My first solo novel is currently in the works. It is tenatively titled "In Your Dreams". I hope to have it finished in the next few months and then start the search for an agent and publisher. Below is a brief intro followed by the first few pages.
Kirsten Gabriel has gotten herself into a mess yet again. Of course her mouth was the culprit. Who would have thought that a dry sarcastic sense of humor would rob her of everything she loved? As if returning to her hometown wasn’t bad enough she walks right back into the life of the man she left behind.
Jack Morris is a detective within the Mesa, Arizona police department. He solves the crimes that no one else can. His life is right on track as far as he’s concerned. At least until he begins dreaming of the woman he’s fought long and hard to forget.
(Enjoy the excerpt below)
It was a beautiful evening in October, not too cold and definitely not too hot; the latter being very hard to find in Arizona. This run was exactly what she needed. Finally away from her family Kirsten could actually hear herself think- something her sanity required. So many things still needed to be worked out. She had a new place of her own and a great new job. But the apartment in New York needed to be sublet, not to mention everything that she had left behind at the office. Kirsten could feel her stress level rise. She needed to get the panicky thoughts under control before she was caught in a full on attack.
Just run. Feel your feet hitting the ground. Concentrate on your breathing. In…..out……in….out…. She had to mentally shout to regain control over her thoughts.
Okay, she could totally do this. She was a strong and successful woman. If she could make it in New York at eighteen she could survive anything, even a deluded stalker. Or maybe Kirsten was the one that was deluded.
Why did these thoughts keep coming? Why couldn’t she just focus on the task at hand? Suddenly Kirsten had a feeling that she was being followed. She tried to glance behind her but got nothing but an eye full of landscape. She tried to tell herself that it was all in her head. That she had spooked herself by allowing her mind to wonder. But Kirsten just couldn’t shake it. Even though she was thoroughly soaked with sweat the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She began to run faster, cutting off the trail and heading back toward her car. Still she felt as if someone was right on her heals, so she dug deep to run even faster. Her lungs were on fire and her legs were screaming as her car came into view. Fear gripped her as she realized there would be no way to get to her car, retrieve her key from the wheel well and get safely inside before whoever was chasing her caught up. Kirsten decided to either be very brave or very stupid and simply stopped running. She whirled around to confront her would be attacker, but saw no one. There was not a soul in sight. Frantically, she whipped about looking in all directions. Still no one. Her flanks cramped as she gasped for air. The adrenaline coursing through her veins left her shaking and with a metallic taste in her mouth. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees on the asphalt, the jagged surface cutting into her. She tried to steady herself and regain control. Eventually, her heart rate and breathing slowed. Still scanning the park with wide eyes, she pushed herself up off the ground and went for the spare key hidden in the wheel well.
Copyright 2011 Melaina Lausen
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