Shady Deals by Cindy McDonald Ends One Romance...With Another Looming! Hot Drama Series!

"Take off your clothes," Dr. Holden Reese closed the door to his veterinarian office at Keystone Downs Thoroughbred Racetrack. His hot gaze slid over Kate West's slender curves. He dropped th3e deadbolt into the locked position.
A shiver skittering down her spine, Kate turned to him...While her full lips parted, her eyebrows rose, "Ever heard of sexual harassment, Dr. Reese?" Unbuckling his belt, he stroke toward her. He took the vet box from her hand to set it on a nearby shelving unit and then puched her against the block wall.
Holden was a six foot two solidly muscled male. His deep brown eyes burned into her baby blues.
Caging her between his arms, Holden reached behind her head to pull out her hair band to let it spill like a golden waterfall about her shoulders. Fisting his fingers through the locks, he tilted her head back to hold her in place, "Oh, I've heard of it, Miss West, and I have every intention of taking you on my desk." He nipped at her earlobe before making his way slowly down her neck. "Do you want to scream?"
"Do you want me to scream, Dr. Reese?"...
"You were stripping..." He stepped back to take in the show about to start.
Biting her lip, Kate planted her hands on her hips.
His gaze never wavered while he unbuttoned his jeans. Urging her, he said, "The desk is waiting, my pretty little assistant."
"And if I refuse? Will you fire me?"

~~~

Shady Deals:

The Unbridled Series

By Cindy McDonald

Closing out our week with Cindy McDonald culminates in fast-paced drama that series fans knew was coming--we just didn't know what exactly would happen... Kate West has accepted Holden Reese's proposal of marriage but in the meantime, she has been getting upset.  When Dr. Reese had advertised for an assistant, Kate had decided to stay with Dr. Spears. But then Reese hired Ava West! You remember her, don't you? Mike West's Ex... Ava had earlier worked for Dr. Spears as well and was qualified, so she applied for the job...

But just getting the job was not enough for Ava--she made sure that she would keep it! Until it got so bad that even Dr. Spears was willing to give up Kate and take Ava back...all that happens behind those few sentences will be of great interest to readers!

By the way, did you tell them       

 that we're engaged?"

Kate bit her lip. "No, not yet,

Holden."

"What are you waiting for?

..."I just waiting for the right

time. Everyone seems so edgy

with all this crap going on at

the track..."

                    ~~~            

Finally, Kate admitted she couldn't handled it and made the exchange to work with her fiancee...which now allowed for some fringe benefits on the job which she was thoroughly enjoying!

Now, though since she was working closely with him, she began to notice things. Ava and Dr. Spears had already been watching--Ava would use anything she learned to further manipulate the good doctor. But Dr. Spears had contacted officials as a result of his investigation, and it had become a formal action...but undercover...

Dave was new to horse training. He had been selected as the agent to be undercover due to his size, but he'd had to go into intensive training as a jockey...

He and Shane had hit it off, especially when Dave had asked him about where he could go for fun. Shane ask if he played pool... Dave responded he liked pretty girls... Shane had a new friend!

Chip Walker thumbed the End button on his cell phone
hard. Doc Reese hadn't answered his calls or his texts in three
days. Reese was getting too independent. He wasn't
respecting his authority. Reese could blow his whole operation
to smithereens. The operation had been compromised six
months ago, but he had managed to dodge that bullet. He
couldn't afford another mishap. Reese needed to conform.
Reese needed to fall in line. Immediately...
~~~

Dan Quaide was a burly Thoroughbred trainer with a loud mouth and an aggressive training program. He was usually on the top ten winning trainers list at Keystone Downs, yet he placed the bay gelding known as Shady Deal in a claiming race. Depending on their level, most horses are placed in claiming races that are worth anywhere from five thousand to thirty thousand dollars. Anyone can buy any horse that is entered in such races at the claiming price listed in the program

Mike West had claimed him... but those at the track were not happy...

"I'm a good businessman. You put him in a claiming race. I claimed him. He just won me a lot of money--after Mike and Punch spent six weeks drying him out.

Shady Dean didn't deserve what happened to him. Especially since he was just "a warning" but most individuals would have preferred they came after them rather than destroy the beautiful horse.

But no matter what, things were coming to a head and at least two of the Wests had become close enough to the guilty parties to be in danger! Shane because of his friendship with the undercover agent... Kate, because she was in love...

McDonald certainly has given her readers much insight into the underbelly of horse racing. It is not a pretty picture for those who choose to turn to criminal activities to make money! Can anybody be bought? Not necessarily... But blackmail can also have the same result. Personally, I was quite happy to have the drug gang on the run!

Ok, I'll admit why...LOL...I'm waiting for Kate to take Ava's cowboy away from her! Don't disappoint, Cindy McDonald...I've picked up all your clues and I'm waiting for the "real" romance to "flower..."  Write fast! Readers...don't miss a single book in this series... Once you start, you'll be addicted!


GABixlerReviews

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• shady deals

Guest Blogger Cindy McDonald... Thoroughbreds...My Backdrop!

THOROUGHBREDS: MY BACKDROP

Over the past twenty years or so, my life has been marinated in horses. I live near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on a forty-five acre Thoroughbred farm. My daughters and I spend many years showing horses on the Quarter Horse circuit, traveling all summer long from one horse show to the next, including the All American Quarter Horse Congress that is held each year in the fall in Columbus, Ohio.

My husband feeds his hobby by racing our Thoroughbreds at Mountaineer Racetrack and Presque Isle Downs. Ahhh, the backside of a racetrack—now that’s where you will find a collection of characters that is an author’s dream! It is a lifestyle that few witness and even fewer understand.

Charlatan and Salty Silver Sally

The backside (the stable area) is a community. Believe me, everyone knows everyone’s business and if you’re a newbie, it won’t be long until they know everything about you—they make it their business. The people of the backside are always waiting for that one special horse that will send them over the top to some fantasy of fortunes that is always one length, or one race beyond their reach. Likewise, there are those who have the means and the horses that keep them head and shoulders above the rest, putting them on a higher social ladder than those who do not. However, the two groups meet on a nightly basis at the starting gate, and that is where it becomes Unbridled.

Fly Maggie - Fav racer

 My husband and I don’t make our living with the horses. They are a hobby, a habit, an addiction—whatever you’d like to call it. That said I’ve spent a lot of time on the backside with the exercise riders, jockeys, and fellow trainers. I’ve watched them diligently for years. The deals, the lies, the scandals, and yes the drugs. My husband calls those who use the drugs “cheaters” and rightly so. Some of the cheaters are more cunning than others.

Granddaughter Kiersten and George

George is the inspiration for the children's book

that is will release this spring George the Boss--

I will be writing this children's series under the pen

--CS McDonald

Magnum will be appearing at the

All American Youth Show in Columbus,

OH in May--and at the World Champion

Palomino show in Missouri in July--

isn't he gorgeous!

In 2005 I sat down at my computer and began writing a TV drama call Unbridled. I wanted to bring this lifestyle to the forefront because there was nothing on television quite like it. But I knew that horses and horse racing was a mystery to most of the public. People may not be interested in watching something that they know nothing about. So what is it that television viewers know all about? You got it--murder, suspense, and relationships.

So with the racetrack and a beautiful sprawling Thoroughbred farm called Westwood as my backdrop, the Unbridled scripts took form.

I created a family known as the Wests who were the proprietors of Westwood. The Wests are wealthy, but they are fair and decent people. I was tired of the shows where there were no redeeming qualities in the characters. No, this ain’t Little House on the Prairie folks, and my characters are far from perfect, but at the end of each show there was a message.

Hokay, it was a bust, but the book series has picked up where the TV show left off: Each of the Unbridled books feature graceful Thoroughbreds—they are not always the main part of the story, but they are always ever present. And yes, some of the situations that the characters get into are actual events that we have experienced at the racetrack—greatly exaggerated upon of course. For example, I’ve never been murdered.

The first book of the Unbridled Series, DEADLY.COM introduces the West family, and the farm, and the fact that online romances can be a real killer!

DANGEROUS DECEPTION is about betrayal. An aged jockey is asked to take an easier position at Westwood. He becomes enraged and entangled in a kidnapping scheme that turns deadly. This book features a secondary storyline with a Quarter Horse rather than a Thoroughbred.

AGAINST the ROPES features the West’s good-hearted farm manager, Punch. When Punch helps a down-on-his-luck fighter, he begins to question his good intentions, especially when the fighter puts the people that Punch loves against the ropes, and at the very edge of disaster.

And the latest installment, SHADY DEALS—the Unbridled readers finally get to see Holden’s and Kate’s relationship blossom into…into…what else? A hot romance that becomes shaded by lies and murder!

So there you have it, a book series filled with murder, suspense, relationships, and graceful Thoroughbreds as they dash hell-bent-for-leather across the finish line—hey, what else could you ask for?

Twiggams and her foal!

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Hot Coco by Cindy McDonald Second in Series Sure to Please Funny Bone!

Suddenly, four Thoroughbreds materialized through the mist to gallop freely through the shed row. Steam burst from their nostrils. Their eyes were wild with excitement and their manes tossed in the air. Sucking himself against the wall, Punch strained to see riders jumping from their mounts to pull them aside while the rouge renegades thundered past. 

                                     ~~~

The haze was beginning to dissipate when Mike West pulled his truck into the track parking lot. He yawned into his fist, stretched his back before he turned off the ignition, and slid from the driver’s seat. The truck expelled a deep beep, beep, when he pressed the lock button on the key ring. When he turned toward the barn area, his

eyes were drawn to a tall, leggy, blonde bombshell. She was the equal to any Playboy centerfold. His eyebrow arched and the left side of his mouth curved upward. With a bucket filled with oats, the lovely woman was coaxing a grey Thoroughbred. Interested in what she had to offer, the horse inched toward her until he came almost within her grasp. The closer the

The ornery equine jerked his head up.
His nose caught on the very edge
 of the bucket, flipped it into the air, a
nd then he bolted in the opposite direction.
The blonde grappled for the spinning bucket
and the sticky oats that were flying all
 around until it landed on Mike’s head.,, 

Thoroughbred came, the more her blue eyes brightened and her plump lips curled in anticipation. Mike couldn’t deny such a beautiful damsel in distress. So, he sauntered toward her and her four-legged friend to assist in any way he could. The Thoroughbred stretched his nose toward the bucket to sniff the sweet oats smothered in molasses. The blonde’s eyes grew wider. Cautiously, she reached out her hand to grab the horse’s halter... 

Staggering around like a poor imitation of a tight rope walker, Mike tried to pull the bucket from his head. The molasses-drenched oats dripped down his neck and over his shoulders. When she reached for the bucket, her feet became tangled which caused her to tumble into Mike and knock him to the ground. When he finally managed to yank the bucket from his head, Mike found himself nose-to-nose with the beautiful blonde, who was straddling him. Other than the oats clinging to his hair and clothes, he’d been in worse positions. 

                                                               ~~~

Hot Coco

By Cindy McDonald

With Cindy McDonald's Unbridled Series, you're not really talking about a bunch of horses without any bridles! It's all about hot sexy romance with various kinds of hi-jinks bundled up into horse racing action... The Unbridled is for the various characters who somehow manage to "unbridle" their passions and let him or her know what's coming! This first one wasn't in the request for review bundle...but that didn't stop me... I zapped it down onto my Kindle and ensured I had the complete series so far...and I think this one turned out to be my favorite! Because there was lots of humor added! Of course, I was laughing at all the West men who seem to have ongoing interest in beautiful women, some of who they ultimately realize they can live without, even though they still lust after them! Go Figure! The fools, right? LOL 

Now, first of all, I have to tell you that by the time I had four books read, there was one TV family who owned a large ranch, that I couldn't help but think of... Bonanza...but then I couldn't find pictures with the blond girl that I kept remembering until I found that she had been on The Big Valley! Remember those great cowboy western shows? She's on the left and I always thought she was the most beautiful woman during that time, didn't you? So, anyway, you might see these individuals in the various reviews that I'll be building this week and see if you agree I've made some good choices...LOL

Mike West couldn't see anyone else but Coco after he first saw her...Even when her true self started coming out! Oh no, she was cute, nice even...but a real klutz, both on foot and behind the wheel...She was downright dangerous! And nobody wanted her at Westwood, except Mike, when he was thinking...of her... and the word, naked, kept coming to mind... Even Shane was muttering until Mike made it clear she was hands off... Now that was fun to watch, sure, but not nearly as fun as her horses! 

This one's in for me! LOL!

The track announcer kept the patrons informed. “Salty Silver Sally wins by five lengths. Looks like the Number Six horse is still standing, I mean, sitting in the starting gate.”

The John Deere tractor pulled the gate forward, to reveal the seated mare chomping on her bit like a cow on a cud. Laughing and pointing, the crowd went wild. Some even took pictures with their cell phones. Mike cupped his forehead in his hand.

Success. No fuss, no muss, and more importantly, no flipping. TLC. Maybe Coco was on to something, after all. Who would have guessed?

Mike was beyond helping himself. The way she tugged at his shirt with the look in those blue eyes, and the passion in her kisses on his mouth and neck while she unzipped his Levis had him forgetting how tired he was, his trashed trailer, the burnt kitchen, and her flipping/flopping horses. It was time to sit-back, relax, and let the “trainer with benefits” package finally kick-in. It’s about damned time. 

His strong hands gently smoothed down her neck, and over her shoulders and luscious firm breasts. He looked into her enticing eyes while he slipped the dress from her shoulders to expose the sexy black satin and lace bra. Her hand slipped inside his jeans to stroke the hard length of him.  

Bang! Bang! Bang!...

...thought back on Coco’s grey gelding flipping over in the stall while he was trying to saddle him. Shaking his head, he lowered the binoculars to his chest. “I don’t believe it.” He was bewildered by the sight. “We’ve got flipper and flopper.”
“What the hell do I do now?” Mike dug deep into his mind’s eye in search of an image of Coco stark naked. Nope, nothing.
The answer seemed crystal clear to Kate. “Get rid of that bimbo. She’s been nothing but trouble.”
 “She’s right, Mike,” Punch said. 
~~~

Now somehow Coco's grey gelding had learned how to open stalls...so every night, he would become Houdini, opening his stall and then the ones of his partners in crime and they would tear up the barn, opening and eating hay bales, etc...to create a big mess! Then they would get out and enjoy the outside! That had been just what they were doing when they ran past them at the track while they were under the care of another trainer, who was quite happy to see Mike take them off his hands... Of course, he didn't realize what he was getting into since he was not really thinking much about anything but...Coco...

So while Mike, Kate, Shane and Punch had to deal with the results of Mike's decision, Eric, owner and father, had become aware of two women--one was a nurse at the Track. She was the first woman to whom he'd been attracted since his wife had died and she'd been trying for about a year now to get him interested...

At the same time, at the track he had noticed a young woman, whose father had been the trainer giving up Coco's horses. He was a hard disciplinarian who kept Margie his daughter working day and night. Margie was infatuated with Mike, but when she saw him with Coco, she once again gave up trying to get his attention. But during all that time, Eric had noticed that Margie apparently could not read. And he offered to teach her.

Readers of Cindy's first book will have met Ava West, the ex-wife of Mike, but it is in this novel when she begins to really show what a w[b]itch she really is... Because she started to cause trouble and totally succeeded into creating a true "cat" fight for readers--if you enjoy women fighting...

This book was so much fun to read...not so much suspense, but remember to start paying attention to what each character is doing. Each book can be read separately, but there is a definite roll-forward effect if you're into the series! Watch for further reviews this week! But, if you have to limit to just one...and enjoy blatant sexuality of both sexes as they prowl...Whew! Get this one! 'Nuf said!


GABixlerReviews

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• Couple notes: the link with galloping horse is to my review of first book 
• .
• Second, pics are NOT Cindy's horses except first one

Please Welcome Cindy McDonald - Sharing a Little...Today's Guest Blogger!

BIO FOR AUTHOR, CINDY McDONALD…

For the past twenty years Cindy has helped her husband raise, train, and race Thoroughbreds at their forty-five acre farm known as Fly-By-Night Stables near Pittsburgh.

During those years Cindy has paid close attention to the characters that hang-out at the back-side of the track.  She found the situations and life style most intriguing. In 2005 she sat down at her computer and began a journey into writing about this life that few understand.

Cindy has recently retired from making her living as a professional choreographer. She owned and operated Cindy McDonald’s School of Dance since 1985.  She studied at Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School and with the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy at Carnegie Mellon University to name a few.  She has choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards.

To find out more about future books of the Unbridled Series, please visit Cindy’s website at: www.cindymcwriter.com

How to contact Cindy McDonald:

My website: www.cindymcwriter.com

My FB page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-UNBRIDLED-SERIES/234151313271418

I’m a goodreads author: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5264796.Cindy_McDonald

Yep, I’m on twitter. Here’s my handle: @cindymcdonald7

My books are available on amazon:

DEADLY.COM:  www.amazon.com/dp/B005R51WQY

HOT COCO: www.amazon.com/dp/B0087SUA2K

DANGEROUS DECEPTION: www.amazon.com/dp/B00A01F1JO

AGAINST THE ROPES: www.amazon.com/dp/B00D1DL9ZS

INTO THE CROSSFIRE: www.amazon.com/dp/B00FZQXOES

~~~

GUESS WHAT? YOU’RE AN AUTHOR!

Cindy and Mother

Over the course of twenty-six years I was very comfortable with my title: Miss Cindy—dance teacher/choreographer, and after a long and successful career, I decided to make a change. In 2011 I published my first book, Deadly.com. I became an author, a writer, a storyteller. Problem was that I still thought of myself as a dancer/choreographer. Nothing had changed and I didn’t give it much thought until I attended a wedding—it was the day that everything changed…

No, this isn't Cindy on Dancing With the Stars...Just my
imagination of what she'd look like! Right?

I had just retired from my dance school in May to focus on writing my books, and on a very hot day in June my husband and I attended my dear friend’s daughter’s wedding. It was an outside wedding and we took our seats waiting for the ceremony to begin when another friend sat down next to me. She asked about my new release and how it was going, and we chatted casually until it was time for the bride to make her appearance. I didn’t give it another thought. After all I was still just Miss Cindy, the dance teacher/choreographer, and then as I approached the cookie table a woman tapped me on the shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to listen in on your conversation,” she began, “but did I hear you say that you are an author?”

I probably looked at the woman like she had just grown another head. What? Am I a what? It was the first time anyone had called me that! It was the first time anyone had even uttered the word. Author…author… I must’ve stood there for well over fifteen seconds staring at her like an idiot because she cocked her head to the side and said to me, “I could have sworn that I heard someone ask you about a book that you’ve written. I love to read, and I’ve never met an author.” Skeptically, she repeated, “Are you an author?”

It wasn’t computing. Yes, I wrote a book, and I had said book published. But I’m a dance teacher, a choreographer, I couldn’t possibly be an …um… author. Finally, my husband spoke up, “Yes, Cindy wrote a book called, Deadly.Com. It’s a murder suspense book. Do you like murder suspense books?”

The woman’s face lit up. “I love murder suspense books! Where can I buy it?”

Yet still I stood there like a total moron, still contemplating her very first question: are you an author? At last I managed to speak. I said, “Amazon… you can buy the book on amazon.”

Tickled pink that she had actually met a real-live honest-to-God moron… I mean, author, the woman gathered some cookies and returned to her table. My husband turned to me and said, “Well you totally blew that. If she’d have asked you about the dance school, you would’ve given her a business card, directed her to the website, and told her all about it. She asked you about your book and you were clueless. You’ve got to get better prepared, Cindy. She was a potential customer.”

He was right. After I came out of my funk, I went straight to the task of getting prepared. Nowadays with six published books under my belt, I actually admit to being an author. When someone asks me about my books, I whip out that business card, I direct them to my website, and yes I bore them to tears as I tell them all about my books. Yep! That’s what I am: an honest-to-goodness, real-live, in-the–flesh author.

Hmmm, now I’ve just got to figure out something snappy to say when people ask, “Are you on the New York Times best seller list?”

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Cindy McDonald Opens The Unbridled Series with Deadly.Com

Animated sequence of a race horse galloping. Photos taken by Eadweard Muybridge (died 1904), first published in 1887 at Philadelphia (Animal Locomotion). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The heat of a summer night wrapped its arms around Westwood Thoroughbred Farm, a lucrative, bustling horse farm. The farm’s vast one hundred acres was nestled in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania outside the small town of Lanzville. In the mornings, exercise riders would put the horses through their daily workouts. The Mexican stable hands chattering in Spanish would scuttle about the barn while cleaning stalls and filling water buckets. In the afternoon, the farm manager, Punch McMinn, would deliver the horses to the racetrack, where they would dash hell bent for leather toward the finish line. 

Not tonight. Not for Kate West anyway. Kate was only looking for peace and quiet tonight. The soft glimmer of candlelight and the comforting scent of sweet lilac filled the room. She took a long, gratifying sip of her Sleepytime Tea with a drizzle of honey, a tiny indulgence to help her unwind. She ran her fingers through her blonde, silky hair. Dressed in a soft cami and a pair of pajama pants, she was feeling cozy and glad to have the evening off. She often worked late into the evening as a veterinary assistant at the racetrack. Tonight was going to be a hot one. She stretched out on the sofa in her father’s study. The sweat dribbled down her neck to between her breasts. Her cami clung to her like a contestant in a wet T-shirt competition. She propped her feet on the coffee table. Her lips curled devilishly as she thought of how her father would disapprove. Twenty-five-year-old Kate was much too old for scolding, but Eric 

Giorgio

West could be somewhat overbearing. He loved the grandeur of the old Victorian-style farmhouse. He claimed that installing a modern convenience such as central air would compromise the home’s integrity. But he wasn’t home. She wiggled her toes, lifted her laptop from the couch, and logged on to a local networking website. The Wi-Fi delivered the site speedily to announce “My Town” across the screen in bold letters. The blueness from the laptop’s screen illuminated Kate’s face. She arched an eyebrow and bit her lip softly when the picture of Giorgio appeared on the screen. He’s logged on. Oh, yes! There he is a delicacy of pure eye candy. Giorgio had smooth olive skin. His long, dark hair swept across his broad shoulders. His eyes were a cool, inviting green. His jaw was square and strong. It was as if he weren’t real, as if he were one of those erotic-looking characters on the cover of a romance novel. Kate chuckled to herself. She could easily picture this half-naked Adonis, embracing a buxom beauty with her brunette hair cascading over her shimmering bare shoulders with a title like Desire at Dawn scrawled over their heads.

~~~

Deadly.com
The Unbridled Series

By Cindy McDonald

All he'd had to do was exactly what anybody else could do--a Google search for a dark haired, green-eye male pic...and he had used it to add his new profile to My Town... If only women would flock to him like they did Giorgio... He has glad that Mother didn't understand anything about the computer and what he'd done. She would be all over him, telling him he was just like his father and to keep away from women...

He hadn't even had to approach Kate to connect--she had done that herself! Of course, lots of other beautiful girls had come offering anything and everything, but he was only interested in Kate. Maybe Ava since they were both connected with the farm, but it was Kate that he wanted and it seemed that she was getting ready to agree to meet... 

That would probably be the day I'll have to kill her... I already know she can barely stand to be around me when I'm there. But as an assistant to the Farm's vet, she had no choice--she had to be near whichever horse farm had called for help... But it wasn't logical thinking when he thought of Kate--he was obsessed!

In one way or the other, Eric West and his three children were involved in the horse farm and/or racing. Kate loved working with the animals that she and the vet routinely visited, while both sons were looking to raise thoroughbreds and also race them. They were all strong-headed kids, especially the boys who had always been so competitive. Readers will enjoy the interaction within and among the family, because it adds to the drama--both the danger and interaction with the man who was freely roaming on their farm, at the tracks, and with the jockeys and staff who supported all the activities...

While it won't take long for you to identify the man, it is clear that most of those who interacted with him did not realize he was...a real...maniac...

He watched Shane play a game of pool with that track tramp, Travis Cutler, who worked for Dan Quaide. He watched and rather enjoyed the two of them beat on each like maniacs. Maniac. Now there’s an interesting word. George played with the white plastic band on his right wrist that read, George A. Smuts, Rosemount Psychiatric Institution. Her wicked chortle grew inside of his head. Oh, yes! Mother was always there.

Kate could feel the sweet comfort of quiet beginning to soothe her frazzled nerves. The past two weeks had been a drain, but all was quiet. The warmth of the water and the fragrance that swirled through the room energized her senses. The moonlight cascaded through the linen blinds. She sang an old Aretha Franklin song about feeling like a natural woman. With the sensual tune running through her mind, she imagined peeling away Giorgio’s shirt to unveil his firm, beautiful torso. He kissed her neck while she caressed the firm, tight muscles on his chest. Entranced by her lovely nirvana, her voice had shrunk to a whisper as she sang the verse where he makes her feel so alive. But the house phone interrupted her fantasy. Her eyes opened. She cocked her head to one side and listened. The phone continued ringing. She sat up. The bubbles dripped from her breasts and shoulders down into the soapy water. “Damnit,” she moaned. Just as things were getting interesting. 

She quickly grabbed a towel, pitched it around her wet body, and tiptoed down the hall toward her father’s bedroom. She snatched the phone from the receiver. “Hello.” The phone clicked. Kate returned the phone to the receiver and looked around. The lamp on the nightstand next to Eric’s bed cast the room in a subtle glow. The heat lightning lit up the darkness for an instant. The curtains billowed...

The back porch looked over a moonlit pond. The breeze formed sparkling ripples in the water. The white wicker furniture was placed so the gracious view could be savored. The porch light was off. [He] was glad the furniture was white. It made it easy to find his way to the door without tripping or making a ruckus. He fumbled in the darkness with the first key on the chain. He twisted and turned it in the keyhole, but it didn’t fit. The next key looked like a truck key, so he moved on to the third. He peered through the pressed white eyelet curtains hanging in the door’s window. The kitchen was dark and still. The lock clicked, and the door eased open. A soft sliver of light drifted in from the foyer. Breathing heavily, he shuffled through the kitchen. He rubbed his hands up and down his outer thighs before spying the knives in the block on the counter. He ran his fingers over them before remembering the gun in his pocket. Smiling, he made his way into the next room. The grandfather clock chimed its dainty little tune, announcing the ten o’clock hour. He anticipated her, so his breathing quickened. The staircase swooped upward. He began to climb it stealthily. His hand left a trail of sweat behind as it slid along the banister. He was at the top now. The sweet flowery fragrances she had been burning filled him with an ache. Her towel lay outside the slightly open bathroom door. The candlelight glittered into the softly lit hallway. He could hear her moving about the room. She was singing. Imagining what her divine naked body must look like, he closed his eyes and listened to her angelic voice. Bit by bit, he inched his way to the door. He picked up the towel and pressed it to his face. Her scent was all over it. He inhaled as if to breathe her in before stealing a look into the room. Kate’s back was to the doorway. Her pajama pants clung to her buttocks. Her bare back was beautiful...

~~~

This was my first time reading McDonald; this is also her debut novel of the Unbridled Series. She does an excellent job of intertwining the farm and racing activities, including the underbelly, within the overall story, which proved to be suspenseful and edgy. The climax will have readers holding their breaths at the location in the pool house where everybody seemed to be headed, but then didn't make their shot, or lost their gun...Was this maniac really going to win?!

Which, BTW, reminds me of a scary portion when the man is caught once and instead of being placed in prison is placed in a psychiatric hospital...you will not believe what takes place there! OMG!

Finally, I wanted to comment on the author's portrayal of the two main female characters--Ava and Kate.  They were both playing some dangerous games with online people, including Giorgio who did not really exist... That is often done! And the author did a fine job in having Kate realize that she had made some major mistakes that had placed her into the position of being stalked! Kudos for this fine ending having the character spotlight these dangers...

Highly recommended!

GABixlerReviews

Cindy McDonald was born and raised in the Pittsburgh, Pa area. For 26 years she was a professional choreographer,she taught ballet, jazz, and tap. During that time she choregraphed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. Most recently she has retired to write her novels. She resides with her husband on their Thoroughbred farm know as Fly By Night Stables near Pittsburgh.To learn more about her book series and to read excerpts from her upcoming books, please visit her website: www.cindymcwriter.com