Backlash by Karyn Good
Published by The Wild Rose Press
One of the themes that runs through BACKLASH, is forgiveness.
I seem drawn to that theme. I guess it’s because it sounds easy enough. Forgive
and forget, right? But it’s an incredibly complicated and emotional process.
The deeper the wounds the harder it is. And forgiving yourself? That even more
difficult, at least I think so. In my story the protagonists have a history
together. One that ended badly and caused a great deal of hurt.
Which also leads to trust issues. Because what happens when
the person you love the most (even if you don’t realize it at the time) no longer
trusts you? You want that trust back. And the one thing we know about heroes
and heroines? While their intentions are good, they don’t always make the right
moves. So, it’s also becomes about trusting yourself to make solid decisions in
moving forward.
This is a reunion story. Chase has returned to Aspen Lake after a 10 year absence. Lily is trying to figure out a way to rational his reappearance and is coming up with nothing good. Chase is trying to figure out a way to avoid further contact with Lily. They're both putting in a lot of effort to forget they ever had a past.
Excerpt #3
“What are you doing here?” Her fingers tightened around her
cup, and the resulting pop from the pressure filled the small space. She
glanced back at the door, all confusion, and he knew she was hoping for some
kind of intervention. For someone else to join them, anyone else.
He stalled and took a second to settle his arms on the
tabletop. He pushed at the file and offered her an anemic look of confusion.
“Here?”
“Yes. Here. In this room. In Aspen Lake. In the parking lot
of my school.” She spread her hands out and motioned around her. “Here!” She
averted her gaze and inhaled a deep breath before spotlighting him,
apprehension darkening her eyes, deepening the blue color.
“My job.” To him, it was that simple.
“Your job?”
“I’ve been transferred to the Aspen Lake detachment.”
“You’re a cop?” Her look of skepticism said it all. The air
of disbelief pricked at his ego. He shifted in his chair. Like all the times in
fifth grade when his teacher, Miss Carlisle, had asked him why he had no lunch.
Had asked questions about his father.
“Is that so hard to believe?” He had worked his ass off to
get where he was, and he was a damned good cop. The work he did with the
Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit, and his reputation, proved his
dedication to his job. None of which she’d be aware of, or care about if she
did. When he burnt a bridge, the only thing he left behind was ash.
BACKLASH
What
he’s sworn to protect, she’s willing to sacrifice to save those she loves...
When
dedicated teacher Lily Wheeler interrupts a vicious gang attack on one of her
students, she vows it won’t happen again. But her rash interference puts her in
the path of a cold-blooded killer and the constable tracking him—a man she has
little reason to trust, but can never forget.
Constable
Chase Porter returned to Aspen Lake to see justice done, not renew old
acquaintances. But when he rescues the woman he once loved from a volatile
situation, he realizes his feelings for Lily haven’t lessened over the years.
Now,
the dangerous killer Chase has sworn to capture has Lily in his sights. Can
Chase and Lilly learn to trust each other again before it’s too late—or will
old insecurities jeopardize their future?
