Cassandra
by J.M. Anton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Cassandra
Hoffman orphaned at the age of five was raised by her maternal grandmother. Two
decades pass when she is confronted with a letter from her father’s Denver
based attorney. She's shocked to learn that her dad lived through the car crash
that took her mother and brothers in 1985.
Casey’s haunted nights begin with the death of her father. Who is the shadow
man in her dreams? Could it be her dad whom she had believed dead? She
discovers he had another family, and some dark secrets Casey sets out to solve
the mysteries of her abandonment, and find the answers to the nightshades that
threaten her sanity.
Our heroine runs afoul of a previously unknown nemesis as she searches for
answers, but she also finds the love of her life. He too abandons her, as he
struggles with physical and mental wounds from multiple tours in the Middle
East. Can Casey forgive him as they confront a mutual enemy?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt
Two:
Rush hour in Denver was every bit as aggravating as rush
hour in Cleveland. It was a frustrating fact of life everywhere that people
needed to commute to a central work place. Traffic was at a standstill.
She overheard Ken call ahead to apprise Mr. Jackson, “We’re
tied up in traffic, and will arrive later than anticipated.”
It sounded as if he were talking to someone other than Bob.
Casey hoped the message would be relayed to him. As the thought flitted through
her mind she gazed out at the passing cars and trucks also crawling along.
Except for occasional glimpses of the majestic mountains, they could be stuck
in traffic anywhere. The interstates were all the same and fairly
uninteresting, especially within city limits. Casey found her mind wandering
back to dinner the previous evening and her very brief encounter with Captain JD
Gannon. She wondered where he was this morning. He’d been on his way to the
airport when he left them, but that was all she knew. Well… not quite all—she
knew that she could reach him through Bob Jackson, but she wasn’t sure she
liked the feeling that he knew more of what was going on than she did. She
couldn’t shake the idea that she should somehow remember him.
Finally, they reached their destination. Her nerves were
already raw when she entered the elevator. As the doors began to close, a
teenage boy thrust his arm through the gap, and they sprang back open. Casey
watched him with a good deal of suspicion when he leaned against the frame of
the elevator opening to keep the doors from closing. He grinned at her as he
crossed his arms over his chest and turned his attention toward the lobby.
Three stunning women entered the elevator.
Great, she thought, I’m trapped in an alien transport on my
way to an alternate universe where all the women are tall, blonde, and have
baby blues. Or maybe, I’ve been cast in
one of those films marketed to little girls that star the Barbie icon and her
friends. The three were at least five foot ten, and—with the exception of the
variation in age—they could have been cast from the same mold. The trio was
regal, sophisticated, and aloof. Casey was sure the perfume they were wearing
was every bit as expensive as their outfits, but she was fighting nausea from
the scent within the close confines. The senior Barbie’s designer skirt hit
about mid-knee; her navy-colored suit and pale blue silk blouse looked high
end. The outfit probably cost more than Casey made in two weeks.
Aesthetically, she found the elevator hijacker a relief and
a welcome contrast to the blondes with the heart-shaped faces and aristocratic
airs. Nearly as tall as the women, he appeared to be in his early teens, that
awkward, gangly, time of life. An engaging smile set off a mischievous twinkle
in his hazel eyes. Outrageously long lashes and eyebrows of a slightly darker
brown than his wavy hair enhanced those appealing eyes. His high cheekbones,
square jaw, and a patrician nose with a sprinkling of freckles already
commanded a second look. The freckles kept him from being a complete
heartbreaker. She felt sorry for the teenage girls in his path; they wouldn’t stand
a chance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Author Jackie
Anton lives in rural Ohio with her husband, two horses, two dogs, and abundant
wildlife. Years of experience with horses and youth riders lend a unique
perspective to her Backyard Horse Tales, and crop up in unexpected scenes in her
adult works written with the pen name J.M.
Ms. Anton is
the author of the award winning children’s series Backyard Horse Tales. In her
2015 award winning adult novel
"Wind River Refuge" she turns her attention to the
difficulties in overcoming childhood abuse. Set in the turbulent sixties and
early seventies. This romance / who done it comes from a time before child
advocacy, cell phones, and PCs.
Cassandra
Hoffman begins her search for justice in the early decade of the twenty first
century in Anton's latest adult novel Cassandra: Night Shades.
Other Books by
J.M.
2015 saw the
release of the first two books in the Troubles in Love-Land Series. Book One:
"Fateful Waters" was released as an e-book and paperback May of 2015.
Book Two: "Panhandle Mayhem" was be released November of 2015. There
is more to come in the series for 2016.
Author Links:
Book Buy Links:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
The author will be awarding a "Wind
River Refuge" autographed paperback to a randomly drawn winner (US ONLY),
or a Smashwords coupon for a "Wind River Refuge" E-book for an
international winner, via rafflecopter during the tour.
