Thursday, September 8, 2011

9/11/11 - Ten Years After



Do you remember where you were that terrible day ten years ago? I do, and I remember the aftermath. No, I wasn't at the WTC, hell, I wasn't even in NYC. I was thousands of miles away here in Texas. I remember watching as the first tower burned. I didn't see the first plane hit but recall people saying what a terrible accident it was. Then we all watched in horror as the second plane came around and crashed into the second tower. Then we knew it was no accident.

I was working out near D/FW Airport at the time and recall the days following the attacks. It was almost eerie not hearing the constant jet traffic that normally flew in and out of one of the busiest airports in the U.S. Even worse was when a lone fighter jet would scream overhead and scare the hell out of us. Eventually things went back to normal, or at least as normal as they could be after such a horrendous event.

So, where were you that day? What do you remember?

In honor of this upcoming anniversery, I will be posting the Indie Author in the Spotlight on Saturday instead, along with the Guest Author Interview.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Sample Sunday - Excerpt from Chapter Twenty Nine of Storm Rising

Sunday September 20th, 10:00 A.M. Yonkers
Home of Kelli Storm


    Kelli sat at the kitchen table, sipping her coffee and mulling over the nights events. Last night was a bust. After convincing the two uniforms to leave, she went into the club. She counted fifteen customers, six dancers, two servers and the bartender. The two men she was looking for weren’t there.
    She sat at the bar nursing a club soda until Kevin showed up thirty minutes later. He wasn’t pleased that she went inside without him, and let her know it.
    She convinced him to give it another half hour and finally left in frustration. She knew they were there, most likely in some hidden back room. Without a warrant or exigent circumstances, her hands were tied.
    Kevin walked in and poured a cup of coffee. He sat down across from her and shook his head. “That was a pretty stupid stunt you pulled yesterday. What were you thinking? If those guys saw you in there…”
    “Yeah, I know. I just wanted to get a closer look, see if I recognized them.” She sighed and tilted her head back. “I’ve got a gut feeling that place is the center of the operation in the city. I know Santoro is linked to that club. He has to be working for the Colombian. I just need proof.”
    “Well, we can’t just bust in there without it. Was there anything linking the shooter you killed back to the club, or to Santoro?”
    “Not a fucking thing. I’m telling you, these guys are smart. The guy was a hired gun, and they probably paid him in cash, no paper trail. We ran him through the system and there was nothing tying him to Santoro, or any of the known cartels.”
    Kevin leaned forward, his brow furrowed. “What about Farnsworth? You think he’d be willing to help? He has to know something.”
    Kelli laughed. “Are you kidding? I’m the last person he’d want to help. Shit, Kevin. The guy blames me for his UC getting killed and being kicked off the task force.”
    “It was just a thought, shit. You got any ideas?”
    She shook her head and sighed. “Other than watching these guys, no. Unless…”
    “Unless what?”
    Kelli waved a hand at him and flipped her cell open. Thumbing through her phonebook, she smiled at one of the entries. “Yes, I’ve still got it.” She pressed the call button and waited. She looked at Kevin and he had a puzzled look on his face. “It’s Dan Davis. He works in Narcotics and he was on the JTF with Farnsworth.”