Title: The
Darkest Frost, Vol 1 of a 2-part serial (TDF, #1)
Author:
Tanya Holmes
Genre: A
Gothic paranormal romance with a twist.
Release Date:
June 22, 2015
Blurb
When the ghost of her best friend begs for her
help, psychic detective Denieve Knight goes undercover as a live-in domestic to
catch a killer. She sets her sights on the most likely
suspect: her friend’s mysterious employer, Doctor Braeden
Frost.
Dubbed "Dr. Death" by the press, the notorious
hematologist is linked to nineteen other suspicious fatalities—all are former
patients. The brooding recluse is a man of many secrets, the darkest of which may
be lurking beneath the leather gloves he never removes.
Excerpt
THE DARKEST FROST,
Volume 1 of a 2-part serial, © Tanya
Holmes
Fear all but crippled me as I listened to the wind
beating the treetops. Listened to the creaks and groans of the house. Took some
effort, but I got up and inched my way to the door with legs as steady as rubber
bands. I yanked it open only to find the hallway empty except for a fiery trail of
footprints. Strangely, the carpet didn’t burn.
Were I not buck naked, I would’ve followed right
then. Instead, I backed into my room, fully intending to throw something on. But
twin headlights skipped along the wall through a crack in the drapes. I shut the door
and edged over to the window to brush the heavy curtains back. High beams sliced
into the darkness as a vehicle cruised up the hill, breaking free of the wispy
fog.
A gunmetal-gray Jaguar taxied into the courtyard
and pulled in beside my late-model Chevy. My adrenaline spiked as soon as the
headlights doused. Moments later, Dr. Braeden Frost climbed from the car and slung
a gray satchel over his shoulder. It appeared to be a medical bag. He was dressed in
dark clothes—leather coat, pants, boots, and gloves. Even his silky hair was black.
He would’ve melted into the night if not for the security lights flooding the grounds
and the white aura framing his body.
I’d witnessed a similar illumination on others in his
profession. Doctors. Nurses. Orderlies. Most everyone in health care. I’d seen the
glow on cops and morticians too. In fact, all who came in direct contact with the
dead and dying had it. Still, on Frost the neon radiance was chilling.
The wind rushed past him, sending the tail of his
trench coat dancing on a breeze. Then as if he sensed my presence, his gaze shot to
my window. Our eyes locked. His narrowed and I froze. Unable to move, unable to
breathe, I stood rooted in place like a petrified tree. The man gave the word
“presence” new meaning. He had a stillness about him, an eerie calm that chilled my
blood. I was surprised yet intrigued. Intimidated yet inexplicably drawn to
him.
An eternity passed before I found the will to duck
away. I plastered my back against the wall, my gaze doing a mad search around the
ruined room for something to put on. A light breeze hissed outside, but still I
didn’t hear him move. Finally, a trunk opened and slammed shut. Next came the
slow but steady sound of footsteps crunching gravel as he trudged around the left
side of the house.
Downstairs a door wailed open. Floorboards
creaked, then a stair, followed by another. I dashed around like a headless chicken,
tearing through my clothes, desperate to find something—anything—to
throw on. But then the footsteps stopped just outside my bedroom and a menacing
shadow crept beneath the door.
The lock. I’d forgotten to click it.
I stood motionless in the center of the room, my
gaze latched on the knob, my blood pulsing in a crazy rhythm. I was still frazzled
from Caryn’s appearance, and all I kept thinking was, please,
please, please don’t let him come in here with me naked as
the day I was born, and the room a complete mess.
Seconds passed, and still the shadow remained.
Lurking, looming, waiting.
Normally, I had to be in the same room with people
to read their emotions, but only five feet separated us, and a strong odor of
sulfur—anger—wafted in from the hallway. No mistaking the owner. The essence
belonged to him. The smell ebbed, replaced by a hint of saltwater and allspice. The
former scent was fear, the latter smacked of uncertainty. So Frost was angry, afraid,
and confused by my presence. The realization made my heart go from thumping to
pounding.
Seemed like hours before his shadow finally
retreated. The creaking staircase should have calmed me, but I was still unnerved. I
slammed my lids shut and listened to his footsteps and the jingle of keys, followed
by a door groaning open. When it shut soundly moments later, I collapsed on the
bed, landing in a wet heap.
What the heck had I gotten myself into?
Pre Order
The Darkest Frost on Amazon Today!
About the
Author
Amazon Bestselling Author Tanya Holmes is a
Golden Leaf double-finalist, a Romance Writers of America Golden Heart finalist, a
recipient of the Maggie Award, the MICA Award, as well as Overall Winner of the
Sandy Haddad Award and a two-time finalist and one-time winner of The Emily
(Best of the Best). She's happily married with children and loves reading, writing
and a good cup of coffee---but not necessarily in that order. She has two novels
coming out in 2015: The Darkest Frost, a two-part Gothic paranormal serial
romance with a twist, and in 2016, Temptation's Edge, a contemporary
romance.
Connect with
Tanya
Giveaway!
No comments:
Post a Comment