NEW COVER REVEAL, OLD BOOK

Have you wondered why authors suddenly change a book’s cover? Sometimes a cover doesn’t entice readers to purchase a book. When that happens, authors play around with covers, hoping a new cover will grab readers’ interest and set the book selling like crazy.

When I first recovered my backlist and started self-publishing them on Amazon and other sites, I didn’t understand the importance of a Wow cover. Instead, I went for cheap. Bad idea, but then I am one of those people with 20/20 hindsight.

Now that I have more experience and realize my mistake, I am gradually replacing some of the early covers. Today, I’m revealing the latest for OUT OF THE BLUE, created by Ramona of Covers By Ramona. I think she did a great job conveying the couple from the book. What do you think?

OUT OF THE BLUE is a time travel romantic mystery. I had such fun writing this book and am puzzled that it hasn’t sold in greater numbers than it has.  The heroine is a clairvoyant herbal healer from 1845 who comes forward to today. She helps the hero solve the mystery of who is trying to kill him and frame him for other murders. Together, they make a great team.

Blurb for OUT OF THE BLUE

Deirdre Dougherty never cursed at anyone, much less put a curse on the potato crop of her remote Irish village. She’d rather take her chances with the Atlantic lapping at the bottom of the cliff than the mob intent on burning her as they have her cottage. Deirdre leaps . . . and plops down over 160 years later in a Texas lake. She doesn’t understand how she’s ended up with the man from her recent visions or why he has the same name as the saint to whom she prayed. She’s in danger of falling for the handsome policeman who rescued her, in spite of the fact that he thinks she’s lying to him. How can she convince him her story is true when she’s finding it difficult to believe the tale herself?

Police Detective Brendan Hunter wants answers. Who shot him and killed his partner? Why? And why does Deirdre know details of the event? Her story has to be a colossal fabrication or else she’s a beautiful psycho. Either way, he wants her gone before he becomes even more fascinated with her. But he can’t let her out of his sight until she confesses to how she learned details no one but he and his late partner knew.

Excerpt from OUT OF THE BLUE

            A huge black car apparently had been parked at the back of the lot by the Dumpster and pulled alongside her. Deirdre saw the dented fender before the door opened. Then she realized the two scary guys from the bar were inside, partially obscured from view by the tinted windows. The blond stepped out and reached for her.

            She understood his intent so she screamed for help and ran away from him. People came to the store window.

            Polly rushed to the door. “Blossom’s calling the police. Hold on, Deirdre, we’re coming.”

            But no one rushed to her aid. What could a few ladies do against these two frightening men? She’d have to save herself, so she screamed again.

            The blond caught up with her and grabbed her arm. “No use screaming, lady. You’re coming with us.” He dragged her toward the car.

            She kicked him and screamed again, clawing at him with her free hand. She drew blood along his arm and scratched his face.

            He jerked her and grabbed both her hands. “You’re gonna be sorry you made me mad. I have lots of ways to get even.” He told her what he planned as he yanked her toward the car’s back seat.

            Strong as an ox, the man held her in an iron grasp so her feet barely touched the ground. He heaved her toward the open door. Suspended above the ground, she braced a foot against the car’s body. With her other, she kicked him between the legs, just as Ma had taught her.

            He turned red and released her as he doubled over and dropped to his knees. Without him supporting her, she hit the pavement hard. Her back took the force of her fall and the air whooshed from her. She couldn’t stand but she rolled away.

            The driver pointed a gun at her. “Get in or you die right here, right now.”

            What had Brendan said about this situation when they watched television? Never get in the car with anyone. But how could she resist without him shooting her?

She recalled the blonde’s threats. If she had to die, she’d rather it be here quickly than at the hands of these two later. She made the sign of the cross and prepared herself for death.

            A horn honked and tires squealed. Brendan yelled. “Deirdre, I’m coming.”

            Blossom and Polly hurried toward her, each carrying a broom and wielding it as if they intended to beat on the blond man. Several associates came with them and lobbed jars of something at the car. In the heat, the jars exploded like small bombs. After one loud crack, red oozed along the spider-webbed glass windshield.

            “What the hell?” The scary man in black turned back toward the steering wheel. “Damn it, Rod, with or without her, get the hell in here.”

            She struggled to her knees then stood, backing away.

            Apparently unable to straighten, the guy she’d kicked hoisted himself back into the car. He yelled, “I’ll get you for this, bitch. When I do, you’re gonna beg me to kill you before I’m through.”

            The black car took off with a squeal from smoking tires, dripping red salsa and leaving glass shards in its wake. The driver had his head stuck halfway out the side window, his front windshield obviously too damaged and dirty for the wipers to clear. Aromas from the salsa’s spicy contents filled the air—cilantro, tomatoes, chili peppers. Deirdre fell in love with those scents.

            I hope the excerpt plus the new cover intrigued you to buy the OUT OF THE BLUE. Here are the links:

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/212425?ref=CarolineClemmons

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/OUT-OF-THE-BLUE-ebook/dp/B008ULBEK6/ref=sr_1_13?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1370390875&sr=1-13&keywords=caroline+clemmons  

And while you’re here, let me remind you about two great team blogs in which I participate.

Sweethearts of the West

Sweethearts of the West at http://sweetheartsofthewest.blogspot.com is comprised of contemporary and historical western authors with informative posts on each even-numbered day of the month. Learn the stories behind these authors' books as well as myths and legends about the Old West.

Smart Girls Read Romance

Smart Girls Read Romance at http://www.smartgirlsreadromance.blogspot.com is a fun new blog comprised of award winning and bestselling multi-genre authors who dish about books, life, love, and romance. A new post goes up each even-numbered calendar day. All through June, we are giving away prizes, culminating in a KINDLE FIRE HD TABLET on June 30^th. To be entered, all you have to do is comment. A follow counts as two extra entries. Check us out.

Thanks for stopping by!  

WELCOME AUTHOR GERI FOSTER!

Readers, please welcome my BFF and great author Geri Foster today to A Writer’s Life. Besides being a terrific writer and loyal friend, Geri is a bundle of energy that puts the Energizer Bunny to shame. She’s stopped preparations for her trip to the Romantic Times Convention long enough to share with us today.

Caroline: Geri, I love hearing tales about your life, especially with your dad’s mom. Tell readers something about your growing up.

Geri: I grew up in a very small, close-knit town called Picher, Oklahoma. I was the baby with two older brothers until my mother surprised us all by having my sister when I was thirteen. We moved to Kansas for about five years, finally landing in Buffalo, New York when I met and married my navy husband. Together we had two kids, both grown now and out on their own. I pray every day it stays that way. LOL!

Caroline: You left out your grandmother and the story of her using a broom to chase the bull. ☺  Who are your favorite authors and favorite genres?

Geri: Growing up I was rarely without a book. My family liked that because when it came to presents, they knew just what to buy. Learning to read was almost magical to me. It opened a different and kinder world than I lived in growing up.

I have always loved romance. There is nothing happier than ever-after.

Caroline: True, which is why we write as well as read romance. What’s your favorite way to relax and recharge?

Geri: I’m pretty hyper, so I tend to crash and burn, put out the fire, and start all over again. I’m a chronic multi-tasker, and I love being in over my head…until, like I said, I crash and burn.

I find a nice glass of wine at the end of the day pretty much clears my head and puts me to sleep so I can wake up and start all over again.

Caroline: Do you have a favorite quote that sums up how you feel about life?

Geri: God blessed me with the best friends in the world, and I thank him every day for that. So my quote is: There is no problem that FRIENDS cannot confront, combat, plot against, ignore, make fun of, drown in chocolate sauce, or run over with a car!

Also: Life is Good!

Caroline: How long have you been writing?

Geri: I’ve been working at my craft for about fifteen years. I’ve been writing seriously for about five.

Caroline: Where do you prefer to write? Do you need quiet, music, solitude? PC or laptop?

Geri: I’m one of those crazy people that can’t listen to anything when they write. If there is music, I want to sing or dance, if the TV is on, no matter what channel, I’ll stop and watch it. So, for me it’s being all alone with my laptop.

Caroline: I’m asking even though I know the answer: Are you a plotter or a panzer?

Geri: I Plot! I say that proudly because I write Action-Romantic Suspense. Without a plot it can get really scary. I need to know what’s going to happen and where I’m going. Also, it points out when and where I need to ratchet up the tension.

Caroline: Do you use real events or persons in your stories or as an inspiration for stories?

Geri: No. For some unknown reason the inciting incident comes to me first in a story. It just pops up. Then I plot from there.

Caroline: Do you set daily writing goals?

Geri: I shoot for ten pages a day, but consider five pages a good day.

Caroline: What do you hope your writing brings to readers?

Geri: Pure entertainment. I’m not a teacher, or a history buff or someone with a message. I do a lot of research because I have to keep my facts straight and know what I’m talking about, but I don’t try to educate anyone. I want my reader to feel my characters’ emotions, good and bad, and I want them to fear the goal won’t be reached, and I want them satisfied at the end. If I have that, then I’ve done a good job.

Caroline: What long-term plans do you have for your career?

Geri: To write more books. I even have three comedies I plan to put out there. J

Caroline: Would you like to tell us what you’re working on now?

Geri: Right now I’m finishing up OUT OF THE NIGHT which is the third book in the Falcon Series. OUT OF THE DARK and OUT OF THE SHADOWS were just released.

Caroline: What advice would you give to unpublished authors?

Geri: Write until you reach the end. Don’t start another book and don’t put it off, just finish the damn book.

Caroline: Tell us a fun fact readers wouldn’t know about you.

Geri: I constantly talk to myself. I rarely read instructions. I’m into Feng-Shui

Caroline: What’s something about you that would surprise or shock readers?

Geri: I’d love to skydive…just once.

Caroline: Is your book a series?

Geri: My books are a series called Falcon Securities. It’s about ex-military and ex- intelligence officers who become agents for Frank Hamilton who owns Falcon. They work exclusively for the President of the United States and the DOD

Caroline: Can you give readers a blurb about your book?

Geri: Here’s a blurb from OUT OF THE DARK:

After a Russian mission goes south, Falcon Securities agent John ‘Mac’ McKinsey is stranded with assassins on his trail. His boss arranges for him to hitch a ride with the corporate attorney Emily Richards, who is in Russia as a mediator for another company.

Emily Richards wants only to return home then on to a peaceful vacation with her best friend. When armed men invade her hotel room minutes after Mac arrives, Emily is forced to depend on Mac to stay alive. Anger that Mac has entangled her in a life or death struggle quickly turns to fear when the men pursuing them call her by name.

Together Mac and Emily engage in a tumultuous ride to escape with their lives and capture a crazed bomber and a vindictive drug lord. More difficult is tearing down their own emotional walls. Can they succeed and admit love is the most precious thing in life?

Caroline: How about an excerpt?

Geri: Here’s and excerpt of OUT OF THE DARK:

Emily Richards opened her hotel room, stepped inside, and secured the lock. From behind, a calloused hand clamped over her mouth, threatening to shut off vital oxygen. Her shocked scream crumbled into a muffled murmur.

Fear exploded in her brain.

The man’s arm wrapped around her chest and pulled her against a hard, muscular body.

Emily’s purse and briefcase dropped to the floor as she desperately tried to fight off her attacker. Her elbows jabbed his ribs, rewarding her with a grunt. She twisted frantically to break free.

“Be still,” a male voice hissed against her ear. The terse command shot her horror into a higher realm of terror. “Relax, it’s me, Mac. I’m not here to hurt you.”

Caroline: I know your books are available in both print and as ebooks. Where can readers find your books?

Geri: OUT OF THE DARK – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CB8GY9K

OUT OF THE SHADOWS – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CB4QY8U

Caroline: How can readers learn more about you?

Geri: FB: www.facebook.com/gerifoster1

Twitter: @gerifoster

Website: www.gerifoster.com

Caroline: Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you?

Geri: I love hearing from my readers!

Author Geri Foster

As long as she can remember, Geri Foster has been a lover of reading and the written words. In the seventh grade she wore out two library cards and had read every book in her age area of the library. After raising a family and saying good-bye to the corporate world, she tried her hand at writing.

To her surprise, she won a couple of contests, hooked up with a really great critique group and her writing career was well on its way. She spent several years studying her craft and developing her voice.

Action, intrigue, danger and sultry romance drew her like a magnet. That’s why she has no choice but to write action-romance suspense. While she reads every genre under the sun, she’s always been drawn to guns, bombs and fighting men. Secrecy and suspense move her to write edgy stories about daring and honorable heroes who manage against all odds to end up with their one true love.

Thanks for sharing with us today, Geri. 

Readers, thanks for stopping by!

NO STRINGS ATTACHED!

For several years now I’ve participated in (iamareadernotawriter) Inspired Kathy’s blog hops, blasts, and tours as well as those of other tour hosts. I’ve discovered many quality books and interesting authors. Occasionally, as in this post, Kathy organizes a NO STRINGS ATTACHED BLOG HOP. That’s right, no strings. You do not have to go here, there, and everywhere and no salesman will call.

NO STRINGS ATTACHED means all you have to do to be entered to win my drawing is to provide your email address. You don’t even have to comment unless you’re in the mood. See, really no strings.

My book featured on this NO STRINGS ATTACHED post is my romantic suspense/time travel OUT OF THE BLUE. I love reading romantic suspense. This is the only time travel I’ve published, but I have others in the works. The chance to combine the two was too good to resist. In fact, this is my husband Hero’s favorite of my books. I thoroughly enjoyed writing this book, but I fell down on choosing the cover.

Friends tell me the cover is blah and uninviting. After attending a recent conference at which covers were discussed, I have to agree this one is the pits. The story is good, so this cover must be replaced as soon as possible. In the meantime, I have print copies on hand with the old cover. So, I'm giving away FIVE print copies to people who enter this blog hop.

Briefly, here’s the story of OUT OF THE BLUE:

Brendan Hunter is a police detective in (fictitious) Radford Springs in North Central Texas. While he and his best friend partner were out one night, they were victims of a shooting which killed the friend and seriously injured Brendan. The story opens with Brendan staying at his mom’s home on Possum Kingdom Lake (a real place) while he recovers. The official opinion of the shooting is a drive-by, but Brendan doesn’t believe that report. He’s determined to discover who set up him and his partner.

Deirdre Dougherty is an herbal healer gifted—or cursed—with visions and clairvoyance. When an angry mob sets fire to her cottage, she runs until her only avenue of escape is the ocean. She leaps into the Atlantic, but lands in present day Possum Kingdom Lake beside Brendan’s bass boat. How can she explain the way she came to be there when she doesn’t believe it herself? At least Brendan’s mom Blossom believes her. Blossom even lets Deirdre help out in the health food store. Isn't it great they're both basically in the same business--herbs and healing?

Brendan believes Deirdre is either crazy or in league with the killer and he is determined to learn which. He intends to keep her under surveillance while he looks for his friend’s murderer. But both Brendan and Deirdre are needed to uncover the clues and save their lives when the villain ups his attacks.

Here’s the blah cover, but don’t let that fool you. It really is a good story, modestly said, of course. ☺

Brendan and Deirdre foreground with
Possum Kingdom Lake in background and
the cliff beneath which Brendan fished
when Deirdre landed beside his boat. 

And here’s an excerpt from OUT OF THE BLUE on a day Deirdre is helping Blossom at the health food store in Radford Springs:

Blossom gave Deirdre the mail. “Do you mind, dear? I hate going out in this sticky heat. It frizzes my perm, but it seems to have no effect on your gorgeous, thick hair.”

  "I’ll post these and be back in a minute to straighten the front display of that new organic salsa from Austin.” Deirdre carried the letters outside and dropped them into the box on the corner across the parking lot. She turned to start back.

   

A huge black car apparently had been parked at the back of the lot by the Dumpster and pulled alongside her. She saw the dented fender before the door opened. Then she realized the two scary guys from the bar were inside, partially obscured from view by the tinted windows. The blond stepped out and reached for her.

She understood his intent so she screamed for help and ran away from him. People came to the store window.

Polly rushed to the door. “Blossom’s calling the police. Hold on, Deirdre, we’re coming.”

But no one rushed to her aid. What could a few ladies do against these two frightening men? She’d have to save herself, so she screamed again.

The blond caught up with her and grabbed her arm. “No use screaming, lady. You’re coming with us.” He dragged her toward the car.

She kicked him and screamed again, clawing at him with her free hand. She drew blood along his arm and scratched his face.

He jerked her and grabbed both her hands. “You’re gonna be sorry you made me mad. I have lots of ways to get even.” He told her what he planned as he yanked her toward the car’s back seat.

Strong as an ox, the man held her in an iron grasp so her feet barely touched the ground. He heaved her toward the open door. Suspended above the ground, she braced a foot against the car’s body. With her other, she kicked him between the legs, just as Ma had taught her.

He turned red and released her as he doubled over and dropped to his knees. Without him supporting her, she hit the pavement hard. Her back took the force of her fall and the air whooshed from her. She couldn’t stand but she rolled away.

The driver pointed a gun at her. “Get in or you die right here, right now.”

What had Brendan said about this situation when they watched television? Never get in the car with anyone. But how could she resist without him shooting her? She recalled the blonde’s threats. If she had to die, she’d rather it be here quickly than at the hands of these two later. She made the sign of the cross and prepared herself for death.

  

A horn honked and tires squealed. Brendan yelled. “Deirdre, I’m coming.”

 Blossom and Polly hurried toward her, each carrying a broom and wielding it as if they intended to beat on the blond man. Several associates came with them and lobbed jars of something at the car. In the heat, the jars exploded like small bombs. After one loud crack, red oozed along the spider-webbed glass windshield.

 “What the . . .?” The scary man in black turned back toward the steering wheel. “Rod, with or without her, get in here.”

          

She struggled to her knees then stood, backing away.

Apparently unable to straighten, the guy she’d kicked hoisted himself back into the car. He yelled, “I’ll get you for this. When I do, you’re gonna beg me to kill you before I’m through.”

The black car took off with a squeal from smoking tires, dripping red salsa and leaving glass shards in its wake. The driver had his head stuck halfway out the side window, his front windshield obviously too damaged and dirty for the wipers to clear. Aromas from the salsa’s spicy contents filled the air—cilantro, tomatoes, chili peppers. Deirdre fell in love with those scents. 

Then Brendan was there, lifting her and carrying her to his car. He cradled her in his lap with the door open.

Blossom followed them and stood beside the car. “I called the police. We couldn’t think of any weapons but brooms and one-pound jars of salsa. Pretty feeble.”

Polly hovered behind Blossom. The other associates had gone back to their duties. A dozen customers and people from nearby stores stood near the building in the shade of the overhang, talking to one another or staring.

“You were brave and clever,” Deirdre assured Blossom and Polly then looked up at Brendan. “But they’d have been unable to stop the men if you hadn’t come.”      

He smiled. “It looks like you had them on the run, Mom. Salsa was a clever touch. Didn’t help the parking lot, though.”

Polly said, “Oh, those horrid men, at least they’re gone. We’ll use the brooms to get rid of the glass and hope for rain. Otherwise, maybe we can talk the fire department into hooking up a hose and spraying the lot for us.”

Deirdre nestled her head near Brendan’s ear. “The scary guy with the black hair had a gun. A broom and jars of tomato salsa are not much against a bullet. He could have killed everyone.”

  

I hope you are genuinely intrigued now and will want this book so much that if you don’t win, you’ll rush to buy it from Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, or Smashwords.

In the meantime, you know what to do to enter. No strings, remember?

Thanks for stopping by!

JILL HUGHEY BOOK BLAST FOR VAIN

Today we welcome author Jill Hughey and her book, VAIN,  an amazing  historical romance.

Book Synopsis

Lily had her life planned, neat and tidy as thread on a spindle, until her mother died and her father snipped at the seams of her future by abandoning Lily in their shop. A nobleman unexpectedly gives her hope when he brings fabric for a special garment. Lily survives on his first payment, and immerses herself in sewing and embroidering an incomparable garment for him, as her tidy plan continues to unravel.

Theophilus, Lord of Ribeauville, takes his responsibility to his townspeople seriously and, therefore, does not dally with local women. Desire wars with duty when Lily glances up at him while adjusting the hem on his Easter tunic. As her deteriorating circumstances push them together, Theo and Lily learn that the path to his heart just might be through his wardrobe, though the exquisite outfit she creates is the only part of her that fits in his precarious aristocratic world.

PRAISES FOR THE NOVEL VAIN:

“I absolutely loved the story!” – Gina Ardito, Excellence in Editing

“Great character development.” – JeanSquires, beta reader

Quick Facts

Release Date: March 14, 2013.
Genre: Romance, historical, medieval

Formats: Kindle, Nook, Smashwords, iTunes, Kobo

GET VAIN HERE:

AMAZON

SMASHWORDS

KOBO

The Author

Jill Hughey has loved historical romance since sneaking peeks at her mother’s library years ago. She has enjoyed writing just as long.  She prides herself on deep character development, and settings that take her readers on long, satisfying journeys to places they have probably never been in a book before.

Jill lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two sons. Her hobby is singing lessons, in which she studies classical soprano and some lighthearted works.

Learn more about the author at: http://jillhughey.blogspot.com

CHECK HER TOUR, STARTING ON APRIL 2nd!

Tour Schedule 

April 2: Black Lion Tour Blog: Introduction.

April 3: Laurie's Non Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews: Interview.

April 4: Love in a Book: Review and Top Ten List.

April 5: A Writer's Life: Caroline Clemmons: Interview.

             Kimberly Lewis Blog: Guest Post.

April 6: Bunny's Reviews Blog: Guest Post.

April 7: A Novel Idea Live: Live Interview.

April 8: Deal Sharing Aunt: Review and Guest Post.

             A Novel Idea Live Blog: Promo

April 12: My Devotional Thoughts: Review and Guest Post. 

April 13: Tina's Book Reviews: Guest Post. 

April 15: Pure Jonel: Review and Guest Post. 

April 16: A Book Lover's Library: Guest Post. 

April 17: Black Lion Tour Blog: Wrap-up.

Thanks for stopping by!

AWARD WINNING COINAGE OF COMMITTMENT

Here comes 2008 National Indie Excellence book award's finalist, Coinage of Commitment.

From a hardly typical romance writer, that is R. Costelloe we have a story where characters are looking for something higher, richer, and longer lasting...

Quick Facts

Release Date: January1, 2013.

Genre: Romance (1960´s)

Formats: Kindle, Smashwords, Epub, PDF

The book is PG-13 rated.

Book Synopsis

Wayne and Nancy grow up on opposite sides of the country, each certain they must have love better than what others will settle for. Something stronger, something richer, something worth searching for. During the turbulent nineteen-sixties, they meet while he is attending blue-collar Drexel, and she is at neighboring, Ivy League Penn. Although irresistibly drawn to each other, they must overcome obstacles posed by the class and social differences that separate them, as well as opposition from both families, and later, a twist of fate that will be the cruelest test of all. Can they reach the emotional heights they seek? Can they overcome time's downward pulling inertia? Coinage of Commitment is dedicated to all who ever wondered about the altitude love might soar to.

Excerpt

Setup: Late Friday night, 1968, at Philadelphia’s 30th St. Subway Station. Wayne is looking from the trolley station, where he stands, to the adjacent subway train (El) platform.

As he watched absently, the girl from Sullivan’s came down the El station steps opposite him. She paused at the foot of the stairs, getting her bearings. Although adequate lighting bathed the platform, most riders took stock of others in the vicinity for safety’s sake. It was a natural precaution, instinctive for most, and especially important this late at night. She saw him, signaled recognition by a parting of her lips that was not quite a smile, then she lowered her gaze, turned, and strolled slowly out of sight to the other side of the stairway.


Seeing her again pricked him with an off-kilter joy, uplifting and refreshing, partly because she recognized and acknowledged him, but also because she seemed so buoyantly out of place down here, her bright beauty undefeated by the dank-smelling gloom of the subway. He smiled, turned away, and sauntered to the south side of the trolley platform. The minutes dragged, but no trolley car arrived. He began mentally composing a theme paper for his International Politics course, the only non-technical one he had that semester. Ideas came to him, prancing, and he thought of getting a notebook from his bag.


“Police! Help! Help me!” A woman’s screaming and it came from the El platform.
Thinking frantically of the girl, he ran to the north edge of the platform and jumped the foot or so that got him down onto the trolley tracks. A steel grate fence separated the two transit systems, but it had seen better days. A section was ajar, just ten feet to his left, and he swung it open enough to squeeze through.


Now things got difficult. The El platform was too high and far to jump to. The train tracks gleamed below him, the electrified rail closest, then the two steel tracks. He saw only one way to get there and didn’t slow down to analyze the risk. He threw his bag onto the opposite platform, then leaped forward, over the electrified rail, and down into the square trench that ran a foot and a half below and between the steel tracks. The platform loomed just above him, and the smell of ozone was stronger this close to the electrified rail—the one he must not fall back against. With his momentum still carrying forward from the jump, he kept moving, aware his footing and balance must be perfect. He reached up and grabbed the El platform edge, stepped up on the rail before him, then used his grip on the edge to lever himself up and onto the platform, landing on his right shoulder and side. Feeling no pain, he got to his feet and sprinted west down the platform toward the woman’s screams.


As he ran, he recalled what he had seen: the girl from Sullivan’s, a nondescript man, and three black youths: teens with their heads wrapped in dark bandannas, signifying…he knew not what. They were what fueled his urgency. Where was she? The commotion was still ahead of him.
He ran at top speed past the central vending area and spotted figures near the far steps. He could see her blond mane, somewhat disheveled now, and she stood with her arm across a shorter girl’s shoulder. The nondescript man ran up and joined them.


“He took my purse,” the other girl wailed. “I can’t believe I was so careless to let him get my purse that easily.”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” the blond girl said, her arm still across the smaller girl’s shoulder in comfort.
“All my ID. A credit card. And I just got my paycheck cashed today. How stupid can you get?”
Another woman came down the steps and joined the group. As Wayne approached and slowed, a balding, thirtyish-looking man passed him from behind, joined the scene, said he had heard the commotion from above, and that a companion had gone to the toll booths to get help. Then two of the black youths he had seen earlier ran up from the west.
“He high-tailed it onto the tracks,” said the shorter of the youths. “He’s got choice of Thirty-third Street trolley or Thirty-fourth Street El station, so it looks like we kiss that one good-bye. You know what I’m saying? The Fuzz’l never collar that dude now.”


As though on cue, a police officer, complete with German Shepherd, came down the steps and assumed authority. The third black youth also joined the crowd. Wayne held back, not seeing what he could contribute by his late arrival. The blond girl had seen his running approach. Or had she? Her gaze had flicked briefly in his direction, then back to her charge. The tension eased with collective relief, and the officer started questioning the stricken girl, unpacking a notebook as he spoke.


Wayne thought of how the blond girl continued to be too distracted to notice him, and he felt bemused by the irony of his situation. He had arrived about 7.2 seconds too late to be of any use, even to the wrong damsel in distress. His breathing slowed. Still not seeing anything he could contribute, he turned and walked slowly in the direction he had come. He needed to retrieve his bag from where he had tossed it onto the platform. When he got there, he picked up the bag and looked out over the gleaming tracks toward the trolley station. No way, he thought, realizing with a shiver the danger he had risked. The price of another transit token wasn’t nearly worth the peril. And then, as though to underscore the irony, his trolley arrived and then quickly departed. Oh well, might as well climb the stairs to the mid-level pay booths so he could get back down to the trolley station. He took his sweet time since he probably had at least a twenty-minute wait. He approached the corner of the stairway, trying to remember whether the trolleys discontinued service during the wee hours. Suddenly the blond girl stood in front of him, her eyes wide, her expression anxious.
“It just dawned on me,” she said. “How did you get over here?”

The Author

Rob Costelloe wrote fiction as a youngster, and completed his first novel a few years after college. But then the demands of family and career intervened, and his writing was mostly business or technical. But then in 2005, he read an Anita Shreve novel whose ending was so abruptly despairing that he felt outrage on behalf of so many abused readers. The result was two books, Coinage of Commitment, which became a National Indie Excellence Book Award finalist, and Pocket Piece Cameo, both published by Saga Books in the next three years.

Again he went off into nonfiction pursuits, but in 2012, he elected to rewrite both titles for the simple reason that he could make them better stories for his readers. Both titles have been published digitally, and are available from Amazon and other outlets.

Learn more about the author at: www.rcostelloe.com

FOLLOW THE TOUR:

Tour Schedule 

March 1: Black Lion Tour Blog: Introduction.

March 2: Kimberly Lewis Novels: Guest Post.

March 3: Makayla's Book Reviews: Guest Post.
March 4: Jody's Book Reviews: Guest Post.
March 6: Bunny's Review: Interview and Guest Post.

March 7: MK McClintock Blog: Interview.

March 11: Laurie's Non- Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews: Top Ten List.
March 13: Tina's book Reviews: Guest Post.

March 15: A Writer's Life: Caroline Clemmons: Guest Post.

March 19: Bookworm Lisa: Review and Guest Post.

March 22: My Devotional Thoughts: Guest Post.

March 24: A Novel Idea Live: Live Interview.

March 25: Laurie's Non Paranormal Reviews: Interview.

                 A Novel Idea Live Blog: Guest Post.

March 26: Books, books, the Magical Fruit: Interview and Guest Post.

March 30: A Book Lover's Library: Guest Post.

March 31: Black Lion Tour Blog: Wrap-up.

a Rafflecopter giveaway