Sharing Links and Wisdom: A Witness' Submission (Sexy Men of Mystery, Book 3)

Book Description:

After witnessing his father’s murder, Victor Bronte runs for his life. He hides out in a pub where he meets Mark Murphy, a charming, handsome guy who’s had his share of bad luck. They quickly hit it off, making Victor forget the killer’s after him.

Mark Murphy’s been wallowing in self-pity ever since his cheating ex broke his heart. When he meets Victor, the sexy hunk who offers him a supporting ear and a drive home, he quickly forgets his woes and becomes smitten. As their love blossoms, they promise to take things slow. Not an easy feat when the urge to tear each other’s clothes off and make passionate love dominates their every thought.

But that’s the least of their problems because the killer’s still out there, and now he has a new target. In order to protect Mark, Victor has to give the killer what he wants. But he has to figure out what it is first. To do that he has to go back to the very place his father was murdered. Time is ticking, and so is the killer’s patience and desire for blood.

Excerpt:

It was like the Fourth of July! Stars exploded in Mark’s head right before the shock subsided and the pain set in.

Victor just punched him smack in the eye! Moaning, he tried to stop the throbbing.

“I’m so, so sorry, Mark.” Guilt plagued Victor’s face as he jumped off the bed and ran to the kitchen to get a hand towel. He tossed ice cubes in it and came back a few seconds later, placing the towel on Mark’s right eye. “Please, put this on it to stop the swelling.”

Mark did what he asked and stared at him with his good eye. “What was all that?”

Victor sighed. “A nightmare, I guess.”

“Was it a nightmare? Because the look in your eyes now that you’re awake tells me differently.” He paused. “You have the fear of God in you.”

Victor turned his gaze away. “It’s probably my imagination.”

Mark placed his hand gently on Victor’s. He was obviously hurting and Mark wanted to help him like Victor had helped him the night before. “You can talk to me, you know. I’m a real good listener.”

“I can’t,” Victor stated with fear in his eyes.

“Victor, I can see how much this is bothering you and how scared you are now. Even last night, I saw how emotional you were and how you tried to hide it from me.” He remained motionless. “In your dream you were shouting at someone that they wouldn’t win. That they murdered your father and that now you’d be coming after them.”

Tears began to film Victor’s eyes and he turned completely away. He waited to compose himself, before replying, “It was just a dream. It wasn’t real.”

Mark gently pushed his shoulder, so he would turn and look at him. Cupping his face, he peered long and hard at Victor. “Something is bothering you. It manifested itself in your dream. Please tell me what it is. Maybe I can help you, even if it’s just by listening.”

Victor shook his head. “If I tell you, I’d put your life in danger.”

Mark eyes widened. “Then it’s true. Your father was killed?”

Victor leaned into Mark and let the sorrow break free. He cried silently, only a few tears escaping his eyes. But Mark’s strong, wide shoulder and his kind and gentle strokes on his arm seemed to be enough to help him find courage inside to speak. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he sat up and peered into Mark’s eyes.

“My father was a private investigator. My mom was his research and office assistant until she died four months ago. After that, I took over helping him. He was working on several cases, which I assisted him on. But there was one that he worked on alone for months. When I asked him if I could help, he refused. He’d get nervous whenever he had the file open on his laptop and I’d walk into the room. I’d see him rushing to change the screen before I could see anything he was investigating on that case.”

He took a deep breath and continued, “A few weeks back, he started acting weird. He was nervous, scared. I asked him what it was, but he said he couldn’t tell me. Not yet. And on the morning of the day he was murdered, he warned me. He had said if anything ever happened to him, that I shouldn’t trust anyone, even the police. That I should just get out of Tinley Town, go far, far away, and never come back.”

Mark frowned. “Why would he say that?”

Victor shrugged. “I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me more. And now I’ll never know because he’s gone forever.” He sighed and blinked, trying to dry the tears that threatened to escape.

Victor continued to tell him the graphic details of his father’s murder and when he was done, Mark rubbed his back and hugged him. “I’m so sorry for what you went through. And you had no one to talk to, just keeping it all inside you.” He kissed his cheek sweetly and hugged him tighter. “I’m here now for you and I will help you through this.”

Victor didn’t speak. He closed his eyes and hugged Mark back for a few minutes. Breaking free, he added, “This may sound crazy, but I have this uncontrollable feeling in the back of my mind that the killer is following me. He can see me. He knows who I am.”

Mark furrowed his brow. “You feel like he can see you now?”

Victor shook his head. “No, not now. This sounds so crazy!”

Mark tilted his head and shrugged. “It could be you’re paranoid. And I don’t blame you after what you’ve been through, what you saw. Or maybe you’re right. Maybe the killer has been following you ever since you ran out of your house door yesterday. Either way, you need to call the police. They need to investigate your father’s murder.”

Victor moved to stand, pure terror resonating from his eyes, his body. “I know, but whatever my dad was investigating was big, real big. He didn’t trust the police on it. And he said I shouldn’t, either!”

“Calm down. I’m not the enemy here, Victor. I’m your ally, your friend who wants to help you in any way I can.”

Victor sat back down, his eyes cast to the floor. “I’m sorry for over-reacting, but my nerves are rattled.”

“I know.” Mark sighed, then after some thought added, “You still need to report your dad’s murder to the police. You can’t let his body rot, abandoned in the house. You also need to bury him.”

With the word “bury,” Victor’s eyes seemed to water. He blinked. “I know that. That’s why I plan on going back there today. Report the murder. But before that, I need to get my dad’s laptop and all his files on this mysterious case he didn’t want me knowing anything about.”

Mark’s heart began to beat faster. “No, you can’t. Your dad said it’s too dangerous. He said you should get out of Tinley Park and never go back.”

Victor gazed at him. He cupped his cheek and kissed him lightly on the lips. “You’re an amazing, sweet, kind guy, Mark. I can see in your eyes you’re worried.” He sighed. “But you have to understand that I’ll never be able to live with myself if I don’t solve this case. I need to know what my father was investigating and more importantly, I need to know who murdered him. I want justice served, my father’s murder avenged.”

“Even if it kills you?” Mark said, his voice cracking with stress.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

--Thanks for having me on your blog and interviewing me.

So, why don’t you tell us a little about yourself?

--I’m an erotic romance author and I write exclusively for Siren Publishing. I write ménage and m/m fantasy and romantic suspense stories. I’m Canadian and an avid romance and horror/thriller reader.

How did you get started writing?

--I used to write as a hobby in my earlier years, but made it my job about eight years ago. I was lucky enough that things just sort of phased into place in my life and I was able to follow my dreams of becoming a writer fulltime.

What was the inspiration for your book?

--There wasn’t really an inspiration for A Witness’s Submission. I sat at my kitchen table (where I do most of my writing) and stared at the blank screen. I asked myself the question “What do I write next in the series Sexy Men of Mystery?” Then voila, the muse answered me with first the premise, then fusing two heroes in my mind, then the plot came next and the story’s creation progressed smoothly after that.

What’s the one genre you haven’t written in yet that you’d like to?

--Time Travel Erotic Romance has always interested me. Maybe a promising story idea will come to me soon and I’ll write it, then.

Are there any genres you won’t read or write in? Why?

--Erotica. I don’t enjoy writing or reading stories that love and romance don’t play the prime factors in the sexual relationship between a hero and heroine or between heroes or between heroines.

So, what are you working on right now? Got any releases planned, or still writing?

--I’m halfway done the first book Adonis in my new M/M erotic fantasy

romance series Nectar of the Gods. That’s pretty much what I’m focusing on now. I can’t wait until it’s done. I haven’t yet decided on the ending. I wanted to leave that a surprise. It’s fun when you don’t pre-determine a story’s conclusion, but leave two or more options open, and when you come to that point in the story, you let the muse or Fate decide it at the end for you.

Off Limits, the fifth book in Sexy Men of Mystery just came out October 19th. And the next book in this series (which I have yet to name) is still on the writing canvas. It’s a little more complicated to write as it involves a lot of characters merging together for a special and monumental event.

Alright, now for some totally random, fun questions.

Favorite color?

--It depends on my mood, but it’s a tossup between red and blue.

Favorite movie?

--Oh, that is a tough question to answer. Just one movie? I have many favorites. But I’ll close my eyes and randomly pick one…ah, Gandhi. Ben Kingsley was phenomenal in that!

Book that inspired you to become an author?

--It wasn’t so much a book, but a short story. “The Tell-Tale Heart” from Poe. My roots began in writing short stories in my early teens and Poe was my inspiration for that. Then later on in senior high school, I evolved to novel length works. And “The Stand” by Stephen King instigated that evolution.

Alright, you have one superpower. What is it?

--Definitely not super strength. I’m a weakling. I have problems opening tightly sealed jars on my own.

Um, I guess empathy to a certain extent. To be able to sense and understand people’s feelings, not their thoughts, is awesome. Sometimes my radar is calibrated precisely and other times it’s out of whack and I’m travelling on a tangent that’s totally off. I do hate those days, but love when I can correctly sense what someone is feeling and help them if

they’re feeling down.

You can have dinner with any 3 people, dead, alive, fictitious, etc. Who are they?

--Ah, now this is a loaded question! I love it. Michel de Nostredame (Nostrodamus) – Leonardo Da Vinci – Jules Verne

I’d like them to map up what the future and present hold in art, architecture, science, and everything else, while I take notes and inspiration on prospective storylines.

Last question: Which of your characters are you most like and how/why?

--In the story A Witness’s Submission, none of the characters are like me. Nor are any of the characters in the rest of the series. But Sébastien in The Sex Doctor is a biochemist, and when I was young I wanted to be one. A dream that never came true. So I decided my dream would come true for him if not for me. That’s all that would connect me to the character, as he was a complete figment of my imagination.

That’s all from me, thanks so much for taking the time to stop by!

--Thank you, too. It was a fun interview to partake in.

My Review:

Coming soon!

October 8 review - Escape Into A Book

October 11 Spotlight - Book Worm & More

October 20 review - Zipper Rippers

October 28 review - Booker Like a hooker

October 29 Interview and review - Sharing Links and Wisdom

October 30 Guest blog and review - Darker Passions

October 30 Spotlight and review - Booklover Sue

October 31 Guest blog and review - Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess

About the Author:

Jessica Frost has always had a passion for fiction and the written word. Add to that her wild, vivid imagination and her pure romantic tendencies and she soon realized she had the traits needed to become a romance author. She decided to take the very big first step not that long ago and wrote her first erotic romance story. And she has not looked back since.

Being a romance writer is a dream come true for her. Having the opportunity to create fantasy worlds where anything and everything can happen is an amazing feeling. She hopes these worlds and the delightful characters she creates will bring hours of enjoyment to her readers as they have done for her.