Anders’ Redemption, A Christmas Novella Mystery by Mary Vee

Mystery, Romantic Suspense 

 

After more than a year of job hunting and eating cheap noodles, the letter arrives. Brice Anders has landed the pastry chef position at a five-star restaurant. As he heads for the new village with his signature recipes secure in his pocket, Brice is confident no one will rob him of success again. 

 

Meeting Izzie, the barista at a local coffee shop, is more than he ever expects. Restaurant guests give his Christmas desserts rave reviews. The previous pastry chef, who left without notice, never received as much praise. 

 

Then, late one night, Brice finds his home kitchen ransacked, his designs in the open, and the special confectionary Christmas gift he is preparing for Izzie ruined. An anry man appears in the window. Brice hunts for him through the ice and snow, but the Intruder is gone. With Christmas only days away and the tormenting intensifying, Brice must stop the intruder’s plot to steal his job—or worse, harm someone from the restaurant.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW:

 

TIP:  How did you go about researching for this novel? Did you go anywhere outside your usual locale, or experience anything of note in the researching of this novel?

Mary:  My research for this novella kept me busy through the last word’s edit on the last page. Fiction readers expect accurate information in stories and deserve accuracy.

TIP:  How do you get inspiration for your stories (plots, characters, etc.)?

Mary:  This story takes place in a European village I read about in a tiny article on Facebook years ago. I think you’ll enjoy going with MC to this unique place. The most difficult decision I had for Anders’ Redemption involved choosing who would tell this story. Contenders for the role of MC (main character) lined up for miles. This truly is a story that could be told from many views. Since my preference is for mystery/suspense, I booted several cast applicants who didn’t fit my genre. The winner, I am happy to announce is Brice Anders. After reading his story, you’ll see why.

TIP:  Tell us something topical, interesting, funny, or something we would not expect about the writing of this novel.

Mary:  To insure he had the qualification as a five-star chef, I leaned heavily on my daughter who is a chef and a graduate of a nationally recognized culinary arts program to verify information. She corrected me more than once!

NTIP:  How and why did you choose to write a novella?

Mary:  One of my endorsers asked why I didn’t write more of this story and turn it into a novel. She loved the characters and wanted to read more. The answer simply is, because Brice couldn’t remember any more. You’ll understand once you get to know Brice in Anders’ Redemption.

When I told my husband, a non-fiction only reader, Anders’ Redemption released on Amazon, he smiled and said, “That one was a really good story.” I didn’t know he’d read it!

EXCERPT:

 From Chapter 10:

      Brice grabbed his coat off the hook and slid his right arm through the sleeve.

At the second he shifted the coat for his left arm, an angry man appeared in the kitchen window. He’d never seen the man before.

It had to be the Intruder. A hood draped over most of the face. Could be in his thirties. He couldn’t tell. Who else would look in that window?

Brice cowered back, edging closer toward the door where he couldn’t be seen. He didn’t know who this guy was or what he wanted, but the stalking and break-ins had to stop. Now.

He flung the bolt to the side, yanked the door handle, and dashed outside. The snow soaked his socks. Icy wet chilled his feet. He rounded his building and sprinted after the man with a dark hoodie, jeans, and dark boots. The Intruder sprinted gaining a lead of a half block ahead.

"Stop. Stop,” Brice yelled. He grappled in drenched socks against the icy surface, desperate to close the gap between them.

The stalker disappeared around the back of the next building.

Brice’s feet stiffened, the cold and wet chilled him to the bone. He sped, pushing through tendrils of deep freeze weaving through his toes. "Stop. Who are you?" he shouted above his quick breaths. But when he rounded the corner, the Intruder had vanished. He followed footprints in the snow until they led to tire marks that merged with others. He stopped short and flung his arms at the air. “Really?” He huffed. “Why are you breaking into my home?"

Air soared out his nostrils and shoved back in just as fast. He shook his head. "Why my house?” Shivers crawled from his toes to his fingertips. He trudged through the snow back to his apartment, his arms tightly woven across his chest. The front door stood partially open. He stomped inside and slammed it shut.

Water pooled from his socks onto the carpeting. He peeled them off and carried them to the bathroom sink where he rung the water down the drain.

That man cost him time with Izzie this morning, and could cost him his job.

He throttled the sock fabric and left the drenched footwear draped on the sink. After drying his feet, he pulled out the next clean pair from his dresser and slipped them on. "You will not win.” It didn’t matter that the Intruder couldn’t hear him. The threat made him feel better.

 AUTHOR BIO:

Mary Vee -  Rock climbing, white-water rafting, zip lining, and hiking top Mary's list of ways to enjoy a day. For some crazy reason, her mystery/suspense fiction characters don’t always appreciate the dangerous and often scary side of her favorite activities. Unbelievable. Mary writes travel books. Come take an amazing trip. She also pens retellings of Bible stories on the blog, God Loves Kids. She has been a finalist in several writing contests.

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