The HBS Author's Spotlight SHOWCASES Stacy Eaton's novel You're Not Alone.
International Best Selling author Stacy Eaton is the creator of the popular My Blood Runs Blue series.
You're Not Alone
Author: Stacy Eaton
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Trinity Morris, co-founder of You’re Not Alone, has a domestic violence past that still haunts her ten years later. She is devoted to helping victims find freedom and to sharing information on how to help them through their emotional and violent trials. While Trinity is presenting at a seminar, she comes across Gavin, a police officer who knows her past all too well.
It’s been ten years since he last saw her, but the moment Gavin’s eyes land on her, he’s intent on getting to know the woman who has haunted his dreams all these years.
Can Gavin break through the wall that Trinity has built around herself, or will the present and the past collide and take her away from him again?
Excerpt from You're Not Alone
Chapter 1 - Trinity
It wasn’t that I didn’t like to do these seminars, I did. I mean, who better to educate people on this topic than a person who had gone through it firsthand, right? If it weren’t so damned mentally exhausting to relive the memories, then standing up in front of the crowd wouldn’t be so bad—maybe.
I unscrewed the cap of my water bottle and put the bottle to my lips. The cool liquid slipped into my dry mouth, and I swished it around softly for a moment as I glanced around at the audience in the large auditorium.
About a hundred and fifty people sat in dark burgundy theater-style chairs, some bouncing slowly on the seat hinges, others leaning on the armrests holding their heads up with their fists as they tried to keep their eyes open and listen to the monotonous speaker on the main floor below them.
Most of the people in attendance were male, although sporadically interspersed through the group were women. A tingle of fear snaked down my spine. Many years ago, it was people similar to these from whom I had been hidden, or they had simply ignored the signs they had seen. No, I had been hidden.
I closed my eyes tightly and clenched my jaw. Not all of them had ignored the hidden knowledge, I said to myself as I screwed the lid back onto the clear plastic bottle and let it rest on my lap. The secret truth had been solidly hidden behind the well-groomed walls of the house in which we had lived. No one had known the awful truth, or if they had, they’d ignored it. It wasn't until the fateful night that anyone actually saw the product of the horror that I’d lived in every day for several years. Some didn't believe it even after they heard the facts and saw the many bruises on my body.
I blew out a slow steady stream of air. My attention was drawn back to the stage area of the auditorium. The male speaker was just finishing up his segment; the audience appeared to understand this as they began to fidget even more, as if to make a run for it at the first chance. They knew that when he was done droning on, they would get a break to eat the catered lunch that was provided before the afternoon segment began—my segment.
My phone vibrated in my suit jacket pocket, and I slipped my hand inside. The number on the screen was from my coworker at the shelter and I made my way to the door. I would take my call in the hallway so as not to disturb the end of the lecture.
I glanced over my shoulder at the speaker. Yeah, it was a lecture, and there was no wonder these guys were falling asleep. I would be too if I had to listen to this guy talk about the legal aspects of dealing with victims and prosecuting suspects with as much excitement as a bullfrog sitting on a rock in the rain. I pushed open the door and slipped out into the hallway as I tapped my screen to answer my phone.
“Hey, Brooke, what’s up?” With my phone to my ear, I walked down the corridor of the hotel’s corporate area. The dark red carpet under my feet cushioned my steps as I approached a glass balcony that overlooked the main entrance two floors down. Glass, chrome, and highly-polished dark wood sparkled below. A man sat in a chair reading a newspaper, his closed briefcase beside him.
“You’re not speaking yet are you?” she asked quickly.
“Would I answer the phone if I was?”
She laughed on the other end, “No, well, you never know, you might if you thought it was important enough.”
The doors down the hallway opened and the attendees starting converging on me. I stepped away from the balcony edge and into a corner so I was out of their way. I learned a very long time ago: Never step in the way of hungry men and their food, especially when the food was free.
“Actually, they’re just breaking for lunch. I’m up right after. Why I always get stuck with them after they are fed is beyond me. It’s so much harder to keep them awake once they have full stomachs.”
The men and woman staggered past, some alone, some walking in groups. More than one person mumbled about the speaker putting them to sleep. I smiled and turned my back to them, pushing the phone closer to my ear so I could hear Brooke’s reply over the loud movement of people.
“Trinity, we all know that they put you on in the afternoon because you keep them awake!” Her soft laugh flowed through the line, calming me. “Nothing like a beautiful woman with a sexy voice to keep them tuned in.”
I shook my head, “Yeah, that’s me alright.” Not, I thought to myself.
“Oh, let’s not go there again. You know you are a beautiful woman. Did you forget to look in the mirror this morning?” I heard a metal drawer being closed through the speaker of the phone; she must have taken her purse out so she could head to lunch.
I decided to ignore her statement. “Did you need something?” I was trying to get her attention back to why she had called and off of me.
“No, I didn’t need anything. I wanted to check on you.” Her voice grew softer, “I know how you get when you have to do these talks.”
She did know me well. Brooke Patterson and I had been friends for almost ten years, and it was to her that I turned when the demons reared their ugly heads and tormented me. Not only were we friends, but we were partners in business. Both of us had lived through years of intense circumstances and had come out alive. We spent all our time now trying to educate people so that they could help others who had lived like we once had.
Our nonprofit organization was called “You’re Not Alone”, and we worked with victims of domestic violence. We had started it about eight years ago, and it was the largest organization in the tri-state area.
It was because of what Brooke and I had lived through personally that we were able to do so well with the organization. We weren’t just people who had learned through college courses, we had lived through the horror firsthand.
“I’m fine, Brooke, I appreciate that, but I’m fine.” I turned back around as the hallway quieted. Only a few stragglers meandered towards the food.
I watched one man walk by, his cellphone in his left hand, the pointer finger from his right hand sliding over the screen. He had strong forearms that peeked out of the rolled-up sleeves of his dark green dress shirt. I glanced up at the side of his face as he passed and sucked in a sudden breath.
The curve of his jaw, the angle of his nose, the short cut of his brown hair, all brought back a memory so suddenly, that I froze while only my eyeballs traced his path to the stairs. My feet froze in place while my heart galloped like a horse from a burning barn.
“Trinity, are you alright?” Brooke’s voice reached my ears, but I couldn’t speak. “Trinity? Trinity, are you still there?”
The man disappeared down the stairs and still I found myself stuck in place, stuck in a memory.
Brooke’s shrill voice in my ear yelling my name finally broke me out of my startled daze, and I shook my head to clear it. It couldn’t be him, it couldn’t be.
“Yeah, I’m here,” I cleared my throat of the sudden emotion that had lodged there.
“What happened?” she all but yelled in my ear.
“Nothing,” I cleared my throat again, “nothing. I dropped the phone, sorry.” I closed my eyes, willing my heart to slow down again.
“Oh, okay. Well, you sure you’re alright to do this?” Her voice was back in its normal friendly range.
I swallowed, “Yes, I’m fine. It’s just another lecture, no big deal.”
“You keep telling yourself that.” She laughed and we said our goodbyes after I told her I would call her when I was done.
I hit the button to end the call and scanned the area. Other than some employees bustling into the lecture hall to clean it up, I was alone. No, not alone, I was just by myself for the moment. I thought about going down to where they were serving lunch, but I rejected it.
I was usually a bit uneasy before I spoke, and now my empty stomach seemed to be roiling after that memory had passed through my mind.
I glanced around the hallway, intent on finding a peaceful place where I could gather my thoughts. I saw the door down the hallway and quickly entered the women’s restroom.
Inside, I found exactly what I needed, and I sank into a deep burgundy chair in the sitting area. Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths.
On the back of my eyelids the memory flashed again, only this time it was with the pulsing flash of amber ambulance lights around me. The strong solid chin, the thin pointed nose, the soft green eyes set back behind thick eyelashes blinked with the lights of the emergency vehicle. He wasn't looking at me as my eyes opened, he had turned so I only saw his profile for a moment before it was replaced with other people and darkness sank in around me again.
I felt my pulse ticking quickly in my throat, the pain from that moment so long ago almost as alive as the memory. I lifted my hand and allowed my fingers to slide over my throat. I took a shaky breath to shove away the pain.
That was ten years ago and far away from here. There was no way that could be him.
Author Genre: Crime, Thriller and Mystery
Website: Stacy Eaton
Author's Blog: Stacy Eaton, Author
Twitter: @StacySEaton
E-Mail: Mybloodrunsblue@aol.com
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Amazon Author Profile
Author Description: Stacy Eaton is a police officer by profession. Currently, she is assigned as the department detective and enjoys digging into cases and putting the pieces of the puzzles together.
Stacy resides in southeastern Pennsylvania and is the wife to a police officer and the mother of two. She is very proud of her son who is currently serving in the United States Navy and equally proud of her tween daughter who is a black belt and cheerleader.
Stacy also currently servers on the Board of Directors for her local Domestic Violence Center. When Stacy is not working her demanding job, or spending time with her family, she works on her business and volunteers with the World Literary Café. When there is time, she writes.
Author's Book List
Finding the Strength
The night Tayla Adams is attacked, third-degree black belt, Cam Giles steps in and stops the violent man. Little does Tayla know that when she takes a self-defense class, she will come face to face with her knight in shining armor, but can Tayla learn to defend herself and gain enough confidence to protect the two of them when she is unexpectedly betrayed?
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Barbara's Plea
Barbara lives in constant fear of her husband. She finally summons the courage to leave with their young daughter, Allie, but dreads the moment her husband learns of their escape. In his desire to control them and bend them to his will, he will leave no stone unturned to punish them--especially Barbara.
Grey’s future seems bleak, especially the day he is fired, but everything begins to turn around the moment he absently sinks down on a bench occupied by wealthy Gloria Withers. Gloria sees something in him that no one else bothers to notice and, within moments, a friendship is sparked that will withstand many trials.
When Barbara makes good her escape and arrives on the doorstep of her grandmother, Gloria, whom she hasn't seen for years, Barbara is greeted instead by Grey. It doesn't take long for a different kind of spark to fly as Barbara takes up residence in the Withers mansion.
When Grey falls inexorably in love with not only Barbara, but also her daughter Allie, he vows to do everything he can to protect them from her husband who is out for revenge.
Book Trailer: Barbara's Plea
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KOBO
My Blood Runs Blue
Officer Kristin Greene has always felt that something was missing from her life. Although her job with the Fawn Hollow Township Police Department keeps her busy, she still feels like there is something else out there for her.
She soon finds herself investigating a homicide where a young woman has had her throat ripped out. When she has to give the death notification to the family, her investigative nature comes out fast and strong when the parents seem too accepting of their daughter's death and make comments that just don't fit.
When the family requests the assistance of the VMF Securities, Kristin is confused that they would think a security company could assist with the murder investigation. When Julian and Alexander arrive she quickly finds herself being pulled into a love triangle that has been going on longer then she has been alive. Why do they look at here as if they know her? And why do they keep talking about Calista?
Join Kirstin as she fights to learn the truth about the recent murder, the seductive and blood drinking men that have entered into her life and the rear truth about herself.
Book Trailer: My Blood Runs Blue
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KOBO
Six Days of Memories
Detective Natasha Foster will put her job on the line to prove her gut feeling is dead on.
When Detective Foster responds to the scene of a crash, she finds the female passenger dead, a bag full of money in the back seat and a body in the trunk. It is only when the driver, whom she nicknames Jay, wakes up with no memory that she must go with her instincts and continue the investigation in a way that was never taught.
Jay finds himself lost, but drawn to the beautiful detective who steps above and beyond the call of duty. His need to know if he was a victim or the criminal pushes him to try and recall what happened and who he is. With the pull of a trigger, Jay’s memory will suddenly return and with it, the terrible truth.
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KOBO
Distorted Loyalty
Emergency room Doctor Rachel Wilde and Detective Grant Murphy meet by chance and it takes only one glance and a simple gentle touch to ignite their senses.
When Grant’s wife is in a tragic accident, Rachel goes above and beyond the call of duty to save her life. It is the moment she faces Grant again that their lives begin to spin out of control and they realize the lives of their loved ones were deeply intertwined.
The distorted loyalties of the ones they lost will drive a wedge between them and it will take another death, a last will and a look beyond the grave to find the path they must follow.
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KOBO
Second Shield
Detective Sergeant Mackenzie McAllister leads a team of police investigators. When the new kid, Drew Bradley, joins the squad Mack is bound by duty to show him the ropes. The chemistry between them is immediate, but with Mack being twelve years older, she fights becoming entangled with the young sexy detective.
Drew enters the unit, not only to help with the investigation they are conducting, but to find out what is really going on inside the walls of the unit. Working with the intense and strict Sergeant Mack is invigorating, but between the need to protect her and his second shield, he is at a loss and falling hard.
Together they will uncover the evil from within, and try to deny the passions that rage between them. Who in her unit is trying to keep her from finding out the truth? Who will take a life that will draw them closer? And what are the secrets hidden behind the shield?
This is an adult novel with language and sexual content.
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KOBO
Liveon - No Evil
Jacquelyn Liveon is a small time detective who loves her job, but hates attention. When she steps in front of heartthrob silver screen actor, Ryan Palmer, to stop a gunman, she finds herself dangling in to the public spotlight. Ryan can’t believe a woman would save him and not want more from his glamorous life. Could the words “I Fear No Evil” that are printed on her shirt be more correct than he thought?
When Jacquelyn goes undercover, she gets submerged into a world she never wanted to understand. How does she deal with the threats against Ryan? What happens with a major event flips the movie set upside down and injures people that they care about?
Join Jacquelyn and Ryan as they act out the relationship for the assignment, and try to survive the secrets, the threats and the explosive relationship that burns behind the scenes.
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KOBO
Garda – Welcome to The Realm
“He is my destiny." There is a place that lies between heaven and Earth, it is called The Realm. Within this place, the Guards of Peace, known as Garda Síochána, learn to guide and protect the ones that live below until they are called home. Officer Corey Hamilton is dedicated to being the best that she can be, in uniform and out. Her loving nature, compassionate thoughts, and warrior strength make her the perfect candidate to join the Garda Síochána and spend her eternity protecting and guiding others. Just before Corey dies in a line-of-duty accident, she meets Officer Mitchell O’Reilly. Her feelings for him may change her destiny, but not for the better, as she falls in love with this married man. Brock, Corey’s personal Garda, will bring her home to The Realm and attempt to train her for her future, even while she still fights for her past. Will Brock be able to direct Corey down the right path, or will she cross the line and fall from grace? Join Corey, Mitchell, and Brock for an emotional and heart-pounding adventure that is sure to make you wonder if angels are really guiding us in our everyday lives.
Book Trailer: Garda – Welcome to The Realm
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Blue Blood For Life
- Book Two of the My Blood Runs Blue Series“You belong to me… for life…”
After a month off, Kristin comes back to work happier then she’s been in a long time. Her new status in life has her solving crimes faster and better than she ever could before. When Alex goes missing, Kristin finds she finally has to reveal the secrets of her life to her friends. Will they be able to stand beside her after they learn all that she has hidden from them?
Julian and Gabe stand beside her faithfully as they try to locate Alex. They are surprised to find Trent already in Fawn Hollow, but know that Trent may be the only one to do what Alex has asked them to do. As one more choice is taken away from Kristin, she attempts to make the best of it, but finds herself drawn to Trent in a way Julian and Alexander could never compare to. Trent goes to work with Kristin to keep her safe but will he be able to handle all that her police world entails?
Can he handle the side of her that she reveals, the one that Alex and Julian know nothing about? When Kristin and Trent uncover the connection between her job and the kidnapping, they are finally able to put the pieces together, but can they get to Alex fast enough? Will Kristin be able to handle rescuing Alex and all that she learns in the process? Join Kristin, Julian, Trent and Alexander as they dive into a new mystery that will have you turning the pages quickly to find out who is responsible and how Kristin’s life is forever changed once again.
Book Trailer: Blue Blood For Life
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Whether I'll Live or Die
It sounded so simple in theory; ready... aim... fire... but what actually transpired was so much more.?
Officer Nicole Nolan holds the gun steady in her hands, knowing that life will be forever altered once she pulls the trigger. Her position as a small town police officer is to protect those who cannot protect themselves. It is her career, and her life. Amanda stands where protection does not exist. With several failed relationships behind her, Amanda turns a blind eye to the possessiveness Josh displays in order to sooth her desperate need to be loved.
As the mental abuse turns violent, Amanda must deal with the denial and embarrassment of being a victim once again. With her emotional and physical health siting on the edge, she must fight to regain control of her life. A gripping story with one final destination, but will it be life or death?
Book Trailer: Whether I'll Live or Die
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Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
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Thank you for having me James!
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