Cover Reveal for a Perfect Angel is At Book Beat Babes today

Come on over to Book Beat Babes for a cover reveal of A Perfect Angel, the sequel to Her Handyman.

http://bookbeatbabes.blogspot.com/2014/02/a-perfect-angel-cover-reveal.html

Morgan Mandel
http://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel
Twitter:@MorganMandel

A Perfect Angel

I've been working on a sequel to Her Handyman, my romantic comedy. This one's called A Perfect Angel, and follows what happens to one of the main characters in Her Handyman.

You'll be able to read A Perfect Angel by itself, but the experience will be better if you read Her Handyman first.

Otherwise, you'll know what happens in the first book before you get a chance to read it.

Stay tuned for more, as it develops.

And, when A Perfect Angel is closer to being done, I'll do a cover reveal!

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
Twitter: @MorganMandel

To Celebrate Killer Career's New Cover, I'm Doing a Freebie Dec 31 Thru Jan 3

My romantic suspense, Killer Career, has a brand new cover! To celebrate her new look, I'm offering freebie for t he kindle version.

 When: Tues, December 31 through Friday, January 3.

Take a few minutes out during this busy time and come on over to grab your copy, then read it at our leisure!

http://amzn.com/B002PDOPPG

By the way, your honest book reviews are always appreciated!

Morgan Mandel

Blessing or Curse Collection Now Available or Get Its Short Stories Separately

Finally out! The sequel to Forever Young: Blessing or Curse is finally out!

Get the Blessing or Curse Selection or buy one or two of the short stories separately.

In this sequel to Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, read how Forever Young, the turn-back-the-clock pill, impacts the lives and loves of five new test subjects.

http://amzn.com/B00EMY1PWW

Get the short stories in the Blessing or Curse Collection link above for $2.99, or buy separately @ 99 cents each.

WHO'LL MEND THIS BROKEN MAN

Desperation forces Consuela to order the Forever Young pill to cure her husband, Diego, from Parkinson’s Disease; but is the cure really a curse?

http://amzn.com/B00EMPREZ8

TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING
Ezekiel, an African-American male, can't get it up for his lady love, Luana. Will the pill draw them closer together or drive her away?

http://amzn.com/B00EMPRDBI

WHAT I DID FOR LOVE

Strawberry blonde model, Sherri, sees her popularity fading, along with her looks. The pill can bring her fame and fortune, but what about love?

http://amzn.com/B00EMY1T3M

SUSPICION

Doormat, Dee Dee Marshall, takes a bold step when evidence points to her husband's infidelity. 

http://amzn.com/B00EMY1S8I

FOR THE LOVE OF DOG

Overweight Chicago Police Officer Walinski must pass a new physical or lose his job, along with his beloved canine partner. Can the young pill offer security, when danger lurks in the line of duty?

http://amzn.com/B00EMY1QVW

Coming Soon is Always Young, the exciting conclusion to the Always Young Trilogy, where readers will learn the fate of the first book’s original characters.

Find all of Morgan Mandel's books at her Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/author/morganmandel

Blessing or Curse Almost Ready for Release

Just to let you know, Blessing or Curse is almost ready for release. I'm working on some final edits, and hope to have everything ready by the middle of the month, after all the 4th of July festivities are over, and people are back in the mood for reading.

This second book in the Always Young Trilogy differs from the thriller, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, in that this one concentrates on the test subjects' loves and relationships. The last book, a thriller called Always Young, will answer all questions about the original characters and villains.

What Blessing or Curse Is About -
Five Separate People with Five Separate Stories,
Yet One Thing in Common:
They All Take a Pill to Turn Back The Clock.

Who'll Mend This Broken Man - Diego's frantic wife, Consuela, hopes to restore her Parkinson-crippled husband to his former self.

Too Much of a Good Thing - Ezekial, suffering from E.D., wants desperately to live up to the African-American male image.

What I Did For Love - Has-been model, Sherri, will resort to anything to get back into the game.

Suspicion - Doormat Dee Dee turns over a new leaf when she suspects her husband of cheating.

For the Love of Dog - Chicago cop, Mike, fears for the loss of job and dog if he fails a physical.

Check out all of Morgan Mandel's Books at
http://www.morganmandel.com
Read Excerpts at http://morgansbooklinks.blogspot.com
Connect on Twitter: @MorganMandel

Forever Young: Blessing or Curse Promo Tale

Since my thriller, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, had participated in quite a few KDP Select freebie events  before this past weekend, I wondered if the market was already saturated for this combination thriller, science fiction, and romance novel. Not so!

I was pleasantly surprised when the major promotional site, Ereader News Today jumped on the bandwagon and picked up my novel on their site. What a difference it makes when a popular promotional site backs a book!

For the first time, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse made it into the top 100 Free Kindle Books. Not only that, it made it to #50 and ranked at #2 in Science Fiction. That was quite a surprise, a very pleasant one at that!

This is especially significant since I'm three-fourths through edits for the sequel, Blessing or Curse, which I hope to send to my editor, Helen Ginger, very soon for finishing touches.

Moral of the story: don't sell your book short. There may still be great times ahead!

Though Forever Young: Blessing or Curse is now back at its original price of $2.99, if you're an Amazon Prime member, you can still get a free copy. Or, you can pay the $2.99. Here's the link: http://amzn.com/B006MO28CQ

This book is for all those who wish to be young again, and for those who still are!

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com

Forever Young: Blessing or Curse - Free Today and Sunday - April 6 & 7

If you enjoy Thrillers with a touch of Science Fiction and Romance, here's your chance to get a Kindle/PC copy free!

Some of you may already have yours, but if not, here's the link for Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, which is going free for Kindle/PC through Sunday, April 7.

http://amzn.com/B006MO28CQ

You're invited to pass this along to anyone else who'd appreciate a copy.

Morgan Mandel
http://www.morganmandel.com
Twitter: @MorganMandel

Onward March!

I had a lot of fun with the recent Her Handyman promotion. Since this book has already been featured in free book promos four times, I decided that today will be the last day for it participate in the KDP Select program. I may reinstate it in the program at a later date for new readers to enjoy.

In the meantime, it's onward march, getting my taxes done. After that, it's working on Blessing or Curse, my anthology about what happens to five people who take the Forever Young pill.

Promoting takes up a lot of time, and is necessary. Still, I do need to get back to writing!

If you missed out on the freebie, today only, if you're a Prime member, you can still get Her Handyman for free. Everyone else needs to cough up 99 cents! http://amzn.com/B0097EVXBK

Find all of Morgan Mandel's books at
http://www.morganmandel.com

Connect on Twitter at
@MorganMandel

Catch the Her Handyman Freebie March 1 thru March 3!

Time for another Her Handyman Freebie!

If you don't have your Kindle or PC copy of Her Handyman yet, you've got another chance during the three day freebie promotion from Friday, March 1, 2013 through Sunday, March 3, 2013.

Come and get it!

For those who prefer sweet romance with a touch of humor, Her Handyman is your kind of book. Be amazed at what happens when Jake, the handyman, answers a routine call about a bathroom flood in the middle of the night. The sight greeting him is a Flower Child lookalike clutching a pathetic-looking guilty dog. The seventies throwback is far different than his sexy, perfect fiance'.

Removing a dog toy from a toilet should be a simple matter. Who'd guess fate would step in and cause chaos?

Read all about it in Her Handyman at http://amzn.com/B0097EVXBK

Morgan Mandel
& Her Dog, Rascal

Catch Morgan Mandel's romantic comedies at
http://www.chicklitfaves.com

Find Excerpts and Buy links to all of Morgan's books at http://www.morganmandel.com

Connect on Twitter: @MorganMandel

Girl of My Dreams Had a Dreamy Promotion!

My KDP Select freebie promotion last weekend for Girl of My Dreams turned out to be all it could be, with a final tally of 16,465 in the US, 3024 in the UK, 388 in Germany, 39 in France, 12 in Spain, 10 in Italy and 84 in Canada!

At one point this book reached #13 in Free Kindle Books!

To everyone who downloaded Girl of My Dreams, happy reading!

This book continues to go viral even after the free event, and right now is listed #33 in Kindle eBooks, and #1 in Reality Show Romance.

If you missed out on the event, but have 99 cents to spare, you can still get your copy at http://amzn.com/B0065R11QO

And, if you're an Amazon Prime member, you don't even have to pay the 99 cents, but can still click and get this book free.

What it's about:

Follow the madcap adventures of a straitlaced assistant who sneaks onto the set of a reality show to win a billionaire.

When the producer discovers her ruse, he’s beside himself with rage. He’d thought better of her, but it looks like she’s only a gold digger.

What’s worse, she’s advancing in the rounds. She may even win the billionaire, but is he the guy she really wants?

Morgan Mandel

Catch all of Morgan Mandel's books at http://www.morganmandel.com

Her Chick lits are also at http://www.chicklitfaves.com 

Twitter: @MorganMandel

Girl of My Dreams FREE Friday 2/8 THRU Sun 2/10

If you don't have my romantic comedy, Girl of My Dreams yet, here's a chance to get a free kindle/or download to PC version. This offer lasts from today, Friday, February 8, through Sunday, February 10.

Follow the madcap adventures of a straitlaced assistant who sneaks onto the set of a reality show to win a billionaire. When the producer discovers her ruse, he’s beside himself with rage. He’d thought better of her, but it looks like she’s only a gold digger. What’s worse, she’s advancing in the rounds. She may even win the billionaire, but is he the guy she really wants?

Come on over and get it at: http://amzn.com/B0065R11QO

Girl of My Dreams by Morgan Mandel – other countries

UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0065R11QO

Germany = DE – http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/B0065R11QO

FR – http://www.amazon.fr/gp/product/B0065R11QO

ES – http://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B0065R11QO

IT – http://www.amazon.it//gp/product/B0065R11QO

JP – http://www.amazon.jp/gp/product/B0065R11QO

CA – http://www.amazon.co/gp/product/B0065R11QO

BR – http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0065R11QO

Free Again Right Now Jan 25 (Fri) & Jan 26 (Sat)

SPECIAL PROMOTION - My Freebie, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse, usually $2.99, is now free for download to Kindle or PC. Nab it now while it's FREE - 

ONLY FRI JAN 25 & SAT JAN 26

LIKE BEING SCARED?  Get in on the first of the Always Young Trilogy now, and be prepared to be nervous and on edge when 55 year old widow, Dorrie Donato, takes a pill to be 24 forever. Getting old turns out to be the least of her concerns when she's running for her life from the villains and the law.

Coming Soon are two follow-up thrillers: BLESSING OR CURSE and ALWAYS YOUNG.

http://amzn.com/B006MO28CQ

DID I MENTION FREE?

Here and There

Morgan Mandel

I'm here and there, and try to go everywhere, but don't quite manage. You'll find me in lots of Facebook Groups, as well as on my personal page there at http://www.facebook.com/morgan.mandel and an author page at http://www.facebook.com/morgansbooks

Inspiration struck, so I set up another website, this one for romantic comedy lovers, called Chick Lit Faves, at http://www.chicklitfaves.com

I still have my other website at http://www.morganmandel.com, where all of my books are listed, but was aiming at being more specific with the other one to see how it goes.

I'm still over at Twitter a lot at @MorganMandel

See you around!

I'm Still Here

Just to let you know, I'm still here. Often, I don't have the time to update my Double M blog here, because I'm so busy getting my other blogs done, or working on my books.

For those who don't know, I also operate group blogs. Here are three that have been very active lately, which I invite you to check out some time:

Acme Authors Link - http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com
Romance and mystery authors share their writing life.

Make Mine Mystery - http://makeminemystery.blogspot.com
As the name entails, you'll find lots of mystery and thriller authors over here.

Spunky Senior Authors and Talents - http://spunkyseniors.blogspot.com
Designed as a guest blog featuring seniors 50 years and older, authors and other

Morgan Mandel's most current releases are
the romantic comedy, Her Handyman
http://amzn.com/B0097EVXBK and
the Thriller, Forever Young: Blessing or Curse,
at http://amzn.com/B006MO28CQ

Find all of Morgan Mandel's books at
http://www.morganmandel.com

What's Next?

Her Handyman by Morgan Mandel

I got a little sidetracked by Thanksgiving and my freebie promotion of  the romantic comedy, Her Handyman, which took a lot of doing. The competition is fierce. To get anyone to notice a book, even if it's free, isn't very easy. I did zillions of tweets, visited my Facebook groups and pages more than people probably wanted me to, and also sent out email blasts to egroups and personal friends, plus devised other methods to get attention, kind of like my dog, Rascal, does when I'm at the keyboard.

The result was 2,322 more readers got to see Her Handyman than would have otherwise. At one point I got up to #137 on the Free Kindle Store list at Amazon, and was also #40 in Contemporary Romance. This was a decent showing, considering my promotion took place over Black Friday and Small Business Saturday, when tons of people were shopping, recuperating from Thanksgiving, or still out of town.

I will be doing further promotions from time to time, but now must buckle down and finish Blessing or Curse, the sequel to Forever Young: Blessing or Curse.

Blessing or Curse
by Morgan Mandel

While Forever Young: Blessing or Curse is a thriller with a touch of romance, Blessing or Curse is a romance, with a touch of thriller.

Blessing or Curse focuses more on the personal lives of five very diverse people and those they love, but there are a few villains lurking in the background and also the aspect of the Forever Young pill, which turns someone back to a desired age. I wish someone would hurry up and invent one!

Forever Young: Blessing or Curse
by Morgan Mandel

If you didn't get your copy of Her Handyman, it's still available for kindle at the huge amount of 99 cents at http://amzn.com/B0097EVXBK


Morgan Mandel
Twitter: @MorganMandel

My Guest, Romance Author Debra St. John, Tells Us About Her Next Big Thing for Thanksgiving

My guest today is a very good friend of mine and a great romance author, by the name of Debra St. John. Debra is answering questions to share her Next Big Thing for Thanksgiving with us.

What is the title of your book?

An Unexpected Blessing

Where did the idea come from for the book?

I wanted to write a Thanksgiving story, so I had a lot of the background details in my head. I knew it would include all the best things about the holiday: food, things to be thankful for, and time with family. I also knew I wanted the setting to be a small town. The actual plot for the storyline just came to me one day.

What genre does your book fall under?

Contemporary romance. I’d call it cozy with some spice!

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Well, he’s not really an actor, but country singer Justin Moore has the right look and the right smile to play Joe. I think Natalie Portman would make a good Katy.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

When an ex-con and the girl he’s had a secret crush on for years reunite, the sparks fly and attraction blooms, but their love is put to the test by small town gossip that can’t get over his past.

Is your book self-published or represented by an agency?

It’s available from The Wild Rose Press.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

About two months.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, but it so often gets pushed aside and forgotten in the rush to get to Christmas. I wanted a book to celebrate all of the wonderful things about Thanksgiving.

What else about your book might pique the reader's interest?

My heroine, Katy, shares my views about Christmas needing to wait its turn in order to give Thanksgiving its rightful due!

Links:

www.debrastjohnromance.com

http://acmeauthorslink.blogspot.com

http://heroineswithhearts.blogspot.com

www.authorsbymoonlight.com

Excerpt:

 “Are you going to dance with me or not?”

     “Yes, ma’am, I am.” He stood and offered his hand.

     She slid hers into his warm grasp. As always, his touch caused a little shock in her heart. The weight of a hundred pairs of eyes followed them out onto the floor. The dirt was packed smooth, and a ring of hay bales marked the area. Her tummy quivered with a combination of nerves and anticipation.

     He found an open spot, which wasn’t difficult with the other couples affording them a wide berth, and then curved his arm around her waist to draw her close. Her body fit perfectly against him. A shiver tingled through her. She rested her free hand on his shoulder.

     His thigh brushed hers as he rhythmically shuffled his feet to the music. His gaze captured and held hers. The rest of the room faded as she stared into the warm, melted chocolate brown of his eyes.

     She didn’t care that people whispered. Snuck glances. Or outright gaped. All she cared about was swaying to a soft, slow beat. The quicker thud of her heart. Strong arms wrapped around her. And the desire to stay right where she was. Maybe forever.

Please welcome Debra St. John by leaving a comment. 

To see my review of Unexpected Blessing, go to:

http://www.amazon.com/An-Unexpected-Blessing-ebook/dp/B00A53KMSC

Blessing or Curse Coming Soon

Blessing or Curse
by Morgan Mandel

What Blessing or Curse is:

Blessing or Curse is the sequel to the science fiction thriller,  Forever Young: Blessing or Curse. This book can be read as a standalone or part of the projected three-book series.

In the first book, the emphasis is on a 55-year old widow, who takes the young pill turning her back to 24. All should have been wonderful, but then she makes a discovery which has her fleeing both from the villains and the law.

Blessing or Curse, the new book, is chiefly a romance, with a smattering of science fiction, since no one yet has invented a Forever Young pill. It's broken into five separate stories depicting how the pill impacts the lives of five test market subjects, and whether or not their choice was the right one. These participants come from differing ethnicities, ages and classes, yet all have a reason to be young. The loved ones of these characters are also at some point in the stories impacted by the test subject's age reversion.

Here's the lineup of stories:

Desperation forces Consuela to order the Forever Young pill to cure her husband, Diego, who suffers from Parkinson’s Disease; but will the cure become a curse?

Ezekiel, an African-American male with  E.D. difficulties, sends in for the young pill to prevent his lady love, Luana, from discovering he can’t get it up. Will the pill draw her closer or drive her away?

Strawberry blonde model, Sherri’s popularity is fading with her looks. The pill can bring her fame and fortune, but what about love?

Overweight Chicago Police Officer Walinski must pass a new physical or lose his job, along with his canine partner. Will the young pill provide security, when danger lurks in the line of duty? 

Downtrodden going-on-sixty housewife, Dee Dee Marshall, suspects her husband of infidelity, and will do anything to keep him, even take an experimental pill. What she really needs is self-confidence.

A Sneak Peek at Consuela and Diego's Story: 

First Trial Run -  Albuquerque, New Mexico

Consuela & Diego Morales

Ah, the wonderful love they’d shared. Why must it end this way?

“Diego, eat,” Consuela Morales said, holding out a spoonful of puree to her shrunken, wheelchair-bound husband. His dry parched lips remained obstinately shut, his gray eyebrows furrowed. He wanted to die and she didn’t blame him. God help her, sometimes she wanted him dead too. Till death do us part seemed a long time to live with half a man.

Placing the spoon into the jar with a klunk, Consuela gazed morosely at her husband. Mamacita, God rest her soul, had warned her not to marry a man twenty years older, but the ripe, chestnut-haired Consuela had paid no heed, choosing passion over common sense. Diego of the raised eyebrows, straight black hair and cocky mannerisms had fevered her blood, making her come alive as no other man could.

She remembered the exact moment he’d strode into the basement of her friend, Isabella’s brownstone. As their eyes met, her heart raced beneath the confines of her ample breasts, almost drowning out the background sounds of New Year’s Eve TV reveling.

Quickly averting her eyes, she whispered to her friend, Isabel, “Who is that studly guy?”

Isabel glanced at the new addition and frowned in concentration. “Oh, that must Diego, Alessandro’s cousin. He broke up with his girl and asked if he could come with tonight. He’s hot, if you go for father figures.”

 “My father never looked that good his entire life. That man steams. I need to cool off some.” 

I'm still rounding out Dee Dee Marshall's experience. Then we'll have the full house! Hope to have it ready soon, in between promoting Her Handyman, my humorous romance.

Thanks for Participating

Hi Gang,

Her Handyman by Morgan Mandel

Thanks to everyone for participating in my recent freebie Friday and Saturday for Her Handyman. So far, I'm happy to report I've gotten lots of positive feedback for my contemporary romance.

One of the joys of being an author is being able to share my novels with readers, and Amazon has a great program for doing so.

During the promotion, 2350 readers downloaded Her Handyman, and that was 2350 more than would have normally seen it!

If you didn't get a chance to download a copy from Amazon, Her Handyman is still a bargain at 99 cents, less than a dollar, at http://amzn.com/B0097EVXBK

If you're a prime member at Amazon, you can download this novel for free.


This one's about the unlikely romance between a regular guy, handyman, and a rich girl, artist, with the added complications of her mischief-making dog and his fiance waiting in the wings.

Her Handyman Free on Friday, Oct. 12 and Sat, Oct 13

This is the first time I'm offering a book for free on Amazon. It will take place on Friday, Oct. 12 and Saturday, Oct 13, and is my very latest romantic comedy novella, Her Handyman!!!

The link for this freebie is:

http://amzn.com/B0097EVXBK 

Even if you don't have a kindle, Amazon has an easy way for you to download for other formats, so don't hesitate to take advantage of this offer. 

Here's a link for easy downloading to your computer:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=kcp_pc_mkt_lnd?docId=1000426311

What it's about:
A novella length romantic comedy, with a dash of the serious. Longer than a short story, shorter than a full-length novel - just the right size for a busy reader!

Throw a crazy canine, a handyman, and a quirky artist together and you've got mayhem!

Who'd guess it's Jake, the handyman, who needs rescuing when he answers a call by the distraught artist, Zoe, to stop a toilet flood begun by her crazy canine, FuFu? 

Please take advantage of this offer and click to buy FOR FREE on either day.

And, if you happen to feel inclined, I'd love for you to do a short review on Amazon to tell other readers.No obligation to do so. The book is still free.

Thanks,

Morgan Mandel

Marilyn Meredith Shares Excerpt from Raging Water

 About Marilyn Meredith: Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Raging Water from Mundania Press. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel us No Bells, the forth from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Marilyn Says: I know there are some people who like to read a series in order, but let me reassure you that every book is complete. Though the characters grow through each book, the crime is always solved. Here is the order of the books for anyone who wants to know: Deadly Trail, Deadly Omen, Unequally Yoked, Intervention, Wing Beat, Calling the Dead, Judgment Fire, Kindred Spirits, Dispel the Mist, Invisible Path, Bears With Us, Raging Water.

What Raging Water Is About:  Deputy Tempe Crabtree’s investigation of the murder of two close friends is complicated when relentless rain turns Bear Creek into a raging river. Homes are inundated and a mud slide blocks the only road out of Bear Creek stranding many—including the murderer.

EXCERPT from Raging Water by Marilyn Meredith

Miqui Sherwood woke from a sound sleep. A floor board creaked. She raised her head and listened. No, she wasn’t imagining things. There it was again. Someone was in her house. Neither Cleopatra nor Blondie stirred from their comfy spot tucked beside the bend in her knees. No wonder, her two darling pets were both old and hard of hearing.

Maybe it was that raccoon again who had sneaked in through the doggie door. No. It took more weight than that to make a floor-board creak.

Someone was in the house. She’d heard from several of her friends, that they’d been burglarized but didn’t know when it happened. Well, she knew, because it was happening to her right now. Crap.

She eased out of bed as quietly as possible. What should she do? She didn’t own a gun, didn’t know how to use one, and wasn’t sure she would if she did have one. She scooped up her dogs and plucked her cell phone off the nightstand.

With her heart thumping madly, she tiptoed across to the other side of her large master bedroom and opened the door to the walk-in closet. Besides her clothes, this was one of the places she stored many of her holiday decorations, and since she still had her Christmas decorations out, the back was fairly empty.

Her Christmas decorations. She prayed the intruder didn’t share a fondness for any of her collectibles handed down to her from her mother and grandmother, priceless and irreplaceable. She adored each and every one.

Cleopatra and Blondie squirmed in her arms, letting her know they wanted down.

Miqui yanked a blanket off a shelf and put it on the floor. Carefully, she set the dogs down. Within minutes they both emitted soft snores, already back to sleep. So much for being any kind of protection.

Her bedroom was at the end of a long hall. She thought she heard the door to one of the spare bedrooms open. Good heavens, why was she waiting to make a phone call? She punched in the home phone number for Deputy Crabtree, the resident deputy of the mountain community of Bear Creek. Calling 9-1-1 would take longer, and someone else might be sent. She knew the deputy lived close by. It seemed as though it took forever for the phone to start ringing.

Two rings later, a sleepy sounding female voice answered. “Crabtree.”

“This is Miqui Sherwood,” she whispered. “I think there’s someone in my house.”

“Where are you now?”

“My dogs and I are hiding in my bedroom closet.”

“Give me your address. I’m sure I know where you live, but just in case.”

She rattled off the number. “Hurry.”

“I’m coming right now.”

It couldn’t be soon enough to suit Miqui. Since she’d awakened the deputy, she’d have to dress first and then it was at least eight to ten minutes driving time from the deputy’s place to Miqui’s home tucked into the mountainside overlooking the town of Bear Creek.

She’d never been so scared in her life. Maybe she should find something to hit whoever it was if he came into her bedroom and opened the closet door.

To do that, she’d have to leave the safety of the closet and she might go back in the room the same time the burglar came in. No, she’d just stay right where she was and hope Deputy Crabtree arrived at her house before the intruder made his way into the bedroom.

Though she’d given up watching scary movies a long time ago, deciding that wasn’t a good idea since she lived alone, this was far worse than any scary movie could possibly be. It wasn’t often she wished she had a man in her life. She’d given up on that scenario though she still had a spark of hope the right guy might come along. Now was the time a strong, muscular man would’ve come in handy. There’d been a few fellows she’d dated and even considered marrying, but for one reason or another, it had never happened. In most cases, she knew her love of independence got in the way. She’d yet to meet the man who could accept her level of self-sufficiency.

She’d worked long and hard as a partner in a medical insurance group that gave her an excellent retirement, and she’d made wise investments over the years, so she didn’t need a man to support her. Nor did she want one to support. Yes, she was lonely at times, but she belonged to many local organizations, did volunteer work associated with each of them, and had many female and male friends.

Right now, cowering in the closet, she wished she’d not been quite so choosy about the males in her life.

Oh, dear God, the hinges on her bedroom door squeaked open. Whoever was there would see she wasn’t in bed.

Cleo, the black-and-white mixed terrier lifted her head. Her ears stood straight up. Blondie, a long-haired Doxie mix, stood, emitting a low growl.

Before Miqui could shush them, the closet door creaked open and gloved fingers appeared on the edge. She screamed. The two small dogs raced past her, barking.

The intruder turned and darted off, the little dogs barking and nipping at his ankles. “Ow. Stop that. Quit it.” His protests faded as he ran through the house.

Whoever it was wore black from head to toe except for white spots on his running shoes. He quickly disappeared from view.

Now afraid for her pets, neither of them young, Miqui ran after the man and the dogs. “Cleo, Blondie, come back.”

All she could see of the burglar was his back and those white spots moving quickly as he dashed through the living room and past the kitchen. He disappeared into the laundry room. Her dogs galloped right behind him.

Contest: The person who leaves comments on the most blogs will have his/her name used for a character in my next book—can choose if you want it in a Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery or a Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel.

Visit Marilyn at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/

Please leave a comment to welcome Marilyn Meredith to Double M.