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Genre: Romantic Suspense

Release: August 24, 2012

Words:  66242

Pages:  168

ISBN:  978-1-77127-112-7

Price:  $5.95

 Back Cover:

Nessie Polite has everything figured out.  She’s about to graduate with a master’s degree in architecture, has a job in the wings and a longtime boyfriend who is a lawyer. Then her mother, Kaylynn, is killed in a nasty auto accident that may have been murder…a murder meant for Nessie.

She inherits a special seahorse necklace Kaylynn always wore and a half interest in the “Silver Seahorse” gift shop.  But now someone is stalking her, her supposed dead father is a fantasy, and to top it off, her boyfriend is cheating on her.  Who is her father? And who wants to harm her?  Will she find answers in her home town of Beulah Beach – or must she travel to the island of St. Thomas?  Will she find true love or true danger in her quest for answers?

Excerpt:

A satin pillow cradled the sweet head while the scent of flowers hung in the air. Yellow roses, her mother’s favorite, seemed to be part of all the arrangements. She could scarcely look at all the many bouquets or the countless friends who gathered in this small chapel. Instead she kept her eyes on her young mother, now never aging at forty-five, only missing her next birthday by one day.

The funeral director opened the clasp of the silver necklace, the only jewelry Kaylynn consistently wore, discretely slipped it off the narrow throat and held it out. Nessie felt her Grandmother come up beside her just as she reached for it.

“Bury the damn thing with her,” she hissed. “Nothing but bad luck since she got it. Get rid of it.”

Nessie felt a familiar tremor race down her back with the icy words. Why did Gran always make everything worse? How did she ever give birth to a woman as good, as wonderful, as caring as her mother? Tears burned her eyes, but she would not answer her. Instead, even though her fingers were too shaky to make it easy, she deliberately fastened the delicate silver chain with the little seahorse pendant around her own neck.

I’ll take care of it for you, she promised. She stroked her mother’s fingertips for one last touch before taking her seat.

Anne Marie, her mother’s business partner and closest friend, slipped into one of the posh upholstered chairs with mahogany arms beside her at the front of the chapel. She wrapped an arm briefly around her shoulders. “Hang in there, Sugar,” she whispered. She gave her a quick hug, released her, but stayed beside her. Gran settled on the other side of Nessie, still bristled from the exchange by the casket.

Testimonials:

If you have the time, Judy Winn has the book. She's packed in enough mystery to ignite your inquisitive spark and enough romance to soothe your savage soul. When Nessie Polite decides to unravel the secrets found on a note in her late mother's Silver Seahorse medallion, there's no stopping the stalker watching her every move. A great read from a great new writer.––Bill Campbell, Award winning journalist and author.

Judy Winn weaves a clever mix of mystery and romance in this fast paced novel. Nessie's Polite's family secrets are enough to scare the bravest soul half to death. A cryptic note, a job offer, a romantic stranger and a bizarrre series of clues combine to keep Nessie on the run from a determined stalker, one with murder on his mind. But what if the killer is one of her nearest and dearest?––Joyce Holland, Derringer Award winning author.

       Debut author Judy Winn crafts a charming romance and a deadly plot in The Silver Seahorse.—Kathy Carmichael, bestselling author of Hot Flash.

About the Author:

Judy is a Mom, a Grandma, and delights in being married to the love of her life, Roger, for over 50 years.  Besides writing she likes to sew and is a passionate reader. She takes pleasure in friends, both new and old and some from her pre-retirement days as a civilian personnel management specialist for the US Air Force. She holds a pilot’s license with instrument and commercial ratings. She has several short stories and articles published, but most of all enjoys traveling with Roger.