by K. M. Hodge
May 9, 2026
3:00 PM
~~~
Jason wrung his hands as he stood as witness in Ellie’s wedding. She was dressed in a lightweight, white, spaghetti-strapped dress with little blue flowers. He couldn’t stop staring at those flowers. It had been almost a year and he still missed Sally every day. He hadn’t been paying much attention to the ceremony, so when his friends embraced and kissed he was surprised that it was over already.
He joined the small and intimate gathering in congratulating the couple.
When he hugged the bride, she whispered in his ear. “I want you to be happy again, too.”
He nodded. It was time to start dating again, even if just to get out of the house. While on tour, he had a couple of one-night stands, but he had yet to go out on an actual date. His friends had all tried various ways to set him up with one person or another, but he’d evaded their efforts at every turn.
“I am happy, Ellie,” he said.
“Oh, J.” She stroked his cheek.
She doesn’t believe me.
“Don’t worry, I’m going to be okay. I’m happy for you and Chris. I wish you all the luck in the world... in finding a new place to live,” he added with a chuckle.
She swatted at him. “We’re looking. I promise we’ll be out of your hair before the fall.”
He wondered if she and Chris had put off finding a new place to live due to their worries about him. Maybe they wanted to make sure he wasn’t hanging from the rafters by a necktie. For the most part, he enjoyed sharing the house with them, but had recently been toying with the idea of getting away to write. He didn’t tell them, though, since they would try to talk him out of it.
The new book idea had begun to take shape in his mind, and he felt the familiar and comforting itch in his soul to get it on paper.
Soon.
***
Lighthouse Field Beach
Steamer Lane, Santa Cruz
June 20, 2026
6:00 AM
~~~
Scott Mitchel might as well have been dead as far as the world was concerned. He had effectively disappeared without a trace. It never surprised him how easily it was to accomplish something when you had money. He had a new identity and an old purpose that drove him, but he needed to find the boy. He would stop at nothing until he found that bitch’s son.
The boy would pay for the sins of his father and mother--the people who had ruined him.
He dug his toes into the sand as he watched a young man catching a wave on a bright blue surfboard.
Yes, he will pay.
Epilogue
Church Hill
Richmond, Virginia
June 25, 2026
Noon
~~~
I haven’t spoken a word to Mari in the last couple of months, except through a few back-and-forth emails.
She says she’s doing well, and that Ellie fits right in at the precinct. The two of them have become fast friends. There was something in her subtext that tells me she might be seeing someone. We haven’t been avoiding each other, but haven’t really gone out of our way to make this “just friends” thing work, either.
No one knows that I’m here, and all my electronics were left at the house, so they have no way to track me. Before I left, I swept the bike for dust too—Sally might have made me a little paranoid. It was necessary to fall off the grid for a while. The press wouldn’t stop hounding me, and Ellie and Chris have been fucking all over the house like a bunch of teenagers. I walked in on them mid-coitus so many times that I wanted to stab my eyes out.
I wrote them all a note so they wouldn’t worry, and then took off on my bike in the dead of night. The bike is one of my favorite things in the whole world, and not simply because it reminds me of Sally. The St. Rita pendant hangs around my neck even in the shower. I wear it like a wedding ring.
The weather has been kind this summer, so I’ve been running in the timber and swimming every day at the pond in the clearing. The rest of the day, I get high writing on the old typewriter. When the words won’t come to me, I play darts. I might have stolen an FBI’s most wanted poster of Scott from the post office and posted it to the dartboard. His face may be peppered with tiny holes. But you didn’t hear that from me.
I found her library book of poetry in one of the bed stands my first week back at the cabin. The sound of crickets and cicadas are like background music to the melodic lines I read over and over again, until I think I have the whole book memorized.
She had written in the book, and her tiny print irks and excites me. Who writes in books? She wrote her thoughts and opinions on each of the pieces. Some had deep underlines. I memorize those as well. Her notes are like poetry.
Today is going to be hot, the kind of day where you break a sweat just thinking about moving. I think about going for a swim instead of writing today. I have an idea floating around in my mind that I want to ruminate over, and swimming will help me think. While changing into my swimsuit, I catch my reflection in the mirror and am surprised by what I see. Between my sobriety, daily exercise, and the Spartan meals, I’ve lost weight and put on quite a bit of muscle.
For a minute, I’m proud of myself. Only for a minute.
I slather on sunblock and slip my t-shirt on to prevent my poor Irish skin from being burned to a crisp.
There’s a sharp knock at the door.
My heart races and I reach for my rifle. I creep into the front room and swing open the front door, pointing my rifle at the poor soul standing on my welcome mat.
To her credit, she calmly stands there staring at me. “Are you going to shoot me or let me in?”
I’m frozen in place and can’t find my breath.
She’s more beautiful than I remember. Her hair is now long and blonde, and several wisps of the golden locks blow across her face, masking her smile and her doey blue eyes—the truest blue I have ever known.
---THE END---
Dying to know what happens next?
Be on the lookout for the stunning conclusion, True Blue Son, coming in the spring of 2017!
Acknowledgements
I am full of gratitude to everyone who supported me in this effort: family, friends and readers. I would like to give a special shout out to Jessica Dominguez. Your friendship, support, and help in making my work shine, means more to me then you will ever know! I have an amazing team of fact checkers but I would like to give special thanks to Rayne Soza, who puts up with my often times bizarre medical questions. I’d also like to thank Melinda McIntosh and Lindsay Palmgren, my diehard cheerleaders, who keep me going when the going gets tough. Last but not least, I am grateful for the friendship and support of two amazing writers, Cassidy Cayman and Melissa Storm, who have helped me turn a love of writing into a blossoming career.
About the Author
K.M. Hodge grew up in Detroit, where she spent most of her free time weaving wild tales to spook her friends and family. These days, she lives in Texas with her husband and two energetic boys, and once again enjoys writing tales of suspense and intrigue that keep her readers up all night. Her stories, which focus on women’s issues, friendship, addiction, regrets and second chances, will stay with you long after you finish them.
When she isn’t writing or being an agent of social change, she reads Independent graphic novels, watches old X-files episodes, streams Detroit Tigers games and binges on Netflix with her husband. Sign-up for her mailing list to receive a free gift: Kmhodge.com/subscribe
She enjoys hearing from her readers, so don’t be shy about dropping her a line at any of these links: Website, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, mailing list.
What’s Next from K.M. Hodge?
TRUE BLUE SON
The Syndicate-Born Trilogy – Book 3
Watch for the thrilling conclusion to this exciting trilogy to release in the spring of 2017. For more information on this book, please visit the Evolved Publishing website.
~~~
Dr.
Zander Ride grew up a son of The Syndicate, his fate as a career criminal all but sealed. With the help of his mother, he escaped a life of crime... until the night he heard The Syndicate had shot his mother in cold blood.
Zander soon finds refuge in the hands of his mother's hacktivist group, who want his help bringing down the notorious group once and for all. But it comes with a cost. Managed by a different leader and guided by a new deadly mission, the hacktivists force Zander to confront the truth about his parents and the sacrifices they made for the cause.
In the end, Zander must decide how far he's willing to go and what he's willing to sacrifice. Can a child born of The Syndicate bring it all down, or will he be another pointless sacrifice in their struggle for money and power?
More from Evolved Publishing
We hope you thoroughly enjoyed Black and White Truth, and of course Red on the Run, too. If so, you’re sure to love these great thrillers, too:
From the senior editor of The Syndicate-Born Trilogy comes a novel for lovers of psychological suspense thrillers, for readers 17 and older:
FORGIVE ME, ALEX
By Lane Diamond
Two personalities, two attitudes, two goals, two methods—one darkness. This psychological thriller novel is now available. For more information on this book, please visit the Evolved Publishing website.
~~~
~~~
Tony Hooper stands in shadow across the street, one amongst many in the crowd of curiosity-hounds gathered to watch a monster’s release. Seventeen years after Mitchell Norton, the devil, terrorized Algonquin, Illinois on a spree of kidnapping, torture and murder, the authorities release the butcher from psychiatric prison.
Tony longs to charge across the street to destroy Norton—no remorse—as if stepping on a cockroach. Only sheer force of will prevents his doing so.
The devil walks the world again. What shall Tony do about it? Aye, what indeed.
After all, this is what Tony does. It’s who he is. The devil himself long ago made Tony into this hunter of monsters. What a sweet twist of fate this is, that he may still, finally, administer justice.
Will FBI Special Agent Linda Monroe stop him? She owes him her life, so how can she possibly put an end to his?
Tony Hooper and Mitchell Norton battle for supremacy, with law enforcement always a step away, in this story of justice and vengeance, evil and redemption, fear and courage, love and loss.
~~~
Praise for Forgive Me, Alex:
“Lane Diamond has succeeded in bringing to the surface the dark and horrifying mind of a psychotic serial killer while at the same time bringing forth the desperate need for humanity and justice for the victims and their families.” – The Kindle Book Review
“Psychological thrillers are my kind of books! Not only do I write them, but truly enjoy reading one that makes my skin crawl, my nerves skitter with fear and my heart thump a tad louder. This incredible novel by Lane Diamond handed me ALL of that, in spades!” – Ashley Fontainne, Author of “Zero Balance (Eviscerating the Snake)”
“With a deeply attuned attention to the nature of humanity and psychosis, Diamond delves into the darkest corners of the human mind and pulls out nuggets of horror and absolution that will leave you wanting more. I look forward to more books from this amazing author. This is a book to rival any of the great thrillers you’ve ever read and is a definite must read!” – Kimberly (Karpov) Kinrade, Author of “The Forbidden Trilogy”
“Lane gets you into the head of the characters and you feel this bond with them urging you to read faster to find out what happens next. You know you are reading a great book when you need to stop reading but keep telling yourself just one more chapter, then one more leads to half the book. I felt so bad for Tony and all his loss. I wanted to murder Mitchell Norton myself. I wish I knew old Frank personally. I was caught off guard by the ending and can’t wait for the next book! Well done!” – Jennifer @ Can’t Put It Down Reviews
“...Lane’s writing makes you really care about these people and what’s going on. Lane excels in this area of sympathetic characters.” – Tim C. Ward, Book Blogger & Podcaster
“I have actually read this story twice, yes twice! There are new things to discover each time you read it and I would encourage you to pick it up again, see what you can discover about Tony Hooper the second time around ... and see what you can maybe discover about yourself. I was able to understand my sick fascination with serial killers and horror gore a little better with the aide of Forgive Me, Alex—it is the only media representation of such a horrific character type that effectively goes beyond the curtain.” – Marie Borthwick
“I think what struck me the most about the story, and what I really enjoyed, was the way Diamond explored the depths of the main characters, Tony Hooper and Mitchell Norton. It would be easy in this type of story to get caught up in the action. But correctly, I think, Diamond recognizes that the strength of the book lies in the characters, and he does an excellent job of helping the reader understand the inner workings of their minds. ... That is not to say that the “action” scenes were not well done. In fact, I found myself drawn to the most disturbing scenes, which I think is a real compliment to the manner in which they were presented.” – Rich V. at Amazon
For lovers of suspense thrillers with a socio-political twist, for readers 16 and older:
SHATTER POINT
By Jeff Altabef
A gripping glimpse of the near future, in which a twisted serial killer finds power in a corrupt political culture, this psychological thriller is a stand-alone follow-up to Jeff Altabef’s first novel, the political thriller Fourteenth Colony. For more information about this book, please visit the Evolved Publishing website.
~~~
~~~
Maggie met Cooper at a young age, but even then she sensed something was wrong with him. His charm, good looks, and wealth could not hide the danger that burned in his sapphire eyes.
Some nightmares don’t go away. He’d been haunting her from a distance for as long as she could remember.
Now things have changed.
When her sons Jack and Tom discover she’s been taken, they set out to rescue her and uncover nefarious family secrets, explosive government conspiracies, and a series of horrific murders along the way. Only their colorful great aunt and a covert resistance group can help them navigate the dark underworld full of political subterfuge and class warfare.
All the while, Maggie struggles to outwit her tormentor in a life and death psychological battle of tense desperation. Will Jack and Tom arrive before Cooper reaches his shatter point?
~~~
Midwest Book Review has described Jeff Altabef as an “articulate and engaging storyteller” and “a contemporary novelist of considerable merit and imagination.”
~~~
Praise for Shatter Point:
“Shatter Point by Jeff Altabef was an amazing read. There were two separate stories here fully entwined together. The story started on a high note and never dropped a beat the whole way through. Excellent thriller, a scary one because the experimental drug side of it is something that could possibly happen, or may even be happening today. This is one of those books that no reader will be able to part with until they reach the end, I guarantee it.” - Anne-Marie Reynolds, Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews and Awards
“From the moral and ethical dilemmas posed by drug testing to the control of violence in a society dominated by privilege, Shatter Point reveals much food for thought. Add the overlap of romance, murder mystery, and political thriller and you have a truly multifaceted read that grabs a hold with powerful protagonists and issues and won’t let go till its logical, satisfyingly unexpected conclusion: a neat wrap-up perfect for a precisely-evolving thriller.” - Donovan, eBook Reviewer, Midwest Book Review
“I found the flow of the book to be fast paced and perfect for this kind of story. Jeff Altabef has truly created a gripping story that is full of suspense, thrills and drama.
If you enjoy this genre, Shatter Point will tick all of your boxes and give you even more than that. I had trouble setting this one down and I think you will do too. I give this book two thumbs up and suggest it for a fantastic read.” - Kathryn Bennett, Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews and Awards
For lovers of paranormal suspense thrillers, featuring a strong female lead character, for readers 16 and older:
THE ZOE DELANTE THRILLERS
Book 1 – Whispers of the Dead
Book 2 – Whispers of the Serpent
Book 3 – Whispers of the Sidhe
These supernatural crime thrillers take us into the strange and future world where Zoe Delante helps the police track down mysterious and terrifying killers. For more information, please visit the publisher’s website at Evolved Publishing.
~~~
~~~
Whispers of the Dead:
Murder was never something Zoe Delante enjoyed, but solving the cases…. She does that rather well, and has the track record to prove it. Yet when she’s called in on a new case with the Baltimore PD as their go-to clairvoyant, she’s unprepared for the heinous nature of the crimes.
The hunt for the murderer unfolds, dropping Zoe right in the middle of a power struggle between a nightmare of a coven, and a serial killer leaving bodies in ceremonial circles in the rural parts of Baltimore’s city limits.
Will she discover the identity of the maniac behind the gruesome beheadings, or will she lose someone close to her first? A race against celestial bodies and the trail of earthbound body parts keeps our intrepid clairvoyant running right until the very end.
~~~
Praise for Whispers of the Dead:
“This novel is a good fit for readers who like books with almost unbearable suspense. The writer has done a tremendous job in researching the Wiccan faith to write this novel. A word of caution - the book has a number of violent scenes, so it’s not for sensitive readers. Having said that, it also shows clearly the power of good forces over evil ones. You don’t put this book down once you start reading it. You could not stand to leave it for another day, and what’s more, you wouldn’t dare. It’s that powerful, I might say ‘spell-binding’. The suspense never lets up till the end. A terrific piece of work.” – Joyce at Amazon
