Welcome to another Tuesday celebrating bookish events, from Tuesday/First Chapter/Intros, hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea; and Teaser Tuesdays hosted by Should Be Reading.
Just grab your book and share the opening lines; then find another excerpt that “teases” the reader.
Today I’m excerpting from Dead Witness, by Joylene Nowell Butler.
Blurb: Valerie McCormick is a wife and mother from small town Canada. While visiting Seattle, she becomes the only witness to the brutal seaside murder of two FBI agents. When she flees to the nearest police station to report the crime, she becomes caught up in a web of international intrigue and danger. Suddenly, she and her family are in the sights of ruthless criminals bent on preventing her from testifying against the murderer. Even with FBI protection, Valerie is not safe. Whisked away from her family and all that is familiar to her, Valerie fights back against the well-intentioned FBI to ultimately take control over her life with every ounce of fury a mother can possess.
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Intro./First Chapter:
Camera in hand, Valerie McCormick stepped from the bus into intense daylight. She put on her sunglasses and crossed the grass to the edge of the hill. Seattle’s skyline loomed in the distance like a giant sandcastle. Closer in, waves rocked elegant yachts, sailboats, and cruisers docked at brown-scrubbed wharves, jutting along the waterfront. Fifty feet below her, a chain-linked fence enclosed acres of quiet warehouses, buildings, and small sheds in both directions. Inside the gate was the marina office.
Glancing over her shoulder to the air-conditioned bus disappearing into traffic, Valerie took off her windbreaker, zipped up the pocket with her wallet in it, and tied the jacket around her waist. The driver had warned if she missed the bus at the stop across the street at ten-to-three, fifteen minutes from now, she’d have to wait an hour for the next one. No problem. She’d find the boat, snap several photographs—there was only one on this roll of film of her standing in front of the hotel—and be back at the bus stop in plenty of time.
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Teaser: She heard a pop and felt a bullet zing past her head.
She ran, ran as hard as she could, passing the next vacant building, cornering left. Open water. A dead end. (1%)
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What’s the verdict? Would you keep reading? And does the teaser pique your interest?
Come on by and share your own tidbits today.
This one sounds suspenseful! I think I’m going to add it to my TBR!
Thanks for stopping by!
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Thanks for stopping by, Kim…I think it’s going to be a real page turner. Enjoy your week!
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I would definitely keep on reading. I got the feeling early on that Valerie was in trouble…..now I wounder, “what’s up with that?” – thanks for joining in Laurel
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I think it’s going to be very exciting…I love books that I can’t put down. Thanks for visiting, Diane, and for hosting this event.
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What an intense teaser!!! I’m definitely curious.
Thanks for stopping by LIO!
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Thanks, Amanda…glad you could stop by. Hope you have a great week!
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Bullets and dead ends. Not a good combo
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I totally agree, Jess. Glad you could stop by…hope you enjoy your week.
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Oh, I would definitely keep reading. I certainly couldn’t stop there!
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I agree, Smellincoffee…it’s going to be a page turner for me. Thanks for stopping by.
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Ooh very interesting! Makes me curious. Thanks for sharing!
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I think it’s going to be a good one…thanks for stopping by, Steph…and enjoy your week.
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Oooo, this one sounds very good! Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Lisa @ Lost in Literature
My Teaser Tuesday
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Thanks, Lisa; glad you could stop by and peek at my opening and teaser. Have a great week.
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That’s a great teaser at the beginning of the book. I would definitely keep reading. Thanks for sharing and thanks for stopping by.
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Thanks, Dalene…I do like an opener that grabs me right away, and I’m definitely captivated. Enjoy your week.
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Dead ends are never good, who gave it that name anyway. Thanks for stopping by!!
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Yes, dead ends are frightening. Thanks for stopping by, Cathy, and have a great week.
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Uh oh! That’s an intense tease!
Thanks for visiting my teaser.
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Oh, definitely…I could feel myself holding my breath from the first lines. Thanks for stopping by, Jessica, and enjoy your read.
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great teaser, definitely suspenseful! Thanks for stopping by my TT today, Book Savvy Babe
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You’re welcome, booksavvybabe…and thanks for visiting here, too. Glad you liked the teaser.
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Sounds like a heart-racer. Yikes. Here’s Mine
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Good description of how I felt reading these lines….thanks for stopping by, Paulita, and enjoy your read.
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All three (blurb, intro and teaser) has me wanting to read this book! Look forward to your thoughts.
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Thanks, Nise….I am so excited about reading this one. It’s been on Sparky for a few weeks. Glad you could stop by, and have a great week.
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Wow suspenseful teaser! Thanks for stopping by. Happy reading!
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I agree, Reading Kelly…and thanks for visiting. Enjoy your week!
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Intense teaser, and intriguing blurb. Thanks for sharing and for stopping by my blog!
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I think so, too, Christine…thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
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I’d definitely keep on reading! Looks like I’ll be adding one more to the wish list — thanks for introducing this one.
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Oh, good to know you’re intrigued…I’m thinking it will be awesome. Thanks for stopping by, Joy, and enjoy yours, too.
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Sounds like you’re in for a great suspense. Here’s hoping it delivers! 🙂
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I have a good feeling about it, Heather. Thanks for stopping by…enjoy your week!
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It sounds like this is going to be a good one – enjoy!
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I think so, too, JoAnn…thanks for stopping by.
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OH HECK ya I would. ONE it is in Seattle, my home town, TWO it is right up my alley and your tease is AWESOME! And I agree with Jessica.. bullets and dead ends are NOT a good combo!
Here is mine!
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I love Seattle, too; even though I’ve never lived there, I’ve visited a number of times, and I love reading books set there. Thanks for stopping by, AKMamma.
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It sounds very suspenseful! I’d keep reading!
Thanks for stopping by My Teaser from STRUCK
♥ Melissa @ Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf
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Definitely, Melissa…thanks for the vote of confidence in this book. Hope you enjoy yours, too.
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Great teaser! Very suspesful. Thanks for sharing and for stoping by my teaser.
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You’re welcome, Irish, and I’m glad you could visit as well. Enjoy your week!
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I really like the way you set up your whole post. I’m betting that she doesn’t make it back to the bus stop in time!! I’d keep reading!
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That’s my guess, too, Staci…I’m already feeling the suspense. Thanks for stopping by, and enjoy your week.
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This sounds really good! Have a great week!
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Thanks, Yvonne…I’m excited about it, too! Enjoy your week….
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Loved your teaser, lots of action and intrigue!
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Thanks, Janet Ruth….glad you could stop by. Enjoy your week!
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Wow, Laurel, thanks so much for including my opening on your blog. It’s so hard to be objective about my own work sometimes. All the great comments are awesome!
About the ice, sadly there’s some still left. It’s shifting back and forth across the lake. Right now it’s on the other side. Saw four eagles already today. Yay, spring! Hey, the ice could be gone by tonight, and you know what that means!
Thanks again, Laurel.
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Thanks so much for stopping by, Joylene….I am so looking forward to this book, and I’m excited about the opening paragraphs.
I think it’s safe to say the readers here are enjoying it, too.
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sounds scary!
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I think I shouldn’t read it just before trying to sleep…lol
Thanks for stopping by, Sonia, and enjoy your week.
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hey, any nightmares you get could be pretty interesting.
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I think you’re right about that, Sonia!
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