Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. For the past few weeks I've been sharing samples from Blue 52. So far we've learned that President Richard Lovinggood was murdered by his wife who then committed suicide. Their son Hank was raised by his grandfather Senator Henry Lovinggood. A new high speed train is coming through the cemetery where President Lovinggood is buried, and Hank has made plans to open the coffins once they are disinterred so he can see his parents. He was only 3 when they died, and he doesn't really remember them. His grandmother is totally against his plan and has just told him so in no uncertain terms. Shaken, his grandfather told him that his father took after his grandmother, and his volatile personality caused the Senator a lot of problems. When we left off last week, the senator had reminded Hank that his father rescued his mother when she was kidnapped and shot. Both he and Hank's father were at the hospital where this excerpt took place.

“Your mother was wounded when she deliberately took a bullet meant for me. Richard, your grandmother Lane, and I stayed all night with her at the hospital, and the next morning while
your dad was taking a shower, Elizabeth’s old fiancé showed up to visit her.”

Senator Lovinggood paused to take another sip of his drink. His hands had steadied. “It’s a shame Elizabeth’s mother died when you were so small. You’d have liked her.

“Anyway, I stupidly let the man come in because I knew he had to be worried. It had only been a short time since he and Elizabeth broke up, so I thought he should be allowed to talk to your grandmother for a minute while your dad was in the shower.”

The senator’s eyes started to sparkle. “Well, it didn’t work out like I planned. Your dad came out of the bathroom to find a towel, and he saw Alex—that was the guy’s name. They exchanged a few insults, and Alex hit your dad. He came up swinging, and it took every man in the room to separate them.”

“Who else was there?” Hank interrupted.

“Your uncle Scott was there, and so was Richard’s boss, Austin Fields.”
“Go on.”
“We got them separated,” the senator continued, “but Richard taunted Alex; he said some really nasty things to him. Then, Alex broke free and charged across the room.

“Richard jerked to the side, so he didn’t get hit, but I did.” Senator Lovinggood chuckled. “It made me so mad I hit him back. Knocked him down too.

“By that time we’d made such a commotion hospital security arrived. Dick Whitney, Elizabeth’s doctor, threw every one of us out, even your father. All the way to the parking lot Richard and I worried about what your grandmother would say when she saw us. We both looked like we’d been in a fist fight, which of course we had.”

A lump came to rest in Hank’s stomach. I wish I hadn’t heard this story. I thought Grandpa would tell me something bad, well, not bad maybe, but something that proves Dad wasn’t perfect. Instead, he told me about an adventure the two of them enjoyed together. And they did enjoy it. They got into a fight and had a fine time doing it.

He and his grandfather didn’t have that kind of relationship. They’d never brawl in the hospital or any other place for that matter. 

Blue 52 is available at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com or Amazon.com

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. For the past few weeks I've been sharing samples from Blue 52. So far we've learned that President Richard Lovinggood was murdered by his wife who then committed suicide. Their son Hank was raised by his grandfather Senator Henry Lovinggood. A new high speed train is coming through the cemetery where President Lovinggood is buried, and Hank has made plans to open the coffins once they are disinterred so he can see his parents. He was only 3 when they died, and he doesn't really remember them. His grandmother is totally against his plan and has just told him so in no uncertain terms. Shaken, his grandfather told me that his father took after his grandmother, and his volatile personality caused the Senator a lot of problems. The 'he' in the first paragraph is Hank's father. The senator is the first speaker.

A ghost of a smile crossed his grandfather’s face. “Did I ever tell you about the time he and I got thrown out of the hospital?”

Hank shook his head. “What happened?”

“You know when he worked for the FBI, he rescued your mother and me when we got kidnapped, right?”

Hank nodded. “Yes, I know about that—some guy trying to get revenge on Dad for arresting his brother.”

“That’s right.” The senator groaned and stuffed a brocade cushion behind his back. Hank knew his grandfather’s arthritis had been bothering him lately. “Your mother was wounded when she deliberately took a bullet meant for me. Richard, your grandmother Lane, and I stayed all night with her at the hospital, and the next morning while your dad was taking a shower, Elizabeth’s old fiancé showed up to visit her.” 


We'll pick up here next week. The scene at the hospital reveals Richard's character very well.  Blue 52 is available at http://www.whiskeycreekpress and Amazon.com

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. For the past few weeks I've been sharing samples from Blue 52. So far we've learned that President Richard Lovinggood was murdered by his wife who then committed suicide. Their son Hank was raised by his grandfather Senator Henry Lovinggood. A new high speed train is coming through the cemetery where President Lovinggood is buried, and Hank has made plans to open the coffins once they are disinterred so he can see his parents. He was only 3 when they died, and he doesn't really remember them. His grandmother is totally against his plan and has just told him so in no uncertain terms.

“I need a drink,” Senator Lovinggood declared, his voice shaking. “Pour us a bourbon, Hank.”

Hank didn’t like bourbon, but he poured a drink for himself anyway. His father had liked bourbon, which might be why he disliked it; he really didn’t know.

He passed the drink to his grandfather, whose hands looked a bit unsteady. “She didn’t mean it, you know. Elaine was excitable from the first day I met her. You can be grateful she’s mellowed over the years.”

Hank grimaced as he sat down. “She didn’t seem too mellow to me.”

“Oh, she was fired up tonight, but she’s not nearly as high strung as she used to be.” The senator took a long swallow from his glass. “Your dad took after her. It used to cause me no end of trouble.”

Hank cocked his head and leaned forward. “What kind of trouble?” I’ve never heard Grandpa even hint that Dad wasn’t perfect. 

Blue 52 is available at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com and at Amazon.com

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. For the past few weeks I've been sharing samples from Blue 52. So far we've learned that President Richard Lovinggood was murdered by his wife who then committed suicide. Their son Hank was raised by his grandfather Senator Henry Lovinggood. A new high speed train is coming through the cemetery where President Lovinggood is buried, and Hank has made plans to open the coffins once they are disinterred so he can see his parents. He was only 3 when they died, and he doesn't really remember them.

My heroine Kathryn Sinclair learned about this plan from her uncle who is the director of the funeral home where the president's body will go. Her employer tells her to set up a meeting with Hank after he sees his parents. Last week she said she hoped it went well so she could be in the history books and have the satisfaction of righting a terrible wrong. In today's scene, Hank's grandmother has found out that he wishes to view his parents' remains. I'm picking up where I left off last Saturday.

His grandmother whirled around so fast she almost lost her balance and coldly attacked. “The Sinclair Mortuary called today. They left a message for you.”

“Oh?”

Her face turned cherry red. “You can drop the innocent act with me, young man! Have you totally lost your wits? Your mother and father died thirty years ago! Do you think you can pop the coffin lids and see them as they were in life?”

“Grandma...”

“Don’t interrupt me. This is crazy. You don’t need to see...” She broke off for a moment as a spasm of grief contorted her face. “This is all your doing, Henry. You raised Richard to be a hawk, but you’ve raised Hank to be a damned mourning dove!”

Hank flinched as if she’d struck him with her fists instead of her words. So his grandfather wasn’t the only one who compared him unfavorably to his father. A mourning dove! 

Blue 52 is available at www.whiskeycreekpress.com and at Amazon.com

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. For the past few weeks I've been sharing samples from Blue 52. So far we've learned that President Richard Lovinggood was murdered by his wife who then committed suicide. Their son Hank was raised by his grandfather Senator Henry Lovinggood. A new high speed train is coming through the cemetery where President Lovinggood is buried, and Hank has made plans to open the coffins once they are disinterred so he can see his parents. He was only 3 when they died, and he doesn't really remember them.

My heroine Kathryn Sinclair learned about this plan from her uncle who is the director of the funeral home where the president's body will go. Her employer tells her to set up a meeting with Hank after he sees his parents. Last week she said she hoped it went well so she could be in the history books and have the satisfaction of righting a terrible wrong. In today's scene, Hank's grandmother has found out that he wishes to view his parents' remains.

God, I’ve had an awful day. 

Hank slung his briefcase into the backseat and ripped off his tie. From the moment he’d gotten out of bed this morning, things had gone wrong. At times like this he wondered why he had ever wanted to be a lawyer anyway, especially a prosecutor. He had felt confident of a conviction, but at the last minute the defense blindsided him, and the slime ball had walked. Some lawyer I turned out to be.

He entered the flow of late afternoon traffic and turned his car toward home. I hope I’ll have time for a good, long soak in the tub before dinner. I need it to get the kinks out of my shoulders and back.

Hank knew he’d have to wait for his bath the minute he opened the front door. His grandmother and grandfather shouted so loudly at each other that the pictures almost danced on the walls. He heard his own name mentioned more than once. His shoulders knotted again. He had a good idea why.

“I heard the two of you yelling several blocks from here,” he reproached as he entered the living room. 

Blue 52 is available at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com and amazon.com

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. For the past few weeks I've been sharing samples from Blue 52. So far we've learned that President Richard Lovinggood was murdered by his wife who then committed suicide. Their son Hank was raised by his grandfather Senator Henry Lovinggood. A new high speed train is coming through the cemetery where President Lovinggood is buried, and Hank has made plans to open the coffins once they are disinterred so he can see his parents. My heroine Kathryn Sinclair learned about this plan from her uncle who is the director of the funeral home where the president's body will go. Her employer tells her to set up a meeting with Hank after he sees his parents. Last week she said she hoped it went well so she could be in the history books and have the satisfaction of righting a terrible wrong. We're picking up where I left off last week.

*** *
God, I’ve had an awful day. Hank slung his briefcase into the backseat and ripped off his tie. From the moment he’d gotten out of bed this morning, things had gone wrong. At times like this he wondered why he had ever wanted to be a lawyer anyway, especially a prosecutor. He had felt confident of a conviction, but at the last minute the defense blindsided him, and the slime ball had walked. Some lawyer I turned out to be.

He entered the flow of late afternoon traffic and turned his car toward home. I hope I’ll have time for a good, long soak in the tub before dinner. I need it to get the kinks out of my shoulders and back.
Hank knew he’d have to wait for his bath the minute he opened the front door. His grandmother and grandfather shouted so loudly at each other that the pictures almost danced on the walls. He heard his own name mentioned more than once. His shoulders knotted again. He had a good idea why.

“I heard the two of you yelling several blocks from here,” he reproached as he entered the living room.

His grandmother whirled around so fast she almost lost her balance and coldly attacked. “The Sinclair Mortuary called today. They left a message for you.”

“Oh?”

Her face turned cherry red. “You can drop the innocent act with me, young man! Have you totally lost your wits? Your mother and father died thirty years ago! Do you think you can pop the coffin lids and see them as they were in life?”

“Grandma...”

“Don’t interrupt me. This is crazy. You don’t need to see...” She broke off for a moment as a spasm of grief contorted her face. “This is all your doing, Henry. You raised Richard to be a hawk, but you’ve raised Hank to be a damned mourning dove!” 

Blue 52 is available at Amazon and at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. For the past few weeks I've been sharing samples from Blue 52. So far we've learned that President Richard Lovinggood was murdered by his wife who then committed suicide. Their son Hank was raised by his grandfather Senator Henry Lovinggood. A new high speed train is coming through the cemetery where President Lovinggood is buried, and Hank has made plans to open the coffins once they are disinterred so he can see his parents. My heroine Kathryn Sinclair was introduced last week. She's bringing a pizza to have lunch with her uncle who is a funeral home director. She's surprised to see so many cars bearing government license plates in the parking lot.

Kathryn grabbed the arms of the chair she had just taken to keep herself from jumping up and running to her car. “Everyone knows the bodies at Knollwood will have to be moved for the Flash Train, but why is the president’s body being brought here?”

Ira told her. “I don’t blame the boy. I’d want to see them too.”

“I suppose so,” Kathryn answered even though she didn’t know if she’d look or not. Her parents had died ten years ago in a car crash. Looking at their dead bodies now seemed a little ghoulish.

She only nibbled at her lunch. As soon as she decently could, she excused herself and hurried to her car. Thank goodness her lab was only ten minutes away. She had a phone call to make and wanted to do it on a secure line.

Reaching the lab, she parked her car in her reserved space. She found her purse under the passenger’s seat where it had fallen and dashed into her office, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw the short, blocky man who waited for her. “Mr. Curtis! I was going to call you.”

His lips quirked. “I saved you the trouble.”

“I guess you know what I was going to tell you.” 

“About the president going to Sinclair’s? Yes.”

It didn’t surprise Kathryn to find he already knew. At the last reckoning, Bill Curtis was the richest man in the world. His money could buy information as well as merchandise.

Curtis shifted in his chair. He had one of the hard plastic ones that Kathryn never used. “Are you still satisfied that the equations are correct, Kathryn?”

“Yes, sir. I’m sure. The entire team has gone over them time and time again. We’re all in agreement.”
“Then I think it’s time to make our move.” Curtis almost purred with satisfaction. “After viewing his parents’ remains, I think Hank Lovinggood will be quite receptive to our proposition. The Lovinggoods will be re-interred on November twenty-fourth, which is a Tuesday. Set up an appointment with Hank for Wednesday or Friday. We can’t bother him on Thanksgiving Day.”

Kathryn’s eyes widened. “Me? Don’t you want to talk to him yourself?”

“Of course I do.” Curtis chuckled. “But I think it’s best for you to make the initial contact. A beautiful woman will make Lovinggood sit up and take notice of what she has to say.”

Kathryn tucked a stray lock of dark hair behind her ear. “I hope he won’t think I’m some bimbo nut case.”

Curtis laughed. “If he does, I’m sure you’ll be able to change his mind.”

Kathryn hoped so. She had devoted her entire professional life to Curtis’s pet project. If they succeeded, she’d be in the history books alongside Albert Einstein. And she’d have the satisfaction of righting a dreadful wrong. 

Blue 52 is available at Amazon and at Whiskey Creek Press.

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. I've been sharing excerpts from Chapter 1 of Blue 52. So far we've been introduced to Senator Henry Lovinggood whose son Richard was the President of the US. The history books say that Richard's wife Elizabeth shot him, but the senator doesn't believe that. Once Richard died, the senator raised his grandson Hank. We've also learned that the president and his wife were buried in California, and now their bodies have to be moved to a new location because the state needs the land for a high tech train. The excerpt is in Hank's point of view. Williams is the man in charge of the exhumation. Blue 52 is the sequel to Return Engagement which was a publisher's bestseller. Both books are available at Amazon/B&N and at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com. If you're curious about Return Engagement, Sunday I'm sharing excerpts from that.

I wonder if it’s too late to call Williams. Probably not. He picked up his holophone, and almost immediately a hologram of Williams filled the room.

“Hello, Mr. Lovinggood. Did your grandfather tell you I called?”

“Yes, he did. That’s what I’m calling about. I’ve decided to place my parents at Crystal Rivers Cemetery.”

Williams nodded. “I’m familiar with Crystal Rivers. It’s a good choice.”

“My grandfather said they’ll be disinterred on November twenty-third.”

Williams nodded again. “Yes, sir. We’ll do it at nine a.m. on November twenty-third. I assume you’ll want to have someone present.”

“I intend to be present myself.”

“Oh, well, that’s fine. We’ll have a military guard to escort the president’s remains to his new resting place, but we weren’t sure if you’d want any further ceremony or not.”

Hank didn’t hesitate. The media would inevitably make a huge deal out of this thing anyway. If they had any kind of ceremony, it would be that much worse. I have no desire to hear the newscasters talk about Mother. “I may have a private service for family members, but that’s all.”

“The state is responsible for the cost of opening and closing the graves, so I’ll arrange it with Crystal Rivers.”

“Good,” Hank said. “Tell them to prepare for burial on the twenty-fourth. I’ll let them know what time.”

“The twenty-fourth?” He saw surprise on Williams’ face.

“That’s right. The bodies are to be taken from Knollwood directly to The Sinclair Mortuary.”

“Yes, sir. We’ll arrange for them to be escorted on the twenty-fourth from the mortuary to Crystal Rivers.”

After they finished their call, Hank had to wipe his hands on his pants because his palms were slick with sweat. He had been so young when his parents died that he barely remembered them. He craved to see their faces as much as any addict on the street craved his next fix. Now, thanks to the Flash Train, he would get his chance.

His plan would horrify his grandmother, who could never understand his need. Both of her parents had lived to a ripe old age; she had enjoyed their company for almost all of her life.

Of course, time might have ruined his one opportunity to look upon their faces. He had taken that into account when he made his plans. The director of the Sinclair Mortuary had agreed to open the coffins and look first. If Mr. Sinclair thought best, he would close the lids, and that would be the end of it.

Hank wiped his hands again. Have I totally lost my mind? Won’t seeing them make their loss even harder to bear?

It didn’t matter. No power on earth could keep him from opening those coffins. God willing, the devouring curiosity that had tormented him for thirty long years would finally be satisfied. 

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. I'm continuing today where I left off last week in Blue 52. If you'd like to read last week's post to refresh your memory, you can find it here. Basically, we've learned that the senator's son Richard was the President of the US. He and his wife are dead, and their bodies will have to be relocated because a high tech train line needs to go through the cemetery. We also learned that the senator has arthritis. Here we go with that excerpt. At the end we finally get to meet our hero Hank, the president's son.

What did Grant know? He’d complain if he wanted to.

He sat down behind his desk and stared at a conspicuously displayed photo of his son, Richard. The photo had been taken on inauguration day. Richard’s wife Elizabeth stood at his side, looking so beautiful that even now it made his heart ache to see her.

Her face glowed with pride and happiness. How could anyone believe that two years later she would kill Richard and take her own life? “They’re all wrong,” he muttered as he made a gesture of repugnance. “I don’t care what anyone says; she did not shoot him.”

He removed a well-worn scrapbook from its place in the bottom drawer, caressing its smooth, cool surface. When he opened the scrapbook, Richard’s face laughed up at him. The photo had been taken right after his grandson, Hank, was born. This was exactly the way he remembered Richard, laughing and happy, his eyes alight with life and promise.

The whole family had celebrated Hank’s birth. Richard and Elizabeth had tried for years to have a baby. They had seen a lot of fertility specialists, but they’d almost given up hope when Elizabeth found out she was pregnant with Hank. Oh, yeah, he’d never forget those days. “The king of the world,” he muttered. “I felt like the king of the world.”

He turned the pages one by one as he had done so many times before. No matter how often he looked at the scrapbook, he never grew tired of it. Pausing on page five, he studied one of his favorite pictures. It had been taken on Richard and Elizabeth’s wedding day. I’m ninety-eight years old now, and I’ve never seen two people as much in love as they were.

The little half smile on his face faded as his old eyes glazed. It can’t be too much longer before I see Richard again; I can’t wait to find out what really happened that night. He supposed his faith required him to forgive whoever had murdered his son and daughter-in-law, but he daily prayed the perpetrator would burn in hell forever.

He flipped to the back of the scrapbook. God, I hate this part! He had thought of destroying the offensive newspaper articles, but without them, the record would be incomplete. “President Lovinggood Murdered!” the first headline screamed. “First Lady Kills the President” trumpeted another in huge, black letters.

Unwilling to read any more, he turned back to the front of the scrapbook. Look, there was a good picture of Richard and Joan taken in their Halloween costumes. Richard must have been five or six at the time. They looked so much alike some people had thought they were twins, but Richard was two years older than Joan. He remembered that Richard hadn’t wanted his little sister to—

“Put that damned thing away!” a strident, furious voice demanded from the door.
Elaine Lovinggood, the senator’s wife, had gone red- faced with anger. “Why are you torturing yourself, Henry? I told you not to look at it anymore.”

 “Elaine...”

“I don’t want to hear it.”

“Elaine...”

“Be quiet, Henry!” She slapped the door with the flat of her hand and made the senator jump. “I loved Richard as much as you did, but he’s dead, and no amount of mourning in the world can bring him back. You’ve wasted the last thirty years grieving for our dead son, and I can’t take it anymore.” Her voice rose again. “For the love of God, don’t ruin the last days of our lives!”

The senator tossed the scrapbook into the drawer and slammed it shut. Elaine’s high blood pressure constantly worried him, and her doctor described her heart as a ticking time bomb. It wouldn’t do to upset her.

“I didn’t mean to worry you,” he apologized. “I started thinking about Richard after Morton Williams called.”

“What did he want? He’s a slimy, slithery slug if you ask me.”

Elaine had always loved words. She had a huge vocabulary and especially enjoyed using alliteration. In fact, she and Richard had had some kind of word game they used to play. The last time they all dined together, she and Richard had tried to play the game using the letter x, but both of them had to admit defeat.

“Williams was calling to tell me that Richard and Elizabeth will be disinterred on November twenty-third. We’ll have to make arrangements for them."

The fire died in Elaine’s eyes as she sank down on the sofa in front of the fireplace, her mouth a drooping, thin line in her wrinkled face. “Why couldn’t I have just died myself and gotten it over with? I’d rather die than see those coffins come out of the ground.” She glared at the senator. “You’d
better not get all worked up.”

The senator flushed, feeling like a schoolboy caught in some kind of mischief. She always made him feel this way when she criticized him. “I...”

Elaine turned toward the hallway when she heard the front door slam. “Hank’s home.” 

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. I think today I'll share an excerpt from Blue 52. I don't know if I've mentioned it or not, but that's one of my favorite books, maybe my all time favorite. I'm also sharing excerpts from Return Engagement on Sunday. Blue 52 is the sequel to Return Engagement, and I'm working on book three of the Lovinggood trilogy.

I'm going to focus on chapter one for the next few weeks. The chapter is deceptively low key; there's a lot going on. Just stay with me. If you've read Return Engagement you're already familiar with the two characters in the opening scene. If not, you can pick up Return Engagement either at Amazon or at http://www.whiskeycreekpress.com

Chapter 1
California, 2048

Senator Henry Lovinggood dozed in the warm sunshine streaming through the window of his study. A loud, rumbling snore woke him, and he saw his aide Tim Jarvis standing in the doorway.
“Taking a little snooze, Tim,” he boomed as he scrubbed his hand across his face. “Why didn’t you wake me?”

Tim handed a phone to the senator. “You have a phone call, sir. It’s the attorney general. Of California, I mean.”

Senator Lovinggood touched the flat screen, and a hologram of Morton Williams appeared before him. “What can I do for you, Morton?”

“Senator, I’m calling you about the Prescott Flash Train.”

“What about the Flash Train?” Senator Lovinggood growled. “We’ve already had this conversation.”

“Sir, the state has made its position very clear. We have to have that land. Whether the public likes it or not, the bodies at Knollwood must be moved. Some of the Flash Train cables have to be buried, and...”

“I’ve heard it all before. I don’t believe that the engineers can’t find a way to route the train without disturbing a cemetery.”

“Sir, they say they can’t.”

The senator snorted. “I don’t believe it for—”

“Sir, it’s going to happen. President Lovinggood and his wife are scheduled to be disinterred on the twenty-third of November. You and your grandson should decide on a new resting place for them.”

Piqued, Senator Lovinggood rudely turned off the phone and thrust it at Tim. “Damned petty flunky,” he shouted. “Are the transportation people too wimpy to tell me themselves?”

Tim pursed his lips, reminding the senator of an overgrown guppy. “The state attorney general’s office has to approve all exhumations, Senator. Anyway, the president should have been in Arlington all along.”

The senator skewered Tim with a fiery glare. “As you doubtless know, a sitting president is required to make his funeral arrangements so that his wishes are followed in the event of his death. President Lovinggood made his wishes very clear. He wanted to be buried here in California with his family.”

Tim flushed as his lips thinned. The senator saw both apprehension and contempt in his eyes, but he had too much sense to back talk his boss. “Can I get anything for you, Senator?”

“Yes. Some coffee.”

As Tim vanished, the senator gave a brief, inward sigh. He had recruited Tim ten years ago and had regretted it many times. Tim had expected an exciting life in Washington; instead, he had gotten a quiet life in California with a senator who seldom even went to Washington anymore, not unless there was a vote he didn’t want to miss. He made his displeasure known in countless little ways. I guess I should replace him, but why bother? I’m retiring in eighteen months.

The senator heaved himself to his feet and shuffled across the study. Damned arthritis; I move like an old man, and my snot-nosed kid of a doctor had the gall to lecture me about my attitude. “You should be glad you aren’t crippled,” Grant had scolded. “Thirty years ago you wouldn’t be walking at all. You’d also be in severe pain.” 

Beyond the Book

Welcome to Beyond the Book. Today I'd like to introduce my Blue 52 heroine Kathryn Sinclair.
Kathryn's parents died ten years ago in a car accident, leaving Kathryn and her brother Chris to mourn them. Until she met Hank Lovinggood, Kathryn didn't date much. Her entire life was centered around her work.

Kathryn is a world-class physicist. The physics community universally acknowledges her as the greatest physicist in the world. Here's the first meeting between Hank and Kathryn.

 “Mr. Lovinggood, Dr.Sinclair is here to see you.”

Hank rose to his feet. He didn’t know what he had expected, a person his grandfather’s age maybe, but the woman who appeared in the door behind his secretary looked almost as beautiful as his mother. In fact, as impossible as it seemed, she might be even more beautiful. She was about five six and had dark hair and eyes even bluer than his own. He guessed she might be about his age. Her figure would make a blind man stare, but the expression on her face attracted him as much as her physical appearance. Intelligence, curiosity, and life shone from her eyes. She glowed with an eagerness he didn’t understand.

As she approached his desk, she held out her hand. “Mr. Lovinggood, how are you? I’m Dr. Kathryn Sinclair. Thank you for seeing me.”

She had a firm handshake and looked him right in the eye. “Not at all, Dr. Sinclair. Please, have a seat. May I get you a cup of coffee?”

“Yes, that would be lovely.”

Hank filled a disposable cup with coffee. The cups biodegraded in three months’ time, so nobody hesitated to use them. The trashcans overflowed with cups by the end of the day. “Cream or sugar?”

“Black, thanks.”

He handed the coffee to Dr. Sinclair and got a good look at her legs in the process. Nice. She wore a well-cut, red suit that looked expensive. He liked her short little skirt, but the neckline of the jacket didn’t plunge quite enough.

Hank flushed. He was no hormone-riddled teenager. The woman hadn’t come here for him to ogle her. “My secretary told me that you wanted to talk to me about a crime,” he said as he seated himself behind his desk, unconsciously smoothing his tie and sitting up straight.

“That’s right, I do.” She didn’t wait for him to prompt her to tell her story. “The crime was committed a long time ago, but there’s no statute of limitations on murder, right?”

Hank nodded. “You want to talk to me about a murder?”

“Oh, yes. A man and his wife were brutally murdered, and the murderers framed the wife to take the blame.” Dr. Sinclair paused to take a sip of her coffee. “Their names were Lovinggood.”

Blurb:

"First Lady Kills President Lovinggood"

December 29, 2018

Thirty years later Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother's innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him.  Together Hank and lovely physicist Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever. 

Buy link:

 http://www.amazon.com/Blue-52-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00H1MHC24/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1402368222&sr=1-1&keywords=blue+52+by+elaine+cantrell

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Saturday Sample. My excerpt today is from Blue 52 which is a finalist in RomCon's Readers' Crown contest. You can find the book at http://amzn.to/1ka4HSG and most other retail outlets. In this excerpt my hero's aunt tells him about his Uncle Scott's secret files, files which will help Hank in his investigation into his parents' murders.

Joan grabbed his hand and squeezed so hard it was genuinely painful. “I want you to go through the files. I want you to see if you think Scott was onto something. If so, I want you to nail them. I want them punished for every holiday we spent without our loved ones. I want them to suffer for every dance recital they cheated my girls of. I want their heads for every ball game you ever played that your father didn’t see. I want the whole world to know your mother was no murderer, and my Scott was smart enough to see through their horrible schemes. Get them, Hank, and if I can help you, I will.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Hank softly replied as his eyes caught fire and his blood roared in his ears. “Get the files for me.”


Blurb:

“First Lady Kills President Lovinggood” 

December 5, 2018 

Thirty years later, Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother’s innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him. Together Hank and lovely physicist Dr. Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, and merciless enemy who’ll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever. 

Beyond the Book: the Secret Service

The Secret Service is one of the major elements in Blue 52, but how much do you know about it?  Most people don't know too much.

The Secret Service is one of America's oldest federal investigative law enforcement agencies.  It was founded in 1865 as a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department. It was originally created to combat counterfeiting which was a serious problem at the time.  They didn’t get involved in protecting the president until 1901 following the assassination of President William McKinley in Buffalo, New York.  So today they have two major goals: protection of the president, the vice-president, and other high government officials and protecting our financial infrastructure.

 Secret Service agents are authorized to do all of the following things:

Carry guns

Execute warrants

Make arrests without warrants if necessary

Offer rewards for information

Investigate certain kinds of fraud

Would you like to be a Secret Service agent?  If so, be aware that you’ll have to pass a full background check that lasts anywhere from six to nine months. They’ll be checking your employment and police records, credit history, school transcripts, and military records.  They’ll also be asking your neighbors and acquaintances about you.  To be hired you’ll have to be able to get Top Secret government clearance.

Still want to join up? Here’s the place to start: http://www.secretservice.gov/opportunities_fairs.shtml  Lots of luck!

Blue 52 is a Recommended Read from Harlie's Books.

Saturday Sample: Blue 52

Welcome to Saturday Sample. Today's post is from Blue 52. In this excerpt, my hero Hank has been summoned to a meeting by a man claiming to have information about the death of his parents thirty  years ago. First a blurb, then an excerpt.

"First Lady Kills President Lovinggood"

December 29, 2018

Thirty years later Hank Lovinggood embarks on a quest to prove his mother's innocence and punish the killers who took his family from him.  Together Hank and lovely physicist Kathryn Sinclair confront an implacable, twisted, merciless enemy who'll do whatever it takes to hide the truth forever. 

EXCERPT:

Curtis took a sip of his coffee. “Richard was working on a welfare reform bill when he was killed. He intended to extend welfare benefits, a notion Stanton didn’t like at all. He publicly disagreed with Richard, which earned him the censure of most party members. They didn’t want anyone to know there was a split between the president and the vice president. Did you know that?”

“Grandpa mentioned it a couple of times.”

“There were a lot of poor people in America in 2016.” Curtis looked angry now. His coffee cup clattered into his saucer. No disposable cups here. “I didn’t come from money. My family suffered a lot while the damn conservatives like Josh Stanton choked the life out of America. They could have used a helping hand, and so could many others. Your father would have gladly given it to them if those bastards hadn’t killed him.”

Hank felt a jolt all the way through his middle. “The investigation found that my mother killed my father.”

“I know, but that’s a bunch of crap, and if you don’t know it you should.” Curtis’s eyes flashed. “The very idea of your lovely mother committing such a monstrous act is ludicrous! She was crazy in love with Richard. She had no reason to kill him.”

Hank tried to keep his face neutral. “Some people think he was having an affair with his secretary, Shirley Grissom.”

“Yeah, that was tossed around as a possible motive.”

“But you don’t believe it.”

“No, I don’t.”

Hank’s heart pounded as he asked the most important question of all. “If she didn’t do it, who did? Dr. Sinclair said you had information about the murders.”

Buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Blue-52-Elaine-Cantrell-ebook/dp/B00H1MHC24/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1396664999&sr=8-1&keywords=blue+52+by+elaine+cantrell