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Saturday, July 7, 2018

#WeWriWa - NUMBERS NEVER LIE: The Sheriff Calls


Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors where authors share an 8 - 10 sentence snippet. Be sure to visit the other authors. You can find them here

I'm sharing snippets from my soon-to-be-released (MONDAY!!!) NUMBERS NEVER LIE, a romantic suspense. Thank you all who offered me a guest spot on your blogs. I think I've contacted everyone. If not, please drop me a note at dmburton72 @ gmail.com




Thanks to your comments last week, I edited that section to explain why she doesn't answer the machine right away. Friends and family always use her cell. And she refuses to jump and run to the phone like her mother did, even leaving the dinner table or in the middle of a conversation. Besides, it was probably a robo-call.

Maggie and Drew are in her kitchen. Last week's snippet ended with: Drew slanted his gaze at the answering machine, “I can’t believe you’re not curious enough to listen to your message—I’d never not check.”

An uncomfortable (for Drew) conversation followed that he took out on the blinking machine.

Please excuse the creative punctuation, necessary to keep this within the guidelines.

Drew glared at her answering machine, “I can’t stand this,” he punched the Play button.
“You have a lot of nerve—”
“Saturday, one-fifty-three pm. This message is for Maggie May Sinclair—please call the Muskegon County Sheriff immediately,” A phone number followed.
Maggie stared at Drew, her heart thudded in her chest, alarm plummeted into her stomach like an icy weight.
“Jack?” Drew voiced her worst fear.
She grabbed the receiver and dialed the number, “This is Maggie Sinclair, I’m returning a call I received.”
The deputy said, “Ms. Sinclair, I called about your brother, Jack Sinclair.”
Alarm shot through her veins. She heard bits and pieces through the roar in her ears. “Regret to inform you . . . accident . . . early yesterday morning—”
She slid, the kitchen cupboard at her back, the phone clattered on the white vinyl floor.


Blurb:

A shocking secret brings danger to Jack Sinclair and his sister Maggie. 

As kids, they were the fearless threesome. As adults, Jack's an accountant; Drew, a lawyer; Maggie, a teacher and camping troop leader. Returning from a weekend camping trip, Maggie receives horrifying news. She refuses to believe her brother’s fatal car crash was an accident. If the police won’t investigate, she’ll do it herself. Convincing Drew Campbell to help is her only recourse.

Drew Campbell was too busy to return his best friend’s phone call. Too busy to attend a camping meeting important to his teen daughter. Too busy to stay in touch with Jack. Logic and reason indicate Jack’s accident was just that--an accident caused by fatigue and fog. Prodded by guilt, he’ll help Maggie even if he thinks she’s wrong.

A break-in at Jack’s condo convinces Maggie she’s right. Then her home is searched. What did Jack do that puts Maggie in danger?

NUMBERS NEVER LIE is available for pre-order at Amazon  Release Day is Monday. I can't tell you how excited I am. But then, you all know because of your own releases. It never gets old, does it?




25 comments:

  1. Well, it's good that Drew made her listen, but it was not good news. At least he is there for her. That is, if she wants him with her. Great snippet!

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  2. Oww wow suspense. A phone clattering to the floor can never be good unless it was for Stephen King when he heard his first novel was gonna pay him $200k lol

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    1. I wouldn't mind that kind of phone call. :) Thanks, Trin.

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  3. That's the kind of call everyone fears. Well done.

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  4. I hate answering the phone, especially voicemails, few people leave happy voicemails. Good snippet!

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  5. Well we knew it was probably going to be bad news, based on the lead up. Very powerful scene! Best wishes with the new release!

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    1. Thanks so much, Veronica. I'm getting excited. One more day.

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  6. What a dramatic scene!
    I'm like Maggie about not answering the landline.

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  7. Oh no! Now I’m wishing he hadn’t hit play.

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    1. But Christina, having him there and listening to the call when she didn't want to adds such a nice bit of extra tension!

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  8. Super snippet. Written so well you touched my heart.
    My computer waited 'til finished my snippet and then it did the dirty by crashing. I just re-wrote my snippet so please check it out. Chapter 8-C.R. Grows Up. Thanks, Diane.

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    1. Thanks, Charmaine. I'll check your snippet right away.

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  9. What a vivid, heartbreaking scene, Di! The last and absolutely last thing you expect to hear. See you on my blog on Wednesday!

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    1. Wow. Thanks so much, Nancy. Yeppers, see you Wednesday.

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  10. That last bit was powerful. Great job.
    Tweeted.

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  11. A message that hits you right in the gut. Bad news travels fast.

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  12. A message and phone call like that are not fun, so it brings back memories for me. I have had one in my life when my mother was driving and she got hit by a very drunk driver 5 years ago. She is fine now, but at the time they didn't know if she was going to make it. She was trapped in her car that was hit with so much force from the drunk driver, her car rolled over 3 times and was all smashed in, and it broke her neck. So scary!! I prefer not to ever have to go through that kind of situation again.

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    1. That had to be awful. The scare of the phone call plus everything else. I'm sorry my snippet brought that back. I'm so glad your mom is okay now. I got an early morning call from the state police that my son had been in an accident. He was banged up but fine.

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  13. Oh, what a scene... Very well-written. It made me uneasy reading up to the moment she actually got the news--then sad. You've pulled emotion from this reader.

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  14. Really well written scene as always. We knew she needed to answer that voicemail but it's still a shock to realise its significance and seriousness. I'm glad Drew's there, it would be awful to receive such news alone.

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