Born Mohawk, raised white, forensic pathologist, Michelle
Thomas is trapped between two worlds—this one and the spirit world where the
ghosts of those who’ve drowned speak to her. Haunted by crippling nightmares of
her own drowning death and erotic dreams of a phantom lover, she strives to
make sense of her life. When two suspicious deaths occur at the Lake of the
Mountain Resort, she’s sent to investigate. She’ll face the greatest challenge
of her career when her past and her present collide. One of these men is her
future, but which one—the rich and powerful Mayor Ron Davies, or Tony Steele,
the hydrology professor who may be responsible for his students’ deaths?
Charged by the spirits of her Mohawk ancestors to atone for her previous sins
by protecting Lake of the Gods, can Michelle solve the murders, save the sacred
waters, and fulfil her destiny?
Susanne Matthews was born and raised in Eastern Ontario, Canada. She’s an avid reader of all types of books, especially those with a
happily ever after. In her imagination, she’s travelled to foreign lands, past
and present, and soared into the future. A retired educator, Susanne spends her
time writing and creating adventures for her readers. She loves the ins and
outs of romance, and the complex journey it takes to get from the first word to
the last period of a novel. As she writes, her characters take on a life of
their own, and she shares their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery
and love.
Excerpt
Tony recognized the woman in his dreams as the
shawl-wrapped stranger who walked along the beach every now and then. Beautiful
and exotic, something about her called to his soul. He preferred women who
didn’t look like carbon copies of others, and this one intrigued him. He
thought about her now.
He’d noticed her the night he’d arrived. He never
slept well in a new bed. Unable to settle, he’d stepped out onto the porch and
noticed someone else apparently suffering from insomnia. A woman, a blanket
wrapped around herself, her hair in a long braid down her back, strolled along
the edge of the sandy beach. She’d moved southeast toward the edge of the
lookout. He’d stepped outside to get a better look at her, but she’d vanished.
The next night, his imagination and libido had
taken over, and in his dreams, she’d entered his leafy grotto, and they’d had
mind-blowing sex. The things they’d done to one another. Thank God he’d
awakened before his body had finished responding to his fantasy.
He’d gotten up, frustrated as old hell, and had
gone downstairs. Standing in the screened-in porch, he’d looked out at the
lake. Unlike tonight, the water had resembled a mirror reflecting the stars on
its surface, and he’d been suspended between the water and the sky—everything brighter,
crisper, and clearer than he’d expected. Animals scurried in the brush nearby.
Bats swooped overhead. An owl hooted, and he’d shivered. Didn’t some of the
Native American tribes believe death followed the cries of an owl?
He’d turned to go back inside when he’d glimpsed
his mystery woman coming along the beach from the marshy area to the north.
He’d called out to her. She’d turned at the sound of his voice and stopped. In
the moonlight, he’d seen the sparkle of silver tears on her cheeks. Naked, he’d
hurried into the kitchen, grabbed his damp swimsuit off the drying rack, and
rushed out, but she’d disappeared.
He blinked, and the memory passed. He’d never seen
a storm as vicious as tonight’s. The rain came down in sheets. Thank God the
kids had made it back safely. He turned to go inside when a flash of lightning,
the first he’d noticed tonight, illuminated the beach.
What the
hell?
The woman, wrapped in her blanket, walked along
the beach as if all hell wasn’t breaking loose around her. He ran to the door
and raced across the short expanse of grass. He stopped at the edge of the
water. Where had she gone? As she’d done every time he’d tried to catch her,
she’d vanished. Wet through, he hurried back inside. He saw the light go out in
Jackson’s room.
Tony entered the cabin, stripped off his wet
clothes, and tossed them in the kitchen sink. Naked and shivering, he climbed
the stairs and went into the bathroom. He took a hot shower and then dried his
shoulder-length hair. He needed to get it cut. He grabbed a clean T-shirt and a
pair of boxers out of the drawer. Exhausted, he fell into bed hoping for sleep.
Buy Lnks~
SCP.
About Susanne~
Susanne Matthews was born and raised in Eastern Ontario, Canada. She’s an avid reader of all types of books, especially those with a
happily ever after. In her imagination, she’s travelled to foreign lands, past
and present, and soared into the future. A retired educator, Susanne spends her
time writing and creating adventures for her readers. She loves the ins and
outs of romance, and the complex journey it takes to get from the first word to
the last period of a novel. As she writes, her characters take on a life of
their own, and she shares their fears and agonies on the road to self-discovery
and love.
Follow Susanne on her:
Twitter @jandsmatt
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