Teaser Tuesday with Terri Talley Venters

Today's Teaser is from  Terry Talley Ventures, author of Carbon Copy

Lilly Allen has brains, beauty, and a trust fund. She's living in New York City and her career as a reporter is taking off. She's hoping the love of her life, Grier, will propose soon. She has it all, or so she thinks.

Grier Garrison, Create Life executive, is running the company while his father, Dr. Michael Garrison, is in the ICU awaiting a heart transplant. Grier knows the truth about Create Life and its shady side business. He fears Lilly and her twin brother, Luke, are in danger.

While working on two unrelated stories, stolen newborns and cloning, Lilly discovers a shocking connection. Horrific things are happening, but who is behind it all?


Excerpt:


“Aahh. Ooh, yeah! It feels so good,” Lilly said to the young girl who gave her a pedicure at a nearby resort.

The spa resided at the fanciest resort in Marathon Key. And it proved simply divine. Lilly’s robed figure reclined on a massage chair. She programmed the chair to full-body, vibrate mode. Her feet soaked in the miniature whirlpool bath filled with scented moisturizers. The aromatherapy relaxed her while the micro beads exfoliated the dead skin off her feet.

Wearing heels caused calluses, which now built up on Lilly’s feet. The effect seemed exacerbated by the wonderful fashion style of not wearing pantyhose.

Lilly sat in front of a window overlooking the blue-green water of the Gulf of Mexico, or did she see the Atlantic Ocean? Who cared, the view was marvelous. The clear blue sky, calm water, and miles of open sea provided much needed serenity. Even more fortuitous, Mother, who enjoyed her pedicure in the massage chair right next to Lilly, remained silent.

Guilt filled her for leaving Luke alone for an afternoon, but she couldn’t pass up a gourmet lunch, white wine, and hours of pampering.

The nail technician asked Lilly if she decided on a color. Of course, she thought, Hooker Red. Having made probably the most difficult decision of the day, besides what to eat and what to wear, Lilly took a sip of her white-wine.

Picking up the latest issue of Cosmopolitan magazine, she flipped through the colorful pages. She loved to look at all the beautiful people, catch-up on the celebrity gossip, and read the articles about dating and sex. Crossing the task off of her mental ‘to-do’ list for the trip, she contemplated whether or not to upgrade her upcoming facial to include a hydrating, botanical mask. Why not?

The next hour flew by. Before she knew it, Lilly found herself in the facial room. Her body was wrapped in a heated cocoon of blankets on a slightly inclined, cushioned massage table. The tranquility of the room relaxed her with the soft music and the aromatherapy candles. And she laid naked—okay, not completely naked. She was Charlotte Allen’s daughter after all. So she left her thong on.

Lilly waited for the esthetician to arrive and begin her magic. She shuddered to think of how clogged her pores were. Layers of camera-ready make-up, coupled with the bright lights of the television studio, wreaked havoc on her precious skin. She dreaded the upcoming extraction of the built-up gunk in the pores of her nose and chin because it always hurt.

A lady poked her head in the door. “I just wanted to let you know the appointments are running a few minutes behind. Will you be comfortable lying here for a few more minutes?”

Seriously?

Given the idle time, and her cell phone, she placed a quick call to Rachel. Lilly left her a long voicemail describing the Keys and the spa. She loved to rub it in.

Footsteps echoed in the hallway just as she finished leaving a voicemail for Rachel. She turned off her cell phone and shoved it under the blankets so she wouldn’t get in trouble for the contraband. According to the sign on the wall, the spa enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere and all cell phone usage was strictly verboten.

The door opened, and Lilly heard the esthetician walk in. “Are we comfortable?” Lilly thought the voice sounded artificially high-pitched, like she attempted to disguise her voice.

“Yes, I’m very relaxed.” Lilly hoped her apprehension did not appear evident in her voice.

“Good.” A pillow covered Lilly’s head with a brutal force. “Because today is the day you’re going to die, you little bitch!”

Lilly’s legs flailed in reflex to the lack of oxygen flowing to her lungs. Her arms proved useless in their vain attempts to remove the pillow held securely in place by the assailant. Lilly instinctively grabbed the only blunt object within reach—her BlackBerry. With every ounce of strength, she swung her arm, and makeshift weapon, blindly aiming up towards the assailant’s nose—bull’s eye!

Instantaneously, the pressure released from the pillow. Lilly gasped for air in desperation to fill her lungs with oxygen. Lilly turned to see her attacker covered her bloody nose in agony. She knew this allotted little time for escape.

Lilly kicked off the constricting blankets and freed her legs. As she sat up, her eyes spotted the vaporizing machine. The red ‘on’ light glowed mercifully. She picked up the machine and hurled it towards the person’s head—double bull’s eye. The woman’s forehead cracked the water vestibule open and the hot, steamy water scalded her face.

With the assailant occupied, Lilly hopped off the table, clutching the blanket to her bosom, and ran as fast as she could out of the facial room. And she didn’t stop running until she reached the safety of the crowded hotel lobby.

Author Bio: Terri received her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Master’s degree in Taxation from the University of Florida. She is a licensed CPA and a Second Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. She lives in St. Augustine, Florida, with her husband, Garrison, and their two sons.

Carbon Copy is the 1st thrilling novel in the Elements of Mystery Series. The title of each novel will contain an element from the Periodic Table of Elements. Terri recently finished writing Tin Roof, the sequel to Carbon Copy, coming soon from Wild Child Publishing. And Terri’s romantic/suspense novel, Body of Gold, is coming soon from Freya’s Bower. For more about Terri’s upcoming releases, please visit her website http://www.elementsofmystery.com/

On the first of each month, Terri also posts free short stories on her blog. Follow her at http://www.territalleyventers.blogspot.com/as she weaves her way through the Periodic Table of Elements.

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