The Inspired Pen: October 2015

Murder Mystery, Romantic Suspense, Detective Story

Chief of Police Matt Foley has a new bride and the most complex case of his career.

A prominent couple prepares to retire, when an assassin’s bullets retires them permanently. And he doesn’t stop there.

As the investigation pushes forward, layers of deceit, greed, and bitterness are peeled away, and two families, connected by marriage and murder, face the exposure of their darkest secrets. It’s just another case until Matt finds his wife caught in the killer’s crosshairs.

Interview...

TIP: If this novel is part of a series, tell us about the series.

V.B.: WORKS OF DARKNESS was the first book in the Matt Foley/Sara Bradford series and the first novel I wrote. I had worked on it so long, I had gotten tired of editing and was dubious about publishing. But I figured if people hated it, I could always delete it on Amazon. LOL It has been the best seller of all my novels, with over 100 five star ratings on Amazon and more than 60K downloaded since it was published in March 2014.

TIP: Do you write exclusively in one genre, or do you "cross-over" to other genres? What draws you to the genre(s) you write in?

V.B.: I suppose you could say I cross over into other genres, but my novels are all suspense. I cut my teeth reading Agatha Christie novels and was hooked on solving the mysteries. I’ve written one supernatural suspense, (THE WATCHMAN), and I am currently writing a WWII historical suspense (DEATHWATCH). However, most of my books are contemporary suspense.

TIP: Can you give us a sneak peek or preview into the next work in progress (WIP) you're working on? When do you expect to release it?

V.B.: As I mentioned above, I‘m writing a WWII suspense novel, DEATHWATCH. Here’s the back of the book blurb. I hope to publish this story in late December or early January 2016.

Finding a killer in the middle of a blitz is murder.

When a cryptanalyst in Britain’s top secret Code and Cyber School is murdered, alarms sound in the highest echelons of Parliament. Was it merely a lover’s quarrel that ended her life, or was she killed after telling the Germans everything they wanted to know? That’s what MI6 Agent, Commander Grey Hamilton must find out.

He is joined in the chase by an old university friend from Scotland Yard, and a young American genius singled out by the killer as his next victim.

As the Luftwaffe escalates its reign of terror over London, the unlikely team dodges bombs while searching back streets and the Underground knowing failure is not an option. The lives of English soldiers and perhaps the fate of the British Empire itself, is in their hands.

TIP: Were you good in English as a student? Did you enjoy reading and writing back then?

V.B.: This probably dates me, but in my high school English was broken into grammar the first semester and literature the last semester. I’ve been a voracious reader, but was not good in the grammar portion of English. I wish I could get a do-over there. However, I excelled in the literature half. I even liked reading Shakespeare and Greek mythology. LOL

Excerpt...

CHAPTER 1

Sunday, the Connelly Home

Twin Falls, Texas

Shannon Connelly stepped out of the shower and slipped into a warm, woolly robe. Toes digging into the carpet’s thick pile, she walked across to the bedroom window and opened the drapes. Sleet pinged against the windows and she shivered. Mid-January had arrived with a rare winter storm, the worst in years. She gazed into the distance as large, white flakes almost obscured the second-floor view of the neighborhood.

Almost.

Across the street, movement in the near white-out caught her attention. Human or animal? Too tall to be an animal, and apparently dressed in white.

Odd.

Most likely her overactive imagination at work. She was nearsighted and her contact lenses still lay in the case on the nightstand. She turned away from the view and punched her feet into furry house slippers.

With a dismissive shrug, she put the scene out of her mind and trailed downstairs. Spending a rare day off with her husband was an opportunity she intended to take full advantage of.

The aroma of fresh brewed coffee welcomed her into the kitchen. She slid onto a seat at the bar, and Colin handed her a steaming cup of dark French Roast. He leaned over and kissed her brow. “Morning, Love. How about eggs Benedict for breakfast, in honor of my having you all to myself today?”

She sniffed the coffee like a fine wine before taking a sip, and observed her husband. At forty-five, Colin Connelly was twelve years older than she, and two inches taller than her own five-foot-nine-inch height; a little overweight, but firm bodied and very sexy with his shaved head. Not only was he brilliant and an attentive mate, he was also an amazing cook. She took a seat at the bar. “Sounds wonderful. You spoil me.”

A scratching sound on the kitchen door drew her attention. “What on earth…” She set her cup on the counter, shuffled her furry slippers across the tile floor, and hoped it wasn’t another raccoon. Last summer, when she’d heard a noise outside and opened the door, the masked animal sprinted into the house. It had taken her and a neighbor half a day to trap that sucker.

She peered through the window panel in the door and blinked. A white bulldog whined on doorstep, almost invisible in the snow except for two pleading obsidian eyes.

“It’s Sugar, from across the street,” Shannon said and cast a quizzical glance at her husband. “Why would she be outside? The Davenports have a doggie-door.”

Sugar’s chubby little body hurtled inside when the portal opened. The muscular mutt was too heavy to lift, so Shannon enticed her further into the kitchen with a slice of maple-flavored ham.

Colin removed his oven mitt and knelt to scratch behind the dog’s ear. He glanced up at Shannon, his brow wrinkled into a frown. “I think she’s hurt. She has blood on her mouth and paws.”