ABOUT THE BOOK
Fueled by grief after his fiancée is brutally murdered, Detective
Sam Walker focuses on finding her killer -- a calculating predator who binds
books with human skin. Dani Barrington,
the newest member of NOPD's Victim and Witness Assistance Unit and a survivor
of another frightening attack, helps him discover the terrifying link between
the monster's known victims. Despite his
anguish, Sam is struck by Dani's strength and determination, especially when
her inquisitive nature makes her the
killer's next target. He must find a way
to protect her or risk losing the one woman who can bring his dead heart back
to life.
AN EXCERPT
Kristen was gone.
She wasn't at work. She wasn't at
home. She hadn't gone out to run an errand. She had simply... vanished.
New Orleans Detective Sam Walker
stood in the center of his fiancée's cluttered bedroom and struggled to piece
together the timeline of her disappearance. Last night they were supposed to
meet for dinner, but he'd caught a case. They'd talked on the phone around
eleven, and he'd asked her to meet him for lunch today.
He hadn't spoken to her since.
She was supposed to arrive at the
Victim and Witness Assistance Unit for work at nine a.m., but never made it.
One of her co-workers had called him about ten o'clock. He'd tried Kristen
again, but she hadn't answered.
So he'd come here and found her car
in the driveway.
Yet she sure as hell wasn't here.
Her bed was meticulously made, the
way she left it every morning, dumping him out if he'd stayed over. A damp
towel lay beside the bathroom sink. Soulful jazz drifted from the iPod dock on
her nightstand. What terrified him most, though, was the spot of blood marring
the door frame and the lone pink sandal lying in the living room floor beside
her purse, keys, and cell phone.
His heart lurched. He couldn't
breathe, couldn't think. Simply could not absorb that she was missing. They'd been
engaged for five months and three days, with only a month to go until the
wedding. They should be mulling over the guest list, squabbling about where to
go for their honeymoon, and deciding where they wanted to live.
Instead, Sam stared at an empty bed.
"There's no sign of forced
entry, so she either let the guy in or he jumped her when she went after the
paper this morning." Major Sabbatini's voice seemed to come from far away.
"I'm thinking she fought him off and ran, and he caught her here in the bedroom."
"She would have clawed
him." Hell, she would've drawn blood with those nails. Sam should know. He
had the marks on his back to prove it. Moisture blurred his vision as he eyed
the smudge on the door jamb. "She... she just had her nails done a couple
of days ago. They're like talons."
"We'll check the blood for DNA.
You know that. What were her plans for today?"
"Um... just work, far as I
know. She and I were supposed to have lunch." Sam shook his head.
"Then tonight, she was going to a wedding shower. I just--"
"When was the last time you
spoke with her?"
"Late -- last night."
Sam's eyes fell on a partially-filled mug on the table beside Kristen's
favorite chair, where she liked to read. A hard knot formed in the center of
his chest. "She didn't... even finish her coffee. She loves coffee."
"We're gonna find her,
son."
"You don't know that."
Sam's voice cracked. He turned to his boss. "What if I never see her
again?"
CONTACT THE AUTHOR - AND WIN A PRIZE!
Melanie will be awarding the winner's choice of a backlist
eBook to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better
your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/virtual-super-book-blast-blood-bound-by.html
Follow the author here:
www.melanieatkins.com
www.wordpress.melanieatkins.com
