WIDOW'S TALE - Romantic Suspense

[MaMiller]

Thank you, Dreams! And thank you for making me feel welcome. This is a happy place to be!

[MaMiller]

WIDOW'S TALE made it onto the Barnes and Noble site! http://books.barnesandnoble.com/sear...%20tale&pos=-1

But they have no blurb there yet. Here's a little snippet in the mean time....

With the absence of customers, the silence engulfed Serena. Reaching for the remote beside the register, she aimed it at the TV, reducing the blond reporter to a horizontal line before she was obliterated. With three twists of her wrist, Serena flicked the switches to swathe O’Flanagans in darkness.
Apprehension settled in with the shadows. Reluctant to make the trek upstairs, she eyed the door to O’Flanagans deck.

Wasn’t it a better option than the terror waiting in her loft?

Assaulted by the bone-chilling wind, Serena embraced the cold, its effect a reminder that she was still alive. She crossed the rutted planks and rested her elbows on the balustrade, listening to the waves below. Luminous under a full moon, the black cliffs still held their secrets with a tenacity that she could never resolve.

"Serena?"

Serena spun around, afraid that the ghost had chosen to assail her here in the wake of the moon.

[MaMiller]

I haven't bothered you with a 'snippet' from WIDOW'S TALE in awhile. I know you've all been so upset.

The room was frigid, the warmth of the fire upstairs long forgotten. Brett was conscious of Serena’s fingers entwined with his as she guided them past the bank of windows into a short hall flanked by blackened chambers.

Doorways to the unknown.

In a whisper, Serena chronicled what each quarter represented.

"This is the den to the right, and on the left is a guest room, and towards the far end there, was—the bedroom."

Brett felt a stab of shame for resenting the happiness his brother once had, but Alan was foolish enough to damage a good thing.

Flashlight held aloft, Brett slipped ahead of Serena into the den. Erratic sweeps of the light dissected the darkness. In its scope, the flare encompassed bookshelves with threadlike cobwebs linked to the recessed ceiling. He swept the light over a wooden desk adorned with a blotter, brass lamp, and photo of Serena and Alan. Brett scooped up the framed picture and heard Serena’s startled gasp behind him. She too saw that the glass had been shattered, their faces obscured behind a web of jagged shards.

[MaMiller]

Today I offer up a Thanksgiving slice of WIDOW'S TALE...

"Are you okay?" He whispered.
With a feeble smile, Serena managed, "Do I look it?"
No, she didn’t. Serena’s lips were blue, her skin pallid, and her breathing seemed too shallow to suit him, but she resisted his hold and attempted to sit up.
"Lay down," Brett ordered. "You have nowhere you need to be right now. Just rest."
Anxious, Serena’s glance searched the living room. "How do you know what needs to be done?" She argued. "I have plenty of things that have to be addressed right now. I need to turn on more lights."
"They can wait," Brett challenged, but released his grip on Serena’s arm.
"Please," Serena sat up fully, facing off with him.
Serena’s eyes dropped to Brett’s lips for a split second before she continued in hushed urgency. "Please, Brett, let me get up, I have to—I have to—" she stammered, "it’s dark in here."
Brett stayed fixed, his arm across the back of the loveseat, a physical barricade that prevented Serena from rising. He studied the warm glow of the antique lantern, and the blaze of the fireplace. The lighting was nearly intimate.
Perhaps she was right. Maybe they needed more lights. Brett’s eyes returned to Serena’s face.
"There’s enough." His voice was husky.
"No."
Serena touched his arm as if to cast it aside, and froze when a footfall sounded behind her.
Brett’s head snapped. He searched the shadows beyond Serena. Heavy footsteps paced across the floorboards, pausing as if indecisive what trek to take—then resumed with determination towards the front door.
"What the hell?"
Jumping up to intersect the path of the intruder, Brett heard the steady tread before him. Then as if the figure passed directly through his body, the steps continued past Brett, out the open doorway.
"Stay right there!" He yelled over his shoulder while plunging through the door.
The wind slammed it shut behind him.
Serena clutched her arms about her. She stared at the door, willing it to open again. She willed Brett to return and not leave her alone for the next ghost. Its chilling cries were more haunting than the doleful steps of a man she could not mourn.

[MaMiller]

I've been quiet, but I've been busy . VICTORY COVE should be out in the next week or two. This is an independent romantic thriller set in the same Maine coastal village that played host to WIDOW'S TALE. I just got the cover today, and I'm getting excited....I'll post some snippets of the book here as soon as it's available.

It's snowing out!!!

[MaMiller]

The things authors will do to promote their books!! If you get a chance, please stop by my blog and see me as an 'extra' in WIDOW'S TALE

http://maureenamiller.blogspot.com/

[MaMiller]

Sometimes we all just need little tidbits from the books as a sample. Think of these as literary hors d'ouvers. Widow's Tale, Victory Cove and Rogue Wave are now all available as Barnes and Noble e-books.

VICTORY COVE http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/7274

Even with the collar pulled up over her ears, the myriad sounds of the tempest assaulted Megan. In the wind, she heard the ghostly woman crying, the phantom that besieged her at night. Outside of Wakefield’s dark chambers, the cry took on a hollow sound, like a woeful moan meant to lure you towards its source...the yawning black shadows beyond the cliff’s edge.

Megan also heard the anxious murmur of ice and snow, like a thousand voices whispering about her, berating her, cajoling her. Amidst their dissonance, one voice broke through.

“Margaret.”

Megan’s body jerked and the radio fell to the ground. It wasn’t the storm that called her name. She spun around and instinctively crouched, prepared to attack, but she did not have her trusty Glock. She had nothing but her bare hands and a flashlight.

“Margaret.” That chilled voice called again.

Megan whirled and saw his outline. Night swelled into the menacing form of a man. There were no distinct features, only a shadow—a frightening profile that looked as if the storm had taken its vivacity and breathed life into this very monster.
The man spoke in a somber cadence that masked the scream of the gale. “I’ve been looking for you.”

All her preparation for this moment was whisked away by the wind. Even now, Megan felt the tug of that strong coastal current drawing her towards the cliff’s edge with a pull of deadly proportions. Her cry was one of denial, or perhaps madness.


WIDOW'S TALE http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3352

Serena woke violently.

Pitched against a barrel, she strove for equilibrium. Her hands flew to seek hold of something stable, though the drum by her side rolled as unsteadily as she. Fighting pain, she tried to open her eyes and blinked when a stream of saltwater poured into them.

Drenched in seawater, resting on all fours, Serena cried out and thrust open her gaze. Waves crashed into her, and were it not for the rope fashioned securely about her waist, she would have lurched off the deck into the black sea.

Identifying her situation as incomprehensive and grave, Serena reacted by gripping the rope and yanking it till she could locate its origin. A lantern swung inside the pilot house. It framed a murky silhouette hunched over the controls, fighting for balance. Around her, the boat groaned against undue treatment, each thrust of the hull into the blockade of waves, potentially its last.

ROGUE WAVE http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/5401

“I’m telling you there’s something down there.”

“I’m not going to argue with you.” Nick delved into a locker to extract a snorkel and mask. With a hand on the cabin wall for support, he used the tip of his toe to peel off his shoe.

Only the sight of Nick stripping out of his shirt wrenched Briana’s gaze from the sea. The bronzed back, wide at the shoulders and lean as it dipped into his jeans was an equally riveting sight.

Flushed from the sun, Briana swiped her bangs off her forehead.
Don’t look at him. She forced her gaze back to the sea and concentrated on the unmanned rig drifting aimlessly in the distance, undulating slowly towards the black water.

He couldn’t possibly think of diving into that pit?

Briana’s hand splayed across her queasy stomach. Maybe she could say something to dissuade Nick? Maybe with a logical appeal she could convince him to stay out of the water, but the muted splash behind her told Briana it was already too late.

[MaMiller]

Yeay for all the 'Indies' out there. We're being featured on the Indie Spotlight.

Today's feature is...drumroll please...ME Please stop by and see all these talented authors!

http://www.theindiespotlight.com/?p=285

[dreams]

Originally Posted by MaMiller

Yeay for all the 'Indies' out there. We're being featured on the Indie Spotlight.

Today's feature is...drumroll please...ME Please stop by and see all these talented authors!

http://www.theindiespotlight.com/?p=285

That was a great write up It was also nice that you mentioned that smashwords has your book in multiple formats (for those out there without Kindles)

I purchased your books for my mom a bit ago. I recently loaded them up on her Reader and off she went on vacation.

[MaMiller]

Thank you Dreams. I hope Mom has a GREAT vacation, with lots of good reading material!

[MaMiller]

In celebration of EBook week, WIDOW'S TALE is on sale for $1.49 with coupon RAE25

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3352

[MaMiller]

Some exciting news. With WIDOW'S TALE, I was ranked on this site as one of the top 50 Independent Authors

http://ireaderreview.com/2010/05/08/...re/#more-11712

How cool is that???

[MaMiller]

One more post and I promise I'll be quiet, but yes, WIDOW'S TALE is on sale for the month of July at Smashwords as well! .$99 with coupon SWS50!

[MaMiller]

Only a day and a half (depending on your geographical reading position) left in Smashwords sale. I hope this means my book doesn't turn into a toad or something on August 1st

[MaMiller]

Happy New Year! Treat yourself to the Golden Heart nominated Romantic Suspense, WIDOW'S TALE for only $1.49 on Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and Kindle as well as several other ereaders.

Serena Murphy was losing her mind.

Every night Serena stood on the deck of O'Flanagans Tavern, searching Maine's rugged coast for a sign of her husband's body. Though he was pronounced lost at sea, Alan Murphy still haunted her as only his malevolent spirit could. In the loft above her tavern, Serena hears footsteps pace across her living room floor, yet when she turns, no one is there.

Alan would not let a little thing like death stop him from tormenting her. If she could just find his body, surely this torture would stop.

It had been ten years since Brett Murphy saw his sister in-law, although the separation was by design, to avoid temptation. Now Brett was in Victory Cove, not to declare his feelings for Serena, but to discover the truth about his brother's death. In doing so, he must battle Serena's ghosts, both real and contrived.