Friday, December 7, 2012

Time Of Death ~ Excerpt From Ellis Vidler's Latest Book


And the winner is . . . Theresa! She won the book. Theresa, please let me know what you want, print or eBook, Cold Comfort or Time of Death. :-) Email me at ellis@ellisvidler.com



Time of Death. Artist Alex Jenrette’s psychic streak is awakening after a long, quiet spell. When violence is near, she’s compelled to draw, and her sketches reflect the events she’s never seen.

The Excerpt:

“You’re drawing again.” Isobel picked up one of the loose pages and examined it. “Are the visions coming back?”

The charcoal stick gripped in Alex’s hand darted across the sheet in front of her as if driven by its own will. “Umm, maybe,” she mumbled, barely aware of the question. Under her fingers, angry waves churned against the shore. Like flotsam rising to the surface of the sea, a dark figure emerged in the wake of the flying charcoal. She grabbed a scarlet pastel, smeared it through the water around the body.

As suddenly as it had come, the tension drained from her. She dropped the chalk and leaned back, rubbing her temples. “Blood. A man in the water.”

“You haven’t done this since the boy in Asheville, have you?”

Isobel massaged her shoulders, and Alex arched her back, leaning into her aunt’s hands. “This is the first time.”

“Any idea where this one is?”

“No. Only a man in water. Ocean, judging from the waves, but I don’t know where.” Alex focused on the sketch, trying to see more, find something to locate the scene, but nothing else came to her. She yawned. “It’s gone now.” Nearly a year had passed since the last visions rendered themselves through her hands. It happened shortly after Ty’s death, when she was more vulnerable, maybe more open to the spiritual world. She hoped that was the end of the unwelcome drawings, but she’d known they’d return if violence came near.

“Is he dead?”

“Yes, I’m sure of it.” Alex couldn’t help this man. In Asheville, the boy had been alive. The police, convinced she was a nut case, ignored her until one of the searchers recognized the cave entrance from her sketch. He led the police to the place, where they found the child, terrified and suffering from exposure, tethered to a stake in the cold floor. Exactly as her drawings showed.

“There’s no need to go to the police.” Alex shivered, recalling the relentless interrogations, the suspicion her drawings engendered. How could she know those details unless she was involved, they reasoned. Psychic phenomena weren’t covered in the police manual.

“Then leave it. You can’t help him.” Isobel’s matter-of-fact voice reassured her. “Let’s have lunch.”
 
The Blurb:
 
Time of Death by Ellis Vidler
While visiting near Charleston, South Carolina, an artist draws scenes of murder she can’t explain.
Alex, the artist. After a tree falls on her house, she joins her aunt on an unspoiled island, but something wakens her family psychic streak. She draws eerily accurate scenes of violence, but she knows nothing about them.
Connor, the prosecutor. He’s building a case against a drug lord one piece of evidence at a time. For him it’s personal, and he can’t risk a relationship with a witness, especially a psychic who’ll blow his case out of the water. 
Rollins, the killer. He’s a cog in a much bigger wheel, and the witness to his acts of violence threatens his operation and his life. He’ll do anything to see that doesn’t happen.
 
 
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Remember, if you'd like to be in the drawing for a copy of this book, leave your comment here or on the prior blog post.
 
Hope you enjoyed the excerpt.  I did and I'm hooked.  Off to buy to book...
 
Ciao,
~ LA
 

 




8 comments:

  1. Terrific book. I loved it. I own it so don't put me on the list. Whoever wins the book will be very glad they posted.

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  2. Polly,
    I can't wait to read it! The excerpt hooked me.

    What a great premise for a book.

    ~LA

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  3. Ellis is an exceptionally good writer, I love her characters and her character.
    Una Tiers

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  4. Thank you all. Una, thanks for stopping by. I'm glad you like the people who live in my head. :-)

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  5. Ellis, the excerpt drew me in and now I have to read the rest. Even in this brief glimpse, I got the feel for the entire book.

    LA, thank you for sharing Ellis's work!

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  6. I would love to have a copy of this book! Ellis is from my area and I really love the way she writes!

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  7. I would love to have a copy of this book! Ellis is from my area and I really love the way she writes!

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  8. And the winner is . . . Theresa! She won the book. Theresa, please let me know what you want, print or eBook, Cold Comfort or Time of Death. :-)

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