Wes Dodd was born in
Lynchburg, Virginia in 1958, currently residing in Southside Virginia. He has
two daughters and three grandchildren. Within the last couple years he has
discovered a passion for creating and breathing life into great stories. He has
published three novels: The Crimson Key, a mystery, The Secret Guardian,
fantasy and Saving Faith, a romantic thriller.
Genre:Mystery
Publisher: Outskirt Press
Release Date: July 2012
Book Description:
David Paige, a young detective from
Charleston, S.C., is about to embark on an investigation of a lifetime—his own.
After an unexpected tragedy shatters his perfect world, he discovers that his
mother had been keeping a life-long secret from him, revealing that he is not
who he believed he was. With no family member to turn to, David has to rely on
his detective skills and a mysterious item left to him from his mother—a crimson-colored
key.
The search for the truth takes David to New
York City, where he runs head on into lies, deception and murder, all in an
attempt to cover up a string of dreadful crimes. Then if this is not enough to
deal with, he falls for the daughter of a prominent man, both sharing an
undeniable attraction—which complicates his life even further.
It isn’t until a near-death experience, and
help from his mother through several frightening nightmares, that the pieces of
the puzzle finally begin to come together. The Crimson Key ultimately unveils
many secrets, surprising many people including David—opening his eyes and heart
as well.
Excerpt:
Chapter 1
On a dark mid-November night in 1986, rain
fell hard from the black sky above, rain bitterly cold like liquid ice. The
fierce wind whipped it in sheets, punishing anything in its path. On the
outskirts of Philadelphia in a suburban neighborhood, a fiery red Z28 slowly
pulled to a curb in front of a small three-bedroom, single-story brick house.
The driver, a distraught young woman, slowly leaned forward, resting her head
on the leather-covered steering wheel. She cried uncontrollably. A few minutes
passed before she finally reached up and turned off the ignition, silencing the
motor and radio just as Michael Jackson’s Thriller was ending. She sat up
straight once again, wiping her face in an attempt to regain her composure for
the clandestine mission ahead of her. She cast a pair of glassy eyes to her
right, drawn to a small basket much like a picnic basket in the dark leather
seat beside her. While she gazed relentlessly at the basket, she realized once
again that she had made the right decision.
Alice Paige rose up in her bed, awakened
by a pounding on her door. She peered at the clock—1:07 a.m. She carefully
placed her book on the nightstand, the book she was reading when she drifted
off. “Who is at my door at one in the morning?” she thought to herself as she
slipped on her heavy brown robe. Reaching the front door, she pulled the
curtain back carefully, just enough to peek outside. Though the front was dimly
lit and the rain poured down, she instantly recognized the figure that stood on
her front stoop. The long blonde hair and familiar curvatures of her slender
face could be but one person. Alice slowly opened the door and invited her twin
sister, Amber, inside.
Alice and Amber were identical twins at
birth, though now complete opposites in many ways. Alice had light ash brown
hair that she kept very short. She never wore makeup and was considered
plain-looking and ordinary in her ways. Amber, on the other hand, was gifted
with rare beauty and a voluptuous figure. She did very well in beauty pageants
and at age eighteen went off to New York City in pursuit of a modeling career.
Alice remained hidden in her shadow.
Amber entered slowly, carrying an
odd-looking basket covered entirely with a blue blanket, wet from the rain. She
tugged a large suitcase on wheels that seemed to be very heavy. She sat the
basket down gingerly, as if what lay hidden within might be fragile. Amber then
fell into her sister’s arms, releasing a flood of emotions. She hugged Alice
tightly, clinging firmly to her as if hanging on for dear life.
Excerpt grabbed my attention and I love the cover! I wish you well on your tour:O)
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