FRIDAY FREEBITS #frifreebits

The smell of decomposition hung heavy in the air of the small bedroom—a nauseating odor that defied description. A homicide detective in Philadelphia for nearly five years, Michelle Wallace still found dealing with death unsettling. 

She clutched a tissue to her nose to help block the stench. Nerves beneath her skin shuddered as she surveyed the posed body of the deceased. On the queen-sized bed, a naked woman in her late twenties or early thirties lay with arms crossed over her breasts, her blue eyes fixed in a permanent stare toward the ceiling. Her mouth, lips painted bright red, twisted in what was probably her last attempt to scream. The piece of rope embedded around her throat left ligature marks on her otherwise flawless skin. 

The room hummed with activity while uniformed officers with gloved hands went through drawers and the closets. No one dared touch the body until the medical examiner arrived. Michelle didn’t need confirmation. She already knew. In an unbidden vision, she’d seen the bits and pieces unfold. The occurrences weren’t frequent or regular, and when young, she’d tried to seek an explanation from her mother but got only a dismissive wave and words uttered about an overactive imagination. 

Shell’s gaze shifted to the nightstand, noticing the novel next to the lamp, titled The Perfect Crime. 

Would there be ramifications if her fellow officers knew she authored the book. Her pseudonym, consisting of her initials and her mother’s maiden name, kept her writing persona separate from her professional side. Although proud of her work, she dared not brag. The guys would never let her live down the fact she’d used facts from past cases to pattern her storylines. Only Mom and her best friend, Naomi, knew about Michelle’s fiction passion and they’d been sworn to secrecy. No book signings or personal appearances would be scheduled until she wrote that breakthrough novel, earning her rights as an author and enabling her to leave the force. 

Her attention flipped back to the hectic scene transpiring around her, especially the three officers ogling the shapely corpse. Shooting them an icy glare, she motioned them away. “Geez, move it along, you guys.” She rolled her eyes, disgusted at the lengths some men went to for a glimpse of a bared breast—even on a dead woman. 

Finishing his conversation with the building super in the hallway, Michelle’s partner, Tony Rizetti, strode inside. He eyed the body, his brow raised. “How long you think she‘s been dead, Meesh?” 

God, she hated his nickname for her. Why couldn’t he call her Shell like everyone else? So many times she’d asked, but the sparkle in his eyes when he defied her showed his stubborn side. 

A Novel Murder is available on my Amazon page if I've tempted you to read more.  :)

Now, hop on over to Juliet Waldron's and see what Friday has in store for you there:

http://yesterrdayrevisitedhere.blogspot.com/

Friday's A Few Lines From...

A Few Lines From Ginger Simpson (Moi)

A Novel Murder from Books We Love

“I’m going to resign!”

“Resign?” Naomi’s mouth gaped.

“God, you sound just like Tony. Relax. Not right at the moment, but as soon as our current cases are solved. I can’t walk away when women...one of which I’ve met, are losing their lives.”

“So, have you really thought this through?”

“You have no idea. I actually made some progress on my novel tonight, but my muse isn’t cooperating because I can’t stop thinking about Kitten and Persia.”

“When did you get cats?”

“Oh, Nay. Those are the stripper names of the two dead women.”

“Hmm, yeah now I remember. Sorry, guess I had a memory lapse. So more about this resignation thing...”

“I have my writing to fall back on, and my editor thinks this next story is going to be the one that makes me big bucks. I’m making out pretty good on the first, but I love to write, so being free of the force will give me the time I need.”

For more on my books, check out my author page on Amazon.

Please come back on Friday, May 10th for a few lines from Gail Roughton.

New Release Available - A Novel Murder #Romantic Mystery

Unexplained visions, murder and mayhem. . . that's what Michelle's life has come to, and she desperately wants out of her detective position to be behind her own desk, being the author she's forced to conceal behind a pseudonym. Even though the fodder for her first book came from past cases, if she can just write her break-through novel under her real name, she'll leave the force, switch her genre to romance, and pursue the relationship she wants with her hunky partner. His desire is evident, but fraternization on the job is forbidden, and she can't gamble with the income she needs. Still, maybe those horrible visions seen through the killer's eyes will go away for good if she's no longer part of the local police department, but she can't leave until she finds out who's targeting strippers at Kitty Katz club.

   http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CB3N998    

A NOVEL MURDER IS ALMOST HERE

Happy Easter Everyone:

My latest manuscript has been submitted, the stunning cover art is done, and Kim McDougall at Blazing Trailers just finished an awesome trailer for me.  I usually do my own, but she had a special running that was cheaper than I'd have to pay for pictures, so I went for it.   I'm so proud to share it with you today.  I'll let you know as soon as the book is released which should be shortly.  Those gals at Books We Love operate at blinding speed.  I should be half as fast. :)  Hey...this is totally out of my western historical comfort zone.  Hope you enjoy.

Ginger's Sunday Sampler of What's to Come...

Although my passion is primarily western historical novels, sometimes my muse comes from an entirely different setting with a story to tell.  I'm happy to present a little sample of my "coming soon" mystery suspense, A Novel Murder.  I already have the cover and I'm so stoked I had to share it here for the first time.  Consider this a debut of another Michelle Lee creation.  Now all I have to do is tie up the lose ends and get the story to my publisher.  I think Michelle's cover art is the kick in the pants I need.  :)

Blurb:

Unexplained visions, murder and mayhem…that’s what Michelle’s life has come to, and she desperately wants out of her detective position to be behind her own desk, being the author she’s forced to conceal behind a pseudonym.  Even though the fodder for her first book came from past cases, if she can just write her break-through novel under her real name, she’ll leave the force, switch her genre to romance, and pursue the relationship she wants with her hunky partner. His desire is evident, but fraternization on the job is forbidden, and she can’t gamble with the income she needs. Still, maybe those horrible visions seen through the killer’s eyes will go away for good if she’s no longer part of the local police department.

Excerpt:

 The smell of decomposition hung heavy in the air of the small bedroom--a nauseating odor that defied description. A homicide detective in Philadelphia for nearly five years, Michelle Wallace still found dealing with death unsettling. She clutched a tissue to her nose, nerves shuddering through her as she surveyed the posed body of the deceased. In the queen-sized bed, a young woman in her late twenties or early thirties, lay with hands and arms crossed over naked breasts, her blue eyes fixed in a permanent stare. Her mouth, lips painted bright red, twisted in what was probably her last attempt to scream. The piece of rope embedded around her throat left ligature marks on her otherwise flawless skin.

The room hummed with activity. Uniformed officer, with gloved hands, went through drawers and the closet. No one dared touch the body until the medical examiner arrived. Michelle already knew what he’d find as the cause of death. She’d seen the whole thing happen. Not literally, but in an unbidden vision; something she couldn’t help.

Shell’s gaze shifted to the nightstand, specifically the novel laying there, The Perfect Crime by M.D. Lynch. If only her fellow officers knew she authored the book. Her pseudonym, consisting of her initials and her mother’s maiden name, kept her writing persona separate from her professional side. Although proud of her work, she dared not brag. They guys would never let her live down the fact that she used some past cases to pattern her storylines. Only her mother and her best friend, Naomi, knew about Michelle’s fiction passion, and they’d been sworn to secrecy. No book signings or personal appearances for this author until she wrote a breakthrough novel and could earn her way as an author, and leave the force.

Her attention flipped back to the hectic scene transpiring around her, especially the three officers ogling the shapely corpse. She gave a dismissing wave. “Shoo, get on with your job. There’s nothing to see here.” She rolled her eyes, disgusted at the lengths men would go to in order to glimpse a bared breast--even on a dead woman.

Michelle’s partner, Tony Rizetti, turned from the building super in the hallway and came inside. He eyed the body, his brow raised. “How long you think she‘s been dead, Meesh?”

God, she hated his nickname for her. Why couldn’t he call her Shell like everyone else? So many times she’d asked, but the sparkle in his eye when he defied her showed his stubborn side.

Already certain of her answer, she shrugged at his question. “Three, maybe four days--but that’s just a guess.” The lie about the time involved rolled off her tongue as smooth as butter. She turned and eyed the body, knowing for sure that exactly three days ago the woman had been brutally attacked and murdered.


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

I hope you enjoyed my little teaser and that you'll be on the look out for it. Watch the coming soon section t Books We Love for the actual release date, and while you're there, check out all the new releases, including the "special editions."  Also, here's information released on the latest exciting contest hosted by Books We Love:

Ask our readers and friends to visit  http://bwlpp.blogspot.com/2012/09/howling-halloween-contest_8.html

or direct them right to the contest page on our website:

http://bookswelove.net/contest.php