Cassandra
by J.M. Anton
Casey’s haunted nights begin with the death of her father. Who is the shadow man in her dreams? Could it be her dad whom she had believed dead? She discovers he had another family, and some dark secrets Casey sets out to solve the mysteries of her abandonment, and find the answers to the nightshades that threaten her sanity.
Our heroine runs afoul of a previously unknown nemesis as she searches for answers, but she also finds the love of her life. He too abandons her, as he struggles with physical and mental wounds from multiple tours in the Middle East. Can Casey forgive him as they confront a mutual enemy?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How about an Excerpt? Here you go:
JD escorted Gram to the car, and she entered the Italian
restaurant on his arm. Casey walked behind the pair. Gram really seemed to
enjoy herself, and it was obvious she was getting a kick out of parading around
on JD’s arm. Heck, why not? Casey figured it had probably been a long time
since Gram had such a good looking man, one who wasn’t gray, pay so much
attention to her.
As for the other ogling females, Casey thought that they
should get a load of him in his dress blues. That sight would have folks
running for the defibrillators to restore the victims’ regular heartbeats.
Casey decided she was in the safest spot, behind him and temporarily out of
range of his piercing blue eyes. The small parade, led by the hostess, ended at
a secluded corner table, which suited Casey just fine. While JD was occupied
seating Gram as if he were the reincarnation of Sir Galahad, Casey positioned
herself in the corner and tried to fade into the shadows of the dimly lit room.
She wished she was
able to relax and enjoy the evening, but she did not trust him. She was losing
the daylong battle to subdue the tormenting ache behind her eyes as well as
persistent nausea. Her order of minestrone soup and salad set both of her
dinner companions on her case. Nibbling on a breadstick and sipping a warm cup
of tea, she ignored them and surveyed the coming and going of diners.
Soup was served, and she felt that she had made an excellent
choice: it was not disagreeing with her touchy stomach. She focused on her bowl
and avoided eye contact as she listened to JD banter with Gram. Still, she
could feel his eyes whenever they traveled her way and lingered. Hearing her
name, she raised her eyes to meet two familiar faces.
Andy and Alice greeted Casey and her grandmother, who then
introduced Jimmy.
Gram insisted that the couple join them. Casey moved over to
the vacant chair next to Gram, leaving two unoccupied. Andy, no fool, seated
Alice next to Casey, and placed himself between JD and Alice. Casey’s sense of
humor kicked in at the obvious manipulation.
She was digging into the pocket on her sundress for her
vibrating cell while the newcomers placed their order. Casey asked Gram if she
wanted to speak with Millie.
“You know that I can’t hear on those contraptions. Just ask
her what she wants.”
“She says she’ll pick you up at nine in the morning.”
“Tell her that I will be ready.” Gram waved her hand in
dismissal.
Casey thought her grandmother’s hearing was getting worse.
In addition to her lapses in memory, and her occasional bouts of believing
Casey was still a child, Gram seemed to get confused and disorientated more
lately. It was worrisome to Casey that getting her grandmother to a doctor’s
office depended on her state of mind and mood when it was time to keep the
appointment.
“Millie, she'll be ready, but there is a small snag. Gram
has company from out of town. Do you have room for one more on the bus tour?
Wonderful! I’ll pass on the good news. Oh, don’t worry, you'll like him, all
the ladies do.”
“Okay, Gram you’re all set, and you are welcome to bring
Jimmy along.” A small triumphant laugh escaped before she could squelch it. She
didn’t look at him as she tucked her phone back into her pocket, but she could
feel his blue eyes burning holes through her like two powerful lasers.
“Did you just book him a seat on a senior bus tour?” Alice
whispered while covertly glancing at JD.
“Yep. Sure did,” she declared, and grinned at him when Alice
broke out in a fit of giggles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the Author:
Author Jackie
Anton lives in rural Ohio with her husband, two horses, two dogs, and abundant
wildlife. Years of experience with horses and youth riders lend a unique
perspective to her Backyard Horse Tales, and crop up in unexpected scenes in her
adult works written with the pen name J.M.
Ms. Anton is
the author of the award winning children’s series Backyard Horse Tales. In her
2015 award winning adult novel
"Wind River Refuge" she turns her attention to the
difficulties in overcoming childhood abuse. Set in the turbulent sixties and
early seventies. This romance / who done it comes from a time before child
advocacy, cell phones, and PCs.
Cassandra
Hoffman begins her search for justice in the early decade of the twenty first
century in Anton's latest adult novel Cassandra: Night Shades.
Other Books by
J.M.
2015 saw the
release of the first two books in the Troubles in Love-Land Series. Book One:
"Fateful Waters" was released as an e-book and paperback May of 2015.
Book Two: "Panhandle Mayhem" was be released November of 2015. There
is more to come in the series for 2016.
Author Links:
Writing Blog:
http://jackieanton.com/
Author Website:
http://talesbyjackie.com/
Author Page
with buy links: http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/jackie-anton.html
Authors Den:
www.authorsden.com/jackieanton
Online
Autographs: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/backyardhorse
FB Adult Fan
Page: http://www.facebook.com/authorjmanton?ref=hl
Book Buy Links:
Smashwords:
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/607837
Janton's Square
Market: http://mkt.com/jackie-anton/
IAN:
http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/jackie-anton.html
2 comments:
Thanks, Wendi, for hosting Cassandra and me. We will return later to chat or answer questions.
J.M.
Thanks for hosting!
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