Close to the Skin

Head of a multi-million dollar criminal enterprise, Vernon Newell doesn’t let family ties or misplaced sympathy get in his way. But there is one chink in his armor—Bella Bell, a prospering tattoo artist in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Despite her attraction to the fabulously sexy man, Bella wants nothing to do with a hard-headed, ruthless criminal. But when threatening messages start arriving, and Vernon disappears, Bella must choose to abandon the man she loves or risk her life to save him.

This not the typical military or spy romantic suspense. It is a gritty, urban thriller about criminals and tattoo artists, where the hero and heroine would rather not have anything to do with the law, and who eventually get their happy ending, but only after facing down incredible odds to do so. WINNER of the 2016 Pages of the Heart contest.