MEET THREE STRONG WOMEN
Who are willing to do anything,
include taking on the Mafia,
to preserve the last White Oak Forest in Iowa.
Helen has lived and protected the property for most of her long life, but she’s dying and needs to find a new caretaker. Her Mafia crazed sons wish to raze down the forest to make themselves billionaires. She locates an avid hiker in New Jersey with the love and money to take over the woods.
Megan is convinced her lottery win came with a curse. The day she receives Helen’s offer to buy her woods she also learns a serial killer has her in his sight, so she changes her identity, moves to Iowa, and buys Helen’s forest. While the Mafia Don, Benito Campinelli, would not order a hit on his own mother, Megan is fair game.
Tess, the granddaughter of Helen, has lived with her grams since her father tried to force her to marry a Chicago Mafia Don when she turned sixteen. Under Grams’ guidance, she learned how to care for the forest. To protect Tess from being forced to sell the lands to her father, Megan turned the lands into a State Park with the caveat that Tess will become the forest manager once she gets her Master’s degree. Until then, she will assist the person in charge.
To celebrate the arrival of book two of the White Oaks – Mafia series
Book One
is 99 cents from June 1-7.
Contemporary Suspense/Romance
Blurb
Megan Clarke had a good life until she wins the Mega Times Lottery and discovers the prize comes with a curse. Worse than the many money-hungry suitors, a serial killer has her in his sight. She changes her name and moves to Iowa with plans to buy their last major forest of white oaks and turn it into a State Park.
Unfortunately, the Lottery Curse doesn't stop at state lines and someone there wants her dead, as well. Good thing a disturbingly handsome law officer is just as determined to keep her alive.
Excerpt for A Fortune to Die For
Megan realized it was going to be a while before Steve would refocus on the package. “Can I get you something to drink? Green Tea with lemon grass?” He looked health conscious. Actually, he looked like a movie star with a crew cut.
He glanced up. “Sounds good.” He then glanced around. “Any place I can sit and read these?”
“Seriously? There’s got to be over two hundred letters in there.”
“I know. Which is why I’d prefer to do this sitting down.”
“Okay, but if this package blows up on a timer, I’m going to be grumpy when I reach the afterlife.”
He chuckled at her warning, set down the letter he was reading, and picked up the package. “If I open this in the next room, will you be safe from blasts?”
“The room is steel-lined, so I think so. But wouldn’t you rather have some sort of robot handle the matter?”
His adorable grin returned. “Oddly, we don’t have one of those.”
“I could buy you one… You could just take the package somewhere safe and leave it unopened until the robot arrives. I have no problem donating the money to get you guys a bomb robot, given this probably won’t be the last time I need one.”
He studied her a long moment before replying. “You know how I got to be a detective so early in life?”
She almost replied that good-looking people lived a charmed life and received promotions more often than less attractive people, but realized he wouldn’t appreciate her observation. So she behaved and answered, “No.”
“I’ve very good instincts. For example, before you replied, you were thinking something…something I wouldn’t like, so you wisely kept it to yourself.”
Her face burned. Busted! “And your instincts tell you the package is safe?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Then take it in the other room and open it.”
Despite his confidence in his instincts, Megan remained on pins and needles for the excruciatingly long half-hour that crawled by as she waited for Detective Williams to return.
Or blow up.
Book 2 has released!
Contemporary Suspense/Sweet Romance
Blurb
Tess Campbell is a mafia princess who wants nothing to do with her dangerous family. She’d rather spend her life making Grams's forest the best state park in Iowa.
Alistair Castile, aka Steel, is a British prince, his archeological career in ruins due to his promiscuous nature. He’s hired on as forest manager of Tess’s woods and quickly falls in love with the charming young woman, so different from the socialites of his world.
Only there are several serious barriers between them: Steel’s career cannot withstand another scandal and Tess’s father will kill anyone who gets in the way of his daughter marrying a Chicago mobster.
Excerpt for Unexpected Love
Tess Campbell hugged her grandmother as the newly appointed governor signed the document to make the two-hundred-thousand acres a state park.
“We did it!”
“With the help of God and Meg, we did,” the old woman said. “For a while, I feared all I’d done was get an innocent woman killed for trying to help us. I underestimated our family’s hunger for power and money. Thankfully, the FBI didn’t.”
The phone rang. “I’ll get it.” Tess jumped from the couch and hurried to the wall phone by the kitchen. “Hello?”
“May I speak to Tess Campbell, please?”
“This is she.”
“Tess, It’s Tom Barkman.”
The head of the Park’s Commission, now her new boss. “Mr. Barkman, I just saw the land transfer went through.”
“Yes, that was a great relief. Unfortunately, it appears we are now in lockdown and not allowed to leave. Could you do me a favor and pick up Dr. Castile from the airport at six this evening? He’s coming on British Airways from Cairo.”
“Of course. Where do you need me to take him?”
“This is a bit awkward, but he’s my first choice as forest manager for your land. I had intended to take him to my house and bring him over to you in the morning. I’ve explained the situation to him.”
“That I’ll be taking his job in five years?”
“Yes. To be honest, that was a deal breaker for most of the candidates I’ve considered. However, Steel has long-term plans in a different direction, so he’s open to a short-term offer.”
“Well, I’ll do my best to convince him to take the job.”
“Just give him the same tour you did me. And, if it’s not too much of an inconvenience, could you possibly take him to a hotel nearby?”
“We’ve plenty of room here, and this is just what we need to keep our minds on our achievements instead of the problems.”
“Ah. I imagine your family is a bit upset.”
“Well, they haven’t come by, but I expect they are as angry as I am thrilled that we saved the last forest in Iowa.”
“They wouldn’t shoot Steel, would they?” he asked.
She grimaced. “No, but I’ll do my best to ensure they don’t meet him.”
BUY LINKS
About the Author
Liza O’Connor lives in Denville, NJ with her dog Jess. They hike in fabulous woods every day, rain or shine, sleet or snow. Having an adventurous nature, she learned to fly small Cessnas in NJ, hang-glide in New Zealand, kayak in Pennsylvania, ski in New York, scuba dive with great white sharks in Australia, dig up dinosaur bones in Montana, sky dive in Indiana, and raft a class four river in Tasmania. She’s an avid gardener, amateur photographer, and dabbler in watercolors and graphic arts. Yet through her entire life, her first love has and always will be writing novels.
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