Title: Forever The One.Com
Author: Connie Y Harris
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book Blurb:
No stranger to trouble as a Texas Game Warden, Mariah Michaels fearlessly enforces the laws that protect wildlife. However, when an unknown stalker imperils her life, she’ll need help neutralizing the threat.
Plagued by the limitations of his disability, Marine veteran-turned-security specialist, John Armstrong, joins an online dating site in search of love and an end to his loneliness. But he gets more than he bargained for when the woman of his dreams responds to his profile as a perfect match.
While they pursue a long-distance relationship, blazing a trail from Florida to Texas, the stalker’s actions escalate, putting Mariah and everyone close to her at risk. In over her head, she’s counting on John, who must face his worst fear and rise above his disability to save her, but will her faith in him be enough?
Excerpt:
Mariah Michaels gunned the engine of her twenty-eighteen four-by-four, dodging sporadic potholes as she sped along one of the many backcountry roads in East Texas. Dust swirled behind the truck creating a thick mass of red particles, making the view from her rear-view mirror impossible. She checked the side mirror. A black Suburban slid into momentary view, then disappeared. Too close for comfort and gaining on me. The tricked-out vehicle with dark tinted windows reminded her of ones she’d impounded after discovering drugs stuffed in the interior walls. Not that she sought that kind of arrest, but as a law enforcement officer, an illegal transaction obligated her to act. The screen on her cell phone lit up. She glanced at the caller ID. Mama? What now? Her mind raced as she fumbled for the phone. I should hit decline. But what if it’s an emergency?
“Hi mama,” she said, forcing calm into her tone, aware strain in her voice might betray her apprehension of who the hell was barreling up her tailpipe. “Everything okay?”
“Not by a long shot. I can’t find the remote and I’m about to miss Naked and Afraid.”
Mariah white-knuckled the steering wheel to keep from screaming. Her mother’s memory lapses were getting worse. “Did you check the coffee table?” Her eyes flicked to the rear-view mirror.
“Yes.” Her mama’s voice wobbled. “I could have sworn I left the blasted thing in the living room, but it’s not there.” Then she whispered, “Someone must have moved it.”
“Okay Mama. I’ll come over after work and we’ll make a checklist together of possible places the remote would be.”
In a barely audible voice she asked, “What if someone stole it?”
Mariah swallowed the burning liquid surging up her throat and replied, “I’ll arrest them.”
She glanced again in the rear-view and was startled to see the vehicle directly behind her. Whoever this was, weaving back and forth, meant to send a message and scare the bejesus out of her. Mission accomplished.
“Gotta go Mama. Ask Franny if you can watch your show at her house. I’ll call you later.”
“Good idea honey. Be safe. Goodbye.”
In the split second that followed, the heavy SUV rammed her rear bumper with enough force to snap her neck backwards, jerk it forward, then slam it against the head rest. Mariah braced her back against the seat as the truck skidded onto the raised shoulder. Stunned, she gripped the wheel and righted the tires back onto the dirt road.
She thumbed the transmit button of her radio. “This is Bravo W 22.” Exhaling a jagged breath, she continued, “1033, rammed by an SUV, speed of seventy miles per hour while trying to elude. Requesting any available units in response area for back up on unpaved road, two miles Northeast of CR One.”
A voice from the dispatcher crackled over the radio. “You okay Bravo W? I checked and the closest sheriff is ETA two minutes out, at the boat dock near Eagle Mountain Lake.”
“For now. The driver gave me a hard tap on my bumper. Flipped me up on the berm, but I’m back on the road, 10-17 for the dock.”
“Any ID?”
“Can’t g-get physical description of occupants at this time.” The stutter in her voice betrayed her attempt to sound unruffled.
“Sounds like you need help now. I’ll radio the sheriff to intercept.”
“Ten-four, dispatch. One mile out.” She eyed the straight stretch of road ahead, gripped the wheel and stomped on the gas pedal. After a quick glance in the rear-view she inhaled a deep breath and sighed relief as the black SUV receded behind a screen of sand and dirt kicked up by the all-terrain tires on her truck. She maintained her speed until the dock came into view. A sheriff’s sedan, parked next to the gravel ramp, flashed blue and red lights. The passenger side door was open. A twenty-something deputy stood braced against the frame with his gun drawn. As she slowed, he gave an emphatic wave indicating she should shift to the right, near the tree line. What?
The retort of gunfire startled her into action as the windshield of the deputy’s patrol car shattered. The deputy instantly returned fire. She whipped the wheel to the right, drove onto the dried grass sideways and slammed on the brakes. Twisted to the left, she slipped her hand through the crack in the seat and rifled around the floorboard for her hard body armor. With rapid gun fire ripping past her, she crawled out the passenger side and crouched on the ground, slipping the additional armor over her bullet-proof vest. There was no way to retrieve her Bushmaster fully automatic rifle. She clutched the holster slung low on her hip. The forty caliber Glock would have to do.
Peeking over the hood of her truck, she viewed a chaotic scene. The black SUV didn’t slow down as it barreled up to the dock but continued in a semi-circle as two shooters fired from the back seat. A sudden hiss and tilt down of her truck signaled her tire had taken a round. Damn. She aimed and fired at the shooter closest to her. He winced as he simultaneously grabbed his arm and fell backward in the car. After making a full turn, they sped down the road toward the highway.
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Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $20 Amazon gift card
Open internationally.
Runs May 1 – 31, 2024
Drawing will be held on June 3, 2024.
Author Biography:
Connie is a multi-published, award-winning, hybrid author.
With close ties to the Navy SEAL community, Connie’s mission as a writer is to offer the reader a realistic portrayal of men who transfer their alpha tendencies and athletic prowess into serving a noble cause.
A former English teacher and corporate executive Connie holds a B.A. from East Carolina University. Although she spent many years in the corporate world, her first love has always been writing. She maintains a portfolio of songs, poems, and stories she wrote as early as ten. When she isn’t creating new plots, Connie enjoys Zumba fitness and claims her best story ideas come to her while dancing the Salsa.
Connie lives near the Gulf Coast of Florida with her German Shepherd Dog and a cat who takes no prisoners.
Social Media Links:
Website https://connieyharris.com
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/connieyharris
Amazon Author Page http://amazon.com/author/connieharris