Evelyn Cullet – Once Upon a Crime

This week my guest author is, Me!

Hello. I’m so happy you stopped by to read this very special blog post about my new novel, Once Upon a Crime, which has just been released by Wings ePress. 

I’ve been an aspiring author since high school when I wrote short stories. I began my first novel while attending college later in life, and while working in the offices of a major soft drink company. Even though my job, my home, and my family always took precedence, I continued to attend writing classes and work on my novels. Now, after taking early retirement, I finally have the chance to do what I love best; write full-time. While I enjoy playing the piano, being an organic gardener, and an amateur Lapidary, writing has always been my passion. I was a former member of the Agatha Christie Society and am currently a member of Sisters in Crime. I write mysteries with light romance and a little humor. My husband and I live in a suburb of Chicago along with our Black Lab/Pit Bull, Bailey.

Once Upon a Crime

Love isn’t always a fairy tale…and Charlotte Ross has kissed her share of frogs, but that’s all behind her. Fleeing her life for a short break, Charlotte, along with her best friend Jane Marshall, find themselves at her aunt’s home in the sleepy town of Raven’s Caw, Michigan. Charlotte hopes to recover from another breakup with her fiancé, and her friend Jane, a new mystery writer, is looking forward to somewhere relaxing. But life has different plans for the two friends and they find themselves swept up in a whirlwind of romance, mystery and murder.

Sparks fly between Jane and Charlotte’s attractive, Machiavellian cousin, Kenny. But is the attraction too good to be true or just a diversion from a mystery that has piqued her interest? Charlotte is pulled along on this roller-coaster of emotion when she meets up with her first love, as she and Jane discover links between a murder that happened twelve years earlier and a recent crime. Risking their own lives and hearts, the friends race against the past in an effort to solve the crimes before one of them becomes the next victim.

Here is an excerpt:

The sound of the van pulling up to the front of the cottage made Charlotte’s heart skip a beat. Striker grabbed her arm, pulled her off the sofa and walked her toward the front door. He opened it wide, and put his face next to hers. “When we get outside, don’t try anything funny.”

He pulled the handle on the back door of the van, and swung it open. “Get in.”

She stood straight and stiff, her chin lifting in her most defiant stance as she braced her feet in the snow.

His hard eyes stared her down. “I said, get in!”

When she didn’t move, he lunged at her. She dodged to the side and delivered a sharp kick to his knee. He’s not getting me in that van.

He grunted and stumbled back. She spun around and made a mad dash toward the lake, but her short legs struggled in the deep snow. Striker’s long strides caught up with her after a few moments. He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her off the ground.

“All right.” He grunted under her weight. “If you wanna do things the hard way…”

She twisted and squirmed and kicked at him with every ounce of strength she had, but his grip was so unyielding as he walked back that only a few of her blows made contact. He shoved her into the van. She managed to get in a strong kick to his hand before he slammed the door, leaving her breathless in the dark.

If you enjoyed this short excerpt, Once Upon a Crime is available at Wings ePress: http://www.wings-press.com/ and at Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/l4lhxxb

Enter the Goodreads Giveaway and win one of eight print copies of Once Upon a Crime. https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/106295-once-upon-a-crime

I’d love to hear from you, so please leave a comment and enter to win one of three nifty Sherlock Holmes Pins, created, designed and hand-made by me.