Daphne Dean is proud to be serving her country stateside during WWII as a reporter and an Office of Strategic Services operative. When the photograph she takes of the crowd at a murder scene places her on the mob's hit list, she's forced into hiding in a vacant mental asylum in the middle of nowhere with terrifying secrets of its own.Daphne believed herself to still be in love with her ex-fiancée, Kenneth, until she spends several days locked away in the asylum with Vito, the mob boss' son. Can she put the terrifying events that occurred there behind her and allow herself to pursue a relationship with Vito? Or, will she return to Kenneth who has turned his back on his country by becoming a draft dodger and a black market racketeer? One thing's for sure, it won't matter if she can't escape the mental institution alive.
Excerpt:
Daphne pictured Vito in her mind. Chiseled features, set off by hair as black as a raven's wing, the stern set to his jaw, the full lips. She'd felt like putty in his hands. No one had ever had that effect on her, not even Kenneth.
She hardly knew Vito, but there was something about him, something that drew her to him. It wasn't just his looks. She'd met many handsome men in her lifetime. It was something more, something deeper, more intimate. Some kind of bond that she couldn't quite understand.
If the war hadn't been going on, they might have dated, explored their relationship, saw where it took them. She would liked to have known more about him, but couldn't ask around because she didn't even know his last name.
Vito. Such an odd name. It reminded her of the mob or mafia. There was no way the man with the kind demeanor was connected to something so sinister. She was a pretty good judge of character and somehow knew that he couldn't be involved something so corrupt.
Reviews:
"K. Dawn's description was so vivid and intriguing that this fictional setting is now listed in my top ten places I "must see" before I die... The whole story was great, but the last part was a major page turner, that kept me guessing until the very end. And I loved the growth of the characters shown in the book's conclusion. Most satisfying indeed. K. Dawn Byrd is a masterful suspense writer, and I look forward to her next title, Killing Time, in August, 2010." ---Shawna Williams
"Queen of Hearts is a blend of so many things that it really held my interest. It had elements of Dick Tracy, Psycho, The Godfather, and more recently, Shutter Island. If you enjoy suspenseful stories set during WWII (stateside) that have moments where you'll feel like you're as scared as the heroine is, then you'll love this story. I personally prefer romantic elements in romantic suspense, and this story had a lot of that, too. It was tasty enough to keep me reading...I highly recommend this story. It's a terrific debut"—Michelle Sutton
Why I wrote the book:
I wrote this book during NaNoWriMo 2010 because I had never written a historical, had one rolling around in my head, and wanted to see if I could write 50,000 words in 30 days. I did it!
Book Takeaway:
Sometimes people aren't who we think they are, but if we allow God to work, He will give us the desires of our heart. Not always the way we'd planned, but He is faithful.
I wrote this book during NaNoWriMo 2010 because I had never written a historical, had one rolling around in my head, and wanted to see if I could write 50,000 words in 30 days. I did it!
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Bio:
K. Dawn Byrd is an author of inspirational romance. Queen of Hearts, a WWII romantic suspense released on April 1 and was a bestseller for Desert Breeze Publishing that month. Killing Time, a contemporary romantic suspense will release August 1, also with Desert Breeze Publishing.
K. Dawn Byrd is an avid blogger and gives away several books per week on her blog at www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com, most of which are signed by the authors. Her blog spots include not only information on the books, but also author interviews.
When not reading or writing, K. Dawn Byrd enjoys spending time with her husband of 15 years, walking their dogs beside a gorgeous lake near her home, and plotting the next story waiting to be told.
Author website: http://www.kdawnbyrd.blogspot.com/
Other books by K. Dawn Byrd:
Killing Time - August 2010, Desert Breeze Publishing.
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