On a pitch-black wintry night, Detective Dean Walker finds a man in the middle of an icy road, with a bullet between his eyes—a murder that is eerily similar to his father’s, which was never solved. Coincidence? No, Dean doesn’t believe in coincidences. He also doesn’t believe in love at first sight, until he meets the victim’s wife.
Psychologist Heidi Novak is hardly settling into her new mansion in the small, country town of Berry Springs, when she receives a late-night visit by the handsome Dean Walker. Seconds after learning that her husband has been murdered, gunshots explode around her and it becomes apparent that she is the next target.
With a massive winter storm looming, Dean races to find the killer and keep Heidi safe, while facing a long a list of suspects, including Heidi’s arrogant sister-in-law and a local, crusty cowboy. As the evidence mounts, Dean becomes more convinced than ever that his father’s murder is connected to the death of Heidi’s husband.
And he can’t help but think . . . will Heidi be the second love he loses to the ice-cold killer?
Heidi’s heart pounded softly in her chest as she leaned against the frosty windowsill, watching Dean’s determined, focused gaze survey the icy wonderland outside.
Her body was flooded with emotions, still edgy from being shot at the evening before.
She took a deep breath. What would she tell her clients to do in times of total duress? To acknowledge the emotions, to accept the emotions and to address them. But, that seemed impossible right now. Her head was spinning, anxiety coursed through her veins. If she stopped to allow herself to think—to think about her murdered husband, to wonder why someone would want her dead, and to begin to address all the things she needed to do to prepare for the funeral, she feared she’d breakdown.
And yet, of all the things she should be doing at that moment, there she was, staring out the window, watching the most beautiful man she’d ever seen in her life as he attempted to solve the biggest mystery of her life.
There was something about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Beyond the hard exterior, there was . . . an understanding behind his eyes, an understanding of her situation, and there was comfort in that. There was also a protectiveness that made her heart leap out of her chest. She’d seen it in his eyes after shielding her from the bullets, and she’d seen it twice already this morning when he’d noticed the cuts on her face, and perhaps most of all, when his massive body stepped in front of her, protecting her from the stranger he’d seen through the kitchen window. She’d felt so small and vulnerable hovering behind his strong body, and when she’d stepped closely to him, she’d grabbed the back of his shirt—a nonverbal begging for him to keep her safe. Safe from whatever harm was stalking her. As she stood safely behind him, she’d smelled him—that indescribable smell of man that made her want to melt. Melt into his muscular, protective arms.
She sipped her coffee. What the hell was she doing? Her husband’s body wasn’t even cold for Christ’s sake! She was being absolutely ridiculous, and a cold-hearted bitch on top of it.
She stepped back from the window as guilt began to replace the lust brewing in her body. Shouldn’t she be upstairs, balled into a corner, crying her eyes out? Shouldn’t she be inconsolable, surrounded by tissues and wedding pictures? Shouldn’t she be completely devastated, instead of lusting over someone she’d just met?
And then, a sick feeling knotted in her stomach. Had she ever even lusted over Clint? Hell, did she even really know her husband?
Her body was flooded with emotions, still edgy from being shot at the evening before.
She took a deep breath. What would she tell her clients to do in times of total duress? To acknowledge the emotions, to accept the emotions and to address them. But, that seemed impossible right now. Her head was spinning, anxiety coursed through her veins. If she stopped to allow herself to think—to think about her murdered husband, to wonder why someone would want her dead, and to begin to address all the things she needed to do to prepare for the funeral, she feared she’d breakdown.
And yet, of all the things she should be doing at that moment, there she was, staring out the window, watching the most beautiful man she’d ever seen in her life as he attempted to solve the biggest mystery of her life.
There was something about him that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. Beyond the hard exterior, there was . . . an understanding behind his eyes, an understanding of her situation, and there was comfort in that. There was also a protectiveness that made her heart leap out of her chest. She’d seen it in his eyes after shielding her from the bullets, and she’d seen it twice already this morning when he’d noticed the cuts on her face, and perhaps most of all, when his massive body stepped in front of her, protecting her from the stranger he’d seen through the kitchen window. She’d felt so small and vulnerable hovering behind his strong body, and when she’d stepped closely to him, she’d grabbed the back of his shirt—a nonverbal begging for him to keep her safe. Safe from whatever harm was stalking her. As she stood safely behind him, she’d smelled him—that indescribable smell of man that made her want to melt. Melt into his muscular, protective arms.
She sipped her coffee. What the hell was she doing? Her husband’s body wasn’t even cold for Christ’s sake! She was being absolutely ridiculous, and a cold-hearted bitch on top of it.
She stepped back from the window as guilt began to replace the lust brewing in her body. Shouldn’t she be upstairs, balled into a corner, crying her eyes out? Shouldn’t she be inconsolable, surrounded by tissues and wedding pictures? Shouldn’t she be completely devastated, instead of lusting over someone she’d just met?
And then, a sick feeling knotted in her stomach. Had she ever even lusted over Clint? Hell, did she even really know her husband?
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Amanda’s debut novel, LETHAL LEGACY, was released in January 2017, followed by the first two books in the BERRY SPRINGS SERIES, THE WOODS and THE LAKE. The third book in the series, THE STORM is scheduled to be released in the Winter of 2017.
Win a signed copy of The Storm and $50 Amazon gift card!
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Looking forward to starting this series. Thank you
ReplyDeleteSounds great! Series is on my wishlist now!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read it sounds good.
ReplyDeleteSounds good!
ReplyDeletemia2009(at)comcast(dot)net
I would like to give thanks for all your really great writings, including The Storm. I wish the best in keeping up the good work in the future.
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