Letters From Annie (Douglass) Lima: Summer's Squall: a Romance Novel with a Giveaway!

Do you like winter? There are a lot of people who don’t. Just remember, summer is coming. Yes, it’s about seven months away, but we can still celebrate it. And today, Amy Schliser is on the blog telling us all about her new book, Summer’s Squall.

About the Book

Summer’s Squall begins in Baltimore where Baltimore City Police Detective, Abe (Lank) Lankton, assumes he'll be helping his cousin solve a minor problem when she calls and asks him to fly west. When he learns that he's been called out there to aid in capturing an elusive stalker, his first instinct is go straight back to Maryland. However, when he meets the alluring victim, Summer Cooper, all bets are off. With his future, and his own life, in jeopardy, Lank must choose between going back to the life he knows in America's Charm City or staying out west to help Summer. But Lank's not sure that Summer is all that she claims to be or that the stalker even exists. One thing he knows for sure, Summer is guilty... of stealing his heart. Summer’s Squall is published by Chesapeake Sunrise Publishing and will be available in local book stores. It may be ordered through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and most other online sellers.

Excerpt

“I’m sorry to see you go,” Summer said after Lank told her that he was heading home.
He studied her and tried to find some hint that she felt something for him; that she wanted him to stay.
Her expression was unreadable once again, and Lank realized how good she was at masking whatever
feelings she may have had for him, if she had any at all.
“I wish I could do more,” Lank said. “I’m sorry.”
“I understand,” she said. “It was a long shot anyway. I really appreciate you coming out here.”
“It’s strange,” Lank began.
“What is?”
He shook his head. “The method of stalking, the lack of communication, the random series of events.
There’s no pattern, no rhyme or reason.”
“Which is exactly why there’s nothing to go on,” Summer sighed.
“None of it makes sense,” Lank said. “It’s almost as if…” He stopped and looked away, unwilling to
voice his thoughts.
“As if I’m making it up,” Summer finished the thought for him.
Lank was surprised that she knew what he was thinking and at her frankness.
“Yeah.” He shook his head. “I’m sorry, Summer. I don’t want to make accusations. I really want to
believe you, but the cop in me can’t help but consider all the angles.”
She raised her eyes without moving her head. “Gee, thanks for your vote of confidence.”
“Look, I’m not saying you aren’t telling the truth. I’m just saying that-” The buzzing of Lank’s phone
made them both jump.
“Excuse me,” he said as he looked at the screen. Summer motioned for him to go ahead.
“Hello, Lankton here.” Their eyes met as he listened to the call. “Sorry, boss. Yeah, I’ll take the case.
I’ll be back in the office tomorrow.”
Lank ended the call and looked at Summer.
“So, that’s it,” Summer said. “You ride in on your white horse, decide I’m just some crazy, attention-
seeking maniac, so you just say goodbye and head home.”
“First, I never said that. And second, what else am I supposed to do, Summer? I don’t have any
reason to stay. Do I?” He leveled his gaze on her, waiting for her to answer.
They stared each other down for a moment, but Summer never let her wall down. She held his gaze
without taking the bait.
“I guess not,” she told him in an even tone. “You’re right. It’s time for you to leave.”
“I think that’s a good idea,” Lank said as he stood, downed the rest of his tea, and headed toward the
front door.
“Aren’t you going to tell me not to leave town?” Summer said coldly. He turned back to face her.
“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to say to a suspect?”
“I’m not accusing you of anything, Summer,” Lank said, his tone evenly measured. Why was she
angry all of a sudden? He had simply told her the truth. Even she admitted that nothing added up. She had
to see the absurdity of the whole thing.
She stood and looked at him, her jaw set and her eyes shooting daggers.
“But you don’t believe me, either,” she challenged.
“It’s not that I don’t want to believe you. I don’t know what to believe.”
“You son of a…” She shook her head. “I thought you came out here to help me.”
“I did, but there’s nothing more I can do. I’ve looked at every angle, analyzed every possibility. You
said yourself that it’s time for me to leave.”
“Yes, but I’d rather you leave without thinking I’m crazy or a criminal.”
“Summer, I can’t pull clues out of the air or decide you’re telling the truth just because,” he stopped
and looked away.
“Just because, what?” she demanded, taking a step toward him and placing her hands on her hips.
When he turned back, her green eyes were filled with such intensity that he couldn’t look away.
“Let’s not go there, Summer. We just agreed that it’s time for me to go home.”
“You’re right,” she said, her voice low and challenging, and…sexy. “Just go home. I never asked you
to come here to begin with.”
Lank held her gaze a moment longer as he fought an inner battle between his mind and his body. Heat
and desire radiated from Summer, and Lank heard himself make a low, instinctual noise akin to a growl.
Without thinking, he grabbed Summer and pulled her to him. His mouth crushed hers, and her mouth
opened to his. Her hands went to the back of his neck, and he enfolded her into his embrace, kissing her
mouth, her chin, the hollow of her throat, until she groaned with the same primal urge that he felt himself.
Suddenly, Summer’s eyes opened, and she pushed him away. She stood, staring at him, her eyes wide
and filled with passion. As if awaking from a dream, she suddenly looked panicked and wrapped her arms
around her chest, her hand going to her mouth to cover it, her eyes closing.
“Oh God, I, Lank,” she shook her head and turned away. “I don’t know why I did that. I, I don’t know
what to say. Please, you need to go.”
“Is that what you really want, Summer?” Lank said quietly, coming up behind her.
Without turning around, Summer shook her head. But she didn’t change her mind.
“Yes,” she said quietly. “I want you to go.”
“I’m sorry, Summer,” Lank said as he turned to leave. He glanced back once more, but Summer
refused to face him. He hurried from the house and started to walk down the driveway before he realized
he didn’t have a car. He stopped, closed his eyes, and shook his head, resigning himself to a long, lonely
walk back to Megan’s.

About the Author

Award-winning author, Amy MacWilliams Schisler, grew up in Maryland, not far from Washington, DC. She graduated from Salisbury University with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Political Science and from the University of Maryland with a Masters of Library and Information Science. Amy began writing as a child and spent fifteen years working as a librarian, a job she dearly loved, before becoming a full-time author. Her debut book was the beloved children’s book, Crabbing With Granddad, an autobiographical book about spending the day with her grandfather that us used throughout the state of Maryland as part of its Maryland history unit. Amy’s first novel, A Place to Call Home, was published in 2014 by Sarah Book Publishing. Her books, Picture Me and Whispering Vines, received 2016 and 2017 Illumination Book Awards, which recognize the best Christian themed books published both in the traditional book form as well as the ebook industry. Whispering Vines received a 2017 LYRA Award for the best romance of 2016. She followed up her success with the acclaimed, Island of Miracles in 2017. Amy’s weekly blog currently has over 1000 subscribers, and topics vary from current events to her home life with her husband, Ken, and their three daughters, Rebecca, Katie, and Morgan as well as their two dogs, Rosie and Misty.

Schisler delights in speaking to groups, and more information may be found at her website: http://www.amyschislerauthor.com.

You may follow Amy online at the following places:

http://amyschislerauthor.com

http://amyschisler.wordpress.com

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https://www.goodreads.com/amyschisler

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Twitter @AmySchislerAuth

Giveaway

Amy is generously giving one lucky person two signed paperbacks. One copy is for you and the other for your friend. You can enter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway