Guest Blogger, Carol Marvell

Please welcome, Carol Marvell, author of Slave Trader – In the Name of Freedom. Available from Wild Child Publishing!

Bio: Carol lives on a small property in Queensland, Australia. She works in a local primary school as a School Officer / Librarian / Community Development Officer. Married with three children, she has travelled extensively throughout the world, visiting the US, UK, Europe, China, Japan, New Zealand and of course, Australia. Her other passion is music. She plays bass guitar in a country rock band with her husband and two other guys. She is also a member of a symphony orchestra. With over fifty members, the orchestra is voluntary and visits retirement villages and small towns.

Slave Trader – In the Name of Freedom is Carol’s first novel. The action/adventure story follows Detective Billie McCoy in her fight for freedom after she is caught up in a modern day slavery trade run by a corrupt cop.

Blurb for Slave Trader – In the Name of Freedom:
For the past three years, young prostitutes and destitute women have been vanishing without trace. Their fates unknown, the only common links to their disappearances are their good looks and prison records.
Never before has a cop been taken.
Detective Billie McCoy, a member of an elite undercover squad, is on assignment when she stumbles onto a slavery racket that goes deeper than she could ever have imagined. Plunged into a web of corruption and evil, not only does she have to contend with the slave traders, but her fellow prisoners – all who hate cops.
Stretching from the streets of Sydney to the rainforests in far north Queensland, it’s a race against time. Filled with determination, disappointment and twists, the story follows Billie’s fight for freedom and her greatest ever challenge. She will need all her cunning and skill to get out alive and see justice done.
Blood will be spilt, hopes will be destroyed – all to uncover a plot so unpredictable that only fate can decide . . . .

Facts on slavery today:

Today, modern slavery is as real and brutal as any history book. There are more people in slavery now than at any other time. It's estimated twenty-seven million people across the world could be considered slaves, and the industry of slavery and people trafficking makes $32 billion a year.

During the 1800’s, slaves were bought and sold at a high price. Modern day slaves are worth far less than their weight in gold. At such cheap prices, slaves are disposable and can easily be replaced. And while the price of slaves has dropped dramatically, the return on the slaveholder's investment has skyrocketed to hundreds of percent.

Excerpt from Slave Trader – In the Name of Freedom

Billie turned away. She leaned on the wall and stared up at the ceiling, torn apart. She was here undercover about to set up a big gun dealer and bring him to justice. If she helped this girl, it could blow everything. All the work she'd put into getting this close to the gunrunners could be in jeopardy. Her nature compelled her to aid someone in trouble.
Damn it! Why did this have to happen now? She should just walk away and pretend she'd never seen it. After all, it had nothing to do with her. Yeah right. No way could she turn a blind eye to this. Turning back, she peered through the crack again.
The redhead in the suit coat had pulled a small syringe from his pocket. The sight of it upset the distressed girl even more. She stared at it over the big hand clamped across her mouth, her eyes widened in horror. In a desperate bid to deter his intentions, she kicked out. Only by chance her knee knocked the redhead's hand. The needle rolled across the floor. He cursed.
The ponytail man snarled. His large, gangly hand dropped from the girl's mouth, and he slugged her hard. The trapped girl grunted and sank in his grasp.
The blow sent Billie into action. She couldn't leave the girl to these thugs. With a little luck, she could pull off both operations.
Sneaking in, the detective picked up an old, wooden chair just inside the room. Although tempted to use her gun, silence was of the utmost importance. She couldn't afford to alert the men upstairs. They would be edgy enough, and the sound of a gunshot would certainly send them on a runner.
Both thugs had their backs to Billie, their attention on their captive. Mumbling curses, the redhead's rising temper dampened his cautiousness. The chase brought him into the closest position to her. With the chair gripped in her hands, Billie jumped at the punk and cracked it over his head. The chair shattered into pieces. He moaned and collapsed to the floor with a heavy thud.
His partner spun at the noise. He stared at her with a startled expression before turning a stunned look at his downed partner. Overcoming his surprise, he looked back up at her. The thug's lips twisted in a snarl. He dumped the girl to the floor. She fell in a heap. He lunged forward.
Billie turned and faced him full on. She kicked up. Her heel smashed into his nose well before he could touch her.
The guy's head rocked backwards. He recoiled with a couple of staggered steps. Billie followed, giving him no time to recover. Using the same foot, she buried it into his stomach. The impact doubled him over, driving the breath from his burning lungs. She stepped forward and brought up her knee, slamming it into the side of his jaw. He reeled sideways with a groan and collapsed, motionless.
Billie looked at him, and then glanced at the other guy. Neither looked like they'd be moving for a while. She blew out a sigh and tossed the busted chair to the side.
The detective crossed to the dazed girl and knelt beside her. She studied her face. A bruise already showed through on her cheek, marring her good looks. She lay relaxed in her enforced sleep, her features free from the strain they'd carried only a few moments before. Brown, shoulder-length hair bordered the girl's dainty face. A clean, fresh complexion enhanced her attractiveness. Long eyelashes guarded her closed eyes. She carried a 'girl next door' image, a guileless look that bathed her in a simplistic innocence yet held a disguised beauty to catch any man's eye. Her slender figure did her proud. Billie couldn't help wonder why she would be in a dive like this, or why these men were after her. She was a pretty girl and had a lot going for her, but something had definitely gone wrong for her to end up here and in this kind of trouble.
The girl stirred, bringing the detective out of her thoughts. Her head rolled towards Billie. Her eyes flickered open. They looked glazed and confused.
"Take it easy. You're safe now," Billie said, brushing a strand of the long, brown hair back off her face.
The girl's confused gaze focused on her rescuer, and she tensed. She sat upright. Her gaze darted around the room in search of her would-be attackers.
'Hey, it's okay!" Billie took hold of her by the shoulders in a comforting gesture.
Shooting her no more than a brief glance, the frightened girl stared at the unconscious men. They were no longer a threat. She turned back to the blonde kneeling beside her and relaxed in Billie's grip.
"Are you okay?" Billie dropped her hands from her shoulders yet maintained a wary eye on her.
The dishevelled girl nodded. "Yeah, I think so." She turned away from her and studied the men. After a lingering moment, she looked back at Billie. "Thank you very much," she said in a whisper. "Who-who are you?"
Before the detective could answer, a voice from the doorway interrupted them.
"So this is why they're taking so long."
Billie's head snapped around in surprise. Three men stood in the doorway. Billie gave them a quick, assessing look. The guy in the middle, a short, plump, half-bald man in his late fifties stood with a thin smile on his lips. His gaze was fixed on her. His bright Hawaiian shirt boldly expressed his personality, loud and dominant. Short tufts of curly grey hair overflowed from the vee of the collared shirt. His round, beach-ball face was clean-shaven, like the top of his head. Only a strip of grey-flecked hair ran from one ear around the back of his head to the other.
The other two flanked him, their bulky frames towering above him. Dressed like the two on the floor, they fell comfortably into their category: hired 'heavies'. These paid henchmen eyed her with guarded looks.
The guy on the left of the fat man carried a scar down his right cheek. His hair was slicked back out of his face, leaving the dark, distrusting eyes in clear view. The third guy, a curly-haired blond, was shorter yet bulkier than his comrade. He stared with a blank expression set on his bristled face, clearly expressing his dislike. They stood protectively by their boss's side, like dogs on a leash waiting for a command to please their master.
The little, fat man's gaze remained locked on the blonde girl in front of him. "My God."
His astonished tone snapped Billie's attention back to him. She looked more closely, sensing something familiar about him. Her nerves stiffened. Suddenly, she knew.
"Bates?" The name slipped through her lips before she could stop it. She'd failed to identify him in that first brief glimpse. The bright clothes and menacing conditions engulfing the tense situation had thrown her. He looked so different, and so out of place. She'd met this guy a couple of times, and both times he'd been dressed in a full suit, tie and all-back in police headquarters. So why would Captain Bates, head of Missing Persons, be here? Why would he be interested in this girl, especially in a place like this? And what was this well-respected police officer doing with these henchmen? Slowly, she stood, not taking her eyes off him.
"What's going on here?" The young cop took a step towards him.
"Ahh, what a pity, a sure pity." He sighed. His hand reached in through the open neck of his shirt and pulled a pistol out from under it. He dropped it to waist level, aiming at her chest. His tone may have held some remorse, but his actions didn't.

Links:

My website: http://www.carolmarvell.webs.com
twitter me here: http://twitter.com/carolmarvell
Come and like me here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Carol-Marvell/320383708039219

My blog: http://billiemccoy.blogspot.com.au/

My publisher: http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=70&products_id=381

EARTH

EARTH

By: Terri Talley Venters 

Maximus lounged in the courtyard of his Palazzo. Sun poured through the open room and its rays illuminated the beautiful, mosaic-tiled floor. As he admired the panoramic view of the Italian Coast, a servant quietly placed a tray of assorted cheeses, bread, and a wine-filled chalice before him. The flavors danced on his tongue as he sipped the wine and basked in the tingles it sent down his throat.

A beautiful woman, his woman, approached. Her long, white gown clung to her curves and exposed her right breast. He opened his arms to his beloved Maria. She fell into his embrace and awarded him with a passionate kiss. I think I’ll be late for today’s entertainment at the Coloso. 

The ground rumbled beneath the lovers. They looked up towards the mountain and watched the cloud of ash spew from its peak. Rain slowly dropped onto the courtyard and sprinkled them. Only it wasn’t rain, but volcanic ash.

The ground rumbled again, even louder than before. The volcano erupted. Earth spewed from Mount Vesuvius and covered the city of Pompeii.

Guest Blogger Jenn Nixon

Please welcome today's guest blogger, Jenn Nixon. Her novel, Lucky's Charm releases 7/31 from Wild Child Publishing.  Here's a sneak peek at her new release!

Lucky’s Charm

By: Jenn Nixon

To protect her family and find a killer, Felicia “Lucky” Fascino assumed her adoptive father’s identity and joined the network, an organization of moral assassins to finish the job he began. Eliminating the man responsible for murdering her mother has consumed her for the last five years. While keeping her Uncle Stephen and cousin Elizabeth at arm’s length, Lucky begins to feel the weight of her career choice and reclusive lifestyle. Then a chance encounter with an enigmatic hit man, during one of her jobs, turns into a provocative and dangerous affair. Distracted by the secret trysts with Kenji Zinn and mounting tension within her family, Lucky makes reckless mistakes that threaten her livelihood and almost claim her life.

Excerpt:

Two days after her last job…

Lucky Fascino sat at the back of the plane, flipping through the complimentary magazine. She smiled up at the male flight attendant when he stopped the beverage cart.

“Drinks?” he asked.

“Gin and tonic, thanks,” she said.

“Make it two,” her neighbor added.

Her row mate, a pink-skinned, gray-haired man, had curiosity etched on his face. Next to Lucky, any Caucasian looked pale so she understood their interest. Being naturally bronzed, due in part to an unknown, mixed heredity, gave her an all-year color most women would kill to have. As part of her normally disguised travels, she hid her curly, honey-brown hair and slight almond-shaped, amber eyes—now considered exotic instead of strange—behind a jet-black wig and brown contacts.

Talking to a stranger was the last thing she wanted to do. Getting far away from the job was the only thing on her mind. She’d been in Vegas for nine days, watching the target, learning his habits, hangouts, and daily rituals. During the last five, she’d seen him with three women in two different motels.

Gotta love Vegas.

Afterward, she had worked off the adrenaline high from the job in the hotel gym, while waiting for news of the target’s death. It came in the form of a small article in the local newspaper. The city had well over a hundred murders so far this year. One more, under seedy circumstances, didn’t get much attention.

            The man beside her tried to make conversation while she nursed her drink. Mundane chitchat mostly. I really don’t care where you live. It was natural for normal people to want some type of contact to ease the boring flight. Thanks to her second cocktail, she felt more social. Besides, she didn’t have a choice. He wouldn’t shut up.

            “So, what do you do for a living?” Frank asked after the exchange of names and destinations.

Kill people like you. Well, she didn’t really kill people like him, unless he had some sordid history of crime. Unlike Andersen, who used his corporate success to embezzle, commit fraud, and murder, Frank seemed like a regular guy.

“I’m the Comptroller for an international furniture company.” Lucky watched the man’s eyes glaze over when she described what she did for “work.” Accountant types never impressed anyone. During long jobs, she made up a personal history and itinerary to go along with whichever fake ID she used for cases like this. Today she played Lucille Summers from Baltimore, Maryland. It was one part of the job she still enjoyed.

            “Sounds lucrative.” He rubbed the side of his gin-reddened face and covertly tried to ogle her legs. “In Vegas for business or pleasure?” The way he enunciated the latter made her skin crawl. She wouldn’t give him the time of day if he were the last man on the planet able to donate sperm to keep the species alive.

“Business meetings, you know how it goes, have to get those fiscal reports in order for the CFO,” she said, smiling, mostly to suppress the gag reflex.

            He laughed, continually eyeballing her and gabbing about his trip. The trite, one-sided conversation continued until the plane began its descent.

Bio: Jenn’s love of writing started the year she received her first diary and Nancy Drew novel. Throughout her teenage years, she kept a diary of her personal thoughts and feelings but graduated from Nancy Drew to other mystery suspense novels.

Jenn often adds a thriller and suspense element to anything she writes be it Romance, Science Fiction, or Fantasy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, observing pop culture, playing with her two dogs, and working on various charitable projects in her home state of New Jersey.

www.jennnixon.com

www.facebook.com/JennNixonAuthor

Twitter: @jennnixon

CARBON

CARBON

By: Terri Talley Venters

Abducting a newborn topped Hilda’s agenda. At midnight, she entered the birthing suite at Manhattan’s Mercy Hospital where Alexandra and the birth mother bonded. How sweet, Hilda smirked.

“Excuse me, Mrs. Montgomery, I’m here to take your blood pressure.” Hilda approached the patient’s bed and prayed her nerves didn’t show.

“I’m so sick of being awakened all of the time,” Alexandra’s mother said.

“Well, I’m, sorry to bother you, Mrs. Montgomery, but I’m just doing my job,” Hilda said, even as she wished she no longer had to do this job. Why Tom-Tom insisted on abducting newborns from a hospital rather than from a house or a park irritated her.

This new mother sounded rude. But it made Hilda’s upcoming task much easier. She’d learned years ago the necessity of distancing herself from her emotions, and she stopped giving a rat’s ass about the patients a long time ago.

“Well, how about you do your job and get me medication to help me sleep, I’m exhausted.”

“I have just what you need. This should help you sleep.” Hilda handed a container of white pills to Mrs. Montgomery and poured her a glass of water.

“This won’t affect my breast milk will it? I know my milk hasn’t come in yet, but I plan on nursing my precious Alexandra.”

“I assure you, Mrs. Montgomery, Alexandra will be just fine. I’ll change her diaper for you, so you won’t have to worry about it for a while.”

“Thank you, I appreciate the gesture. My husband, the useless piece of shit, went home to sleep. Can you believe his nerve?” Mrs. Montgomery asked.

Hilda nodded her head sympathetically. Most new mothers acted cranky, due to the abrupt change in their hormone levels. Everyone and everything got on their nerves and they believed their husbands proved totally useless. Many referred to this as the “I-hate-you phase.”

Relieved about the absence of Alexandra’s father, she turned her back to the birth mother and approached Alexandra’s bassinet. Hilda’s wide girth obstructed Mrs. Montgomery’s view of the baby.

Hilda gazed upon the tiny, helpless newborn, a Carbon Copy of a newborn she’d abducted twenty-five years before. Hilda recalled helping transition the baby the night before. Shortly after babies are born, they are taken to the nursery where the baby is washed, weighed, measured, and given numerous tests. Hilda, the nurse who fastened the security tags on Baby Montgomery’s wrist and ankle, intentionally left Alexandra’s tags looser than normal.

Hilda grabbed a diaper and some wipes from underneath the bassinet. Before she removed the soiled diaper, Hilda slowly removed a tiny medicine dropper from her sweater pocket. She administered several drops of liquid into Alexandra’s tiny mouth. This baby will sleep well tonight too.

Hilda slid off both of Alexandra’s security tags and wrapped them in the dirty diaper. She tossed the soiled diaper into the trash can and wiped Alexandra’s bottom. Hilda put a fresh diaper on the baby and tightly wrapped up the baby girl in a blanket. Alexandra now resembled a large burrito.

“Sleep well, Mrs. Montgomery, I’ll see you in the morning,” Hilda said. She turned to look at Alexandra’s mother, who’d already fallen asleep.

Hilda unbuttoned her sweater to reveal the baby sling. She picked up Alexandra and placed her in the sling. She buttoned her sweater and looked into the mirror. Perfect, she thought. Hilda’s sturdy frame and overweight midsection provided the perfect camouflage. No one would suspect her wide girth or her bulging sweater concealed a newborn.

At least Tom-Tom stopped making her steal twins like she did twenty-five years ago. But back then, hospital security barely existed. Now this particular hospital utilized cameras in every nook and cranny of the maternity ward. Everywhere, except in the birthing suites.

Hilda walked slow down the hall and pushed the elevator button. She took out her cigarettes as the elevator door opened. A young doctor exited the elevator as she got on.

“You shouldn’t smoke,” he said.

“I know, I know, I’ve been meaning to quit. But I’m a New Yorker, what can I say,” Hilda said.

Once on the ground floor, Hilda headed toward the exit and nonchalantly stepped outside. She paused and lit up the second she could. She inhaled several puffs and looked up towards the sky. She meandered around the side of the building, just out of range of the security cameras.

“You got a light, Miss?” A very large man asked as he placed his own cigarette between his eager lips.

“Sure.” Hilda retrieved her lighter. “Here, let me light it for you.”

Hilda stepped close to the large man and attempted to light his cigarette. The lighter didn’t work. “I’m sorry, sir. This is one of those cheapo lighters which apparently do not work very well.” Hilda continued with several more failed attempts at lighting the man’s cigarette.

“I’m in no hurry, Ma’am.” He reached under Hilda’s sweater and found the newborn tucked into the baby sling. He removed the precious cargo, opened his jacket, and tucked the baby into his baby sling.

“There we go,” Hilda said, as the flame finally accomplished its task.

“Thank you, Ma’am. It sure is getting cold out here.” He buttoned up his overcoat.

“It’s supposed to get down into the teens tonight, or so I hear.” Hilda puffed on the last of her cigarette.

“Winter will be here before we know it.” The man puffed away like an addict.

“Well, I better get back to work.” Hilda stomped out her cigarette.

“Thanks again, you have a good night.” Pauley walked away with baby Alexandra Montgomery carefully hidden underneath his overcoat.

Excerpt from Carbon Copy

Excerpt from Carbon Copy

By: Terri Talley Venters

Grier’s hands brushed Lilly’s neck. She looked up and saw his handsome reflection in the mirror. She hadn’t heard him enter the apartment. He stood behind her in his tuxedo. Hot damn, he looked good! Something sparkled on his fingers. He distracted her by brushing his lips on her ear while he slipped something around her neck. The diamond and sapphire necklace looked beautiful. It was the perfect touch. The teardrop pendant fell between the top of Lilly’s breasts. She felt like Cinderella going to the ball.

“You are so beautiful, Lilly Beth,” Grier said. He circled his arms around her.

Incapable of a verbal response to this generous gift, Lilly turned around and rewarded Grier with a passionate kiss.

“Get a room, you two!” Luke’s voice boomed down the hallway.

“Don’t you know how to knock?” Grier asked without taking his dreamy eyes off of Lilly.

“Dude, you were just tonguing my sister.”

“I’d probably be doing a lot more than kissing your sister by now if you hadn’t barged in.” Grier tightened his grip on her waist.

“Are we ready, gentlemen?” Lilly asked in order to break up the banter.

* * * *

Lilly, Grier, and Luke arrived at the Plaza fashionably late. Grier had arranged for his dad’s limo to deliver them to the “A list” event in style. As she exited the limo, cameras flashed in her face as if she were a movie star. She basked in the attention and could definitely grow accustomed to this star treatment. They strolled through the lobby while the curious hotel guests gawked at the attendees for this event who paid a thousand dollars a plate.

At the ballroom, Lilly stopped to take in the spectacular view of Central Park and the city’s breathtaking skyline. They presented their invitation at the door and made a grand entrance. Lilly stood with Grier on one arm and Luke on the other. She possessed the two best dates in the city.

Grier whispered in her ear, “I see the mayor and Senator Robinson.”

“And I see the President of NYU schmoozing with a Rockefeller. And a UN ambassador with his trophy wife.” Lilly nodded.

The bar beckoned, and they quickly made their way to it. Grier ordered his Tom Collins, Luke ordered his beer, and Lilly ordered her chocolate martini. As they meandered towards the terrace, Luke took a sip of his twin’s delicious drink. His eyes looked worried, as if he hoped no one spotted him enjoying a girly cocktail.

“Dude, if you’re going to drink a girly drink, you need to check your testicles at the door,” Grier said, teasing Luke. He turned to Lilly. “My father wants me to speak with Wendy from the American Cancer Society and Fred from the FDA. I see them over there. I’ll be back in a little.”

Before he could leave, Lilly and Grier got trapped in a succession of meaningless conversations. The next half-hour blurred into “How do you do?” and “I just love your dress! Is it a Dior?” The shallow conversations with a bunch of people she didn’t give a rat’s ass about wore on her. Only being on Grier’s arm and her years of mingling saved her from showing it.

In a lull in the conversation, Lilly noticed Luke never returned from his second trip to the bar. “Excuse me, Grier, but I’m going to find out where Luke went.”

Grier gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and nodded as another business associate approached. Lilly made a quick escape in search of her brother. She found him returning from the VIP lounge, also known as the men’s room.

“I should have never broken the seal.” Luke shook his head and grimaced.

Lilly chuckled at Luke’s reference to the obscure law of physics, applicable only when drinking alcohol. Once a person used the bathroom, trips would become more frequent.

“You can’t help the fact you have the bladder of a girl.”  

They meandered to a quiet corner and decided to do some people watching. Seeing Grier engrossed in conversation with a group of dreadfully boring looking people, Lilly hesitated, reluctant to return to his side.

“Look at all of these hookers.” Luke’s gaze scanned the room.

“Luke! What are you talking about? These are very wealthy, prominent, women who are very high on the social ladder.”

“They’re still whores, though, just expensive ones. Do you see the one over there?” He pointed to a young, well-jeweled, brunette. “She loves me. She just doesn’t know it yet.”  

“Have you been smoking crack? She’s probably attracted to the metro-sexual type or those European men with fascinating accents and big yachts. You don’t stand a chance of getting touched by anyone besides yourself tonight,” Lilly said.

“Seriously, she would love my type for a few hours. These little rich girls are rebels and love to go slumming for a roll in the hay.”

“Luke, I wouldn’t call a roll in the hay with you ‘slumming it.’ It’s not considered slumming if a person possesses a trust fund. So are you going to go talk to her or not?” Lilly encouraged her shy twin.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“She has the potential, the potential to be a bitch,” he said.

“Oh! You are terrible!” She smacked his arm and pretended to be shocked.

“Actually, she’s not my type. She’s way too skinny for my taste. Her face looks gaunt and her body anorexic. Having sex with her would be like screwing a rake. There’s nothing to hold onto. I like a woman with some meat on her bones. I like Reubenesque women.”  

Lilly applauded Luke’s increasing vocabulary. And she grinned at the entertaining conversation. Unfortunately, the few moments of reprieve were short-lived. She shrugged as Grier motioned for her to return to the group and partake in more dreadful conversation. She glanced at Luke and pleaded with her eyes in hopes he’d join in. Misery loves company.

He shook his head and smirked. “Sorry, sis, I’m going to stand here and hope a cougar will pounce on me.”

“Fine then.” Lilly hoped the disappointment in her tone would at least give him a smidgen of guilt.

As Lilly walked toward the Create Life crowd, a new member joined it. Oh no, not him, not the creepy guy. His nearly pure white hair and matching skin glistened in the diffused light. An albino if she ever saw one. This nut job made everyone’s skin crawl. Even Jen Jones didn’t have this effect on people. He truly scared Lilly.

Grier protectively slid his hand down Lilly’s back and pulled her close to him, comforting her. He knew Lilly did not care for this man.

“Lilly Beth, you remember Thomas Turner, head of research and development?” Grier asked.

“Of course, I remember. How wonderful it is to see you again, Mr. Turner,” Lilly said. Liar, liar pants on fire.

Lilly extended her hand for the obligatory handshake, anxious for the physical contact to be over and done with. The lunatic grabbed her hand and pulled Lilly closer to him. She closed her eyes and hoped her repulsion wasn’t obvious to everyone. He kissed her cheek. Yuk.

“It’s a pl, pl, pleasure to see you again, M…M...Miss Allen. Pl…pl…please, call me T…T…Tom…Tom,” he said. The palest blue eyes looked into Lilly’s.

Now, Lilly finally figured why everyone called him Tom-Tom behind his back—he stuttered.

The dinner bell summoned the crowd into the ballroom, and everyone sat down to eat. Create Life executives and their wives filled the corporate table. Lilly believed none of the men wanted to be there as they were all workaholics. However, the wives appeared eager for adult conversation since they probably did not work outside of the home.

“It’s not the same without Teddy,” Sammy Morrison said. He gulped his whiskey, obviously saddened by the absence of his friend and former co-worker.

“Teddy?” Lilly asked.

Grier nodded. “Teddy was a dedicated Create Life researcher. He helped clone the cow. A few months ago, he jumped ship and went to work for Morgan Medical Research in Europe. None of us have heard from him since.”

“Lilly Allen,” one of the wives said drawing Lilly’s attention away from Grier, “I feel like I know you from watching you on the news. My name is Sally, Sammy’s wife.”

“It is my pleasure to meet you, Sally.” Lilly shook her hand.

“I just love your show,” she said.

“Why, thank you.” Lilly smiled at the compliment and basked in the attention. She loved talking with her fans. Her ego inflated from this adoring fan.

“Do you have a sister or something?” she asked.

“No, but her twin brother here is going to start wearing a skirt to go with his feminine cocktails,” Grier said.

“Dude, I’m drinking beer. I only took one sip of Lilly’s drink.” Luke chugged his beer.

“Please ignore my two little boys.” Lilly gave Grier the evil eye before she turned back towards Sally, eager for the flattery to continue.

“When I visit my mother in Boca, I work out at this gym. I always see this girl who looks just like you only with short hair. When you were first on the news, I mistook her for you. Then I realized not only your accent sounded more Southern, your hair grew too fast,” Sally said.

“You know, an elderly gentleman told me—today as a matter of fact—he knew someone who looked like me. I must have been cloned or something.” Lilly laughed at her own joke. She found it intriguing, perhaps even downright creepy, to hear others knew somebody who looked just like her. But to hear it twice in the same day? Oy vey!

The rest of the table grew quiet as everyone else suddenly became interested in Sally and Lilly’s conversation.

“They say everyone has a twin out there somewhere.” Sally nodded towards Luke.

Available from

www.WildChildPublishing.com

Carbon Copy

By: Terri Talley Venters

Lilly Allen has brains, beauty, and a trust fund. She's living in New York City and her career as a reporter is taking off. She's hoping the love of her life, Grier, will propose soon. She has it all, or so she thinks.

Grier Garrison, Create Life executive, is running the company while his father, Dr. Michael Garrison, is in the ICU awaiting a heart transplant. Grier knows the truth about Create Life and its shady side business. He fears Lilly and her twin brother, Luke, are in danger.

While working on two unrelated stories, stolen newborns and cloning, Lilly discovers a shocking connection. Horrific things are happening, but who is behind it all?

RUBIDIUM

RUBIDIUM

By: Terri Talley Venters

Caroline Kirby descended the magnificent staircase of her estate on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. Her coral-pink Chanel dress would certainly turn heads at the club this afternoon. Her long slender legs walked gracefully in her Armani heels.

She knew she’d miss her beautiful home after today’s accident, but she saw no other choice. At forty, she wasn’t getting any younger. And Jasper grew suspicious of her extra yoga classes with her hot personal trainer. Caroline knew she couldn’t hide the affair forever, nor could she end her lazy afternoons with her twenty-eight year-old boy toy.

She looked around her luxurious surroundings one last time and regretted her designer wardrobe she’d left behind upstairs. But everyone would grow suspicious if she moved all of her clothes out of her and Jasper’s Florida home shortly before it went up in flames. At least she’d shipped her favorites to their palatial summer home in California in preparation of their annual trip to the west coast.

“Good morning, Mrs. Kirby,” the housekeeper said as Caroline entered the grand foyer of the mansion.

“Good morning, Renee. I’ll be at Epping for a luncheon this afternoon, but I’ll see to my husband before I go. He’ll probably sleep after he takes his medication and won’t be a bother to you.” Caroline explained her absence and initiated the first phase of her alibi to the frail, ancient housekeeper.

“Mr. Kirby is never a bother. He’s the nicest man I know, the epitome of a perfect Southern Gentleman,” Renee gushed.

“Oh, and before you get started, I need you to run the usual errands. I left a list on the counter. You have my cell phone number.” Caroline dismissed the help.

Caroline walked into the masculine study and cringed as she inhaled Jasper’s pungent Swisher Sweet cigar. Although she hated the nasty habit of his, it gave her the perfect excuse to sleep in separate bedrooms. And today of all days, the nasty cigar provided the perfect explanation to the cause of the fire.

“Good morning, Darlin’.” Jasper smiled as he looked up at his beautiful trophy wife, nearly half his age.

“Mornin’ Jasper, what did I tell you about smoking inside? You’re going to start a fire one of these days,” Caroline said loud enough for Renee to hear.

She watched Jasper’s hand shake as he held his cigar. His Parkinson’s wouldn’t prove a burden to Caroline any longer. In fact, his disease played a crucial role in her exit strategy. She knew the fire marshal would never suspect arson because a shaky-handed old man smoking a cigar in a cozy recliner tidied up the upcoming homicide case nice and neat.

“You look beautiful today, my dear. Just as beautiful as the day I married you. Do you remember our honeymoon in Italy?” Jasper gazed wide-eyed at his wife.

“Of course I remember, the happiest time of my life.” Caroline smiled.

She missed those early days when they were first married. Even with a thirty-five year age difference, Caroline loved their social life in the beginning. They traveled first-class throughout Europe. Jasper spoiled her with couture gowns and expensive jewelry. They went to all the best parties and rubbed shoulders with the best of Jacksonville’s society. And no one snickered at their age difference, at least not to her knowledge. How could anyone ever say anything negative about the richest, kindest, and most generous man in the city?

But now Jasper’s health prohibited him from going out anymore. Caroline hated the burden of taking care of him. She missed her freedom-filled days when Jasper golfed three or four times a week. She couldn’t do it anymore and she didn’t want to wait for him to die. It could take years for him to kick the bucket on his own. Caroline didn’t want to waste her dwindling youth on an old man.

“So where are you off to today?” Jasper looked up at Caroline with the enthusiastic look of a young boy with his first crush.

“I’m having lunch at the club, but I shan’t be long. Oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you, my dear.”

She retrieved Jasper’s lapel pin from her purse and secured it to his smoking jacket. She smiled at the ingeniousness of her plan. Intentionally breaking the clasp on Jasper’s heirloom lapel pin gave her the perfect excuse to have it repaired. But before returning it to Jasper, she added a few modifications of her own.

She’d swapped out the enormous emerald for a piece of green glass she’d found in some old costume jewelry at an antique store. She didn’t want Jasper’s ungrateful son to inherit the priceless stone. And secondly, more importantly, she inserted a tiny piece of rubidium into the pin’s intricate design. Rubidium reacts violently with water, turning the normally harmless liquid into a flammable, Molotov cocktail.

“Oh, my pin is fixed. Thank you, Darlin’. You’re too good to me. What would I do without you?” Jasper crooned. He kissed his wife on the lips, not knowing it would be for the last time of his doomed life.

“My pleasure, Jasper. Here, let me fill your water glass. You know how thirsty your medication makes you.”

She filled up his water glass to the tippy-top of the rim and placed in on the end table. She knew it would be impossible for a normal man not to spill the water all over his chest and lapel pin. But a seventy-five year old man suffering from Parkinson’s would most certainly spill the glass of water all over himself, reacting with the rubidium and instantly igniting an untraceable cause of fire.

Caroline smiled at her husband for the last time as she exited her beautiful home, already counting the millions she’d inherit from her soon-to-be late husband, Jasper Kirby.

Darmstadtium

DARMSTADTIUM

By: Terri Talley Venters

Schlöss Neuschwanstein

1886

Mary ascended the secret stairwell to her lover’s ornate bedroom in Neuschwanstein castle. As she eased the door open, her ice-blue eyes glistened with joy.

King Ludwig II of Bavaria turned his head at the noise. A smile filled his pudgy face as he spotted the welcome intruder. “Meine Liebe,” he said.

Mary ran to his comforting arms and let him twirl her around the room. Her long golden hair floated in the air as she said, “Mein König.”

“Why do you cry, my dear?” he asked. He lifted Mary’s chin up and peered into her tear-filled eyes.

“It’s father. He wants to move north to Darmstadt. He’s arranged for me to marry a scientist at the University,” she said, clinging to her king.

“Was?” The king asked, shocked at the notion of his love marrying another.

Mary nodded quietly, looking down in defeat.

“Nein! Nein! Nein!” he said. “You will marry no one but me. I’ll make you my Queen of Bavaria. We shall live in my beautiful new castle.”

“Ich Liebe dich,” Mary said, smiling up at her king.

“First, I must go to my doctor in Berg. We will wed here in Neuschwanstein when I return,” he said.

Weeks later

Mary danced alone in the grand ballroom of the castle. She envisioned the elaborate parties she’d throw when she became the Queen of Bavaria. She knew her eccentric future husband craved solitude, but she intended to change his ways. She twirled around in her beautiful new dress, dreaming of her new life with her king.

“Fraulein Mary, the King is dead!” a servant said, entering the ballroom.

“Was?” Mary asked. Her hand instinctively went to her throat, shocked at the horrific news.

“They stripped him of his throne and declared him insane. They found him and his doctor, drowned in the shallow water in Berg,” he said.

Mary ran out of the castle to escape the news of her King’s death. She ran through the woods and ascended the cliff above the ravine. She stood on the embankment, looking down at the beautiful castle her King built. It looked like a fairy tale, her dream come true. King Ludwig II intended to marry her and make her the Queen of Bavaria.

Now her dream turned into a nightmare, her king was dead. She couldn’t live without him. A wave of sadness filled her with agony. Her heart ached just knowing she’d never see her King again. The pain never eased, it only worsened with each passing second. She must make this pain go away before her heart exploded with grief.

Mary looked at the bottom of the ravine. A blue-green pool of water collected the water from the mountain’s waterfall a hundred feet below. It looked so peaceful, so inviting. She saw her King’s face in the water below, calling her, “Meine Liebe.”

“Meinen König,” Mary said. She stepped off of the cliff and joined her king in the water below.

Schlöss Neuschwanstein

Present day

“There’s no way in hell I’m walking across that bridge!” Britta said. Fear filled her as she looked across Mary’s bridge. The narrow walking path, suspended near Fussen Germany, provided the best view of Neuschwanstein castle.

“You’ll be fine, watch,” Tilo, Britta’s husband, said. He jumped up and down on the bridge to demonstrate its strength.

“Tilo, no! Are you crazy?” Britta asked, terrified Tilo’s act would break the bridge.

“But you’ll enjoy a fantastic view of Neuschwanstein castle if you just walk out a few yards onto the bridge,” Tilo said.

“I have a great view of King Ludwig’s castle from here, thank you very much,” Britta said. Her eyes mistakenly peered down at the steep ravine below. “Besides, this place gives me the heebeegeebees. It’s as if something awful happened here.”

“You don’t believe the story about King Ludwig’s secret lover falling to her death after she heard king Ludwig drowned do you?” Tilo asked.

“It’s so sad. He was about to marry her and make her is queen. The beautiful castle was barely lived in,” Britta said, admiring the fairy tale castle nestled on the side of the mountain. The castle which supposedly inspired Cinderella’s castle at Walt Disney World.

“Oh my God, please come off of the bridge. This place scares me. I sense a tragic sadness here,” Britta said. A freezing breeze flowed through her. A strong sense of loss filled her heart with grief. She cried mournfully at the heart ache filling her soul. She teetered on the edge of the cliff. She fought the urge to hurl her depressed form down info the ravine. The waterfall poured into a blue-green pool below the bridge. It looked so peaceful down below. She’d break free of her sadness. All she had to do was take one step.

She couldn’t stop crying. She heard a whisper from the pool below, “Meine Liebe.” Britta saw an image of a man’s face in the pool of water below, inviting her in. “Mein König,” a voice whispered from inside her. The unbearable pain forced Britta to lift her foot into the air, hovering above the hundred foot drop.

“Britta. No!” Tilo said. He rushed towards her, tackling her backwards into the safety of the cliff’s embankment.

Britta felt the cold sadness leave her body as she watched the apparition fall into the ravine below. The ghost of Mary, the almost queen of Bavaria.

Author’s Note

The characters Mary and Mary’s spirit are fictional. All other characters, places, and events are based on facts. To this day, no one knows how King Ludwig II of Bavaria drowned in shallow water near his palace in Berg. He emptied the coffers to build his ornate homes-Linderhof and Schloss Neuschwanstein. The fairy-tale castle took 17 years to build. The King of Bavaria only lived there for 102 days before the doctors declared him insane, stripped him of his throne, and confined him to the Palace in Berg shortly before his mysterious death.

My husband and I toured Neuschwanstein in 1999. Although I refused to step one foot on Mary’s bridge, I did not experience any paranormal activity.

Scientists synthesized the last named element, Darmstadtium, in 1994 in Darmstadt, Germany.

Sources: Neuschwanstein tour, Wikipedia, Rick Steve’s Germany, and Frommer’s Germany

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