Linda Morris tells a spooky tale

From deep in the woods, a coyote howls, its wail befittingly foreboding as linda Morris scurries up the steps to the haunted mansion. oliver opens the door, . "I Put a Spell on You," from Screamin' Jay Hawkins blasts off the wall. In the parlor, Oliver serves coffee, tortilla chips and salsa while Linda tells a spooky tale.

Lara Crosby left Chicago when her career as a big-time political fundraiser went sour. Determined to put the past behind her, she envisions a peaceful new life at her cabin in northern Minnesota. Everything changes on a dark night when a mysterious stranger suffers an accident outside her cabin.

Jacob Sumner awakens in the wilderness after a car accident with no idea who he is or why he is there. Lara is beautiful and kind, but she's a world away from the gritty world where he makes his living as a private investigator . . . or is she?

Excerpt:

Tipped violently forward with the engine still running, its rear wheels spinning in mid-air, was a wrecked SUV. Its front end was crumpled and its windshield spider-webbed with cracks. The vehicle didn't belong to anyone she knew. Lara flicked on her flashlight again and surveyed the damage. It was no mystery why the SUV had crashed. Weakened by the heavy rains, the driveway had crumbled away on the lake side for a distance of at least twenty feet. Under the front bumper, an electrical pole lay in pieces. The driveway was unlit and treacherous at night. In the dark, the stranger must have swerved to avoid the washout and taken out the electrical pole instead. That explained the power outage. Wanting to help, but still leery of a possible intruder, not to mention the downed power lines, Lara moved warily around to the driver's side. She pointed the beam of her light through the windshield and caught a glimpse of a figure slumped over the steering wheel. Lara pulled the driver's side door open and blinked in the sudden brightness as the SUV's dome light came on. The driver, a man, was the only passenger in the vehicle. She got only a quick impression of thick dark hair and a lean body before she saw the blood. "Dear God," she whispered. Blood flowed copiously from the injury to his head. She reached out to touch his arm, for what purpose, she wasn't sure. Was she going to shake him awake, or check for injuries? "Get away." He lifted his head. His eyes opened, green and shockingly alert for a man who had appeared to be unconscious moments before, as he turned to capture her gaze.

Bio:

I've taken a somewhat winding road to becoming a professional writer. I've worked in the airline industry, publishing industry, and as a freelance writer/editor in the technology field. I live in central Indiana with my husband and young son. My first novel, a romantic suspense called Forget-Me-Not, is forthcoming from the Wild Rose Press.

Where my book can be purchased:

Forget-Me-Not will be released on Feb. 18, 2011, and will be available for purchase at www.amazon.com and www.thewildrosepress.com.