Harbour Falls Excerpts

#1)

The Harbour Falls Mystery was the real reason I was here. I had every intention of basing my next novel on the facts of the case. I was tired of fiction; I wanted to write a true crime novel. Plus there was a little part of me—the detective that lurks in all of us—that dreamed of solving this case.

But nobody knew that this case held more than a professional interest for me. Not because the main locale was Harbour Falls, and not because the mystery involved the disappearance of a local I'd once known. And, truth be told, had once envied. Nor was it the fact that this local, Chelsea Hannigan, had gone missing the night before her wedding. Scandalous, though it was.

What piqued my curiosity was the man Chelsea had been on the verge of marrying—Adam Ward. He was the man at the center of the mystery. He was the man whose life had been altered when Chelsea disappeared, after he was named as the number one suspect.

What role, if any, had he played in her disappearance? Though never formally charged, many believed he was far from innocent.

Well I was here to uncover the truth. There was just one small problem.

Contrary to what I'd told Ami, I was interested in Adam Ward. Still. Despite how ridiculous I knew it was, I couldn't wait to run into Adam. Would he even remember me? Maybe not. But I wasn't the shy girl I'd been back then.

Of course I was playing with fire. If he ever suspected I was investigating him in order to research my new novel, he'd hardly be pleased. I might even see firsthand just how supposedly dangerous he could be.

At the thought, a little shudder ran through me. Whether it was due to fear, excitement, or both, I wasn't sure. I knew I should analyze it and get my head straight before I ended up in trouble.

But I'd run out of time. Because the fog began to lift, and in the distance, Fade Island came into view.

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#2)

"W-where am I?" I stammered, glancing around a living room lit only by the warm glow of a crackling fire in a soaring stone fireplace. My feet rested on a Persian rug, pigmented in rich shades of chocolate and claret. I had no doubt it was a genuine.

I looked up, and Adam raised an eyebrow. Pay attention, Maddy. You're obviously in the house of the person whose property you were trespassing on.  

"I mean," I hastily corrected, "what happened? How did I end up here?" A chill ran through me as I recalled the calloused hand covering my mouth before everything flashed black.

Adam raked his fingers through his messy hair. There was something insanely sensual about the way his long fingers lingered in the silky, dark strands; the way his eyes, blue but stormy, studied me. "Shouldn't I be asking you that question, Madeleine?"

As crazy as it was, in that moment, all I could think was: Well, I guess he remembers me from high school.

My fingers absently traced the collar of the blue shirt—his shirt—while I tried to think of a plausible explanation. I glanced over at Adam, his eyes taking in the lazy movement of my hand and then traveling up to my too-thin tank. Unapologetic, he met my gaze, and his mouth turned up into a wickedly suggestive smile. I stilled, suddenly feeling incredibly warm but definitely overexposed. I struggled to arrange the damn blue shirt in such a way as to cover myself, while Adam looked on with amusement.

My mind screamed danger, but my body began to feel alive in a way that had been dormant for far too long. God, the sinful thoughts this man evoked. I needed to get a grip, but no. Unable, or maybe unwilling, to stop myself, I involuntarily licked my lips and allowed my eyes to wander over the unclothed parts of his body—the curves of his biceps, the impressive breadth of his broad shoulders, the expanse of his bare chest. My gaze descended to the perfectly shaped v of his torso, down to his hips, and just kind of lingered there.

Adam cleared his throat. Quickly, I looked away, questioning my sanity. Had I hit my head when I fainted?

"Madeleine." Adam's voice was low and seductive, served up with maybe a hint of jest. "If you were looking for that, you should have just rung the doorbell."  

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Buy on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Harbour-Falls-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00A06OMQM

Buy on Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/harbour-falls-sr-grey/1113730927?ean=2940015915952

Also on Kobo, Ever After Romance app, and iTunes