Shannon here: Sarah Hamaker shares an excerpt from her Romantic Suspense, Justice Denied. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing for an ebook copy, US or international. Deadline: June 21st, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Sarah:
Excerpt from Justice Denied by Sarah Hamaker:
The antics of Jetta Ainsley’s toddler niece and nephew quirked her lips into a smile as she said goodbye to one of her brothers, her mind filled with the weight of a family secret everyone else had been carrying but her. Although, to be fair, she was carrying another secret that would soon be out in the open. She rested her hand on her belly, which grew bigger by the day as her due date neared. Mom was the only family member who knew and that was only because Jetta hadn’t been able to hide her pregnancy.
She patted Bingley’s head, her attention straying back to the envelope with its financial documents. The short note made more sense given the context of her father being accused of embezzlement, but she still hadn’t a clue what those papers could do to exonerate a dead man.
All problems for another day, as Mom liked to say in a thick southern accent as she mimicked Scarlett O’Hara. Jetta heaved herself out of the low-slung chair and tucked the phone into her pocket. After she scrambled an egg for dinner, she’d do some internet sleuthing. Millions of missing dollars would certainly have made headlines. Once she had the facts, she could grill her mother about why no one had told her. Being the youngest by so many years meant her siblings and Mom often treated her like a child even though she’d been an adult living on her own for five years now.
“Come on, Bingley. Let’s go inside.” She headed for the sliding doors, but her dog didn’t bound after her. Instead, he staggered, his body shaking violently before he threw up in the grass at the verge of the brick patio. “Bingley!”
She rushed to his side as the dog collapsed in a heap beside the patio, a little foam at his mouth. She laid a hand along his ribs, thankful to feel him breathing. After whipping out her phone, she noted the time—closing in on six. Her regular vet closed at five. “Hang on, Bingley.” Somehow, despite her shaking hands, she managed to Google the nearest emergency vet clinic. There was one on Leesburg Pike, a seven-minute drive away.
Bingley heaved again, spewing more of his stomach contents onto the grass. She laid a hand on his head to reassure him. “I’ll be right back.” Jetta hurried into the house for her keys and a towel to wrap Bingley in.
Back at his side, she placed the faded beach towel around his still body and attempted to lift him into her arms. But no matter how many angles she tried, she couldn’t get the seventy-pound dog more than a couple of inches off the ground. Tears of panic and frustration clouded her vision. She couldn’t lose him!
“Is everything okay?”
The sound of a male voice brought her head up. Seth Whitman, her next-door neighbor, stepped into her backyard through the side gate, his T-shirt accentuating his bulging biceps. “No.” Her voice broke on a sob. “Bingley needs to go to the vet, and I can’t lift him.”
He handed her a set of keys. “I’ll drive so you can sit in the back with him. The back seat should be clear, so open the door, and I’ll get the dog.”
Relieved he hadn’t asked delaying questions, she dashed for the gate, leaving it open and headed to his SUV sitting in the adjacent driveway. All the while, she prayed her dog would survive whatever was ailing him and thanked God for bringing Seth to her aid at just the right time.
Question for Readers: What kind of animals do you enjoy reading about in fiction books?
About Sarah: Multi-award-winning and best-selling author of inspirational romantic suspense, Sarah Hamaker loves writing books “where the hero and heroine fall in love while running for their lives.” She’s an AWSA certified writer and speaker coach, and podcaster of “The Romantic Side of Suspense.” She and her husband are therapeutic foster parents with UMFS. Sarah lives in Virginia with her husband, four children and two cats. Learn more & connect:
Sarah’s Website Sarah’s Facebook Sarah’s Bookbub
About the book – Justice Denied:
Jetta Ainsley’s life had been complicated enough as she navigates cleaning out the family home while her mother recovers from a car accident. When her dog is hurt, her next-door neighbor, Seth Whitman, offers his help. Seth would like to do more for Jetta but the walls she’s placed around her heart are unsurmountable.
Then she learns her late father had been accused of embezzlement, drawing Jetta into a web of secrets that could prove his innocence—or destroy her. When digging into her father’s past brings danger to their doorstep, Jetta turns to Seth for assistance in uncovering who stole millions before someone gets hurt.
Seth tries to protect Jetta and her mother from the increasing danger, while clues lead them ever deeper into a tangled conspiracy. Unraveling the sinister plot will require all their courage, faith, and trust in each other.
But will uncovering the truth clear her father’s name—or destroy their growing love for one another?
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Thanks so much for having me on your blog!
Glad to have you, Sarah. I always like having cats or dogs in books. I’m not opposed to reading about any pets except maybe snakes or tarantulas. Shudder