Blurb:
Frederick
Starks has it all—a gorgeous wife who was his high school sweetheart, three
beautiful children, a mansion and cars others envy, millions in the bank,
respected in his community, admired by his employees, loved and respected by
loyal friends. He revels in the hard-earned power and control he’s acquired. As
the saying goes, “All that glitters is not gold,” which Starks discovers when gut-wrenching
betrayal by his wife sends him over the edge and into a maximum security
prison. There, Starks is a new “fish,” stripped of nearly everything he’s
always relied on. In that place, where inmates and guards have their own rules
and codes of conduct, Starks is forced to face the darker side of life, and his
own darker side, especially when the betrayals, both inside and outside the
prison, don’t stop. He must choose which path to follow when the line between
right and wrong becomes blurred: one that leads to getting out of the physical
and emotional hellhole he finds himself in or one that keeps him alive.
Exclusive Excerpt:
Ozy’s SUV was parked in the
driveway at the top of the slope. The inside of the house was dark. A quick
glance at the digital clock on the dashboard showed it was after midnight. He
hadn’t intended to go there this late; he hadn’t intended to go by there ever
again. But his thoughts ate at him, until he had to do something to make them
stop. To make all of it stop. Seeing Kayla with Bret had pushed him to this
edge. In the dark interior of the car he slammed his hands on the steering
wheel.
“Fuck all of them. I’m taking
back control of my life.”
He parked at the foot of the
driveway and got out. The temperature was dropping fast. Gusts of icy wind
whipped at his face; treetops swayed and groaned. He leaned against the Bentley
for several moments, shivering from cold and raw energy.
The grass crackled as he made his
way toward the house, counting twenty-five steps as he dodged several
children’s toys that had been left out. He approached the front door where hay
bales, pumpkins, and gourds had been arranged. He ignored the doorbell and
pulled open the outer glass door to access the solid wooden one, noting there
was no peephole, its absence an indication that Ozy wasn’t afraid of what or
who might come to his house. He raised a fist then held it back. There was
still time to drive off, to just leave it all alone. Forcing an image of his
children into his mind gave him courage. He swallowed hard then beat on the
door without pause, until he heard someone turn the deadbolt on the other side.
Ozy wore his robe tied at his
waist. His wife, also wrapped in a robe, and with hair flat on one side, stood
behind him but to the right, eyes wide in fright at this disturbance.
Starks locked his gaze with
Margaret’s. “I’m here to let your wife know what you’ve been doing. That you
slept with Kayla, my wife, for three years. Of course, slept isn’t the right
word.”
Slurred voices of children
disturbed from sleep came from behind the couple. Ozy yelled for them to get
back to bed. He told his wife to wait inside then stepped over the threshold,
closing the glass door behind him. Loud enough for his wife to hear, he said,
“You have the wrong house, buddy. I don’t know you or anyone named Kayla. Now
get off my property, before I force you off.”
Starks’s expression darkened. His
elbows pressed into his sides, his hands knotted into fists. The speech of well
chosen words he’d practiced in his mind as he’d driven over vaporized.
“Liar! You’ve been screwing my
wife in your car and anywhere else handy.” He pointed at Margaret. “Who knows
what you told your wife you were doing—going to the store, working late, and
God knows what else. You think you can destroy my family, all I’ve worked for,
and get away with it? I want your wife to know what a two-timing loser she’s
married to.”
April 11: Rogue's Angels
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April 15: The Cerebral Writer
April 15: Welcome to My World of Dreams
April 18: Nightstalker and Nightshades
April 19: CBY Book Club
April 20: Lisa Haselton's Reviews and Interviews
April 21: Full Moon Dreaming
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April 28: Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
April 29: Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews
May 2: Independent Authors
May 3: Long and Short Reviews
May 4: Queen of All She Reads
May 5: Stormy Vixen Book Reviews
May 6: Two Ends of the Pen
Author Bio and Links:
Nesly Clerge received his
bachelor’s degree in physiology and neurobiology at the University of Maryland,
and later pursued a doctoral degree in the field of chiropractic medicine.
Although his background is primarily science-based, he has finally embraced his
lifelong passion for writing. Clerge’s debut novel, When the Serpent Bites,
will be available in 2015, with the sequel to follow in 2016. His debut novel
explores choices, consequences, and the complexities of human emotions,
especially when we are placed in a less-than-desirable setting. When he is not
writing, Clerge manages several multidisciplinary clinics. He enjoys reading,
chess, traveling, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with his
significant other and his sons.
Thank you so much for the giveaway and all the work put into it.
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