Blurb:
In an instant the Maui honeymoon of Lee's
dreams morphs to a nightmare when Jennifer disappears on their wedding night.
Were the abductors the trafficking ring Jennifer crippled or does an even a
more sinister organization want her for other purposes.
With the clock ticking toward Jennifer's
impending sale, Lee, accompanied by their fifteen-year-old foster daughter,
Katie, and Jennifer's grandfather, begins his own search of the island. As the
search by Lee and the authorities intensifies, he fears beautiful Katie might
end up in the crosshairs of the traffickers.
Can Lee save both his bride and his future
daughter? What if he has to make a choice? If Jennifer is sold, could she kill
herself to avoid a life filled with degradation and horror? If she did, would
God forgive her?
Extract:
In light of recent events, she should be dead.
Jennifer Akihara should no longer exist.
And now she doesn’t.
The thought brought a smile to her lips.
Nearly nine hours ago, in another world three
thousand miles away, Jennifer Akihara became Mrs. Lee Brandt. “Jennifer
Brandt,” she whispered. It sounded right. It was right. And the dangers
that nearly prevented her from taking Lee’s name were gone, either locked away
in a federal prison or dead.
Spending her wedding night with Lee in a tropical
paradise would be the perfect start to their life as man and wife. But the
perfect start had been delayed.
In the fading twilight, under a purple sky, Jennifer
glanced up at Lee’s brilliant, blue eyes as he walked beside her in his cargo
shorts and muscle shirt, looking—she hated clichés, but there was simply no
other word for him—hot. Tonight, on this island, extremely hot. And the warm,
humid trade winds, which caressed her skin and ruffled Lee’s hair, cooled
nothing.
Lee seemed unusually quiet. Maybe he was disappointed
about their room not being ready.
She moved close to him, gently brushing against his
side with each step as they strolled through the menagerie of colorful Kihei
shops. The fragrance of pineapple, mango, and coconut mingled with those cloves
and cinnamon near the kiosks selling soaps, candles, and lotions.
She looked up at him, wondering
what was on his mind. It was time to probe. “If someone hadn’t broken into our
room just before we arrived, right now we would be—”
“We’d be watching the moon over
Maalaea Bay out that big window. I know.”
“If someone hadn’t insisted
on that room, maybe we could’ve gotten another room, and we could
be—”
“I know, sweetheart. But when you
see the sunset from our room tomorrow evening, you’ll understand. That room is
special. We can eat dinner here at the shops, and by 7:30 our room door will be
fixed and the electronics that were stolen will all be replaced, just like the
manager promised. And…we get a free night for our inconvenience.”
“Inconvenience? That’s hardly the
word for what I feel.” She met his gaze with love and longing in her eyes.
Thoughts of being alone with him
filled her mind. She touched her face. Like Lee, it was hot.
My Review:
If you thought the first two books in this series were a whirlwind of activity, you ain't seen nothing yet. This book starts on a honeymoon, so you expect flowers and candles and... Wrong. What you get is heart-pumping nail biting action as Jennifer is kidnapped and thrust back into the nightmare of the traffickers. Definitly a kindle keeper, this book will keep your attention gripped from beginning to end.
I received a complimentary copy from the author in exchange for a fair review
Interview with Jennifer – done at SeaTac Airport before they leave
on their honeymoon:
Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself?
I'm not
sure why you wanted to do this interview at SeaTac Airport. I've only got a few
minutes, because Lee and I are headed for our Maui honeymoon. You see, about 2
hours ago, I became Jennifer Akihara-Brandt. I'm Japanese-Hawaiian, raised in
the islands, but attended college and graduate school at the University of
Washington. I dropped out of my PhD program to work for NSA. I work in big-data
analysis, Internet forensics, and wireless communications analysis. My graduate
work in computing security is what brought Lee and me together.
Tell us about where you live and why you choose to live there?
Lee and
I just bought a house in the foothills, southeast of Seattle. It's close to our
work and the high school Katie wants to attend—why are you looking at me like
that? I know… I'm not old enough to have a 15-year-old daughter. She's a foster
child, but Lee and I plan to adopt her, even if I am only 11 years older than
Katie.
What is a quirk of your personality that most people wouldn't
know?
My
personality… The burning question. Burning … that used to be my personality,
acrid, temper hovering near 212. But that was before Lee introduced me to God …
to Jesus.
Name two things you would hate people to know about you?
First, I
would hate for people to know that I almost always think I'm right. It's been
that way since I was a kid. For some reason, God gave me a double portion of
intelligence … you're looking at me that way again. Look, if you multiply your
IQ by two, you get … yes, I can see now that you understand.
I would
also hate for people to know about my drug addiction. Caffeine. I can't
function without it, and Lee says I get really grumpy if I don’t get enough.
Tell us about your special bloke. What makes him special?
Lee has been my husband now for a little over
2 hours. He was my fiancé for 8 months prior that. He loves me and thinks I'm
special. But most of all, he saved my life several times, and he introduced me
to the one true God who saved my soul for eternity. And… I think Lee's cute, in
a rugged, superbly handsome, hunky sort of way.
The first time you saw him, what did you think? Did you like him
immediately, or did he have to grow on you?
The first time I saw him? Not good. He reacted just like the
guy who stalked me. Well, his eyes did. He went gaga on me. But I soon found
out Lee was considerate. He tried to protect me when danger came. I'd say he
grew on me for about 6 hours. That’s how long it took before I knew there was
something special between us.
What would he hate people to know about him?
Lee would hate it if anyone thought he was a typical computer
geek. I mean he is, but he isn't. He does computer work, but he
loves athletics, competition. He has a genius level IQ, but he doesn't flaunt
it. His 90 mile-per-hour fastball … that he flaunts.
What is your favourite thing to eat and drink?
My favorite thing is, hands down, coffee. Not the black, bitterer
stuff, but creamy light brown, macchiatos or dark brown mochas … and 2 shots of
espresso in a tall, 3 shots in the grande, and always 4 shots in a venti.
If you had to fight, what would be your weapon of choice and why?
Fighting isn't something I like, but I've done my fair share.
I know a little karate, but I prefer my .38 special, because I hit what I aim
at with it. There are 3 notches on that gun, but I’m only responsible for 2 of
them. Enough about guns. This is my honeymoon, in Maui no less. So, I'm not
bringing my .38. Who needs a gun in a tropical island paradise?
Pepsi or coke
Coke. Pepsi tastes better, but Coke has more caffeine.
Tea or coffee
Coffee. It tastes better and has more caffeine.
Elephant or tiger
Elephant. I don't like dangerous things, or people, who can
sneak up on me. It's hard for an elephant to do that.
Roast dinner or burger and chips (fries for our US readers)
Don't tell Lee, but burgers and chips. At 26, I can still get
away with eating junk food.
Classical music or pop
I have a mathematical mind. I can hear what Bach and the
other classical composers are doing—their systematical variations on a theme,
but I prefer pop—simple, pleasant, relaxing and with words that actually say
something.
Sunrise or sunset
Lee’s a meteorologist. He loves sunsets and would shoot
pictures nearly every evening, if I let him. But I love sunrises. Everything is
beginning fresh and new, just like God’s love and mercy. Another day and
another chance for everyone and everything.
Walk or run
Run. Lee taught me about running. Let the endorphins flow! I
love that runners high.
Chocolate or crisps (chips for our US readers)
Chocolate. It goes better with coffee than chips.
Buy links:
Amazon
Pelican Books
Review of book one HERE
Review and overview of book two HERE
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