Skip to main content

Lady Wynwood #7 early release Kickstarter

I worked on my first Kickstarter and it got approved! It’s for the Special Edition Hardcover of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 1: Archer and the release of Lady Wynwood’s Spies, volume 7: Spinster. I contacted my graphic designer about the Special Edition Hardcover of vol. 1: Archer—it’s going to be SO beautiful! The Kickstarter focuses on the Special Edition Hardcover, but it’ll also include vol. 7: Spinster so that it’ll sort of be like a launch day for vol. 7, too. A third special thing that’ll be in the Kickstarter is Special Edition Paperbacks of all the books in the series. They won’t be available in stores, just in the Kickstarter (and later, from my website, and also in my Patreon book box tiers if I decide to do them). The Kickstarter is not live yet, but you can follow it to be alerted when it has launched. (You may need to create a free Kickstarter account.) Follow Camy’s Kickstarter

Excerpt - Thanksgiving Target by Laura Scott

Captain's Log, Stardate 10.12.2009

The Thanksgiving Target by Laura Scott:

Army lieutenant Max Forrester is home on leave, and looking forward to celebrating Thanksgiving with his sister, Melissa. Then he finds her fighting for her life in the hospital. All he wants is to protect his sibling…until another damsel in distress crosses his path. Someone's stalking Tara Carmichael, Melissa's social worker, and the danger she's in is very real. Max knows she needs his help—if only he could find a way to protect both women at once! And Tara and Melissa aren't the only ones in danger when the stalker's true target is revealed.

Excerpt of chapter one:

"Wait a minute. Stop right there," a female vice commanded. "Who let you in?"

Lieutenant's Max Forrester's head snapped up, and he belatedly realized there was a woman at his sister Lissa's hospital bedside. A chair with a discarded blanket on the seat was tucked in the corner where she must have been sitting.

Who was she? The ICU clerk had told him Lissa's visitors were restricted.

"Are you Gary?" she asked sharply, a dark scowl marring her otherwise dainty features. She was young, about Lissa's age, her long dark hair pulled back in a braid that hung down to her shoulders. She was dressed in a conservative navy blue jacket and skirt, with an official-looking ID pinned to her lapel. Her radiating anger caught him off guard. "Don't you dare touch her."

Gary? Who was she talking about? He lifted his hands palm forward, hoping to calm her down. "I'm not Gary. I'm Lissa's brother, Max Forrester. The woman at the desk checked my ID before letting me in."

"Her brother?" The petite woman eyed him suspiciously, not giving him an inch. "Melissa didn't mention a brother."

She hadn't? The news hurt. Why hadn't Lissa said anything about him? True, they didn't chat often, but she'd been happy to know he was coming home on leave to spend the Thanksgiving holiday together.

Glancing down at his sister, with her bruised and battered face, he realized this woman, who must be a friend of Lissa's, had every right to be suspicious. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. Lissa couldn't even breathe on her own because she wasn't conscious. His sister must have been mugged to end up here like this.

"Here's my ID," he said, handing it to her. "I've been in Iraq the past three years and just arrived home on leave today. When Lissa didn't meet me at the airport, I went to her apartment and her landlord told me she was here."

The woman stared at his ID for a long moment, then handed it back with a weary sigh. "I'm sorry. I should have known Gary wouldn't go so far as to disguise himself in army fatigues."

"Who are you?" Max asked, putting his ID back in his wallet. "And who's Gary?"

"My name is Tara Carmichael. I'm Melissa's social worker." She crossed her arms over her chest and gazed down at Lissa, with sorrow and despair. "Unfortunately, Gary is the man who did this to her."

Tara Carmichael eyed the handsome stranger warily. Melissa's brother cut an impressive figure in his camouflage fatigues, and she imagined he'd be even more so in action. Right now though, his tormented gaze was riveted on his sister, his face drawn into harsh lines of anger.

"What's Gary's last name?" he asked, his low voice vibrating with suppressed anger. "Where can I find him?"

She suppressed a sigh. "I wish I knew. Melissa never told me his full name. In fact, the last time she left him, she refused to go to the police to press charges. Even when I drove her to a women's shelter, she stayed for only a few days before going back home."

"What?" Max whirled on her, pinning her with his stark gaze. "Are you telling me this happened before?"

She swallowed hard, knowing his anger wasn't directed at her. Besides, she had to admit, he was showing remarkable control. "Yes, I'm afraid so. Not this bad, just a few bruises but enough to make me concerned."

He was silent, and she watched a myriad of emotions playing across his features: fury, despair, agony, helplessness. Finally he turned away, letting out a harsh sound as he tightened his fingers around the side rail of Melissa's bed. His tortured expression of self-recrimination tugged at her heart. "I didn't know," he murmured, his tone full of anguish. "I honestly didn't know."

Tara wasn't sure what to say. Melissa had obviously kept secrets. From both of them.

"She didn't mention Gary or that she had a new boyfriend?" she asked, hesitantly. It did seem odd to her that Melissa hadn't mentioned her brother during any of their meetings. Although maybe it was because he was so far away, stationed in Iraq, Melissa hadn't seen him as a true support system.

For a long moment, Lieutenant Forrester stared down at his hands. "A few months ago, she did mention meeting a guy but didn't really say much about it. I don't always have a chance to respond to e-mails, especially once the fighting heats up. Weeks can pass before I'm able to return messages."

She could only imagine how difficult it must be for the men and women who fight overseas. Even if Melissa had mentioned Gary, what would it matter? The damage was already done. Clearly, this time Gary had gone too far.

"I understand." She tried to smile, but it wasn't easy. Melissa's situation was grim. When the hospital had called, letting her know about Melissa's admission and suspected abuse, she'd immediately rushed over. Seeing Melissa in such bad shape had shaken her. Especially when Melissa had begged for her to keep Gary away, right before she'd slipped into a coma. There wasn't much she could do at that point, other than pray for her safe recovery. But sitting there, watching Melissa fight for her life, she'd vowed to stay close, supporting Melissa's escape from her boyfriend once and for all.

At least having Lieutenant Forrester here eased one of her concerns. Melissa wasn't alone, not any longer. Between her brother and herself, she was convinced they could pull Melissa through this crisis.

"You're Lissa's social worker?" he asked, breaking into her thoughts. "That's why you were allowed in?"

She hesitated, knowing she couldn't tell him much about Melissa's history of substance abuse without breaking her client's confidentiality, before nodding. "Yes. The hospital called me when she was admitted."

"I see." Max Forrester stood ramrod straight, his military bearing ingrained to the point she wondered if he ever relaxed. A spurt of sympathy nudged her heart. This couldn't be a very nice homecoming for him. After fighting for three years in Iraq, coming home to find his sister in the ICU had to be a shock.

"Have you spoken to Melissa's nurse?" she asked, wishing there was more she could do to help him.

"Not yet."

"I'll get her for you." Grateful for something constructive to do, she stepped out into the hallway, glancing around for Natalie, the young woman taking care of Melissa. Natalie was in by another patient, but as soon as she saw Tara hovering there, she finished what she was doing and stepped out. "Do you need something?"

"Melissa's brother is here, having just arrived home from Iraq, and he would like some information on Melissa's injuries."

"Sure. I'll be right in."

Tara returned to Melissa's room, and Natalie followed a few moments later. She introduced herself to Lieutenant Forrester.

"Melissa has two cracked ribs and a fairly serious head injury. The doctors have ordered another CT scan of her head for first thing in the morning, which should tell us if the injury is getting worse or better."

The lieutenant paled. "Will she wake up?"

Natalie offered a gentle smile. "So far her head injury is serious, but if it doesn't get much worse, she should recover just fine. I wish I could tell you more, but right now we can only wait and see how things go."

He swallowed hard. "Thank you." He looked so grim, his face drawn into harsh lines, that Tara had the insane urge to step closer and take his hand, offering him her support. But she kept her hands tightly clasped in front of her.

"I'll need your contact information," Natalie said, picking up a clipboard. "Have you spoken to the police yet?"

"No. But I'd like to," Max said.

Tara was surprised to hear the police were involved this time. "Do they have Gary in custody?" she asked.

"I don't think so," Natalie said with a tiny frown. "Officer James Newton gave me his card and asked me to call him when Melissa woke up so he could question her." She turned to Max. "What's your phone number?"

She wrote the information as Max rattled it off. "Can I have the police number, too?" he asked.

"I don't see why not." Natalie gave him the information and then glanced up when a shrill beeping echoed from across the hall. "Excuse me," she murmured before dashing away.

With a grim expression, Max tucked the phone number into the pocket of his camouflage shirt. Silence hung heavily between them.

Smoothing her hands over her wrinkled jacket, Tara glanced at him. "Well, it's late and I really need to get home. But I'll be back in the morning to check on your sister."

He stared down at Melissa. "I'll stay here."

She sensed his exhaustion and understood the desire to stay near his sister, but it was obvious that he needed some rest. Her social worker training kicked in. "Lieutenant, you should really find a hotel nearby to spend the night. Melissa is in good hands. The nurses here are wonderful. We've limited her visitors to protect her. You need your rest, too. She's going to need your strength and support over the long haul."

He remained silent, but she could see the emotional tug of war on his face. "Maybe you're right," he admitted finally. "I've been on a plane since yesterday. Are there cheap hotels nearby?" His troubled gaze cut back to his sister. "I'd like to be close, keeping in touch regarding Lissa's progress."

"Of course." Tara folded away her own problems and concerns, trying to remember which hotels offered the best prices. "The family center has brochures for all the nearby hotels, and I'mpretty certain a few offer discounts for families with loved ones here at the hospital."

"That would be great." He smiled, and she was struck by how his harsh features softened with the gesture. His eyes were the same bright green as Melissa's. With his broad shoulders and chocolate-brown hair cut military short, Lieutenant Forrester was a very handsome man.

The realization made her stomach clench, sending her back a step. How could she notice Melissa's brother in that way? She'd loved Ted, her husband, with her whole heart and soul. Her love hadn't changed when he died. She'd vowed to love him forever.

"It's no problem." She worked hard to ensure her tone portrayed only the utmost professionalism. Turning, she led the way out of the ICU, taking the elevator back down to the main level, acutely aware of Max walking silently at her side.

She found the brochures in the family center, quickly pointing out several options before leaving. She needed some distance from the tall, handsome stranger. The bus stop was right outside the main doors of the hospital, so she walked in that direction.

Remembering why she was forced to take the bus, rather than her car, made her shiver as she stepped outside. When she'd left for work earlier that evening, she'd discovered someone had maliciously slashed all four of her tires, rendering her car useless. She'd called the police and waited while they dusted for fingerprints. Since she was in a hurry to see Melissa, she'd left her disabled car in the parking lot and had taken the bus to the hospital, rather than deal with the hassle of getting her car towed.

She couldn't help wonder if the man with the navy blue jacket and baseball cap who'd followed her the other day was the same person who'd slashed her tires. His baseball cap had been pulled low over his eyes, and the collar of his jacket was pulled up to cover his face so she hadn't gotten a good look at him.

Now that it was so late, she couldn't help but glance around, searching for anyone wearing a baseball cap as she made her way to the bus stop.

The shelter outside the bus stop wasn't deserted, as she'd hoped. There were two men standing there— neither wore a baseball cap—but one of them looked extremely disheveled, taking deep drags off a cigarette despite the signs declaring the area as nonsmoking. Her steps slowed as she hesitantly approached, and she glanced up the street hoping the bus would arrive soon. After her tire-slashing incident, it was difficult not to look at everyone around her with uncertainty.

She gathered her courage and lifted her gaze heavenward. Please, Lord, keep me safe.

Crossing her arms over her chest, she did her best to remain warm in spite of the chilly night temperatures. She didn't have her coat; she'd left her office in such a hurry she'd forgotten it.

"Ms. Carmichael?"

The sound of her name had her spinning around in a rush, her heart thumping in her throat. Lieutenant Max Forrester stood a few feet behind her, his face etched in a deep scowl.

"Oh, no, did something happen to Melissa?" Fearing the worst, she took several steps toward him. "Is she…?"

He held up a hand. "No, she's fine. Not fine, but her condition is unchanged."

Relief flooded her. "You had me worried."

"Ma'am, why are you out here waiting for the bus?" He swept a gaze behind her, noticing the two men sharing the bus stop with her. "It's late, half past nine at night. You'd be much safer in a taxi."

Her pride was stung by his somewhat condescending tone. She welcomed the surge of annoyance. Obviously if she'd wanted to take a taxi she would have. Maybe she didn't normally take the bus, but she wasn't about to tell this stranger her problems with vandalism. "Thanks for your concern, Lieutenant, but I can take care of myself."

"Ma'am, I'm sure you can, but since I grew up in St. Louis, I know the crime rate isn't something to brag about."

"I grew up here, too, so I'm well aware of the crime rate."

The fact they had something so minor in common shouldn't have made a difference, but she couldn't help feel a sense of kinship with Melissa's brother.

"Fine." He gave her a brisk nod that was more like a salute, widened his stance and crossed his arms over his broad chest, reminding her of a human shield. "If you're going to ride the bus home alone, I'll ride along with you."

Popular Posts

Camy's Big News about a new (old) series!

I joined two Christian suspense multi-author anthologies that will release next year in May and October! The May anthology is Danger in the Shadows , and the October anthology is Don’t Blink . I have taken down Year of the Dog from my blog and will instead finish editing/rewriting it for the May anthology, Danger in the Shadows . I decided to do this because I was only working on Year of the Dog sporadically, and I wanted to set a deadline for myself to finish it sooner. To complicate matters, I’ve been unhappy with my decision to leave Sushi and Suspicions as a stand-alone rather than putting it in a series. And I’ve also been unhappy with putting The Lone Rice Ball as a 5th book in the Sushi series when it’s more romantic suspense than the other books in the series. Now that I’ll be writing Year of the Dog for the anthology, and because I haven’t yet released Sushi and Suspicions and The Lone Rice Ball as individual ebooks, I decided to switch things around. I’m rem

Tabi socks, part deux

Captain's Log, Stardate 07.25.2008 (If you're on Ravelry, friend me! I'm camytang.) I made tabi socks again! (At the bottom of the pattern is the calculation for the toe split if you're not using the same weight yarn that I did for this pattern (fingering). I also give an example from when I used worsted weight yarn with this pattern.) I used Opal yarn, Petticoat colorway. It’s a finer yarn than my last pair of tabi socks, so I altered the pattern a bit. Okay, so here’s my first foray into giving a knitting pattern. Camy’s top-down Tabi Socks I’m assuming you already know the basics of knitting socks. If you’re a beginner, here are some great tutorials: Socks 101 How to Knit Socks The Sock Knitter’s Companion A video of turning the heel Sock Knitting Tips Yarn: I have used both fingering weight and worsted weight yarn with this pattern. You just change the number of cast on stitches according to your gauge and the circumference of your ankle. Th

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

Jeremiah 33:8

Jeremiah 33:8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. Dear Lord, Thank you that no matter where we go or what we do, you will wash us clean when we turn to you. Thank you for your grace and for loving us even when we are hard to love. Please help us to live for you and for your glory. Amen エレミヤ33:8 わたしに対して犯したすべての罪から彼らを清め、犯した罪と反逆のすべてを赦す。 親愛なる主よ、 私たちがどこへ行こうとも、何をしようとも、私たちがあなたに立ち返るとき、あなたは私たちをきよめてくださることを感謝します。あなたの恵みに感謝し、私たちが愛しがたい者であっても愛してくださることに感謝します。どうか私たちがあなたのために、あなたの栄光のために生きることができますように。 アーメン

Grace Livingston Hill romances free to read online

I wanted to update my old post on Grace Livingston Hill romances because now there are tons more options for you to be able to read her books for free online! I’m a huge Grace Livingston Hill fan. Granted, not all her books resonate with me, but there are a few that I absolutely love, like The Enchanted Barn and Crimson Roses . And the best part is that she wrote over 100 books and I haven’t yet read them all! When I have time, I like to dive into a new GLH novel. I like the fact that most of them are romances, and I especially appreciate that they all have strong Christian themes. Occasionally the Christian content is a little heavy-handed for my taste, but it’s so interesting to see what the Christian faith was like in the early part of the 20th century. These books are often Cinderella-type stories or A Little Princess (Frances Hodgson Burnett) type stories, which I love. And the best part is that they’re all set in the early 1900s, so the time period is absolutely fasci

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

CWO - Stumbling

Captain’s Log, Stardate 08.08.2006 Blog book giveaway: My Thursday book giveaway is THE SIMPLE LIFE by Wanda Brunstetter . My Monday book giveaway is MY SO-CALLED LOVE LIFE by Allie Pleiter . You can still enter both giveaways. Just post a comment on each of those blog posts. On Thursday, I'll draw the winner for THE SIMPLE LIFE and post the title for another book I'm giving away. "Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand." ~ Emily Kimbrough ~ Check out Christian Women Online (click on the button above) to see what other women are blogging about this quote! I have to say that God came through for me in this area. I’m not an extrovert, but He knew I needed sisters in Christ both online and locally in order to continue on this writing career. I didn’t seek these women out, they found me (with the Holy Spirit prodding them). Some of them are listed in my Blogroll to the right. They have held my hand, prayed for me, p

CWO - Reading quickly

Captain’s Log, Supplemental "Those who read fast reap no more advantage than a bee would by only skimming over the surface of the flower, instead of waiting to penetrate into it, and extract its sweets." ~ Madame Jeanne Guyon ~ Update: I rewrote my post when I discovered Madame was talking specifically about Bible reading and not just reading in general. My point is essentially still the same. I admit I’m torn about this quote. I do enjoy meditating on the Bible. Certain passages deserve the time and mental energy to dwell, savor, contemplate, investigate, journal about. Those are some of my closest times with God. But I also started the Bible in 90 Days challenge last year, and it was the most incredible experience I’ve had in a long time. I had never read the entire Bible through before I did the Bible in 90 Days. I always lost interest in the normal books—the Pentateuch, usually around Leviticus somewhere. For the Bible in 90 Days, the point is to just read. Keep reading.

Irish Tea Cozy

Captain’s Log, Stardate 02.16.2007 Blog book giveaway: To enter, go to the blog links below and post a comment there. Along Came Jones by Linda Windsor Two books for moms by Jenn Doucette I knitted a tea cozy! Here’s a picture of the original , and here’s the original pattern . I pretty much followed it, except I used a ribbon instead of a knitted tie at the top. I made it a little too big because I used the wrong size needles, so I also made two squares in garter stitch and sewed them to the inside of the cozy for a bit more insulation and better shaping. I’m so impressed with myself. This was the first time I did any complicated designs like the bobble/bubble/popcorn stitch and the diamond panel. Now when I host our local Christian writers’ group, our ginger peach tea won’t get cold so fast.

Camille's Writing Progress

Join my newsletter to get regular updates in your inbox!