EMERGENCY CASE - Richard L Mabry, MD - One Free Book

Dear Readers, if you love medical romantic suspense, you’ll like this new book from Richard L Mabry, MD. His stories are always so authentic to current medical practices.

Welcome back, Richard. How did you come up with the idea for this story?

I wanted to publish a “Christmas” type of story but couldn’t come up with a Christmas-themed book that fit into the genre in which I’m comfortable—medical thrillers. Then, while backing out of our driveway one morning, I idly wondered what a woman would do if, fresh from an argument with her husband, her car hit a bump which turned out to be the body of his most recent client. Add a bit of snow on the ground (partially covering the body), set the story in the Christmas season, and I had the beginnings of Emergency Case.

If you were planning a party with Christian authors of contemporary fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

I suppose I’d invite Candace Calvert and Jordyn Redwood, so that there’d be someone to talk medicine with. I can’t forget DiAnn Mills and Susan Sleeman who bring romantic suspense to the table. And, since I want the conversation to be spirited, I’d round out the party with James Scott Bell and Randy Ingermanson. How’s that for a mix? (And I could add more, but we’ll stop at six).

I would love to be at a party with all six of those authors. Now let’s do that for a party for Christian authors of historical fiction, what six people would you invite and why?

Confession time—I don’t read much Christian historical fiction, so I haven’t read books by all these authors, but I know they’re good writers. Let’s start with Francine Rivers, the admitted queen of Christian historical fiction. Then I’d add Kristy Cambron, Kim Sawyer, and Robin Hatcher. And to round out the six, how about Mary Connealy and Lauraine Snelling? That should give us some lively conversation. (If I’ve left you out, please forgive me—there are too many who are at the top of their game when it comes to writing in this genre).

That would be a fun party, too. I love books by all of those authors. Many times, people (and other authors) think you have it made with so many books published. What is your most difficult problem with writing at this time in your career?

It’s not running out of ideas (which many people think would be a problem). It’s being content with my situation. I’ve moved from being contracted by a traditional publisher to indie-publishing. I won’t go into the causes of that move, but let me say that—as I try to juggle all the parts about writing, editing, cover, marketing, etc. — I look across the fence and think that the grass might be greener on the other side. But I’ve been on both sides of that fence, and they each have their good and bad points. As one very wise individual puts it, the reason we often struggle with insecurity is that we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.

So true. Tell us about the featured book.

I suppose the best thing I can do is give you the back cover copy for Emergency Case.

The relationship between Dr. Kelly Irving and her husband, attorney Jack Harbaugh, has cooled recently, but she figures they’ll muddle through and repair it. Then when she backs down her driveway, her car hits a bump that turns out to be the partially snow-covered body of a man her husband recently represented. Not only that, the gun that killed him belongs to Jack, who seems to be the primary suspect.

As events escalate, Kelly can’t decide if her husband is a murderer or the next victim. Eventually, they must put their marital differences aside to find the person masterminding the syndicate behind all this, while trying to keep Jack alive.

Please give us the first page of the book.

Jack Harbaugh sat at his mahogany desk scribbling notes on a yellow pad, several law books open beside him. This was a particularly ticklish tax case, and he’d promised his CPA friend to have an interpretation soon. He was at a critical point when his secretary’s voice over the intercom interrupted him.

“Mr. Alba is here.”

Mr. Alba? Then Jack remembered. This was the case he didn’t want to take. But he’d allowed himself to be pressured.

Jack redid the top button of his dress shirt and cinched his tie. “Send him in,” Jack said.

The man who entered his office was, at first glance, the type of individual that Jack and his partners cultivated as clients. His dark hair appeared freshly cut and styled, his clean-shaven jaw bore not a trace of five o’clock shadow, his suit draped perfectly to conceal a stocky frame, and his white shirt fairly gleamed. But then Jack reached Alba’s eyes, and that gave him all the judgment he needed. He had seen eyes like that only once before—in a criminal who was amoral to the point of having no concern for others, including their life.

Jack stood but didn’t extend his hand. Instead, he gestured toward one of the two client chairs across from his desk. Alba didn’t seem upset by Jack’s failure to shake hands. He nodded, seated himself, crossed his legs, and looked directly at the attorney. “What do you want to know about the case?”

 “First, let’s get some things settled.” Jack resumed his chair and opened the center drawer of his desk. He pulled out a contract of representation and shoved it toward Alba. “Read this. Then, if you want me to represent you, sign it.”

 

Alba scribbled his signature without reading the document. Then he pulled a fat envelope from his shirt pocket and put it atop the contract. “Here’s the fee…in cash, just as you were promised.” He held up his hand. “And I won’t need a receipt.”

“Whether you want one or not, I’m going to note that I’ve been paid, and report this as income.” Jack put the envelope, still unopened, into his drawer along with the signed contract. “Now tell me about the traffic stop and the ticket that came afterward.”

The story was pretty much what Jack had already heard.  Alba was pulled over because he fit the description of a man the police were looking for. There was no other reason for the stop, although that point was arguable. What was clear to Jack, however, was there was no legal justification for the search of Alba’s car, a search that turned up a small amount of marijuana in the glove compartment.

When Jack had enough details, he nodded. “We should be able to get you off. Maybe a fine, but I doubt even that.” His mind went back to what he’d been told previously. Supposedly, this was a “slam-dunk.” He wondered if that was because the fix was already in with the judge. Whether it was or not, he’d do his best. That was what he was being paid handsomely for.

“You really need to get this case dismissed,” Alba said.

“I’m pretty sure we can do that,” Jack responded. “Trust me.”

“I mean, I need to be free, so I can complete the gun buy scheduled for a few days after my court date.”

Interesting. How can readers find you on the Internet?

I post on my blog twice a week. I also have a web page and can be found on Facebook and Twitter  as well as on Goodreads.

Thanks for having me, Lena. And I hope your readers enjoy Emergency Case.

Thank you, Richard, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me.

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