Category Archives: author

Release Day!

21 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in Alpha males, Amazon, author, Black Rose. Lilly Gayle, ebooks, EMBRACE THE DARKNESS, OUT OF THE DARKNESS, paranormal romance, paranormal romantic suspense, paranormal vampire romance, romance novel

≈ 22 Comments

Lines from Folks I KnowToday is the official release day of Embrace the Darkness, book Two in the Darkness Series. You can now find ETD om print and digital formats from The Wild Rose Press and Amazon.  It should soon be available in digital format from other retailers like Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, and Soni. Book One, Out of the Darkness is also still available and on sale at most retailers.

A Secret Revealed

Embrace the Darkness~

An experimental vaccine gives vampire Gerard Delaroche hope for the first time in two centuries–until two people are brutally murdered, and he suspects a conspiracy between vampires and mortals. To solve the crime, he must put his trust in a beautiful detective. But is former soldier and MP turned detective, Amber Buckley, a threat to his existence? Or the answer to his prayers?

Amber Buckley and her partner are assigned to do follow up interviews in the Lifeblood of America slayings. Amber believes she and Reid are just new eyes on a cold case. That is, until she meets Gerard Delaroche. Something about him teases long-buried memories Amber would rather not chase. However, the two join together, falling into more than resolution of a murder case. It seems Amber has some dark secrets of her own.

To find their way into the light, Amber and Gerard must first EMBRACE THE DARKNESS.

I hope those who’ve read Out of the Darkness liked it enough to read Embrace the Darkness. The books are a series but they don’t have to be read in order to make sense. You don’t even have to read the first book to read and understand the second book. But I hope you will.

So, come celebrate with me! I’ll be giving away a $7.00 gift certificate to The Wild Rose Press on Saturday. For your chance to win, leave a comment. and you’ll automatically be entered in a random drawing. No purchase necessary and your chances of winning depend on number of comments posted.

 

Interview with a Playboy Daddy

07 Friday Jun 2013

Posted by in author, contemporary romance, e-books

≈ 10 Comments

Today is my 33rd wedding anniversary. I’m off work from the day job but my husband is working. So, before we go out to celebrate, I’m spending time with Dillon James from author JM Stewart’s novel The Playboy’s Baby.

Since Dillon is really nothing more than a figment of JM’s imagination, she’s going to help Dillon answer my interview questions. Because really, who knows Dillon better than JM?

So, Dillon, where were you born?

Hastings, Montana

And, where do you live now? What do you do for a living?

Still live in Hastings. It’s where my family is and family’s important to me. What do I do for a living? I own a bar/nightclub. Though my pop wishes I worked in his restaurant, like the rest of the family. My club is more my style and it’s doing rather well, thank you very much. The place is jumping every night. On the weekends, it’s packed. I brought life to this tiny little town. 😉

What’s going on in your life right now?

My best friend’s big sister walks into my nightclub by herself on a Friday night, that’s what. Frankly, I was surprised as hell to see her. Never mind that she hasn’t been back to town since she left it eight years ago. She wouldn’t have come on her own. You see, Emma’s straight laced. She’s smart, graduated the top of her class, and she did it while helping her sick mother take care of her little sister. I have to tell you, though, she was a sight for sore eyes. Man, I used to have the biggest crush on her. The last time I saw her, I got to hold her in my arms, and seeing her again just brings it all back.

But I’m not the same person and she’s come with bad news. Her baby sister, my best friend, has died in a motorcycle accident. A cold, rainy night, slippery roads and a careless damn driver. Sounds just like something Janey would do. I’m devastated. Janey’s been avoiding and now I’ll never get another chance to patch up the hole in our relationship. But Emma isn’t done with me. She has more news. I have a six month old daughter her sister had planned to keep to herself out of some misguided notion of protecting me. I’d throttle her if I could. Leave it to Emma to do the right thing.

Wow. Sounds like a real mess. Is there a special person in your life–or someone you want in your life?

Emma Stanton. She’s half my size, and she isn’t afraid of anything, least of all me. She isn’t afraid to stand up to me or get in my face and tell me what she thinks. And she does it, because she’s got principles and she isn’t afraid to stand behind them. She isn’t afraid to do what’s right, even at her own expense. She doesn’t think she’s beautiful, though, and I am determined to show her otherwise.

How did you meet?

Emma and I met when we were kids. Her little sister is my best friend. We met when I was in second grade and we’ve been inseparable ever since. Emma was always the protective big sister and man, she hated my guts. *laughs* Her sister loved getting into trouble and Em was always positive I was the one leading her into it.

So, what’s keeping you two apart?

I don’t do relationships anymore. One rotten apple too many spoils the whole bunch, you know? I’ve been burned one time too many. Right now, all I really want is to be there for my daughter. Emma also keeps herself at a distance. I think she sees our relationship as wrong, because my best friend is her little sister. But there’s something else there, I think. It’s the way she looks at me, sometimes, like there’s a hesitation in the depths of her eyes. Not that it matters. As much as I’d love to see where our relationship would lead, Emma deserves better than a fling and that’s all I’m capable of right now.

Maybe you should let her decide. But if you don’t see the relationship working out, how would you like to see things resolved?

In an ideal world? I’d like to have met her somewhere else, some other time and place. I wish she’d have come home sooner, before my last relationship colored my view on all of them. Hell, sometimes I wish I’d had the courage to tell her years ago how I felt about her. Maybe we’d have ended up different places.

So, why not tell her now? What obstacles are standing in your way?

Besides, the above? My daughter. I’ve missed out on six months of her life and her mother is dead. I think on some level, she knows it, too. She deserves my focus. Between her and keeping my club afloat, my life just doesn’t have room for love.

There’s always room for love. So, isn’t there a happily ever after in your future?

Man, I sure hope so. Emma’s a wonderful woman. Soft hearted and kind, looks out for everybody but herself. She’s the kind of woman a man settles down with. She’s teaching me how to take care of my daughter, and the more time I spend with her, the more she feels like family. And the more I want to make her a permanent part of my world.

Sounds to me like your heart already wants what your head says you can’t have. But that’s a conclusion you’ll have to come to on your own. Are there any last comments before I turn this interview over to Joanne?

Thanks for letting me share my girls with you.

Any time. Joanne (JM) writes wonderful characters I enjoy spending time with.

Author bio:

J.M. Stewart writes sweet and heartwarming contemporary romance with a touch of passion. She’s a wife, a mother, a spiritualist, and lover of puppies, and happily addicted to coffee and chocolate. She lives in the Great Rainy Northwest with her husband of sixteen years and their two sons. She’s a hopeless romantic who believe everybody should have their happily-ever-after and has been devouring romance novels for as long as she can remember. Writing them has become her passion.

Book blurb:

They can’t forget the past, but is it enough to create a future?

When an accident leaves her guardian to her six-month-old niece, Emma Stanton must return to her small hometown of Hastings, Montana to find the one man she’s spent the last eight years trying to forget. She and Dillon had grown up together–he was her sister’s best friend. But that hadn’t stopped him from sharing a kiss with Emma that had followed her through the years. Now, not only must she break the news of her sister’s tragic death to Dillon, but she must risk the only family she has left and tell him he’s the baby’s father.

Wealthy nightclub owner Dillon James has been used for his name and money one too many times, so when he comes face-to-face with Emma Stanton and her gorgeous lips, he’s determined to keep things light. All he wants is to be the father his daughter needs, to make up for not being there for her and her mother. But spending time with Emma, as she shows him the ropes of caring for his daughter, is wearing down his defenses. Perhaps it’s time he took a chance on love.

If only he can convince Emma to take a chance on him…

Short 1  page excerpt:

“I had a bad experience once.” She felt like a fool, a child, but prayed he’d understand. Fear stuck in her chest, refused to let her breathe, and she couldn’t stop shaking.

He studied her, his dark eyes moving over her face, and then his jaw tightened. “Somebody hurt you once.”

When she nodded, embarrassment heated her face.

Regret and torment filled his eyes and he stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “God, I hate that thought. Do you want to stop?”

“No. No. I want this. I want you.” She wanted fear to stop dictating her life, to experience passion. She wanted it with him. “I trust you. I feel safe with you. I just…I need to go slow.”

Understanding dawned in his eyes. His expression softened. “I’m going too fast and it scares you.”

She hated admitting it. Hated it still had that effect on her, but nodded nonetheless. “I’m nervous.”

“Come on.” He took her hand, pulling her behind him into the living room. Once there, he took a seat on the sofa and patted his lap. “Sit with me.”

She climbed onto his lap, sitting sideways on his knees, and he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist. His arousal pressed into her bottom, hard against his zipper, but he didn’t otherwise move, didn’t demand anything more. Rather, he stared into her eyes, for so deep and so long she lost herself in the infinite depths.

Finally, he lifted a hand and cupped her cheek. “You’re in control of this. When you’re comfortable with me again and you want more, you let me know. If you don’t…” He shrugged a shoulder. “We’ll just sit here and I’ll get to hold you for awhile. Okay?”

Author links, webpages, fan pages, and book trailers:

Website Blog Twitter Facebook

FYI: If you enjoy these fun character interviews, Joanne is interviewing Gerard Delaroche from my latest release Embrace the Darkness coming out June 21 over on her blog. So check it out if you have time. http://jm-stewart.blogspot.com/2013/06/character-interview-with-lillys-gayles.html

The Changing Face of Publishing

31 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in author, Grave Secrets, Indie Publishing, Linda Trout, novels, publishers, romance, self-promotion, self-publishing, The Wild Rose Press

≈ 24 Comments

Writing a book isn’t what it used to be. The computer made the physical part of the process much easier. Now, Indie Publishing has added another convenience. It’s eliminated the need to find an agent or a publisher. 

But is this a good thing? Or is there a lot more poorly written crap out there? And why are so many authors blogging, Tweeting, and Facebooking? What’s with all this self-promotion anyway? 
The publishing world is changing and authors have to adapt or change careers. For those of us still struggling to make a career, the changes can be daunting. 

What’s an author to do?

I’m not sure myself. So, I’ve asked recently published Wild Rose Press author, Linda Trout how she views this new world of publishing.

Welcome Linda!

Hi Lilly. I’m so glad to be here today. It’s very sweet of you to host me.

– Contests. Do you enter and why?

I do enter contests. As an unpubbed, I found it to be a good way to get my MS in front of an editor if I finaled. Also, if you final you have bragging rights. Always a plus.

I tried contests a couple of times. Some of the critiques were very helpful. A couple sounded like so much sour grapes to me, while others didn’t give a clue as to what was good or bad about the work. I tend to shy away from them. I guess I’m afraid of being told I suck. Lol!

– Do you keep up with your sales? What social media do you think generates the most sales for you and how do you keep up with the results.

Since my book is a recent release, I’m still new at keeping up with sales numbers. I don’t check every day, but probably should keep a closer tab on them. I always try to steer people to The Wild Rose Press site, but most people are more familiar with Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

I love that TWRP pays quarterly. I checked my sales a few times on the authors’ website, but it just made me anxious. Now, opening that email that takes me to my paypal account is like opening a present. And since my sales very so widely, it’s like getting an unexpected gift. My December sales were steady. My sales went up in March and then dropped in July. Can’t wait to see what September brings.

– Do you do book signings. Do you think they’re a thing of the past?

I LOVE book signings! I’ve done quite well at them. Of course, the one’s I’ve done so far have been with family, friends and former coworkers so it was a good way to reconnect. I think it may depend on where you live and your own social network. I come from a small town so it made sense to hold my first signing at the library there.

I’m a small town gal myself. I’ve had seven book signings. I made my most sales at the two held in a gift shop in my hometown. Thanks to all my friends, family, and co-workers. Lol! But you’re right. It was loads of fun and a great way to reconnect.

– Speaking of books, do you still read paperbacks? Or do you prefer digital readers? Do you see a future for paperbacks or do you think they’re going the way of the dinosaur?

I have to admit I’m one of those dinosaurs. Don’t own an eReader (yet). My hubby and I both read paperbacks. A LOT! We drop in at the bookstore quite often to see what’s new. Don’t you just love the smell and the stacks of books when you walk in the door? Kinda like coming home. When we have too many books piled up, we donate them to the local library. It’s a win-win situation.

I felt the same way you do—until my husband bought me an e-reader two years ago. Now, I only buy/read research books. I still love browsing bookstores. I still buy old books and research books. But when I want to read for fun, I download it. I’m now on my second e-reader.

– Besides guest blogging, how do you promote your books?

I use Facebook and set up an Event when I have a signing, then invite all my friends that live close by. I’ll also have an announcement in the newspaper. I’m signed up on Twitter, but I’m still trying to learn my way around it. hehe. I also set up author profiles on Amazon and Goodreads. Not sure how those help me promote my book, though. Basically, I use word of mouth and tell everyone I know to tell everyone they know. Not that efficient, but I’m still getting the hang of this stuff. Remember, I’m a dinosaur. {snort}

I know what you mean. I get Facebook. I don’t quite get Twitter. But I am trying to Tweet more and respond to Tweets. I’ve run contests on Goodreads and I post reviews of books I’ve read on both Goodreads and Amazon. And, I too have an author page. I’ve also joined Pinterest. Another time suck. Lol!

– What’s your take on self-publishing? Have you attempted it? Do you recommend it? And, have you read any self-published books? What was your take on them?

I think Indie Publishing is a great way to get your book out there that doesn’t necessarily fit in the parameters of the Big 6. However, too many people are simply throwing their work out there without it being ready. First and foremost, you have to have a good product! Which means hiring an editor. I know my book wouldn’t have been nearly as good without the help of my Wild Rose Press editor. If you’re going to go to all the effort to write a book, make it the best it can possibly be. Once you have a bad reputation for poor quality work, it’s hard to overcome it.

I couldn’t agree more! I think those who’re making the most money off Indie Publishing are previously published authors who’ve gotten their rights back and those authors published in other genres who decide to do something different—like trying their hand at Steam Punk. I’m flirting with the idea of Indie Publishing myself but haven’t taken the plunge yet. 

-And you have a new release from The Wild Rose Press. What’s it called? Can you tell us a little about it?

My debut novel, Grave Secrets is a romantic suspense.
Here’s a blurb:

When Sara Adams’ infant daughter is abducted, she moves heaven and earth to find her. But six months later, time is running out and Sara turns to the one man she shouldn’t—insurance investigator Morgan Daniels. Dangerously attractive, he’s a threat to more than just her heart, and if she isn’t careful, he’ll unearth secrets better left buried.

Proving Sara murdered her husband is Morgan’s top priority. Helping her find her child is the perfect opportunity to get the proof he needs. But when he starts to think of her as a woman rather than a suspect, she slips under his armor. He can’t trust her. Worse, he can’t trust himself around her.

All evidence points to Sara as a murderer, but Morgan’s gut tells him the evidence is wrong. Is his obsession with her blinding him to the facts? Or is the real murderer still out there…stalking Sara?

Excerpt:

Sara’s sobs, the first he’d heard from her, broke through his stupor. Was this the reason behind those dark circles under her eyes? The logical side of his brain said to back out of the room and get the hell out of the house. He didn’t need another mental case in his life, didn’t need the responsibility, and later the guilt, when he failed them.
Instead, he gathered her in his arms, then pressed her head against his shoulder. She cried so hard, her entire body shook, and her keening touched him in places he’d thought long dead. He had the feeling this was the first time she’d truly cried since they’d dug up her husband’s body. No wonder there were so many tears.
His shirt was soaked. He didn’t care. He forgot about his mom, about how Sara could already be headed down the same road and simply held her close. When the tears had abated and she’d blown her nose on the handkerchief he’d offered, he kissed the top of her head, whispering it would be all right. She looked up at him, parting her lips. Remnants of tears still trailed down her cheeks. Without thinking, he lowered his head and gently pressed his lips to hers to comfort her.
Sara had been clinging to his shirt, but now moved her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She opened for him, inviting. Am I out of my mind? He couldn’t get involved with a client. Or a suspect. Sara Adams fell into both categories.
He chuckled to himself. He was about to make the biggest mistake of his life, but right now he didn’t care. When she whimpered he scooped her into his arms, her weight a turn-on by itself, and strode across the hall to the nearest bed he could find.

Thanks for stopping by to chat today. Good luck with the new book. I think it’ll do great. Then again, I love good romantic suspense.

Thanks for having me today, Lilly! I’ve enjoyed visiting with you and sharing my viewpoints on some of the issues authors face in our ever-changing publishing world.

This is the tail end of my blog tour, so on Labor Day I’ll be drawing one lucky commenter’s name from the tour to receive a free digital copy of my book.

Who doesn’t love a chance to win a free book? Especially an award-winning book.

That’s right. Grave Secrets won the 5 Heart Sweetheart contest with The Romance Studio! http://www.theromancestudio.com/reviews/reviews/gravesecretstrout.htm{Yelling a little quiet ‘yah’ here. hehe}

Congratulations!

Thanks again for hosting me! You’re more than welcome to come on over to my site anytime. I’d love the company.

Buy Links for Grave Secrets:
TWRP: http://tinyurl.com/cann8jz
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/bvpysqf
Barnes & Noble: http://tinyurl.com/cnqz5ky

Donna Del Oro’s The Delphi Bloodline

24 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Apple, author, Donna Del Oro, Kindle, Musa Publishing, Nook, paranormal, psychics, suspense

≈ Comments Off on Donna Del Oro’s The Delphi Bloodline

I love just about anything paranormal, but psychic powers and abilities have always fascinated me. So does the premise of Donna Del Oro’s new novel, THE DELPHI BLOODLINE. And today, I’m going to interview Michael Drake, the tech tycoon who wants to control and enslave the Bloodline from Donna’s novel, THE DELPHI BLOODLINE.

THE DELPHI BLOODLINE: A smart, romantic thriller about an ancient bloodline of psychic women, the ruthless tycoon who wants to enslave them, the mysterious man who wants to protect them, and the modern-day descendant who must fight to stay alive and free!

Lilly: You’re a billionaire, the owner of D.I.E., Drake International Enterprises. What does your corporation make?

Drake: All kinds of high-tech products, from cyborgs to unmanned aerial vehicles, military drones. You name it, we make it. Silicon Valley is the brain center of the high-tech industry.

Lilly: You’re a single man with more money than you need. Billions! Why haven’t you married? I’m sure lots of women would love to be married to a billionaire.

Drake: That’s the problem. I’m drawn to exceptional people. Who DON’T NEED ME.

Lilly: What made you think that true psychics would work for you?

Drake: Women in the Delphi Bloodline, as they call themselves, work for police departments for nothing. Why not work for me and make millions? There are governments and agencies all over the world that need their talents.

Lilly: Doing what?

Drake: Corporate spying, intelligence of all kinds. Those women can do what the men of the CIA’s Stargate Program couldn’t do. And a hundred times better.

Lilly: And if they don’t want to work as spies? What then?

Drake: Then I convince them they have no choice. You’ve heard this before, I make them an offer they can’t refuse.

Lilly: You’d go that far?

Drake: Whatever it takes. How do you think I got where I am today?  Just a matter of time and the Delphi Bloodline is mine.

THE DELFI BLOODLINE is available: MusaPublishing.com/Kindle/Nook/Apple

You can learn more about Donna and her writing at: www.donnadeloro.com

THE DELPHI BLOODLINE: Blurb:

Present day descendants of the ancient, psychically powerful Delphi bloodline face the threat of extinction when an evil tycoon hunts them for his own nefarious intent, a global spy network.
When artist Athena Butler, the modern-day descendant of a powerful, ancient bloodline of psychic women, realizes she’s the target of mysterious and dangerous kidnappers, she gets help from strange sources—the spirit of an ancient ancestor and a handsome man who claims to be one of her bloodline’s Guardians. Her mental powers and his brawny skills keep them one step ahead of the mastermind behind these kidnappers. Until the time when an FBI task force decides to use Athena as bait.
Excerpt-
Chapter One
Pyramid Valley, Nevada
Thursday AM
Athena Butler’s eyes blinked open and she sat up. 
Coming back from The Flow was always jolting. Emerging from the stream of spirits was like a water skier lurching out of the water, pulled by a strong, invisible force. The mind caught up later to the body as if it required a rough snap to break free.
Likewise, to go there was like jumping out of a plane and feeling the air rush to your face, your limbs weightless and wobbly. Most of the time, it was a joy to enter this world of unseen spirits. Athena welcomed her visits, especially at night when she found herself invariably alone.
When she was a child, she’d often emerge from The Flow with a fearful whimper and a cry. She’d wept and wanted to stay in The Flow. Now, at twenty-six, Athena had grown accustomed to her mental flights. They were no longer fear-inducing for she understood their purpose. But her exits were still mind-wrenching and she often lay in bed afterwards, disoriented.
This morning, fear clutched her heart and she could barely breathe. With a trembling hand, she reached for her phone.
Breathless, she raked her other hand through her hair and kicked her legs over the side of the bed.  Six AM, Nevada time. She punched her mother’s mobile numbers. It was nine o’clock in D.C.
“Thank God, Mama! Where are you?”
“I’m in Baltimore, near the—.”
“Mama, I had a dream about you. A Flow Dream. The spirits—they want me to warn you! Whatever you’re doing right now, get off the streets.  Go home and lock the door. Call the police!”
Her heart felt like a ticking bomb in her chest.  Athena could barely speak. But her mother knew her and understood her Flow dreams. They were seldom wrong though sometimes a little off in timing. Today, a threat was imminent. She knew it.
“Slow down, Thena. Take a deep breath and tell me slowly about your dream. I don’t doubt you but we must be able to interpret it correctly. You know how these Flow Dreams are. Sometimes the symbolism is strange and difficult to interpret.”
“Okay—just go home and lock the door. Now, Mama!”
Athena had to swallow hard and take big gulps of air in order to speak. Losing her mother was unthinkable. She’d already lost her father, and in a way, her brother.
“Where are you, Mama?” 
She inhaled and counted to five. Her mother wasn’t in Georgetown, where she lived with her second husband. Athena sensed water nearby, a large body of water. Her mind jumped ahead. The body of water in her terrifying dream was vast, a bay leading to the ocean. The Baltimore harbor—of course!
“Near downtown Baltimore. I’m heading toward a section of the city where I believe a little girl’s body was hidden. The police need the evidence from that location.  They think she was hidden somewhere, killed and then a day or two later dumped into the bay. I think I’ve found the monster’s hideout.”
“Mama—”
“I had a session with the homicide detective last night. I handled a few articles of the poor child’s clothing, what she was wearing when they found her. I got some visions so I drove up here to pinpoint the location. It’s not in a very nice part of town but I thought I’d drive around, and then call Detective Bonner when I got something.”
Athena groaned. Her mother was at it again.  Getting involved with homicide cases and trying to use her powers to bring killers to justice.
“Mama, get out of there, please! Go home—”
“I’ve had no sense of this danger, Athena, not to me personally,” her mother said. “Listen, we must talk soon. There are other dangers that I’ve seen…but don’t fret, my car doors are locked, I’m driving my big SUV. I’m in traffic, so relax.”
“Maybe you’re too focused on that homicide case,” Athena stressed. Her mother had no idea the danger she was putting herself in. First-hand experience had taught Athena that working with the cops was a dangerous business. Let them do their work and solve their own cases.
I’m done with all that.
Her mind darted back to the vision in her dream. She took a deep breath and steadied her voice.
“I saw you in your car, Mama. You stopped to get out. A black car pulled in front of you and another one—a long white one—blocked you in back. There was a woman driving the car in front and she was with men who had guns.  Someone grabbed you and carried you to the white car. I could smell salt water and then they took you away. Some place far away. And then I was in the mountains, the Sierras, searching for you.”
Athena bent over, clutching the cell phone, her lifeline to the one person she loved most in the world.  Her stomach cramped into a hard ball.
There was silence. “Mama, go home,” she repeated.
“Okay, Thena, I’m turning back toward the freeway. The harbor shops are on my left. Remember that eight-sided tower, the one with a great view of the harbor and breakwater. The octogon tower. You remember going there on your last visit here, don’t you?”
More silence followed then as an image sprang to Athena’s mind. Yes, they’d had lunch there…
Her mother gasped loudly.  A screech of brakes, metal crunching, glass breaking. Her mother cursing a blue streak in her native Italian.
“What happened, Mama? Are you all right?”
“Yes, dear. Just a stupid fender bender. Merda! Daniel’s going to throw a fit. My second one this year! I’m getting so distracted with these cases—not paying attention to what I’m doing. I swear this car pulled right in front of me, cut me off. It’s not my fault this time.”
More angry muttering followed.
“Dio, I really smashed up that rear end! Thena, I’ll call you right back as soon as I exchange insurance information with the driver. Be right back, Thena.”
“Mama, don’t get out of the—”
The line went dead.  With a cry, Athena sank to her knees on the cold, tile floor. Shivers of dread rippled through her. Her mind went numb with panic.
For God’s sake…Think! Get help!