Kindling the Past
by M.S. Kaye
Kindle is fighting to survive on her own, to break free from her possessive and violent ex-boyfriend, and trying not to let her best friend, Anna, know she’s in love with her husband. Most of all, she fights the visions she sees of the past—she doesn’t believe in that kind of stuff.
Then Anna is shot and killed.
In their grief, Kindle and Ty,
Anna’s husband and Kindle’s Taekwondo instructor, grow closer.
Although Kindle is careful never to let him too close, he helps her
learn to accept that her visions are real. Eventually, the truth
about Anna’s death breaks through into Kindle’s visions, and she
must find a way not to let it destroy her.
Buy Links:
Barnes and Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Kindling-the-past?keyword=Kindling+the+past&store=ebook
aRe:
https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-kindlingthepast-1490578-149.htmlAuthor Bio:
M.S. Kaye has several published
books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with
her husband, Corey, in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to
melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.
Contact M. S. Kaye at:
http://www.amazon.com/M.-S.-Kaye/e/B00F1OTYCK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1398815398&sr=8-1
Excerpt:
Prologue
I fought the visions. My mother used to tell me my expression
turned stupid when I had them, but I didn’t care about that so much
anymore. I hated when the visions were true somehow, actual bits of
the past. I didn’t believe in that kind of stuff.
Chapter 1: Fight
“She’s such a snob,” one of the
young women whispered on the other side of the locker room.
I stayed faced away, trying not to hear
their gossip. I tugged my jeans on and pulled my shirt over my head.
When I glanced in the mirror to fix my hair, I barely saw the dark
brown framing my fair skin—only the way the other girls looked at
me. I bent over to pick up my shoes.
“The guys don’t even ask her out
because she’s so stuck up.”
I didn’t understand why they thought
like this about me, but I didn’t much care anyway. As soon as I had
my shoes on, I threw my gear bag over my shoulder and walked out.
Master Trahem was on the workout floor
sparring with Mr. Schmidt. Master Trahem’s uniform was starting to
come open, and sweat glistened on his well-built chest.
I looked away.
“Bye, Kindle,” Mrs. Trahem said as
I passed the front counter. “See you tomorrow.”
I smiled at her, one of the few people
I reserved my genuine smile for. She was a big part of the reason I
came in early to help every day, her and her atrocious typing skills.
She always held her fingers above the keys like a fisherman wielding
a spear, as if expecting them to squirm out from under her aim.
But honestly, helping with data entry
was just an excuse—Mrs. Trahem was the best person I’d ever
known, and I felt calmer when I was around her.
“You’ll be there early, right?”
Mrs. Trahem added. She tucked her silky dark hair behind her ear.
There was a grace to her movement. No wonder Master Trahem had
married her so quickly. At twenty-nine, she was a few years older
than me but looked just as young.
“Definitely.” Then I kept walking.
Before I gave into the urge to turn and watch Master Trahem.
The girls from the locker room followed
me out into the parking lot. I sat in my car and started the engine.
While I drove the forty-five minutes
home, I fought to stay awake. At least traffic at nine-thirty at
night was thin. I always missed rush hour. I left my apartment before
six every morning and didn’t return until after ten. Being tired
felt normal.
As I pulled up to my building, I
examined each car. I knew to whom each of them belonged, as well as
half my neighbors’ friends’ cars. The girl across the hall traded
boyfriends every week. She drove me nuts.
I had no way of knowing what Chris was
driving. I had to know which cars were supposed to be here in order
to know if there was a new one. Most of my neighbors drove beaters
like me, and Chris had always liked something flashy. But with him, I
couldn’t depend on consistency. He was smart.
I recognized all the cars tonight. I
parked under the streetlight and kept the door locked while I pulled
my gear bag onto my lap and slipped the strap over my shoulder. Keys
ready, I jumped out of the car and jogged up the steps. I hated
apartment buildings in Florida. The halls were open, no security
doors to block unwanted visitors from knocking on your front door,
from lurking in shadowy corners.
Within about ten seconds, I was up the
stairs, down the hall, and at my door. Just being able to move
quickly without running out of breath was worth the cost of Taekwondo
classes. I felt more confident, less scared.
My door unlocked, I glanced down the
hall one more time then slipped inside. I closed the door, locked it,
and flipped the lights.
I was not alone.
He was right there, tall, thick, and
blond as always. I was seeing as clearly as if through acid. I
blinked to make sure he was really there. I always did that. It was
stupid.
Chris was always there.
Thanks everybody for stopping by. M. S. Kaye and I are swapping spotlights today. Please take a minute and check out Her Cracked Heart at http://booksbymsk.com/?page_id=28
Thanks for having me as your guest!
ReplyDeleteThis one sounds very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJohn D