Sizzling Romance, Killer Instinct

What do sex, lies and murder have in common?

1. They involve mystery.
2. They involve jeopardy, physical and/or emotional.
3. They can cause either euphoria or fear.
4. They are intriguing, subjects about which the public is curious and are often topics of widespread conversation.
5. They make a great backdrop for a novel.

Get ready for four such blockbusters in one boxed set coming out in early May! Talk about reader heaven! You get According to Plan by Madison J. Edwards. Then there are the novels,  Emotional Warfare by Christina Wolfer and A Perfect Escape by Maddie James. Did I mention that my book, Coming to Climax, is in there too? You get four books by four different authors, all with differing styles. What do they have in common? They’re all fantastic! They also have sex, lies and murder!!

Here is an excerpt from Coming to Climax:

“What about your mother? Is she from here?”

“She’s dead.”

“I’m sorry.” Andy sat back up straight. “I don’t know why I think everyone’s alive. Neither one of my parents are.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. When they die it’s never easy. Mama died when I was seven, so I don’t remember her very well. I do remember her passing was painful. All I know about her really is that she was a free spirit going through early-life crisis. She was only eighteen when she left home, so it could hardly be called a midlife crisis. Can you believe she left her socialite status and her million-dollar inheritance behind in New York so she could wander around the Virginia woods as a flower child?”

Andy placed the wrapper to his sandwich back in the bag. “For no apparent reason? Why did she choose Climax? It’s not like it’s a well-known tourist location.”

“Aunt Margaret.” Carolina emptied her cup, slurping through her straw. “Boy, I was thirsty.” She paused. “Look, I’m not real clear how all this went down. I do know that Aunt Margaret went to college at the same school my dad did.”

“Your father went to college?”

“Don’t look so surprised. Of course he was the only one in his family who did, but he graduated.”

“Why’d he come back here?” He held up his hand. “No, wait, that’s another story. Back to what went down that you don’t understand…” He gazed at her imploringly.

“Well, Aunt Margaret was dating my father and brought my mom down here for a visit one summer. All I know is my aunt broke up with Daddy and Mama stayed.”

He nodded. “A love triangle. Dicey. Did you ask your aunt and your dad what happened?”

“No one’s talking.” Carolina wrapped the rest of her sandwich and put in the bag. “Sorry I haven’t let you get a word in edgewise about your life. I didn’t mean to be like that.

How about your parents?”

Andy shrugged. “I don’t remember much about my father, I was real small, except he usually left with a rifle, a high-powered scope, and a grim expression, and he came back with a smile and a lot of money. Mom didn’t talk about what he did, but considering we lived in New York, I assume he was a member of the mob. Then one day, he died somewhere away from home, and Mom had him buried.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “He had a lot of life insurance. Mom didn’t mind taking it, but she changed our last name.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know, she wouldn’t talk about him at all, but I suspect she didn’t want the mob connection.”

“Wow! Are you ever afraid someone’s gonna pop up out of nowhere and try to kill you?”

“Who wants to kill a history professor?” He jumped to his feet. “Ready?”

“Yep.” Carolina rose, and they folded the blanket together. “I guess you’re right. Someone’d be more likely to want to kill me.”

As she said the words, the sound of a whoosh went by her ear, and she felt a sting on her ear lobe. Andy spun around and fell to the ground, clutching his shoulder.

Carolina stared in disbelief as blood seeped out over his shirt. “Oh my God!”

*****************

Bobbye Terry is a bestselling contemporary romance author who made the jump into romantic suspense several years ago, Sex Lies and Murder includes her most acclaimed romantic suspense, receiving awards from more than one RWA chapter. The Widow James, her newest novel and the first in a new series, will release on July 5th.