Title: Key to Heart and Soul
Author: Judy Kentrus
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Lady Kay Publishing
Book Blurb:
Ginger Hennypenny takes delight in running her music shop, Key to Heart and Soul, and overseeing her piano rescue foundation. Events in her past have forced her to keep a low “key” but her life is shaken when they’re revealed. To further complicate her life, she’s given a unique key with a tricky riddle on her birthday from Margie, her eccentric grandmother. Supposedly it will lead to some kind of treasure. She has two months to solve the riddle before her next sister’s birthday.
Neil Dorsey’s best friend is Ginger Hennypenny. He plays a big part in helping with the organization that secures pianos for non-profit organizations. When he goes with Ginny to pick up a valuable Steinway, they’re thrown into a nightmare from her past that will shake up their lives and those they love.
Excerpt:
“Okay, let’s get on with my birthday box.” Ginger’s voice totally lacked enthusiasm.
Sean had the pleasure of placing the chest on the table and removing a smaller box that he set in front of Ginger. She went to open the white silky ribbons that secured the top but stopped. The box was longer than the ones her sisters had received.
“What are you waiting for?” Matilda asked.
“This box is much bigger than the others.”
“Maybe your treasure is larger,” Irene reasoned. “Go ahead. Open it.”
Inside was the expected envelope that contained her grandmother’s message. To her shock and surprise, her key was far from ordinary. She held it up for everyone to see.
“What am I supposed to do with a tuning fork? What does she expect me to do? Tune a piano?”
“You did say Margie had a sense of humor.” Sean chuckled. “Why don’t you open your birthday message?”
Happy birthday, Ginger! I’m so proud of you! You continue to share your love of music in your shop, reminding those of the music from yesteryear. You were expecting to find a regular key, but this is the key to everything that you know and love. Your quest has two parts. The pen is mightier than the knife, which points to guilt. The story must be written.
Doing the right thing isn’t always the right thing to do. The truth will wash away the dirge of darkness that’s been controlling your life. The key is to harmonize. The resonance of the key isn’t that important, but you’ll need a perfect pitch to achieve absolute harmony. The treasure is closer than you think. Love, Grandma Margie.
“And I thought my riddle didn’t make sense,” Vinny said. “Do you have any clue what she’s talking about?”
Ginger tapped the tip of the tuning fork against the edge of the table. The key of A reverberated beautifully through the office. “The phrase is, ‘The pen is mightier than the sword.’ Grandma has me totally stumped.”
Irene put the tip of her finger on one prong so she could feel the tuning fork’s vibration against her skin. “I couldn’t hear it, but I understand a little of Grandma Margie’s message. The tuning fork has two prongs, and it takes two people to harmonize. You’re one prong, and the other could be Neil.”
“I can’t carry a tune to save my life, and Neil is my best friend.”
“Maybe he’s meant to be more than just your best friend,” Virginia pointed out.
“You all know why that can’t happen. No, there’s more here than just harmonizing. She’s subtly kicking me in the derriere for doing a good deed that’s coming back to bite me in the ass.”
The heavy silence in the room was broken when Matilda stood up. “I hate to cut the evening short, but I told the girls I’d be home before they go to bed.”
Her sister’s kind hand settled on Ginger’s shoulder. “I know you want to solve your own problems, but remember you’ve got three sisters who are here if you need us.”
“That is something I’ll never forget. We’re a family.”
After sharing hugs and supportive smiles with her best friends before they left, Ginger returned to the table. This short break had been very much welcomed. Her nerves were shot as it was, but this next session…
She had to protect her daughter at all costs.
An unopened manila folder sat close to Nancy’s hand. “Where to start?”
“I’ll tell you what I recall,” Nancy began. “Twenty-two years ago, you came in, all in a panic. You were crying rather than the two-month-old baby cradled in your arms.”
“You took a very big risk,” Sean said. I’m familiar with the baby’s father. Omari Abass is mega oil-rich and not one to be made to appear the fool. I was also surprised to learn the identity of Temperance’s mother. Camilla Ludovica was an amazing coloratura soprano and was renowned all around the world.”
“She was also a good friend, so you understand what I’m dealing with. When I graduated from college with a degree in journalism, I approached Mason Trent and told him I wanted to be an investigative reporter. Mason stressed that being a journalist isn’t as glamorous as it’s portrayed in action movies. It could get very dangerous depending on how far I planned to go.”
“You obviously had stars in your eyes and went to New York,” Sean said.
Ginger nodded. “I loved living in New York, and it gave me the opportunity to sign up for jazz, classical, and historical performance classes at Juilliard. I was given assignments all over the world that I enjoyed. The one that changed my life was an interview with Omari Abass and his wife, Camilla Ludovica.
“My editor explained Omari wanted to ‘improve’ his image and invited the media to interview him at his compound. I told my editor that Camilla and I had shared classes at Juilliard in New York, so I got the assignment.”
“That’s the first I’m hearing about this,” Nancy Jean said. “But then again, you were so rattled back then, it was amazing you remembered your own name.”
“When I got there, everything seemed fine. I was wined and dined, but I noticed something off in Camilla’s eyes. She was never allowed to be alone with me, but we arranged to meet secretly a few times. She admitted that she’d made a huge mistake when she married him. A year after their marriage, she became pregnant. When I met her, she was already three months along. One of her handmaidens told her that a female baby would be sold. Omari only wanted boys to carry on his name She couldn’t take the chance that something like that would happen to her baby and asked me to help her.
That night twenty-two years ago came alive in Ginger’s head…
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Author Biography:
Hi, I’m Judy Kentrus. I write Contemporary Romance, Romantic Suspense, Sweet Romance, Rom-Com, Later-in-Life Romance, and Historical Romance.
I’ve always been a romantic at heart, and I married my high school sweetheart. I make my home in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. Before letting the dog out, I ensure no bears are around. I’m a mom with two grown children who have given me six grandchildren.
When I’m not giving couples their happily-ever-after, you can find me in the kitchen, baking, especially cookies. I’ve been dubbed the cookie queen by my family and friends. You’ll find a new recipe every month on my website.
Want to find out more about my books and what’s coming? Be sure to sign up for my newsletter via my website. My stories are fun, sexy romances that make you laugh, cry, and fall in love.
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