Romance Novel Giveaways - Freebies and Giveaways of All Things Romance Romance Novel Giveaways: Beneath the Surface by B.K. Stubblefield 💕 Book Tour & Gift Card Giveaway 💕(Romantic Mystery)

Friday, June 28, 2019

Beneath the Surface by B.K. Stubblefield 💕 Book Tour & Gift Card Giveaway 💕(Romantic Mystery)






“He clutched his head in his hands. His shoulders shook, but no sound came. Minutes stretched, interrupted only by the pop of burning wood.”

Ryan Collins had it all – financial freedom, an exciting career, and attractive women. A favorite photographer in the glamorous world of fashion, his lifestyle is the envy of many. Only a few know of the demons that haunt him.

When Ryan and Emily Carmichael discover Oak Creek’s dirty secret, they become witnesses to a drug crime. With Ryan’s plans for a career change temporarily on hold, the physical and emotional attraction to Emily grows strong. But a twisted truth taught so many years ago spirals to the surface and strangles his heart. A romantic relationship just isn’t meant to be.

While assisting a friend with a documentary in the African wild, Ryan is forced to confront his terrors. As the battle within rages will he be able to permanently silence the voices this time? Will he find a way back to Emily, and the happiness he so desperately craves? Or is it too late?



CHAPTER 1

Twenty-nine years earlier
Startled, the little boy awoke.
Confused and scared, his eyes fluttered then opened wide as he gazed into the darkness of the room. Strange noises had woken him. Or had it only been a bad dream? No, not a dream… there they were again. His heart sprinted at the low growls, shrieks, and whispers. Was someone hurt? He couldn’t tell, but it scared him.
His ears pricked, and he strained to pick up any sound. He knew no monsters hid under his bed or crouched in the corners of his room. But still… what if?
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed and split the night sky with an erratic zig-zag across the horizon. The boy relaxed. Scaredy-cat he chided himself aloud. It’s only a storm. The low moan of the approaching storm had roused him from his sleep.
Storms didn’t scare the little boy–his dad had taught him how to stay safe. And his dad was his hero – he was a soldier and knew everythingabout safety. The boy watched and learned, bonding with his dad over fun outdoor trips … like when they went camping. Just the two of them. But his dad wasn’t home that night. His unit was on a military field exercise. The boy closed his eyes and said a prayer for his dad’s protection.
His fists uncurled, releasing the bedsheet from a steely grip as he counted the seconds to the next crashing boom of the thunderclap. As the thunder rolled, he thought he heard the strange noise again. What was that? Did the rumble disappear into the night? No. The sound came from the end of the hall.
With his frightened heart slamming against his ribs, he gathered the courage to get out of bed and hitched up his Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pajama pants. Barefoot, he padded across the room. With great care, he quietly turned the doorknob and stepped out into the hallway.
He had to pee but didn’t have far to go. The bathroom door across the hall from his room stood open. He slipped inside, softly closing the door behind him. When he finished, he opened the water faucet just enough to wash his hands under a warm trickle before he slipped back into the hall. That’s when he heard it again. That noise. Without making a sound, the boy crept along the wall until he stopped in front of his parents’ bedroom. Pressing his ear against the flimsy wooden door, he listened.
There! The sounds he couldn’t label came from inside. Fright washed over him. Mom! What’s wrong? Why are you crying? With a racing heart, and hands clammy with a cold sweat, he turned the knob with great care. He eased the door ajar, just wide enough to peek through the opening.
Heavy drapes obscured the faint lights of the night sky, causing the boy to blink a few times against the dim shadows. His eyes adjusted, and he tried to make sense of the burly shape silhouetted against the inky dark of the room. The boy stood motionless, his feet rooted to the hardwood floor, blood pounding in his ears. In horror, he watched the dark shape bending over his mom. She whimpered. To the small boy’s ears, the sound was a cry of pain. Like when I fell and scraped my knees the other dayhe remembered.
A high-pitched cry broke the boy’s paralysis. “Mom?” he probed. BOOM! Another thunderclap cracked the air. “Mom? Mom…. are you hurt?” the little boy cried out as he flung the bedroom door wide open.
Fuck!” He heard the man’s cuss at the same time his Mom screamed.
Ryan!” she shrieked and grabbed a throw blanket as she jumped off the bed. “Get out!” Enraged, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into the hallway. “Why the hell aren’t you in bed? You should be asleep!” His mother’s voice sounded harsh as she dragged him to his room and pushed him inside. “Go back to bed…and stay in your room! Go to sleep!”
Confused and hurt the boy hurled himself onto his bed. Embarrassment and shame twisted in his tummy. But why, he didn’t know. He’d angered his mom. She’d been furious, – but he had just wanted to help. A sick feeling settled in his belly.
The boy knelt on his bed and propped his elbows on the windowsill. His hands cradled his face as he watched as the lightning strikes became fewer and fewer. The storm finally moved away. As Ryan watched dark clouds rush across the night sky, tears rolled from big blue eyes, dripping onto his pajama sleeves. He felt all tangled up on the inside. What is this man doing to my mom, and why is she so mad at me? He’d just wanted to check out the weird noises and see why she was crying.
When dad had left, he’d hugged Ryan. “Take good care of Mom for me, buddy,” he’d said, and the boy nodded his promise.
His mind shaped a large cloud into a dinosaur, and he wished he could ride it across the sky to visit his dad. His battle buddy–that’s what dadcalled him.
The storm had long passed when the boy awoke again. His mom was in the kitchen, reading the newspaper and drinking her morning coffee when he’d shuffled into the room.
Good morning, sleepyhead.” Looking up from the paper, she sounded pleasant. But the boy was suspicious. Is she still mad at me?
When he didn’t answer, his mother frowned. “Swallowed your tongue, boy?”
Mom, who was that man last night?” He moved towards the table, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.
What are you talking about, Ryan?”
The man in your bedroom… what did he do? Did he hurt you?”
Her tone sharpened. “Ryan, come here.” Grabbing his small arms, she pulled him until he came to stand between her knees. “Look at me,” her stern voice demanded. But the boy kept his eyes glued to the kitchen floor.
His mother’s manicured fingers shot out to push up his chin. He stared into her eyes with a blank face.
You had a nightmare. No one tried to hurt me.”
But I saw him.” The boy knew he wasn’t supposed to talk back, but he disobeyed.
Nonsense Ryan!” She shook the boy’s small shoulders, but the defiance didn’t leave his eyes. “There was no man! And nobody was in my room. Stop making up stories. Do you hear me? And Ryan? I don’t expect you to bother your father with this make-believe monster story when he comes home. Do you understand?”
Ryan nodded. He understood this tone; he’d experienced it often.
Sour-faced, she released him from her grip with a dismissive push. “You’re just like your father.” The boy’s throat closed, and his eyes watered at the dislike he heard in those mumbled words. It didn’t take much to irritate his mom. She was often agitated–with him and his dad. As much as he wanted to please her, on certain days, he could do nothing right. No matter how he tried. She doesn’t love me.
I asked you a question, Ryan!” A final shake of his shoulders and the boy answered, as if on autopilot. “Yes, ma’am.” But he knew because he had seen the man. When he’d watched the clouds move, he saw him coming out of their house, get into his car and drive away.
It was the first time Ryan realized his mom lied.



💕 Always double-check the price ðŸ’•

  

  






A small town with a dark secret. A new arrival in grave danger. Can she solve the mystery before she ends up the next victim?

The best part of Emily's childhood may have been the time she spent with her quirky aunt. So when her favorite relative passes away, she drops everything to attend the funeral in the small town of Oak Creek. But she never expected to inherit her aunt's entire estate, including her massive black dog Bentley. Just as she starts to get the hang of small-town life, an unknown driver runs her off the road and sends her to the hospital.

As doctors tend to her and she makes a connection with a charming Oak Creek resident named Ryan, Emily racks her brain to figure out who would want her dead. When sparks start to fly between her and the Good Samaritan that sat by her bedside, they team up to solve the mystery. Digging into the crime starts to reveal a dark side to Oak Creek and long-held secrets nobody wants revealed. Emily and Ryan must uncover the truth before her assailant comes back to finish the job.
💕 Click on the images to enlarge 💕
On impulse, she turns the car around and follows the now familiar lane, curious to take another look.
As she slows down, Emily surveys the farmlands on either side of the small country road. She deeply inhales the smell of corn bouncing weightlessly on the warm breeze. A childhood memory floats into awareness, taking her back to when she loved running through endless rows of corn. She remembers when she would stop running and then stand quietly between the rows—not moving, just listening. On some days, the warm wind would whisper her name, beckoning her mind to float to enchanted places in far-away, mystical lands.
She recalls the tingling of her spine when the wind rustles the stalks around her, telling a different story. With her heart hammering fast, she can barely catch her breath. Her feet are rooted to the ground, imagining the rows parting for a faceless shadow that is coming for her. When the spell finally breaks, and fear releases its icy grip, she runs, pumping her legs until she emerges unscathed from the field of corn, feeling safe once again.
Emily smiles at the memory of her childish games as her gaze sweeps the seemingly endless stretching cornfield that is adjoining the property she sees.
She slowly pulls her car to the shoulder and stops where she can view the home between the massive trees in front. Turning off the engine, she sits and watches the home for a few minutes.
You would have been a beauty once, she thinks along with a twinge of nostalgia.
Today, she can clearly see how it may have looked before, her gloomy feelings from just a few days ago replaced with visions of happier times. Windows now boarded up would have gleamed in the early afternoon sun, white wicker furniture on the front porch inviting visitors to sit a while. Lush green Boston ferns in ornate urns would flank the solid oak front door while children played a game of chase with a cute black and white dog. Yes, definitely a dog, she decides.
As if pulled by unseen strings, Emily opens her door and steps out onto the road. Just a quick look, a little bit closer. She hesitantly walks toward the overgrown gravel drive.
She tentatively steps on the drive, and the house comes into view from its side angle. A couple of steps lead up to what appears to be a service entrance. She heads to the front yard where the front porch is badly sagging, barely held up by the once stately Doric columns. A whiff of musty, stale air assaults her nostrils.
Disgusted, she turns away from the crumbling facade. Abandoned, apparently a long time ago—what a pity!
As she turns away, Emily is keenly aware of the eerie stillness around her. Just as the wind in the cornfield softly sighed such a long time ago, the old house seems to reach out, whispering an invitation to explore its long-forgotten interior.
Emily hesitantly steps up two concrete steps, halting on the small landing of the side entrance.
“Hello!” she calls out as she knocks on the door, cocking her head, listening closely. She doesn’t expect anyone to answer, but still. “Hello? Is anyone here?” she repeats. Ignoring her gut’s warnings that she has no business being here, she knocks a second time—and almost jumps as the door opens a small way, rusty hinges shrieking loudly, interrupting the quiet.
Her pulse races as she pushes her hand lightly against the door. She leans forward, glancing around the interior and is immediately assaulted by the same musty smell she had noticed earlier, only stronger.



B.K. Stubblefield is a new writer with a passion for animal rescue. After adopting her new dog Harper, she was quickly overwhelmed with the challenges of raising a "puppy on steroids". Together with her close friend, Debra Wagner, she published 'Rescued: A Tale of Two Dogs', two nonfiction tales of love, patience and commitment.

In an effort to help bring awareness to animal neglect and abuse in our own neighborhoods, B.K. Stubblefield shares several short stories of animals brought out of the shadows and into the light of love in her second book "Rescued: Out of The Shadows."

Fictional short stories and memory books/journals continue to carry the theme of dog rescue.

B.K. Stubblefield is also a contributing author to "Be Their Voice: An Anthology for Rescue, Volume I & II

Her debut novel, 'Secrets in Oak Creek', a mystery/romance, was published in November 2017.

Born and raised in Germany, the author has spent many years supporting her husband's military career. Moving between Europe and the United States, she now makes her home in the small rural town of Elizabethtown, Kentucky where she enjoys the slower pace of small town living. Early morning weekend walks with her dog Harper are among her favorite activities.


   



Win a $50 Amazon gift card!

💕 Click Here to Follow the Tour 💕
(Visit a new blog each day & earn more entries in the Rafflecopter!)

💕 Below is a third-party ad.  Click it if you like it, ignore it if you don't! 💕


#Win this #GiftCard #Giveaway
Will he find a way back to Emily, and the happiness he so desperately craves?
Beneath the Surface by B.K. Stubblefield
#RomanticMystery
Silver Dagger Book Tours
http://bit.ly/320jJ7M
 

41 comments :

  1. Beneath the Surface has a beautiful cover and it sounds like a good read.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The blurb has me intrigued. And I love the big dog named Bentley. I have a Bentley, too. I'm looking forward to reading it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I just love that you are so compassionate about animals. I shelter elderly rescue cats. I have 11 at the moment. I also have a couple younger cats that just showed up at my house. I love animals so much.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I love the cover art! Sounds like an amazing read.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Beautiful cover sounds good can't wait to read this book.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love the cover. This sounds like an amazing read!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I like the cover, and I'd love to read about Oak Creek's secrets.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thanks for the great post and the introduction to your book.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I like the mirror imagery of the cover

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your book covers have mystical look. I like them.

    ReplyDelete
  11. These sound like great books and my favorite cover is for Secrets in Oak Creek!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Having lived in a small town, I can relate- it's hard to leave once you come back.

    ReplyDelete
  13. WOW this looks amazing, love the cover and the title.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I like the covers-favorite would be Beneath The Surface

    tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. I love the covers! They're the perfect blend of slightly creepy and mysterious!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Beneath the Surface looks mysterious and makes me want to read the book!
    digicats {at} sbcglobal {dot} net

    ReplyDelete
  17. I liked Beneath the Surface--looks idyllic and a bit creepy at the same time

    ReplyDelete
  18. Nice covers and looking forward to reading them.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Seems like it will be a good read. Like the cover too.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I think the books sounds great.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I love the covers, especially Beneath the Surface. Can't wait to read the book!

    ReplyDelete
  22. What do you think of the books or the covers?
    they look great ,its an amazing composition of clors,good job
    thx

    ReplyDelete
  23. I liked the book excerpts, and the book covers.

    ReplyDelete
  24. They look awesome. I can't wait to check them out..

    ReplyDelete
  25. looks like a cover full of secrets .

    ReplyDelete

PLEASE NOTE: I do not moderate comments, but some go to Spam anyway. Rest assured, I check regularly and will publish non-Spam comments shortly!