We are super excited to be part of the book tour for
THE STALKER
A new romance novel by Marina Martindale that promises to keep you reading from cover to cover!
The Stalker is now available at:
Amazon Kindle | Print Book
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: August 31, 2016
Rachel Bennett attended her ten-year high school reunion on a whim, but fate intervened once she saw Shane MacLeod. No longer the shy, gawky teenager she remembered, Shane has matured into a handsome and successful man, but her perfect evening ends when another man from her past suddenly reappears.
Craig Walker had been her mentor until he became jealous of her talent and success. Now he intends to either have her, or destroy her at all costs.
As Rachel’s family pressures her to take Craig to court, she can no longer ignore her nagging feeling that a tragedy is about to strike.
Grab your copy of The Stalker!
Available at:
Excerpt from The Stalker by Marina Martindale
Shane reached for his phone. He’d gotten a good look at the license plate on the red
pickup truck, and he prayed he was right; someone from California really had recently moved
into Rachel’s neighborhood, and all the truck sightings were simply a coincidence. Once he
arrived home, he put Lucy out and placed a call. To his relief, it didn’t go to voicemail.
“Northrup Investigations.”
“Lamar. It’s Shane.”
“Hey, Shane, how you doing? I sure hope you’re not calling to give me a hard time about
not coming to the class reunion. I really was in the middle of a case.”
Shane was intrigued. “So what was it? Some sort of cybercrime?”
“Well, sort of. Someone thought one of their employees might be embezzling funds, but he didn’t know who.”
“Well, at least it had something to do with numbers. I still can’t believe you ended up becoming a cop and then a private investigator. I always figured you’d be the next Steve Jobs.”
“Nah.” He heard a chuckle in Lamar’s voice. “One Steve Jobs was enough, and there’ll never be another one like him. Besides, I love this job. It’s much better than being a cop. Better pay, and a hell of a lot less stress.”
“I’ll bet.”
“And I’ve just started working with a community outreach program for African-
American youth.” Lamar’s voice pitched with excitement as he spoke. “And let me tell you,
those kids can really keep you on your toes, but it’s great to be a positive role model, and that’s what it’s all about.” His tone changed. “But something tells me that’s not the reason why you’re calling.”
“No, I’m afraid it isn’t.”
“I see. So what’s up?”
“It has to do with Rachel. Rachel Bennett. I saw her at the class reunion, and since that time we’ve become good friends. You may remember her. She took our math club photo for the senior yearbook.”
“Did she? Sorry, but it doesn’t ring a bell. I know the photo you’re speaking of. I just can’t recall who took it. So, what’s going on?”
Shane quickly got to the point. “A few years ago Rachel was working in Reno, and she befriended a co-worker who, unbeknownst to her, wanted to be more than just friends. Then she got a promotion that he felt she didn’t deserve, so he turned on her and started stalking her. Later on she took another job in Arizona, so he cyber stalked her, at least for a time. Then he turned up at the same hotel where we were having our class reunion, and as soon as he saw her, he called the cops. He made up some story about her harassing him.”
“I have to ask. Did she know he’d be staying at the same hotel?”
“No.” Shane’s voice was firm. “I saw her reaction when the sheriff’s deputy showed up.
She was genuinely scared, although she tried her best to hide it. Then, after she left, I went into
the bar and struck up a conversation with him. The guy is creepy as hell, Lamar. I can certainly
understand why she’d be afraid of him.”
“So what exactly did you say to him?”
“I gave him a phony name and told him I’d only met her that night, but it was obvious, by the things he said, that he’s a total control freak who has to have it his way or else.” A chill ran down Shane’s spine as he spoke. “Then he asked me if I was going to the alumni picnic the following day. Fortunately, Rachel and I had exchanged phone numbers, so I called her the next morning and took her to a movie instead. After that, we thought the guy was gone, but now I’m not so sure.”
“So what happened?”
“Earlier this evening, as we were leaving a restaurant, a red pickup truck drove past us in
the parking lot, and Rachel got upset as soon as she saw it. Apparently she’s been seeing it
around her neighborhood for the past few weeks. It has California plates, and since you’re in San
Diego, I was wondering if you could find out if the truck is registered to a man named Craig
Walker.”
“Do you have the license number?”
“I sure do.” He opened his notepad app and read it to Lamar.
“I’m at my computer, so let me see what I can do. You said Craig Walker, correct?”
“Yes.”
Shane waited anxiously for Lamar to come back on the line.
“It’s a red Dodge Ram pickup, registered to a Craig Thomas Walker with a Sacramento
address.”
Shane’s blood turned to ice. “Damn. You’re sure about that?”
“Positive. It’s on the screen right in front of me.”
Giveaway
Join the giveaway contest from November 3 – 30, 2016.
Several prizes are up for grabs:
Two $10 Amazon Gift Cards
Several eBook of The Stalker by Marina Martindale
You could be one of the lucky winners!
Click here to join the Rafflecopter Giveaway contest now
– – – – –
Purchase your copy of The Stalker now. Available at:
Amazon Kindle | Print Book
About Marina Martindale
Just like Gillian Matthews, the heroine in her debut romance novel, The Reunion, Marina Martindale began her career as a graphic designer and artist, and several of her paintings have been featured in juried art shows. Over time, however, she discovered writing was her true life’s passion.
“I love creating conflicted characters,” says Martindale. “I think they’re more like the people we meet in real life. I also like the complexity of romance. It’s an opportunity to delve deep into the human condition and try to understand what it is that motivates us to make the choices in life that we make.”
Martindale draws her inspiration from her own real life experiences, as well as those of the people around her. The stories, however, are fiction.
“The path to true love is never an easy one,” adds Martindale. “Some are haunted by people from their past. Others have been deceived or betrayed by the people they trusted the most. We all make bad choices, even though we usually don’t realize it at the time. My stories are about the unintended consequences of those bad choices, how the characters resolve them, and how they grow and become better people as a result.”
Marina Martindale resides in Tucson, Arizona. In her spare time she enjoys music, traveling, photography, and cooking.
Visit the official Website of Marina Martindale:
http://www.marinamartindale.com/
Connect with Marina Martindale on social media:
Facebook | Twitter
Tour Schedule
Get more tidbits, excerpts and info on The Stalker from the blogs below. Also, follow and visit each blog on schedule to get more chances to win the giveaway contest!
November 3
Book Unleashed – Promo
Lucky 13 – Promo, Excerpt
November 4
Books, Dreams, Life – Promo, Review, Excerpt
The Pen and Muse Book Reviews – Promo, Excerpt
November 5
1-chick and Her Kindle – Promo, Review, Excerpt
Stormy Nights Reviewing & Bloggin’ – Promo, Review
November 7
I Love Books – Promo
November 8
Liz’s Reading Life – Promo, Excerpt
November 9
The Romance Reviews – Review
Celticlady’s Reviews – Promo
November 10
Tory Richards – Promo, Excerpt, Guest Post
Crazy Beautiful Reads – Promo, Excerpt
November 11
Delish and Yummy Book Boyfriends – Character Profile
November 12
Spunk & Hunks – Interview
November 14
Cranky – The Book Curmudgeon – Promo, Review, Excerpt
November 15
Sienna Matthews – Promo
November 16
Dawn’s Reading Nook – Promo, Interview
Random Thoughts from a Book Nerd – Promo, Excerpt
November 17
Loves Great Reads – Guest Post
Hart’s Romance Pulse – Guest Post
November 18
Country Girl Bookaholic – Promo, Excerpt, Guest Post
November 19
EskieMama Reads – Promo, Excerpt
Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! – Character Profile
November 21
The Starred Review – Character Interview
Romancing the Books – Promo
November 22
Maari Loves Her Indies – Promo
What Is That Book About – Excerpt
November 23
The Silver Dagger Scriptorium – Excerpt, Guest Post
November 24
The Phantom Paragrapher – Review
Just Love Books – Promo, Excerpt
November 25
Reading Alley – Excerpt
November 28
Life’s Guilty Pleasures – Excerpt
November 29
The Romance Reviews – Excerpt
November 30
Romancing the Books and More – Excerpt
Lilly’s Book World – Review
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1 comment
I love the excerpt. Sounds like a great book.