The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Carolyn Arnold's New Book: Blue Baby
Author Carolyn Arnold writes Mystery & Thrillers and Romance novels including the MADISON KNIGHT series, the Brandon Fisher FBI Series and the McKinley Mysteries series.
Blue Baby
Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 4
Author: Carolyn Arnold
AVAILABLE
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue...
At the heart of every human being is the need--and the desire--to be happy. For many, happiness is elusive, but for one killer, it’s something to be created. But it’s not as easy as it seems at first, and this “creator” is determined to get it right at least one more time, no matter how many tries it takes …
It’s been exactly a year since Cheryl Bradley was found dead in her bathtub, dressed in a wedding gown with her ring finger severed. With no leads and no more evidence, the case had gone cold. That is, until another young woman is found murdered and posed in the same fashion.
Now, FBI agent Brandon Fisher and his team have been called in to catch the killer before another innocent life is taken. As Brandon begins to pull at every possible loose thread, the idea that the killer’s method of operation is all that connects the women begins to unravel. This serial killer isn’t just out for blood; this is a murderer on a mission.
But the closer Brandon thinks he’s getting to a resolution, the more evident it is that the killer is losing control and slipping up, making the trail even more difficult for the FBI to follow. And unless Brandon and his team can catch up to the killer, the bloodbath will continue to overflow.
Excerpt from Blue Baby
Chapter 1
HER SNORING HAD KEPT ME up for most of the night, but I wasn’t cruel enough to wake her. While I had considered pinching her nose to quiet her, I mustered the restraint not to. I didn’t really want to deal with a sleep-deprived and pissed-off woman.
The solution wasn’t in getting sleep myself—it was already five AM—it would be in downing a pot of coffee. I’d need that much to function today. But thanks to technology, I’d have to repeat the coffee-brewing process twelve times since I’d upgraded to one of those single-serve makers. I put in the pod, and after some protest in the form of moaning and gurgling, the machine sputtered out the black nectar into my waiting cup. While the brew finished, I rested my eyes. I’d have to be alert soon enough.
The text message had come in overnight, bathing the bedroom in a white glow. I had read it, careful not to tug the sheets and wake my female companion. The gist was that another sicko had decided to use the world as his demented playground. I didn’t know the details yet, but the summation was always a variation of that fact, and my presence had been requested in the briefing room first thing.
I breathed in, eyes closed, my nose appreciating the robust aroma that filled the air while my mind drifted to last night. It might have been a bad idea inviting her over, but it had been fun. I’d have to wake her soon, but I’d put it off for as long as possible.
The puttering of the coffeemaker came to an end, and I added two lumps of sugar and some milk to my cup.
“Brandon? What are you doing up so early?”
She was in one my shirts, her hair tousled over her shoulders. The way she was winding one strand around her finger would drive any man mad.
Forget the coffee. Forget the snoring. There were some sacrifices worth making.
“There’s a case.” God, she looked good, but I dared not touch her.
She slipped her arms around my waist, and I continued to fight the impulse to scoop her up and take her back to my bed. “But you had the day booked off. We had plans.”
“I know, but sometimes these things happen.” Maybe a little embrace wouldn’t hurt anything. I wrapped my arms around her and slapped her butt.
She let out a yelp. “Be careful what you’re starting.” She snuggled her face into my neck, her tongue teasing my flesh.
“We’ll have to take a rain check,” I said, then cupped her face and tilted it upward until her mouth met mine. My jaw was tight, determined, and hungry. I took her without mercy. She reciprocated with as much as I gave. Slipping my hand under the shirt she wore, I found her breasts and teased her nipples with the pads of my thumbs. She let out a moan and arched her head back.
God, I loved giving her pleasure as much as I loved receiving it. I parted from her only long enough to clear a space on the counter and then lifted her up.
Her perfume filled my head, diluting all logic and intoxicating my senses. I trailed kisses from her neck down to her chest and slid a taut nipple between my teeth.
Her deep breathing encouraged me, and the hardening of her nipple reciprocated what was happening in my pants.
Forget work.
As I parted her legs, my cell phone rang. “Son of a bitch!”
“I had a feeling it was too good to be true.” She tapped a kiss on my cheek and hopped down from the counter.
The caller ID flashed PAIGE DAWSON. I took a deep breath. No big deal. Paige was a beautiful redhead with electric-green eyes, who had me straying from my marriage while at the training academy. It was only by a strange twist of fate that I had wound up on the same team as her within the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI. When my divorce had been finalized in December, Paige and I had determined that a relationship between us wasn’t going to work. The age difference between us had never mattered. She was in her early forties, and I was twenty-nine. What had interfered were our careers.
I answered with my gaze on the new woman in my life—Becky Tulson. We’d met last fall when I was working on a case in Dumfries, Virginia. The attraction had been instant and the conversation between us stimulating, but until recently, the situation had been complicated.
“Brandon,” Paige said, “there’s been a change of plans.”
A banging came from the front door immediately after, and Becky nodded to me before heading off to answer it.
What the hell? The place was becoming Grand Central, and all I needed was another twenty minutes to fit in a quick one. Apparently I was asking for too much.
“What’s going on?” I asked into the receiver.
“Brandon,” Becky called to me, “Jack’s here.” She stood behind the opened door, shielding her body from Jack’s line of sight.
“We’re outside,” Paige said.
“It’s a little too late to tell me that.” I hung up, wondering how it was possible for this day to descend downhill any faster than it already was.
I hurried to the front door, experiencing a moment of awkwardness. My boss and my lover, face-to-face. My lover wearing only a shirt. My shirt.
“Don’t stand there, kid. We have a flight to catch. Grab your go bag.”
“One second, Jack.” I closed the door on him and worked to get my house key off the ring. I handed it to Becky. “Leave when you’re ready.”
She pouted but nodded. She understood. She also worked in law enforcement and could appreciate that if the job called, one had to respond.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be gone. Heck, I’m not even sure where I’m headed.”
“No worries.” She smiled and kissed my lips. I lingered. She pulled back. “You better get going. Jack doesn’t strike me as the patient type.”
“You have no idea.” I grabbed the bag I kept by the front door—for the very purpose of last-minute trips like this—and opened the door. Jack was still standing there, and I jumped, having expected him to be in the car by now.
“I thought we were meeting at—”
Jack shook his head. “There’s a new development.”
A “new development” meant the case we were going to discuss had become urgent. It meant someone else was dead. And our cases rarely involved run-of-the-mill shootings or passionate kills in the heat of the moment.
We hunted psychotic unsubs.
Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Romance
Website: Carolyn Arnold
Author's Blog: Carolyn Arnold Newsletter
Blog: Linked IN
Twitter: @Carolyn_Arnold
E-Mail: carolyn@carolynarnold.net
Goodreads: Check Out Goodreads
Google+: Check Out Google+
Facebook: Check Out Facebook
Post with Profile + Interview: HBS Author's Spotlight
Amazon Author Profile
Author Description: CAROLYN ARNOLD is the international best-selling and award-winning author of the Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher, and McKinley Mystery series. She is the only author with POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT.™
Carolyn was born in a small town, but that doesn’t keep her from dreaming big. And on par with her large dreams is her overactive imagination that conjures up killers and cases to solve. She currently lives in a city near Toronto with her husband and two beagles, Max and Chelsea. She is also a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
Author's Book List
Coffee is Murder
- McKinley Mysteries series Book 9You might want to rethink your morning routine.
A cup a day won’t kill you, but a few might.
Their first case as private investigators have Sean, Sara, and Jimmy neck-deep in coffee beans trying to find a killer. With their client certain that her mother was poisoned through her coffee of the month club, it has them setting out to Williamsburg, Virginia. But instead of approaching matters from the traditional standpoint, Sean and Sara brew a robust plot and stir Jimmy into the blend, all to get close to their top suspect and grind out the truth.
Going undercover at Tasty Beans, the coffee company, the three of them work to expose the culprit before anyone else dies.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Valentine's Day is Murder
- McKinley Mysteries series Book 8Strap in for an adventure that will take you to the beautiful island of Jamaica and have you wanting a piña colada.
Jimmy finally takes a vacation--and a chance on love--only to be abducted. His female companion originally thinks he had cold feet about their relationship, but Sean and Sara know there’s more to it. Jimmy isn’t the type to just up and disappear, let alone leave a lady stranded.
Setting out on their private jet, Sean and Sara reach the tropical paradise of Ocho Rios, Jamaica with sightseeing as the last thing on their minds.
With a gold coin being their initial tie to Jimmy’s kidnapper, Sean and Sara even speculate about the involvement of pirates. Yet as the hours pass, and there’s no word from Jimmy’s captors, Sean and Sara will need to figure out the real motive before it’s too late.
With help from their friend, Adam, back in Albany, the pieces come together and not a moment too soon.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
The Defenseless
- Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 3The job dictates finding justice. When a killer targets those who have abused animals, the FBI team is questioning, “What is justice?”
The first victim was poisoned. Three others are still missing. One more turns up dead. But there is one connection that ties them all together.
This case has FBI Agent Brandon Fisher and the team in Colorado to stop a serial killer targeting men who beat charges of animal abuse over twenty years ago. With the method of murder changing to match what his victims had allegedly inflicted on the defenseless, the team questions who is on the side of justice--them or the murderer. After all, their unsub is seeking retribution on behalf of the victims who have no voice.
While facing this moral dilemma, Brandon’s integrity to the Bureau is also tested. But Brandon is up for the challenge--anything to get his mind off his pending divorce and the upcoming holiday. Being thousands of miles from home, the forbidden relationship between him and Paige becomes more tempting but is he willing to risk all that he’s worked for?
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Christmas is Murder
- McKinley Mysteries series Book 7Albany’s the perfect image of a winter wonderland, and Sean and Sara’s friend Jimmy is going to be Santa Claus for the upcoming Christmas parade. The trees and decorations have been selected and the gifts have been purchased. The season has truly cast its magical spell--until Sean and Sara’s neighbors die in a horrible house fire.
While the fire department ruled holiday-related hazards as the cause, Sara suspects there’s more to it. Her determination to find the truth has her and Sean toeing the line between what’s legal and what’s not.
As they sort out fact from fiction, the McKinleys make the final decision about whether or not they should open a private investigation firm.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Shopping is Murder
- McKinley Mysteries series Book 6Shopping takes its toll…
Sean and Sara have had just about enough shopping when screams fill the mall. A man has fallen—or was he pushed—to his death from the second level.
His widow is a childhood friend of Sara's and she's adamant her husband would never jump. With mall security dropping the ball and no seeming motive for murder, Sean and Sara are about to give up when one clue gets them that much closer. It may just be enough to wrap up everything in time for the holidays.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Just Cause
- A Madison Knight Novel Book 5The past threatens the future and puts Detective Madison Knight's life in danger.
A cold case pits Madison against the Russian Mafia, but things take a swift turn when the unthinkable happens—a new threat arises and has Madison hunting down an unknown killer.
While trying to make sense of the clues, bodies are piling up, and the brass is hungry for explanations. In addition, Madison must balance all of this while nursing an injury, talking out her emotions with a therapist—a bureaucratic necessity—answering to an eager journalist, and facing an internal affairs investigation.
As the answers come together, Madison narrows in on a possible link between the Russian Mafia and someone within the Stiles PD.
Will she have the courage to confront the person she believes is playing both sides, even though they hold a position of great power?
Things are about to be shaken up, and, for Madison, that means she just might have to let go of the past to embrace her future.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Family is Murder
- McKinley Mysteries series Book 5The search for a maid results in a mess.
When a woman shows up and claims to be Sara's birth mother, it pits Sara and Sean against each other. Sara opens her heart and wants to believe the woman, but Sean is suspicious of her true identity and motive. After all, there are billions at stake. But when the woman goes missing and a dead body turns up, they both start to question the truth.
Led by Sara's intuition, they pursue all possible leads and soon realize they may have welcomed a killer into their home.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Politics is Murder
- McKinley Mysteries series Book 4Sean and Sara’s popularity as a murder-solving duo has gained momentum. But it’s not until it comes time for a local television interview that they meet Reanne Mable and end up finding themselves involved with a high-profile investigation.
Reanne is the sister-in-law of Albany’s Mayor Davenport and his daughter, Halie, has gone missing from her university campus. With a desire to keep the matter out of the media spotlight, Davenport turns to Sean and Sara to find her. But with the police already investigating the matter, taking this case would pit them against their friends from the police department, including their former sergeant Jimmy Voigt.
As time moves on, though, the fate of the girl is not up for a vote, and the McKinleys set out to find out what really happened. With the mayor taking the heat for a recently passed zoning bylaw, is an enraged small business owner behind Halie’s disappearance? Or did she simply grow tired of living in her father’s limelight and run away?
To get the answers, Sean and Sara will need to use all the resources at their disposal and may have to call upon their good friend Jimmy for help, after all.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Money is Murder
- McKinley MysteriesOld Man Quinn left Sean more than his billions—he left him a murder to solve.
Inside the chest given to him from the executor of Quinn's Will, Sean finds a key and implicit instructions that the contents are for his eyes only. After Sean discovers where the key fits, he finds another letter—Quinn wants a closed case reopened, and Sean is shocked to learn who the victim was.
As Sean and his wife, Sara, uncover clues, it leads them from the back rooms of Quinn's corporation to the streets of New York City, but they will stop at nothing to get to the truth.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Vacation is Murder
- McKinley MysteriesThere's only so much relaxation two former detectives can handle—even if they're on their honeymoon. With their recent fall into money, Sean and Sara McKinley should be living it up, enjoying the sun and beaches of Cancun. But heading into their third week they've had just about enough lying around.
When the husband of a couple they've befriended is kidnapped and held for ransom, it has the McKinleys putting their experience to use. As they set out in the unfamiliar landscape of paradise, the investigation will have them risking their lives to stop a killer.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
The Day Job is Murder
- McKinley Mysteries series Book 1For Sean McKinley, working in Albany PD Homicide is great except for one thing—he's in love with his partner Sara Cain. And even though she feels the same way about him, she convinced him they should just remain friends. Two years later, nothing has changed.
Yet, during the course of a murder investigation, when Sean finds out an old friend has died, it results in something that has the potential to change his life—and Sara's—forever.
It goes to prove one unexpected act of kindness has the power to ripple throughout the years and bring happiness...even when The Day Job is Murder.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Silent Graves
- Brandon Fisher FBI Series Book 2One officer’s nightmare is realized. There is a serial killer targeting women in Prince William County, Virginia.
Thirty missing women in the period of six years. Now another has been abducted.
One officer was right all along. Prince William County, Virginia has a serial killer preying on women.
With the recent abduction, the FBI is called in and Brandon Fisher's team gets the assignment. There is more to it than just one missing woman--this dates back decades. They delve into the past cases, hoping it will shed light on the investigation, but with the discovery of a body and the report of another missing woman, their efforts are further intensified. They begin narrowing in on the cases from the last six years.
What they find are heinous acts that rival what they witnessed in Salt Lick, Kentucky. They must stop a killer who plays out his twisted game of rape and torture--and they need to do so fast if there's going to be anyone left to save.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Found Innocent
- A Madison Knight NovelThere's one code when it comes to the wall of blue…and Madison Knight may have to cross it.
Any good cop knows you never report a brother for mishandling a case or accuse him of misconduct, but in order to find justice, Madison may not have a choice.
Lacy Rose had one goal for her twentieth birthday—to be found innocent of past sins—but her life is cut short.
When Lacy's remains are found in a garden and the investigation becomes connected to a closed case, Madison must face her past. The lead detective on that case was Madison's ex-fiancé. At the risk of jeopardizing departmental relationships, and churning up the attention of an old flame at the same time, Madison must push hard before the guilty are found innocent.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Life Sentence
- A Madison Knight NovelPLEASE NOTE: Life Sentence is the prequel to the Madison Knight Series but is a romantic suspense. Madison Knight of the best-selling series has a cameo role, and while it was the inspiration for the series, it is not a police procedural.
~~
"If I pay with my life, you will pay with yours."
Defense Attorney Bryan Lexan may have just taken on the case which will cost him his life. When his client, a Russian mafia boss, is convicted of first-degree murder, he vows to make Bryan pay.
Meanwhile, Jessica Pratt has always prided herself on being a modern woman–you know, the kind who doesn't need a man to make her feel complete. So when she finds herself torn between two, she realizes that not all decisions are based on facts. If they were, her boyfriend, Bryan, would be the logical choice. He has the family name, wealth, and a stake in a successful law firm. Only thing is, when she meets Mason Freeman, the chemistry between them is irrefutable and he won't take no for an answer.
With both of them caught up in a struggle for survival, and a powerful enemy on their heels, they'll need to decide where their loyalties lie.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Sacrifice
- A Madison Knight NovelWhen the son of business tycoon Marcus Randall washes up on the shore of the Bradshaw River, Detective Madison Knight must sacrifice everything--including her career--to find justice for the "perfect murder".
With Randall already on the radar of the Secret Service for fraud and counterfeiting, the investigation sheds new light and they require the full cooperation of the Stiles PD. But with power and money to back him, Marcus has a reach that extends right inside the police department.
If Madison's going to find out the truth, she'll have to sort through the lies and balance diplomacy with politics.
Book Trailer: Sacrifice
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Justified
- A Madison Knight NovelThis Christmas, murder doesn't take a holiday.
Madison Knight should have ignored the call. Now she is spending Christmas Eve dealing with her least favorite thing...blood and lots of it.
When a female victim is found in her home it has Madison and her partner tapping into the vic's personal life. With a rash of former business partners and lovers, all of whom wanted her dead, there are not enough hours to question them all.
But trying to find the person who had the most motive isn't all that's on Madison's mind. As she struggles to establish balance in her own life, she knows she has to get her focus back. Justice requires it.
Praise for Madison Knight
"I feel like I know Madison well enough to call her Maddy... she could be a less klutzy sister to Evanovich's famous Stephanie Plum."
--Betty Dravis, Award-winning Author and Journalist
"Her sharp, insightful protagonist, Madison Knight, comes to life to kick some ass and take some names."
--Rosa St.Claire, Book Critic, The Examiner
Book Trailer: Justified
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Ties That Bind
- A Madison Knight NovelDetective Madison Knight concluded the case of a strangled woman an isolated incident. But when another woman's body is found in a park killed with the same line of neckties, she realizes they're dealing with something more serious.
Despite mounting pressure from the Sergeant and Chief to close the case even if it means putting an innocent man behind bars, and a partner who is more interested in saving his marriage than stopping a potential serial killer, Madison may have to go it alone if there's not going to be another victim.
Ties that Bind is the 1st in the best-selling police procedural Madison Knight Series.
Please note: Ties that Bind was professionally edited and re-uploaded the end of October 2012.
What reviewers are saying
"Arnold's writing style is very close to JD Robb's "In Death" series..."
--Karen DeLabar, Blogger and Book Reviewer
"Here's one new fan of Madison Knight who recommends you meet her in Ties That Bind...Fantastic Suspense!"
--GA Bixler Reviews
"A fast paced crime novel with surprising twists and turns....This detective series has a Law and Order feel to it and the suspense keeps the novel flying."
--The Kindle Book Review
Praise for Madison Knight
"I feel like I know Madison well enough to call her Maddy... she could be a less klutzy sister to Evanovich's famous Stephanie Plum."
--Betty Dravis, Award-winning Author and Journalist
"Her sharp, insightful protagonist, Madison Knight, comes to life -- to kick some ass and take some names."
--Rosa St.Claire, Book Critic, The Examiner
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Assassination of a Dignitary
The bad guy you root for.
Raymond Hunter's dark past has returned and demands one final favor. Now fifteen years later, settled as an accountant and family man, he assumed life would be calm. He thought wrong. The Italian Mafia wants him back.
The directions were simple: Kill Governor Behler and be out for good.
In order to protect his family and guard them from the truth, he has no choice but to accept the job. He picks the date and location--Niagara Falls, New York--two hundred and forty miles away. But by the time he returns home, he finds out the assassination attempt failed, his family has been kidnapped, and he has twenty-four hours to set things right if he wants to see them again.
With time running out, Raymond discovers the real reason they wanted Behler dead and finds out he's placed himself and his family right in the middle of a mafia power struggle. What he doesn't realize is that law enforcement is also closing in.
Order the Book From:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
KOBO
iTunes
Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
eBook Author’s Corner
Mystery Reader’s Circle
Check out the index of other Spotlight authors. Spotlight Index.
No comments:
Post a Comment