Spotlight
with author Tanya Anne Crosby
Good
morning everyone! We are back! Not too long ago, I featured Tanya
Anne Crosby on the blog because she had a historical romance out that
really caught me. It was exactly the kind of story that made me fall
in love with romance to begin with so I HAD to feature it. Today is a
bit different because this story is a romantic suspense. Not HR by
any means, but I also enjoy knowing when authors write in different
genres. It can be fun to see how the writer's voice changes as the
genre changes. And I know some of you really enjoy romantic suspense
but I do not feature it all that much on the blog. Not to mention,
that I really enjoyed featuring this author last time, so I would
definitely want to feature her again given the chance. I hope you all
enjoy getting to know about this new book as much as I am looking
forward to it. Please join me in welcoming back to the blog:
**TANYA
ANNE CROSBY**
**BIO**
Tanya
has written seventeen novels, all of which have graced numerous
bestseller lists including the New York Times and USA Today. Best
known for stories charged with emotion and humor, and filled with
flawed characters, her novels have garnered reader praise and glowing
critical reviews. She lives with her husband, two dogs and two cats
in northern Michigan.
You
can find out more about Ms. Crosby in the following places:
**REVIEWS**
“Dangerously
addicting. “-Sherrilyn Kenyon #1 New York Times bestselling
author
“Crosby
serves up suspense, secrets and Southern scandal like no one else! “
- Harlan Coben #1 New York Times bestselling author
**SPEAK
NO EVIL**
**No
Evil #1**
Contemporary
Romantic Suspense
Categories:
Mystery/Thriller
Publisher:
Kensington
Release
Date:
March 7,
2013
Heat
Level:
Sensual
Length:
283 pages
**BLURB**
Lifting
the veil of secrecy on a grand Southern family in decline, New York
Times bestselling author Tanya Anne Crosby explores the lives of
Caroline, Augusta, and Savannah Aldridge, three sisters who share a
dark past and an uncertain future...Caroline Aldridge was surprised
by the number of mourners at her mother's funeral. Evidently the
newspaper heiress who had caused her children so much pain was
well-loved by everyone else in Charleston. Now she was gone, leaving
behind countless secrets--and a few demands: Caroline and her sisters
must live together for one year or lose their inheritance. And
Caroline must take over The Tribune. But a killer is making
headlines, and Caroline may have unwittingly stepped into the
crosshairs...
A
series of kidnappings and murders resurrect the sisters' memories of
their brother's disappearance as a child--and Caroline fears she may
be next. Yet in the midst of her turmoil, she may be rekindling a
romance she'd extinguished long ago. With Jack back in her life and
the tattered bonds of sisterhood slowly mending, Caroline hopes the
family can restore its position in Charleston society--unless a
sinister force beyond their control tears them apart forever. . .
Buy
Links
**EXCERPT**
By
reading any further you are stating you are at least 18 years of age.
If
you are under the age of 18, it is necessary for you to exit this
site.
Together
she and Savannah made their way inside, as one by one, neighbors
Caroline hadn’t seen in a decade brought sympathy along with their
best casseroles. Thanking each for both, she set the food out in the
dining room, noting that there was more than enough to feed an army
for a year. Maybe they could donate some? She didn’t want it to go
to waste and didn’t intend to remain in Charleston beyond the
reading of the will. She was pretty sure her sisters had the same
idea. Any arrangements that would need to be made could be handled
over the phone, via e-mail and fax. That was the beauty of
technology.
“My
dear,” someone said sympathetically, tapping Caroline’s shoulder
as she set a third dish of ambrosia salad on the buffet.
Unbelievably, there was no more space on the antique Georgian table,
even with its six feet of extensions.
“Well,
hello, Miss Rose!” Caroline exclaimed. “How lovely to see you!”
There was no pretense in the greeting. Rose Simmons’s wrinkled face
brought back memories of Caroline’s earliest years in this old
house, the only good ones she could recall.
“Gracious!
I wouldn’t have missed it,” Miss Rose said. “Your mother was a
wonderful woman. Such a lovely funeral!” she added with unreserved
approval. “I hope my children will pay their respects so
beautifully!”
A
prick of guilt jabbed Caroline. Everything had been prearranged. It
was the one thing she could thank her mother for: Flo wasn’t the
sort to leave unfinished business. She skirted the compliment. “Well,
I’m glad you could make it,” she offered with a smile, and then
caught a glimpse of the figure standing in the entrance to the dining
room and all thoughts flew out of her head at once.
“Oh,
before I forget, I brought the greens!” Miss Rose declared.
Caroline blinked, her gaze fixed on the man she had nearly married
ten years before. “Greens?”
His
eyes were as vivid a blue as she recalled, with points of light that
dimmed or brightened based on the intensity of his smile. Right now,
they were practically electric and Caroline could barely focus.
“I
don’t know the Greens, Miss Rose. . . .”
Miss
Rose chuckled, gently cuffing Caroline’s forearm. “Well, of
course you do! You always asked after them and I remembered and
brought them!”
Caroline
gave the old woman a confused smile, and noticed Jack was smirking,
those lights in his eyes dancing impishly. The familiar, playful grin
annoyed her far more than it should have.
Miss
Rose clasped a hand to her breast. “Poor sweet dear! It must be the
shock,” she declared. “That’s quite understandable.” She
patted Caroline’s arm consolingly. “Flo’s death was so
unexpected!” She shook her head. “Your mother will be sorely
missed, but it should cheer you to know they are talking about
planting a garden in Waterfront Park in her honor. I hope they do!
“The
Florence Willodean Aldridge Memorial Garden,” Rose continued, but
Caroline was no longer listening. The old woman peered over her
shoulder to see what had captured Caroline’s attention and a sudden
look of comprehension crossed her features. She smiled knowingly.
“Well, goodness! I understand. I shall leave you to your guests, my
dear girl. Just make sure you put some of them greens aside for
later. I cooked them up just the way you like them, with a nice big
ham hock!”
It
dawned on Caroline suddenly that the “greens” were not people.
Miss Rose had brought mustard greens. And truthfully, she hated them
intensely but vaguely recalled being five at Miss Rose’s daughter’s
baptism celebration and feeling incredibly guilty about wanting to
spit them out. With a quelling look from her mother, she had
reluctantly swallowed them and complimented Miss Rose’s greens
emphatically—obviously, much too emphatically.
Miss
Rose clucked at her, shaking an admonishing finger. “You always
were too thin!”
Caroline’s
cheeks heated as her mother’s neighbor ambled away, leaving her
completely at Jack’s mercy.
The
old woman gave Jack a nod on her way out of the dining room and said
pleasantly, “Afternoon, Jack.”
Jack
greeted her with a smile and a nod. “Afternoon, Miss Rose. You look
lovely as ever.”
Miss
Rose ducked her head shyly and giggled like a schoolgirl. The instant
she was out of earshot, Jack turned the full impact of hisroguish
smile on Caroline. “Just make sure you put some of them greens
aside for later,” he teased, stirring from the doorframe and
strolling into the room with a languor that was both infuriating and
reassuring in its familiarity.
“I
guess your mother never taught you not to eavesdrop,” Caroline
said, hating herself for giving in to feelings of resentment.
The
twinkles in his eyes vanished. “We both know my mother didn’t
teach me much of anything, Caroline.”
He
said it calmly, congenially, but Caroline knew she’d hit a nerve.
For a long awkward moment, they stood facing one another, neither
quite certain what to say. The scent of wilting magnolias drifted
between them. Ten years ago, her mother had ordered the flowers as
centerpieces for the tables at their wedding. Now, they adorned every
corner of the house and Caroline would forever associate the scent
with death and sorrow.
Fitting, somehow.
Jack
had the decency to look uncomfortable. Hands in his pockets, he
peered down at the floor. “We still need to talk to Sadie,” he
offered. “Finalize the report.”
“Well,
I’m sure you’ll find her in the kitchen.”
It
was Sadie, their mother’s housekeeper, who had discovered Flo
sprawled at the foot of the stairs. Doped out on clonazepam, Flo had
apparently tripped over a loose board at the top of the stairs.
“It’s
just a formality,” he assured. “It can wait.”
She’d
rather believe he was here because he was doing his duty for work,
not because of some misplaced sense of obligation to their past. “So
you’re working?”
“I
came to pay my respects, not upset you. Sorry, Caroline.”
At
one time, Caroline couldn’t have imagined anyone else she’d
rather be comforted by. Now she didn’t even know how to talk to
him. “Thanks for coming, Jack.”
He
took a step backward. “You’re more like her than you realize,”
he said quietly, removing his hands from his pockets. He hesitated,
clearly wanting to say more. Instead, he turned and left.
Ignoring
the surreptitious glances from their guests, Caroline turned her back
on him. Trying hard to be casual, she stabbed a silver spoon into a
dish before following Jack out into the hall to watch his retreat.
He
edged his way through the crowd, somehow avoiding human contact
despite the breadth of his shoulders. He never once looked back.
Without a word, he opened the front door, stepped out into the
afternoon light and closed it quietly behind him.
Caroline
choked on a wave of emotion. “Shit,” she said softly.
Savannah
appeared behind her. “That bad?”
Caroline
blinked away tears. “He said he was looking for Sadie.”
Savannah
lifted a brow. “Well, I doubt that’s why he came by here today.”
“The
past doesn’t change just because he wants it to!” Caroline said
emphatically and Savannah nodded, wisely recognizing the end of her
patience on the subject of Jack Shaw.
I
chose to share the extended excerpt with you all because I felt that
it gave a good segment from the book that would help you determine if
you would like to read it. I hope that you do. I would love to know
what you thought about the blurb and excerpt so please feel free to
leave a comment below. If you have read Ms. Crosby before, please do
tell us what you thought. Your feedback is always welcome.
I
want to thank Ms. Crosby from spending some time with us again and
hope to see her again soon. It is always a pleasure. And thank you to
everyone who continues to return and support the blog. I hope that
you felt your time spent here was worth it. If you enjoyed what you
experienced here today, please consider buying a copy of this book
for yourself and supporting this fabulous author! I wish you all a
terrific holiday weekend! Please be safe! Until next time ...
HAPPY
READING!!!
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for link to tour schedule
