Monday, May 17, 2010

KJ Roberts' Pieces of the Star

Ex-cop and brain tumor survivor, Vincent Maxwell has been recalled for a special assignment: Capture a killer. With no obvious common links or clues, Maxwell must work fast before another body turns up. What he discovers suggest more than his reputation is at stake. Wrapped up in an unbelievable world of superpowers, he’s dragged in deeper with a connection he never thought possible. Can he use the information to his advantage and stop the killer? Or will death strike before he finds answers?

Read an excerpt from Pieces of the Star
Leave a comment for a chance to win a free e-book copy.

***
Blood oozed from the corpse's ear. Vince stooped down to examine the body. Foul death odor filled the air.

The man's mouth gaped open and his eyes were wide in terror. Something horrible had happened to him, yet only a small gash existed in his right ear.

Vince looked around the area. The local police force hadn't found any clues since five o'clock this morning when he'd gotten the call. Now the sun had begun to rise and people gathered around the yellow tape, murmuring worries about a possible serial killer.

Could anyone blame them? This was the second killing this month. Both victims had the same cut on the side of their head, but so far, they seemed to have nothing else in common.

"There you are."

Vince turned around to see Captain Spinner and another cop standing behind him.

"This is the guy I was telling you about," Captain Spinner said to the other guy. "Sergeant Elder, this is the famous Vincent Maxwell. Ex-cop, turned private investigator. Vince, this is Sergeant Fred Elder."

Fred stuck his hand out, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping open like he'd just seen a celebrity or something. Why, he didn't know, but Vince shook his hand anyway and nodded. "It's nice to meet you, Sgt. Elder. Captain, can I ask why you called me so early in the morning?"

"Maxwell." The Captain wrapped his arm around Vince's shoulder and walked him to the side. "How long have we known each other?"

"A long time." Vince couldn't remember how long exactly. Ever since his surgery, he'd had trouble retaining dates. "Seven or eight years."

"And in that time frame, I've watched you grow as a man and a cop. But here lately you've become the best detective I've ever seen. You have a gift, and I have a madman on the loose." He sighed and scratched his forehead. "We have no leads or clues. I can't link the two victims, and I need your help." Spinner looked around and lowered his voice. "Before there's another stiff."

"What do you want me to do? I gave up homicide." After facing his own death and a long recovery, he wanted to work with the living.

"Yeah, I know, but you can't enjoy following cheating spouses for pennies."

True, the work bored him to tears. The men he trailed were reckless and they left clues like breadcrumbs. All he had to do was lay in wait and snap a few photographs. Assignment finished and on to the next job.

Plus, something odd had happened to him after his tumor had been removed. He couldn't explain it, but his senses had grown sharper. Cases had become clearer, and he'd learned to predict the perpetrator's next move effortlessly.

Spinner chewed his nail as he waited for an answer.

Physically fit and able to handle the mission, Vince craved the excitement. However, he'd grown accustomed to life without a boss.

"Okay. I'll do it, but I'll handle things my own way. And I work alone."

"No problem." Spinner held up his hands to indicate he'd back off.

* * * *

Spinner watched Maxwell walk back to the crime scene. He turned to Elder and motioned for him to come over.

"Elder, Maxwell’s taking the case. I have no doubt he can handle the work. However, I'm a bit worried about his physical condition. Keep an eye on him. He's a good man and a better cop. I'd hate to see something happen to him."

"No problem, Captain. I've been dying to watch Maxwell in action."

____________

Country girl born and raised, KJ Roberts has been writing for longer than she can remember. It’s a natural part of life to her. Indiana native, her stories are usually set in the Hoosier state. After a ten year stent in the military, she moved to Mississippi with her husband and two kids. She loves reading, listening to her son play guitar and watching her daughter dance. Check out her blog.

Pieces of the Star
Buy from FIDO publishing
Buy from Amazon

10 comments:

  1. Good morning, Stiletto Gang and thank you for having me today. I'm so excited about the kick off of my blog tour for my new release Pieces of the Star. I'll be checking in today, so leave a comment or ask a question and I'll be happy to respond. (Though it looks like rain and my internet might to spotty.)

    Let's have a good day.

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  2. Looks interesting! Count me in. And welcome to the Gang.

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  3. Nice to have you hanging out with us today, KJ! Good luck with the book. :-)

    Cheers,
    Susan

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  4. Wow, KJ! Great sounding book. All the best with your promotion and sales.

    Marilyn
    http://fictionforyou.com

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  5. I Zita, thank you for the interest and you thank you for the welcome.

    Susan, thanks for the well wishes.

    Merilyn, thank you for the compliment and the well wishes.

    I'm happy to be here today and share my story with all you fine ladies and the gentlemen out there.

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  6. This is a really good story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

    Congrats on the blog tour!

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  7. Hi KJ, The book sounds great! I'm curious, how did you decide to include the brain tumor as a part of this character? I have my own personal experience with cancer and know of a few others that have had "odd" things occur as a possible result of their tumor. Thanks for your time. : )

    Anjali

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  8. Thanks Sutton, I love your stories too.

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  9. Anjali,

    To be honest, I'm a pantster. When I started this story, I started with one word - blood. Then it turned into one sentence. Since blood is coming from the victim's ear, I had to come up with why. So, I used the brain. I could have used a lot of different conditions dealing with the brain, but really my father had a brain tumor and I knew some of the things he'd gone through recovering from his surgery. So, when in doubt, write what you know.

    Thanks for the question, Anjali. To read the full story behind this book, be sure to visit Marilyn Meredith's blog on the 24th as I make my stop on the tour there and blog about it.

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  10. Via a random drawing, the winner of the free download of PIECES OF THE STAR is Zita. Zita please email the Stiletto Gang at stilettogang@gmail.com and give us your email address. Then we'll send you the download.

    Thanks!!!!

    The Stiletto Gang

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