KAREN’S KILLER BOOK BENCH: Welcome to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, where readers can discover talented new authors and take a peek inside their wonderful books. This is not an age-filtered site, so all book peeks are PG-13 or better. Come back and visit often. Happy reading!
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TRUTH BE TOLD
Romantic Suspense
BY MARSHA R. WEST
BLURB
Visiting her Fort Worth family for Christmas, Meg Bourland discovers someone is blackmailing her father. When he rebuffs her offer to help, the Atlanta SWAT team member enlists her LA police officer brother and his former partner to help uncover the truth. She fights her immediate attraction for Scott fearing the negative impact on his and her brother’s friendship when the ultimate break up hits. Distance limits their long-term prospects.
Scott McClaine, medically retired, came to Fort Worth to recuperate from life-threatening bullet wounds he received saving the life of Meg’s brother, David Bourland. Hard enough to accept his new physical limitations, but they make him unacceptable for a woman as strong as Meg. Scott finds himself embroiled in family scandal, solving a crime, and fighting a fascination for his former partner’s sister. In the search for truth, Meg and Scott uncover the pieces of the puzzle, which threaten to ruin Meg’s father’s career as mayor and destroy the family she holds dear. Will Meg and Scott find their way through the maze of family secrets? Will they find the strength to make the sacrifices required for real love before the blackmailer kills someone?
Marsha’s ebook, TRUTH BE TOLD, is on sale for $.99 THROUGH DECEMBER 17!
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TRUTH BE TOLD
Romantic Suspense
BY MARSHA R. WEST
EXCERPT
12:30 p.m. Friday, December 18
Meg Bourland jerked to a stop before she reached the bottom of the stairs in her parents’ house. Her fingers tightened on the banister. The spit in her mouth dried up like the Texas fields in August. A figure in a long overcoat skulked through the study doorway. Meg reached toward her waist. Damn.
Her weapon lay in the lock box in her Atlanta condominium. Packing it in her bags with the clear marking on the outside, begged someone to steal it. Too great a risk for a flight to Fort Worth for Christmas with her family.
Hindsight was everything.
Meg sucked in a deep breath before she eased her head around the study door. Relief buckled her knees, and she staggered back into the hall. She whooshed out the breath she’d held.
“Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.” She slammed her hand on her thigh in time with the whispered words. Damn, the psychologist was right. Meg was close to losing her grip. Not as fine as she claimed, or she wouldn’t have over-reacted.
Her father in the shape of the tall dark figure came home earlier than expected and not taken time to remove his coat.
She rubbed a hand over her eyes, sucked in more air then stepped through the doorway into the study. “I suspected for a moment someone had broken in, Dad. Glad it’s just you.” Her voice wasn’t as strong as she’d intended. Her father didn’t respond. Didn’t he hear her? He threw a crumpled paper across the room, and then he sank into the chair behind his desk. His head cradled between his hands.
Adrenalin kicked through her system again shooting lightening spikes down her arms. “Dad, is something wrong?” Again, no response. Meg moved further into the study. The smell of the pipe smoke smell dimly registered. Was he having a heart attack? She stopped in front of his desk. “Dad?” Almost shouted the word.
“What?” He looked up. His gaze lit on her for a moment before darting around the room.
Didn’t he recognize her?
“Meg?” He shoved his hair off his forehead and dragged in a breath. “When did you arrive?” He asked in a voice tight with strain. His gaze never connected with hers.
Not a heart attack. Thank God. She let out a huff of air. “A while ago. Are you all right?”
Her father placed his hands on the desk and straightened into the ramrod posture she’d seen all her life. “Everything’s fine.”
He used the same word Meg did when things were the opposite of all right.
“Glad you got home okay.” His voice was stronger now. He shuffled through files on his desk. “I…uh…came to pick up this folder.” Unusual for her father to stammer. He was always self-assured. He waved the file in the air and shoved others into the center drawer. “I’m heading back to work now.”
He threw an arm around her shoulder, hustled them out of his study, and closed the door with a distinct thud.
“But Dad—”
“Don’t mention to your mother you saw me.”
He glanced toward Meg, but still he made no eye contact. All her cop instincts shouted this was trouble.
About Author Marsha R. West…
I’m a retired elementary school principal, a former school board member, and theatre arts teacher, and write Romance, Suspense, and Second Chances. Experience Required. I live in Texas with my supportive lawyer husband and Charley, a deaf, Chihuahua/Jack Russell Terrier. Our two daughters presented us with three delightful grandchildren, all who live nearby.
The theme of my eleven books is always second chances. I even named my four-part series The Second Chances Series. I believe in Happily Ever Afters. My husband picked up a plaque for me on one of our several trips to Maine that states my philosophy exactly. Everything will be all right in the end. If it’s not all right, it’s not the end. The Heroines and Heroes in my books range in age from 40 to late 50s and their parents and children often playing supporting roles.
I am a member of North Texas Romance Writers, Texas Authors Institute, and I send out a monthly newsletter and give away an e-book to some lucky commenter. I enjoy making presentations to groups, and several times, I’ve taught a Silver Frogs class on Indie Publishing for Texas Christian University. My books can be found on Books2Read, AMAZON, B & N, KOBO, and iTunes. Print books are also on Books2Read and Amazon.
I’ve contributed to ROMANCE & MYSTERY AUTHORS ON WRITING, edited by JQ. Rose. Also, in 2018, I had a short story, “The Colonel & Her Major” published in my writing chapter’s anthology, LONE STAR LOVE. In 2024, my short story, “Survival” was published in the in the 9th anthology “Short Stories by Texas Authors.”
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Links to Marsha’s websites, blogs, books, #ad etc.:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3D5k4NM
Blurbs for each of my books with links can be found on my website www.marsharwest.com where you can also sign up for my NEWSLETTER https://bit.ly/47tZzoX
Contact me at marsha@marsharwest.com , and follow me on… https://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn
https://www.facebook.com/MarshaRWestfanshttps://www.instagram.com/marsharwest Marsha R. West (Author of Vermont Escape) | Goodreads
Marsha R. West Books – BookBub
Amazon Author page https://amzn.to/456bBUy
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Special Giveaway: Marsha’s ebook, TRUTH BE TOLD, is on sale for $.99 THROUGH DECEMBER 17!
Marsha will gift a $10 Amazon Gift card to one lucky reader who comments on her Karen’s Killer Book Bench blog. Good Luck!
Happy Reading!
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Thanks, Marsha, for sharing your book with us!
Don’t miss the chance to read this book!
This story sounds deliciously suspenseful! I can’t wait to read it.
Hey, Diana, it does have some twists and turns. Hope you enjoy it. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
This book sounds incredible the book cover, title, excerpt all draw me in to read it and it has suspense too OH My can’t wait to read this book
Hey, Crystal. Good to see you here. I hope you enjoy this book and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
This book sounds great! The excerpt really sucked me into the story! Even better it’s on sale. Thanks!
Hey, Glenda. Thanks for your thoughts. Yeah, I find it hard to pass up a 99 Cent book and then when I like it I have to search out the author’s other books. Thanks so much for stopping by.
suspenseful
Hey, yea, it is pretty suspenseful and its got great family stuff going on and some almost steamy romance. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by. 🙂
Oh man! Don’t leave us hanging, Marsha!
Thanks , Marsha, and thanks, Karen
Hey, yeah, I love the relationship between Meg and her father and her mom. It’s a good family story with a lot of suspense and romantic tension. And it’s set mostly at Christmas. The house on the cover suggests one I used to drive by on my way to Pilates and it just caughte my imagination. Thanks so much for stoping by. 🙂
Oh this sounds good!
Hey, Colleen. Hope you give it a try and thanks for stopping by.
Intriguing excerpt. Thanks for sharing.
Hey, Eileen. Glad you like the excerpt. Hope you’ll give it a try. Thanks for stopping by.
Hey, Karen. Thanks so much for having me. I’m having a great time visiting with your guests. 🙂
Welcome back to Karen’s Killer Book Bench, Marsha. I love your suspenseful books. This one sounds just as good. Can’t wait to read it. It’s on my TBR pile. Now to sneak away to get started on it! Thanks for sharing it with us today!
Hey, Karen. I know how hard it is to get to that TBR pile. Hope you can check it out and enjoy the read. 🙂
I enjoy suspense, sounds good!
Hey, Teresa. Hope you can check it out. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
I enjoy a good whodunit, and this sounds like it fits the bill. I don’t buy e-books, but I’ll be sure and look for a hardcopy edition.
Hi, your book sounds and looks intriguing!
This sounds really intriguing.