Four weeks to go until VULNERABLE! Which means it’s time for a new Grab Bag Giveaway as the seven week countdown to on sale date continues.
Seems the more I look forward to you all reading the book, the more I reflect on how writing it raised my awareness of those around us who are vulnerable in ways we can’t even imagine. And when we do see or suspect their vulnerability, how difficult it may be to help them. Here’s Georgia reaching out to a woman she’s certain is in danger both emotionally and physically.
The rattle of glasses had her turning to Carrie, who carried a tray completely filled with empty beer bottles. As the singer’s set concluded and she announced to the crowd she was going to take a break, Carrie approached Georgia.
“Hal told me he came to see you. He was pissed more than usual but I got him to calm down. I can take care of myself and the baby.”
She scanned the young waitress for more bruises. She spotted a dark purple ring around her right wrist. He’d grabbed her and wrenched her arm. “He’s still hurting you. Why stay?”
Carrie shook her head, dismissing Georgia’s logic. “He’s having a rough go of it. He lost his job and he’s worried about taking care of me and the baby. He doesn’t like it that I have to work.”
“Where’s the baby, Carrie?”
“She’s with my neighbor. She’s okay.”
“My offer still stands for a place to stay, Carrie. You don’t have to live this way. Think about the baby.”
A stick-thin man with a handlebar mustache held up an empty glass to get Carrie’s attention. She grinned broadly at him. “Be right there, sugar.” The spotlight overhead caught the bruise across her cheekbone, covered almost completely with makeup.
Georgia shoved back a mouthful of anger.
Carrie turned back to Georgia. “I got to get back to work, but thank you.”
“You can thank me by moving out.”
“I can’t leave Hal now.”
Georgia drew in a breath, realizing her message was not being received. Again, she worried how violent Hal would have to be for Carrie to take a stand. She watched the waitress hold her tray high as she angled her slim body through the crowd.
I hope you enjoyed the above sneak peek celebrating the fourth “romantic suspense weekend” in my Countdown to VULNERABLE. Ready to read more? If you haven’t already, check out the excerpt on my site. And please don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a Grab Bag of my titles.
Hello, all! Thank you for joining me for the return of Forensic Fridays. I hope you’ll continue to check in at my blog weekly as I share tidbits from my Morgan Family novel, I‘LL NEVER LET YOU GO, as we head toward the March 29th publication date of Georgia’s story, VULNERABLE.
Morgan sibling and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex is at center stage taking over what begins as a Nashville PD case when it becomes clear a member of the force may be involved. He’s facing a killer determined to destroy all the evidence, including the victim’s humanity, beginning with fingerprints. The victim’s extremities and head have been removed and clothing, shoes, wallet are nowhere to be found.
Evidence. When you have it, you want to keep it. With it a case can be made. Without it convictions lost. That’s why it’s kept under lock and key. Sometimes that’s not enough as seen in I’LL NEVER LET YOU GO.
Six weeks ago, he’d completely stepped over the line. He’d approached her while she was in the produce aisle of the grocery store. He’d come up to her as she filled a plastic bag with apples. He’d scared the shit out of her, and she’d dropped the apples, sending them rolling over the tile floor. When she’d told him to back off, he’d threatened to expose her secret. He had no reason to remain loyal if she didn’t. She’d know then what needed to be done. Tyler would bring her career tumbling down. The threats had to be nullified . . .
She signed the evidence bag and grinned at the officer. “Cold enough for you out there?” . . .
She made her way along the rows of file boxes until she found the one she needed. From her purse, she pulled out an envelope . . .
She closed the box, locked it, and walked toward the officer as if she didn’t have the sword of Damocles hanging over her head . . . He rose and nervously tugged on his belt, glancing around to make sure they were alone. “Someone was checking behind you last week.”
She tightened her grip on her keys. “That so?”
He cleared his throat. “I could get busted if anyone knew this came from me.” Deidre shook her head slowly, wondering why he placed trust so easily. “No one will ever know”
Five weeks to go until VULNERABLE! Which means it’s time for the third Grab Bag Giveaway in our seven week countdown to publication date. Here’s a share that brings us inside Forensic Specialist Georgia Morgan’s head as she works a crime scene.
Georgia did her best to consider dead bodies as evidence to be studied. But when the victim was young, as this girl had been, it was difficult to not look behind the ravages of death and see a sweet young girl brutally robbed of her life.
A heaviness settled in her chest and, for a moment, she didn’t move as she sat quietly by the girl, her gloved hand resting on the lifeless arm. As she sat, she glanced over at the three waxy puddles that had illuminated the cave. Why the candles? Had the killer used them to light up his little cave of horrors? Tears burned in the back of her throat. “I swear, I’ll find out who did this.”
“Talking to yourself?” Jake asked.
“I talk to dead people,” she said. “Didn’t you know that?”
I hope you enjoyed the above sneak peek celebrating the third “romantic suspense weekend” in my Countdown to VULNERABLE. Ready to read more? Here’s a longer excerpt. And please don’t forget to enter for a chance to win a Grab Bag of my titles.
Hello, all! So happy you are joining me for my “limited series,” Forensic Fridays. I hope you’ll continue join me over the next few weeks as I share info about forensic and law enforcement procedures that have made their way into my books.
Among the many things I’ve learned about evidence is the importance of its preservation. It’s crucial that the crime scene is protected and secured. Proper protective gear must be worn (latex gloves, booties), and anyone entering the scene must be logged in and out. One thing I hadn’t thought about that surprised me — and may surprise you — is that, while much evidence is secured in plastic bags, DNA evidence must be kept in paper containers so it can breath. If the container can’t breath and moisture builds up, the DNA will be degraded or ruined.
Here’s an excerpt from I’ll Never Let You Go with forensic expert Georgia Morgan and her brother, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agent Alex, at the scene of a violent homicide —
Alex shifted his attention to the kitchen and moved carefully past the breakfast bar. He saw his sister, Georgia, dressed in a Tyvek suit and booties, her red hair tucked into a surgical cap as she leaned over the body, snapping photos. Blood pooled around the body and under Georgia’s feet. Judging by Georgia’s equipment and grim face, she had been here several hours documenting the scene. He knew this because she would never had stepped into the blood and disturbed the evidence until it was well documented . . .
Georgia stepped out of the blood pool onto a tarp, where she rolled her head from side to side. Crime scenes like this one could take days to process.
My Morgan Family novel, I’ll Never Let You Go, is a Kindle Monthly Deal in September—just $1.99 at Amazon.
I’ll Never Let You Go is Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Agent Alex Morgan and veterinarian Leah Carson’s story.
It begins when Alex befriends Leah as part of his investigation into the death of an unidentified victim. Attraction soon trumps friendship, but their relationship becomes complicated when another victim is discovered and Alex learns that Leah’s estranged husband stalked and almost succeeded in killing her, stabbing her twenty-three times.
Here’s an excerpt to enjoy and share.