Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for EMPEROR by John Fullerton on this Black Tide Book Tour.
Below you will find a book description, my book review and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Can ex-NSA agent Ava stop the Emperor’s war plans before he kills millions – and her?
There’s a new Cold War…and it’s about to erupt into World War Three.
Emperor Qin – absolute ruler, dictator for life – has one task before he succumbs to brain cancer, and it means war. Can ex-spy Ava stop him in time to save millions – and survive?
Qin will ‘unify’ China by ordering the conquest of Taiwan, a democratic nation of 23 million people just 100 miles off the mainland, a pledge the Chinese Communist Party has made every year since the 1949 Revolution.
But there’s a leak, a flood of state secrets.
They land in the lap of the former NSA analyst in Washington DC. Ava Shute hasn’t sought the material. On the contrary, she’s a most reluctant recipient.
One thing keeps Ava going: the prospect of a nuclear Armageddon. The clock is ticking as Chinese agents hunt Ava down with orders to kill.
EMPEROR by John Fullerton is a twisted espionage thriller that immerses you in a fictional and yet realistic game of politics, propaganda, and spies from the point of view of the Chinese Supreme Leader Qin and American former NSA analyst, Ava Shute. This is a standalone novel.
Qin is the type of totalitarian leader most westerners picture as the leader of China. Qin is isolated, ruthless, and even with a brain tumor able to outwit any opposition. Before his tumor kills him, the legacy he wants to leave is the reunification of China and Taiwan.
There is a leak of Qin’s military plans and Ava Shute is the recipient of the information. The informant wishes to remain secret and have their information released to the press rather than government agencies so that it cannot be buried. With Chinese agents out to shut down the leak permanently, Ava must trust an old acquaintance from her NSA past with her life.
This is such a great thriller. It does not rely on fast action scenes to carry the story, although they are there, it is more of game of political chess. There are in depth descriptions of military equipment and maneuvers beside the examples of types of espionage which show a voluminous amount of research and knowledge. While the plot keeps you on the edge of your seat about whether there will be a world war or not, whether the leaker will be unveiled or not, or if Ava will survive, the author brings the reader to a brilliantly executed, twisted, and yet believable climax. Sorry, no spoilers here. You have to read this book.
I highly recommend this espionage thriller!
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Author Bio
John Fullerton worked briefly during the Cold War as a ‘contract labourer’ for Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, an episode that fired up his interest in fictional espionage. He failed spectacularly in his efforts as a farmer in Zimbabwe and as a trainee financial manager in Cape Town.
All told, he’s lived or worked in 40 countries as a journalist and covered a dozen wars. For 20 years Fullerton was employed by Reuters as a correspondent and editor with postings in Hong Kong, Delhi, Beirut, Nicosia, Cairo, and London.
His latest thriller, Emperor, was published in 2022. He has an MA with distinction in Buddhist Studies and was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund at Roehampton University in 2006/7.
UNDER PRESSURE (An FBI K-9 Novel Book #6) by Sara Driscoll is another exciting fast paced crime thriller/FBI procedural featuring FBI canine handler Meg Jennings and her K-9 Labrador partner, Hawk. These books can easily be read as standalone books due to the unique crime case plots, but the core characters and their relationships continue to evolve in each book, so I feel they are best read in order of their release.
FBI canine handlers Meg Jennings and Brian Foster are paired together to help with an FBI Organized Crime case investigating the smuggling of conflict “blood” diamonds by the mob in Philadelphia. The FBI has an agent embedded in the syndicate, but he would be killed if he was caught with a wire or tracking device. Meg and Brian will use their dogs, Hawk and Lacy to track the agent to criminal locations while keeping the agent’s identity a secret.
As the investigation heats up, Meg is identified as law enforcement and she barely escapes an attempt on her life with the help of Hawk. At the same time, McCord is using his journalistic skills on the same investigation and it becomes a race for the entire team to find him when he does not check in on time.
I really enjoyed this addition to the series and catching up with all the recurring main characters. The information on conflict diamonds was well researched and interesting. The use of Hawk and Lacy when a wire or tracking device could not be used was unique and I wonder if that was pulled from an actual case. The action is continually fast paced and the tension high throughout with the dog tracking the FBI embedded agent and the race to rescue McCord at the climax. It is always great to check back in on the lives of Meg and Webb and Cara and McCord and of course all the dogs. I was also very glad that Brian was able to return with a healed Lacy.
I highly recommend this crime thriller/FBI procedural and the entire series!
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Author Bio
A scientist specializing in infectious diseases, Jen works with a cutting-edge research group on multiple national and international COVID-19 clinical trials. After a day battling microscopic pathogens, she enjoys spending her evenings taking on hostage takers and serial killers.
With Ann Vanderlaan, she writes two series. Under Danna and Vanderlaan, they craft suspenseful crime fiction with a realistic scientific edge. Their five Abbott and Lowell Forensic Mysteries include DEAD, WITHOUT A STONE TO TELL IT; NO ONE SEES ME ’TILL I FALL; A FLAME IN THE WIND OF DEATH; TWO PARTS BLOODY MURDER; and LAMENT THE COMMON BONES.
Under the joint pseudonym of Sara Driscoll, they write the FBI K-9s mysteries series, starring search-and-rescue team Meg Jennings and her black lab, Hawk. The series includes LONE WOLF, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE, STORM RISING, NO MAN’S LAND, LEAVE NO TRACE, and UNDER PRESSURE. The seventh book in the series, STILL WATERS, will release in December 2022.
Jen is also the author of the NYPD Negotiators thriller series, starring Gemma Capello with her Hostage Negotiation Team colleagues and first responder family. The series includes EXIT STRATEGY and SHOT CALLER, with the third book in the series, LOCKDOWN, coming soon.
Jen lives near Toronto, Ontario with her husband, two daughters, and four rescued cats, and is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada. You can reach her through her contact page or by email at jenjdanna@gmail.com.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for IGNITING VIC (On Call Book #8)(Police and Fire Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Victoria “Vic” Paige thought she was firmly back in the saddle since returning to her job as a firefighter after a three-year hiatus. These past twelve months with her new crew at Station 3 have rebuilt her confidence. That is until they are called to a motel fire where she stumbles onto the scene of a murder, which has her shaken to the core. But a pair of calm blue eyes and the deep composed voice of the first detective on the scene restores her equilibrium.
As a recent transplant from the Denver PD to the smaller Durango force, Detective Bill Evans is enjoying the slower pace. So when he is called to a motel fire, he doesn’t expect it to be the first in a series of gruesome murders, bringing back unwelcome memories. The only high point is finding the familiar, beautiful, blond-haired firefighter on the scene. Despite the heavy workload inevitable with a difficult case like this, he’s determined not to let that stroke of good luck go to waste.
However, when the killer turns the investigation personal, Evans finds himself reconnecting with his former partner, Quint Axton, as he scrambles to keep those he cares about safe.
IGNITING VIC (On Call Book #8)( Police and Fire: Operation Alpha) by Freya Barker is another exciting romantic suspense and wonderful new couple in the On Call series. While some characters crossover between books, they can be easily read as standalones, but this book does follow the sister and family from Watching Trin, book #7 so I would suggest reading that book first. I have read the entire series and always look forward to Ms. Barker’s mature, intelligent, and sexy heroes and heroines.
After one year back on the job, Victoria “Vic” Paige is feeling secure with her new firefighter crew after a three-year hiatus caring for her father. When they are called out to a motel fire, Vic discovers a horrific murder scene.
Durango Detective Bill Evans is called to investigate the murder. The scene is reminiscent of a gruesome serial killer case he solved while on the Denver PD, but that killer is sitting in prison for life. While the crime is terrible, Bill is glad that he will get to interact with Vic, the beautiful, but intense firefighter who discovered the body. When another victim is found, the police know they will have to stop this killer because he won’t stop on his own.
While Vic is dealing with her father’s declining health and the unwanted attention of a co-worker, Bill is working overtime with all hands-on deck, but both are still finding time to get to know each other. When the killer threatens those close to Bill, he scrambles to find the killer and keep them all safe.
Another wonderful romantic suspense in this On Call series! The serial killer suspense plot and investigation is well paced with an ever increasing sense of dread and a climax that had me glued to the page. Vic and Bill are a mature H/h who believe they are good with their lives where they are at, but as they get to know each other, they find they compliment each other and can rely on each other. The sex scenes are explicit, but not gratuitous and have a believable feel as both are older and know what they want. I started reading this romance and fell right into the story and did not stop until the end.
I highly recommend this gripping romantic suspense, the entire series, and any of this author’s books!
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Author Bio
USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories.
Driven to make her books about ‘real’ people; she creates characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy, but just as deserving of romance, thrills and chills in their lives.
Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We’ve Read All Year Award for “Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya continues to add to her rapidly growing collection of published novels as she spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!
Court Gentry is caught between the Russian mafia and the CIA in this latest electrifying thriller in the #1 New York Times bestselling Gray Man series.
When you kick over a rock, you never know what’s going to crawl out.
Alex Velesky is about to discover that the hard way. He’s stolen records from the Swiss bank that employs him, thinking that he’ll uncover a criminal conspiracy. But he soon finds that he’s tapped into the mother lode of corruption. Before he knows it, he’s being hunted by everyone from the Russian mafia to the CIA.
Court Gentry and his erstwhile lover, Zoya Zakharova, find themselves on opposites poles when it comes to Velesky. They both want him but for different reasons.
That’s a problem for tomorrow. Today they need to keep him and themselves alive. Right now, it’s not looking good.
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Elise’s Thoughts
Burner by Mark Greaney torches the thriller competition. Not since Vince Flynn and Nelson DeMille has there been a string of outstanding stories, twelve to be exact. He writes his characters with wit, sarcasm, and allows readers to get into the characters’ heads. This novel focuses on honor, duty, love, forgiveness, and addiction.
The first half of the story sets up the second half and focuses more on Court’s former partner and love interest Zoya Zakharova, code-named “Anthem. The plot goes from geo-political to a cat and mouse chase. Both Court Gentry, the Gray Man, and Zoya, are former rogue CIA operatives who worked in the shadows when plausible deniability was necessary.
Gentry and Zoya are hired independently of each other to retrieve a certain phone. They are after Alex Velesky, who has stolen information, on his burner phone, from the Swiss bank he works for with the goal to uncover a conspiracy where Western traitors are working hand in hand with the Russians. Zoya gets to him first and promises to take him to New York where Alex will expose the traitors. But she is not at her best, feeling adrift, missing her lover Court, and has as her only companion’s vodka and cocaine. Whether Court or Zoya, Greaney has allowed readers to get to know these characters better realizing they have emotional and psychological trauma.
The Court and Zoya plots run parallel until their missions intersect and the two lovers are reunited, facing almost impossible odds. She and Court are on a collision course as they try to combat Russians, powerful politicians, and those administrators in the CIA.
Per usual in each of his books Greaney has the most awesome action scenes. As the story opens readers find Court hired to blow up Russian Oligarchs’ yachts but getting interference as he fights off Russian divers. As good as this scene is it does not compare to the captivating train scene later in the book.
The cast of characters will have readers loving some and hating others. The plot is relentless with an abundance of action. It is also very timely since the events involve the Russian-Ukrainian War.
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Author Interview
Elise Cooper: Idea for the story?
Mark Greaney: Even before the Russian invasion I wanted to write how Russian foreign intelligence buys influences of people in the West. I already started the book when the invasion of Ukraine began. One of my characters is Alex Veleskey, an American of Ukrainian descent, now working in a Swiss bank. He seeks revenge after the Russians killed his family in the war, the springboard for the plot. I tried to figure out where this war will be, knowing how a small portion of Ukrainians are supporting Russia, which I have in the book as well. An important part of the story is how relationships of convenience are created for the greater good even though many of the characters have been each other’s nemesis for years.
EC: The structure of the book changes about mid-way?
MG: I structured the story where the first part is geo-political, making sure readers understand what is happening, and the last part is a cat and mouse chase. Regarding Zoya and Court, the story has them about 50-50. My earlier book, Mission Critical, was more about Zoya. But, I do agree, the first half of the book feels like it has a lot more Zoya.
EC: Zoya changed in this book?
MG: Yes. She was really in a dark place. I have done this to Court in earlier books. Zoya is depressed and down. She is drinking with a cocaine habit. Because of where she is in her life, she appears fragile with a lot of vulnerabilities, isolated, and withdrawn. The more of these books I write, the more I want to delve into the characters.
EC: You describe the symptoms of someone taking cocaine?
MG: Yes, people have flushed cheeks, eyes bloodshot, twitchy, sweating, fast heart rate, more erratic, and eventually drained with anxiety. I have never done coke, so I did research by talking with two people who did and looked it up as well.
EC: How would you describe the Gray Man, Court Gentry’s resume?
MG: Professional saboteur, a private assassin, and an international fugitive.
EC: Is it true how Russia was buying influential people in the West?
MG: Yes. They have been involved with spying for the Russians or doing counter-terrorism measures on the Russians behalf. I wrote about this true to life issue. Just about two weeks ago, the chief of counterintelligence in the FBI New York Office, Charles McGonigal, was arrested for taking money from a Russian Oligarch, one of Putin’s cronies, Oleg Deripaska. McGonigal was charged with money laundering and violating US Treasury sanctions.
EC: The relationship between Court and Zoya?
MG: I wanted to mess with people’s expectations. They will either have their heart strings pulled, make them scared, or make them happy. Zoya really misses Court. Both did not know how to connect with one another. There is a physical distance between them but also an emotional distance between them including trust issues since Court ran out on her. They are two headstrong characters that are very similar. They both are lonely, missed each other, and saw the other person as the only one who understands them.
EC: How would you describe the new character, Angela Lacy?
MG: Her personality is different from Brewer and Zoya, yet she is strong and confident. In a sense she is Brewer’s foil. Because she is looking to improve her position in the CIA, Court is wary of her while Zoya does not trust her at all. Lacy is more good than bad. Right now, she can be trustful, direct, honorable, and honest. She will be one of Court’s CIA contacts in future books.
EC: You always have the best action scenes.
MG: The beginning of the book where Court is trying to blow up a Russian Oligarch’s yacht was based on my experience with diving. I did some diving in Saint Lucia. Later in the story, the train scene when I originally wrote it was 80 pages long, about 15% of the book. As I was finishing that scene, I was not happy with it. So I went to Europe, traveling on the train from Milan to Geneva, taking pictures and videos, getting the angles figured. I am trying to sell what happens to the characters to the readers.
EC: Can you talk about your feelings regarding the “Gray Man” TV movie on Netflix?
MG: They will be making another one, but they have not started filming yet. It will be based on one of my books. I really liked it but since I read the screenplay before the movie came out, I knew it was not going to be as gritty and edgy as the book. They did make changes with the book plot. I went in with the right attitude since I had no control. I felt it was 60% of the book and 40% different with new stuff. There were places in the movie that I really liked the changes and wished I had written it yet there were places where I thought my little twist was more effective.
EC: What about the actors who portrayed some of the characters?
MG: Ryan Gosling nailed down the character as I wrote him. There are villains in the Gray Man book that were not in the movie so hopefully someone who did not read the book will pick it up to learn more. Ana De Armas, the female lead, was cool, but she rescued Court too much. In the books I do have people pulling the Gray Man out of the fire, but she was a little bit of a ‘too good to be true’ character. I like the women, to be more like Zoya, a little rougher, harder edge, more morally ambiguous, and less of coming in to save the day.
EC: Next book?
MG: I have not started writing it. It will take place in Cuba and Singapore. The plot will have Zach, Hanley, Zoya, and obviously Court. The villain is a private individual. There will be a connection to the CIA but not involved with a mission.
THANK YOU!!
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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.
More goes wrong than could be imagined when Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau are unexpectedly engaged to dig into the past of a suitor of a royal princess in Allison Montclair’s delightful second novel, A Royal Affair.
In London 1946, The Right Sort Marriage Bureau is just beginning to take off and the proprietors, Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge, are in need of a bigger office and a secretary to handle the growing demand. Unfortunately, they don’t yet have the necessary means. So when a woman arrives—a cousin of Gwen’s—with an interesting and quite remunerative proposition, they two of them are all ears.
The cousin, one Lady Matheson, works for the Queen in “some capacity” and is in need of some discreet investigation. It seems that the Princess Elizabeth has developed feelings for a dashing Greek prince and a blackmail note has arrived, alluding to some potentially damaging information about said prince. Wanting to keep this out of the palace gossip circles, but also needing to find out what skeletons might lurk in the prince’s closet, the palace has quietly turned to Gwen and Iris. Without causing a stir, the two of them must now find out what secrets lurk in the prince’s past, before his engagement to the future Queen of England is announced. And there’s more at stake than the future of the Empire —there is their potential new office that lies in the balance.
A ROYAL AFFAIR (A Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery Book #2) by Allison Montclair is an exciting historical mystery addition to the Sparks and Bainbridge Mystery series featuring the owners of The Right SortMarriage Bureau in post WWII London. Miss Iris Sparks and Mrs. Gwendolyn Bainbridge are two women with very diverse backgrounds who work perfectly together as co-owners of their new marriage match business and as unlikely best friends. These first two books can be read as standalones, but the main characters continue to evolve and I suggest you read them in order.
With The Right Sort Marriage Bureau becoming more successful, Iris and Gwen are looking forward to being able to move to larger offices down the hall in their current office building. When Gwen’s cousin, Lady Matheson, who works for the Queen arrives with a profitable proposition, they are more than happy to take on the job.
Lady Matheson has intercepted a black mail note addressed to the Princess Elizabeth concerning her choice for her prince. Wanting to avoid palace gossip, Lady Matheson hires Iris and Gwen to discreetly investigate if the information in some private family letters is true which could be damaging to the Greek prince and Elizabeth’s choice for husband.
What Iris and Gwen don’t realize is that they are not the only party looking for the letters. A dead body, British intelligence, Russian spies, and Greek government officials are all tangled together in this intriguing investigation. Iris and Gwen ready to assist the Crown and Princess and get their new office, too.
This is a great addition to this series, and I enjoy reuniting with Iris and Gwen. These two characters just jump off the page with their friendship, witty dialogue, and unique to their station and background skills. I quickly fall into the story of both their business and personal lives and feel as if I am a fly on the wall. Iris and Gwen feel like friends. The plot for this mystery is very intriguing and twisted. The use of historic figures with a “what if” scenario which could be very plausible kept me completely invested in the story. The secondary characters are fully drawn and quite believable. This has become a must-read series for me, and I am looking forward to following Iris and Gwen on their next adventure, because you know they just cannot stay out of trouble.
I highly recommend this historical amateur sleuth mystery!
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About the Author
ALLISON MONTCLAIR grew up devouring hand-me-down Agatha Christie paperbacks and James Bond movies. As a result of this deplorable upbringing, Montclair became addicted to tales of crime, intrigue, and espionage. She now spends her spare time poking through the corners, nooks, and crannies of history, searching for the odd mysterious bits and transforming them into novels of her own. The Right Sort of Man is her debut novel.
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for HARMONY OF LIES (Alice & Owen Book #2) by Brian Feehan on this Berkley Mass Market blog tour.
Below you will find an about the book section, my book review, an excerpt from the book, an about the author section and the author’s social media links. Enjoy!
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About the Book
After being forced away for seventeen years, Alice is finally home. But home isn’t what she thought it would be, and every day the secrets she holds from her parents grow with weight. But how do you tell your mother and father that you’re not normal? That the world is a far more dangerous place than they have ever known and you are anything but the small, innocent child who was torn from their arms all those years ago?
Owen can’t say goodbye, and Alice can’t hold on to him tightly enough as the pressures of danger and obligation grow stronger and stronger. With a broken heart, Owen is headed to San Francisco with his crew of musicians. But the Golden City is filled with history and secrets, and brutal deaths are just lying in wait for Owen and his people. To survive these trials and this city, Owen will need everything he has—even the broken parts he gave to Alice—to have any hope of doing the impossible one more time.
HARMONY OF LIES (Alice & Owen Book #2) by Brian Feehan is the second book in the paranormal/urban fantasy world centered around new types of characters; the We, the etherealists, and regular human beings. Starting right where Harmony of Fire Book #1 left off, Alice, Owen and the band have returned to Alice’s family home, but Owen and the band need to leave for San Francisco. I feel to understand this author’s world and the capabilities of the We and etherealists, you need to read this series in order.
After seventeen years of being forced to be away from her family, Alice is now a powerful etherealist hunter and she wants nothing more than to be reunited. She is afraid to reveal to her parents that she is no longer normal, but they have been keeping a secret from her, too. With family secrets revealed, Alice learns to navigate even more of her powers.
When Owen, the etherealist gatekeeper and his band get to San Francisco, they face a powerful dark magic tied to a possessed red piano and a ghost. To save his friends and beat the dark magic, Owen knows he needs Alice, the woman he loves, for everyone to survive.
This book is another powerful and intriguing trip into the musical and magical world of the We and Alice and Owen. I love all the unique characters, not only Alice and Owen, but the entire band. Their courage and love for each other makes them powerful enough to face all the trials thrown at them. My only disappointment is that Alice and Owen are separated from each other, just like in book #1, in my opinion through too much of the book. The music, the magic, the lethal danger, the intricate world-building, and the lyrical prose all pulled me in and make this a powerful paranormal series.
This is another captivating paranormal/urban fantasy book in this series.
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Excerpt
An old wooden ladder led up toward the space Owen had claimed for himself. More importantly, it was private.
“We aren’t going up there tonight.” Owen smiled, and in that smile it was easy to see he had been looking forward to this moment.
“We aren’t going up to your bed? That’s a first. Where are you taking me?”
“This way,” he said, leading beneath the loft and deeper within. They moved past a trove of shovels and tools until she spotted a door she hadn’t used before. Owen pressed hard, and hay and dust fell off the frame as another wave of the night air broke over them both.
“So what’s out here?”
“It’s a surprise. It took a little work, but Max and I finished it this morning.”
Alice’s eyesight adjusted to the low light as Owen shut the barn door behind them. She took a glance around. She had thought this side of the barn was just where the farmer parked his rusted tractor and broken-down truck. Toss in a couple of old oil barrels and some leftover parts, and there wasn’t much to look at, particularly at night. She couldn’t fathom why Owen had brought her out here.
“You know I’m not really a tractor kind of girl. If you’re thinking we are getting kinky on that old thing, you’re far better off taking me back up to the loft.”
Owen laughed, and she felt it down deep.
It was nice spending time with the others, but every time they found a chance to be alone she saw it was easier for Owen to be himself.
“Back here. I set this up for us,” Owen said.
They weaved around an old rusted oil barrel and some empty propane canisters until she spotted a large something covered up by a sheet of old gray plywood and blue tarp.
“It’s not jewelry or a gun. For the record, I like both those things. What is it?” she asked.
“Patience,” he said, letting go of her hand and moving around the side. With practiced ease, Owen spread his long arms and grabbed both the old plywood and tarp beneath. A gentle pull and lift and a large, curved wooden hot tub was uncovered.
“How in the world did you find this? We are in the middle of nowhere.”
“We found it right off. It took some heavy lifting and more than one hour of cleaning. But the real problem was the pump and heater. You like it?” he asked.
“It’s clean?” she asked.
“Of course.” Owen used his foot to flip the metal switch that started the pump. Already there was steam rising into the air.
“And bubbles. Owen, I feel you’re giving me the full treatment.”
Owen didn’t answer.
There was something about the night sky mixed with the back-glow of the barn that framed Owen. He stood there watching her but was lost under the weight of leaving, leaving her. She could see it as clearly as his deep green eyes and strong face.
Owen reached over toward an instant propane heater and clicked it on. She heard the whoosh as gas met spark.
“Owen?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“I have never met someone like you.”
And I don’t want to say goodbye.
It was his thoughts that drifted in the air between them, but she thought she could hear him and understood his view. For the last couple of weeks, he had made a point of talking about the chaos of his life. How every road traveled twisted and turned, and those devoted to living as a musician changed with every trip. In short, he was saying that now that it was time to leave, this could be the end of their relationship. That he didn’t know where he going, but he was sure he couldn’t come back.
Brian Feehan lives in his mind, creating vibrant characters who talk very loud and far too often. When real life comes knocking, it is likely to be the love of his life, Michelle, or their son, Dylan. The three of them live on the northern coast of California, which is far different from any other part of California.
