BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR CHRISTINA LORENZ

Christina Lorenzen began writing as a young teen, jotting stories in wire-ring composition notebooks. Her first typewriter made it faster to get all those stories out of her head and down on paper. She is currently working on a modern take on her favorite fairy tale, Rapunzel, for a summer release. Learn more about Christina and her books at her website.  

An Historical Romance is Born

I had never had much interest in history. In high school my favorite classes were anything related to reading and writing. When it came to history, I did the bare minimum so I could pass the classes. It had never occurred to me that culling an interest in history could be good for my writing. Writing a historical story never even dawned on me.

The first time I thought about writing an historical romance was about three years ago, after having picked up a book by Eloisa James. James is an exquisite historical romance writer. That book led to another James book and several more by an assortment of authors recommended by friends on Facebook. After reading those books, I was thinking it might be fun to try my hand at a time period romance. The first idea that came to mind was a pirate love story. For some reason I’d gotten very interested in pirates. Probably because there’s quite a lot of pirate history where I live on Long Island in New York.

After doing hours of research about Captain Kidd’s visit to Gardiner’s Island, I knew I had my story. I was going to write a romance between Kidd’s brother and a shop owner on the island. I was tingling with excitement.

It was June 1699 when Kidd’s sloop was spotted off Gardiner’s Island. Gardiner’s Island was a privately owned island between today’s famous summer spots, Montauk and Amagansett. When Kidd came ashore, he met the owner of the island, John Gardiner, as well as his family and servants. Kidd gifted John Gardiner’s wife with a piece of gold cloth.  Shortly after that, Kidd took Gardiner to a beach and let him watch as he buried boxes of treasure he had brought ashore with him. He warned Gardiner that he would return shortly and if the treasure was not there, he would kill his entire family. His plan went deeper than that. Kidd knew that the Crown was waiting to arrest him and even his crew would kill him if he returned empty handed. The buried treasure was his bargaining chip. His plan was to offer to tell the governor of New York where the buried treasure was in exchange for his pardon. Long story short, his plan fell apart and Kidd was convicted and hung in 1701.

This fascinating bit of research didn’t appear in my story. Doubt had crept in. Would I be able to pull off this time period? The dialogue of the day? Doubt won and I tossed my notes into a drawer for ‘someday’. It was a movie night with my daughter that led to the birth of my first historical romance, Healing Seas.

My husband’s grandmother was born in 1912, just weeks before the tragic sinking of the Titanic. She’d grown up hearing stories about the ship as a child. When the movie came out in 1997 my mother-in-law had no choice but to take Grandma Dorothea to see it. Even though she’s long gone, I still can see the glow of excitement in her eyes as she recalled seeing that movie on the big screen. Watching the movie at home that night I had the proverbial light bulb moment. What if I wrote a story about a survivor of the Titanic falling in love with a man who had also been through tragedy? Captain Frank Shea, a man disgraced at sea, came to me as suddenly as my heroine Addie Mayfield. And little by little, with a whole new round of research, Healing Seas was born.

I have a newfound love for history. I found out that while I may not have enjoyed learning textbook history, researching different time periods has sparked an interest in me I would never have thought I had. And the wheels are already turning as I toy with possibilities for a second historical romance. I just wish I had known all those years ago how history could open new doors in my writing career.

Healing Seas

After surviving the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic, Addie Mayfield has been sent to work as a caretaker for a great aunt she has never met in the small fishing hamlet of Montauk, New York.

Captain Frank Shea has been disgraced, having made a wrong decision on his ship that resulted in his termination and a bum leg.

With their futures uncertain, they are both anxious to get back to life the way it was before. Until they meet one another. Can these two people find hope for the future after all they've lost? Can unexpected love heal two broken souls?

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ROMANCE ON THE HIGH SEAS WITH GUEST AUTHOR REGAN WALKER

18th Century French Frigate in Combat

Regan Walker is an award-winning, #1 Amazon bestselling author of Georgian, Regency and Medieval romances. She writes historically authentic novels in which readers experience history, adventure and love. Learn more about Regan and her books at her website and blog.

Ship Travel in Romance Novels

Do you love to read historical romances where there is travel by ship? Perhaps with an exciting storm? Or the wind in your face as you cling to the railing? Just think of all those romantic sunsets with a darkly handsome ship’s captain. And you the only woman among all those men. Sigh.

Well, I love the sea and the ships that sail upon it. I also love a good seafaring romance. Throw in a handsome captain, a pirate or a privateer, and a worthy mission and I’m there. But travel by ship in a romance must be done carefully. The author has to make the reader experience the ship moving beneath her feet, see those gorgeous sunsets while clinging to the rail and feel the salt spray when she’s standing on deck.

One of my readers said this about Wind Raven, my first seafaring romance, a Regency: “... had me feeling the spray of the ocean in my face, my hair and clothing plastered to my body, the chill of my blood when you know, just know that you’re time is up and you’re done for.”

I was immensely pleased. Since then, I’ve written two more, To Tame the Wind and my newest, Echo in the Wind, books 1 and 2 in the Donet trilogy of Georgian romances.

Pirates & Privateers, an online magazine for fans of all things to do with swashbuckling at sea, said this in their review of To Tame the Wind: “... a captivating tale of love and intrigue...  Walker deftly weaves historical fact into the tale, and her depiction of privateers and privateering is well done. Daring sea battles, roguish lurkers, ill-treated prisoners of war, and deceitful dandies add dashes of spice to this historical romance, making it one readers will savor long after they turn the last page.”

Again, I was pleased. But what did it take to accomplish this? To give the reader a real feel for life and love at sea?

First, I dove into pictures of ships (cross sections even) and ship terminology of the period, pouring over my 4-inch thick Sailor’s Word Book and other resources until late at night. I studied diagrams of schooners, brigs and sail configurations until I was seeing them in my dreams. But I soon realized just having the vocabulary and the sail configurations was not enough.

I wanted to be able to describe a storm at sea as huge waves crashed onto the deck and to hear the sounds of guns blazing as they spit forth smoke laced with crimson flames in a raging battle. I needed to hear the sails luffing, feel the wind on my face as the ship’s bow cut through the waves. I needed to experience the rolling deck.

In other words, I had to sail on an actual ship of the period, which I did.

Above is the Californian, a reproduction of a topsail schooner that, fortunately for me, is berthed in San Diego where I live. (The painting is by artist William Lowe and is used with his permission.) It’s the type of schooner Capt. Jean Nicholas Powell sails in Wind Raven, and his father, Captain Simon Powell sails in To Tame the Wind.

On my day of sailing on the Californian, I met the ship’s gunner. She and I became fast friends and have remained so till this day. She is very knowledgeable about 18^th and 19^th century ships and something of an amateur historian, too. She became my consultant for all my ship scenes.

And, just so you know, there are no floors, doors, stairs, walls or ceilings on a ship. Instead, there are decks, cabin doors, ladders, companionways, bulkheads and overheads. Strictly speaking, ships have fixed guns not cannons, the latter being made to rotate up and down. And no ships prior to the late 19^th century had crow’s nests; they had “tops” (some with railings going back to antiquity). In the case of schooners, they had crosstrees. They did not have round windows called “portholes”. The portholes in the 18^th and early 19^th century were openings in the hull for guns, not glassed windows.

And, did I mention I had to study charts of nautical miles between ports and travel time by sea? Well, you get the picture. And I hope you like the result.

So that brings me to my new book, Echo in the Wind, and the dashing French captain, Jean Donet. A former pirate he is now a smuggler in his spare time. Which is where he met my rebellious English heroine, Lady Joanna West.

Echo in the Wind

England and France 1784

Cast out by his noble father for marrying the woman he loved, Jean Donet took to the sea, becoming a smuggler, delivering French brandy and tea to the south coast of England. When his young wife died, he nearly lost his sanity. In time, he became a pirate and then a privateer, vowing to never again risk his heart.

As Donet’s wealth grew, so grew his fame as a daring ship’s captain, the terror of the English Channel in the American War. When his father and older brother die in a carriage accident in France, Jean becomes the comte de Saintonge, a title he never wanted.

Lady Joanna West cares little for London Society, which considers her its darling. Marriage in the ton is either dull or disastrous. She wants no part of it. To help the poor in Sussex, she joins in their smuggling. Now she is the master of the beach, risking her reputation and her life. One night off the coast of Bognor, Joanna encounters the menacing captain of a smuggling ship, never realizing he is the mysterious comte de Saintonge.

Can Donet resist the English vixen who entices him as no other woman? Will Lady Joanna risk all for an uncertain chance at love in the arms of the dashing Jean Donet?

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FAVORITES, FAILURES & FRUSTRATIONS--GUEST AUTHOR BEVERLEY BATEMAN

Murder, mystery and romance fill award-winning Canadian author Beverley Bateman's life. She writes contemporary romantic suspense and medical thrillers and loves to plot, kill and hopefully baffle her readers along the way. Learn more about her and her books at her website and blog.

Failures and frustrations, I’m sure we’ve all had our share of them throughout our life. You learn by your failures, people have always said. And I agree with them. It’s better to try and fail, than not try at all. I’ve tried many things, failed and learned a lot. Writing is one of them.

I’ve always written, notes on plots, locked room mysteries, seen something while traveling and figured out a plot on what might have happened there. But I never did anything with it except get frustrated because I didn’t have time to write and didn’t know where to start to write an entire book.

When I finally took the leap, I didn’t tell people. I was afraid I’d fail. And I did. My first book is hidden away. I did like the plot, but the writing... I pitched it at a small conference. It was a failure, but I learned a lot there. Show, don’t tell; develop your voice and develop your characters. There were a few other things, too. I felt like a failure. I’d never get a book published. But I couldn’t stop writing. I wrote another book and entered it in a contest. I got mostly 3’s but I also got a 1 and a comment that said I should consider not writing anything else. That was a huge failure. I didn’t even pay attention to the other scores, which did have some nice things to say.

Once I recovered from that contest I went back to writing, and at another conference found a publisher who liked my books and published them. I kept writing and learning. Some people like my books, some don’t. And if I can get constructive criticism I’m thrilled.

I just released By Design. It’s a medical thriller about designer cloning. Cloning is presently being done in many countries, and yes, there is legislation that sets guidelines. But what if someone managed to stay off the grid and find ways to use cloning for personal use to make money? The idea intrigued me.

When I told anyone, including editors and agents, they said cloning wasn’t popular anymore. It was outdated. It’s been replaced by terrorism. No one would be interested in it. It would be another failure. I listened and researched and plotted. Then I put the book away. It would fail. But I kept coming back to it and decided to write it anyway. I hoped I could suspend readers’ disbelief and they would enjoy the story.

Everyone said – give it up. It won’t work in today’s society. Half the people probably haven’t even heard of cloning. It can only fail. It was frustrating because it’s a book I wanted published. So I published it. It’s possible it will fail, but hopefully people will enjoy the story. If not, I learned new things along the way. And now it’s on to a new book and its frustrations.

By Design

Nurse Evie Dalton succumbs to greed and a chance to work with sexy Dr. Adam Marsden. She accepts a position at an isolated hospital. There’s an onsite animal farm, screams in the night, mysterious limos come and go, and people disappear and turn up dead. There’s no way to leave and no communication outside the town. The more questions Evie asks, the more she’s pulled into a designer cloning operation with less chance of escaping alive.

Dr. Adam Marsden left his past behind. Now he has it all; a great job, money, and a chance to buy his own hospital. He brings his own patients out to the isolated hospital and for surgery, part of which they are unaware. He prefers to ignore what actually happens at the hospital and focuses on his personal goal - until Evie Dalton arrives.

Now he must choose between his goal, Evie’s life and possibly his own. And hired killers have shown up at the hospital. Can he find an escape and save the woman he realizes he loves?

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#COOKING WITH CLORIS--SKINNY CHICKEN SALAD

I once worked for a man who could devour a cup of mayonnaise in one sitting. He’d order a bowl of it with his lunch and dip potato chips in it. Oh the calories! Oh the cholesterol! Oh the clogged arteries! Most people love mayonnaise, but let’s face it, mayonnaise doesn’t love us back.

So what do you do to bind together all those summer salads we’re so fond of? Greek yogurt to the rescue! It works as a mayo substitute in pasta salad, tuna salad, seafood salad, potato salad, and chicken salad. Today I’m using it in chicken salad. Trust me, you won’t miss the mayo.

Note: The recipe calls for a rotisserie chicken, which can be purchased at any supermarket. However, you can also use pre-cooked chicken breasts, thighs, or tenders or leftover chicken you cooked yourself.

Skinny Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sundried tomatoes

1 rotisserie chicken

5.3 oz. container plain Greek yogurt

1 nectarine

1 cucumber

1/2 teaspoon dried dill

1/4 cup sliced almonds

Cut sundried tomatoes into small pieces and place in bowl of water to dehydrate.

Remove skin and bones from chicken. Dice chicken into bite-size pieces. Add yogurt and mix until chicken is evenly coated.

Dice nectarine and cucumber. Add to chicken. Mix in dried dill and almonds.

Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

#CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA--GUEST PROTAGONIST ANA CAMPBELL'S CRAFT HACK

Hacking is bad when it comes to computers but great when it comes to crafts. Today we’re joined by school principal Ana Campbell, the protagonist of author Liz Boeger’s award-winning, unpublished cozy mystery, AppleJacked!, the first book in her proposed Moccasin Cove series.

Liz grew up in a snake-infested area of South Tampa originally called Rattlesnake and still lives in Florida. After nearly three decades as an educator she still prefers genuine snakes to the human variety. She has been a teacher, teacher-trainer, and a school administrator. Connect with her on Twitter @LizBoegerAuthor and learn more about her at her Moccasin Cove Mysteries blog.

Craft Hacks for School & Home: T-shirt Paint

School principal Ana Campbell shares a story from early in her teaching career when this Craft Hack came in handy. It taught an important lesson to her students and to her boss.

“Campbell, what’s with this paint all over my new cabinets and windows?” My demanding boss did not modulate her tone for the thirty smirking fifth graders in my reading class.

I kept my cool and refused to stop teaching just to quiver for the queen.

“Deylon,” I whispered. “Would you please show the principal those Clever Clings we made last week?”

The confident boy had been a frequent-flyer in the principal’s office in previous years. This year I used every brain cell I possessed to find him leadership opportunities. He met my challenge handily. I refocused on the student who had been reading to me and let Deylon take charge.

“Look here, Principal Miller, you jest peel ‘em off and see, mash ‘em, and they go right back on. No mess. We reuse them all over the room posting our work. Ain’t that clever? Let me show you my writing sample hanging on that window.”

I can thank that overbearing boss for this crafty idea. Early in my career, my husband was in the Air Force and we moved frequently. During one deployment, he was in Qatar and I was all by my lonesome in Nevada, where I was hired to teach at a new school. I’ve learned I can avoid student meltdowns when they feel connected to their work. So, I post samples of student work to build their confidence and pride, but, “NO TAPE ALLOWED ON ANY SURFACE!” was the mantra of my highly intimidating principal. What was this teacher-girl to do?

At about the same time, I was using T-shirt paint to decorate some canvas sneakers to wear to school for a garden-themed unit in science. A glop of paint had smeared on my laminate countertop at home and I didn’t notice it until the next morning when I was checking to see if the sneaker design had fully dried. Voila! An idea was born that would solve my NO TAPE dilemma.

I discovered that the dried smear of paint easily peeled off of the countertop just like a window-cling. No residue, no stain, and the thing clung again and again when I applied it to the window, to mirrors, and to my refrigerator. If kept free of dust and dirt, it could be used to hold light-weight student work on the cabinets and windows. I even used it to number the cabinets in my classroom.

It’s been nearly twenty years since I discovered this craft hack. Now, as a school principal with my own NO TAPE policy, I share this idea with my teachers. So, have at it and have fun--but don’t let me catch you putting tape on my windows and cabinets! 

Materials:  Bottles of t-shirt paint in colors of your choice, laminate or glass surface to use as a temporary canvas, paper towels, toothpicks.

Time: 15+ minutes to paint and at least 24 hours to dry, depending on humidity and the thickness of your cling creation. Warning: This is fabric paint, so keep it off cloth fabrics you don’t want stained.

Result: Repositionable “sticker” used to post student work, label a cabinet, leave a happy note on a mirror or refrigerator.

Surfaces: Non-porous: laminate (like Formica), glass/mirrors, whiteboard, refrigerator

Directions:

1. Shake paint down into the tip of the bottle before dispensing to eliminate air bubbles. If you do get a bubble in the design, just smooth it out with the toothpick.

2. Squeeze paint onto the “canvas” in desired design. Paint from the foundation colors UP, in layers. Use multiple colors and mix with the toothpick for a marble effect.

3. Make the cling at least two inches wide on a side and as thick as a nickel for ease in handling. Skinny or thin areas will tear.

4. Allow to dry completely—at least 24 hours. This is a much longer time than when using on fabric. Cling will feel tacky to touch when dry, but not sticky. If you smear it when checking the dryness, repaint and re-dry.

5. Peel the cling off the “canvas” and adhere to desired surface. Overlap the corners of student work to post on the cabinet or window. Reusable. FUN!

AppleJacked! 

Southern elementary school principal Anastasia Callahan Campbell investigates the murder of a young teacher while trying to save her failing school and bring economic recovery to her beloved Florida hometown. Untamed beaches, corporate raiders, meth labs, off-stage child abuse, autism, and childhood secrets take their toll on the sassy school leader. In the process of her sleuthing, Ana learns a hard lesson; while it takes a village to raise a child, it may also take your life!

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY--GUEST AUTHOR ICY SNOW BLACKSTONE

Author Icy Snow Blackstone writes romance and futuristic romance. Today she sits down for an interview with us, but you can also learn more about her at her Amazon author page and keep reading to learn the origin of her very unusual pen name.

When did you realize you wanted to write novels?

When I was around seven. I had come home from a movie and thought about it and decided I liked it so much, I wanted it to continue, so I wrote a sequel… only I did it in comic book form, with pictures and captions. Guess it was a graphic novel.

How long did it take you to realize your dream of publication?

My first novel was published in 2008, so (counting from the age of 7) it took 59 years.

Are you traditionally published, indie published, or a hybrid author?

Traditionally published

Where do you write?

I have a nook near a very large window where my desk is located. It gets plenty of sunshine and gives me a nice view to stare at when I hit a lull. It’s also surrounded by bookcases with reference books and others.

Is silence golden, or do you need music to write by? What kind?

I used to listen to classical music but where I live now, it’s so noisy, I simply tune out everything.

How much of your plots and characters are drawn from real life? From your life in particular?

Not many. I certainly hope I’ve never been in some of the situations I put my characters in! If that were true, I wouldn’t be stuck for plots.

Describe your process for naming your character?

I never really thought about it until you asked that question. Sometimes, as I’m thinking of a plot, the names simply come to me. Other times, I’ll hear a name and think, “That’s a good name for a villain…or a hero…” Other times, I take a word, look up its original source and use that. Occasionally, I name a character to break a stereotype. In Runaway Brother, one of my secondary characters is named Clyde and his nickname is Bubba. I did that deliberately, because characters named “Clyde” are invariably considered bumbling, stupid and used only for laughs, and “Bubba” is a stereotype Southern name for a dumb Southern character. My Clyde is neither a stereotype nor comic. He starts out as the rival of the hero and eventually becomes his friend, and when the chips are down, he’s there to help.

Real settings or fictional towns?

I’ve used both. In Runaway Brother, Oceano is a fictitious town, but the countryside surrounding it, which I describe, is authentic.

What’s the quirkiest quirk one of your characters has?

I don’t consider that my characters have quirks. In the time, place, and setting of their stories, they’re completely normal. One of them does get transformed into a cat, but he doesn’t think that strange because his grandmother’s a witch, so would that be a quirk or not? Guess it’s all in the eye of the beholder.

What’s your quirkiest quirk?

I’m a writer. That’s quirk enough!

If you could have written any book (one that someone else has already written,) which one would it be? Why?

Gone with the Wind, because next to the Bible, it’s the most read book in the world (and it was written by a Georgia girl).

Everyone at some point wishes for a do-over. What’s yours?

Oh my goodness, there are too many of those to even consider! I wouldn’t know where to start.

What’s your biggest pet peeve?

People assuming because I’m a writer I make big bucks.

You’re stranded on a deserted island. What are your three must-haves?

Are we talking other than food and shelter? If so, I’d want a workable 2-way radio to get me out of there FAST! Other than that. A Swiss army knife, and MacGyver, then I wouldn’t need anything else.

What was the worst job you’ve ever held?

Door-to-Door candy salesperson.

What’s the best book you’ve ever read?

I’ve read so many I simply can’t say.

Ocean or mountains?

Mountains overlooking the seashore.

City girl/guy or country girl/guy?

Country. Give me the wide open spaces and plenty of grass and trees.

What’s on the horizon for you?

I have a fourth entry in my Three Moon futuristic romance series in the offing.

Anything else you’d like to tell us about yourself and/or your books?

Icy Snow Blackstone is my pseudonym. However, it’s actually my great-great-great-great-grandmother’s name. She was born in north Georgia in 1802 where her father, a transplanted minister from Massachusetts named John Blackstone, was active in local politics. I always thought her name sounded like it should belong to a romance writer so when I began writing, I decided to use it.

Most of my novels are romances set in the South, though I have one or two paranormal/futuristics that keep me from staying completely in that niche.

Runaway Brother

For ten years, Nicolo Liquori gave up his own ambitions, working during the day in the family’s New York jewelry business, and returning each night to behis father’s caregiver. Then Papa dies, and Nick is free…or is he?

Brothers Carlo, Marco, and Pietro expect him to continue life as usual, but Nick has other ideas. One day, he goes to work but never arrives. Instead, he’s roaring down the highway on a newly-purchased motorcycle.

Nick gets as far as the southern coast of Georgia before an accident disables his bike. Stranded, with no idea of the South except what he’s seen on TV, Nick isn’t certain what kind of reception he’ll get. Tha’;s when a pretty Southern miss and a white tank disguised as a temperamental horse named Shazam teach a runaway Yankee about life and love in a small Georgia town.

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GUEST AUTHOR JANE FLAGELLO SHARES TIPS FOR FINDING SUCCESS

Jane Flagello writes mysteries with social and life lessons twists. After retiring from a management professorship and a personal coaching practice, she found herself wondering what was next. A creative academic at heart who loves to write, she combined what she loves to do, resulting in her first novel. Now she takes her love of writing and combines it with her goal to shine a light on societal problems not often discussed. Learn more about Jane and her books at her website. 

Finding the “YOU” in Success

Success means different things to different people. Almost everyone who has realized success know these simple truths: hard work comes first, success is a journey, persistence is key, and what you define as success changes over time.

Want to increase your success I.Q.? Ask yourself these two questions:

What’s going on inside me that causes me to do what I do—say what I say—feel what I am feeling?

If I don’t like the results I’m getting—or I want more or something different—how do I change myself (meaning grow and develop) in ways that produce the results I really want?

And therein lies the rub—change!  To get different results you have to change what you’re doing. Change is the shoe that pinches! To let go of what you have always done or planned to do, and seek new ways to accomplish your goals plays out cognitively, emotionally, and physically.

Your ability to change is your critical success factor. Change takes you out of your comfort zone. It can be frightening and confusing, leaving you feeling vulnerable. Embracing change—your ability to change—is the holy grail of what it takes to be successful today.

While change exerts a powerful force, the status quo is an equally powerful, often unrecognized, force. It lulls you into a false sense of complacency. It’s the “bird-in-hand” expression come to life. Fears of loss and an increased sense of vulnerability reinforce the status quo. Why chance changing anything? You know what your current actions are producing. You know how to compensate in those areas where you are not fully up to speed. In some way, you have made a conscious or unconscious decision that you can live with this outcome.

Want to enhance your opportunities for success? It’s all about changing the choices you make emotionally, physically, spiritually, and cognitively. When you are clear on the life you want for yourself, you can harness the power of Y-O-U, keeping the actions that enable the results you really want and letting go of the behaviors that prove detrimental to your success.

Consider these “secrets” to success so that you can hone in on what you need to change:

a) Imagine a success picture of you. What does your picture look like? How far away from that image are you now? What do you have to start doing/stop doing to get closer to it?

b) Identify areas in your life where you are stressed or are suffering. What actions can you take to decrease your stress? What do you need to learn/do?

c) Do things that bring you pleasure—that rich inner feeling, that rush of exhilaration that comes from doing what you really love and want to do. Work is only work when you don’t enjoy what you are doing. And it is hard to be successful doing things you don’t enjoy.

When you are at peace with yourself, your success will skyrocket. There is a pattern, a meaning, a sense to life. It is bigger than we are, yet simpler to achieve than we might imagine. Identify what success means for you, let go of your past, create a plan and take your first step. You have a purpose, and a responsibility to seek out your purpose and achieve it. And when you do, you will have found the success you seek.

Complicity

Evil takes many forms, especially when fueled by the drive to possess things that aren’t yours. The easier it is, the more you take—feeding the devil within.

Morgan Kasen’s life is going nowhere. After two failed marriages, she’s stuck in a dead-end job, writing puff pieces for a local Williamsburg newspaper. Befriending Eli, a homeless man who squats outside her local grocery store, feeds her compassionate side…until his disappearance thrusts her into the dark world of black market organ trafficking. And the promise of her big break—a career-making story worthy of a Pulitzer.

Her competition: Jesse Sinclair—a street-savvy New York City reporter with Pulitzer on the brain…and a great butt in a tight pair of jeans. What he’s willing to do to win his coveted prize challenges Morgan’s trust issues to her core.

Enter two rogue entrepreneurs competing to satisfy their own needs at the expense of the less fortunate. And then the bodies begin to pile up, starting with a vagrant found in the woods missing a kidney.

Power, money, and murder combine in an intense hunt to stop those responsible before any more innocent people lose critical body parts…or their lives.

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