Review | On the Line by Daniel Paisner

 

Title: On the Line

Author: Daniel Paisner

Length: 272 Pages

Released: August 2009

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Blurb

One of the biggest stars in tennis, Serena Williams has captured every major title. Her 2009 Australia Open championship earned her the #1 world ranking for the third time in her illustrious career - and marked only the latest exclamation point on a life well and purposefully lived. As a young girl, Serena began training with an adult-sized racquet that was almost as big as her. Rather than dropping the racquet, Serena saw it as a challenge to overcome-and she has confronted every obstacle on her path to success with the same unflagging spirit. From growing up in the tough, hardscrabble neighborhood of Compton, California, to being trained by her father on public tennis courts littered with broken glass and drug paraphernalia, to becoming the top women's player in the world, Serena has proven to be an inspiration to her legions of fans both young and old. Her accomplishments have not been without struggle: being derailed by injury, devastated by the tragic shooting of her older sister, and criticized for her unorthodox approach to tennis. Yet somehow, Serena always manages to prevail. Both on the court and off, she's applied the strength and determination that helped her to become a champion to successful pursuits in philanthropy, fashion, television and film. In this compelling and poignant memoir, Serena takes an empowering look at her extraordinary life and what is still to come.

I'm hands down not a fan of nonfiction books, but she's famous and I thought I'd give it a go. I'm about half way through and struggling to finish, but that's really only because of it being a nonfiction book. I usually struggle to finish. It would help if I understood a lot of the tennis references, but I'm not a tennis fan, so my knowledge of even little things like the scoring method is next to nil.

It's decently written, and I think it'll give her fans a nice intro to her life. However, so far, everything you read sounds like something you could get from piecing together the various newspaper articles written about her. I don't see a great deal of details that are deep and personal. I mean she talks about the horrible day where she was jeered at because her sister was injured and had to back out of a match a lot of people were hoping to see, but the whole section comes out like a journal ranting session rather than an objective analysis of what happened or an emotion-filled reaction. She talks a bit about being a Jehovah's Witnesses but doesn't go into their belief system. I get that this would be the right place to go all out into what JW's believe, but leaving it at the broad generalization "we're all Christians" just kind of let me down.

I will finish the book, I think it's a worthwhile read with some interesting insights. I probably wouldn't have bought the book if not for the amazon vine program though, so my recommendation would be to ask your local library to buy the book if you want to read up on Serena Williams.

Promotional Event | *FREE* Sliding Beneath the Surface by @Doug__Dillon #TheStAugustineTrilogy

Hello St. Augustine Fans! Let’s not forget the YA Paranormal Fans!

For FIVE days, the Kindle version for Sliding Beneath the Surface [The St. Augustine Trilogy: Book I] will be available FOR FREE on Amazon.com—a special promotion. Today and the next 4 days, May 14th - 18th be sure to get your FREE Kindle Edition Today!

 Get Your Copy on Amazon Today!

 Sliding Beneath the Surface

The St. Augustine Trilogy: Book I
Author: Doug Dillon

Genre: YA Paranormal

Print Length: 166 Pages
Release Date: August 24, 2011
Presented by: As You Wish Tours

BLURB

In America’s oldest and most haunted city, St. Augustine, Florida, Teenager Jeff Golden is in trouble. Horrible dreams won’t let him sleep, and he is up to his eyeballs in terrifying, paranormal experiences.

Finally, Jeff turns to his girlfriend Carla, and Lobo, the mysterious Native American shaman, for help. But what he discovers is a lot more than he bargained for.

A ghostly presence linked to a local historic cemetery is not only threatening Jeff’s sanity but his life as well. And before he knows what’s happening, Jeff finds both himself and Carla pulled into one of the nastiest and bloody events in Florida history. It is a place from which they may never escape.

About the Author
Doug Dillon has been writing for adults and young people since 1984, especially in the paranormal realm. An award winning educator, he spent many years as a classroom teacher, school administrator, and coordinator of programs for high-risk students. Prentice Hall, Harcourt, Mitchell Lane Publishers, Boys' Life magazine, Learning Magazine and The Orlando Sentinel have all published his work.

Goodreads Giveaway | Seeress (Paperback) Enter to Win! @EdnahWalters #Giveaway

Book Title: Seeress
Series: A Runes Novel #3
Release Date: April 28th 2014
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Firetrail Publishing
Presented by: As You Wish Tours

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Giveaway Dates: May 12 - Jun 12, 2014
2 copies available

Countries Available: US

BLURB

I love Torin St. James...
I need his strength…
But someone from his past wants me dead.

Raine Cooper is certain of two things: her love for Torin St. James and her destiny to be a powerful seeress. But when she starts having premonitions, they are unclear and disturbing. Worse, they involve Torin. With her mother gone, her father dying, and her best friend in Hel, she is not sure who to talk to.

But when the visions become more personal and she foresees her future with Torin threatened by someone from his past, Raine becomes desperate for answers. Just her luck two new students arrive at her school and they seem to have answers. When with them, her powers are enhanced and her visions become clear. There is only one problem: Torin forbids Raine to see the two girls.

Can their love survive without trust?

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Cover Reveal | Eruption by Christina Mobley @chrissy3680

Book Title: Eruption

Series: The Vangretta Curse #3
Author: Christina Mobley
Expected Release Date: June 21, 2014
Genre: YA Fantasy
Presented by:As You Wish Tours

BLURB

When you love someone more than yourself, protecting them is all that matters; it is all there is...

Snow one minute and blazing temperatures the next, horrific storms everywhere, and Ava has no idea what’s causing it. Desperate for answers, she turns to the past. An ancient diary reveals the truth about Element Island and the true origins of those born of the Element. Everything she thought she knew is wrong. Destiny is coming for her unborn child.

Ava’s fairytale has quickly turned into a nightmare. No one can be trusted. Friendships will be tested, and lives will be lost. As nature and destiny collide, a child that will change everything is born. The eruption will mark the beginning and the end, and the battle has just begun.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christina Mobley is a married, mother of four, who spends her days caring for her children. She grew up in Florida, living on the banks of the St.Mary's river, and as a child always had a fascination for storms and the power they wield. The Vangeretta Curse series was inspired by that fascination.

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Review | The Last Word: A Novel (Sophie Trace Trilogy) by Kathy Herman

Title: The Last Word: A Novel
(Sophie Trace Trilogy)
Author: Kathy Herman

Length: 403 Pages

Released: January 2010

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Blurb

When Vanessa Jessup returns home from her sophomore year of college, her mother, Police Chief Brill Jessup, is stunned to see that she's pregnant—by one of her professors. Brill is glad Vanessa rejected the father's abortion ultimatum, but hurt that she ignored her upbringing and angry that the professor has disappeared without a trace.

But that's not all Brill's got on her plate. One of her detectives has been killed, and the attacker has threatened to come for her next. When a second cop is wounded, public criticism mounts as Brill attempts to stay alive long enough to catch the perp. And she's trying to find that deadbeat dad as Vanessa struggles to make decisions about her future. The killer seems to be everywhere and nowhere. How can a police chief—and a mother—do her job with her life on the line?

I'll readily admit that I haven't read the first book of the Sophie Trace Trilogy, so perhaps some of my characterization concerns were addressed in book one. Overall, the experience of reading this book was a big, fat ok. It's certainly easy to read. The font of the ARC I got was nicely spaced out and the chapters were pretty short, both of which facilitate swift reading. However, that said, these are my nits (caveat: I can be persnickety, so take these points for what they're worth but make your own decision.) ...

1) Lack of Voice - Most of the characters either sound the same or don't sound their age, which I deem a problem in a book like this because it is very much dialogue-driven.

2) Stiffness - Everybody sounds like a robot. In fact, I think some robots sound more human than these people.

3) Lack of Sense (period)- I honestly hope people don't think many Christians act like this. {SPOILER ALERT: Oh, poor me, I feel smothered; I think I'll sneak out of my house and wander a park, maybe talk to a stranger or two. The madman running around sticking knives in people won't come after me, I'm just the main target's daughter.)

4) Highly Predictable - maybe I read too much, but every "twist" and turn but one I saw coming from about 100 pages away. The foreshadowing is about as subtle as a monkey lost in a fine-dining china shop.

5) Too "perfect"/ idyllic - The major conflicts are spelled out on the back cover: Vanessa Jessup is pregnant and didn't bother telling her parents until summer vacation. Her Mom, Police Chief Brill Jessup, is battling worry for her job as negative publicity mounts because some madman is hunting her and cops on her force. A little ways in the bad guy is spelled out, literally, and there's no question who they're trying to catch. (SPOILER ALERT: Note these are not actual lines of dialogue just the essence of what transpired. Husband Kurt - My wonderful wife told me you two kissed. [reference to previous book] FBI guy Dave - Gee, sorry about that; I was vulnerable. Husband Kurt - Hey, we all make mistakes; we're all good now, buddy. Just brought it up to clear the air.)

6) "Really can't complain, but I always do." - I can honestly say that the most "heart-pounding" caused came from this sentence and about 6 variants thereof. I get that it was supposed to be a lunchtime tradition at Nick's Grill. I'm just not convinced those conversations needed to happen at all. They smacked of the author info-dumping on us poor readers.

All that said, remember I still gave this book 3 stars. It's still an okay book.

Promotional Event | **FREE** An Explosion of Being by Doug & Barbara Dillon @Doug__Dillon

**FREE** On Amazon May 7th -11th

Title: An Explosion of Being
An American Family’s Journey into the Psychic
Authors: Doug & Barbara Dillon
Genre: Non-fiction | Paranormal
Released: July 18, 2011
Length: 342 Pages
Presented by: As You Wish Tours 

A Message From Co-author, Doug Dillon

Do you believe in the paranormal? My wife Barbara and I sure didn’t many years ago but all that rapidly changed when my dad died. That event and the many strange things that happened back then set Barb and me on a multi-year quest for understanding.

We did extensive research, talked to lots of people, had many incredible experiences and eventually collected so much information that we wrote the book you see on this post. Prentice Hall published it worldwide and Barb and I ended up doing radio talk shows across the U.S. and up into Canada.

I think that offering the introduction to our book (below) is the best way to give you a quick sense of what we experienced and why we went public with what happened. After that, I’ll bring you up to date with where things stand now.

Introduction

There are those times in most of our lives when, perhaps for just an instant, we stand back and question the very nature of physical existence. The penetrating event causing our hesitation may be a shocking realization of life’s fragility, the absolute bitterness of injustice, or some strange inexplicable departure from the norms of reality as we know them.

Whatever the reason for the momentary lapse of certainty about the world, it has stopped us dead in our tracks, whether anyone else recognized what was happening or not.

Usually, we recover from these occurrences by smoothing them over with forgetfulness or by applying a long held standard of belief that seems to give us some sort of answer. Even if we wanted to, it often isn’t very acceptable to poke and prod these events for new or different understandings.

Such activity simply makes most people uncomfortable, including ourselves, so why bother? On we move, then, with daily life as it existed before, but with a dim awareness something important may have been abandoned.

Seven years ago, our lives fit this pattern perfectly and seven years ago, a multitude of jolting, unusual incidents shocked us into a very conscious decision to pursue our questions, regardless of where they might lead. Since then, we have uncovered a wealth of information that might be called psychic, or spiritual, opening doors of perception for our family we never even knew existed.

This book is our attempt to share with you the fullness of our explorations into those unseen portions of life’s essence. We don’t ask for your acceptance of what you are about to read, but we do ask that you look for a part of yourself within our struggle for understanding.

Doug and Barb Dillon
Altamonte Springs, Florida

These days, I’m writing paranormal/historical novels for young adults and adults young at heart. I use my own experiences as the inspiration for the spooky events in those books set in the oldest and most haunted city in the United States. Titled The St. Augustine Trilogy, this series is two-thirds complete with the final book scheduled for publication in 2015. If you would like to learn more about the trilogy, click here. http://dougdillon.com/books/

I have a very active blog with lots of posts on the paranormal, including guest articles from mediums, hypnotists and ghost hunters. Click here http://dougdillon.com/ to visit my home page and you will find the blog listings to the right. I love to hear from people about their paranormal experiences, so don’t hesitate to contact me.

Take care and happy reading.

DOUG DILLON BIO
A former award winning educator, Doug writes about things paranormal and historical. His interest in the paranormal comes from personal experiences as detailed in the nonfiction adult book he and wife wrote titled, An Explosion of Being: An American Family's Journey into the Psychic. Out of those events and extensive historical research, he then created Sliding Beneath the Surface for young adults, Book I of the St. Augustine Trilogy. Doug set his trilogy in the oldest and most haunted city in the United States, St. Augustine, Florida.

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Review | Abyss: Star Wars (Fate of the Jedi) by Troy Denning

Title: Abyss: Star Wars
(Fate of the Jedi)

Author: Troy Denning

Length: 402 Pages

Released: August 2009

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Blurb

Following a trail of clues across the galaxy, Luke Skywalker continues his quest to find the reasons behind Jacen Solo’s dark downfall and to win redemption for the Jedi Order. Sojourning among the mysterious Aing-Tii monks has left Luke and his son Ben with no real answers, only the suspicion that the revelations they seek lie in the forbidden reaches of the distant Maw Cluster. There, hidden from the galaxy in a labyrinth of black holes, dwell the Mind Walkers: those whose power to transcend their bodies and be one with the Force is as seductive and intoxicating as it is potentially fatal. But it may be Luke’s only path to the truth.

Meanwhile, on Coruscant, the war of wills between Galactic Alliance Chief of State Natasi Daala and the Jedi Order is escalating. Outraged over the carbonite freezing of young Jedi Knights Valin and Jysella Horn after their inexplicable mental breakdowns, the Jedi are determined to defy Daala’s martial tactics, override Council Master Kenth Hamner’s wavering leadership, and deal on their own terms with the epidemic of madness preying on their ranks. As Han and Leia Solo, along with their daughter Jaina, join the fight to protect more stricken Knights from arrest, Jedi healers race to find a cure for the rapidly spreading affliction. But none of them realize the blaster barrel is already swinging in their direction–and Chief Daala is about to pull the trigger.

Nor do Luke and Ben, deep in the Maw Cluster and pushing their Force abilities beyond known limits, realize how close they are–to the Sith strike squad bent on exterminating the Skywalkers, to a nexus of dark-side energy unprecedented in its power and its hunger, and to an explosive confrontation between opposing wielders of the Force from which only one Master–good or evil–can emerge alive.

Features a bonus section following the novel that includes a primer on the Star Wars expanded universe, and over half a dozen excerpts from some of the most popular Star Wars books of the last thirty years!

I'll give it a mediocre score because that's pretty much all it is. It's not horrible, but it's certainly not even interesting through a good 90%. I listened to the audioCD and still couldn't handle huge chunks of it at once because it just driveled on and on about nothing.

Star Wars Expanded Universe books as a whole seem to be fizzling out. More and more they seem a greedy grab for money rather than a desire to tell good stories. The whole Sith subplot seems ridiculous at best and stupid at worst. I'm starting to like Vestara a little more, but not by much and she's dominated about two novels at this point.

The battle at the end of the book was cool. I wish they had Jaina, Jag, Tahiri, and the Coruscant Jedi doing more interesting things than battling the evil press and Daala's batty government. I totally agree with whoever was talking about the sheer stupidity of the whole "insane Jedi" subplot. *Gasp* You're not real, you impostor! I now have to run you through with my shiny lightstick thingy. (Me By This Time = AAAARRRGGGHHHHHH.)

Are there redeeming points? Sure, I happen to like the interaction b/t Han and Leia and Allana. I'm kind of looking forward to seeing her grow up. Ben Skywalker is still an interesting character, despite these authors of late dumping him in stupid places to rot for months or however much time passed. Luke can still fight well.

I did stop reading/ listening to that Coruscant Nights series. I may have to do the same here. I'm pretty sure I will stop buying them. I'll just grab the library's copy 6 months later.

Release Day Blitz | Seeress [Runes Series: #3] by Ednah Walters @EdnahWalters

 
Book Title: Seeress
Series: A Runes Novel #3
Author: Ednah Walters
Release Date: April 28th 2014
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Firetrail Publishing
Presented by: As You Wish Tours

BLURB

I love Torin St. James...
I need his strength…
But someone from his past wants me dead.

Raine Cooper is certain of two things: her love for Torin St. James and her destiny to be a powerful seeress. But when she starts having premonitions, they are unclear and disturbing. Worse, they involve Torin. With her mother gone, her father dying, and her best friend in Hel, she is not sure who to talk to.

But when the visions become more personal and she foresees her future with Torin threatened by someone from his past, Raine becomes desperate for answers. Just her luck two new students arrive at her school and they seem to have answers. When with them, her powers are enhanced and her visions become clear. There is only one problem: Torin forbids Raine to see the two girls.

Can their love survive without trust? 

Runes Series Books:

Runes (Book 1)
Immortals (Book 2)
Grimnirs (Book 2.5)
Seeress (Book 3)

 EXCERPT

In-between classes, I cocked my ear to catch the song again. No such luck.

Lunch time, Torin was waiting outside my class, a group of girls hanging on his every word. One reached up and brushed his shirt. That was crossing the line. I stake my claim when I reached his side, sliding my hand into his. They took off. “Groupies?”

He laughed. “No.”

“Next time Leanna Finch strokes your chest, I’ll break her fingers.”

“Who’s Leanna?”

I forgave him for not noticing. Girls were always pushing boundaries like damn predator checking for weaknesses. Someone needed to tell them Torin and I was tight. Fortified like Fort Knox. “Have you seen Ingrid?”

“No.” He stroked my cheek with his knuckles. “Are we eating here or at home? I can make us something.”

I wanted to stay there and let him stroke me. His touch was intoxicating. But first things first. “Okay, but I need to ask Ingrid something first.”

He went still. “About?”

“Something.” I reached up and kissed him. “Go. I’m right behind you.”

He didn’t look happy leaving me behind, which was sweet.

“I won’t take long,” I added.

He nodded. With a fingertip brush across my cheek, he disappeared into the men’s room to find a portal. I shook my head. Sometimes he could be so possessive. He hadn’t had a relationship in centuries and was learning to adjust to ours, which hadn’t exactly been smooth. What mattered was we loved it each other, knew it and cherished out time together. Whatever bumps laid ahead, and I was sure the Norns weren’t done with us, I was determined to never let them destroy what we had.

I turned the corner and saw Cora at the cafeteria entrance. Her lunch schedule depended on whether or not Echo was around. She waved.

“Please tell me you’re eating here. Please. Echo will be gone most of today and evening,” Cora explained. “There was a fire at some nursing home in Seattle.”

“I’m heading home, but you can join us. Torin already left to make something.”

She sighed melodramatically and looked around the cafeteria. “I don’t want to be a third wheel.”

“You won’t be.”

“Nah. Go enjoy your man.” She waved and I turned to see three girls from the swim team, Kicker, Sonya and Tess. “I’ll join the girls and catch up on the latest gossip. See you tonight.”

“You want to come and watch The Originals online? I missed last two episodes.”

Her eyes widened. “Ohmigod, the poor, damaged, just-needs-to-be-loved Klaus. I have to get my Klaus fix every week. I’ve even gotten Echo to tolerate him. Okay, I’ll watch with you, so we can hate on some witches. I also want your opinion on something.”

“Okay.” Ingrid, her cheerleader friends, and their jock boyfriends walked in.

Cora beamed at me and gave me a quick hug. “You’re the best.”

Everyone at Ingrid’s looked up questioningly when I stopped by their table. “What?”

“Where’s Torin?” a girl asked.

“Around. You know I can actually breathe without him. Ingrid.” I indicated outside with a nod and took off.

“What’s going on?” she asked, sounding a bit worried.

“I want to pick your brain.” Some of the students were hanging out on the deck. Others threw football in the grassy area along the building. It was still cold, but the sun was up and diehards were already wearing shorts. I found an area away from the others and faced her.

“You are beginning to worry me,” Ingrid said. “If this is about Andris—”

“No, this is about me. Do you remember I told you last night that I heard the woman sing during my vision?”

She nodded. “Varðlokur.”

“Varo-what?”

“The warding or spirit-summoning song. We sing it before the Seeress goes into a trance. What about it?”

“I thought I heard it this morning.”

Her frown deepened. “Where?”

“Here at school. What does that mean?” I saw a movement from the corner of my eyes and turned to look. It was Blaine. He waved.

“I don’t know. I guess whoever sang the song last night is a student here.”

“But the Seeress was older. At least, she sounded older.”

“Uh, that’s because the Seeress never does the singing. Someone else does. You sure it wasn’t the same voice?”

I nodded. Someone working with a Seeress was here at my school. “Is Blaine waiting for you?” He was talking to friends but he kept looking in our direction.

Ingrid waved to him. “No. Do you want me to point her out when I recognize her?”

“You can do that?”

She shrugged. “Oh, yes. It’s like, uh, having a witch radar. Why do you think Maliina hated you from the moment she saw you?”

“Uh, because Andris was being a total douche?”

She laughed. “That came second. My sister was a powerful Seidr witch, but in you, she saw something else. Something she’d never seen before and she was jealous. Maliina always wanted to be important and, uh, revered. Back at home, they did, but it wasn’t enough. Then she met Andris and he turned her. But he took her away from home and her adoring fans. She stopped being important and she didn’t like it. That’s why she joined the Norns. She was very ambitious.”

It didn’t excuse what she’d done, but it made sense. “So what did she see in me?”

Ingrid shrugged. “A more powerful witch, I guess. I’m not as strong as Maliina, but I should be able to spot the witch here at school. I’ll let you know when I do.”

“Thanks.” I really liked this new Ingrid. She stopped by the group with Blaine, said something to him and disappeared inside the building. Blaine followed her. I went to the nearest restroom and headed home to Torin.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
EDNAH WALTERS grew up reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and dreaming of one day writing her own stories. She is a stay-at-home mother of five humans and two American short-hair cats (one of which has ADHD) and a husband. When she is not writing, she’s at the gym doing Zumba or doing things with her family, reading, traveling or online chatting with fans.

Ednah is the author of The Guardian Legacy series, a YA fantasy series about children of the fallen angels, who fight demons and protect mankind. AWAKENED, the prequel was released by Pill Hill Press in September 2010 with rave reviews. BETRAYED, book one in the series was released by her new publisher Spencer Hill Press in June 2012 and HUNTED, the third installment, was released March 2013. She’s working on the next book in the series, FORGOTTEN. Visit her at www.ednahwalters.com.

Ednah also writes YA paranormal romance. RUNES is the first book in her new series. IMMORTALS is book 2. She just released book 3, GRIMNIRS December 2013. Read more about this series and the world she's created here www.runestheseries.com.

Under the pseudonym E. B. Walters, Ednah writes contemporary romance. SLOW BURN, the first contemporary romance with suspense, was released in April 2011. It is the first book in the Fitzgerald family series. Since then she has published five more books in this series. She's presently working on book seven. You can visit her online at or www.ebwalters.com.

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SEERESS [RUNES SERIES: #3]

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Release Day Blitz - The Davidson Case @authorgilbert

Chapter 5
Timely Arrival

A second, more insistent, knock sounded.

“I’m coming! Goodness, you make me wait up half the night and then expect me to jump when you’re ready,” Joy grumbled. “You’re late!” she scolded, swinging the door open.

Only it wasn’t Ann.

Joy gasped and tried to close the door, but it jammed against the man’s foot and remained open. After an eternally long second, it finally registered that she ought be screaming her head off. Her neighbors—with the exception of deaf Mrs. Hines—would have no excuse for not hearing her through the thin walls. Joy sucked in a deep breath.

“Oh no you don’t,” said the man. His gloved hand clamped firmly over Joy’s mouth as he hissed, “None of that.”

Petrified, Joy stumbled back. Her assailant stepped in with her and flicked the door closed with a foot. He must have hit it too hard because it bounced open a crack.

God, help!

“You’re too nosy for your own good. It’s nothing personal, lady.”

Joy launched herself backward, catching the man off guard, but he tripped her. Her breath rushed out, so she couldn’t scream. But she could move, so she did. Scrambling to the kitchen area with the stranger close behind, Joy resisted the urge to grab a knife. Spotting the microwave plate, she snatched it up from the drying rack. By this time, the assailant clutched a kitchen knife.

As he lunged, Joy wielded the microwave plate like a left-handed batter and smashed his right hand.

The knife clattered across the kitchen floor.

The man howled and smacked her with his good hand. His eyes blazed with fury.

Joy crashed into a counter and fell stunned to the floor. She climbed to her feet shakily in time to see the man pick up a chair. Ducking, Joy held up her hands defensively but the meager defense offered little protection from the chair hurtling toward her head.

Fortunately, the refrigerator took the brunt of the damage.

The flimsy wooden chair shattered to jagged pieces.

The man laughed in triumph now holding only one chair leg.

Eyes wide with horror, Joy watched the assailant’s weapon arc toward her head. She experienced an explosion of pain, then nothing.

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