The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Carol Davis Luce's New Book: NIGHT CRIES
Carol is the known as the NightWriter for her series of "Night" mystery novels starting with Night Stalker.
NIGHT CRIES
Author: Carol Davis Luce
AVAILABLE
Amazon
Thirty-year-old Maddie has no memory of being adopted. An only child, her parents loved and protected her. Family means everything. When her daily foundation crumbles after she miscarries and her husband leaves with her best friend, retreat becomes her coping tool. She’s soon forced out of seclusion by her rising success as a crime writer. The public spotlight brings menace in the form of an abusive ex-lover intent on revenge. He stalks her, waiting for his chance…until...an unlikely savior intervenes. She is Maddie’s long-lost sister, her mirror image twin. The sisters revel in a special bond, as if no time has passed.
Zach, a former LAPD homicide detective and Maddie’s writing partner, doesn’t take anything at face value. He digs into the sister's background, revealing hellish early years on a farm that may have caused irrevocable damage. What he finds leads him to suspect she may be connected to a rash of vigilante murders.
As Maddie investigates her past, she must confront her new reality. She is haunted by unexplained fears and a recurring nightmare. The blood runs bad in this family. Long repressed memories gradually surface, forcing her to solve the mystery of her bone tree nightmare. Will the truth set her free…or destroy her?
Excerpt
Anchored to that moment on the green marble porch, a vibration hummed in the air around Maddie. As ridiculous as it seemed, a bizarre static charge linked her to the woman standing on the threshold of that magnificent estate. Her identical twin.
She grabbed Maddie’s hands. The sensation of live current surged through her body, bringing with it flashes of holding hands, hugging, and whispering secrets in each other’s ears.
Justine stepped out onto the porch, and they embraced. More images swirled around her—sitting cross-legged under a kitchen table, knees touching, their small hands over their mouths. In her extensive research for her novel on multiples, she’d read clairvoyance played an essential part in the lives of twins. Shared emotions, dreams, pain. Some telepathic link between them might have made it possible for her to know a sister existed. She’d been skeptical until then. A twin she’d been unaware of, or forgotten all these years, might have influenced her life.
A sudden chill on the back of her neck made her shiver.
Justine released her and took a step back. She hugged herself and rubbed her hands over the rising goose bumps on her upper arms. “It’s cold out here. Let’s go inside. We have so much catching up to do.”
They crossed the threshold together into a grand entry. Zach followed.
Justine led them into the high-ceilinged great room then to the back of the house and a smaller room with an ocean view. The more casual décor instantly put Maddie at ease.
“Sometimes I feel like I’m in a museum.” Justine kicked off her shoes and sat cross-legged in a wingback chair strategically placed on a Persian rug to complement the pattern. “Tony’s tastes run toward the grandiose. Mine are less refined.”
“It’s a beautiful house,” Maddie said. “I wouldn’t want to clean it.”
Justine laughed. “Me either.”
Their conversation started out slow and hesitant. Since Justine initiated the reunion and knew Maddie was her sister, naturally she took control. It seemed strange to call it a reunion. Before that day, Maddie had no memory of her early childhood. No memory of Justine.
Then the comparisons began. They were news junkies and Scrabble addicts. They had the same tastes in music, art, literature, and movies. They compared the dolphin-shaped birthmarks on their necks and marveled at the exactness of their eyes, golden flecks floating in a hazel shade that picked up more green than blue. They wore the same brand of perfume, an imported scent made from gardenias.
Sitting across from her twin sister was like watching a scene from a paranormal movie. Justine’s hand gestures and body language appeared the same. Her voice and her laugh sounded the same as well. The same inflections and speech patterns, but Justine was more relaxed. A confident extrovert. She owned the space around her.
While they talked, Zach slipped out through the double-doors onto the terrace and kicked back on a chaise lounge. He thumbed through a basket of magazines, looking for a mailing label. Always the cop.
Even though she and Justine were completely enthralled with one another, she knew Zach wouldn’t accept Justine at face value. Theirs was a unique situation, one over which Zach had no control once Justine had rescued her. Yet Zach, with his law enforcement background, would want to take a closer look into her background. Fine with her. Maddie had a few questions of her own.
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Romance, Literature & Fiction
Website: CAROL DAVIS LUCE–NightWriter
Author's Blog: CAROL DAVIS LUCE
Blog: Indie Chicks Café
Twitter: @CarolDavisLuce
E-Mail: caroldluce@gmail.com
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Pinterest: Check Out Pinterest
Author Description: New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the "Night" books, NightWriter Carol Davis Luce writes standalone suspense novels with elements of romance. After publishing five books through a traditional publisher, she turned independent author with her 2012 suspense novel, Night Widow, and Women's Fiction, Awakening: Secrets of a Brown Eyed Girl (a recipient of B.R.A.G).
Carol is one of THE TWELVE. 12 of today's hottest mystery and thriller writers, including USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors, have 12 complete works in the USA Today bestselling boxed set: DEADLY DOZEN.
Her first novel, Night Stalker, was also her first sale. "A dandy read," wrote bestselling author Tony Hillerman. It went into three printings and became the flagship for the sub-genre "Woman in Jeopardy" at Kensington Publishers.
Author's Book List
NIGHT TRILOGY
- Three Night NovelsFor the first time in one volume, three of the 'night' novels by Night Writer, Carol Davis Luce. The 'night' books are standalone thrillers that go bump in the night.
Over 48 Five-Star Reviews. This volume contains two Amazon bestselling novels, and the newest release. The three books are valued separately at $11.97
NIGHT STALKER:
Things were looking up for Alexandra Carlson. With her divorce behind her and the mysterious death of her father fading in her memory, she was moving on. Then things began to happen. Anonymous phone calls full of heavy breathing. A broken tree branch outside her bedroom window. Her cat gone without a trace. A moving shadow above the skylight. Surely it was all her imagination...
Then one day she picked up the phone. In the background she could hear a scratchy record--an old song that brought dark memories out of the shadows. That night something woke Alexandra out of a sound sleep. This time, the heavy breathing wasn't coming from the telephone. Someone was in house with her. And she was at his mercy.
NIGHT GAME:
4 weeks in the Top 100 Best Sellers in Kindle Store.
The exclusive King's Club resort casino is a glittering playground for gamblers with everything to gain...and the hunting ground for a shadowy killer with nothing to lose. So far, the odds are in his favor. Until casino owner Jay King places his bets on a beautiful private investigator. . .
Kasey Atwood is an expert at undercover surveillance, and no stranger to this dazzling world of high stakes and low morals. Her attraction to the sensual, enigmatic King is immediate--and incendiary. As their love affair heats up, she becomes a pawn in a dangerously seductive game of passion and revenge. Then more innocent blood is shed, and Kasey knows she can't afford to make one false move. At risk is nothing less than her heart--and her life. . .
NIGHT WIDOW:
Murder. Mayhem. Madness. . .
"NIGHT WIDOW has all the ingredients of a first-class thriller: a reclusive former movie star, a strong and capable heroine, and a story that twists and turns like Mulholland Drive. Nothing is as it seems in this present day story of Old Hollywood, obsession, and murder. As Luce delves deeper into the life of fading film star Sybil Squire, the stakes escalate to a stunning climax." --J. Carson Black, author of DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
Order the Book From: Amazon
AWAKENING
- Secrets of a Brown Eyed Girl"A powerful book! The characters are incredible...they spring right off the page. A fabulous coming-of-age story." JoAnn Wendt--author of The Golden Dove. Behind closed doors, a young mind is awakened to a world bigger than innocent brown eyes can imagine. Suzy Kovak learns early how to keep a secret. One secret she didn’t keep. “When I was six, I sat Danny down on the curb and told him his mother was his grandmother and his sister was his mother—and that made him a bastard. A bastard, I said, was a really bad thing to be. It sent him into his house wailing, and bought us a one-way ticket out of my Aunt Flora’s court complex.” Latchkey kids, Suzy and her brother, watch out for each other until he finds a new best friend. Forced to fend for herself, Suzy becomes a target for bullies. Growing up in Southern California in the 50s wasn't exactly root beer floats and sock hops. Their single mother struggles to keep the family together. Suzy feels lucky to get in good the cool kids who would cut their mark into the flesh of anyone clumsy enough to cross the gang. Tough teen-agers take care of themselves. Yet sometimes a girl still needs her mom even if her mom is less than perfect. Suzy holds tight to her secrets—until she meets the one person who unlocks her mind and sets the secrets free.
Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
50 First Chapters
- An Indie Chicks AnthologyAnother anthology from the award-winning Indie Chicks!
For a reader, there is nothing more enjoyable than discovering a new favorite writer. Now, for the first time ever, in one volume, you may dip into 50+ novels from the fabulous Indie Chicks. You will find first chapters from bestselling authors as well as a few undiscovered gems from promising new writers.
There is something here to please almost anyone. You will find a wide selection of genres, including - Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction, Crime Fiction, Paranormal, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Paranormal Romance, Romantic Thriller, Romantic Time Travel, and Young Adult.
Authors include: Carol Davis Luce, Cheryl Bradshaw, Cheryl Shireman, Christy Hayes, Consuelo Saah Baehr, Donna Fasano, Faith Mortimer, Georgina-Young Ellis, Gerry McCullough, Heather Marie Adkins, Karin Cox, Katherine Owen, Kimberly Gould, Lia Fairchild, Linda Welch, Lizzy Ford, LK Gardner-Griffie, Louise Voss, Melissa Smith, Patrice Fitzgerald, Peg Brantley, Penelope Crowe, Sarah Woodbury, Sibel Hodge, and Traci Hohenstein. This anthology is like opening an enormous and elegant box of chocolates. Settle into a cozy chair and open the lid. You're in for a treat!
Founded by Cheryl Shireman, the Indie Chicks are a group of women writers who enjoy supporting and encouraging other women writers. In our ranks you will find much-acclaimed bestsellers and also a few writers who are just starting out. We live in various parts of the world and come from a variety of backgrounds. We believe that together we can make a difference not only in each other’s lives, but in the world. All proceeds from the various Indie Chicks Anthologies go to charitable organizations. For more information on the Indie Chicks, and the other Indie Chicks anthologies, see our website indiechickscafe.com where you will find all of the women blogging about topics they are passionate about.
Order the Book From: Amazon
Night Widow
Murder. Mayhem. Madness. . .
"NIGHT WIDOW has all the ingredients of a first-class thriller: a reclusive former movie star, a strong and capable heroine, and a story that twists and turns like Mulholland Drive. Nothing is as it seems in this present day story of Old Hollywood, obsession, and murder. As Luce delves deeper into the life of fading film star Sybil Squire, the stakes escalate to a stunning climax. NIGHT WIDOW will haunt you long after you turn the last page." --- J. Carson Black, author of DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
"Once again, Carol Davis Luce weaves a gripping tale of mystery and intrigue that brings characters to life on the page." K. C. May, author of THE WAYFARER KING
Piper breaks away from her lavish LA life-style and controlling husband and makes a temporary home in a Hollywood Hills guest house, which happens to be next door to her favorite actress, a legend in her time. When Piper witnesses one strange event after another, she calls in the authorities, who peg her as a meddlesome neighbor obsessed with the 50's screen goddess. No one takes her warnings seriously. Piper, a film editor who pieces stories together, now has to use those eagle-eye skills to save her neighbor's life. Events escalate into a deadly game of cat and canary with Piper becoming the canary.
Order the Book From: Amazon
NIGHT HUNTER
Then
She is young, she is in love, and she is the first runner-up in a San Francisco beauty pageant. Regina Van Raven's head is filled with hopes and dreams but they're shattered in one unspeakable instant when a psychopath, obsessed with the destruction of feminine beauty, attacks her friend Corinne--the pageant winner. Corinne's life is destroyed forever and the horror lives on in Regina's heart. . .
Now
Regina's memories of the ill-fated contest have finally begun to fade. She has a successful career in television, a beautiful seventeen-year-old daughter, a whole new life. It sounds like fun when a talk show host invites the five 1970 finalists for an on-the-air reunion. But someone is waiting in the wings, ready to strike again. . .and again.
Now it's Regina's turn.
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Night Stalker
Things were looking up for Alexandra Carlson. She had finally gotten her life back together again. She'd moved into a wonderful secluded house on a mountainside in Reno, her paintings were beginning to sell, and there was even a hint of romance on the horizon. Then things began to happen. Little things. Anonymous phone calls full of heavy breathing. A broken tree branch outside her bedroom window. Her cat, Winnie--gone without a trace. A moving shadow above the skylight. Surely it was all her imagination...
Then one day she picked up the phone and there was someboby--somebody who knew her childhood nickname. In the background she could hear a scratchy record--an old song that brought dark memories out of the shadows.
That night something woke Alexandra out of a sound sleep. This time, the heavy breathing wasn't coming from the telephone. Someone was in house with her. And she was at his mercy.
Order the Book From: Amazon
Night Passage
DARK, ENDLESS PASSAGES...
Puzzling secrets, eerie atmosphere, vicious murders, these surround the Nevada town of Eagleton, where Roni Mayfield is trapped, compelled to investigate the brutal slaughter of her mentor Caroline Holt. While rumored a suicide, Roni knows that Caroline's death is a result of sinister foul play. As a reporter who needs to investigate all happenings exhaustively and as a friend who demands revenge, she seeks to restore balance to the scales of justice. With only the rotting corpse, and ally John Glazer, she fights against a killer in the dark tunnels of the night. . .
When Roni Mayfield was nine, the ground gave way under her feet as the mine shaft collapsed, trapping her in the damp rot and cold dirt. Now a grown-up big city reporter, unearthing other people's trauma, she still fears the dark--or what was in it. Some memories never fade.
Roni escaped the stigma of being the outsider in an isolated Nevada mining town, but a desperate plea from her childhood mentor, Carolyn Holt, drags her back to Eagleton where memories should be buried, and outsiders couldn't be trusted. Roni is the only one Carolyn dares trust. Both were outsiders. But Roni is too late. Carolyn killed herself, according to the local sheriff--end of story. Not for Roni.
Carolyn is dead. But her son isn't. Eleven and alone in the aging Victorian house at the edge of town, he hides in the attic leaving only under the cover of night, while a killer stalks.
In Eagleton, Nevada, when Roni digs up details about a devastating tragedy twelve years ago, no one is safe. Everyone has a motive. In this town, what you know…can kill you.
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- Barnes and Noble
Night Game
When a serial killer begins targeting the high-stakes players at Navada's King's Club resort casino, undercover investigator Kasey Atwood is hired by and enters into a passionate relationship with casino owner Jay King. Original.
Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
Night Prey
Roberta Paxton had a pleasant, challenging job, a man who loved her, and a host of good friends, but anxiety gnawed at her, at the back of her mind, at the edge of her vision, something was threatening her. . . something or someone. She tried to talk about it, but nobody wanted to listen, not even her thirteen-year-old sister, Tobie. Roberta had had these premonitions before, Tobie reminded her. She was just being paranoid.
But there was someone watching. Deep in the Tahoe forest, emerging only to stalk his prey, to watch and listen, to plot his final move, a vicious killer waited. Each glimpse of Roberta fired his need, but still he waited.
Until he saw Tobie. . .
Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
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