Congratulations to Joanne Markey on the release of When the Curlews Call! Hold on to your hats for an exciting ride. Here’s a teaser, but order the exciting book on Amazon, where you can pick up all the Ever After Myststeries there as well.
Some say all Sophia Randall thinks of are romance novels and dance frocks…
That may have been true once, but when war broke out, reaching even to our isolated corner of the bush, my priorities changed. I now read news from afar and dance, but rarely.
Want more? Here you go.
A FREE SERIAL NOVEL FOR YOU!
To celebrate her new release, five other authors and I have teamed together to write a serial novel such as you’d have found in the magazines the heroine in When the Curlews Call loved to read in the early 1940s. Follow the mystery each day and enter another chance to win the giveaway!
If you missed the first installment, go to Joanne Markey’s blog:
Previously in our story, we saw our heroine walking down a busy city street in the pouring rain. When she came to her destination, the door was locked. A friendly cabbie offered her a ride, and the last we saw of her she was being whisked right past her destination.
Here’s my installment! Continue reading to find out what happens next…
His steel blue eyes peered; no, they bored into me, and I sunk into the BMW’s cushy seats. The strong scent of new leather enveloped me, and I gulped, trying not to panic. This wasn’t a cab despite the elegant magnetic sign plastered on the car door. My move to get in had been a gut reaction. A wrong one.
Deep breaths, I told myself, but the water pooling all around me made me too uncomfortable. I wasn’t just wet but soaked to the bone. I tried loosening the belt on my jacket, but I’d tied it so tightly it wouldn’t budge. Did I dare ask him to turn off the heat? I twisted the wide legs on my pants and squeezed the moisture out, which only made my legs itch. I scratched, and my skin crawled, but not from my red fingernails marking my calves. I looked up into the rearview mirror.
The driver chuckled and pushed back a hank of thick, wet hair. “Relax. Enjoy the free ride. I got this.”
Our eyes held, and I became aware of his light, spicey cologne. The twinkle in his eye made me rethink his unfriendly first impression, and a slight reassuring nod almost released my guard. But it wasn’t enough. I squirmed and looked down at my feet, squishing around the inside of my short suede boots.
You got this? He said. Got what? I wanted to ask as I shivered even with the heat blowing from the vents. I decided I didn’t trust him and glared at the back of his longish blond hair curling around the collar of his black leather jacket. Stupid move, I thought. Why did I go with him? I should have waited. I had time.
Knowing I’d blown it, I pulled out the note again. My stomach knotted, and fear gripped my insides. I had no idea what lay behind the scrawl on the paper. Just that I should have waited. Anger at myself fueled the heat rising within. No more stupid moves, I thought. My dad deserves better than this. I had to get away. I pulled on the door handle, thinking I’d jump out. Locked, of course. Think. Think. Think. I pressed my eyes tightly together.
“It’s not what you think it is,” the driver said.
I shot up a glance and glared at his set jaw and stoic face in the rearview mirror. But my eyes moved past the mirror and widened at what lay before us.
He pulled into a long, narrow, dark alley that dead-ended, and my newfound courage faded. I thought he might crash into the looming, wooden double-doored gate that seemed to lead to nowhere. He slowed, and the gate doors opened. I couldn’t believe my eyes. A massive cobble-stoned driveway widened before us. The doors jolted closed behind me, and I jumped, turning to see my non-existent escape plans disappear.
The rain had let up, but not the dark skies. Thunder and lightning continued to crackle overhead. The driver got out and opened my door.
“No, thanks. I’ll wait here.”
A slight grin raised on one side of his lips, and a dimple creased his chin. He offered a hand.
“I promise. You’ll be surprised.”
I scooted out and took his hand. My mouth gaped at how tall he was. How broad his frame. I hated that his grip comforted me. I felt his warmth even through the leather gloves. He pulled me out, and I stumbled a little. My boot heel caught the groove of cobblestone, and my ankle twisted.
“Ouch,” I squealed.
“Are you okay?”
“Shall we?” My chivalrous driver steered me forward.
He steadied me with a firm hand on my back. He smiled but quickly dropped his hand at the creaking coming from the massive building before us. A building I’d somehow failed to notice. A building that stretched almost as wide as the city block we came from. The front door opened.
TO BE CONTINUED …
That’s it for my installment, but don’t miss the rest of the saga. Stop by Denise Barela’s blog tomorrow for part two of this exciting story of mystery and intrigue. Here’s her link:
However, don’t forget to enter the giveaway to celebrate the release of When the Curlew Calls! A $5 Amazon Gift Card and an e-copy of When the Curlews Call will be awarded at the end of the week!
https://promosimple.com/ps/27d99/when-the-curlews-call-kathleen
