Skip to main content

Excerpt – ALL THRU THE NIGHT by Davis Bunn

This week, the


Christian Fiction Blog Alliance


is introducing


All Through The Night


(Bethany House - July 1, 2008)


by


Davis Bunn



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Davis Bunn is an internationally-acclaimed author who has sold more than six million books in fifteen languages. His audiences spans reading genres from high drama and action thrillers to heartwarming relationship stories, in both contemporary and historical settings.

Honored with three Christy Awards for excellence in historical and suspense fiction, his bestsellers include My Soul To Keep, and Full Circle . A sought-after lecturer in the art of writing, Bunn was named Novelist in Residence at Regent's Park College, Oxford University.

He and his wife, Isabella, make their home in Florida for some of each year, and spend the rest near Oxford, England, where they each teach and write.



ABOUT THE BOOK


A loner, trying to forget. A community--and a woman--who need for him to remember...
Broken relationships and unfulfilled promises scatter themselves across Wayne's past like burned-out craters. His background in military special-ops is something he's trying to forget. But when he gets himself sweet-talked into helping a quirky group of seniors who've been scammed, he discovers it will take a lot more than muscle and nerve. Breach a conman's high-security estate to recover stolen money? No problem. Become part of community? Love again? Not on your life.

A lawyer with her own painful past is intrigued by Wayne and asks him to take on another unusual case--Tatanya's wealthy employer believes he's been visited by...an angel? Did a messenger from God in a pinstripe suit truly bring a divine warning, or is this merely another cruel hoax? Tatanya is willing to trust Wayne with her boss's life, but she's not sure she's ready to trust him with her own wounded heart.

With a financial analyst's skills and a warrior's tenacity, Wayne races to unmask dangerous forces hiding behind a corporate veil. But he will need all his resources--and then some--against an unseen enemy bent on destroying his fragile bid for a second chance at life...and love.

All he wanted was to put his past behind him. But now it's the only thing that will save them...

Excerpt of chapter one:

"I know who you are."

The voice was all burr and rough music, the words slanted at the edges like her eyes. Wayne thought it was silly getting a tingle in his gut, just hearing this woman finally speak. He saw in her gaze the message he had come to know all too well. The one that said, I'm not going to give you anything like what you want. Not now, not ever.

But there was nothing to be gained by letting her know he knew. So he leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and asked coolly, "And you are?"

"My name is my own. I will tell you only if you agree to help. Otherwise, I will leave here today and you will never see me again."

The longer she spoke, the more distinctive her accent became. A slight rolling of the r's, a musical inflection to some vowels. Try as she might to give him nothing but serious chill, the woman tasted each word in a most exotic fashion.

She made a mistake then. That is, if she intended on holding this little gathering to a totally professional level. Nerves or a simple desire to dominate caused her to rise from her chair and begin to pace.

Jerry emerged from the kitchen. Foster settled back in his chair, deeply involved in the show. The woman transformed the bare boards into a catwalk rimmed with lights and cameras.

"I represent a very important businessman. He holds considerable power in central Florida. He ..."

It was the woman's turn to take a two-armed grip upon herself. She wore a skirt of linen smoke and a matching jacket tight enough to make self-hugging a strain. But she did it anyway. She held on and she paced.

"You might as well tell him," Eilene said. "It won't get any easier."

The woman said, "He believes he has been visited by an angel."

She made two more circuits of Wayne's tiny front room before Jerry said, "Run that last bit by us again."

"You heard her," Eilene said.

"I heard the words, but I'm not putting them together well."

"An angel," the woman repeated.

"As in, guardian angel?"

"He doesn't believe in them."

Eilene said, "Guardian angel is a Catholic term. Or earlier. A lot of pagan sects hold to the concept. There's nothing in the Bible to suggest humans have individual ..." She stopped because of the look her brother gave her. "What?"

Wayne said, "Skip the history lesson and get to the now."

The woman stopped by the rear window. She said to the outside world, "He believes he has been visited by an angel."

"God's holy messenger," Eilene said.

Jerry asked, "This guy, he's a religious nutcase as well as rich?"

The woman just stared out the window.

"I've known him for fifteen years," Eilene said. "He's a friend. Yes, he lives for his faith. And no, he's not insane."

"Delusional, then."

The woman said, "That's what I want you to find out."

Wayne asked, "Why me?"

The woman touched the glass by her face. As though wanting to assure herself of reality.

Eilene said, "Something the angel told him."

The woman corrected, "If it was an angel."

"Of course," Eilene said.

Wayne asked his sister, "You were there?"

"No."

"Then, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear it from her."

The woman said, "I was not there either."

"But this guy, he described it to you, right? So tell me what he said."

The woman's accent grew decidedly stronger. "The angel told this gentleman that he was in grave danger and must hide himself away—his life and the lives of his family depended on it. The angel also told him to find himself a warrior. Someone he can trust to act as his arms and legs. This warrior must be one who gives his strength to the weak. One who cares little for gold."

She was Russian, Wayne decided. Or one of the break-off states with stan at the end of its name. It went with the slanted eyes and the haughty demeanor. "I don't have anything against money."

"You refused your commission," Holly pointed out.

Foster asked, "That's what you three were doing in your office before you come marching over here. Talking about how you were going to set our buddy up, see if he'd go for the money?"

Eilene said, "We had to know."

"He's your brother."

"That's right. And this is a friend in a crisis situation." Eilene vented a trace of steam with her words. "Since the incident, her boss has refused to leave his estate. He's turned his entire empire over to associates. Some of whom she does not trust."

Wayne said, "So you think one of his people used this guy's religion against him—"

"His faith," Eilene corrected. "This has nothing to do with religion."

Wayne waited until he was sure she was done, then continued, "Used it against him so they could take control of his company?"

The woman did not respond.

Jerry said, "Man, that is cold."

"Tell me," Eilene said.

Wayne said, "So you want me to investigate this situation and discover who's behind the scam."

"No." The woman turned around and gave him a look of feline fear. "I want you to keep my friend alive."

Comments

Popular Posts

Chinese Take-Out and Sushi for One

Captain’s Log, Supplemental My agent sent me an article from Publisher’s Weekly that discussed this incident: Chinese Take-Out Spawns Christian Controversy And here’s also a blog post that talks about it in more detail: The Fighting 44s This is Soong-Chan Rah’s blog: The PCS blog In sum: Apparently Zondervan (yes, my publisher), who has partnered with Youth Specialties, had put out a youth leaders skit that had stereotypical Asian dialogue, which offended many Christian Asian Americans. In response to the outcry, Zondervan/Youth Specialities put out a sincere apology and is not only freezing the remaining stock of the book, but also reprinting it and replacing the copies people have already bought. I am very proud of my publisher for how they have handled this situation. The skit writers have also issued a public apology . (I feel sorry for them, because they were only trying to write a funny skit, not stir up this maelstrom of internet controversy. I’ve been in youth work long enou...

Toilet seat cover

Captain’s Log, Supplemental Update August 2008: I wrote up the pattern for this with "improvements"! Here's the link to my No Cold Bums toilet seat cover ! Okay, remember a few days ago I was complaining about the cold toilet seat in my bathroom? Well, I decided to knit a seat cover. Not a lid cover, but a seat cover. I went online and couldn’t find anything for the seat, just one pattern for the lid by Feminitz.com . However, I took her pattern for the inside edge of the lid cover and modified it to make a seat cover. Here it is! It’s really ugly stitch-wise because originally I made it too small and had to extend it a couple inches on each side. I figured I’d be the one staring at it, so who cared if the extension wasn’t perfectly invisible? I used acrylic yarn since, well, that’s what I had, and also because it’s easy to wash. I’ll probably have to wash this cover every week or so, but it’s easy to take off—I made ties which you can see near the back of the seat. And...

No Cold Bums toilet seat cover

Captain's Log, Stardate 08.22.2008 I actually wrote out my pattern! I was getting a lot of hits on my infamous toilet seat cover , and I wanted to make a new one with “improvements,” so I paid attention and wrote things down as I made the new one. This was originally based off the Potty Mouth toilet cover , but I altered it to fit over the seat instead of the lid. Yarn: any worsted weight yarn, about 120 yards (this is a really tight number, I used exactly 118 yards. My suggestion is to make sure you have about 130 yards.) I suggest using acrylic yarn because you’re going to be washing this often. Needle: I used US 8, but you can use whatever needle size is recommended by the yarn you’re using. Gauge: Not that important. Mine was 4 sts/1 inch in garter stitch. 6 buttons (I used some leftover shell buttons I had in my stash) tapestry needle Crochet hook (optional) Cover: Using a provisional cast on, cast on 12 stitches. Work in garter st until liner measures...

Excerpt - A HUNDRED YEARS OF HAPPINESS by Nicole Seitz

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.05.2009 Update: Sorry, this giveaway is closed. A Hundred Years of Happiness by Nicole Seitz A beautiful young woman. An American soldier. A war-torn country. Nearly forty years of silence. Now, two daughters search for the truth they hope will set them free and the elusive peace their parents have never found. In the South Carolina Lowcountry, a young mother named Katherine Ann is struggling to help her tempestuous father, by plunging into a world of secrets he never talks about. A fry cook named Lisa is trying desperately to reach her grieving Vietnamese mother, who has never fully adjusted to life in the States. And somewhere far away, a lost soul named Ernest is drifting, treading water, searching for what he lost on a long-ago mountain. They're all longing for connection. For the war that touched them to finally end. For their hundred years of happiness at long last to begin. From the beloved author of The Spirit of Sweetgrass...

Brainstorm - character occupation

Captain's Log, Stardate 03.23.2009 Hey guys, I could use some help. In my current manuscript, The Year of the Dog , which is a humorous contemporary romance, I have a minor character, Eddie. He’s my heroine’s ex-boyfriend, and they’re on good terms with each other. He’s a bit irresponsible, but not so much so that he’s a complete loser. He’s got a very easy going attitude, he forgets to pay his bills sometimes, he’s friendly and charming. He’s adventurous and fun to be around, but he’s a little forgetful sometimes, and he tends to spend a little outside his income. I need an occupation for him. What would a charming, easy going, slightly irresponsible guy do for a living? He’s not too irresponsible, because otherwise readers will wonder what in the world my heroine saw in him to date him in the first place. She was attracted to his charm, his easy going attitude (her family’s uptight, and he was a nice contrast), and his adventurousness. But his forgetfulness and irresponsibility ...