Title: Fractured Steel
Author: T.J. Loveless
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publication Date: February 15,
2014
Tour Host: Dreams Come
True Promotions
Karen Barnes’s life is simple, just the way she likes it,
surrounded by horses and the mountains of Laramie, Wyoming. She is well aware
the longing for adventure can lead to blood and death, a hard lesson taught
during her one, and only, tour in Iraq almost a decade ago.
A stranger approaches Karen about boarding a famous horse
foaled in her stables, making her instincts go on high alert. She knows for a
fact the stallion’s owner would never sell Five Alarm, the US Reining champion
worth a hefty ten million dollars. In ten minutes the stranger confirms her
worst fears, launching her into weeks of torment at the hands of her
kidnappers.
Armed with a spine of steel, she steals a truck and trailer,
rescuing another victim, and recovering Five Alarm, but the ordeal is far from
over. The kidnapping was a cover up for espionage. Trusted contacts join the
fray, and in the end, pay for their loyalty by dying for her safety. Others
aren’t so trustworthy, and as the truth is brought to light, she is betrayed
yet again.
Safety and freedom come with their own emotional shackles.
She had the courage to fight the battle, but can she live with the aftermath of
the carnage, or survive the fractures to her mind?
Born in Anchorage, I've lived ... well ... everywhere. From
the Arctic Circle to a block from the beaches in Florida. I speak fluent
Arkansas Hillbilly, make a mean gumbo, can sew when necessary and am a whiz at
packing.
You'll generally find a Muse snuggled to my hip, the other
one laying across my shoulders and Editor Kitty staring at the screen, waiting
for the red ink to make an appearance. Once it does, he lays across the
keyboard purring.
The family brags about the latest compromising position I've
been found in, trying to figure out how to truly describe "legs all
akimbo" or if falling on the couch could truly land a body in a certain
position. They ignore my yelling at characters on the computer screen, and are
forgiving when I accidentally write past the time for them to eat. It's one way
of teaching the teenager to cook ...
Excerpt:
I took two steps forward, but stopped when the little
bastard appeared. He wore new jeans and an unripped t-shirt with “No Fat
Chicks” emblazoned across the chest. He walked into the bedroom, closing the
door and locking it. He put the key into the front pocket of his
Wranglers.
“I’ve been given permission. I promise not to break
anything,” he grinned, and stalked me around the room.
I stopped in the middle of the room. We’d made two full
circuits, but if it was one thing a person learned when training horses, it was
that whoever made the feet move was the boss.
He smiled and pushed into my personal space. I wanted to
move backwards, to get away from him. Whatever happened next was going to hurt,
one way or another. He stood so close a deep breath would make us touch. He
looked down, and for the first time, I was distinctly aware I wore no bra. I
wasn’t big enough to really need one, but in this moment, the more clothing the
better.
“Ah, found your spine. The more you struggle, the better it
is for me.” Lightning fast, his hand was around my throat and squeezing.
I couldn’t stop my reaction. My knee rose, but he moved and
I only managed to hit the meatiest part of his inner thigh. Hearing his laugh
made me sweat. His fingers tightened, and I fought to breathe.
“I can smell your fear.”
Copyright © TJ Loveless 2013
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