The Jade Hunters
by A.B. Michaels
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GENRE: Romantic Suspense
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BLURB:
Award-winning jewelry designer Regina Firestone is proud to exhibit her famous grandmother’s multi-million dollar “bauble” collection at the grand re-opening of The Grove Center for American Art, known among the locals as “Sinner’s Grove.”
The fact that she’s considering modeling the jewels in the nude like her grandmother did infuriates photographer Walker Banks, a co-owner of The Grove who’s in charge of the exhibit. Neither is willing to admit the real reason for the sparks between them.
Their argument takes a back seat when Reggie discovers that one of the most compelling pieces in the collection is not at all what it seems. Tracking down the truth will take the couple into the dark heart of a quest that’s lasted more than a century, one in which destroying human lives—including Reggie’s and Walker’s—means nothing in the pursuit of a twisted sense of justice.
The Jade Hunters is Book Three of Michaels’ contemporary series, “Sinner’s Grove Suspense.” The series follows the descendants of characters introduced in Michaels’ historical fiction series, “The Golden City.”
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Excerpt Two:
“The Phone Call”
“With what you went through today, are you okay now with getting the authorities to step in on this? Nothing is worth getting hurt over.” Walker gently tipped her chin up. “Nothing.”
She took a breath, knowing he was only trying to emphasize a point, but feeling that pull all the same. Professional. Keep it professional. “I suppose you’re right—”
At that moment the satchel she’d dropped on the dining room table began to buzz.
“That’s probably my Aunt Beth. She’s been trying to reach me off and on today, but she’s a talker, and I just don’t have the energy, so I haven’t returned the call.”
Walker dropped his hand but didn’t move. “Best to check,” he said.
She leaned over him to pull the phone out. “Oh, it’s my cousin Ava,” she said. “Let me get it.”
It took less than a minute for Reggie to feel the earth drop underneath her.
“Oh my God,” she cried.
“What?” Walker touched her again. “What’s wrong?”
“I can’t believe it. No, it can’t be. Are you sure?”
On the other end of the line, Ava didn’t sugar coat it. “They found him stabbed to death in the Tenderloin along with some call girl, Chandra somebody. Just thought you ought to know.”
“Th ... thanks. I’ll get back to you.” Stunned, Reggie ended the call.
“For God’s sake, tell me what happened,” Walker demanded.
“It’s Uncle Allen,” she said, tears beginning to fall. “He’s been murdered.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
A native of California, A.B. Michaels holds masters’ degrees in history (UCLA) and broadcasting (San Francisco State University). After working for many years as a promotional writer and editor, she turned to writing fiction, which is the hardest thing she's ever done besides raise two boys. She lives with her husband and two spoiled dogs in in Boise, Idaho, where she is often distracted by kayaking, playing bocce, and trying to hit a golf ball more than fifty yards. Reading and travel figure into the mix, leading her to hope that sometime soon, someone invents a 25+ hour day. Her historical fiction series, “The Golden City,” explores America’s Gilded Age and its effect on characters, both actual and fictional, while her contemporary series, “Sinner’s Grove Suspense,” follows descendants of The Golden City as they navigate today’s equally treacherous waters. She is currently expanding both series.
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Interview with A.B. Michaels
Do your characters seem to hijack the story or do you feel like you have the reins of the story? When I began writing The Jade Hunters, I had the basics already covered: I knew the two main characters and what they did for a living. I knew that a piece of jewelry would go missing, and I knew what the two would argue about when they first met. That’s because I’d introduced them in Book One of the contemporary series (Sinner’s Grove), and I knew they were descendants of characters I’d already written about in my historical line (The Golden City). Knowing those things gave me a bit of structure that I was able to build upon.
Convince us why you feel your book is a must read. In the genre of romantic suspense, there are so many books, yet so few reading hours in the day, which means it’s important to spend that precious time with well-written, fast-paced novels that tell an intriguing story. The Jade Hunters delivers on that while containing a bit of history, relatable characters, some delicious romance, and a plot with plenty of twists and turns. I think you’re going to love the book and want to read more novels in the series.
Have you written any other books that are not published? Yes, I’ve written a solid draft of the first book of a mystery series that stars one of the characters found in The Jade Hunters. It’s a “time slip” concept and I’m still working on the mechanism that gets my lead characters from current day to whatever point in history they need to get to. I’m not well-versed in writing fantasy or science fiction—I just want to get them from Point A to Point B with no muss or fuss. But I can’t wait to figure it out, because this series is going to be a blast to write. Stay tuned!
Pen or typewriter or computer? Mainly computer (I use a first draft writing program that helps me keep each project organized by scene). However, I take ridiculously copious notes while researching and brainstorming that stack up on my desk and drive me insane because I’m not that organized. I’m trying out an electronic “paper” tablet that will enable me to write by hand and convert to text whenever I need it. The pages are limitless; it’s just a matter of learning how best to label them. Wish me luck…
Anything you’d like to say to your readers and fans? To my fans I’d like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your kind words—your positive reviews and supportive comments make all the difference to authors like me. And to readers who may not yet know my work, I hope you’ll give me a try. Each of my books can be read on its own, but read together, they make a hell of an interesting story.
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
A.B. Michael will be awarding a $30 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Kate has lived in South West England her entire life just on the edge of Dartmoor where the moorland goes on for days. It's beautiful, breath-taking and occasionally rather wet. 
