by A. W. Exley
“And we know where you were.” He held eye contact with her.
She wondered how long it would take him to hint they considered her involvement in Lord Devon’s untimely demise. “So it occurred to you the long-lost, and estranged, daughter might have taken it upon herself to resolve her daddy issues.”
He smiled; small dimples at the corner of his mouth made him even cuter. She couldn’t find anything to dislike about the man; from his appearance to his manner, he radiated casual charm. All topped off with good breeding and education, but not so much of either to make him unapproachable or stiff. There was just the tiny fact of him being an Enforcer, and Cara’s loathing for the way the force failed her.
“We like to be thorough. But in the absence of any evidence to the contrary, the doctor has ruled it accidental.”
Cara nearly laughed aloud. “I’m sure he was bitten accidentally. It doesn’t answer the underlying question, though, does it?”
She returned his smile.
He held out his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “You can see my dilemma.”
“Let me guess. You’ll be watching me?”
“I see we understand each other, Miss Devon. The case will remain open. You never know when new information may come to light.”
He moved out of the parlour to the front door, saving Cara from telling him to leave. He nodded and replaced his bowler.
She closed the front door behind him, then leaned against it. Thoughts churned and jostled around her brain, like hungry fish after chum.
The sooner I clean up here and sell a few things, the sooner I can get the hell out of London.
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Nefertiti's Heart, by A.W. Exley
(http://j.mp/HeSkp0)
Cara Devon has always suffered curiosity and impetuousness, but tangling with a serial killer might cure that. Permanently.
London, 1861. Impoverished noble Cara has a simple mission after the strange death of her father—sell off his damned collection of priceless artifacts. Her plan goes awry when aristocratic beauties start dying of broken hearts, an eight inch long brass key hammered through their chests. A killer hunts amongst the nobility, searching for a regal beauty and an ancient Egyptian relic rumored to hold the key to immortality.
In a society where everyone wears a mask to hide their true intent, Cara must figure out who to trust, before she makes a fatal mistake.
Hatshepsut's Collar, by A.W. Exley
(http://j.mp/HeSkp0)
An ancient Egyptian artifact is driving Queen Victoria insane, and that’s not top of Cara Devon’s growing list of problems.
Viscount Nathaniel Lyons is a man of numerous secrets, but there is one in particular that threatens his fledgling relationship with Cara. Stunned by Nate’s revelation, and before she can absorb the ramifications of his actions, he is arrested, charged with treason and imprisoned in the grim Tower of London. He stole something the mad queen wants, and only has days to deliver, before his date with the executioner.
Only together can Cara and Nate figure out how to wrestle Hatshepsut’s Collar from around the queen’s neck, before she plunges Britain into a world war.
Viola Doyle, or an Unconventional Gift, by Amy Lynn Spitzley
(http://j.mp/1diG9o4)
Viola Doyle, a carefree Victorian girl, is far more interested in riding her bicycle and hearing about her grandmama’s adventures than in making a good marriage, much to her mother’s dismay. However, when she acquires a magical pin and bumps into a handsome historian, things get more interesting than even Viola had planned.
And then, of course, there is the dragon…
Wind-up Hearts, by Stan Swanson
(http://j.mp/1h0JxTA)
If one’s heart is constructed of metal, can love still find a place within? That is the question facing Henry who spends over a hundred years pursuing the woman of his dreams.
After Henry and Emily become recipients of artificial hearts, we follow their journey from 1875 to the present and Henry’s quest to convince Emily to become his bride. Will Henry’s pursuit be successful or will Emily ultimately “break” his indestructible heart?
A tale of romance more than science fiction, Wind-Up Hearts will tug at the strings of your heart whether it be mechanical or flesh and blood.
Curiosity Quills: Primetime
(http://j.mp/17GwEbg)
"Some of horror's brightest talents under one mysterious tent." - Scott Nicholson, The Red Church
Curiosity Quills Press brings together bestselling authors like J.R. Rain, Tony Healey, A.W. Exley, and more (with a foreword by Jennifer Malone Wright) to create a spine-tingling, mind-blowing, quirky collection of short stories in their first ever, annual Curiosity Quills: Primetime anthology.
10% of every purchase will go straight to animals in need. The CQ team has selected humane societies on both the East and West coast that spend well and do not stray from their "no-kill" policies.
Curiosity Quills: After Dark
(http://j.mp/17GwEbg)
Welcome to Curiosity Quills: Primetime’s steamier counterpart, Curiosity Quills: After Dark, where bestselling authors like A.W. Exley, Nathan L. Yocum, Jose Prendes, Jade Hart, and more come together to bring you hard-hitting, sexy, violent, and dark short stories to read when the sun has gone down and the kids are in bed.
Just like its twin, 10% of every purchase will go straight to animals in need. The CQ team has selected humane societies on both the East and West coast that spend well and do not stray from their “no-kill” policies.
Appetizer:
Book Cover
Copyright & Publisher
Title Page
Dedication
Main Course:
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Dessert:
Acknowledgements
About the Author
A Taste of Nefertiti's Heart
Closing
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