Forget Me Not by Lawna Mackie
Publication date: June 19th, 2020
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
At the age of twelve, Pippin Bartlett, is abducted by her mentally ill father who goes on a killing rampage. Fortunately she is rescued outside the small town of Snow Lake, Manitoba by ex-sniper and CSIS Agent Matt Lalor, who shoots and reportedly kills the man although the body is never recovered.
Fast-forward ten years and we find Pippin writing successful novels in New York under the alias of Avery Woods. Her woods help lessen the impact of the terror she lived through. That is until a series of fan letters arrive. And not just from any fan, but one who sounds a lot like her father and is determined to finish the failed job from ten years ago.
Matt Lalor has secrets of his own. A career that ended badly and one he wishes to forget. He lives his life in a remote cabin in Snow Lake where, whenever possible, he avoids people. With two notable exceptions he mostly succeeds. The first is the day he is required to rescue a twelve-year-old girl. Never missing a shot he believes whole-heartedly the man is dead. The second is the day twenty-two year old Pippin drives in to a snowbank on his property to turn his world upside down. She's been hunted by a killer for a second time, and Matt refuses to let harm come to her. What he doesn't expect is for the fearless and sassy beautiful young woman to capture his heart in the process.
Available at:
Excerpt
Pippin smiled. "Fan letters. You've been holding out on me." She smiled, reaching for them.
"I wasn't going to give these to you."
Her smile faded as Lydia handed her the bundle bound with an electric.
The envelopes had no return address. They'd been opened. Her eyes looked to Lydia for an answer.
Suddenly her fingers felt like they'd been frozen. She pulled a letter from the first envelope.
The cut out letters pasted across the page etched a spot in her memory.
I'LL NEVER LET YOU FORGET! SPIRITS LIVE AND MINE WILL LIVE UNTIL YOU DIE!
The letter fell from her fingers, drifting in slow motion to the floor.
Her heartbeat raced and blood pounded in her ears. It had to be a mistake. Anxiously Pippin flipped the envelope over, looking at her name. A tingle crawled its way up her spine, and tears sprang to her eyes. She threw the envelope to the floor, and grabbing another, yanking out the letter. The same type of inscription ran across the page in an uneven line.
IT'S YOUR TURN TO DIE... I'M COMING FOR YOU.
Pippin gulped, staring blankly at the letter and the others she hadn't read yet. Warmth from her tears flowed down her chilled face. The cold settled over her body. She shivered.
Kicking off her shoes, Lydia stood. Slowly she came around her desk and sank onto the floor beside Pippin's legs.
"I didn't know how to tell you Pip. They just started arriving within the last two weeks. This bastard doesn't know where you live... I'm sure of it. Look." She smiled nervously clutching for the letters. "Every single one of them is addressed here and not your home address." Lydia stood quickly, grabbing a lock of her own hair and began twisting it around her fingers.
Pippin pulled the elastic form around her wrist and pulled her own hair back. She took hold of Lydia's hand and smiled between the tears that fell. "It's okay Lydia, I understand you didn't want to tell me. You were trying to protect me."
"I thought they'd stop. You know any sicko could have done this. Perhaps somebody found out about your past. You write under an alias. It just doesn't make sense."
She stood, staring down at Lydia. "I'm not running anymore. All my life I've done that. Not anymore. I'm going to do what I want, when I want."
Lydia stood. "Under the circumstances, I think we should take these to the police."
"I'll take them with me--back to Snow Lake."
"You can't be serious Pippin. You can't go, especially now. We have to tell the police your father is stalking you again."
She smiled weakly. "I watched my father fall into a river after he'd been shot. People can't come back from the dead."
"Perhaps he never died? Wasn't that your fear all along?"
"Yes, but it's not realistic. I don't see how he could have lived."
"Maybe somebody like him never dies." Lydia crossed her arms, and Pippin noticed the goose bumps forming.
"I wasn't going to give these to you."
Her smile faded as Lydia handed her the bundle bound with an electric.
The envelopes had no return address. They'd been opened. Her eyes looked to Lydia for an answer.
Suddenly her fingers felt like they'd been frozen. She pulled a letter from the first envelope.
The cut out letters pasted across the page etched a spot in her memory.
I'LL NEVER LET YOU FORGET! SPIRITS LIVE AND MINE WILL LIVE UNTIL YOU DIE!
The letter fell from her fingers, drifting in slow motion to the floor.
Her heartbeat raced and blood pounded in her ears. It had to be a mistake. Anxiously Pippin flipped the envelope over, looking at her name. A tingle crawled its way up her spine, and tears sprang to her eyes. She threw the envelope to the floor, and grabbing another, yanking out the letter. The same type of inscription ran across the page in an uneven line.
IT'S YOUR TURN TO DIE... I'M COMING FOR YOU.
Pippin gulped, staring blankly at the letter and the others she hadn't read yet. Warmth from her tears flowed down her chilled face. The cold settled over her body. She shivered.
Kicking off her shoes, Lydia stood. Slowly she came around her desk and sank onto the floor beside Pippin's legs.
"I didn't know how to tell you Pip. They just started arriving within the last two weeks. This bastard doesn't know where you live... I'm sure of it. Look." She smiled nervously clutching for the letters. "Every single one of them is addressed here and not your home address." Lydia stood quickly, grabbing a lock of her own hair and began twisting it around her fingers.
Pippin pulled the elastic form around her wrist and pulled her own hair back. She took hold of Lydia's hand and smiled between the tears that fell. "It's okay Lydia, I understand you didn't want to tell me. You were trying to protect me."
"I thought they'd stop. You know any sicko could have done this. Perhaps somebody found out about your past. You write under an alias. It just doesn't make sense."
She stood, staring down at Lydia. "I'm not running anymore. All my life I've done that. Not anymore. I'm going to do what I want, when I want."
Lydia stood. "Under the circumstances, I think we should take these to the police."
"I'll take them with me--back to Snow Lake."
"You can't be serious Pippin. You can't go, especially now. We have to tell the police your father is stalking you again."
She smiled weakly. "I watched my father fall into a river after he'd been shot. People can't come back from the dead."
"Perhaps he never died? Wasn't that your fear all along?"
"Yes, but it's not realistic. I don't see how he could have lived."
"Maybe somebody like him never dies." Lydia crossed her arms, and Pippin noticed the goose bumps forming.
About the Author:
I'm a small town girl with big world dreams. I was born in Jasper, Alberta, and my parents were outdoor enthusiasts. My dad was an avid fisherman and I'm certain my mother was Mother Nature.
The love of my life is my husband. He, along with my animals are my inspiration for everything I write.
I live for romance, and truly believe true love conquers all. From an early age you could always find me with my nose buried in a romance novel--that hasn't changed. I write various forms of romance from contemporary, paranormal and fantasy to erotica.
Happy reading everyone, I sure would love to hear from you.
Hosted by:
