Today I am happy to host Gwen Plano, who has a new release to discuss. The post is all yours, Gwen.
Thank you, John, for inviting me to your site today. It would be fun to hop on the Lakeway bus and get a tour of your beautiful area. Maybe someday! Though not as exciting as a Texas whirl around your community, I’ll share a bit about my new release.
Redemption, A Father’s Fatal Decision takes place in the Southeast corner of New York state, in the towns of New Rochelle and Cortlandt. The characters journey to Old Lyme, Connecticut, on occasion, but for the most part, the drama is in New York. Having spent about twenty years in and around that area, it was exciting to visit as a writer.
The book tackles themes of forgiveness, redemption, and absolution through a psychological thriller. We accompany the son and daughter of the deceased as they try to uncover the reason for their father’s murder. What they discover prompts them to ask if they even knew their father.
Sometimes complicated situations help us see our own challenges in a different light. That is my hope for this book. Most of us won’t experience threats like those of my characters, but pain is pain, just as joy is joy. One may be more obvious than the other—but not less impactful.
In the excerpt below, the protagonists, Lisa and Trace Holmes, discover that their father had another life. Accompanied by their friend, Ryan, they stumble upon a war room.
BLURB
Family secrets can be deadly. When Lisa Holmes visits her parents one fateful Saturday morning, she hugs her father and walks to her childhood bedroom. The doorbell rings. Her father opens the door, and one minute later, he lies dead on the floor—three bullets to the chest.
The Holmes family lives on a quiet street, but no one really knows Eric Holmes. He travels for business and comes home a few days each month. Unbeknown to all, Eric has multiple lives.
In this fast-paced psychological thriller, Lisa and her brother, Trace, embark on a quest to solve the mystery involving the murder of their father. The journey takes them into a secret world where nothing is as it seems. As the puzzle pieces begin to coalesce, they discover the meaning of Redemption.
EXCERPT:
Lisa shouts from the back seat, “I see it. There, on the left side. The log cabin.”
Hardly detectable from the road, the lone hovel has knee-high weeds and untrimmed bushes. Barbed-wire fencing stretches around the property, and tree limbs hang at the entrance threateningly.
“I’ll pull in. Eh, on second thought, I’ll back up close to the shack in case we need to race out of here. This looks a little too much like a late-night thriller.”
Trace exits the jeep first and says to Lisa, “Over there on the right, is that the rock you saw?”
“I doubt it. I remember it being big.”
“Yeah, and you were a tiny kid. It won’t hurt to check it out. Come over and help me.” Trace pushes the rock upward while Lisa searches underneath.
“I see a little metal pillbox. That must be it.” She nabs it just before Trace lets the rock fall.
“I can’t get the lid off.”
Trace takes the box from her and jerks the lid open. Inside lies a strip of numbers. “This must be the combination number for a safe. Why else would he hide it?” He puts the paper strip into his pocket.
Ryan swats a mosquito on his arm and shoos a couple of annoying flies. “We’re definitely in the woods.”
Lisa approaches the front door and struggles to open the lock. “This can’t be the key.”
“Let me try.” Trace takes the key, forces it in, and applies pressure to get the lock to turn. With multiple shoves, the door swings open.
A musty, unused-for-a-long-time stench hits them. Lisa stands at the doorway, taking it all in and trying to order her memories. Impatient, Trace and Ryan rush past her.
Lisa mutters, “What the heck, guys?”
“No time for daydreaming, Lisa,” Trace snaps.
Reclaimed wood paneling stretches throughout the cabin. Maps of Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the United States cover most of the paneling. In the center of the room, looking at the maps and the boxes on the floor, Trace says, “This is a war room. Dad must have plotted his trips here.”
CONTACT INFORMATION:
BookBub: bit.ly/3Y26EI5
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/3XIe6Yu
Story Empire: https://storyempire.com/gwen-m-plano
Twitter: https://twitter.com/gmplano
Blog: www.gwenplano.com/blog-reflections
PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/3RebK0W
Amazon Purchase Page: https://amzn.to/3XKiLJn
Barnes and Noble: bit.ly/3JGgdbl
Fiction Favorites 
Congratulations on your latest book, Gwen. The blurb sounds intriguing and I love the cover!! Wishing you all the best. xo
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Darlene. Your encouraging words brighten my day. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
[…] Guest Post – Gwen Plano – #newbook – Redemption – A Father’s Fatal Decision […]
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for sharing the post today, Charles.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, Charles, for sharing John’s post today.
LikeLike
An intriguing excerpt from an intriguing book. I thoroughly enjoyed Redemption and highly recommend it. Congratulations to Gwen!
Thanks for hosting today, John!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Mae, for your kind words and review. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Mae.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, John, for showcasing Redemption today. I’m immensely grateful for your support. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always a pleasure
LikeLiked by 1 person
I finished Redemption yesterday, a wonderful read!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Priscilla, for your kind words. I’m so pleased you liked it. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Priscilla
LikeLiked by 2 people
I can’t wait to start this book! Congratulations, Gwen!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks so much, Jill. I hope you enjoy it. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved the excerpt and the whole story. Best wishes, Gwen.
John, thanks for hosting.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m so pleased you liked the story, Staci. Thank you for your good wishes. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Staci.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sounds like a place worthy of exploration.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It would be interesting to find such a place, wouldn’t it? 😊 Thank you for visiting, Craig.
LikeLiked by 2 people
We had a lot of abandoned places in Nevada, but only a couple still had all the personal property in them.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It would be interesting to find such a place, wouldn’t it? 😊 Thank you for visiting, Craig.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congrats, Gwen. The Blurb is intriguing!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for stopping by, GP. As for the cabin, it has an interesting story. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, GP
LikeLiked by 2 people
Another intriguing excerpt to whet my appetite for the book!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Liz. I’m pleased you find the excerpt intriguing. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome, Gwen. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Congratulations to Gwen, and thanks for helping her spread the word, John. I am almost finished reading this one, and I am loving it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Dan. I’m sure Gwen is loving to hear that.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m so pleased you’re enjoying my book, Dan. Thank you for the encouragement! 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m reading Redemption now. I just need to carve out more time as I’m eager to finish it. Congratulations Gwen, and thanks for hosting today, John.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Joan.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I hope you’re enjoying Redemption, Joan. Thank you for the good cheer. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
I can’t wait to read this one, Gwen! It sounds wonderful! Here’s to many, many sales, and fantastic reviews galore! 🤗💖🤗
And thanks for sharing Gwen’s book here today, John! Super post! (There. Have I used an exclamation point at every single place I possibly could? Yep! My work here is done!!!!.😂😂😂)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Marcia. I think you take the exclamation point championship.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You know how to make me chuckle, Marcia! Thank you for the good wishes and encouragement. 🤗
LikeLiked by 2 people
Comic Relief, Gwen. I’ve always tried to provide a bit here and there, whenever I can. Glad it made you chuckle. But I meant everything I said, exclamation points or not. 😀 ❤
LikeLiked by 2 people
You know how to make me chuckle, Marcia! Thank you for the good wishes and encouragement. 🤗
LikeLiked by 2 people
I am anxious to read this latest book by Gwen. Thank you for hosting her today, John. Congratulations, Gwen.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for the visit, Karen. I’m sure you will like the book.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much, Karen. I’m eagerly awaiting your second edition. 🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another great excerpt, Gwen! Thanks for hosting her today, John!
Yvette M Calleiro 🙂
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for the visit Yvette. 😁
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks so much, Yvette. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Excellent to see Gwen here with her tour underway. I finished the book a couple of days ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for hosting, John, and congrats to Gwen on her new release!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Your review was superb. Thanks for swinging by.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you very much, Diana. Your support and endorsement mean a lot to me. I am elated by your review. ❤️
LikeLiked by 2 people
❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mega kudos on your new book, Gwen. The story looks compelling. I will pick up my copy asap! In the meantime, wishing you lots of sales!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for the visit in support of Gwen, Ron.
LikeLiked by 1 person
👍 Gwen is a gem!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Indeed
LikeLike
Thanks so much, Ron. We’ll be in your area in August. Maybe we could meet up for coffee. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
That would be great, Gwen. I look forward to it!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oooh! This sounds very interesting! Thanks for the intro, John.
Best of luck to Gwen!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you for your support, Dale.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Of course 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks so much, Dale. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
My pleasure, Gwen. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m hooked! I’ll definitely be reading this one! Thanks, John and Gwen!!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m sure Gwen will be pleased. Thanks, Jill.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank YOU for shining a light on her work!
LikeLiked by 1 person
😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Jill. I hope you enjoy it. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
I’m looking forward to it!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks for sharing this one, John! It’s an intriguing story line, and I just had to put it on my list.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think you would like it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, T. W.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Another wonderful stop on your tour, Gwen. I love this excerpt! I’m so intrigued to discover all the secrets. Thank you, John, for hosting today! Congrats, Gwen!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much, Jan. There are plenty of secrets, but there are some clever sleuths. 🤗
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for the supportive words, Jan
LikeLike
Enjoying these excerpts, Gwen!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Teri. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
This sounds pretty exciting. Putting it on my to-read list.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Luanne
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Luanne. for your kind words. 😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re welcome. it sure sounds good!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This sounds very exciting! Congratulations, Gwen, and thank you John for a great guest post.
LikeLike