Romantic Suspense/Suspense
Two desperate people--one last resort, Faith Grace Roussell is stalked by her ex-fiance and forced to search her conflicted heart. In a battle of love, loss, and raging jealousy, she strives to build a new life with peace and contentment, but Matt Allen has eyes like magnets she could get as lost in as unknown woods. Will he prove to be a helpmate or just another strawberry cull? Will she be forced to use The Pink Lady?
Excerpt:
Faith tore out of the jail's parking lot and prayed she wouldn't get a ticket. She turned Old Blue into the flowing traffic. Her heart pumped faster than a race car engine. Dear God, please don't let me be too late. She reached down and punched Matt's number again. Come on, Matt, where are you? Pick up. Still no answer. She snapped the phone shut and focused on the road ahead. Who could possibly have it in for him? He was such a great guy. She gassed the truck as she passed the city limits and left the jail behind. Why wasn't he answering? She'd never had a problem before. This wasn't like him.
Faith whipped into the drive. She jumped from her pickup, strode to the side door, and knocked. No answer. She pulled out her cell and tried again. It rang and rang, then went straight to the voicemail. This time, she hung up without leaving a message.
She yanked the screen door, and it flew open, unlatched. The door knob turned, and she shoved the door open and yelled, "Matt, are you there?"
No response. She briskly marched through the house and called his name. She checked each room. In Matt's office, the swivel chair faced the door. Blood spotted it. Faith's heart lurched. Oh, God, please don't let me be too late. She spotted blood droplets on the carpet and followed them back through the kitchen and to the garage. Matt's truck ran. Dear God, what will I find when I open this door? Please let me be in time. Why didn't Matt use his pistol?
Faith jerked the garage door, but it wouldn't budge. She ran to the kitchen and hit the automatic door opener. The door slowly opened. She raced inside the garage, and the gas fumes nearly knocked her out. She coughed and held her nose with one hand. Her eyes burned, but she yanked open the driver's truck door. Matt tumbled out.
She let go of her nose and turned off the truck. Faith slid her arms under Matt's and locked her hands in front of his chest. She hefted. He didn't budge. She had to get him out of there. Now. No time to waste. She hauled in a breath, grunted, and heaved. He lifted, and she pulled him toward the door. One foot. Two feet. Three more.
"Matt, we're out of the garage." Please, Lord, help me. She couldn't drop him now. The outside air hit her face and tears of relief filled her eyes. She tenderly laid him on the grass by the side of the cement drive and yanked her cell from its holster. She dialed 911.
Assured the ambulance was on its way, Faith closed her phone and felt for his heartbeat. She rubbed her knuckles against his breast bone and stroked his face. So still. She touched his neck and held her breath. No response. She tilted his head and lifted his chin, then put her ear to his mouth and listened. Nothing. She looked for chest movement. Nothing. She listened for air blowing through his mouth or nose, or on her cheek. Nothing. He wasn't going to die if she had anything to do with it.
She ran her tongue over her lip and tasted perspiration. Why did sweat always taste salty, and why would she even think to question that at a time like this? She took a quick, shallow breath and whispered, "Come on, Matt. Breathe! BREATHE!"
It'd been a long time since she'd trained for CPR. Would she remember what to do? A bluish pallor stole over Matt's complexion, and his body became a dead weight. She had no time to lose.
Faith pinched his nose and made a seal over his mouth with her own. She breathed big enough to make his chest rise, let his chest fall, and repeated the rescue breath again. She listened for an intake of breath, an exhale, but the only sound was the pounding of her own heart in her ears.
Reviews/Notices:
B. J. Robinson has numerous poems, articles, short stories, essays, and devotionals published. Her article "Honoring God's Calling" was published in the Fall 2010 edition of Together. Published devotionals include two with MustardSeed Ministries, seven with Standard Publishing in the Spring of 2010, and one in Words to Write By: Author Devotionals compiled by Robin Bayne. "Flat Tires" was recently published in 2011 in Hurray God! Hope, Pray, Believe. In college, her short story won first prize and was published in the university's literary magazine, Gambit. Her first college essay was published. In the third grade, her pet dog story was published in a local newspaper. "Mother's Glimpse of Heaven" was published in FATE Magazine in 2002. "POD Publishing: What's to Gain?" was published in Christian Fiction Online Magazine in March 2009. A short story was published in Pebble Lake Review in the Summer of 2004 and was also published in St. Cloud in the News.
"B. J. Robinson's Last Resort is an inspirational romantic suspense story that keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat -- both to see if the villain is overcome and to see if Matt and Faith end up together. You don't want to miss this one with its twists; it's a great read!" ~ Deb Haggerty, Author and Speaker
"The warm, sweet romance, yet insightful story, will touch your heart with its simplicity and charm."
~ Janet Perez Eckles, Author and Speaker
Why BJ wrote Last Resort:
I wrote Last Resort to inspire others to put their hope and trust in Jesus, since He can be their best friend. After losing my mother to cancer and my youngest sister to an eating disorder six years apart, I wanted to illustrate that even in death, there's still hope, and we're never alone. I placed a number of red herrings throughout my novel for an enjoyable read that will keep readers guessing, and the novel weaves a story with twists and turns, but the faith element is important. . Romance, suspense, arson, attempted murder, murder, shattered dreams, fear, hope, faith, prayer, and love are woven together to create a story I hope and pray will touch readers' hearts. I hope my readers realize how short time really is and how a choice made in a few minutes can alter a life forever. And, being a pet lover, I hope readers glean an understanding of how they enrich our lives with unconditional love.
Two desperate people--one last resort, Faith Grace Roussell is stalked by her ex-fiance and forced to search her conflicted heart. In a battle of love, loss, and raging jealousy, she strives to build a new life with peace and contentment, but Matt Allen has eyes like magnets she could get as lost in as unknown woods. Will he prove to be a helpmate or just another strawberry cull? Will she be forced to use The Pink Lady?
Excerpt:
Faith tore out of the jail's parking lot and prayed she wouldn't get a ticket. She turned Old Blue into the flowing traffic. Her heart pumped faster than a race car engine. Dear God, please don't let me be too late. She reached down and punched Matt's number again. Come on, Matt, where are you? Pick up. Still no answer. She snapped the phone shut and focused on the road ahead. Who could possibly have it in for him? He was such a great guy. She gassed the truck as she passed the city limits and left the jail behind. Why wasn't he answering? She'd never had a problem before. This wasn't like him.
Faith whipped into the drive. She jumped from her pickup, strode to the side door, and knocked. No answer. She pulled out her cell and tried again. It rang and rang, then went straight to the voicemail. This time, she hung up without leaving a message.
She yanked the screen door, and it flew open, unlatched. The door knob turned, and she shoved the door open and yelled, "Matt, are you there?"
No response. She briskly marched through the house and called his name. She checked each room. In Matt's office, the swivel chair faced the door. Blood spotted it. Faith's heart lurched. Oh, God, please don't let me be too late. She spotted blood droplets on the carpet and followed them back through the kitchen and to the garage. Matt's truck ran. Dear God, what will I find when I open this door? Please let me be in time. Why didn't Matt use his pistol?
Faith jerked the garage door, but it wouldn't budge. She ran to the kitchen and hit the automatic door opener. The door slowly opened. She raced inside the garage, and the gas fumes nearly knocked her out. She coughed and held her nose with one hand. Her eyes burned, but she yanked open the driver's truck door. Matt tumbled out.
She let go of her nose and turned off the truck. Faith slid her arms under Matt's and locked her hands in front of his chest. She hefted. He didn't budge. She had to get him out of there. Now. No time to waste. She hauled in a breath, grunted, and heaved. He lifted, and she pulled him toward the door. One foot. Two feet. Three more.
"Matt, we're out of the garage." Please, Lord, help me. She couldn't drop him now. The outside air hit her face and tears of relief filled her eyes. She tenderly laid him on the grass by the side of the cement drive and yanked her cell from its holster. She dialed 911.
Assured the ambulance was on its way, Faith closed her phone and felt for his heartbeat. She rubbed her knuckles against his breast bone and stroked his face. So still. She touched his neck and held her breath. No response. She tilted his head and lifted his chin, then put her ear to his mouth and listened. Nothing. She looked for chest movement. Nothing. She listened for air blowing through his mouth or nose, or on her cheek. Nothing. He wasn't going to die if she had anything to do with it.
She ran her tongue over her lip and tasted perspiration. Why did sweat always taste salty, and why would she even think to question that at a time like this? She took a quick, shallow breath and whispered, "Come on, Matt. Breathe! BREATHE!"
It'd been a long time since she'd trained for CPR. Would she remember what to do? A bluish pallor stole over Matt's complexion, and his body became a dead weight. She had no time to lose.
Faith pinched his nose and made a seal over his mouth with her own. She breathed big enough to make his chest rise, let his chest fall, and repeated the rescue breath again. She listened for an intake of breath, an exhale, but the only sound was the pounding of her own heart in her ears.
Reviews/Notices:
B. J. Robinson has numerous poems, articles, short stories, essays, and devotionals published. Her article "Honoring God's Calling" was published in the Fall 2010 edition of Together. Published devotionals include two with MustardSeed Ministries, seven with Standard Publishing in the Spring of 2010, and one in Words to Write By: Author Devotionals compiled by Robin Bayne. "Flat Tires" was recently published in 2011 in Hurray God! Hope, Pray, Believe. In college, her short story won first prize and was published in the university's literary magazine, Gambit. Her first college essay was published. In the third grade, her pet dog story was published in a local newspaper. "Mother's Glimpse of Heaven" was published in FATE Magazine in 2002. "POD Publishing: What's to Gain?" was published in Christian Fiction Online Magazine in March 2009. A short story was published in Pebble Lake Review in the Summer of 2004 and was also published in St. Cloud in the News.
"B. J. Robinson's Last Resort is an inspirational romantic suspense story that keeps you hanging on the edge of your seat -- both to see if the villain is overcome and to see if Matt and Faith end up together. You don't want to miss this one with its twists; it's a great read!" ~ Deb Haggerty, Author and Speaker
"The warm, sweet romance, yet insightful story, will touch your heart with its simplicity and charm."
~ Janet Perez Eckles, Author and Speaker
Why BJ wrote Last Resort:
I wrote Last Resort to inspire others to put their hope and trust in Jesus, since He can be their best friend. After losing my mother to cancer and my youngest sister to an eating disorder six years apart, I wanted to illustrate that even in death, there's still hope, and we're never alone. I placed a number of red herrings throughout my novel for an enjoyable read that will keep readers guessing, and the novel weaves a story with twists and turns, but the faith element is important. . Romance, suspense, arson, attempted murder, murder, shattered dreams, fear, hope, faith, prayer, and love are woven together to create a story I hope and pray will touch readers' hearts. I hope my readers realize how short time really is and how a choice made in a few minutes can alter a life forever. And, being a pet lover, I hope readers glean an understanding of how they enrich our lives with unconditional love.
Purchase Links:
Desert Breeze Publishing Storefront. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/StoreFront.bok
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-184/B-J-Robinson-Last/Detail.bok Read a free excerpt here.
Barnes & Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-resort-b-j-robinson/1030124288?ean=2940012838063&itm=1&usri=last%2Bresort%2Bb%2Bj%2Brobinson
Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Last-Resort-ebook/dp/B005CQ7JQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310918473&sr=1- Barnes & Noble
Author Bio:
Desert Breeze Publishing Storefront. http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/StoreFront.bok
http://stores.desertbreezepublishing.com/-strse-184/B-J-Robinson-Last/Detail.bok Read a free excerpt here.
Barnes & Noble. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/last-resort-b-j-robinson/1030124288?ean=2940012838063&itm=1&usri=last%2Bresort%2Bb%2Bj%2Brobinson
Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Last-Resort-ebook/dp/B005CQ7JQK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1310918473&sr=1- Barnes & Noble
Author Bio:
"I've never seen anyone so passionate about writing. I know your writing will help others. In fact, you've helped others--for many years." That's how a friend and colleague describes me. I'm a Christian writer who shares my heart and soul through my writing, as well as my passion and love for Jesus. A former newspaper columnist for my hometown newspaper, I'm an award-winning author. My Christian Romantic Suspense novel LAST RESORT will be released July 15, 2011, by Desert Breeze. My article "Honoring God's Calling," was published in the Fall 2010 issue of Together. Two devotionals were published with MustardSeed Ministries and seven were accepted for Devotions with Standard Publishing in Spring 2010. Another has been published in Words to Write By: Author Devotionals Compiled by Robin Bayne, for a total of ten published devotionals. I spend most of my free time writing.If I'm not writing, I'm reading and completing book reviews on my blog. I've been blessed with beautiful sons and daughters and grandchildren, and a fur baby girl, a golden cocker spaniel named Sunflower. Dakota is our German Shepherd, and Frankie is our adopted shelter cat.
