Review: Gathering Storm: Order of the Black Swan #5 by Victoria Danann (2 Giveaways)

Excerpt: 

PREFACE
Dunkilly, Ireland

Glendennon Catch caught the eye of the bartender who simply pointed toward a back corner. He couldn't see what the man pointed to, but he nodded and began making his way toward the rear. He wound through a few layers of standing people who were holding glass mugs and talking loudly to be heard over the music, until he could see a corner snug in the back. It was close to a window so there was enough light to see, even with the smoke, that the bartender had been right in surmising that he was looking for Z Team.

There they were - the farthest thing from inconspicuous. Glen couldn't begin to guess how they had managed to be successful vampire slayers when everything about them drew attention and broadcasted vibes of this-is-your-last-chance-to-run. It was a message that floated around them like a diaphanous cloud of warning.

The four of them fit comfortably in a snug designed for eight. That was partly because of their sheer size and partly because they had a casual way of draping arms and legs so that they took up as much space as possible. It also communicated disdain for established notions of propriety. Glen knew instinctively that even the word "propriety" would make Black Swan's infamous misfits laugh out loud.

One of them was wearing a sleeveless shirt that had once been a denim jacket. His left arm had been transformed into a tattooed sleeve by an intricately inked mural of muted colors. It was odd to see bare biceps when it was brittle-dick cold outside, but Glen supposed that if he'd made that much of an investment in ink he might want to show it off too.

Glen's initial impression of the guy sitting next to Sleeve was that he should have the nickname, Dark, or Black. He wore black jeans, a black metal band shirt that was probably a collectable, and his spiky hair was so blue black it had to have been dyed that color. All that with eyes so pale he could almost get away with going undercover as a vamp. He wasn't wearing eyeliner, but the contrast between his ice-color irises and those thick ebony lashes made his eyes pop in a dramatic way that probably drew interest from a lot of babes. The Black Knight. Glen smiled a little to himself. He enjoyed his own company and his own offbeat sense of humor.

The third wore a plain gray long sleeve tee that covered his upper body, but Glen could see black ink climbing out of the neck of the guy's shirt, stopping just below his pronounced jaw line. Either tribal pattern or angel glyph. Hard to tell with just snake tails in view. He had a serious case of bed head going, probably by design, and one eyebrow that was raised and had been since he'd noticed Glen standing there watching them.

He said something to the others. Then the fourth, the one facing away with one long arm draped over the back of the snug, turned to look at Glen, revealing elfin ears. Those ears were outlined by light brown hair with titian streaks. Same curl as Sir Hawking. Had to be Torrent Finngarick.

They looked exactly the way Glen had expected them to look. Hard. Tough. And like they belonged together. He was thinking, So they're Black Swan knights with a little bit of a nasty reputation. They put their pants on one leg at a time just like me. Right?

It was an inadequate internal pep talk, but he just wasn't feeling it. He decided to go with Plan A, which was taking life straight ahead, one step at a time. Glen had a reputation of his own for being easy going, but he made an exception for passive aggressive nonsense. He didn't like it, didn't like people who habitually avoided the front door, and didn't mind letting his irritation with bullshit bubble over.

Plan A meant walking straight up to them, stating his business, hoping for the best, but being prepared for the worst. That was the thought bouncing around in his mind as he observed their reactions to seeing him approach the table. When he was standing over them, he looked around the table and said, "I'm Glendennon Catch." Then he zeroed in on Torn. "Sorry for your loss, Sir Finngarick." He said "sir" quietly enough so that only they heard him, but they got the message. It was as good as a secret handshake. "The office sent me with a message from the HR department."

They left him standing there for a minute without saying anything or changing expression. It was a thinly disguised intimidation strategy to get him to reveal nervousness, timidity, or some other weakness that would register as a flaw in their eyes. That sort of thing didn't work on somebody who had inherited the dominant werewolf gene. He could stand there all day without flinching or looking away.

Finally, the big guy with the glyphs crawling up his neck grinned, showing dimples which seemed entirely out of place against the persona he'd so carefully crafted. "So go ahead and deliver your memo, Sweet Cheeks. We're waiting."

The other three chuckled softly without taking their eyes off of him. Glen laughed openly and good-naturedly, but let the sound trail off ending in a low level growl, incongruent with the smile on his face. The growl wasn't loud enough to draw attention from the wake-goers, but it was definitely heard by Z Team. They all sat up a little straighter and took another look at the kid. He had their interest, but that was worlds away from respect.

Looking at Glyphs, he said, "My briefing didn't mention that any of you are hard of hearing. If you want to call me by a name, it's Glen." Finngarick's blue eyes twinkled in a way that brought Ram to mind while the other two laughed at Glyphs being put down by a kid who was years away from growing into his big frame.

"Long way to deliver a message. Would you no' have a pint with us then? Glen." He reached out with a long leg, put the toe of his scuffed boot through the leg brace of an unoccupied chair, pulled it up to the snug, and made a gesture of invitation. "You'll find we're no' much on formality. Call me Torn."

Glen nodded then looked at the others. Torn pointed at the guy with the sleeves and said, "This is Gunnar. That's Raif." He raised his chin in the direction of 'black knight'. "The fella with the questionable personality is Bob." "Gunnar. Raif, Torn, And Bob. No way." Finngarick's eyes twinkled with that special elvish sparkle. "Aye. Make no mistake. Name's Bob."

Glen shook his head. "Let's rename him."

Author Bio:

If you're looking for something new and different in PNR, you've come to the right place.

I write unapologetic romances with uniquely fresh perspectives on paranormal creatures, characters, and themes. Add a dash of scifi and a flourish of fantasy to enough humor to make you laugh out loud and enough steam to make you squirm in your chair. My heroines are independent femmes with flaws and minds of their own whether they are aliens, witches, demonologists, psychics, or past life therapists. My heroes are hot and hunky, but they also have brains, character, and good manners - usually - whether they be elves, demons, berserkers, werewolves, or vampires.

My first book, My Familiar Stranger, was nominated for Best Paranormal Romance of 2012 by the Reviewers' Choice and Readers’ Choice Awards. Each of my books has remained on the Amazon best seller list in category every day since release. All four also earned the Night Owl Reviews TOP PICK award and have remained on the Amazon Best Sellers list every day since release.

The Order of the Black Swan is a series that is also a serial saga. Each book is an episodic installment in an ongoing story. Join me for the adventure.

WEBSITE:  http://www.VictoriaDanann.com
BLOG: http://VictoriaDanann.me
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/vdanann
TWITTER: @vdanann

Giveaway: one e-copy of The Order of the Black Swan Collected Tales, Books 1-3.

Author Giveaway: Tour wide: One entire set of signed paperbacks, Books 1-5.  

My thoughts: Book 5: Gathering Storm:

     WOW!  Usually the first book in a series is the best book of the series.  This is not the case for Victoria Danann and The Black Swan series.  Each book is as good or better than the last one, leading you on into the story more and more.  You fall in love with the characters and can't wait to return to their world.  Each story brings you back and then farther on.  You get to revisit and relearn some characters while meeting new and exciting ones too.

     Once again I found myself wrapped tight in the story, hanging on each page.  This installment of the series is filled with fantastic characters, action, and an emotional roller coaster.  You will laugh and cry as you live the story as though you are there too.  Do not miss this series - start at the beginning - make a weekend out of it and read all five books.

Check out what I thought of the rest of the series:

Book Four: The Big Bad Wolf ~  Here

Book Three: The Summoner's Tale ~Here

Book Two: Witches Dream ~Here

Book One: My Familiar Stranger ~Here

Jump over HERE and buy them for yourself!

Homecoming Parade!

 

The students in my reading club decided that we should build The Monster Book of Monsters from Harry Potter as our homecoming parade entry.  Here are the two books we built.

The giant book is "Chomper" - theme was "Chomp Cotter!" and he and the other enormous book  now live in our media center.

The little one, who is actually "book size" is Nibbles and went home with a student.

 Last year for homecoming we built a "Bookworm" so he and my friend Kathy came along with the books!

 

I can't wait to hear the next idea!

Book Promo and Author Interview: Anne McCarthy Strauss and A Medical Affair

About A Medical Affair

While under the care of her pulmonologist after a life-threatening asthma 
attack, Heather Morrison enters into an affair with her doctor. This affair 
violates the state’s code of conduct and his medical treatment violates the 
Hippocratic oath.  Heather’s life is shattered as a result. After the doctor 
terminates the relationship, Heather begins research for her own healing, 
and armed with this information, she initiates a civil lawsuit. Although it 
is a work of fiction, A Medical Affair was extensively researched.  A 
Medical Affair is a critical book for women who want to make educated 
decisions regarding their relationships with their doctors.

Welcome Anne ~ 

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve known I wanted to be a writer since I learned how to read.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

I’ve had about seven public relations jobs.  I still have one.  But all I ever wanted to do was to write novels.

? How long does it take you to write a book?

That depends on so many factors – whether or not I have a job, how much research has to be done, how inspired I am by the subject matter, and whether I have the time.  It took about five years to write A Medical Affair, half of which was researching.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

I write down every good line I think of it when I think of it.  I may be driving, it may be the middle of the night – or worse.

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

My characters are often a conglomeration of people I know, people I see or read about, and pure imagination.

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

I am fortunate to have an immunity to writer’s block.  Ideas come to me like waves to the shore.

? What books have most influenced your life?

Years ago, I was addicted to self-help books. Robin Norward's Women Who Love Too Much touched my soul and let me allow myself to live the life I'm living.

? What are you reading right now?

The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty. I'm in the early chapters and still adjusting to the many points of view. And I don't yet know what The Husband's Secret is.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Read, hike, hang out in bookstores. 

? What is your favorite comfort food?

? What do you think makes a good story?

Passion.  You have to have a passion for what you’re writing about.  Characters you can love.  Characters you can hate.  And good writing.  All the rest means nothing if the writing is bad.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

Anita Shreve is my favorite contemporary author.  She can write with conviction about a wide variety of things in all imaginable places.  Her books are filled with keenly developed characters and locales.  They are definitely not cookie cutter.

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? Dogs

·        Coffee or tea? Coffee

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Dark

·        Rocks or flowers? Flowers

·        Night or day? Night

·        Favorite color? It depends on what it is.  For example, I love purple, but would not want a purple car.

·        Crayons or markers? Markers

·        Pens or pencils? Both

More About Anne

Anne McCarthy Strauss is a versatile writer, researcher and public relations 
professional.  She is also an avid supporter of victims’ rights.  She has 
spent the last decade educating women and men on the seldom revealed but all 
too frequent occurrence of affairs between doctors and their patients.  Her 
novel, A Medical Affair, is the story of a doctor who violates a sacred 
trust by having an affair with one of his patients.

A lifelong New Yorker, Anne lives on Long Island with her husband and their 
two Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.  The mother of one son, she has written 
for both consumer and trade magazines including Old House Journal, 
Waterfront Home & Design, Design Trade Magazine, Design New England, 
Distinction, Log Home Design Ideas and Florida Design Review.  She has been 
a regular contributor to Martha’s Vineyard Magazine and Vineyard Style.  She 
is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA).

Visit her at www.annestauss.com>

Author Interview: Juniper Crescent by Tony Graff

Amazon Book Description:
Oksanya suffers from Muscular Dystrophy. Or did, until an operation cured her. This operation, called the Isis operation, is listed as a miracle cure. It can cure cancer, genetic disorders, and extend human abilities beyond their natural limits. Oksanya was cured by having the corrupted genes replaced by the genes of a cheetah. It gave her the cure she was looking for, and developed
the ability to run faster than anyone else in the world.

However, society is drawing a line. Either this is the miracle cure we have been waiting for, or it is the latest toolbox for criminals. And Oksanya is caught in the crossfire.

Tony Graff has stopped by for an interview:

 When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Well... I've always had a thing for stories. In high school I was so in love with graphic novels that I thought I'd be writing/drawing those for a living. But, when it came time to do research and do character designs for Juniper Crescent, I wasn't satisfied with my drawings of the protagonist, Oksanya. After a whole failed evening of trying to draw her, I finally gave up and posted what I had done as far as research online. Some kind friends suggested I try and write it instead of making it a graphic novel. I think that was the real point that I wanted to be a writer.

 How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?
Several, I'm embarrassed to say. I've repaired watches, been a lifeguard, worked at a movie theater set up displays at Target and Victoria's Secret, and served teriyaki chicken at a restaurant where the owner didn't speak English well. Currently, I'm a full time student.
 How long does it take you to write a book?
A year has been the average. It took eight months to write the first draft of Juniper Crescent, but more recently it's taken a month to write the first draft of my current writing endeavor, Warscribe.
 What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
I'd say the amount and type of research I put into some of my projects. For Juniper Crescent I got hands on experience on what catnip does to a human (I don't recommend that), and for another project I did extensive tests on the use of keys as a self-defense weapon.
 Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?
When I'm looking for characters, it's everywhere. But the characters I end up liking the most are amalgamations so many different elements across what I'm reading, watching on TV, the music I'm listening to, and the trend I'm following at the time.

 How do you decide what you want to write about?
An idea just has to hit me hard enough. I wish I could say something clearer. I'm still hoping I'll find that magic equation that'll let me have great ideas. But, it's that ethereal feeling that I have to work on a particular idea over all others.

 What books have most influenced your life?
I'm no zealot, but the scriptures (Holy Bible, Book of Mormon and so forth) have been a big influence that has kept me where I can write and write well. It's taught me the structure, goal-setting, and determination I need to be able to accept what's happening at any given point.

But, as far as literature, The Divine Comedy by Dante and the Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis have been very inspirational. What those men did with the worlds they created are nothing short of genius.

 What are you reading right now?
My wife and I have a habit of reading out loud to each other before we go to bed. We're currently reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I also started reading Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (research for my next book.)

 What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I enjoy gardening, drawing, crocheting, cooking, and DDR.

 What is your favorite comfort food?
Chicken Tikka. I had the pleasure of learning to cook Indian food from a dear sweet little grandmother in Canada. Couldn't speak much English, but took me through making this dish. Then I had to come back to the States and make this for myself.
 What do you think makes a good story?
Blending genres and unique characters. Take a look at a book that's only action adventure, and you'll find it reaches a select crowd. But an action adventure where they throw in comedy, and it reach not only the select crowd, but many, many more groups.
 Who would you consider your favorite author and why?
That's a difficult question... How do I choose just one? More recently, I'd have to say Brandon Sanderson. Not only because he was the one who finished the legendery Wheel of Time series, but because of a lesser known series called “Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians.” There's a lot of humor and an overall feeling of this-author-got-to-do-whatever-he-wantedness.

Fun random questions:

• dogs or cats?
Dogs. They're affectionate by default. Many of the cats I've met look down upon me like I'm only there to serve them.

• Coffee or tea?
Herbal tea. It does wonders (Try adding a few to your next pot of rice. It's fantastic)

• Dark or milk chocolate?
Dark. It's brain food.

• Rocks or flowers?
Flowers. Many of them are edible. Don't try eating a rock.

• Night or day?
Day. There's sunshine... and I'm a morning person, despite my best efforts to sleep in.

• Favorite color?
That darkish forest green when you see a forest at dusk. I'm looking at Crayola to make it a real color

• Crayons or markers?
Crayons. Keeps the inner child alive. It's harder to worry about big adult problems lying on the floor with a coloring book.

• Pens or pencils?
I write in pen. That was after losing a whole notebook of ideas when the pages smudged.

Blog Tour: The Red Queen Dies by Frankie Y. Bailey

tour button here

This virtual book tour is presented by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature Frankie Y. Bailey and The Red Queen Dies.

Frankie has joined us for an interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

I think that must have been about the time – when I was about 15 or so – when I saw an ad for the Famous Writers School (a correspondence school). I filled out the form and mailed it. And to my parents’ surprise – and, I suspect, dismay – a sales rep from the school turned up at our door. I don’t remember how the conversation went, but somehow he convinced them to enroll me in their correspondence course. I still have the folder with handwritten feedback from the instructors about the short stories that I submitted. I also still have the textbooks we used.

 

But I don’t think I ever thought of writing as a career. I intended to become a veterinarian. In fact, I was pre-vet when I started my freshman year at VA Tech. Later, I switched to a double major in Psychology and English. I should say that my career aptitude test did indicate I shared characteristics with military officers and writers. I spent three years in the Army before starting grad school in criminal justice. Eventually, I returned to my roots and began to write, hoping I would be published.

 

 

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

If one doesn’t count summer jobs and a job after college in a department store, then only one job as an Army food inspector (I wrote my first two books during that time) and then my present job as a university professor (when I began to write to be published).

 

 

? How long does it take you to write a book?

It took me five years to write the first mystery (but the second to be published). Nine months to write the book that became the first published book in my Lizzie Stuart series. Varied amounts of time to write the other three in the series. Now, with my Hannah McCabe series, I will be on a book a year cycle. However, I should note that I also write “scholarly” non-fiction. My mystery writing cycle overlaps with that. So it’s difficult for me to give you a straight-forward answer. It depends on the book and the deadline. I work on fiction and non-fiction at the same time.

 

 

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

I think probably needing to have a title before I can write and “warming up” by writing the first fifty pages (if it’s a novel) over and over again until it feels right.

 

 

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

From my work as a criminal justice professor. My areas of research are crime history, and crime and mass media/popular culture. So I’m constantly exposed to material that can provide ideas and inspiration. But I sometimes also get an idea from overhearing a conversation or seeing something interesting.

 

 

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

I decide based on whether the idea excites me enough so that I think I will want to keep on writing even when I hit the inevitable rough spots in the process.

 

 

? What books have most influenced your life?

That’s hard to say. I’ve read all my life. I love Shakespeare and the classics (as an English major). I read lots of nonfiction. There is no one book that changed my life – unless it was Dr. Joyce Brother’s How to Get Whatever You Want Out of Life. That book provided me with a way of thinking about my interests and how to combine them in a way that would make me happy and also allow me to earn a living.  

 

 

? What are you reading right now?

Several different books – mainly nonfiction as research for the second book in the new series. Books about funeral directors, death and dying, superstitions. I’m also re-reading the novels that my undergrad students are reading for our class. I just finished Shane. Next up The Great Gatsby.

 

 

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?

Reading, browsing interior design books as I think renovations on my old house, travel – the usual stuff.

 

 

? What is your favorite comfort food?

I love food. It’s hard to pick a favorite – right now I’m thinking of cinnamon rolls. But I love fried oysters. I also love fruits and veggies.

 

 

? What do you think makes a good story?

Great characters and an interesting setting.

 

 

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

I’m not going to answer that because I have too many friends who are authors. But the author who was influential in my decision to become a mystery writer was the late Richard Martin Stern. I loved the characters in his Johnny Ortiz series, particularly Cassandra Enright, a biracial anthropologist. I wrote to tell him so, and he responding with a lovely note.

 

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats?  Dogs – although I thinking of getting a Maine coon cat

·        Coffee or tea? Tea

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Dark

·        Rocks or flowers? Flowers

·        Night or day? Night

·        Favorite color?  Blue

·        Crayons or markers? Markers

Pens or pencils? Pens

FRANKIE Y. BAILEY is an associate professor in the School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany (SUNY). Bailey is the author of mysteries as well as non-fiction titles that explore the intersections of crime, history, and popular culture. Bailey is a Macavity Award-winner and has been nominated for Edgar, Anthony, and Agatha awards. A past executive vice president of Mystery Writers of America and a past president of Sisters in Crime, she is on the Albany Bouchercon 2013 planning committee.

Book Details Genre: Mystery & Detective Published by: Minotaur Books Publication Date: Sept 10, 2013 Number of Pages: 304 ISBN: 978-0-312-64175-7 / 978-1-250-03717-6 Purchase Links:

Synopsis: The first in a new high-concept police procedural series, set in Albany with an Alice in Wonderland theme. Frankie Bailey introduces readers to a fabulous new protagonist and an Alice in Wonderland-infused crime in this stunning mystery. The year is 2019, and a drug used to treat soldiers for post-traumatic stress disorder, nicknamed "Lullaby," has hit the streets. Swallowing a little pill erases traumatic memories, but what happens to a criminal trial when the star witness takes a pill and can't remember the crime? Biracial detective Hannah McCabe faces similar perplexing problems as she attempts to solve the murders of three women, one of whom, a Broadway actress known as "The Red Queen," has a special interest in the story of Alice in Wonderland. Is the killer somehow reenacting the children's tale? This smart, tough mystery will appeal to fans of high-concept police procedurals. My thoughts: to follow

Blog Tour: Strong Rain Falling by Jon Land

This virtual book tour is presented by Partners in Crime Tours.

Click HERE for more information.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my stop on the tour.

It is my pleasure to feature Jon Land and Strong Rain Falling.

Strong Rain Falling by Jon Land

Genre: Thriller
Published by: Forge Books
Publication Date: August 13, 2013
Number of Pages: 368

Series: Caitlin Strong, 5 (Can be read as a Stand Alone)

Synopsis:

Mexico, 1919: The birth of the Mexican drug trade begins with opium being smuggled across the U.S. border, igniting an all-out battle with American law enforcement in general and the Texas Rangers in particular.

The Present: Fifth Generation Texas Ranger Caitlin Strong and her lover, former outlaw Cort Wesley Masters, both survive terrifying gun battles. But this time, it turns out, the actual targets were not them, but Masters’ teenage sons.

That sets Caitlin and Cort Wesley off on a trail winding through the past and present with nothing less than the future of the United States hanging in the balance. Along the way they will confront terrible truths dating all the way back to the Mexican Revolution and the dogged battle Caitlin’s own grandfather and great-grandfather fought against the first generation of Mexican drug dealers.

At the heart of the storm soon to sweep away America as we know it, lies a mastermind whose abundant power is equaled only by her thirst for vengeance. Ana Callas Guajardo, the last surviving member of the family that founded the Mexican drug trade, has dedicated all of her vast resources to a plot aimed at the U.S.’s technological heart.

This time out, sabotage proves to be as deadly a weapon as bombs in a battle Caitlin must win in cyberspace as well. Her lone chance to prevail is to short-circuit a complex plan based as much on microchips as bullets. Because there’s a strong rain coming and only Caitlin and Cort Wesley can stop the fall before it’s too late.
Read an excerpt:

CHAPTER 1

Providence, Rhode Island

Caitlin Strong was waiting downstairs in a grassy park bisected by concrete walkways when Dylan Torres emerged from the building. The boy fit in surprisingly well with the Brown University college students he slid between in approaching her, his long black hair bouncing just past his shoulders and attracting the attention of more than one passing coed.

“How’d it go?” Caitlin asked, rising from the bench that felt like a sauna in the sun.

Dylan shrugged and blew some stray hair from his face with his breath. “Size could be an issue.”

“For playing football at this level, I expect so.”

“Coach Estes didn’t rule it out. He just said there were no more first year slots left in the program.”

“First year?”

“Freshman, Caitlin.”

“How’d you leave it?” she asked, feeling dwarfed by the athletic buildings that housed playing courts, training facilities, a swimming pool, full gym and the offices of the school’s coaches. The buildings enclosed the park-like setting on three sides, leaving the street side to be rimmed by an eight-foot wall of carefully layered stone. Playing fields took up the rear of the complex beyond the buildings and, while waiting for Dylan, Caitlin heard the clang of aluminum bats hitting baseballs and thunks of what sounded like soccer balls being kicked about. Funny how living in a place the size of Texas made her antsy within an area where so much was squeezed so close.

“Well, short of me growing another four inches and putting on maybe twenty pounds of muscle, it’s gonna be an uphill battle,” Dylan said, looking down. “That is, if I even get into this place. That’s an uphill battle too.”

She reached out and touched his shoulder. “This coming from a kid who’s bested serial killers, kidnappers and last year a human monster who bled venom instead of blood.”

Dylan started to shrug, but smiled instead. “Helps that you and my dad were there to gun them all down.”

“Well, I don’t believe we’ll be shooting Coach Estes and my point was if anybody can handle an uphill battle or two, it’s you.”

Dylan lapsed into silence, leaving Caitlin to think of the restaurant they’d eaten at the night before where the waitress had complimented her on having such a good looking son. She’d felt her insides turn to mush when the boy smiled and went right on studying the menu, not bothering to correct the woman. He was three quarters through a fifth year at San Antonio’s St. Anthony Catholic High School, in range of finishing the year with straight “A”s. Though the school didn’t formally offer such a program, Caitlin’s captain D. W. Tepper had convinced them to make an exception on behalf of the Texas Rangers by slightly altering their Senior Connection program to fit the needs of a boy whose grades hadn’t anywhere near matched his potential yet.

Not that it was an easy fit. The school’s pristine campus in historic Monte Vista just north of downtown San Antonio was populated by boys and girls in staid, prescribed uniforms that made Dylan cringe. Blazers instead of shapeless shirts worn out at the waist, khakis instead of jeans gone from sagging to, more recently, what they called skinny, and hard leather dress shoes instead of the boots Caitlin had bought him for his birthday a few years back. But the undermanned football team had recruited him early on, Dylan donning a uniform for the first time since a brief stint in the Pop Warner league as a young boy while his mother was still alive and the father he’d yet to meet was in prison. This past fall at St. Anthony’s he’d taken to the sport again like a natural, playing running back and sifting through the tiniest holes in the defensive line to amass vast chunks of yardage. Dylan ended up being named Second Team All TAPPS District 2-5A, attracting the attention of several small colleges, though none on the level of Brown University, a perennial contender for the Ivy League crown.

Caitlin found those Friday nights, sitting with Cort Wesley Masters and his younger son Luke in stands ripe with the first soft bite of fall, strangely comforting. Given that she’d never had much use for such things in her own teenage years, the experience left her feeling as if she’d been transported back in time with a chance to relive her own youth through a boy who was as close to a son as she’d ever have. Left her recalling her own high school days smelling of gun oil instead of perfume. She’d been awkward then, gawky after growing tall fast. Still a few years short of forty, Caitlin had never added to that five-foot-seven-inch frame, although the present found her filled out and firm from regular workouts and jogging. She wore her wavy black hair more fashionably styled, but kept it the very same length she always had, perhaps in a misguided at-tempt to slow time if not stop it altogether.

Gazing at Dylan now, she recalled the headmaster of his school, a cousin of Caitlin’s own high school principal, coming up to her after the victorious opening home game.

“The school owes you a great bit of gratitude, Ranger.”

“Well, sir, I’ll bet Dylan’ll do even better next week.”

The headmaster gestured toward the newly installed lights. “I meant gratitude for the Rangers arranging for the variance that allowed us to go forward with the installation. That’s the only reason we’re able to be here to-night.”

She’d nodded, smiling to herself at how Captain Tepper had managed to arrange Dylan’s admission. “Our pleasure, sir.”

Now, months later on the campus of an Ivy League school in Providence, Rhode Island, Dylan looked down at the grass and then up again, something furtive lurking in his suddenly narrowed eyes. The sun sneaking through a nearby tree dappled his face and further hid what he was about to share.

“I got invited to a frat party.”

“Say that again.”

“I got invited to a party at this frat called D-Phi.”

“D what?”

“Short for Delta Phi. Like the Greek letters.”

“I know they’re Greek letters, son, just like I know what goes on at these kind of parties given that I’ve been called to break them up on more than one occasion.”

“You’re the one who made me start thinking about college.”

“Doesn’t mean I got you thinking about doing shots and playing beer pong.”

“Beirut.”

Caitlin looked at him as if he were speaking a foreign language.

“They call it Beirut here, not beer pong,” Dylan continued. “And it’s important I get a notion of what the campus life is like. You told me that too.”

“I did?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I let you go to this party, you promise you won’t drink?”

Dylan rolled his head from side to side. “I promise I won’t drink much.”

“What’s that mean?”

“That I’ll be just fine when you come pick me up in the morning to get to the airport.”

“Pick you up,” Caitlin repeated, her gaze narrowing.

“I’m staying with this kid from Texas who plays on the team. Coach set it up.”

“Coach Estes?”

“Yup. Why?’

Caitlin slapped an arm around the boy’s shoulder and steered him toward the street. “Because I may rethink my decision about shooting him.”

“I told him you were a Texas Ranger,” Dylan said, as they approached a pair of workmen stringing a tape measure outside the athletic complex’s hockey rink.

“What’d he think about that?” Caitlin said, finding her gaze drawn to the two men she noticed had no tools and were wearing scuffed shoes instead of work boots.

“He said he liked gals with guns.”

They continued along the walkway that curved around the park-like grounds, banking left at a small lot where Caitlin had parked her rental. She worked the remote to unlock the doors and watched Dylan ease around to the passenger side, while she turned back toward the hockey rink and the two workmen she couldn’t shake from her mind.

But they were gone.

Author Bio:
Jon Land is the author of more than 30 thrillers, including the bestselling Caitlin Strong Texas Ranger series that includes Strong Enough to Die, Strong Justice, Strong at the Break, Strong Vengeance and, coming this August, Strong Rain Falling. This past fall he resurrected his longtime series hero Blaine McCracken in the E-Book Original Pandora’s Temple, which became a bestseller on both Apple and Amazon and was nominated for a Thriller Award as Best E-Book Original. A follow-up, The Tenth Circle, is slated for release in time for the holiday season. Jon’s first nonfiction book, BETRAYAL, meanwhile, was a national bestseller and was named Best True Crime Book of 2012 by Suspense Magazine. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island and can be found on the Web at jonlandbooks.com.

Review to follow.