It's Mardi Gras time here in SW Louisiana and as usual we have a cold front and rain in the forecast. Don't think I'll be out all day in that mess!
Anyway you know I'm always excited to feature new-to-me authors here and today's guest is no exception.
Kris Bock writes novels of suspense and romance with outdoor
adventures and Southwestern landscapes. The
Mad Monk’s Treasure follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New
Mexico desert. Whispers in the Dark
features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a mystery with strong
romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods.
In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt
paintings bring danger to a small New Mexico town. “Counterfeits is the kind of romantic suspense novel I have enjoyed
since I first read Mary Stewart’s Moonspinners.”
5 Stars – Roberta at Sensuous Reviews blog
Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com
or visit her Amazon
page. Sign up for the Kris Bock
newsletter for announcements of new books, sales, and more.
“Smart romance with an 'Indiana Jones' feel.”
A legendary treasure hunt in the dramatic – and deadly – New
Mexico desert.... Reviewers give it a 4.7 star average. Get this romantic
adventure for only 99 cents or FREE with Kindle Unlimited!
The Mad Monk’s
Treasure
The lost Victorio Peak treasure is the stuff of legends—a
heretic Spanish priest’s gold mine, made richer by the spoils of bandits and an
Apache raider. When Erin, a quiet history professor, uncovers a clue that may
pinpoint the lost treasure cave, she prepares for adventure. But when a hit and
run driver nearly kills her, she realizes she’s not the only one after the
treasure. And is Drew, the handsome helicopter pilot who found her bleeding in
a ditch, really a hero, or one of the enemy?
Erin isn’t sure she can trust Drew with her heart, but she’ll
need his help to track down the treasure. She heads into the New Mexico
wilderness with her brainy best friend Camie and a feisty orange cat. The
wilderness holds its own dangers, from wild animals to sudden storms. Plus, the
sinister men hunting Erin are determined to follow her all the way to the
treasure, no matter where the twisted trail leads. Erin won’t give up an
important historical find without a fight, but is she ready to risk her
life—and her heart?
“The story has it all - action, romance, danger, intrigue,
lost treasure, not to mention a sizzling relationship....”
Excerpt:
Among all
the legends, all the fact and fiction, one story stood out. The Victorio Peak
legend had it all. A Franciscan priest and a swindler. Torture, murder, a
government cover-up. Where was the truth, among all the stories? Erin wanted to
find out. Over time, and with Camie’s encouragement, she’d started to take the
treasure hunt more seriously. It wasn’t so much for the treasure itself—that
would most likely belong to the government or the landowners. But it would make
her reputation, open up new job opportunities—change her life in ways she
hardly dared dream.
She
touched the book gently. The pages were falling out; she didn’t want to risk
carrying it around. Instead, Erin snapped a picture of the petroglyphs with her
phone. That would be enough to show Camie for now.
The timing
was perfect; she just had to turn in grades and field a few tearful last-minute
requests for extensions, and she’d be done for the semester. What better way to
spend the summer, than hunting for buried treasure?
Erin shook
her head. Who would’ve thought that she, the quiet, studious girl who’d spent
her entire adult life in academia in one way or another, would be planning such
an adventure?
Erin wheeled the bike around the front of her
house and mounted. At the corner, she paused and looked both ways. The long
frontage road was dangerously narrow, with a cement wall on one side and a
ditch on the other. Fortunately, traffic was normally light, and at this time
of day the road lay empty. Erin pushed off, still grinning from her find. She
rode on the right side, by the ditch, instead of facing traffic, because it was
just too frightening to ride alongside the wall when a car passed.
She’d gone
a block when she heard the hum of a car engine as it pulled out from a side
street behind her. She rode along the very edge of the pavement, even though
the car would have plenty of room to pass her without oncoming traffic.
Erin
glanced over her shoulder. The black SUV 20 feet behind her hadn’t bothered to
pull out into the road at all. Jerk. When would drivers learn to share the road
with bicyclists? Erin pulled onto the two-foot wide gravel strip between the
pavement and the ditch. She couldn’t stop without risking a skid, but she
slowed so the SUV could pass.
The engine
roared. Erin glanced back again.
Black metal
bore down on her. Her heart lurched and the bike wobbled. This guy was crazy!
She whipped her gaze forward, rose up in the seat, and pumped the pedals with
all her power, skimming along inches from the ditch. He was just trying to
scare her. She’d get his license plate and—
She felt
the bumper hit her back tire. The bike seemed to leap into the air, and she
went flying. The dried mud and weeds of the ditch seemed to rise up to meet
her.
She didn’t even have time to scream.
Get The Mad Monk’s Treasure on Amazon.
Well, if the title of this book doesn't fit our Tuesday Treasure theme I don't know what will LOL!
Sounds like a great book, Kris! Thanks for sharing with us.
Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll check back often for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.
Until next time take care and God Bless.
PamT
5 comments:
Chris, nice excerpt! Best and blessings to you!
Thanks for having me! Visit my blog on Friday for Pamela's #EggCerpt - https://swarmchairtraveler.blogspot.com/
Love this excerpt! And your author photo is pretty great also, Kris!
Kris, the book sounds great!
I love treasure hunt stories! Sounds like a lot of research went into this one.
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