Lights Out by Melissa Groeling
We are delighted to welcome author Melissa Groeling to Omnimystery News today.
Melissa will be with us later in the month when we discuss her suspense thriller Lights Out (Black Opal Books; December 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats) but in the meantime we wanted to introduce you it with an excerpt.
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HE DARTED OUTSIDE, UNSCATHED.
The air was freezing, pulling the air from his lungs with greedy, icy fingers. It was almost enough to make him turn right around and dive back into the house.
Almost.
He smelled snow, but he couldn't see anything. It was darker than hell outside. He groped in front of him and made for what he hoped were the steps. His feet slid and Ethan's arms tightened around his neck. He bit back a surprised "whoa" as he skittered down a small flight of steps and ended up thigh-deep in snow.
"Shit!" he bellowed.
He heard feet on the steps behind him.
"They're coming!" Ethan chattered out, his little body trembling against his back.
Without looking back, Paul took two and a half wobbly lunges when a force barreled into him, sending him face-first into the snow. Sputtering curses and chips of snow and ice, he rolled onto his side, half-aware of Ethan coughing and fighting to hold onto him. Paul struggled to his knees. He thought he could make out Jakob's face in the near-darkness and he punched him in the mouth, sending him flying backward. Paul scrambled to his feet or tried to but the snow was too deep and he was sinking ass-first, in very close danger of being stuck. He struggled to free himself, to at least get his feet under him. He heard wheezing, desperate noises coming from somewhere behind him.
Oh Christ, Ethan, hang in there, man.
His lungs were freezing and burning at the same time, his body beginning to shut down against the cold. His eyes watered, blinding him further.
Come on! Get the hell out of here! Move your ass!
But he could barely stand. He was digging himself a hole the more he tried to move. Snow leaked into his pants and down his shirt and into his boots, the feel of it nearly paralyzing him. It seemed to rise around him like the walls of an icy prism. He felt his hair freeze against his head and his nose ran to an icy stop on his upper lip. His breath puffed out in jagged, little clouds.
Come on, come on, COME ON!
The weight on his back was suddenly gone. Hands grabbed him under the arms and pulled him back. He howled in frustration and fought to free himself. He tried to shout but his words were lost in a teeth-chattering whimper.
He found himself looking up at Irene and he had a split second to think here we go again before she slammed the butt of the shotgun in his face …
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Photo provided courtesy of
Melissa Groeling
Melissa Groeling graduated from Bloomsburg University with a degree in English. She lives, reads and writes in the Philadelphia region and wherever else life happens to send her. She is a hardcore New York Giants fan and loves chocolate.
For more information about the author, please visit her website at website and her author page on Goodreads, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.
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Lights Out
Melissa Groeling
A Suspense Thriller
Even when the lights are out, he can still see you …
Mac
