Title:
Tiger’s Last Chance (Stranger Creatures book 3)
Author:
Christina Lynn Lambert
Genre:
Paranormal Romance, (steamy, romantic suspense)
Book Blurb:
While working a case, Sean Whitman is tortured for information, drugged, and bitten against his will by a shape shifter. The fallout ruins his career. Needing a fresh start, he leaves town and opens a private investigation business. Learning to live life sober isn’t easy, but he makes it to the two-year mark.
When Detective Nikki Jackson with the Great Oaks, Virginia Police Department calls to ask for his help on a case, he's captivated by her sweet, slightly Southern voice. In person, she's unlike any other woman he's encountered, and nearly impossible to resist. But would the sexy detective ever want a man like him?
After Nikki’s last dating disaster, the mountain lion shifter has sworn off men but her resolve begins to crumble as she spends more time around Sean. Despite the undeniable attraction between them, he seems determined to push her away.
An investigation into missing refugees leads them to the discovery of a radical political group’s horrifying plot for dominance. Traitors are embedded within the very organizations meant to keep shifters safe. As Nikki and Sean fight for survival, his fear of losing her could become a reality. Will he get one last chance to show her he loves her?
Excerpt:
For a while, he sipped his coffee and sat watching the squirrels chase each other up the skinny trees and bird feeders at the edge of the forest. A knock on the door made him grumble. He clearly remembered putting out the Do Not Disturb sign the night before. May as well get up and tell maid service he didn't need anything. He threw on his jeans and opened the door.
A gorgeous woman with long, wavy brown hair stood on the other side. Her eyes were mostly hidden by long bangs. She smiled, and when she did, her soft-pink lips parted a little bit. Instead of a maid or janitor's uniform, she wore a sleeveless black-and-white dress that revealed long, sculpted arms and legs. Yeah, he knew exactly who the woman was. On the phone, her voice had come through smooth and sweet. A song to remember into the morning. In person, she took his breath away.
"Detective Jackson." He didn't have the nerve to call her Nicole or Nikki. Not yet. A super-suave movie spy might have been able to get by with such liberties, but since Sean didn't have to deliver cheesy one-liners or answer to the head of a spy organization, he was all right with the state of things, except her presence had thrown him off his game. He didn't have his head together yet. The fog of sleep still owned him. "I, uh, didn't realize it was nine already."
"That's okay. You had a long trip. No worries." A smile played at her lips, like she'd heard a joke but also tasted something with just the right amount of sweetness. Her smile was magic. He stared at her lips, darkened with only a touch of lipstick, and then cussed himself for just standing there in the doorway like he had no manners.
"Sorry. Uh, come on in." Not smooth at all. She followed him inside anyway.
Sean needed to prove himself worthy of being a consultant for SU, and he suspected that, though Nikki wasn’t an SU investigator, she was more than a simple liaison. The woman was smart and thorough, yet she didn’t carry that unmistakable air of arrogance he’d so often seen from those whose position allowed them power over others. Which meant she’d either learned the hard way what arrogance can cost a person, or she was simply made of awesomeness. Sean was not simply made of awesomeness, but he had learned a lot along the way.
This contract with the SU could lead to more work for him in the future which would definitely be a good thing. He could live without it though. He’d started his business with very little money and a sharp learning curve. Over time, he had gained a steady stream of clients and the work he did often helped people. Even if he didn’t get to freelance with SU, he and Darnell wouldn’t go broke. His motivations were about more than money.
“I want to be honest with you,” he told her. “I want to help in this investigation, but I also want to see if these murders happening on the East Coast might have anything to do with what happened in Washington State. From what I’ve heard, the police there still haven’t made any progress. I’m hoping SU has.”
Nikki regarded him for a moment. “The trail is pretty cold in the Washington State murders. No new suspects or evidence at this point. There haven’t been any more murders in that area that seem related, but there are investigators still looking into things.”
“During my time working the investigation, there didn’t seem to be any obvious connections to anyone or anything other than that all the missing kids were shifters who hadn’t shifted for the first time or who were new to shifting and then the murders just…stopped. I keep wondering, did the killer die or get caught by some type of vigilante? Did somebody cover up evidence? I want answers. I’d like to offer my help.”
“Why?”
“Because I can’t let it go. I worry there could be worse on the horizon. Like the killer is only taking a break, planning something else. Because I had to tell people we had their child’s body in the morgue. I had to watch parents identify their children and then watch as they realized that they couldn’t hold out hope any longer that their missing child would be found alive. I prayed to whatever is out there to let me bear some of their pain because I couldn’t take seeing the weight of their loss crush them, but things don’t work that way. The memory of their grief stayed with me.”
“You’re exactly the kind of man I’m looking for. I mean—” A horrified look claimed her features. “What I mean is, you’re the kind of investigator I’m looking to recommend to consult with SU.”
Yeah, her look of horror stung. Truthfully? She could do better than a man like him by her side. However, he would be a kick-ass consultant for the SU.
“And, Sean?” She spoke his name softly.
“Yeah?” He looked up, and she met his gaze.
“I made us a reservation at the Greenhouse Effect today for an early lunch. The place isn’t too fancy, but you might want to put on a nicer shirt.” She tugged the sleeve of his well-worn T shirt.
“You’re taking me to lunch?”
“Well, sort of…”
Okay, most likely a business lunch, but he hoped like hell he could convince her that he was worth her time outside of the investigation.
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/b088p6mydb
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tigers-last-chance-christina-lynn-lambert/1137033221
Google books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Christina_Lynn_Lambert_Tiger_s_Last_Chance?id=PnzoDwAAQBAJ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1022227
What makes your featured book a must-read?
Tiger’s Last Chance takes place in the fictional town of Great Oaks, Virginia, where new businesses and lots of shifters are breathing life back into the once abandoned former factory town. Mountain lion shifter Nikki Jackson, is a detective for the Great Oaks police department. In her spare time, she heads up the county’s disaster management response team and investigates cases for Shifters United. When a radical group targets her, she teams up with private investigator Sean Whitman in a race against the clock to stop the group from carrying out deadly plans.
Sean never expected to fall so hard for Nikki and he does everything he can think of to try to live without her, until he realizes they belong together. Will he get one last chance to show her that he loves her?
Giveaway –
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Runs August 20 – August 27, 2024.
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Author Biography:
Before I had the wild idea to write a book, I worked in a few different fields. I was in sales for a while, and after I finished college, I worked as a case manager. When my children were little, I was a personal trainer and running coach. During the evenings, when I was supposed to be studying for another fitness training certification, I started writing a story. Finally, I gave in and acknowledged that writing is what I’m meant to do. I love creating imperfect but determined characters who find the courage to love and the strength to survive in a world where there are no guarantees. My stories include a fair amount of sarcasm, suspense, steam, and violence. When I’m not writing, I enjoy spending time outside and finding ways to avoid cooking. I live in beautiful Virginia with my husband, two teenagers, a sweet, hairy monster of a dog, and two devious cats.
Social Media Links:
Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Christina-Lynn-Lambert/e/B01MCYK0K7
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/chris4lamb
Wordpress: https://christinalynnlambertwordpress.com