Friday, October 30, 2015

Halloween Trick of Treat - Audio Style!

Thank you for stopping by my blog to learn more about the two audiobooks up for grabs from the Halloween Trick or Treat - hosted by Uvi Poznansky. Below are excerpts from Whispered Pain and Growl, each narrated by the amazing Andrea Emmes.




WHISPERED PAIN:

Chapter One - Questions

What does it mean to be alive? It’s an age-old conundrum with various answers. Some are universal. To touch, taste, smell, see, hear and feel. It might be the gentle fingers of a mother, stroking the soft skin of her newborn. Or, is it the taste of a sumptuous meal on your tongue? What about the smell of summer rain, freshly mown grass, your lover’s scent? Maybe it’s drinking in the vibrant colors of the sky at sunset, or the shimmering moon as it peaks over a snow covered mountain. Perhaps the answer is joyous squeals of children’s laughter as they play without worry, still cocooned away inside naiveté. Experiencing a moment of pure ecstasy when you climax, or the soul-crushing sorrow when you lose a loved one? The rush of endorphins flooding your body while bungee jumping or skydiving.
I could go on and on, but you get my drift. Being alive is all of those things, and a host of numerous others. What one person considers living may be the stuff of nightmares to another, but in the end, it’s all about breathing. Blood flow...Heartbeats…
Sensation.
Consciousness.
Awareness.
Reasoning.
Synchronicity.
Why, are you wondering, do I pose such a loaded question? To stir debate? Engage your brain cells? Force a deep conversation about life in general?
Oh, no, nothing so lofty. It’s quite simple, really. I just want to know. Want to feel. Want to see.
Want to anything again.
Because I’m lost, wandering, disoriented, disjointed and distorted. I’m no longer associated with anything. The sensations of all senses elude me. Mere blips of faded memories tumble around me. I can’t recall how it felt to be kissed or hugged. What a belly-laugh was like. How boredom felt. Bone-weary tiredness. Nothing. I feel…nothing.
Anticipation.
Nervousness.
Grief.
Energy.
Regret.
Oh, did I fail to mention why?
Because I’m no longer among the living. At least, I don’t think I am. To be honest, I’m not quite sure. I don’t remember my name, my age, or even my sex. I don’t feel. I can’t smell. I hear, but sounds don’t register emotional responses anymore. I see, but it’s all in muted grays, no vibrant colors.
Dead.
Lifeless.
Dull.
No sense of time, space, awareness. I just…float. Yeah, float. Like a weightless cloud drifting through the limitless universe. No purpose. No destination. No set trajectory. No rhyme or reason. I don’t know where I am, how I arrived at this point, this numbed state. Ebony nothingness has swallowed me whole. I’m not sure of anything.
Can you, will you, help me? I need to know. Want to know. Have to know. Who am I? Where am I? How do I escape this black void?
Help.
Please, help me.
I’m begging you…



GROWL:
Chapter Four

My head whipped from side to side as I tried to figure out where I was. Goosebumps spread over me and my feet felt strange. I looked down and discovered it was because I stood in wet mud. A small gasp escaped when I noticed I was naked and outside in the darkest part of the night. Moonlight streamed through the gnarled trees that surrounded me from every angle, illuminating the area like floodlights. The chill of the night air breezed across my bare skin, and the hair on my arms, legs, and torso stood erect. My nose twitched as it took in all the smells of the wet woods. The mold, the damp pine needles, the rotting leaves and mud under my feet hit me all at once. Then, I caught a whiff of something else. Something I had never smelled before yet seemed to instinctively know what it was.
Fear.
Terrified, I closed my eyes and willed myself to wake up. I had to be dreaming again. I clenched my hands together at my sides and tried to make my legs respond to my instructions to stand still, but they moved on their own. My eyes flew back open. My body wound seamlessly through the tangle of underbrush and vines, my steps sure and steady. The moon’s silvery rays lit up the path, and I saw every detail of the forest, from the tiniest leaf to the farthest limb. My feet glided with ease, and my footfalls were silent. The odor was stronger now. My ears picked up the sounds of the forest—things impossible for me to hear. A squirrel high above me in the trees hunkered down in its nest for the night. The sound of scurrying feet to my left I somehow knew was a small field mouse scuttling through the leaves on its way to its warm den. I heard heavy, raspy breathing in front of me from some creature—type unknown but obviously large—judging by the respirations. I let go of the fear inside me, knowing I must be dreaming, and I embraced the warm power surging through my body.
Once I gave in and stopped trying to control my limbs, my pace quickened and I moved deeper into the forest. The scent was stronger now, accompanied by a strange sound. It took a few seconds for me to recognize it as whimpering. A woman’s faint voice drifted across the air, and I sensed her pain and fear.
“Do as you wish, you foul, unholy creature. I ain’t gonna tell you the location.”
Horror pounded inside my head when I realized it was the voice of Nana. My legs pumped in a flat-out run. My feet barely touched the wet ground as I zigzagged through the forest toward her feeble voice. Anger licked a fire inside me, igniting the muscles of my entire body. The forest whizzed by in a blur as I charged through it. Her words were forceful, but I sensed the raw terror behind them. Hearing them infuriated me and filled me with blinding rage.
In seconds, I spotted a break in the tree line and Nana’s frail body on top of a mound of damp grass to my right. Her favorite nightgown hung in tattered pieces, her gray head of hair loose, splayed out behind her like a white blanket. Her breath came in great gasps and her withered, wrinkled hands clutched something to her chest. She turned her head and looked at me, her cloudy eyes wild with fright. My leg muscles contracted and propelled me across the open area from the edge of the tree line. In one giant leap, I was right next to her. When I landed, my body shook with emotion.
She spoke again. “The torch has passed on, and I ain’t needed no more. What you want from me, I ain’t never gonna give. End it. I ain’t afraid to die. I know where I’m goin’ when I do, and you’ll surely never step foot there!”
An inhuman, piercing scream ripped through the forest, the sound so loud the ground beneath us shook from the intensity. Fury pulsed through me as a roar burst from my lips. My mouth filled with hot, rust-flavored liquid and spilled out down my chin, soaking my neck with its sticky heat. Warm flesh gave way underneath my strong bite. The sound of it, as I tore pieces away from the body, made my heart pound with glee. Hunger for more overrode everything else. The scent of the rusty blood drove me mad with rage. My fingers dug deep into the exposed flesh, tearing and pulling chunks off of the writhing body.
Another shriek, louder than the one before it, rang out in the darkened woods. This time, it was full of pain and not anger.
And this time, it was human.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Night Court is now in session!

My fourth novel of 2015, Night Court, is now available to preorder the digital version on Amazon. The print and audio versions will release on December 13, 2015. I'm thrilled to announce Rebecca Roberts is providing the narration, and Blackstone Audio is distributing. What a way to end 2015!

To preorder the digital book, simply click on this link, which will take you to Amazon. The ebook will be delivered wirelessly to your Kindle on December 13, 2015. Below is the cover, book description, and the first chapter. Enjoy!


Judge 

Merry watches, her presence cloaked by the shroud of nightfall. Nothing moves except her eyes which focus on her target. No remorse. No regret. No second guessing the decision to end the lives of the monsters who turned her into a killer. 

Jury 

The peddlers of death from potent chemicals are found guilty. Punishment for their crimes--death. Appeals denied. Sentencing to commence immediately. The leeches who sucked out the life of addicts with each snort, shot, swallow, and injection will now pay the ultimate price. 

Executioner 

The idyllic world of Merry Marie Hall, once the loving wife of Harold and mother to their only child, Joshua, is over. Extinguished when Joshua overdosed and Harold died of a heart attack at the funeral. Now, Merry hunts down the guilty parties, and one by one, carries out her internal court's orders. 

Court is now in session.

Chapter One: 3:00 a.m. Friday morning


Merry watched, her presence cloaked by the shroud of night.
She’d been outside long enough for her vision to acclimate to the darkness. She missed nothing from her perch against the old brick wall. Her shoulders, back, and legs ached, angry for being stuck in the same position for so long.
They screamed for freedom from bondage.
She ignored them.
Tuned the pleas out—it was as simple as switching off a light switch. Physical pain was a breeze to override. Years of fighting off the aging process by taking up yoga, cross-training, and running, had programmed her muscles and brain to block out body aches and pains. Gave her the internal fortitude to push on, not give up, resist the temptation to cave in and surrender to the burn.
When she took up those activities, she had no idea they would serve a much darker, sinister purpose in her life.
Mental anguish was quite another story. Merry fought hard, refusing to listen to her mind and soul, which in the beginning, begged her to forget the disturbing, insane plans ruminating inside her mind. The urging to not embark upon the journey that took months of sleepless nights to craft.
She taught herself how to push aside the faint voice deep inside, the one pleading for mercy.
To return to sanity.
The last hurdle: a faint whisper to not take the life of another.
Cleared!
That was all in the past now, just like her former life. She’d mastered the art of turning her mushy heart and soul to stone. It was the main piece of the puzzle needed to transform herself into a killer. The thought made her almost giggle out loud at the absurdity of the phrase. On instinct, her gloved hand flew up and clamped over her mouth, just in case a sound escaped her dry throat.
Ha! Murder by Numbers nailed it. I’m living proof of what one must do to become a killer.
Nothing moved except her eyes, which were focused on the night’s target. He would be her first execution.
No remorse, no regret.
No second guessing her decision to end the life of a monster who more than deserved the punishment she was about to dole out.
Her actions would smother her old life of suburban housewife and mother, replacing it with—what? Crazed serial killer? The hand of justice?
In the end, did it really matter what others thought or called her?
Not one damned bit.
Muscles tensed and at the ready, her doubts and misgivings had vanished, pushed away by the adrenaline racing through her. The Lycra top wasn’t heavy, just hot. It trapped the humid night air against her chest like a vise. A thin bead of sweat trickled down her forehead and perched on the tip of her nose.
She ignored it.
The sounds of the city weren’t as loud at three a.m. Traffic from I-30 hummed in the distance. An occasional car horn beeped. Muted voices of the drunks leaving nearby bars and restaurants buzzed around her. Dogs barked, along with the shrill cry of a baby.
Suddenly a siren trilled, making her heart pound, and breathing come faster. Concentrating, she honed in on the sound. No, it wasn’t close, and it was fading fast, which meant the cop was heading in the opposite direction. Probably a unit responding to an accident on the highway or pulling over a drunk.
She inhaled deeply, forcing her breath to return to an even, steady rhythm. Merry focused her attention back to the noises around her position. The squeaks of a few rats to her left barely registered. Squeaks which only a few months ago would have sent her running and screaming in the other direction.
Merry ignored it all.
Nothing mattered except completing the mission.
The rational voice whispering in her mind to turn and go home, silenced, banished forever the minute she dressed her five-ten frame in all black—red hair hidden under a skullcap—and left her house earlier. Strength and power flowed through her still torso, fueled by bloodlust. The sensations were much more enjoyable than the gut-wrenching pain of the broken-hearted forty-plus-year old woman she had been. 
Merry had waited in the alleyway for almost three hours, camouflaged in black, crammed up against a filthy dumpster. No one except dealers and users ventured into this part of downtown the minute the sun disappeared. The office workers had scattered, unwilling to be caught on the streets after darkness fell. During the past two months of careful plotting, she had learned the habits of the lowlife drug dealer she had marked as her target.
Merry discovered this particular alley was worked only by him.
All her planning, down to every possible scenario, was only seconds away from fruition.
The peddler of death was about to be Little Rock’s latest crime statistic.
And he would be Merry Marie Hall’s first example of the swift judgment enforced by her own internal court.
Her eyes narrowed into small slits as she watched him saunter into her trap.
Court is now in session. The Honorable Merry Hall, presiding. The defendant, Carlos “Peppy” Ramirez, is found guilty. The punishment for his multitude of crimes is death. Execution shall now be carried out by the Court. The Defendant’s appeal is denied. Sentencing to commence. Right now.
Merry bit her lip to keep the snide grin at the corners of her mouth at bay. She watched Peppy's lanky body move with catlike grace through the alley toward her. He was so close she could smell him—a  disgusting mix of body odor, chemicals and cheap cologne. He reeked, and the stench assaulted her nose. Less than twenty feet away, he stopped and glanced around.
Merry held her breath.
From her research, she knew Carlos Ramirez had been a street thug for years. Before his twentieth birthday, he’d been arrested over ten times for peddling narcotics. Each arrest and conviction ended the same way: a large fine, no prison time, and a slap on the wrist. A few times, forced attendance at classes that were supposed to teach him how to live life drug-free. He’d be right back on the streets within hours after an arrest and only went to meetings for the free food—and potential of scoring new clients.
How did his public defender sleep at night, knowing his legal finagling allowed a dangerous criminal back on the streets? How did the prosecutors feel each time they came face-to-face with the same exact person for the same exact crimes? Did they feel like they were just spinning their wheels in the mud? What about the judges? Did it ever get under their skin, knowing their courtroom was more like a circus, and they were just shepherding the cattle and sheep in a perpetual circle? Not to mention the heroic cops, who risked their lives every single time they hit the streets. How much time and manpower was spent arresting the wastes of society, only to have to sit back and watch the bastards waltz out of jail?
In.
Out.
In.
Out.
Guilty.
Time served.
Pay a hefty fine.
Keep the county coffers full.
People—no, animals—like Peppy were a threat to society. Leeches that sucked out the life of addicts with each snort, shot, swallow, and injection they sold. Anything could be used as tender: cash, other drugs, sex, or a combination of all three. Peppy, and others like him, didn’t care about the age of their clientele or how the poison they offered would condemn the user to a life of sorrow, pain, and grief. They never concerned themselves with what the addiction would do to not only the addict but to those who loved them.
Merry had.
She had relived the nightmare over and over, until it finally drove her to madness. She had been the kind of woman who had a loving husband, adorable son, great job and was living the American dream. 
Not anymore.
The idyllic world of Merry Marie Hall, loving wife of Harold and proud mother of her only son, Joshua, was long gone. The disappearing act began the minute Peppy Ramirez sold a little white pill to Joshua nearly five years ago. Watching her child become a raging addict, battling with the court system, (in-out, pay a hefty fine), and depleting their retirement for expensive trips to rehab (which never worked) took their toll on her mental and physical state. The countless arguments late at night with Harold about the situation and the cringing when the phone rang at two or three o’clock in the morning—the signal yet another arrest happened—had aged them both.
Fast.
Almost destroyed their marriage.
Her former life had been finally been snuffed out in less than one week. The flame dimmed six months ago when she heard the news—the night her brother knocked on the front door at three a.m. The minute Merry woke up from the sound of the pounding, she went numb. In the deepest recesses of her heart, she knew Joshua was gone. Felt the hole, the giant black void, gut her chest. She knew before the stoic Detective Derek Isaac Clarke, her tough-as-nails brother, had a chance to say a word. While she sat on the couch, erect and frozen in one spot, hands clasped with Harold’s, the hole spread. Engulfed her heart and then overtook to her mind. When Derek told them Joshua was the victim of an overdose of heroin, the blackness began to choke her.
What little light left in her world extinguished when Harold suffered a massive coronary that ended his life at Joshua’s funeral. 
Not the time to think about things you can’t change. Concentrate on your purpose.
She blinked twice and refocused. The time for mourning was over. Carpooler, soccer-mom, devoted wife—she was one with a quick smile and jovial demeanor. Now, all that was gone—buried right next to the corpses of husband and son. What resided inside her now was Maniacal Merry—a woman bent on revenge after her old life ended.
The new one was on the cusp of beginning—one started by the actions of Carlos Fucking Peppy Ramirez.
Merry waited and watched with patience. Not only was Carlos a dealer of just about every conceivable drug, but he was also a heroin user. The combination made him beyond careful. The times she'd followed him in the past, she had to maintain a safe distance. Peppy was on constant edge and wary of his surroundings. The little waste of flesh was intent on guarding his stash and cash from would-be thieves or rival dealers.
Merry could see his shoulders sag a bit, indicating he was satisfied he was safe. Sure enough, Peppy reached into his pocket and pulled out a smoke, lit it, and then leaned back against the dirty brick wall. He was less than ten feet away. The lone streetlight cast eerie shadows across his withered face. The plumes of white smoke looked like horror movie vapors. He wasn’t looking in her direction. Peppy’s attention was focused on a barking dog at the end of the alleyway. Merry stood and pulled out the syringe from her pocket. Her gaze never left his torso, searching for any movement or signs he’d heard her move.
He hadn’t.
Peppy’s cell phone rang, startling them all, including the dog. The mutt bounded away into the night, leaving the alleyway quiet again. With a flick of his wrist, Peppy put to the phone to his ear. His raspy voice bounced off the walls straight into Merry’s ears.
“Yo, what ails ya? Uh-huh. Yeah, I gotcha back. Always do, right? Stuff is straight, and I mean straight. No cuttin’ at all. Yeah, same place. Hurry up. You know I don’t hang in one spot too long. Aight? Oh, I hear ya. Ain’t we all? If it’s a problem, we’ll work it out. I know those lips of yours are worth their weight, ya dirty ho. Later.”
In disgust, Merry cringed while Peppy rubbed his crotch. The warped smile on his face made her want to vomit.
“Mmm, mmm! Gonna fill her up right! She’s worth a few hits for free.”
Sliding the cap off the tip of the syringe with her gloved hand, Merry made sure to keep her movements slow and quiet. Peppy finished his smoke and knelt down on the wet cement. Removing his jacket, he fumbled around in the pockets while muttering about his upcoming deal and payment arrangements. His back was to Merry. Her steps were quick and sure. In three strides from her long legs, footfalls silent, the thick rubber on her shoes covered by duct tape, she was behind him.
She wouldn’t give Carlos “Peppy” Ramirez a chance to realize what was happening until it was too late for him to do a damned thing about it.
Raising her right leg, visions of her husband and son in their respective caskets, Merry brought it down with all her might. The flat of her boot-clad foot connected with the base of his neck. Peppy made a strange grunting sound as his body jerked forward. His cell phone flew from his hand, clanking on the pavement as it bounced away.
His face slammed into the damp concrete. Red droplets sprayed into the air as his nose and lips met the ground. He groaned again and tried to roll away.
Merry was faster.
Dropping down, she buried her knees in his back, her full weight centered right below where his rib cage ended. Peppy squirmed underneath her like a worm on hot blacktop in the middle of summer.
Grabbing a handful of Peppy’s thin, black hair, Merry yanked his head up, and then slammed it into the ground. His yelp of pain was muffled by the blood in his mouth and throat, and the sound of his teeth shattering. She repeated the movement until his arms quit flailing and no more grunts erupted.
He was out cold.
And his bare arm was exposed.
Can’t ask for it to get any better than this.
In one swift motion, she hopped off his back and crouched next to his arm. Finding his vein was simple, even in the dim alleyway. It stood, swollen and ugly from God-only-knows how many years of abuse. Merry held her breath as she buried the needle into it. She pushed the plunger all the way down, releasing the heroin she found in Joshua’s apartment months ago into Peppy’s body. The empty needle barely made a sound when she let it go and it fell onto the pavement.
Out of breath, Merry scrambled to her feet. She took several steps away from dealer of death’s limp body and picked up his cell phone from its resting place. In seconds, the movements memorized from hours of practice, she opened the back and yanked out the SIM card and shoved it into her pocket.  
In three steps, she reached his jacket. She emptied the pockets, taking all the drugs she found. After stuffing them in her waist pack, she tossed the paraphernalia around like confetti.
Peppy let out a slight moan while trying to turn his head. Dropping his jacket, she turned to look at him. His face was covered in dripping, thick red blood, dirt, and pebbles. She couldn’t decide what was worse, the gore all over him that she created or the fact it didn’t seem to faze her in the least.
Merry moved closer, mindful of the pools of blood surrounding the head of her prey. Flicking open his cell phone, she set it down inches from his bloodied hand. She punched in 9-1-1 but didn’t hit send.
“Hey, Peppy. Is this what you want? A chance to call for help before you overdose, or bleed to death from the ass-kicking I just gave you? Hmm? Well, here you go.”
She pointed to the phone, though she really didn’t know why. It was doubtful he was aware enough to comprehend her words, much less see. “I’ve even dialed for you. All you have to do is hit the send button. It’s right here by your hand. Come on, just reach out and grab it. Help is only a few inches away. Isn’t that what you want? What you crave? Help? Someone to rescue you from certain death?”
A slight groan was Peppy’s only response.
Every disturbing memory of the last six months flooded her mind.
Standing on the other side of the glass while the coroner pulled back the sheet, exposing Joshua’s pale body.
Derek holding her while she crumpled into a blubbering mess on the cold, concrete floor of the M.E.’s office.
Joshua’s body lying in the casket.
Her own anguished screams when Harold clutched his chest in agony and fell to the floor, dead before he collapsed next to their son’s coffin.
Picking out caskets for the two most important men in her life over the course of five days.
The memories infused Merry with righteous anger. She growled, “Guess what? That’s what every single junkie wants, and you don’t give it to them. You hand them death instead. Push their salvation away inch by inch with each hit you sell them.” The toe of her boot pushed the cell phone out of Peppy’s reach. “Just like I’m going to do to you.”
With a sick, twisted fascination, Merry watched while the dying Peppy tried to form words. His pathetic attempts to blink and wash away the blood clouding his vision weren’t working. His fingers wiggled as they fumbled around for the phone. As the drugs careened through his body, he looked like he’d become one with the blacktop. Blood oozed from his mouth. A bubble of air as he tried to speak popped.
The sounds of heels clacking on the ground caught Merry’s attention. The bastard’s last deal was close. Instead of finding herself a fix, the woman would turn the corner and discover bloody carnage.
Maybe the sight will help get her clean.
Merry leaned closer, her lips inches away from the monster’s blood-soaked ear. “That was for losing my husband. This is for killing my son.”
In a flash, she was on her feet. One final stomp to the back of his neck ended the life of Carlos “Peppy” Ramirez with a sickening crunch.
The sound of footsteps drew closer, so Merry quickened her pace. She bent down, grabbed the still-warm index finger which was coated in fresh blood, and scrawled a rival gang’s symbol on the pavement to his right.
With that, Merry turned and fled into the night.

One down. Many, many more to go.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Uvi Poznansky: Trick or Treat

Uvi Poznansky: Trick or Treat: Don't miss this opportunity!  Click this link and join: Trick or Treat A select group of authors has joined forces with me To ...

Friday, October 2, 2015

Whispered Pain Release

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Preorder the ebook at a discounted price and get the audio for free!
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A SCARY Great Deal!

Yep, it's October. A month of thrills, chills, and things that go bump in the night. Are you ready for a read that will make the hair stand up on your arms while reading under the covers? Excited to delve into a psychological thriller? If so, then I have the book for you!

Whispered Pain releases October 13, 2015. The preorder price on Amazon is only $1.29 (full retail price on release day will be $2.49) PLUS the audio version, narrated by the incredibly talented Andrea Emmes, is scheduled to hit Audible, Amazon, and iTunes shortly thereafter.

So, here's the SCARY deal. The first twenty-five people to preorder the ebook from Amazon will receive a free code to purchase the audio version! To take part, all you need to do is forward me a copy of your purchase receipt of the ebook from Amazon (via email) and when the audio goes live, I will send you a free code to redeem from Audible.

Simply click here to go to Amazon and snag your ebook copy of Whispered Pain.

Thanks to each and every one of you for the continued support. I appreciate all of you!

Happy Halloween---

Ashley

 
I am thrilled to announce my next novel, Night Court, is finished and with the editor. The audio version will be narrated by Rebecca Roberts (who narrated Blood Ties) and will be distributed by Blackstone Audio! I am beyond excited and honored to partner with not only Rebecca again, but also one of the largest, independent audio production houses in the United States. Night Court is slated for release in mid-December, 2015.
Preorder link coming soon!
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Upcoming release of Operation S&D

I am so excited to announce the upcoming release of Operation S&D . This book starts where Operation DFC ended and is quite the thrill ...