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BLURB:
A struggling veteran reads about the mysterious death of a local athlete and wants to learn more. He meets the owner of the business linked to the crime and discovers others have “disappeared”.
All stories include a man with dark hair, blue eyes, and a strong jaw.
Then, it’s his turn.
The mysterious forces at Bliss change everything. What brought them all to Bliss is not as it appears and their lives are powerfully interconnected across space and time.
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Excerpt One:
September 20, 2013
Greg’s mind didn’t follow his body into the coffee house. His mind was still on the fact that with a few strokes of a pen, he had undone everything that he worked towards. The exhilaration of that definitive step was quickly replaced by a growing sense of unease. It wasn’t his style to pull the trigger, figuratively or literally, without having a game plan. Then again, he didn’t need a game plan, he needed a life plan. One step at a time. He chastised himself as he joined the line of caffeine-craving citizens.
The newspapers near the door caught his attention. All of the headlines contained some variation of the same - Local Sports Legend Found Dead at 27.
Ha, Legend at 27? Greg thought. I'm 29, and no one’s calling me a legend. Survived a bomb in Afghanistan…haunted by the nightmares…soon to be an Ellison family disappointment when everyone learns what I did, and a guy who played basketball is considered a legend…at 27? He looked around the coffee house. Half of the people in line were double that age. At best - maybe - they were a legend in their own minds. Greg's self-loathing got ahead of his caffeine fix. He distracted himself with one of the newspapers.
MIKEL THOMAS DEAD AT 27
Greg studied the series of pictures of the same man, as a teen in a high school basketball uniform, in a college uniform, and in a professional one. The line for coffee at 8:30 in the morning was nearly out the door, so it gave Greg time to flip through the story.
Mikel Thomas, 27, was found in his West Los Angeles home Thursday night. His wife, Nisha, found Thomas bleeding from an apparent, self-inflicted gunshot wound when she returned home from a taping of her talk show. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Greg caught up with the line's progress and continued to read.
Thomas, a professional basketball player, had a troubled career in Philadelphia, Miami, and Sacramento. He attended Pasadena High School where an injury forced him to give up a promising football career. Thomas began playing basketball as a junior and became a top college recruit. He attended college in Los Angeles before being drafted to Philadelphia.
Shoulda played sports. Greg thought.
Thomas was involved in a shooting incident that left one dead after he was traded to Miami. His repeated altercations on and off the court led to a suspension. After a trade to Sacramento, Thomas missed part of the season for an undisclosed medical condition following a mental evaluation in a Pasadena hospital last Christmas. Thomas had a history of drug and alcohol incidents, but detectives declined to comment on that being a possible cause. The investigation continues.
Pretty standard celeb drama. Greg barely registered the comments from the player's wife and a teammate about the shock of it all. He caught up with the coffee line and skimmed further.
Mary Thomas, Mikel's mother, called into a sports radio show late Thursday. When asked if there was any indication that Thomas was in trouble, she responded. "He kept saying that his disappearance from that Bliss bar changed him forever. It was that crazy bar that killed him. I know it."
Janelle will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour
Janelle Jalbert has ghostwritten 15 nonfiction books on topics ranging from productivity, money management, marketing, cooking, and relationships. She also worked as a copywriter for some of the biggest online names and worked as a motorsports reporter covering NASCAR. Jalbert enjoys bringing stories to life that celebrate the magic in everyday living. To learn more about her current and upcoming releases and promotions visit www.janellejalbert.com. Jalbert currently lives in Southern California, though she regularly returns to her second home in North Carolina when her pack of pups grants her a vacation.
Twitter: www.twitter.com/justjjwriting
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Author Website: www.janellejalbert.com
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/Janelle_Jalbert
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Janelle-Jalbert/e/B00Q5MD7AW/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1432770403&sr=8-1
BN Author Page: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/janelle-jalbert
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