Category: Inspirational Publisher: Real Life Publishing
ISBN-10: 0615734774
Type: Fiction
Pages: 332
Copyright: December 5, 2012
ISBN-13: 9780615734774
Murder, intrigue, and romance.
Musician Michelle Burton just had the best night of her life. Her band Tangled Web opened for Wonderland in downtown Orlando and the crowd loved them. Too excited to sleep she makes a fateful decision to go to work early. The best night of her life turns into the worst day of her life.
Nearby, at boutique Hotel Lago, Stephen Longbottom, acting concierge manager, is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the board of directors for Silken Pleasures, a multimillion dollar company based in New York and specializing in high end cosmetics, fragrances and lingerie. Their incessant demands before they even arrive are driving him to distraction. Meanwhile Lizzie Reynolds, his boss is on a romantic ski trip in Vermont leaving him to manage his first solo event.
Hope, forgiveness and love are an integral message throughout the book and like a fine tapestry the threads of God’s master plan for the character’s lives are woven into a fabric of great storytelling, conflict and humor.
Readers who came to know and love the characters of Summer Storms will enjoy catching up with Lizzie, Stephen, Michelle, Jeffrey and Ian.
Excerpt
CHAPTER ONE
Bodies jostled and bumped to the music of Tangled Web all around Amanda, making her cringe with disgust. Pulling her arms in closer to her body, she pushed her way to the back of the crowded club. The sound of the band dimmed slightly as she entered the restroom. She moved toward the sink, her feet sticking to the dark concrete floor. In the mirror, she examined her porcelain skin and frowned at the smudged mascara around her eyes. She pulled a tissue from her purse and blotted her face, disgusted that she was perspiring. Amanda Barnes didn’t perspire.
The door opened and three women came tripping into the restroom, laughing raucously.
As she disappeared into a stall, a woman wearing a tiny mini skirt exclaimed, “This band is amazing!”
“I know, hurry up. I don’t want to miss their next song.” A tall woman in skinny jeans that accentuated her long legs peered over Amanda’s head into the mirror and pulled her hair into a messy ponytail. The third woman, in a low cut sweater that barely contained her ample bosoms, chugged the remainder of her beer and dropped the plastic cup on the floor.
“The drummer is hot,” gushed the mini skirted woman as she emerged from the stall and washed her hands.
“He is way out of your league, Alex,” retorted the tall woman.
“And you think you’re more his type?” Alex sneered. “I doubt he likes Amazon women.”
“I don’t know, a lot of guys like the long legs.” The tall woman gave a sly smile as she pointedly glanced at the petite girl.
“Come on, you two, they are starting again.”
The women filed out of the restroom, leaving Amanda alone once again. She sighed and took a last look in the mirror before returning to the boisterous crowd. Dancing near the stage, she found her coworkers, Tiffani, an anorexic looking blonde with bony shoulders peeking out of her cap sleeved t-shirt, and Wendy, whose thick brown hair whipped around her long face as she banged her head in time with the music.
“I can’t believe I let you guys talk me into this,” Amanda shouted over the music.
“Oh come on, this is Michelle’s big break, and they really are great,” Wendy replied. “Besides, she comes to all of our events. Least we can do is show her some support.”
Amanda shrugged. “I’m going home. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
“Don’t go.” Tiffani grabbed for Amanda’s arm. “We’re going for drinks when the band finishes.”
“No, I’m not in the mood.” Amanda removed Tiffani’s hand and stepped back.
“You want us to walk you to your car?” Wendy asked.
Amanda shook her head, knowing Wendy was afraid of even the thought of a dark parking garage. Turning on her heel, she threaded her way to the door. A blast of cold air hit her face as she stepped out onto the sidewalk. Shrugging on her short pea coat, she fastened the four buttons and flipped up the collar against the brisk wind.
“Oh you have to be kidding me,” she mumbled. “I must’ve left my keys at the office.”
Amanda turned right up Orange Avenue, her strides long and hurried as she made her way back to the block of towering office buildings. In five minutes, she stood before a wall of glass windows and doors, fumbling through her purse for her ID card. She swiped the card, the lock disengaging immediately.
She crossed the empty lobby, her high heels echoing on the marble floor. When she reached the bank of elevators, one stood open as if expecting her. In less than a minute, she exited onto the sixth floor, lit only by a few emergency lights. Not bothering to search for a light switch, she weaved through a maze of cubicles until she reached her desk.
“Thank heavens,” Amanda whispered at the sight of her keys lying next to the computer.
She looped a finger through the keychain, then froze at the sound of a loud thud down the hall. Peering around the edge of her cubicle, she saw a shadow moving across the hallway toward another row of cubicles. When she heard the squeak of a wheel, she relaxed her tensed muscles, laughing at herself for being afraid of the janitor. Leaving her desk, she walked back towards the elevator. Just before pressing the elevator button, she decided to stop in the restroom. It was a thirty-minute drive to her apartment in Altamonte Springs and suddenly her bladder felt fuller than a ten-year-old’s water balloon.
Motion-activated lights flicked on when she entered. Tottering past the sinks, barely able to walk without crossing her legs now, she entered the first stall only to find there was no toilet paper. Every ounce of her being was crying out for relief as she turned to the next stall.
The bathroom door opened and a man wearing a black hooded sweatshirt, dark jeans, and sneakers barreled towards her.
Amanda stepped aside seconds before the man reached her, causing him to crash into the closed stall door. Unfazed, the man grabbed her arm as she tried to run past him. He twisted her arm above her head and pinned her body against the wall. Without thinking, Amanda swung her free arm, fingers clawing at air, trying to scratch his face.
She connected, leaving three long gashes down his right cheek. He roared with anger and slapped her, making her ears ring. She pushed with a strength she didn’t know she had and the man temporarily lost his balance.
Amanda wrenched her arm free and made for the door. She was almost to the door when she felt her hair being pulled, her head arching backward. An arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her closer, then with one hand, he slammed her face against the counter. There was a loud crack and Amanda felt her nose break. Blood flowed down her face, into her mouth.
While she was still stunned, the man used one of his feet to sweep her legs out from under her and she fell to the floor. He crouched over her and she felt him clawing at the buttons of her jacket as she struggled to orient herself. With a fierce yank, he ripped the jacket open, buttons flying across the small room. She looked in his eyes and saw craven lust. She tried to scream, but he pulled a rag from his pocket and shoved it into her mouth as soon as she opened it.
The man now straddled her, unbuttoning his jeans. Amanda brought her knee up and hit him in the groin, causing him to double over in pain. She tried to free herself, but he had sunk onto her legs and weighed more than she had anticipated. He howled with rage and reached for her hair again. He pulled her face up close to his and she could smell alcohol on his breath.
“You should have just let me buy you a drink,” he growled, then smashed the back of her head against the cold tile floor. He raised her head again and smashed it over and over, until her world went dark.
From the Caribbean Sea to Machu Picchu in Peru, and from birds to flowers and butterflies, Reflections and Treasured Wonders offers a collection of images gathered from around the world.
