I want to introduce you to an exciting NEW RELEASE. Kelly Hopkins's latest novel will officially hit the world on July 5, but you can pre-order this exciting new book right now. High Vices is published by Champagne Book Group. I'm so proud to be part of this project. Kelly has a unique voice. High Vices is crammed with suspense and great characters.
A few words from Kelly:
There are very few times in my life when I have actually burst into tears. Finding the email from my editor that told me High Vices has been acquired was one of those times. Although not my first book to be published, High Vices is the first book I wrote when I decided to get serious about being an author. I’ve shed countless layers of my soul into these characters through dozens of revisions. It is the book of my heart; the one I will always love the most. I hope you enjoy Antoinette’s story.
Here's a tease for you.
She didn’t ask to be the daughter of
one of the most feared cartel kingpins in the world, and she sure didn’t ask to
be recruited to take her father down. But when the cartel finds Antoinette and
her mother hiding in witness protection, her mother agrees to become the
government’s bait to protect her daughter, leaving Antoinette in the care of
agents who despise her family line.
Given a new identity at a
super-secret boarding school, Antoinette is introduced to the other teens in a
diverse posse, all of whom have lost parts of their lives to the murderous
cartel. Together, this cast of criminal teens will infiltrate the cartel’s
ranks at its most vulnerable levels and secure the revenge they seek—if they
don’t kill each other first.
Excerpt:
The lump of terror in my windpipe
refuses to dislodge as I take Jo Flynn’s warm hand in my frozen fingers for a
business-like squeeze. Whatever her reason for bringing us to the bunker, if
she’s here to talk to me, the news must not be good.
She releases my hand and leans back
in her chair. Her finger taps on the cover of my file. “You’re fortunate to be
alive. I heard what happened. You both could have been taken or killed on the
spot.” Flynn opens the file offering a glimpse of the paperwork inside and my
mother’s picture stapled to the jacket. “But I suspect they wanted to kidnap
you. Your mother made a lot of people upset back in Italy. The Lombardis take
pleasure in getting even. Slowly.”
A horrified shudder blows through me
like a frigid gust of January on the Fourth of July. “So, what are we going to
do? Where do we hide now?”
With a half-smirk, she asks, “We?
Antoinette Lombardi, heir to the Lombardi throne, is siding with the cops?” She
shakes her head as if this news amazes her. “The only way to keep you both safe
is to separate you.”
I bolt from of my seat, my palms planted on the tabletop.
“What? No!” Leave my mother? The stress would kill her.
“Your mother’s condition remains out
of control. She needs consistent medical attention to treat her diabetes. We
require her assistance to track your father—she can’t do either if she’s always
on the run. Besides, you have to finish high school.”
“School? You think a diploma matters
to me? After today?” Incredulous, I glare at her.
“Sit.” She gestures to my seat. I
hold my ground and count to twenty before complying.
Her lips tighten, and she flexes her
fingers before continuing. “You’re both so strong which is why you’ve made it
this far. Today was too close—we can’t take a chance again. You need to learn
how to protect yourself.”
I can protect myself. So can my mother. Somehow, I don’t
believe this cop would agree with me. The reality of my situation sinks in.
They’re dividing us. Taking my mother away from me to keep us protected. “Where
are you taking her?”
Flynn crosses her arms over her
bright white blouse. Furrows appear in her forehead when she frowns. “I can’t
tell you. If you have any idea where she is, you can be compromised. The same
goes for your mother. Once a month, until we get Lombardi, you’ll receive a
clean, untraceable phone. You can talk for fifteen minutes under supervision.
After, both phones will be destroyed.”
I stare, willing myself to wake up
from the nightmare. That’s what it has to be. A dreadful fever dream. “This is
crazy.”
Kelly’s loves to connect with her readers. Find her at:
What an exciting introduction! Congratulations on High Vices, Kelly.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Dee.
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