Revisiting the Murder Mystery Romance: THE EMBEZZLED ENVELOPE (PG excerpt)


THE EMBEZZLED ENVELOPE--Book Six in the Minx Tobin Murder Mystery Series

Author: Susanne Marie Knight

Genre: Murder Mystery Romance

Price: $1.99 electronically

Buy Link:
Available electronically at:


Visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb4wPYfCndg to see a trailer of THE EMBEZZLED ENVELOPE.

Blurb:
An old embezzlement case takes on a new twist: murder. When Minx tries to clear her good friend’s name, she gets burned... literally.

FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS... GET MURDERED
An old embezzling charge comes back to haunt Minx’s friend, Dallas Porter. Not only that, he’s now the prime suspect in a murder case. If she doesn’t help him, he could get convicted. But if she does help him, the murderer just might retaliate. How can Minx clear her friend... and not get killed?

Homicide Lieutenant Gabe Harris wants to start the New Year off right. His main resolution is to keep his new fiancée out of trouble. But trouble zeroes in on Minx, whether she looks for it or not. Why do murders and Minx seem to go together?

Scene Set-Up:
As Homicide Lieutenant Gabe Harris prepares for work, he is thankful the New Year is starting off right: his new love, Minx Tobin, is now his fiancée.

Excerpt:
Gabe rolled out of bed at ten past ten. He usually didn't sleep so late, but then again, he usually didn't hit the sheets at five in the morning.

Getting to his bare feet, he gazed down at the lovely woman in his bed. Minx still slept, now on her right side, her long hair tossed every which way upon the pillow. With her left hand nestled near her chin, a diamond shone through her dark brown strands -- the engagement ring, a promise of a shared future together.

He smiled. Yeah, this was the way to start a New Year...and every year for the rest of their lives.

But time was wasting. He had to get started on the day. Unfortunately a new murder had piggybacked onto an old murder, and if he didn't make progress on both of them, there'd be hell to pay.

After an invigorating hot shower, he toweled dry and got dressed. Minx was just beginning to wake up by the time he stepped out of the master bathroom.

"Mmm," she murmured sensuously as she stirred under the covers. "Don't you look good enough to eat."

"As do you." He finished buttoning up his denim oxford shirt, checked his image in the mirror, and then combed his damp hair.

She propped herself up, resting against the headboard. "Something tells me you're all business this morning. Psychic, aren't I? No time to play, Lieutenant?"

"Morning's almost gone, sweetheart." He walked over to the king bed and sandwiched her hand between his. "I've got to go in. Paperwork to fill out."

Paperwork. There was always paperwork.

"Okay, here's the plan, Minx. We've got a dinner invite at the Atwells -- one o'clock. So, if you'll let me out of here without assaulting me..."

As he kissed her fingertips, he winked. "Then I'll pick you up around twelve thirty. Plenty of time to make it without being late. Besides, Carlotta would have my head if we were."

"Sounds like a plan." Minx batted her lashes at him. "But when can I assault you, Lieutenant?"

"You are an insatiable little minx, aren't you, Ms. Tobin?" He leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, emphasis on the quick. Any longer contact with her lips would cause him to change his mind. "Let's make a date. What about this evening, after we get home?"

She stuck her delectable tongue out at him. "Tease."

"Spoilsport," he countered, in keeping with their usual banter.

Still smiling, he left the bedroom. As soon as he got downstairs, he switched gears, his mind now occupied with his latest murder case.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you enjoy!

Susanne Marie Knight

Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing With A Twist

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Revisiting THE WAKEFIELD DISTURBANCE (PG excerpt)


THE WAKEFIELD DISTURBANCE

Author: Susanne Marie Knight

Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense

Price: $4.99

Buy Link:
Available electronically at:

Blurb:
A Gift... Or A Curse?
Lara Wakefield receives messages from the dead. Her latest “client” is a murdered young girl who wants to be put to rest. The girl’s killer, however, objects. Can Lara find the girl’s body without becoming the next victim?  

Money Or Love?
Private investigator Stuart Manning wants nothing to do with supernatural phenomena. A retainer of $50,000 overcomes his reluctance. Lara’s innate ability, integrity, and beauty cause him to have second thoughts about psychics, while deadly occurrences cause him to believe the little girl’s murderer is still hanging around. How can Stuart protect Lara when the killer is always one step ahead?

Scene Set-Up:
Laura Wakefield awakens in a strange hotel room with a strange man in bed with her and a wedding ring on her finger. She struggles to regain her memory.

Excerpt:
Lara groaned. It was official; this was the worst headache she’d ever suffered because of her gift. In all the years she’d served as messenger girl to the dead, she never, ever felt as totally wiped as she did this very minute.

Exhaling her frustration, she lay limply on what she assumed was a bed. She didn’t even have energy to open her eyes, plus her memory had holes large enough to walk through. Where was this bed located? Where was she? Why did her head feel two sizes too large?

Flitting images teased her. She saw herself in a mirror; a drugged out zombie peered back at her. She recalled taking a moon walk to a truck. The taste of a sandwich laced with spicy mustard stung her mouth. More walking, and more eating but where to and what kind of food eluded her. The cold chill of floor tile had iced her bare feet, and she felt the pull of a shirt over her head with some trouble sticking her arms through the large armholes.

A masculine fragrance drifted over to her, too. The rugged face of the man she’d met yesterday--was it just yesterday?--popped into her mind. In all these memories, Stuart Manning had helped her. She heard his deep voice. He’d told her that she wanted to accompany him.

Why couldn’t she remember?

Lara lifted her bent arms up then out, brushing the back of her left hand against her forehead. The hard surface of a ring hit her left temple.

Whoa. Her eyelids flew open and in the dark, she stared at her ring finger. A slim gold band encircled it--a band signifying marriage.

She immediately sat up. There was no way she could forget getting married. No way at all. She glanced to her right and her stomach dropped. On the pillow next to her was Stuart Manning’s head, then came his neck, his broad shoulders, and part of his well-defined chest, generously delineated with hair. The bed sheets hid whether he was completely naked.

“Omigosh!” She stuffed her fist into her mouth. That he still slept was a blessing. That she so wantonly slept next to him was a catastrophe.

But was it so wanton if they were married?

This can't be. This just can't be! Not wanting to wake him, Lara slipped from the bed. As she'd remembered, she wore an oversized tee shirt--his, most likely. When she patted herself down, she cringed. She had nothing on underneath.

Oh, God. How could this get any worse?

Her imagination supplied several answers. Well, you could’ve gotten pregnant, could’ve contracted a social disease, he could be a mass murderer--

Stop it! Useless conjecture didn't help this situation. She had to pull herself together and try to remember. Thankfully, her head wasn't quite so fuzzy as before so she took stock of her surroundings as best as she could in the dark. One bed, two night tables, dresser, table and chairs equaled standard hotel/motel room fare.

She cautiously made her way to the window and peeked out from behind the heavy drapes. Early morning’s murky haze bathed a crowded row of vehicles parked near the building. A partial view of a neon sign near the road proclaimed “Bismarck” and “No Vacancy.”

Dropping the drapery, she leaned against the wall. Her legs didn’t want to support her anymore. North Dakota? How could she suddenly wake up in North Dakota?

Or, the more important question, how could she suddenly wake up married? 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you enjoy!

Susanne Marie Knight

Read outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing With A Twist

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New Release: In the Moment

In the Moment

Author: Jennifer Wilck

Genre: Contemporary Romance 

Price: $4.99


Blurb:

Cassie Edwards, a former foster child, purchases an 1870s Victorian mansion, the one home from her childhood where she felt like part of a family. She’s spending her summer lovingly restoring it, with dreams of one day raising a family of her own here. Rayne Tucket, a photojournalist, is haunted by the death of his best friend in Afghanistan, a death he thinks is his fault. He survives day to day. Forever is not in his vocabulary. Swearing off photography, he answers an ad for a handyman—mindless, no emotion involved. As the two of them renovate her house, can Cassie show Rayne that love is strong enough to heal all wounds?

Excerpt:

The intimate closeness made her stomach flutter. The proximity of their bodies, the rush of the water, and his feathering touch on her lips made her dizzy. She gripped his arms for support. He grasped her waist, staring deep in her eyes.
He was going to kiss her. She knew it. His pupils dilated. Time slowed. The rushing water pounded around her. She opened her mouth, as much to drink in air as to get ready to kiss him back. His eyes narrowed, focused on her lips. She leaned toward him. Their wet bodies pressed against each other. Her breasts tingled, and her stomach heated at the contact. She wanted this to go on forever, but at the same time, she wanted him to hurry up and kiss her so their lips could finally meet. At the last possible second, he pushed away.
She stood there, confused and aching.
“I’m not the staying kind, Cassie.”

She frowned. “What do you mean?”

“A woman like you needs a man who’ll stay forever. My time here has an expiration date.”

She ducked under the water. When she came up, she pushed her hair out of her face. “I know you’re leaving. You don’t have to, though.”
“Yes, I do.”
“Why?”

“Because I have a promise to keep.”
“What kind of promise?”

“The unbreakable kind.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hope you enjoy!

Jennifer Wilck

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