HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT - Mary Ellis - One Free Book

Dear Readers, I’ve been looking forward to this latest romantic suspense novel from Mary Ellis. I always read her books as soon as they arrive. As usual, I fell in love with her multi-faceted characters. Some things in her novels are quirky, and there were more quirky characters than usual. And the suspense kept me guessing. I highly recommend this wonderful read.

Signing books at a library event

Welcome back, Mary. You have a lot of books out now. What is your favorite setting to use in your books?

It’s a toss-up between the charming little towns not far from my Ohio home to set my Amish tales, or the gorgeous cities of the South such as Savannah, Charleston, New Orleans, or Memphis, because I do love to travel! My husband and I will be fortunate enough to spend the upcoming winter months in Georgia. As much as I love Ohio, I do not like winter anymore.

I’m glad my husband and I live in Texas in the winter. What do you look for when you’re shopping for a book to buy for yourself?

I love mysteries, whether historical, contemporary, or Amish. They must be good, clean reads with no graphic descriptions, foul language, or sexy scenes. But I do love a little romance in the story, because after all, love makes the world go round!

Give us a little tour of the setting for this book.

Home office

The setting of Hiding in Plain Sight is the historic section of Charleston, South Carolina, voted by Fodor’s Magazine as the most beautiful place to visit in America. I certainly must agree. I had so much fun dodging horse-drawn carriages on the cobblestone streets. I also have scenes set on Kiawah Island, fifteen miles away at the beach. Best of both worlds!

What other books do you have coming out soon?

I have an Amish novella, Nothing Tastes So Sweet, releasing in the anthology, The Amish Sweet Shop, in December. Emma Miller and Laura Bradford also contributed novellas to this anthology.

Writing porch

I’d love to feature that on my blog, too. Please give us a glimpse inside your home.

My home is an A-frame in the middle of three acres of woods. Very private. But the driveway is no fun in the winter. I attached a picture of my office and my porch where I do my writing in nice weather.

Is this novel part of a series or a stand-alone book?

Hiding in Plain Sight is book one of the Marked for Retribution Mysteries. Book two, Sweet Taste of Revenge, will release in February of 2019. I’m happy to say that book three in the series has just been contracted for late 2019.

I’ll be looking forward to each of them. Tell us about this story.

On the run from a troubled past, Kate Weller, the newest member of Price Investigations, covers her tracks, changes her name and takes a case in Charleston, South Carolina, where she can hide in plain sight. Renting a charming room with a waterfront view, Kate sets about trying to locate her adopted client’s natural siblings, only to find more questions than answers when she eventually tracks down a long-lost sister. Meanwhile, her new landlord won’t stop sticking his nose into her case. As far as Kate’s concerned, Eric Manfredi should focus on whatever competitor is bent on ruining his family business. But when petty vandalism turns lethal, and Eric’s father is arrested for murder, Kate determines to prove his innocence. Can she find the real culprit before a killer from her own past tracks her down?

Please give us the first page of the book for my blog readers.

Chapter One

Savannah   

It wouldn’t have taken much to turn a lousy day into something left of atrocious. First, Kate Weller had argued with her landlord who was suddenly demanding a year-long lease instead of their current month-to-month agreement. Apparently, paying in full and on time can work against a person. The landlord wanted her to stick around forever. Next, the air-conditioning in her old Mustang quit working. Since a person couldn’t run surveillance with the top down in a convert­ible, she was forced to endure an uncomfortable afternoon. Finally, she had to watch a landscaper toil for hours in the hot sun without showing the least bit of interest in his female co-worker. Kate yearned to tell his suspicious wife she was imagining things. But since her newfound career as a PI demanded finesse as well as endurance, she would resist insulting the client and be thankful she had a job, considering the gaps in her résumé.

Kate liked her job and the people she worked with. Beth Kirby, a fellow employee, was given the thankless job of training her during her probationary period. She liked her boss, Nate Price too, despite only meeting the man once. And as the agency’s traveling PI, she loved knowing she would soon move on to a new case in a different town. Where no one knows my name, she thought, putting a new twist on an eighties sit-com jingle.

Considering how many times she got stuck in traffic, she should have found the answer to world peace, let alone mapped out her future. Because it was definitely time to move on. An occasional hang-up in the middle of the night might not cause concern. But when the same car parked outside her apartment four nights in a row, Kate knew her past had caught up with her. It wasn’t easy to hide in the twenty-first century.

Maybe if I learned how to cook, quilt, and sew my own clothes, then I could hide in an Amish community. Or maybe not.

After parking the Mustang behind the building, Kate climbed the steps to the second floor, turned the key in the lock, and pushed open the door. Silently, she stood listening . . . for what? The cocking of a trigger? The slide of a semi-automatic chambering a bullet? Or maybe the deep breathing of a madman waiting for her to step across the threshold. Kate had no idea exactly who was after her or how deadly were their intentions. But if the past was a good indicator of the future, she didn’t want to stick around to find out.

So readers, are you hooked now? And Mary how can readers find you on the Internet?

I can be found at: http://www.maryellis.net/ or

http://www.facebook.com/Mary-Ellis.Author/

Thank you, Mary, for sharing this book with my blog readers and me. I know they will enjoy this story.

Readers, here are links to the book.

Hiding in Plain Sight - Christianbook.com hardback
Hiding in Plain Sight (A Kate Weller Mystery) - Amazon hardback (best price)
Hiding in Plain Sight (A Kate Weller Mystery) - Kindle

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