Sneak Peek Sunday thrill for you

Yes, I have to say that I can hardly believe another week has passed. The most amazing thing, so far, about signing up for Sneak Peek Sunday is realising how quickly it comes around again. (Perhaps that's why I never managed to discipline myself to doing it before?) 
 

Today, I'm giving you a nice long - 6 paragraph - peek at my December 2012 release, Topaz Eyes. 

The story at this point:

Duluth - Minnesota, US.  

Teun has chased after someone caught in the act of ransacking their hotel room...

 
With just sufficient presence of mind to make sure her key card was in her pocket, Keira snicked the door closed. Stumbling along the wall, her legs still a gelatinous mess, she pried open the heavy door to the emergency stairs.

            Noises pounded from somewhere down below: shouts and bellows she couldn’t interpret. At first she couldn’t tell if someone was going down to lower floors or was coming up. Their room was on the eleventh floor, so there were plenty of floors above and below them.

            Stilling her heaving breathing, she listened more carefully. The person was coming back up the stairs but the footsteps no longer powered their way. Edging back to the door, she’d no idea whether to wait or to retreat to her room. Her gaze scanned above, not for divine intervention, but purely because she was too cowardly to look below. There was no problem if it was Teun… but if it was the stalker? Her whole torso plastered against the cold metal, her breath stifled by panic.

            A couple more flights by the sounds of the slowing footsteps. That inner sister berated her again, told her to get real and stop wimping. Opening her palms flush against the icy surface behind her, she willed some courage to return. One more flight. Oh God! She could now hear the laboured breathing of someone fighting with their fitness. Taking her unawares, anger roiled inside her and then erupted. Where her gall came from she’d no idea, but she was past caring.

            “If you’re not Teun, I’m going to beat your head in! I’ve got a weapon here and the minute you come near me, I’ll not hesitate to use it, you thieving… prowler!" The minute the words gushed, Keira’s legs almost folded. What the hell had she just done? She gaped at her almost empty palms. A key card wasn’t exactly much use. 

Enjoy my snippet and don't forget to hop on over to the other Sneak Peekers.

Topaz Eyes Blurb:

A peculiar invitation to Heidelberg embroils Keira Drummond in the search for a mysterious collection of extraordinary jewels once owned by a Mughal Emperor; a hoard that was last known to be in the possession of Amsterdam resident, Geertje Hoogeveen, in 1910. 

Who among the progeny of Geertje – hitherto unfamiliar third cousins brought together for the quest – can Keira rely on? Distrust and suspicion among them is rife.

Which one is greedy, and determined enough, to hire thugs to tail her… and worse… as she travels to Vienna and Minnesota?  Can Keira even trust Teun Zeger - a Californian she is becoming very drawn to – as they pair up to unearth the jewellery?

As they follow a trail of clues, will they uncover the full collection before the hired gun kills them? Details remain furtive and undisclosed until danger and death forces their exposure. And who harbours the ultimate mystery item that is even more precious than the Mughal jewels?

Greed, suspicion and murder are balanced by growing family loyalty, trust, and love. 

Buy from: 

Amazon UK   http://amzn.to/UtLexa    amazon .com  http://amzn.to/RhRWK1

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/261511  

http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/search/crooked+cat+publishin/0/0/?pageNumber=0

Amazon author page for all books by Nancy Jardine  http://amzn.to/RJZzZz

Slainthe!