Excerpt #9 – Chapter 2:

“Your niece?” Ben sat back in his chair; his body language as open as possible to encourage her to keep talking. He liked Connie and knew she and her husband had worked hard to keep Izzie in school last year. “I didn’t know you had siblings in town.”

“I don’t,” she whispered. “That’s what’s so horrible. Sherida’s my sister’s girl from Winnipeg. Candice sent her up here for the summer to keep her away from some young guy they didn’t want her involved with, and now she’s missing, too.” She reached a shaking hand to grasp the water glass again. “Sherida’s a straight-A student. Never been in trouble before. And Candice trusted me to take care of her.”

Ben glanced over Connie’s shoulder at Zack’s wide-eyed expression. He was sure the girls were holed up at a friend’s house, safe and sound, and likely sleeping off too much beer. He gave Zack a subtle shake of the head.

“Can you give me the same information on Sherida? Just for the record, and then we’ll get started making some phone calls.”

“I’ve already called all of Izzie’s usual friends.” Connie sat straighter in her chair.

“Okay, we can follow up with some door knocking. What’s Sherida’s full name?”

“Sherida Doreen Stewart. She was named for our two grandmothers. Her date of birth is today…” Connie’s voice trembled. “August 1, 2003. She’s taller than my Izzie. 5’ 4” and about 130 lbs. Dark brown hair and brown eyes. Double-pierced ears. I don’t know about any identifying marks—I couldn’t see any tattoos, and I can’t imagine my sister would let her get one.”

Ben typed quickly. “What’s her parents’ contact information?”

“Candice Stewart, 204-555-0956, 134 Arlington Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba.”

“Okay, that’s a good start. Have you contacted your sister yet?”

Connie shrank down again. “No, I was hoping we’d find them this morning.”

“Honestly, Connie, I’m sure they’re sleeping it off at a friend’s place. Someone Izzie’s never mentioned to you before.” Ben fiddled with a pen on his desk. “Has she got a new boyfriend? Would this Jolene have told you about him if she did?”

“Not usually, but Jolene’s mom was super angry with her this morning, so I think she would’ve said something. She’s grounded, so she has no reason to keep secrets.”

Kids always keep secrets from their parents. He passed a piece of paper and his pen over to Connie. “Please write down the addresses of Izzie’s friends, and I’ll go check them out.

It’s harder to lie to the cops than someone’s mom on the phone.”

“You don’t mind?” Connie looked incredulous. She took the paper and started scribbling words down.

“Of course not.” Ben hoped he wouldn’t have to roust ten girls from their hangover slumbers. “We’ll find both girls, and everything will be fine. You’ll see.” He put his computer to sleep. “I’ll let you know as soon as we know anything.”

Connie stood with him. “Thanks. I feel silly now…”

Ben towered over her as he walked her to the front of the station. “No need to worry. Better safe than sorry.” He lifted the latch on the through-door at the counter. “I’ll get back to you, I promise.”

Connie seemed to shrink into herself again as she paused with her hand on the front door’s crash bar. She nodded to them without speaking and left.

“Where do you think they are?” asked Zack.

Ben fingered the paper Connie’d given him. “Hopefully, at one of these houses. Let’s go.” He put on his sunglasses and grabbed his notebook. Except teens always lie to their parents. He sighed. Lies and secrets. I’m definitely back home in Churchill.

Each book had a different type of hero:

Lukas Tanner was an outdoorsman/adventurer,

Ben Koper was in law enforcement,

and Jake Miller was a chef and business owner.

What kind of hero do you most love to read about? 

Leave a comment and be entered into a draw for an E-book copy of any one of my three books in the Heroes of the Tundra series. Thanks for joining me this month for Reader Appreciation!

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Excerpt #7 – Chapter 2:

When she turned towards him, he recognized Connie Baker, who ran one of the gift shops on Kelsey Boulevard. He put his hands flat on the counter.

“Hey, Connie. Everything all right?”

The woman stopped pacing and leaned her upper body on the countertop. “Oh, Ben.

I heard you’re back.”

“Wow, that got around fast,” he said.

Her swollen eyes were red-rimmed, and she grasped shredded tissues in one hand. She wiped her nose before speaking again.

“It’s my daughter, Izzie.” She looked down at her hands, and tears rolled down her chin onto her fingers. She wiped them away and cleared her throat. “Izzie and her cousin.

They didn’t come home the last night. I’ve called all her friends.”

Ben grabbed the box of tissues from Trudy’s desk and passed it to her. He flipped the inner lock off the hidden gate on the counter to open it, so it made a pass-through. “Why don’t you come in here, and I’ll take the report?”

Connie seemed to shrink into herself as she entered the bullpen. Ben knew it could be intimidating for some townspeople, making a police report. Zack hovered nearby.

Ben motioned to the chair beside his new-to-him desk. “Can we get you a coffee?

Water?”

Connie sat on the edge of the chair and shook her head. She kept wiping tears from her cheeks with the back of one hand. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered. “My husband said to wait another couple of hours, but I don’t know. Izzie always stays over at her friend Jolene’s place and now…” The tears started up again.

“And now?” Ben probed gently.

“I phoned Jolene this morning, and she said she never saw Izzie or Sherida last night or the night before. It was a lie Izzie told me. There was no party at Jolene’s, so I have no idea where they went. Jolene was home ‘cause she was grounded.” Connie sniffed and wiped her nose again. “Her mom told me that, so I know it’s true.”

Ben looked at Zack and said, “Can you please get Mrs. Baker a glass of water?” He raised his eyebrows until Zack got the message and left for the water. Then he turned to his computer and pulled up a missing person’s form. “Let’s start with your daughter. I’ll need a few particulars. What’s her full name?”

“Isabella Dawn Baker. She goes by Izzie.”

“And her date of birth?”

“February 5, 2002. She just graduated high school this June.”

“Okay, does she have any identifying marks or tattoos?”

Connie sniffed and then thanked Zack as he handed her a glass of water. She took a small sip and placed it on the desk. “No, nothing. We would never let her get a tattoo.

Her ears have five piercings in each of them.” “Height and weight?”

Connie began crying again.

“I’m sorry,” said Ben. “I know these questions are upsetting, but we’re going to find her. It’ll be all right.”

Never make promises to citizens, he heard his training officer’s voice in his head from years ago. Never promise them you’ll find a loved one. But Churchill was a small, remote, place. How far could two girls have gone in one night?

“She’s about 5’2” and 120 lbs. She’s always worrying she’s too fat.” Connie sniffled again. “She was wearing green khaki shorts and a camo tank top with a lavender hoodie last night. And she had a ton of makeup on.”

“Thanks, Connie, that’s really helpful.” Ben typed it all into the computer report.

“When was the last time you saw her?”

“She and her cousin left just after nine-thirty last night. She said they were going to Jolene’s, but they…” She stopped and clenched her fists in her lap. “They never showed up there. I have no idea where they went, and Jolene said Izzie hadn’t told her anything. Her mother put the fear of God into her to tell me the truth.”

“And what’s Jolene’s full name and address?”

Connie took another sip of water. “Jolene Shaw. They live at 42 Edge Street.”

“Has Izzie ever not come home before?”

“A couple of times, but she was always at Jolene’s place.” Connie raised her tearstained face to his. “She’s a bit wild, but not this wild. And my niece…” She stifled a sob.

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Excerpt #6 – Chapter 2:

Ben held Connolly’s gaze. He’d had two plastic surgeries already and figured he’d eventually deal with the rest of the scarring, but cosmetic surgery didn’t come cheap in Canada. Anyway, up here, it would be a badge of honour. If he’d taken a southern posting, people would have stared relentlessly, and working in the field would be insufferable.

Connolly broke away first, much to Ben’s satisfaction. “I’ve got something I want you to look into, a cold case from Winnipeg they want us to go through again.” He passed a thick manila file folder over his desk to Ben. “She was from here and turned up dead in Winnipeg three years ago. I figured you could reinterview the relatives, see if they remember anything new. Get your feet wet again.”

Ben opened the file and looked at the photo attached to the left-hand side of the folder. A stunning teenage girl smiled into the camera. It was a selfie taken in a brightly lit bathroom—not one of the homes up here—maybe a motel down south? She wore a yellow tank top, jean shorts, and two gold necklaces holding a tiny gold cross and a bird charm. Her highlighted lustrous brown hair curled around her face and shoulders. She playfully held up a water bottle to her lips, smiling into the camera.

He started scanning the first page: Morag Raider—Caucasian; date of birth April 16, 1999; 5’2”; 105 lbs.; light brown curly hair, medium length; blue eyes; no tattoos; appendectomy scar; ears pierced; dental records on file in Churchill. Left Churchill June 22, 2016 on the train to Winnipeg to visit her older sister. Last known address showed she was living with her aunt Ruby Gallagher at 36 Tillman St.

“Ruby’s her aunt? She lived with her for how long?”

Connolly waved a dismissive hand. “I have no idea. There are interview reports in there from us and the guys in Winnipeg who spoke to her sister once they tracked her down. The girl turned up dead quick once she hit the big city. Do a recanvas and update the file.”

Ben nodded and rose to leave.

“Try and remember your shift starts at 0645 hours. Dismissed.”

Dismissed. Like he thinks this is the military. Which I would’ve been in, except for my stupid peanut allergy. Ben fought the urge to salute him and left the office, clutching the file folder.

Morag Raider was Ruby Gallagher’s niece. Well, that was a revelation. He’d never heard Ruby refer to her before. He thought he’d known all about Ruby’s family because she was open about her husband’s accidental boating death on the Churchill River seven years ago, and her son, Rory, owned the helicopter tour company in town. He’d better swing by the café to find out more about Morag.

He grabbed his cold coffee from Trudy’s desk and headed to the break room to nuke it in the microwave. Voices carried from the cell block as Adam set about releasing their two now sober individuals. Most of their drunken fights were harmless exchanges between transient workers up here doing construction on a government project. He heaved a sigh as the microwave beeped. It felt good to be back in familiar surroundings. He held out his right hand and stared at it. No tremors. Much better.

“Hey, new guy.” Zack stuck his head in the doorway. “You survived your first interview with Connolly. That’s good news.”

“I’m not the new guy. You’re the new guy,” Ben said before taking a scalding sip of coffee. “When did he post in, anyway?”

Zack came all the way into the room and closed the door. “He got sent here from D Division, Winnipeg two months ago. Got demoted from Sergeant for some reason. He’s bitter about it.”

“Gee, I couldn’t tell,” Ben quipped. The hot coffee was waking him up nicely.

“There’s someone at the counter. Can you take it?”

“You’re the new guy,” Ben said before taking another sip of coffee. “I’ve been up here nineteen months. Why don’t you take it?”

“Because she says she’ll only speak to you,” Zack said, leaning against the door frame. “Sorry, I’m Zack Lazar.” He stuck out his hand to shake Ben’s and gave it a solid grip. “Just got in from the academy. This is my first posting.”

Ben grinned. “Well, then, watch and learn, newbie.” He headed out the door, through the bullpen, and to the front counter where a woman paced, clutching her elbows.

Do you prefer romantic suspense novels or straight up mystery novels?

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Excerpt #5 – Chapter 2:

BEN ENTERED THE POLICE DETACHMENT through the front door and walked right into the morning briefing in the bullpen. No time to hit his locker in the building’s rear, and the new Corporal was holding court waving a fist full of CPIC—Canadian Police Information Centre—notices in his hand. Short and wiry, his white hair was brush cut short, his face wrinkled and acne scarred. His name tag read “Connolly.”

Why here, why now? He’d hoped he’d never see this guy again. Ben took his seat at the only empty desk in the bullpen. A new officer he’d never seen before sat at his old desk beside the front window. The new guy gave him a quick wave while still pretending he was hanging on the Corporal’s every word.

“And another thing,” said Connolly. “I don’t want these warrants sitting around in the filing cabinet for months on end. Get them served. As for the kids ‘joyriding,’”—he made quote marks in the air with his fingers—“in vehicles, no more giving them warnings. They’ll quit doing it if we lay some charges. Dismissed.”

The officer beside Ben stuck up his hand. “Sir, we give warnings because there’s nowhere for them to go up here. This place is more of a ‘community policing’ model than a ‘strictly by-the-book’ model.”

Connolly’s neck flushed red over his open-necked uniform shirt. “Community policing is for cities that want to placate businesses and show people the police won’t tolerate gangs. The kids around here need to know we won’t tolerate them stealing someone’s truck so they can head out to the flats or the national park. Someone else’s vehicle isn’t for their own personal transportation. Maybe it helps the only tow truck service in town, but we waste our time doing the paperwork.” “Yes, Corporal,” said the officer, pursing his lips.

“You have a problem with that?” said Connolly.

“No, Corporal,” said the officer.

“Good.” Connolly turned to Ben. Recognition raised his left eyebrow. “Koper, you managed to grace us with your presence.” “Yes,” said Ben.

“Yes, Corporal,” said the Corporal. “In my office.” He jerked his thumb towards the centre office. “Adam, check the two drunks in the back cells. Zack, you can handle the phone until Trudy gets in at 9 a.m.”

Zack, who didn’t believe in community policing, nodded affirmatively, while Adam, the new guy by the front window, got up and headed back into the cell block. Ben knew they’d been watching the prisoners on the in-station camera monitoring system during the meeting, but he was impressed with how fast Connolly got rid of the other two officers.

He placed the cupcake box on Trudy’s desk, along with the now lukewarm coffees, and followed Connolly into his office. Those two other guys were new to him. Before his polar bear “accident,” he’d held down the detachment nearly single-handedly. What a luxury to have a full complement of four officers for the summertime.

The industrial sage green walls hadn’t changed, nor had any of the government issued wildlife pictures hanging on them. The name plate on the desk now read Corporal Garry Connolly instead of Corporal Stan Baker, his last commander. He stood in front of the desk until Connolly motioned for him to sit.

“How’s the arm—shoulder—whatever?” Connolly’s eyes crinkled into streams of crows’ feet as he stared hard at Ben. “I need you in fighting shape because Zack’s leaving for five weeks holidays.”

“It’s good. The doctor cleared me. I emailed everything last week.”

“No lingering head effects, concussive disorder?”

Ben grasped the arms of his chair to hide the tremors in his hands. “I’m good to go.”

Connolly glared at him. “I won’t lie. I didn’t want you back here. I’ve seen injuries less extensive than yours foul guys up, and I need everyone in the field.”

Ben straightened in the chair. “I’ve got another year to go here. I’m finishing the posting.” He paused. “Corporal.”

“You’re all I’ve heard about since I posted in. How Ben Koper survived the great polar bear mauling last fall. You’re some kind of folk hero around here.” Connolly leaned back in his office chair, his eyes squinted up with the ready anger Ben remembered so well.

“You’d better not make me regret it. Someone in “D” Division down south likes you.”

Connolly jabbed his forefinger at him. “I’ve got no patience with weaklings.” How could I ever forget?

“As I said, I’m good to go.” Ben gripped the arms of the chair tighter. “Are we switching up our hours for the summer?”

“Regular days unless something comes up. On call for nights—seven nights at a time.” Connolly stared at Ben’s face, his gaze raking over the still-red scar snaking from Ben’s scalp through his right eyebrow and over to his ear.

Connolly missed nothing. A smaller scar might have given Ben a rakish pirate air. Instead, the bear’s claws had left him looking like someone had scraped a pitchfork along the side of his head.

Have you ever had an issue with your boss or other authority figure at work? How did you cope with it?

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Excerpt #4 – Chapter 1:

“What’s wrong with the policeman, Mommy?”

“Nothing, honey. I just had to talk to him,” said Joy. She hung a right to go north and then a left at the Town Centre.

Her ancient two-door sedan had nearly 110,000 kilometers on it. Up here, everyone drove their vehicles into the ground. The only places to go were around town, out to the airport, or along the coast twenty-three kilometers to the Arctic Studies Research Centre. She’d gotten this car from her parents when she was sixteen, but it was already well used then.

She helped Emberlyn out of her car seat and let her skip along the sidewalk towards the main doors. Her princess backpack bounced on her thin shoulders when she hopscotched on invisible squares before hitting the automatic door opener with the flat of her palm.

“His ear looks ugly,” said Emberlyn. They entered the air-conditioned building that housed every important business for the town. The Town Complex stretched for five city blocks along the shoreline.

Joy worked in the Health Centre here and loved the fact that she could leave Emberlyn in the Little Tots Day Care because it had extended hours for shift workers. They walked past the library and down the hallway towards the indoor play area, where young moms and their little kids congregated on days of inclement weather.

That’s because he got mauled by the polar bear last winter,” she said as she held the inner door open for her daughter. “Don’t say that to anyone. I’m sure Constable Koper’s self-conscious about it.”

“I won’t.” Emberlyn skipped into the day care foyer, her light-up runners flashing pink and purple lights. “Can he hear out of it?”

“I’m sure he can, or he wouldn’t be back at work.” She stood by while Emberlyn hung up her backpack in her cubby and toed off her runners. Fatigue washed over her. Her Saturday overnight shift had been busier than usual. A fight at the Legion and two domestics. It made it harder when she knew the victims.

“Okay.” Emberlyn shrugged and reached up for a quick hug and kiss. “Love you,

Mommy.”

“Love you too, baby.” She squeezed her daughter tightly. It was so hard to leave her in the care of others besides herself or her own mother. She straightened as Shannon appeared.

“Hey, Emberlyn. Are you ready for breakfast, or did you eat at Gramma’s house?”

“We had chocolate chip pancakes,” said Emberlyn, beaming. “Gramma let me pour the pancake batter because I’m six now and big enough.” She clutched her princess doll to her side. “I can help you make breakfast.”

Shannon laughed. “Well, aren’t you wide awake this morning. Sure, you can help make breakfast for the little kids.” She took Emberlyn by the hand and smiled at Joy.

“Looks like you could use a decent sleep. Rough shift?”

Joy shrugged. “Eh, rough enough. I didn’t get much sleep before I went on.” She ruffled Emberlyn’s hair. “I’ll be back to get her by 5 p.m. Bye, squirt.”

“Bye, Mommy.”

Joy watched the two of them disappear into the kitchen, then headed back out to her car. Every part of her ached from being on the run all shift. But it was the middle of summer, which meant staff shortages from holidays. After this next shift, she’d be able to collapse into sleep while her mom took Emberlyn for the night again.

Joy watched the two of them disappear into the kitchen, then headed back out to her car. Every part of her ached from being on the run all shift. But it was the middle of summer, which meant staff shortages from holidays. After this next shift, she’d be able to collapse into sleep while her mom took Emberlyn for the night again.

Driving back down the hill, she remembered the feel of Ben’s hard shoulder under her hand. Something about it wasn’t right. She touched her throbbing nose ruefully. Served her right for scaring the poor man. He’d been having a full-blown panic attack. She hoped for his sake, he’d had some therapy back in Winnipeg. No one here expected to see him again after his close brush with death.

They’d stabilized him with two blood transfusions and a quick surgery to put his shoulder back in place, before helicoptering him down to the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg for proper reconstructive surgery. Her boss, Dr. Will Stedman knew the plastic surgeon who’d reattached Ben’s right ear and fixed the scarring on his face and right eyebrow.

Emberlyn was right. His damaged ear was noticeable—but only because as a police officer, he had to wear his hair short, and it was uncovered. Kudos to him for being brave enough not to care what people thought of his looks. And for coming back here where he was injured in the first place. She didn’t know if she would’ve had the guts to go through with it. On the other hand, her return to Churchill had taken a different kind of courage.

She wheeled around the corner of the building into the Health Centre staff parking.

Time to grab another coffee and get back to work.

Have you ever had an injury that disfigured you or disabled you in any way? How did you cope with it?

Leave a comment and be entered to win an E-book copy of NORTHERN PROTECTOR.

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In July, 2019, my husband and I headed up to Churchill, Manitoba, Canada so I could do summer research for my next book, NORTHERN PROTECTOR (Heroes of the Tundra Book 2). 

That sign hangs in the Churchill airport. The citizens and Natural Resources Officers are quite serious about polar bear safety and the rules are meant for everyone. When we arrived on July 8, 2019 there had only been one polar bear spotted coming in from Hudson Bay’s coast. By the time we left at the end of the week, there would be five more sighted.

When I wrote the first book in the series, NORTHERN DECEPTION, and the subsequent Christmas novella, NORTHERN HEARTS, both of those books took place during the winter time. I had over 100 photos that my husband had taken in Churchill during March, 2011, when he was up there on a Search and Rescue training mission with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He loves to take photos and so I had a good idea of the town layout, the various buildings of interest, and the topography in the winter time.

However, NORTHERN PROTECTOR takes place in the summer time following the Christmas novella and I wanted to get all the details right on the flora and fauna of the taiga – the land that is the sub-arctic which Churchill stands on – and is beside the tundra. And I wanted to see the animals in the Wildlife Management Area which is government-protected because the polar bears have their maternity dens there and return each year to have their cubs. I knew that setting a murder mystery in a small, sub-arctic town, which is a fly-in and railroad only access year round would have it’s challenges.

So, we headed up by air and signed up for a couple of tour packages through https://frontiersnorth.com/.

Here’s some photos of locations that are in the book:

These are the kind of townhouses Joy and Emberlyn Gallagher live in. Row housing conserves heat during the winter time. In the late 1950’s-1960’s, Churchill had a military installation up there that held 5000 people. Some of these row houses are left over from that era. Now, the town boasts 900 people on a good day. During tourist season – the winter time or polar bear season – it swells to over double that normally. It’s been a ghost town during the pandemic.

This is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Detachment on the main street. I wasn’t allowed to take pictures inside, of course, but my descriptions in the book are accurate. It also houses three cells at the rear for over-night prisoners who need to sober up or are being held for plane transport down to Thompson, Manitoba for court purposes. This is where Constable Ben Koper works.

An aerial shot, thanks to my husband’s trip in 2011. This is the Town Centre which is many blocks long and houses City Hall, the Health Centre which is a 100-bed hospital, the day care centre, library, recreation centre, bowling alley, movie theatre, and indoor playing area for year-round playing for kids. Due to the snowstorms and cold weather that comes down from the Arctic and the polar vortex that usually covers the town and surrounding area, everything important in the town is under this main building and inter-connected. The Town Centre and Health Centre feature in all three of my books.

This is part of the waiting area for the Emergency Department of the Health Centre, where Joy Gallagher works as head nurse. I  wasn’t allowed to take photos further into the Centre but I loved the polar bear mural.

Here’s one of the two sets of apartment buildings in Churchill. I gave both Ben Koper and Jake Miller from NORTHERN HEARTS, apartments.

This Inukshuk features in each of the three books. Here it is in winter time, facing back into town and across the thin edge of the Bay towards the Granaries. The town used to be a major shipping port for all of Canada’s western grain and it was stored here before shipping across the world. The Granaries is where Kira Summer’s from NORTHERN DECEPTION is kidnapped and held for questioning about her whistleblower brother’s evidence by the villains.

Here I am standing beside it to give you an idea of the size. Inukshuk’s are man-made stone forms to show directions for hunter’s on the taiga or tundra. In NORTHERN PROTECTOR, the high school kids have been meeting down here on the beach to drink alcohol and socialize, putting themselves in danger to meeting up with polar bears who like to hide and sleep in the warm rocks.

These tiny cabins were the inspiration for my serial killers “workshop” on the “lake”, although these ones were right on Hudson Bay. These actual cabins are for ice fishing during the winter but when I saw them, my imagination started to go into over-drive.

We spent a whole day outside the town in the Wildlife Management Area on a Tundra Buggy. I wasn’t allowed to use the real trademarked name in my books so I called them Arctic Rovers. It’s made from the chassis of a fire truck, with special tires made to withstand a polar bear’s claws, and you can see by our heights how far off the ground they have to be. A male polar bear can stand up to 12-14 feet tall, and they often come right up to the Buggies and check them out.

You can see the width of the polar bear’s paws compared to my head. When Constable Ben Koper is mauled by a polar bear in NORTHERN DECEPTION, he’s only saved by his best friend driving a truck at it, and a Natural Resources Officer tranquilizing the bear. Bear/people encounters don’t usually end well. The Natural Resources Officers spend most of their time patrolling outside the town limits to haze bears away from the town, which is right on their migration path from Hudson Bay, where the sea ice is, west-ward inland to where they want to spend the summer months.

Next Wednesday I’ll share photos of places that are in NORTHERN DECEPTION and NORTHERN HEARTS. If you have any questions for me, please leave them in the comments and I’ll get back to you!

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Excerpt #3 – Chapter 1:

“Mommy. I’m gonna be late for day care.”

A small, dark head with long hair poked out of the turquoise car parked in front of

Ruby’s. The child waved at them. “C’mon, Mommy.” “Perfect timing,” Joy said under her breath.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing, never mind,” she said. “You sure you’re okay? You’re not feeling faint or anything?”

Ben took a deep breath, finally. “I’m good. Thanks for checking. Don’t know what happened there.” He put his sunglasses back on. Small comfort, but a mask all the same.

Joy gave him a slanted look. “Are you going off shift or just going on?”

“Going on, and I’m late. I’m supposed to be bringing in coffee for the guys and a round of Ruby’s cupcakes.”

“Okay, well, I won’t keep you,” she said, then started walking back towards Ruby’s and her car. The little girl was hanging out the front window of the car from her waist.

“Emberlyn Marie Gallagher. Sit back in that car this instant.”

A flash of mischief shot through deep brown eyes that were a clone of her mother’s as the little girl’s face broke into a brilliant smile, and she laughed. Joy kissed the child’s upturned face and reached through the open car window to help her back into the front seat.

“I guess I’d better get her over to day care.”

“Are you going on shift or coming off?” parroted Ben. Please don’t leave yet.

“Just going back on a double shift in the ER. Mom had her for the night, so now it’s time for day care.”

“A double? Is that normal?” You sound like an overeager teenager. Knock it off.

Her laugh made his stomach flip. Yep, definitely feeling like an overeager teenager.

Joy headed around her car and opened the driver’s door. She cocked her head to the side.

“You’re going to be fine, Ben.” Her smile shone as radiantly as the sunrise. She jumped into her car and slammed the door.

He stood at the bottom of the café steps and watched them drive away. His right shoulder throbbed. It still throbbed every day. He’d lied to his physiotherapist because his short-term disability was up. If he couldn’t get back to work, he’d have to quit The Job. He had nothing else but The Job. Not being a cop wasn’t an option.

“You’re going to be fine, Ben.”

From your lips to God’s ear, Joy Gallagher.

He headed up the steps and yanked open the door. The sweet aroma of baked goods and coffee teased his nose as it welcomed him into the café. Maybe he imagined it, but people seemed to stop talking, especially over at the “gossip” table in the far right corner. He caught the furtive glances, eyes cutting away, and feet rustling under the tables. Was it how he looked? The uniform ball cap didn’t cover his ear, but it did cover his right eyebrow and forehead.

“Hey,” he said to the air in general. He nodded towards the right and left and then walked up to the counter. Mercifully, people began speaking in low tones again, the sound washing over him like a balm. He’d expected people to react to his scars when he came back to work, which was why he flew up yesterday to minimize the contact

***

Do you enjoy reading romances or romantic suspense books with children in them? Or do you prefer your romances to only include the hero and heroine?

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Excerpt #2 – Chapter 1:

“Ben, look at me,” she ordered. That voice had a familiar ring to it. Bossy but comforting at the same time. He’d heard it before. “Let me see you without the sunglasses.”

He removed them without question, his heart slowing while sweat made his uniform shirt cling to his back. At nearly 6:30 a.m, no less. Or, what time was it now? He was inexcusably late. Not a great impression to make on the new Corporal.

The woman stood in front of him, her dark brown eyes concerned as she held him by his upper arms. He blinked twice and tried to get his tongue to work. Mortification brought a dull red flush to his cheeks. I should know her… Gah, why won’t my stupid brain work?

She wore purple nursing scrubs with sprigs of pink flowers on them. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a braided ponytail, but her eyes—they were the deepest brown he’d ever seen. Several gold earrings pierced her right ear, and one gold stud pierced her left. A delicate scrolled flower tattoo peeked out along her left collarbone. And she smelled of fresh citrus. Like a pitcher of lemonade.

All right, he hadn’t totally lost his powers of perception. A gorgeous woman had just pulled him out of a full-blown panic attack in the middle of main street. Wonderful. He might as well turn in his badge and gun, drive straight to the airport, and fly home.

“Ben, it’s me.” She put her hands on her hips. “It’s Joy.” She looked like she would snap her fingers in his face any second.

He shook his head. Cleared his throat. Wished the pavement would open and swallow him whole. “I remember.”

Joy. When the nightmares came rushing in the night from the bear attack, it was her voice and the touch of her hands on him as she bound up his shoulder that he remembered. And her scent—that was a great memory—citrusy and fruity after the horror of the bear’s mouth and its rancid smell. She had bent over him, bandaging his head with gauze as they tried to save his right ear for the plastic surgeon.

Yes, it was all coming back to him now.

“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” Lord, just beam me a hundred miles away from here, right now. This is not how I wanted to meet her again.

“No, of course not. How are you?” She touched his forearm lightly. “I mean really, how are you? You—didn’t text me what flight you were coming in on.”

“Sorry. I got it last minute.” There. At least his voice wasn’t shaking like his knees were. Shaking like a trembling foal.

“Great.” She took a step back as if realizing she was in his personal space. “I’m so glad… you’re back. Most people would never have come up here again after what you went through.”

His right shoulder grated in its socket when he put his hand on his service weapon again. That grounded him. Although, he wasn’t sure hanging on to his gun was what his therapist had in mind when he said to find objects to fixate on during a panic attack. Time to pop another pain pill, but not with Joy in sight.

“Thanks. I don’t blame the bear. He was just being a bear.” Wow. Quit while you’re ahead. She’s more stunning in person than her texts ever let on.

****

What was the most embarrassing encounter you’ve ever had with a member of the opposite sex?

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CHAPTER ONE

Saturday, August 1

Churchill, Manitoba

CONSTABLE BEN KOPER PULLED HIS POLICE truck over to the side of the road across from Ruby’s Café & Emporium. His first day back at work in nine months, and already he was running late. He slammed the truck into park and stared up and down Kelsey Boulevard, on high alert for any movement between the buildings.

Last November, a polar bear had attacked him in this exact spot. He hadn’t been back to Churchill since then. Goose bumps skittered along his arms. Rationally, he knew that bears had been spotted along the coast and probably hadn’t made it into town yet. But his anxiety and the acid in his stomach told his brain a polar bear could be anywhere, now that the sea ice had melted.

Ben grabbed his mobile phone with the coffee orders on it and stepped out of his truck, pulling his baseball cap down to his sunglasses. He slammed the truck door and strode to the pavement of Kelsey Boulevard. The rest of the street sat quiet, while Ruby’s 6:00 a.m. crowd was hopping with its early morning breakfast specials. He could see people eating at tables through the huge front plate-glass window.

When he hit the middle of the street, his heart sped up, jackhammering in his chest. His feet refused to move past the centre of the road, like he’d struck an invisible wall. Adrenaline shot through his limbs. His vision tunneled into black holes. Sweat poured down his back and gathered on his forehead. He put his right hand on the grip of his service weapon, trying to get some equilibrium. His throat closed, and he leaned over with his hands on his knees. Deep breaths.

Deep, deep breaths Trying, trying…

Dan Sherman, his therapist, sounded in his head. “Look for five things around you to centre yourself. Repeat them to yourself. Then count them down one by one.”

Panting, beads of sweat rolled down the right side of his face over his scarred eyebrow and ear. All he could see was the concrete road and small rocks littered about.

There’s nothing but the road. Concrete, rocks, concrete, rocks…

He needed five things. His boots wouldn’t move. He stood hunched over in the middle of the street, trying not to throw up his meagre breakfast. No other objects around; nothing else to see. His feet… he couldn’t move his feet.

Running shoes, white and pink running shoes… Where did they come from?

“Ben? Ben,” a lilting, female voice broke through his fog. “Are you okay?”

A hand touched his shoulder, his sore right shoulder, and he flinched. Finally. He could move. He reared his head up and collided with the face belonging to the voice.

“Ow.” The woman let go of his shoulder and grabbed her nose while he staggered sideways.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” he stammered. He reached forward to steady himself with his right hand but dropped his phone on the ground with his other hand. The woman dove for the phone and swiveled around to give it to him.

*****

My husband was in the financial investment industry prior to joining the military. He won a trip for two to Las Vegas for a four day weekend as part of a company-wide incentive plan, so off we went to Sin City. It was actually a wonderful trip as we saw Siegfried and Roy with their white tigers, and a musical that I can’t recall. (Those white tigers were my main memory and favorite thing!) However, after seeing the S&R show, the crowd spilled out onto The Strip and joined in with a huge wave of people flowing down the pavement. We were shoulder to shoulder with people and being carried along organically. People were openly drinking beer and other alcohol, and the crowd was raucous, to say the least.

We were being crushed in this crowd and even though it was going in the direction we wanted to go in, I started having trouble breathing. Then I got crushing chest pains and thought I was having a heart attack. My legs shook and I grabbed my husband because I was afraid I was going to fall down and be trampled. He managed to maneuver us over to the hotel-side sidewalk so I could take a breath. However, things just got worse. I wanted him to call me an ambulance I was so sure I was having a heart attack.

However, smart man that he is, he pulled me inside the hotel and found the breakfast cafe. (Las Vegas really is open 24 hrs a day and they were serving breakfast) He ordered me black tea and toast, rubbed my hands, and spoke soothingly to me. I gradually calmed down. It was visceral, uncontrollable body experience that I’ll never forget. I just had to ride it out. It was also the one and only – thank goodness – panic attack I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve experienced anxiety on a much smaller scale but never anything that bad again.

Have you ever had a panic attack or been with someone while they were having one? How did you cope with it?

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Today I’m happy to welcome back Darlene L. Turner, award-winning author for Love Inspired Suspense. Her latest book, Abducted in Alaska, is out March 1, 2021. Darlene, take it away!

Thank you so much for having me on your blog. It’s fun to share tidbits about my writing, ideas, etc. Here we go!

What was the inspiration behind Abducted in Alaska?

I visited both the Yukon and Alaska when my brother lived in Whitehorse, Yukon. When I started writing I thought it would be a great place to set a novel. I wanted to include a child in the story and that’s when the kidnapping / child labor ring came to mind.

Do you ever write a little bit of yourself in your books?

Yes, at times. Sometimes it’s little things from my childhood. Other times, it’s something I’ve struggled with. In Abducted in Alaska Hannah finds out she may not be able to have children and this crushes her. My hubby and I weren’t able to have children, so the feelings Hannah has to deal with were similar to what I wrestled with in my own experience.

Have you ever received a rejection?

Yes, of course. Many, but I learned from each one and pressed forward! They say that each rejection leads you to the “one.”

Have you ever won any awards for your writing?

Yes, three! Two Daphne awards and one ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) Genesis award. So humbled and blessed.

 What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to tole paint. This is painting designs onto wood surfaces. It’s fun and relaxes me. Unfortunately, I don’t have as much time to paint as I would like! I also love to watch movies and read.

 Tell us a bit about Abducted in Alaska?

Hannah Morgan and Layke (pronounced “lake”) Jackson have to join forces to solve a deadly child labor smuggling ring all while protecting Gabe, the boy who escaped. Their lives are in more danger the closer they get to solving the case.

What is your typical day like?

I’m now retired, so my days are devoted to writing, social media, etc! I start my day with devotions and then some exercise (oh…don’t forget the coffee!). Each day can be different, but I try and finish my day mid-late afternoon. Sometimes I get right back up to my office after supper. Sometimes I spend the evening reading, painting, or watching television. Depends on deadlines and how much I need to unwind! 😉

 When did you start writing?

When I was young, I loved to read Nancy Drew, so I started writing my own version – the “Mindy Dobson” series. I wish I’d kept them as it would be fun to go back and read it (and laugh). I always wanted to write but stopped until I was older. I got more serious about writing ten years ago.

What advice would you give to other writers trying to break into the Christian market?

I’ve dreamed that someone would ask me that someday. I would say keep on and don’t give up. I know that’s easy to say as there were times when I felt like giving up, but I had many supporters cheer me on. Also, read writing books, go to conferences, and find a writing mentor. These will all help you.

What do you hope your readers will glean from your Abducted in Alaska book? 

I want readers to learn what I learned when I went through hard times. That’s there’s JOY in forgiveness. If we hold on to our anger and resentment, it will lead to bitterness. Forgiveness will unlock it and bring Joy. I’m living proof of that.

What books are on your nightstand right now?

Anne of Green Gables and The Anne of Green Gables Devotional by Rachel Dodge. I’m having fun reading each chapter before the corresponding devotional.

 Fun Facts:

Go-to writing snack or drink: Coffee!

Something you must do or have to write: A Christmas suspense or a book or a Christmas Hallmark movie!  

If Abducted in Alaska was turned into a movie, who would you cast as the leads? My inspirations for these characters – Rachelle Lefevre and Henry Cavill

 Candy, cookies, or cake?

How about all three? If I had to choose…probably cookies.

Favorite TV show?

I have many (mostly suspense shows) but would have to say When Calls the Heart – it’s such a wholesome show and has a handsome Mountie in it (What more do you want?) It’s also based on books by a fellow Canadian author!  I’m a Heartie!

 Favorite Movie?

Lord of the Rings

Any hobbies? Pets? Activities?

I love to tole paint – this is painting on wood pieces. Of course, I love to read. No pets but if my husband wasn’t allergic, we’d have a cat (or two).

Cat or Dog

Cats!

 Paperback or e-book?

Definitely paperback. There’s just something about holding a book in your hands!

Here’s the gorgeous cover for Abducted in Alaska:

Protecting a child…

could cost them their lives.

Saving a boy who has escaped his captors puts Canadian border patrol officer Hannah Morgan right into the path of a ruthless child-smuggling ring. Now with help from police constable Layke Jackson, she must keep the child safe. But can they rescue the other abducted children and bring down the gang…all while protecting a little boy and keeping themselves alive?

Purchase Links:

Amazon.com: 

https://amzn.to/2KpcsKH

Amazon.ca:

https://amzn.to/36Tq4VQ

Chapters Indigo:

https://bit.ly/3fi3la6

Barnes & Noble:

https://bit.ly/35KZten

 Question for prize: Who is your favorite author and why?

Answer the question above in the comments below and one person will win an e-book copy of Abducted in Alaska!

Comment on the question and you’re automatically entered into the contest. Prize is open internationally. Here’s how it works. The number of entries are input into a Random Sequence Generator (i.e. 1 through 20). After I click the Generate button, whoever’s number corresponds with the number the random generator gives me wins! Note: If the winner is Canadian, they will be required to answer a skill-testing question before being awarded the prize.

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