Addiction by Sandra K. Marshall Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

 

Addiction

by Sandy Marshall

About The Author

  Sandra grew up in the mid-west in a small farming community where she belonged to 4-H. When she was thirteen, her family moved to, Lawrence, Kansas, the town where the University of Kansas thrived. After high school, she traveled to California to live with a friend and to find a job. She became very homesick and returned home.   She worked for a major airline for thirty-six years and did extensive travel during that period. It was a lovely time in her life working for a wonderful company. In 1999 she retired to write full time and worked seriously toward publication.   In 2008, she had her first book published, and then her second one in 2009. Shortly after her publisher closed their doors, and she immediately moved to a new publisher. She is still with the publisher and has had three books and a novella published with them. She has just contracted a short story with them titled Hitting Bottom, and is working on another short one.

  Website | Blog | Facebook | Amazon | Goodreads | Linkedin  

About The Book

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Eirelander Publishing

Release Date: March 6, 2009

Buy: Amazon

Book Description: 

Two men are after the same woman but for very different reasons. Dark-haired beauty, Jolene Dubois has a serious problem, and it's not just battling alcoholism. Late at night, she receives whispered calls. "Jolene, I want you. I'm coming for you." Shivers climb up her spine and ice flows in her veins. What does he want? Who is it? She must figure it out before she trusts the wrong person.


Jake Farrell, the handsome rogue is an operator with women, but is he hiding something dark and sinister under his cheery facade. The detective, Andy Martin, who investigated her father's murder, continues to ask her out. Les Voodré, an alcoholic she met at AA follows her everywhere, and Ron Keisler, her AA sponsor is always there when she needs him. Could her caller be one of these men? 

To further complicate her life, she fights a host of addictions, alcoholism, smoking, gambling and sex. Jolene is determined to beat the alcohol and to stay out of the clutches of the fiend who phones her.  

Authors That Have Inspired You

There are so many authors who have inspired for one reason or another. I will start with Carla Cassidy, she writes intrigues for Harlequin. She has a long career as an author and just signed a 12 book contract with Harlequin. What inspires me about Carla is that she doesn't let life stop her from writing. Most people who have faced the family and health problems she has would have let those events stop them in their tracks.

Another author, Marianne Stephens, has faced enormous health issues and family problems, but nothing has stopped her from pushing on. These authors inspire me. Any authors who deal with life issues like these inspire me to keep going.

Julie Garwood is a local author in my area, and she inspires me with her kindness told beginning authors. A New York Times Best Author, she first landed on the best seller list with her historicals, and then with her mysteries. After meeting Ms. Garwood, I decided to read one of her books, a historical, and I was amazed at the humor in it. She made me laugh out loud. I love it when an author can make me do that.

Recently, I interviewed Mary Jo Putney for a blog on one of my Yahoo groups. She had just gotten back from a trip to Europe and gotten sick on the way home. She still answered all my questions and sent the questionnaire to me in time for the post date. She was incredibly sweet in spite of being sick. Authors who still do their work without excuse inspire me.

If I meet an author and still think she/he is great then I'm inspired. If I meet a famous author and they act like they're better than anyone else, I'm not impressed. I'm most inspired by a humble author who is willing to give you her/his time.

There are many more authors who have inspired me than the ones I've mentioned, but it would make this essay too long. Smile!   To further complicate her life, she fights a host of addictions, alcoholism, smoking, gambling and sex. Jolene is determined to beat the alcohol and to stay out of the clutches of the fiend who phones her.  

Excerpt:

 

Ring. Ring.

Her heart pounded frantically. Jolene pushed her covers off and jumped out of bed, her gaze on the clock. Four o’clock in the morning. She had a caller. Horror pulsed through her veins, and then she grabbed her purse.

It can’t possibly be him.

Come on, Jolene, answer it.

Her hands shaking, she dug in her purse pulling out the cell phone and flipping it open. “Hello.” He’d blocked the caller ID.

“What took you so long, Jolene?” a muffled voice asked.

She tightened her grip on the cell. No. How did he get this number?

“Come on, speak to me. I know you’re there,” the whisperer said in a low raspy voice. “Don’t make me come in there.”

“What do you want?” He knew where she was. How could he? “How did you get this number?” she demanded, rubbing her palm on the pale floral bed cover. Was he outside? She wanted to hang up, but that never worked. He’d call all night then.

“Jolene, I’m disappointed in you. You were around too many people tonight for me to get to you.”

She rose and walked to the window, feeling cold in spite of her olive green cotton pajamas. If only he’d talk in a normal tone, she might recognize the voice. “Why are you harassing me?” she asked, sliding the light green curtain aside so she could peek out. There weren’t any new cars parked on the street, but he could’ve parked anywhere and be outside the house.

“I thought we were friends. Don’t you like it when I tell you all the things I’m going to do to you?” He cackled loud and long.

His maniacal laughter sent shivers up her body, and she wrapped her free arm around her waist. Did she know this person? Surely, she didn’t know anyone like this except for Les. That guy was just downright crazy. Quiet.

She held her breath and listened. Was he still there? No sound. He must’ve hung up. Softly, she started to close her cell.

“Don’t hang up on me, Jolene.”

Startled, the phone slipped out of her grasp, but she scrambled to catch it. The darn thing hit the thick beige carpeted floor. Down on her knees, she grabbed the cell, putting it to her ear.

“Hello.” The buzzing told her she’d lost him. What would he do now? Call her back. She stared at the phone, her shoulders hunched, and the tendons in her neck tightening.

After a few moments, she rose, went to her bed and climbed in pulling the covers around her. She knew she wouldn’t sleep, but she didn’t want to wake her sister or call her brother to talk to him. This was her problem to take care of. She would call the police later this morning and make a report.

Ring. Ring.

Jolene grabbed the phone; she knew it was him again. She’d made him mad by hanging up on him even though it had happened accidentally. Without saying anything, she listened, hoping it wasn’t him.

“Don’t ever do that again.”

The loud click told her he was finally gone. Her hand shook so badly she could hardly reach the oak end table to lay her cell on it. She’d never sleep the rest of the night. She had to figure out who this person could be.

The only person she knew this crazy was Les, but she didn’t know how he could’ve gotten her numbers. She’d never met him before tonight.