A lost soul and a seeker of truth
travel down the road to redemption
and discover more than they bargained for.
JACKSON STILES: ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Road to Redemption #1
Jo Richardson
Released Sept 21st, 2016
Jackson Stiles is used to having bad
days, but they’ve been especially bad since a certain tabloid reporter seems to
have it out for him.
Emma Green doesn’t mean any harm.
She simply sees it as her duty to report the misdeeds of certain Private
Detectives who charge too much in a society where people need more superheroes
and less villains; something even Jackson has convinced himself he deserves to
be called, deep in his gut.
When the two of them realize they’re
investigating the same suspicious circumstances, Emma makes Jackson an offer he
only wishes he could refuse. But can the man who trusts no one allow the one
woman he can’t stand help him get to the bottom of a murder he feels
responsible for?
Exposed and unsure, these two
unexpected allies come together to unmask the mysteries cloaked in plain sight
while uncovering secrets within each other. A lost soul and a seeker of truth
travel down the road to redemption and discover more than they bargained for.
BUY NOW
Excerpt
“Morning,
Stiles.” The five-and-a-half-foot brunette that likes to make my
life miserable is easily five-eight, maybe even five-nine, in the
heels she’s got on today. Combined with the dark blue power suit
she’s wearing, she comes off as all business despite the fact that
she doesn’t make eye contact with me. She’s too busy scrolling
through a bunch of bullshit on her smartphone.
I
growl a response so it comes out as more of a warning than a
greeting. Is it a bit much for this time of day? Maybe. Considering
our history, I’m not exactly worried about her impression of me,
though.
Emma
Green is the latest and greatest “crime” reporter for our
friendly neighborhood tabloid. And I use the term “reporter”
loosely, by the way. Very loosely.
Doesn’t
care about getting the story right in certain cases, if ya know what
I mean, loosely.
Her
name’s been on nearly every article the Redemption
Chronicle has put out
since she arrived from somewhere down in Florida. She shows up at
most crime scenes, from burglaries to homicides, and has very much
become a royal pain in my...
“You’re
late, by the way. They were just talking about you.” She mutters
and points, blindly, down the hall as she steps into the elevator.
Which is my cue to get the fuck out.
My one
and only cigarette calls to me from the front pocket of my button
down. Thank God I
remembered it. But quite
frankly, I don’t have the energy to pull it out. Not
that I wouldn’t get arrested if I did, but . . .
“And
you look like hell.” She’s full of compliments today, I see.
“Fuck
you very much, Green.” Not that I’m complaining. It makes it easy
to respond to her in like fashion. And bonus: I’m feeling pretty
good about getting the last word in on this battle of the banter, as
the doors close but then they open again.
“Maybe
you shouldn’t stay up so late playing around with your buddies over
at the police department.” I look back to see her foot blocking the
sensors that would normally allow the doors to close. She still can’t
be bothered to look up. She’s too busy burying her nose into the
iPhone.
Let’s
be real here. Flirting is not her forte.
“I
appreciate that enlightening bit of useless advice, Green.” Despite
my attempt to be nice sarcasm spills out of every word. It’s only
when she pulls her foot all the way in and the doors are halfway shut
that I ask myself─ how did she know I was downtown last night?
Emerald
eyes peer up at me as the question enters my mind. And I swear, she’s
fucking smirking.
Between
the pleasant smile and the way her expression lights up like she’s
about to pounce, I’m not sure what the hell to think. I haven’t
seen her smile like that since the day I briefly met her on the scene
of a break-in I was hired to investigate. First thing I noticed was
her smile. She seemed...new.
The
next thing I noticed was her eyes.
Deep
green. The grab-a-hold-of-you-and-don’t-let-go kind that make you
wanna know everything that’s going on behind them.
And
don’t even get me started on her ass. It begs for mercy because
she, no doubt, runs it every day, then follows up with a pint of fat
free yogurt and a jug of water.
Not
that I’ve thought about it.
But I
digress.
She
was polite enough. Or so I thought. Asked me if I had any insider’s
information on what had gone down that day. It’s not like I was
rude or anything. All I did was tell her I wasn’t doing her fucking
job for her.
I paid
the price for that comment in the article she ran the next day. The
headline read, “Local P.I. steals more from family than burglar.”
I won’t bother you with the details, but let’s just say, the
article was less about the break-in and more about what an asshole I
am.
I
mean, what the fuck?
I can
assure anyone who has the balls to ask, I charge less than ninety
percent of the dicks working the tri-state area. Just ask the bill
collectors.
The
asshole thing is still up for debate...in most circles.
Lesson
learned here? Never trust a woman with eyes that stunning or an ass
that tight.
Basically,
I fucking hate her.
A movie fanatic, a writer of stories, a lover of life.
I grew up
in Maryland with four siblings, three parents and an endless number of cousins
within the vicinity – but it was too cold up North for this thin blooded girl.
So today, I live in Florida with my two girls and a husband that shares my same
sense of humor and basic take on life as we know it.
Life is
too short to put dreams on the back burner.
I write
both contemporary and paranormal stories that include mystery, suspense, humor,
action, romance, and anything else I can think up.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I have always loved to write and have a vivid and overactive imagination.
In my spare time, when I’m not writing, I love to walk, read and shop.
I believe no mountain is too hard to climb, no river is too wide to span and no journey is too difficult to complete. I follow my dreams and I urge and encourage others to do the same.
With a positive attitude, the impossible can become possible.
