Whispers in the
Dark, by Kris Bock
Kylie Hafford craves adventure during her southwestern
summer. She doesn’t expect to fight for her life.
After an assault in Boston, young archeologist Kylie heads
to the remote Puebloan ruins of Lost Valley, Colorado, to excavate. She plans
to avoid all men and figure out her next step in life. Her first exploration of
the crumbling ruins ends in a confrontation with a gorgeous, angry man who
looks like a warrior from the Pueblo’s ancient past. Danesh proves that Kylie’s
body is ready for love, even if her heart isn’t. If only he weren’t so
aggravating… and fascinating. Then she literally stumbles across Sean, a
charming, playful tourist. His attentions feel safer, until she
glimpses secrets he’d rather keep hidden.
The summer heats up as two sexy men
pursue her. She finds mysteries – and surprising friendships –
among the other campground residents. Could the wide-eyed woman and her silent
children be in the kind of danger all too familiar to Kylie?
Mysterious lights, murmuring voices, and equipment gone
missing plague her dig. Kylie tries to play it safe, but when someone
threatens her research, she must take action. Kylie
throws aside caution, but is shocked as friends turn to
foes. She has more enemies than she can possibly guess, and she’s only begun to
glimpse the terrors in the dark. She’ll need all her strength and
wits to survive. Everything becomes clear – if she wants to save
the man she’s come to love and see the villains brought to justice,
she can’t run away again – she must face her demons
and fight.
Whispers in the Dark is
action-packed romantic suspense set in the Four Corners region of the
Southwest. This title stands alone and is not part of a series.
 |
Hovenweep_Castle1 by HJPD Creative Commons license
|
Whispers in the Dark is on sale only until November 25 – 99
cents for the Kindle!
Genre romantic suspense
Book heat level: PG
Excerpt:
I finished
the loop well before dark, cleaned up in the restroom, and sat at my picnic
table to eat the second half of the sandwich I’d been keeping in a cooler since
lunch. The block of dry ice would keep my yogurt and cheese sticks cool for a
couple more days. Then I’d be stuck with dried and canned food until I made a
trip into town, something I didn’t relish given that my compact car obviously
wasn’t designed for the rough roads. Well, I hadn’t expected luxury.
I had
expected quiet, though. Yet the night filled with sounds as dusk fell. Birds,
insects, and rustling in the dark. I strained my ears and tried to identify the
sounds. Bird calls were easy enough. That low buzz had to be some kind of
insect, and I convinced myself it was only creepy because I wasn’t used to it.
Rustling in the bushes was harder to dismiss. I forced myself to breathe deeply
and repeated in my mind, Just animals.
Just animals. You’re safe here.
A squirrel
scurried up a tree nearby, proving my point, and I let out a burst of nervous
laughter.
I went back
to my deep breathing. I didn’t want to crawl into my tent until I felt
comfortable there, or I knew I’d spend the night imagining monsters sneaking
around the thin protection of my nylon walls. I could sleep in my car, as I had
done several times on the drive out, when I wasn’t sure of my security. But
this campground would be my home for weeks. I had to get used to it, face my
fears until they disappeared. I closed my eyes and concentrated on the cool air
on my skin, the soft breeze.
 |
| Hovenweep Castle by Greg Willis Creative Commons license |
I heard
voices in the distance and a thump like something being dropped. I told myself
it was good to know others were within hailing distance. I breathed, and
listened, and finally felt my heart slow and my muscles relax. I thought I
might be able to sleep.
A new sound
drifted through the air, and my breath caught in my throat. I heard a soft
sobbing, like a woman crying.
Should I
check it out, see if someone needed help? But no one was calling for help, and
I couldn’t target the sound.
It was
probably some animal or bird, but still, I felt goosebumps prickle my skin. I
went to my car for a sweater, trying to blame the drop in temperature for my
chills.
When I
opened the car door, the overhead light came on, shockingly bright. I jumped
and glanced around, feeling oddly guilty, as if I’d insulted the night. I
grabbed my sweater, closed the door quickly, and stood for a minute waiting for
my eyes to readjust as the darkness pressed around me.
The crying
seemed to ripple in the air, coming from nowhere and everywhere.
And then it
faded, leaving only the echo of its memory in the dark, and a great sadness.
Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor
adventures and Southwestern landscapes. In Counterfeits,
stolen Rembrandt paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town. What We Found is a mystery with strong
romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. The Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt
for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert.
Fans of Mary Stewart, Barbara Michaels, and Terry Odell will
want to check out Kris Bock’s romantic adventures. “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed
since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.”
5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog
Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com
or visit her Amazon
page. Sign up for the Kris Bock
newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.
No comments:
Post a Comment