Title: Death at Dawn
Author: Sue Jaskula
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Book Blurb:
Newly wed after a whirlwind romance Emma McIntyre couldn't be happier or more in love. Until she wasn't. Working as a full-time nurse, a part-time bar manager, grieving a loved one, and aiding a drug addicted brother, she thought life couldn't be more stressful. Until it was. A small-town murder drives her troubled life into a tailspin of terror and her marriage into a spiral of suspicion.
Emma's brother, Sam Martin, depends increasingly on painkillers to get through the day. Proving himself worthy to the love of his life is his only incentive to get clean. Avoiding police and dodging his dealer, Sam is determined to quit drugs … or die trying.
In her frazzled state, how can Emma help piece together a murder while keeping what’s left of her family safe, herself sane and her new marriage intact?
Excerpt:
Wet hair mixed with blood and fell in tangled strands across sightless eyes; eyes that were open, wide open in terror.
Bile rose in my throat. “Holy shit, shit, shit, what do I do?”
I stepped forward, then rethought. “No, we can’t go near, can’t touch anything.” I glanced around slowly, then spun wildly in every direction. “Help,” I screamed. No one was nearby. Pulling his leash tighter until Brooks touched my leg, I edged slowly toward the house uncertain if staying in place might pose a threat. Once inside, I grabbed my cell, punched nine-one-one, then had trouble finding my voice in reply to the operator’s question.
“What is your emergency?”
The dog barked continuously at the door, drowning out the operator. I moved to the kitchen window where I could see the edge of the lake.
“Hello, is someone there?” Her second request was louder.
“I’m here,” I replied, barely a whisper.
“I can hardly hear you. Do you have an emergency? Ma’am, do you need help?” Her voice grew more demanding.
I cleared my throat. “I saw…there’s something in the lake.”
“Something in the lake?” She sounded doubtful.
“Someone, that is, not some thing. There is a body floating at the edge of the lake, beside my house.” I choked on a sob. “Dead, I think. There is a dead body floating in the lake right outside my back door.”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
If you could dress up as anything or anyone this Halloween, what or who would it be and why?
I would dress up as a tree, so I could hide in a quiet autumn forest and take a break from the chaotic world for a while.
Explain why your featured book is a treat to read:
Death at Dawn is a change from the usual romantic suspense, “boy meets girl, solve a crime, fall in love”. I would call it more of a romantic suspense family drama, almost like an episode of This is Us.
While there are two definite love stories and some good romantic scenes, it also deals with some real-life relationship and family drama … well and a murder to solve!
It’s a good mystery and I’ve been told many times over, “I didn’t see that coming,” which always makes me happy.
Giveaway –
One lucky reader will win a $75 Amazon (US or Canada) gift card.
Open internationally. You must have an active Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to be eligible.
Runs October 1 – 31
Drawing will be held on November 1.
Author Biography:
Sue Jaskula’s administrative career in a mix of legal and hospital admin work provided a wealth of real-life scenarios to fuel her own convoluted story ideas. Along with work and life experience, she holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and a Creative Writing Certificate both from McMaster University.
Thrilled to have the opportunity to take early retirement, she has since enthusiastically pursued a writing career. She loves connecting with readers and one of her favourite things is seeing posts of her books being read in faraway places.
She and her husband live in Grimsby, Ontario, Canada, but Sue feels most at home at her cottage in Kincardine, Ontario near her grown children and grandchildren. On these peaceful and picturesque shores of Lake Huron, with some of the best walking trails in the country, her imagination soars and her best stories come to life.
Social Media Links:
Newsletter: https://linktr.ee/suejaskulaauthor