into the background. When he met Elijah, Carl’s life took on a new meaning.

Could he turn Two Weeks To Life? Could he let go of the only world he had ever known?

"Another missing girl? What is that, four in as many months?" Detective Carlin Bellwin, Carl to everyone except his mother, asked Fran, his partner. "How do these kids disappear without a trace?" His frustration clearly evident in his voice and the sour look on his face. "Meet you at the car in five. Just need to get rid of that cup of coffee."

Carl was a career detective who knew his way around Clarkesburgh and the criminal population that infested his city. He had a hard-on for anyone who hurt a kid, sold drugs, or took advantage of the elderly. Snatching a girl off the streets was one of the worst things for him. Prostitution rings were notorious for the cavalier manner in which they corrupted young boys and girls, but snatching and selling them into prostitution was one thing he could not tolerate.

Fran was in her usual spot, behind the wheel of their unmarked Ford reading over the missing person report. She looked almost as young as the girl in the file did. As the passenger door opened, she could feel the strength of the man who trained her and chose her as his partner, fold his tall frame into the seat next to her.

Clarkesburgh was a city with over half million people living within its borders. When the influx of working commuters was counted, that number increased to over three quarters of a million people. Though not as big as some neighboring cities, Clarkesburgh attracted its share of criminals, thugs, prostitutes, and drug dealers.

Carl made sure Fran understood why she was a detective. "There are people out there who think nothing of hurting others to better their own lives. It's our job to make sure that doesn't happen and whenever it does, to put these guys away so they can't do it again. Stay alert, ask lots of questions, and never turn your back on anyone. That may be the last time you do."

"What do we know?" asked Carl as he looked over the file Fran handed him.

"Only what's in the file. White, 16 years old, good student, works part time to help support the family, never in trouble before, no drugs, no record of any kind." She pulled away from the station, heading to the girl's home. She knew the drill, question the parents, find a reason for the girl to go missing. Then trace her steps for the past few days. Talk to teachers, friends, her boss at the dry cleaning store where she worked. She also knew they would come up empty handed. Everyone will say they had no idea what could have happened to her. Then the real work would begin.

"You never told me who was getting married," said Fran as she drove.

"My nephew Trent. He and his partner decided to go all the way and tie the knot." Carl leaned his head back for a rare minute of personal thought. Trent had moved to a suburb of L.A. to take a residency in emergency medicine at Lake Community Hospital. When a position at Amity General had become vacant, he applied and was hired. He moved back for the job almost two years ago.

"Isn't he the one who was shot by that lunatic?" Asked Fran looking at her partner. "If I remember what you told me, he was having dinner with his boy friend and his kids when a man shot him."

Trent was openly gay. He had the self-confidence rarely found in a young gay man and the body to support that confidence. When the homophobic father of the paramedic he was dating tried to shoot the man's two kids, Trent's quick actions saved their lives. Unfortunately, he was shot in the process.

"Yeah, that's the one. The bullet did a ton of damage but everything seems fine now."

"You've been looking forward to this ever since you got the invitation. Why are you only staying the weekend? God knows, you have the accrued time. Why don't you take a week or two and have some fun with the family?"

Carl gave Fran his 'are you kidding me' look. "What would I do for a week with my family? We talk all the time, so all the catching up will be done in an hour. What would I do for the rest of the week?"

"Relax, go out to dinner with friends, find a hot guy and get laid. You know, all the stuff normal people do on vacation," laughed Fran as she pulled the car up to the curb. The house was typical for this area of Clarkesburgh. It might have been a hundred years old, but looked well kept. Painted white with black shutters adjacent to the windows, the house looked as if the owners cared. The small lawn was recently cut and the gardens were free of weeds.

Carl took the file and his notebook as he and Fran walked to the door of the small house. It was refreshing to be in one of the nicer parts of town. Most of their work had them in the seedy, drug infested, gang hoods. But Carl didn't like this situation at all. A girl was missing and most likely, the parents were frantic with worry and fear.

Two officers, already on scene, acknowledged them as they approached the front door. "The parents inside?" asked Carl. One officer nodded and stepped aside to let Carl and Fran enter the home.

A little more than an hour later Carl and Fran walked back to their car. The girl's mother didn't stop crying long enough for any intelligent discussion. She was a single mother raising two kids on her own. The father vacated the scene years ago, provided no support either financially or in person. Not unusual for the city they worked in.

A neighbor was more help telling the detectives about the girl's schedule, hobbies, and other tidbits of information. Fran took copious notes as Carl asked questions.

At one point, when the mother stopped crying, Fran asked, "Does your daughter date anyone?" Both women in the room shook their heads. Fran didn't let them know her thoughts about how squeaky clean this girl seemed. 'She's just too clean.'

"We'll be in contact with you if we need any further information," said Carl as he and Fran left the home. The two uniformed officers had already returned to their normal duties. While it might seem cruel, there was too much to do and too few officers to do it, so the ladies were left to their grief.

"Something's not right," said Fran as she started the car. "They know something and are afraid to tell us." They drove in silence, each digesting the information they had just received. "Who will I be partnered with?"

The question brought Carl from his thoughts. He didn't want to leave Fran alone, especially on a case like this, so he asked Captain Syverson to assign another detective to her while he was at Trent's wedding. "Syverson will let you know tomorrow. Today you're stuck with me, at least until I leave."

They pulled up to the drycleaners and parked. Fran looked around as if trying to spot the criminal. Carl sat in silence, letting the vibe of the area sink into his bones. "I don't like this. There are too few people on the street, so stay sharp." He extricated his large frame from the car, keeping his free hand on the revolver holstered under his jacket.

The store was located in a less then friendly part of town. Years prior, this store probably had an upscale clientele, but the neighborhood declined as the more affluent moved away. Now the store probably provided the owner with a meager living at best. Fran rounded the car joining him as they entered the store.

An older, frail man stood behind the counter. His eyes grew wide as Fran showed her badge. "What is this about? I run a clean business here."

As with the others, he had no real information. The girl, Nadia, was nice to his customers, did her job well, and never caused any trouble. He seemed genuinely upset that she was missing. His frown said more than his words.

Fran had always been impressed with Carl's manner of questioning witnesses and suspects. He seemed not only compassionate, but genuinely concerned. Even suspects felt at ease around him. For a big man, he had an inner teddy bear that came out at the most perfect of times. "It seems that you know more than you are sharing with us, sir. Might that be because you, too, are afraid?"

The man seemed to wither deeper into his already withered skin. Shaking his head, he said, "I'm an old man and just want to live long enough to see my grandchildren. Please you must leave now." Carl nodded and left with Fran in tow.

"He is scared out of his whits," said Carl as Fran drove away. "You need to make sure nothing happens to him. Let's get back to the station. I hate to leave you on this one, but I have to get a move on."

"How long is the drive to Amity from here?"

"I'm staying in Monroe at the place Trent and Matthew reserved for out of towners. If I leave as soon as we get back, I should be there by 10 or so. Not looking forward to the drive, but I can't wait to see Trent walk down the aisle."

"You deserve as much. Are you just a bit jealous?"

Carl thought through that question. He had met two people in his life that could have become his lifelong partner, but neither could tolerate his hours. Both complained that he was always being called away, that they didn't have any together life, and they couldn't live like that. After the last episode ended over ten years prior, he decided to go it alone - at least until he retired. Then he could find that someone special and settle down.

"Sometimes it does bother me, but I made my decision and I'm not budging. After I retire, and only then, will I allow a man to get under my skin again."

Author Bio:
Larry Thomas aka John Charles spent his youth struggling with reading. Not until his late teens did he discover the cause - dyslexia. Only then, with guidance and professional help, did he learn to read. From that point forward, he discovered his love for the printed word.

Ironically, as a father reading to his children his desire to write was born. Reading to his children was a nightly ritual. "I wanted them to fall in love with books."

Writing was always part of his professional career, but not until he retired did he move from creating marketing and technical materials to writing novels. Now, as a full-time author, Larry writes Romance / Mystery / Thrillers using the pseudonym John Charles.

His books can be found on Amazon and wherever e-books are sold.