Simon Says Her life may not be perfect but she’s happy. Until she makes a terrible decision - and learns the hard way that home is not a place of refuge.
Not while Simon lurks in every shadow.
He groomed her as a teen: terrorised her into fleeing, leaving her baby behind. Now the man who destroyed her childhood has become the perfect father to her teenage daughter. And her return threatens his future.
A desperate man is a dangerous one.
Simon says she must leave or suffer the consequences. She refuses.
Now it’s his move. Because it's not enough to face your demons.
Sometimes, you must destroy them.
Purchase Links
https://www.amazon.co.uk/SIMON-SAYS-gripping-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B07V4T18GJ
https://www.amazon.com/SIMON-SAYS-gripping-psychological-thriller-ebook/dp/B07V4T18GJ
Excerpt!
After all these years my sister continued to blame me – a fourteen-year-old – for something grown men had done. Would she stoop to blame Ella if Simon took advantage of her? And what did she mean, he couldn’t have children? That didn’t stop him. ‘How can you be so stupid?’ I needed to say but my throat tightened and I couldn’t speak. Much stronger and larger than me, Mandy had begun to edge me backwards. If she gained momentum, I’d lose my fingers or my foot. I jumped back to the safety of the outside step. Caught off guard she flew forward, stopping the door just in time to prevent her fingertips being crushed. I noticed she still bit her fingernails to crescent-shaped slivers. Stress or habit?
She glanced from her hand to me and snarled, “Any other men you want to throw in while you’ve got the chance?” And slammed the door.
Through the patterned glass, the silhouette bulk of her body mirrored mine. Her cream hands hung by the side of her trousers. I willed her to reach out and unlock the door. How much longer could she deceive herself about Simon? She shifted and my heart jolted. Yes! But then she vanished from view. Seconds later the kitchen light flicked off, plunging me into darkness. The door at the end of the hallway opened, lighting her figure as she stepped into the room. Where Simon sat? She kept her head turned from me – towards him? – and closed the door, snuffing out all but a crack of light.
I stood there, unable to move. Soaked, frozen, scared. How could she be so blind to the danger facing Ella? My fist hovered. Should I bang the door, cause a scene, make her listen?
An engine whine grew louder. Tyres scraped the tarmac and a car bumped into the driveway opposite. The driver stepped out, gazing my way. She didn’t turn from me as she pointed her fob at the car and orange lights flashed. Even at her door, she watched me. No lights flicked on. She’d need the night to spy on me. Of course, the people around here would be Mandy’s friends and, no matter what I said, they’d defend her against the stranger.
I had to play smart and come back another day. I didn’t have a choice. My conversation with Mandy had proved one thing.
If I didn’t help Ella, no one would.
Author Bio –
SIMON SAYS isn’t my first thriller. Several unpublished novels went before it, but there was something about this story that made me come back to it time-and-time again. Although it was written in 2015, recently a few author friends encouraged me to publish it as they remembered reading it years before. I used to work in an office where the wider team comprised people working with drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and general community safety. I wrote SIMON SAYS during this period and my team provided information and advice. Also, the Red Watch team at the local fire station read my first chapter during their tea break and advised on a couple of points to make it more accurate (I thought it would be one person, not the whole team reading it!). Currently, I am completing a novel in another genre but I really enjoy writing thrillers, so I am planning my next one.
Twitter - https://twitter.com/JoWwriter
No comments:
Post a Comment