"She Belongs to Me" by Carmen DeSousa

FREE Kindle Edition

She Belongs to Me:
Southern Suspense Series #1

by Carmen DeSousa

Carmen DeSousa's best-selling book, She Belongs to Me, is now FREE. Split Decisions, the second book in this series, is also available. You can read all about it in another blog post. In addition, Carmen's short stories, The Pit Stop and The Depot are always FREE.

Description

A passionate romantic-suspense of love, betrayal, and obsession, She Belongs to Me will have you falling in love and wondering if you can trust anyone right up to the last page.

After secrets and a mysterious background leave a wife's life hanging by a thread, a husband must look for answers in the only place he knows - the past.

When wealthy construction company owner and Charlotte detective, Jordan Monroe, meets Jaynee for the first time he is awestruck and determines to make her his wife. Jaynee, however, has a history she cannot easily overcome and is fearful to submit to love. Jordan succeeds in making her his wife, but five years into their marriage, he realizes she is keeping secrets. Before he can decipher her duplicity, he discovers her unconscious in their home from a gunshot wound only hours after giving her an ultimatum concerning their relationship.

With Jaynee's life hanging in the balance, the mystery of her past drives Jordan to investigate. But what appears to be an attempted suicide turns out to be something far darker. Is someone from her past stalking her? Or worse, is someone close to Jordan trying to kill them both? As Jordan edges closer to the truth, it may be deadlier than he could ever have imagined.

Excerpt

“Yes, she did. We have her in a drug-induced coma, and we won’t attempt to revive her until the cranial pressure decreases. She couldn’t tolerate the pain if we did.” The doctor patted Jordan’s arm. “You can see Caycee now, Jordan, and you need to talk to her. Studies indicate numerous coma patients respond to a loved one’s voice.”

“Jaynee…” Jordan said emphatically, drawing in a breath and shaking his head in disbelief. “Please, call her Jaynee. She doesn’t like Caycee. Please inform the nurses.” The doctor nodded, and Jordan stood. “I’d like to see my wife now.”

Doctor McMullen led him down the hall and stopped in front of one of the ICU rooms. Jordan felt the man’s cool hands on his forearm, but couldn’t see his face through his tears. With a final squeeze of consolation, the doctor turned and left him alone. 

Jordan walked tremulously into the cold, antiseptic-scented room. He felt as if his legs had vanished from underneath him and he would collapse to the floor at any moment.

Jaynee lay motionless on the bed. Wires leading from her body connected to several machines that created an ominous cacophony and an eerie, yellowish glow in the small room. It looked like a scene from a movie. Under the fluorescent lights, her skin was pallid, except around her eyes which had splotches of crimson and were swollen and puffy. And worse, where her beautiful tresses of curls should be…was nothing but white gauze.

Jordan lowered his head to her ear. “I love you, Jaynee. No matter what’s been going on, I love you, and I know you love me too.” Jordan believed the words, wanted the words to be true. But he couldn’t help but wonder what was so awful that his wife would attempt to take her life. Unless…was there something he didn’t know about her?

Review

By Jaime Rush

Jaynee ends up shot just outside her home, her loving husband finding her. As she lies in a coma, a distraught Jordan must untangle the threads of her recent days to find out why she shot herself. Or did she? For Jaynee wasn't the only one keeping secrets ... and one of those secrets is deadly. Can he find the truth before a killer strikes again?

I really enjoyed this book, and it's not explicit, so teenagers as well as those with delicate sensibilities will like it. You'll be swept off your feet along with Jaynee as she discovers the man of her dreams. You'll be drawn into the drama. And you'll flip the pages fast as Jordan must desperately figure out the truth in time. I was and did!

From the Author

I characterize my stories as modern-day fairy tales  as they overflow with romance, mystery, suspense, and of course, tragedy. After all, what would a fairy tale be without a tragic event setting the stage? All of my novels are sensual, but not erotic, gripping but not graphic and will make you love, laugh, cry, gasp, and hope.

Both of my published novels, She Belongs to Me and Land of the Noonday Sun, have reached bestseller status right alongside Nicholas Sparks, J.D. Robb, and other great authors.

My newest releases are now available, Entangled Dreams and When Noonday Ends, and Split Decisions.

I’d rate all my books similar to a PG13 Movie, but I think they are appropriate for ages sixteen and up. Though scenes are sensual and gripping, there is nothing erotic or graphic ever.

I love talking about all things books, so please connect with me via one of the links below.

Links

Amazon US Paperback

Amazon US Kindle

Amazon UK Paperback

Amazon UK Kindle

Amazon US author page

Amazon UK author page

Facebook

Goodreads

Google+

Pinterest

Twitter @Author_Carmen

Website

"Split Decisions" by Carmen DeSousa

Split Decisions:
Southern Suspense Series #2

by Carmen DeSousa

Split Decisions is the second book in Carmen DeSousa's Southern Suspense Series. She Belongs to Me, the first book in this series, is currently FREE. You can also read my blog post. Carmen's short stories, The Pit Stop and The Depot, are always FREE. 

Description

Sometimes you want something so badly you are willing to abandon everything you've ever known - including yourself.

Eighteen years ago, Jaynee Monroe married the man of her dreams, became the mother of four, and fulfilled her career goals. About to turn forty, she senses something is missing from her idyllic life. While Googling her name in an attempt to find herself, she unearths something so impossible, she contemplates her own sanity. Seeking answers, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth, only to end up abducted by a deranged stranger who insists on calling her Caycee.

Caycee took the road less traveled. Rejecting a marriage proposal from the only decent man she ever knew, she ventures to California to become famous. Eighteen years later, success has left her alone and miserable. Attempting to locate her lost love on Facebook, she discovers his infatuation with her. Not only does his presumed-dead wife have Caycee's uncommon middle name, it appears he has photo-shopped her face over hers.

Never could Caycee and Jaynee have imagined decisions they made years earlier would threaten not only their lives but also their loved ones. Caycee must now reunite with the southern gent she dismissed eighteen years ago and convince him to accompany her to New York to locate his wife, the most important person in both their lives.

Split Decisions is a spin-off of the author's best-selling book, She Belongs to Me, but that book does not need to be read first.

Excerpt

Jaynee awoke with a start, salty tears streaming down her cheeks, burning her already chapped lips. She attempted to swallow, but didn’t have enough saliva to moisten her mouth. It’d just been a nightmare. The nightmare she used to have nightly after her father committed suicide. Though, she hadn’t had it in years. Not since Jordan had taken her away from her previous life, providing a stable home, love, and strong arms to shield her from the demons that haunted her.

Unfortunately, Jordan wasn’t here, and her surroundings were all too real. Pinpricks of sunlight streaked through the corners of the shaded windows, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air.

The room was still dark in most spots, but she could almost make out her surroundings. It looked like a cabin of some sort. The walls were a dingy off-white or possibly just stained from years of exposure, but the ceiling and trim were dark wood along with the slatted floors. A musty scent permeated the area, irritating her sinuses, but she couldn’t even scratch her nose.

Cuffs still secured her to the four bedposts. What kind of sicko would do such a thing? Her arms and legs ached from the position they’d been in all night, and she had to go to the bathroom something awful.

When she opened her mouth to speak, nothing but a croak escaped, leaving a trail of lava in her parched throat. “Hel-lo?” Though her voice had cracked, she attempted to sound friendly. Screaming or sobbing wouldn’t do any good. Not that she had the strength or vocal cords anyway.

She wasn’t in the city; only the country would be as dark as it’d been last night when her assailant brought her here. Even if she screamed her head off, no one would hear. “Please,” she tried again. “I really have to use the bathroom.”

The door opened finally, the hinges protesting in a lengthy screech, begging for oil. Her captor entered the room still wearing a black ski mask, gloved, and the same dark jeans and thick overcoat he’d had on the previous evening. He wasn’t too tall or heavy. If given the chance, she could probably take him. Jordan had taught her a few things. But as long as he had the gun trained on her, she’d have to be submissive.

His gauntleted hand unlocked just one of her wrists. Then placing the key in her hand, he stepped back. Obviously she was to unlock her other restraints. She didn’t waste any time. She unlatched her left hand, then both of her ankles. After rubbing them to increase circulation, she jumped out of the bed on the opposite side of her detainer. He motioned with the gun that she should move to the door on the far side of the room. She did as instructed, opening the door to a small bathroom with just a sink and toilet. No window. She quickly relieved herself. It felt incredible; she’d actually been in pain.

When finished, she opened the medicine cabinet and cubbyhole under the sink, finding nothing usable as a weapon. Both rooms were completely barren, stripped of everything. The abduction had not been a coincidence, but premeditated.

Review

By Linda Giron

Jaynee ... Caycee ... which is which? Jaynee has an incredible life, any girl's dream, from a gorgeous husband who adores her, children and fabulous career. But something is missing. She is turning 40 and feels something is just not right.

Using social media Jaynee unearths some secrets about herself? About Caycee? She goes forward to figure out these inconsistencies and thereby discovers how these two women while different, in so many ways are alike.

But what has she gotten herself into while choosing to go down this path? Has this been one of her wisest choices?

Through the amazing twists and turns of this novel, it is truly one of the best reads this summer. Beautifully crafted. Thank you Carmen DeSousa.

From the Author

I characterize my stories as modern-day fairytales, as they overflow with romance, mystery, suspense, and of course, tragedy. After all, what would a fairytale be without a tragic event setting the stage? All of my novels are sensual, but not erotic, gripping but not graphic and will make you love, laugh, cry, gasp, and hope.

Both of my published novels, She Belongs to Me and Land of the Noonday Sun, have reached bestseller status right alongside Nicholas Sparks, J.D. Robb, and other great authors.

My newest releases are now available, Entangled Dreams, When Noonday Ends, and Split Decisions.

I’d rate all my books similar to a PG13 Movie, but I think they are appropriate for ages sixteen and up. Though scenes are sensual and gripping, there is nothing erotic or graphic ever.

I love talking about all things books, so please connect with me via one of the links below.

Links

Amazon US Kindle

Amazon UK Kindle

Amazon US author page

Amazon UK author page

Facebook

Goodreads

Google+

Pinterest

Twitter @Author_Carmen

Website