Riversong (River Valley
by Tess Thompson
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Booktrope
Heat Level: Steamy
Length: 278 pages
Available at:
Description:
When Lee Tucker's husband commits suicide, he
leaves her pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a loan shark. Out of
options, she escapes to her deceased mother's dilapidated house located in a
small Oregon
Author Tess Thompson (formerly known as Tess
Hardwick) assembles a colorful cast of endearing small-town characters and
takes you on a journey that will make you believe in the possibilities of life
- even in the face of overwhelming adversity and unimaginable grief. Lee Tucker
is the kind of woman you find yourself rooting for long after the last page is
read.
A surprising mix of romance, humor, friendship,
intrigue and gourmet food - Riversong entertains while reminding you of life's
greatest gifts.
Warning: This title is intended for readers over
the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and
may be considered offensive to some readers.
Riverbend (River Valley
by Tess Thompson
Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Booktrope
Heat Level: Steamy
Length: 272 pages
Available at:
Description:
“Tag. I found you.”
Just as Annie Bell’s reputation as one of the
best chefs in the Pacific Northwest grows to
new heights, she receives a threatening phone call from her abusive
ex-boyfriend. Marco is out on parole and hungry for revenge, blaming her for
his ten-year imprisonment. Fearing for her life and that of her young son,
Annie reluctantly accepts help from Drake Webber, a cold and wealthy recluse
hiding a dark history of his own. Supported by the gang of misfits from their
restaurant Riversong, Annie forges ahead despite her growing terror that Marco
will appear at any moment and make good on his threats.
Author Tess Thompson reunites the colorful cast
of endearing small-town characters from her bestselling novel Riversong and
takes you on a journey that will renew your faith in love, friendship and the
power of community – even in the face of seemingly insurmountable grief and
fear. You’ll find yourself once again cheering for the residents of River Valley
Escape with a blend of love, laughter,
friendship, suspense and gourmet food while remembering it’s never too late for
second chances.
Warning: This title is intended for readers over
the age of 18 as it contains adult sexual situations and/or adult language, and
may be considered offensive to some readers.
Tess Thompson is a mother before all else,
and a writer after that. After honing her craft in theater with a prize-winning
play titled My Lady’s Hand, her heart was called to a different
storytelling medium: the great American novel.
She is currently working on an ambitious historical
fiction trilogy inspired by a story from her great-grandmother. The first of
these, Riversong (Booktrope Editions), went on to become #1 on Barnes
and Noble’s Nook Book chart in October 2011. Two years after its release,
readership of Riversong continued to grow, spending weeks in the top 100
Kindle bestsellers. The second installment, Riverbend, is scheduled for
release in May of 2013.
In March of 2012, Tess was honored to contribute
to Write For the Fight, Booktrope’s collection of essays reflecting on life’s
past, present and future. All proceeds from the sales of this collection
benefit breast cancer research.
Like her main character in Riversong, Tess
hails from a small town in southern Oregon .
She currently lives in a suburb of Seattle , Washington with her two young daughters – a card shark
working her way toward the tables of Atlantic City ,
the other a princess in training – and their wild but lovable dog, Patches.
Connect with Tess Thompson
Riverbend (River
Valley
by Tess
Thompson
EXCERPT 1
(From the Prologue)
2003
That
night, just shy of midnight, she opened the window wide enough for someone to
jump through. Dressed in lacy lingerie, she painted her mouth with lipstick.
She sprinkled the pillows with drops of the men’s cologne. Then she climbed
into bed, clutching the telephone in one hand and the meth in the other. And
she waited.
Marco
came home twenty minutes later. Annie knew he was the plus ten kind of drunk by
the way he slammed into the hall table and the subsequent heavy and unsteady
footsteps down the hallway as he made his way to the bedroom. She’d invented a
scale to gauge Marco’s drunkenness. Five was the afternoon kind of drunk while
watching football with some of his buddies. He was harmless then, almost
playful. Anything above an eight meant that he would have his fists on her
before he passed out on the bed.
His
footsteps were closer to the bedroom now. She dialed 911, speaking quietly into
the phone. “I’m being beaten by my boyfriend. Send police to 8011 Alvarado
right away.” She hung up, bracing for the worst, hoping they would arrive in
time.
Then
he was in the doorway, his red eyes scanning the room, taking in the open
window, her lingerie, and her painted mouth.
He
yanked her from the bed, tearing the front of her nightgown apart so that she
was in only her panties. “You little slut. You had someone here? In my bed?” He
went to the window, shouting into the night like a crazed animal, “Where is the
son of a bitch?” Slamming the window shut and locking it, he turned towards
her, utter rage displayed on his now almost purple face. A vein popped from his
forehead; his pulse beat wildly at his neck. Then, he lurched towards her,
yanking her up by her mane of thick curls. She closed her eyes, knowing the
pain was coming, and slipped the meth into his pants pocket.
Please,
God, don’t let him hurt the baby.
He
slammed her against the wall, smashing his fist into her face. She felt blood
from her nose mixing with tears she could not control. But she did not cry out.
She did not beg him to stop as she sometimes did. This time they were coming.
She must hold on until they got here, until they could see what he did to her.
He
shook her now so that her teeth rattled inside her head. “What? You’re not
bothering to lie to me tonight?” He punched her face again, slamming her head
against the wall. He tossed her on the floor and straddled her before slamming
her head into the floor over and over. Then he was up, leering over her. He
kicked her in the side, hard, with the toe of his boot. She cried out from the
pain. She moved her hands over her stomach. She couldn’t get a breath. Had he
cracked her rib? Please, God, protect the baby.
He
was on top of her again, slamming her head on the rug.
Next,
she heard a loud thump. Was it the sound of the door being kicked in? Yes. That
was it. There were footsteps, too. Running feet. They were here. Finally
someone would see what he did. Her sight was blurry now, her eyes swollen
almost shut and stinging from the blood that dripped into them. But she no
longer felt the pain. It was as if she were out of her body now and merely a
spectator. And then suddenly Marco was no longer on top of her.
Through
her dim vision, she saw there were two of them, dressed in blue uniforms and
carrying long black sticks. One of them smacked Marco on the head with his
club. Marco cried out and held his head in his hands.
“Check
his pants pocket,” she managed to croak out.
One
pulled Marco’s arms behind his back while the other searched his pockets.
“Meth,” he said, opening the package.
One
cop handcuffed him as the other one read him his rights, just like in the
movies.
“You
piece of shit,” said the shorter cop to Marco. “You’re going away for this and
the drugs.”
“The
lying whore had a man in here,” said Marco. “Everyone knows I have every right
to kill the bitch.” He turned to look at her. “You’ll pay for this if it’s the
last thing I ever do.”
She
turned her face away as the cops shoved him towards the door.
An
EMT was above her now. He was tan and had blond hair bleached almost white from
sun. A surfer, maybe. The pain had found its way back to her consciousness. She
moaned as he examined her.
“Bastard
broke her arm. And a rib too, I think.”
“I
didn’t have a man here,” she whispered.
“It’s
all right. Don’t talk.”
“I’m
pregnant.”
His
eyebrows went up and down. There was alarm in his eyes but his voice was
soothing. “Okay, kiddo. You’re gonna be fine. The ambulance will take you to
the hospital.”
“I
don’t have any insurance.” Her throat was so dry. If only she had some water.
“Don’t
worry about it. We’ll figure that out later.”
“Am
I dying?”
“No,
you’re gonna be fine, kid. Just hang in there.” He was gently probing her
stomach, his fingers pushing into the extra flesh.
“I’m
sorry I’m so fat,” she said, tears leaking out the corners of her eyes.
“Shush
now. Just stay still. It’ll be all right soon.”
“Hold
my hand until they come?”
“Of
course,” he said, taking it between both of his. Her hands were the only part
of her body that didn’t hurt.
“Jesus,
what an animal,” she heard him say as she felt herself drifting away.
GIVEAWAY INFO:
Prize is 10 eBook copies (1 each to 10 winners)
of "Riversong (River Valley Collection #1) "
from Tess Thompson.
Contest is tour-wide and ends July 13.
Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.
LINK TO SCHEDULE:
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