I am not published yet, but I feel it in my soul that I will be - soon. I do have several publishers looking at one of my manuscripts at this time.  If you are a writer, you know how long the process can be. If you are not a writer, believe me, it takes awhile; a long while to get from point A to point Z.  In the meantime, I've placed just a few snippets of my book, NINE LIVES,TWO DOWN here for you to enjoy. I've chosen to give you insight from various characters points of view.

Heroine | Hero | Villian

FROM THE HEROINE:

She backed out of the room and looked down the hall toward the kitchen. At the back door a familiar face appeared in the window.

Surprised, sheer impulse drove her to take a deep breath of the nasty air and she choked. Shock hit her, too. She froze. It didn't matter which emotion had control. She couldn't believe what she saw. The Albino. The instant he looked down the hall and made eye contact with her, he fled. Only then did Beth realize she wasn't seeing things. He had been here. Only then did she release the breath she’d been holding.  

She ran through the house and reached for the doorknob. Beth gave it a jerk, but forgot it was locked. Her hand slipped off, flew up and struck her in the mouth. By the time she opened all the locks and made it outside, he was gone. She dashed back to the alley and looked both ways. Only a trash truck and it blocked one end. Beth hurried up the side of the house to the front. Again, no Albino. Only the serene scene of a peaceful neighborhood. 

Just like before, the Albino would be there one second and gone the next. She bent over, her hands touching her knees. Short of breath, her heart pounded hard and fast in her chest.

Anger stirred deep inside, raising her blood pressure. She left one state to start a new life because of troubles the Albino had caused her. Now, there he was again stalking her.

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 FROM THE HERO:

Sam switched off the engine and slid from the truck, pocketing the keys. As she walked towards him, Sam gave thought on how excited she seemed, but her wild wave and uneasy smile contradicted excitement. It was anxiety. He remembered what she said–-a matter of life or death. Within, his sixth sense raised an alarm.

A loud engine roared. The high pitched squeal of spinning tires drew his attention toward the street. A large red sedan turned abruptly into the lot and stopped. Frankie stood between Sam and the car. After she turned to face the vehicle, the driver switched on the bright lights, blinding them. Tires screeched as the sedan lurched forward.

Sam’s heart skipped several times the instant he realized the car was gunning for her. He was already in motion.

Sam’s immediate action was the result of intense training and experience.

This was no reckless driver speeding towards a quick meal.

This was no accident.

This was a matter of life or death.

“Frankie! Move!”  But she didn’t. She just stared at the car.

He prayed as he ran. “Lord, let me get to her in time.”

Fear kicked in the adrenalin rush. The sense of his heart being in his throat, stifled his breathing. Their surroundings took on a surreal view. The last time he was this scared was when he saw Beth. She’d been shot, blood everywhere and near death.

His flying tackle sent them both between cars, landing hard against the pavement. Sam realized how close they’d come to death, since he felt the car brush the side of his boot.

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FROM ONE OF THE VILLIANS:

The red sedan eased to a stop down the block and across from the restaurant. The driver reached into his right coat pocket and pulled out a cell phone. With his milky white, bony finger, he stabbed at the pre-set number. He gave a guttural laugh remembering the fun he just had. Too damn bad the cop was as fast as he was, but killing them hadn’t been the point-–just yet. He put the phone to his ear, brushing the white hair to the side as he stared at the restaurant.

“It‘s done,” The Albino reported.

“Excellent!” He heard his employer say. “Things are going as planned. I have another job for you. Get back here as soon as possible. Travel arrangements have been made for tonight.”

“Yes sir.” After he closed the phone, he put it back in his pocket.

He checked him self in the rear view mirror, baring crooked teeth which were yellow compared to his white skin. A flick of his little finger dislodged the stringy piece of leftover food. Satisfaction gleamed in his light eyes and then he winked at his reflection. This had been a good day and he ended it with a fun exercise of his skill in how NOT to kill your victim.

He pulled out a cigarillo and lit it. He sucked in a deep draw. Bright embers momentarily lightened the dark interior. He looked down at the car rental sticker showing the no smoking symbol and laughed, flicking the ash to the floor. What did he care? It was stolen anyway.

Smoke stung his eyes as he let the cigarillo hang from his lips. He put the car in gear. His anticipation of finding Bethany Banks rose in time with the roar of the engine. Soon, he would resume his game with her. Yes, life was good.

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