Bleeding Hearts
(Book #1)
by Dana Louise Provo
Publication Date: August 25, 2016
Publisher: Clean Reads
Orphaned at an early age, now twenty-four-year-old Camryn Lucks is ready to commit to find that special someone, and so accepts a date from a charming, gallant, handsome stranger. The last thing she imagines after accepting that first date with Carson would actually be the beginning of her worst nightmare.
Red roses, a reminder of her parents' killer, soon become an emblem of horror for Cami as one by one, those closest to her fall victim to a serial killer. Cami becomes an obsession for Carson, the man she had finally allowed herself to love. Not only is he vying for her heart, but also her life.
Finding herself in a whirlwind of torments shadowed by the blood-colored bloom, Cami finds solace in Isaac, a neighboring police officer. She’s desperate to escape the haunting memories, but she must revisit them in order to catch her would-be killer. Living life in constant fear has driven Cami to second-guess every choice she makes. Will the police catch the illusive murderer, or will Cami be forced to face him once again?
Link to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31390356-bleeding-hearts
Purchase Links:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks
Red roses, a reminder of her parents' killer, soon become an emblem of horror for Cami as one by one, those closest to her fall victim to a serial killer. Cami becomes an obsession for Carson, the man she had finally allowed herself to love. Not only is he vying for her heart, but also her life.
Finding herself in a whirlwind of torments shadowed by the blood-colored bloom, Cami finds solace in Isaac, a neighboring police officer. She’s desperate to escape the haunting memories, but she must revisit them in order to catch her would-be killer. Living life in constant fear has driven Cami to second-guess every choice she makes. Will the police catch the illusive murderer, or will Cami be forced to face him once again?
Link to Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31390356-bleeding-hearts
Purchase Links:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | iBooks
My arm trembles as I grip the cool handle of my pistol, keeping a firm grasp to ensure it doesn’t slip out of my sweaty hand. It usually stands sentry in my left nightstand to scare the nightmares away. But this isn’t a dream. The room is dark and hides the face of the man whose intent is to kill me. But I know who he is. A metallic taste fills my mouth; I want to gag. My blood drips off the blade in his hand in slow, steady beats on the carpet. My arms shake as I lift the barrel and point it in his direction. He doesn't move. His heavy breaths alert me to the meager distance between us.
We’re at a stalemate.
A soft glow from the lamppost just outside my window casts a sliver of light on his face. His dark, beady eyes that I have grown to know rake over my body like I'm another one of his many victims. He lifts the edges of his mouth into a smile. My heart plunges into my stomach. I know what that sinister expression means, and I think back to all the times he had looked at me like that before. I had been so blind.
Before I react he lunges at me, grabbing onto my waist and twisting me to the ground. I shriek as my head slams against the bed frame. Black spots flood my vision. I squeeze my hand only to find it empty. My gun is gone. The sound of the knife clattering on the floor gives me slight hope. Not much though. He climbs up my body trying to pin my arms to the floor. I thrash my fists around, desperate to knock him off.
“Get off!” I scream, pulling on his shirt and kicking him off balance. Wrapping his hands around my arms, my attacker cuts off the circulation of blood. Rug burns flare across my skin as he drags me across the carpet. He closes his hands around my neck, shutting off my air supply. I pull at his hands but it's no use; he has always been stronger than me. My pulse drums a frantic beat in my ears. The air slowly leaks out from my lungs, killing any hope I may have left. I search for the gun around the room; it may be my only savior now.
"Why are you doing this?" I struggle to get the words out. He squints his dark eyes. I'm wondering if there might be a chance that he will stop this madness. I am wrong.
"It'll be over soon, sweetheart." His hands again tighten around my neck, blocking the air from entering my lungs.
We’re at a stalemate.
A soft glow from the lamppost just outside my window casts a sliver of light on his face. His dark, beady eyes that I have grown to know rake over my body like I'm another one of his many victims. He lifts the edges of his mouth into a smile. My heart plunges into my stomach. I know what that sinister expression means, and I think back to all the times he had looked at me like that before. I had been so blind.
Before I react he lunges at me, grabbing onto my waist and twisting me to the ground. I shriek as my head slams against the bed frame. Black spots flood my vision. I squeeze my hand only to find it empty. My gun is gone. The sound of the knife clattering on the floor gives me slight hope. Not much though. He climbs up my body trying to pin my arms to the floor. I thrash my fists around, desperate to knock him off.
“Get off!” I scream, pulling on his shirt and kicking him off balance. Wrapping his hands around my arms, my attacker cuts off the circulation of blood. Rug burns flare across my skin as he drags me across the carpet. He closes his hands around my neck, shutting off my air supply. I pull at his hands but it's no use; he has always been stronger than me. My pulse drums a frantic beat in my ears. The air slowly leaks out from my lungs, killing any hope I may have left. I search for the gun around the room; it may be my only savior now.
"Why are you doing this?" I struggle to get the words out. He squints his dark eyes. I'm wondering if there might be a chance that he will stop this madness. I am wrong.
"It'll be over soon, sweetheart." His hands again tighten around my neck, blocking the air from entering my lungs.
Dana Provo has always loved books and reads everything from young adult fantasy to adult historical romances. When she’s not reading or writing her next novel, Dana can be found riding her horses and getting ready for competition. Dana lives with her husband and two house plants in Richmond, Virginia.
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What are your top 10 favorite books?
So these are some of my favorite books, not in this order. Most of them are Young Adult with a few Adult romances mixed in. I love each and every one of these books equally and have already read several of these books more than once (yes I am one of those people that enjoy reading books over and over again). If I were to suggest one book from my list to anyone, it would have to be The Cellar. It’s a young adult book about a teenager who gets abducted. The message this book sends to those who read it is powerful. It’s a fast paced thriller and I’ve read it twice now, and still get chills.
The Shadow Falls Series by CC Hunter
The Cellar by Natasha Preston
The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
Diamonds or Donuts by Lucie Ulrich
Knowing Yourself by Lisa Shea
Genesis Girl by Jennifer Bardsley
The Darkest Powers Series by Kelley Armstrong
Beautiful Demons by Sarra Cannon
The Opposite of Wild (or any book from this author) by Kylie Gilmore
Maid for Love by Marie Force
What inspired you to write this book?
Bleeding Hearts was a new genre for me to write. I wanted to try my hand at romance but knew I wasn’t ready for a story focusing solely on the romance. So, I came up with a romantic suspense novel and created a plot with two different story lines. I spent a good month planning out each chapter, but only writing the key components to keep me on track. Having to write more than one timeline was a challenge, but was very entertaining for myself and hopefully for my readers as well. They will get a chance to experience what Cami is doing now in her life as well as how she came to find herself in the situation in the beginning of the book.
The idea of a woman falling in love with a serial killer came to me when I moved into my apartment last year. We have an officer living down the hall with his wife (who are now good friends of mine) and I thought, if I were to get into trouble or someone is bothering me while my husband is away, I could go ask for help from them. That’s when I came up with the story. My main character, Cami Lucks was going to get herself into trouble and go for help. I used my friends as inspiration. Their personalities don't play a role in who my main characters are in the book, only the location of their apartment.
After coming up with what I wanted, I started on my outline, it's something I do for each book to help keep my creative juices flowing. I write one sentence or a few key words for what I want to happen on each chapter and I write the date to keep things organized. BH only took me two months to write. And it's one of my favorite books ever.
So these are some of my favorite books, not in this order. Most of them are Young Adult with a few Adult romances mixed in. I love each and every one of these books equally and have already read several of these books more than once (yes I am one of those people that enjoy reading books over and over again). If I were to suggest one book from my list to anyone, it would have to be The Cellar. It’s a young adult book about a teenager who gets abducted. The message this book sends to those who read it is powerful. It’s a fast paced thriller and I’ve read it twice now, and still get chills.
The Shadow Falls Series by CC Hunter
The Cellar by Natasha Preston
The Selection Series by Kiera Cass
Diamonds or Donuts by Lucie Ulrich
Knowing Yourself by Lisa Shea
Genesis Girl by Jennifer Bardsley
The Darkest Powers Series by Kelley Armstrong
Beautiful Demons by Sarra Cannon
The Opposite of Wild (or any book from this author) by Kylie Gilmore
Maid for Love by Marie Force
What inspired you to write this book?
Bleeding Hearts was a new genre for me to write. I wanted to try my hand at romance but knew I wasn’t ready for a story focusing solely on the romance. So, I came up with a romantic suspense novel and created a plot with two different story lines. I spent a good month planning out each chapter, but only writing the key components to keep me on track. Having to write more than one timeline was a challenge, but was very entertaining for myself and hopefully for my readers as well. They will get a chance to experience what Cami is doing now in her life as well as how she came to find herself in the situation in the beginning of the book.
The idea of a woman falling in love with a serial killer came to me when I moved into my apartment last year. We have an officer living down the hall with his wife (who are now good friends of mine) and I thought, if I were to get into trouble or someone is bothering me while my husband is away, I could go ask for help from them. That’s when I came up with the story. My main character, Cami Lucks was going to get herself into trouble and go for help. I used my friends as inspiration. Their personalities don't play a role in who my main characters are in the book, only the location of their apartment.
After coming up with what I wanted, I started on my outline, it's something I do for each book to help keep my creative juices flowing. I write one sentence or a few key words for what I want to happen on each chapter and I write the date to keep things organized. BH only took me two months to write. And it's one of my favorite books ever.
