Good Morning,
I’m stopping by today to share an excerpt from A Killer’s Field,
a new fictional novella motivated by the senseless I-45 Texas killings, most of
which remain unsolved today.
A few years ago, I became aware of the overwhelming number
of unsolved murders along the I-45 corridor located south of Houston. In an
area known as the Texas killing fields, this property has become a dumping
ground for some of the country’s most horrific crimes.
Since the early 70s, bodies have been abandoned in these
Texas swamps. Many young lives ended too soon and families were devastated as
bodies were recovered but never truly laid to rest. Killers seemingly committed
the perfect crimes and thanks to the mysteries surrounding so many of the
murders, questions were forever left unanswered.
A Killer’s Field
is a short young adult Halloween story available in e-format. Published by
Devine Destinies, the novella is fictional but the inspiration behind the story
was developed over time by researching some of the true, and quite brutal, unsolved
Texas killings.
A
Killer’s Field isn’t a true story. However, when I wrote the
novella, I tried to write a short story that would appeal to young people and
in some small way let the victims’ families know their loved one hasn’t been
forgotten. At the same time, this short story includes a warning for all
readers with an underlying message in regards to social
networks, a tool often used when criminals make their first connection with
their future victims.
I’d like to invite readers to check out A Killer’s Field,
on sale now at Devine Destinies. Readers, please leave your comments about the
cover, short story, or any aspect of A
Killer’s Field. I’ll stop by again today and choose one random winner for
one free e-gift. If you’re posting a comment, please include an email address
or check back to see how you can claim your prize.
“A deadly event turns participants
into victims as a Texas killing field becomes ground zero for a Halloween hunt….”A Killer’s Field, Susan Smith Alvis
Blurb:
Kristen McMurray is flabbergasted when her boyfriend decides to
take her to the Texas Killing Fields for Halloween. She’s not at all
impressed with his plans for a romantic evening, let alone the idea
of frolicking on the very grounds known to harbor the deadliest of
secrets.
Picturing a moonlit sky high above them and a murderer lurking in
the shadows, Kristen is convinced her boyfriend has either lost his mind or
worse. Perhaps he’s become a quiet lunatic waiting to emerge.
Reluctantly, Kristen agrees to spend Halloween in the fields.
Unbeknownst to her, they enter the heart of a huge Halloween hunt, an organized
event and obvious trap used to entice unsuspecting victims to the very place
where dozens of bodies have been previously dumped.
One brush with death leads to another, but Kristen keeps her wits
about her as her boyfriend turns their Halloween night into an evening she’ll
never forget. While the fields live up to their harrowing name, Kristen faces
the horrors of the past. Somewhere along the way, she discovers an inner
strength and a will to survive, realizing determination and the desire
to live are the only elements ensuring she’ll leave the fields alive!
Excerpt:
“Where
to?” I ask, giving the door a quick tug and taking my seat. I’m still irked by
his lack of manners. Perhaps I’ll find a Texas gentleman while we’re hunting
killers. Oh sure, there’s a plan. Like eligible bachelors frequent those
fields. There’s an old adage about tempting fate. Right now, I feel as if I’m
setting a determined appointment with death.
Denny
starts the truck. “You’re in a mood.”
I
glance to my left. “Aren’t we all?”
“You
are,” he grumbles.
“I am,”
I agree. “People everywhere are always in
a mood. Some folks are in a good mood. Still others are…”
“Are?”
“Terrified,”
I deadpan.
“You’re
in a terrified mood?” he asks, turning up the radio a notch.
“Turn
that off,” I say, reaching over his outstretched arm and hitting the volume
knob.
Denny
drops his semi-muscular limb like it is weighted down with barbells. He steps
on the brake. “What is wrong with you?”
“I
don’t feel like listening to scary movie music.” I look straight ahead. I can’t
help but blink repetitively. In the face of danger, this always happens. It’s
as if I’m not quite able to fathom what is directly in front of me. “How do I
get myself in these situations?”
“What are
you babbling about?”
“My
life.”
“It’s
Halloween,” he says, scanning stations.
The
notation isn’t necessary. As we enter the New Orleans French Quarter, the
holiday is well understood. Already in costume, business owners are unlocking
their storefronts. Festive skeletons hang from hotel balconies while elaborate
jack-o-lanterns line private patios.
“But of
course it is. And I can’t think of anything more appropriate than listening to
doomsday hymns.”
“Would
you rather hear some bluegrass?”
“No.”
“Those
are your choices.”
“What a
nice variety you offer. Behind door number one, we have an arrangement of
instruments leaving the listener to believe terror has begun its inevitable
march. Behind door number two, an artist with the kind of dreadful voice that
makes me want to step into a shallow grave.”
Denny
grunts, returns both hands to the wheel and accelerates. “You’re strange. You
know that, right?”
“Yes,
and you’re the most normal guy in the world.”
He
reaches under his seat and retrieves a white plastic mask. “Speaking of which,
what do you think?”
I
wrinkle my nose as the aroma of Heinz 57 fills the truck. “I think you were out
of ketchup.”
“So?”
“So you
smell like a steak.”
“I
needed to splatter something thick and dark on my mask. I wanted to go in
costume.”
“Thanks
for telling me. I would’ve dressed up as mustard had I known you wanted to
travel as condiments.”
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