A Blacklick Valley Mystery Series by Donna Cummins

"One night in early January, with dark clouds racing across a full moon that cast its ancient glow across the mountain top, they came. Clad in hooded black robes, carrying torches that blazed with evil fury, they came. With chanting—at first a distant murmur, then growing and building, louder and louder—incessant, demanding, hideous chanting, they came... more"One night in early January, with dark clouds racing across a full moon that cast its ancient glow across the mountain top, they came. Clad in hooded black robes, carrying torches that blazed with evil fury, they came. With chanting—at first a distant murmur, then growing and building, louder and louder—incessant, demanding, hideous chanting, they came. Mother had been rocking both Jeremiah, my four-year-old little brother, and me on our rickety rocking chair, its swaying motion in itself a soothing comfort on a dark night. But more than that, mother sang to us in her clear and lilting voice as she often did, chasing away the ghosts and goblins that sometimes haunt a young boy’s mind. As I was about to drop off to sleep, the noise and the clatter from outside our cabin startled me back to consciousness. Mother’s voice mixed with the incessant chanting that came closer and closer. Her voice faded. We could see the lights from their torches through the window panes, and mother rose quickly from the rocker and hurried Jeremiah and me into our bedroom. She cautioned us in whispery tones to stay quiet, to stay in our room, pretend to be asleep; and then on tiptoe, she rushed out the door, closing it quietly after herself. Within minutes, I heard Mother scream a piercing wail that emitted both terror and defeat. They came through our bedroom door, robes rustling, wild eyes searching, hands reaching, and carried Jeremiah and I from our beds. They dragged Mother out the front door, through the dark forest, up the mountainside, our captors pulling my brother and I close behind. I remember the brittle sound of the fallen leaves under our feet, the cold chill of the night air brushing against my face, the pale moonlight frosting the tips of the last remaining leaves on the black, skeletal oak trees that rose above us. And we kept climbing, climbing, farther and farther up through the forest. And as we walked, a cold wind came up, turning the leaves; and the racing clouds changed into thunderheads. And then the first bolt of lightning lit the sky and illuminated the hellish scene around us—the shadowy, dark figures stomping through the bushes and underbrush, the swaying glow of lanterns through the trees. All the while their chanting reverberated across the landscape, mixing with the sound of the howling, barking, snarling, pawing dogs that followed in their midst." less

Domestic Violence Entangled in Mystery and Intrigue.... WHEN THE MAN YOU LOVE TURNS INTO YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE...WHAT THEN? "Long strands of hair, now matted with blood, fell across her face as she crawled across the carpet. Like a hawk swooping toward its prey, Frank reached down and pulled her up by the hair, wrenching an arm behind her back. His fist pulled back again and a well-planned blow shot viciously into her stomach. The wind was knocked out of her. She couldn’t breathe... moreDomestic Violence Entangled in Mystery and Intrigue.... WHEN THE MAN YOU LOVE TURNS INTO YOUR WORST NIGHTMARE...WHAT THEN? "Long strands of hair, now matted with blood, fell across her face as she crawled across the carpet. Like a hawk swooping toward its prey, Frank reached down and pulled her up by the hair, wrenching an arm behind her back. His fist pulled back again and a well-planned blow shot viciously into her stomach. The wind was knocked out of her. She couldn’t breathe. Still she struggled to escape. He pulled back his fist and hit her again, low in the abdomen. Laura doubled over as an agonizing pain ripped through her body, and she dropped to the floor again. A vicious kick landed into her belly, and she screamed in agony. She tried to roll away, to pull her knees up, protect her baby; but the pain consumed her and waves of blackness rolled over her, threatening to sweep her away." ________________________________________ It’s time to return once again to Blacklick Valley and the unsuspecting inhabitants who live within its borders. ________________________________________ Frank Kinkaid is every woman’s dream-come-true—handsome, powerful, sophisticated, and very, very rich. A dream-come-true, that is, until he becomes her worst nightmare. For under this charismatic facade lies a man obsessed by the need to control, a man who regards women as objects to possess, to exploit, and to use to his own advantage, a man driven by heartless cruelty. For the magnetic Kinkaid, armed with shrewdness and charm, money and women seem easy to come by. But will one of these women, drawn in by fate, ultimately prove to be his demise? One storm-filled day in late April, the exquisitely stunning Laura O’Malley quite literally runs into Frank Kinkaid. Kinkaid has always loved beautiful women, comparing them to a fine thoroughbred or a rare piece of art. He immediately aspires to make Laura his own. She, on the other hand, is taken by both Kinkaid’s charm and good looks and is soon caught up by this handsome and charismatic stranger who charms and beguiles her. Little does she realize the consequences that lie ahead. Annie Ross is a young and naïve girl struggling to make it through her last year of college after a failed romance that has left her torn and broken. Coming from simple and provincial roots and a strict religious upbringing, she seems utterly unaware of her striking appeal and sexual allure to a man like Frank Kinkaid. Her loneliness and naiveté combine to make her an easy and vulnerable target for Kinkaid who sweeps her into a world she has only read about. Her life will change in a way she could never have imagined. Samantha Jessup grew up the hard way and learned early on that you had to fight for your place in the world. Ambitious and driven, Samantha has developed into a tough-minded, uncompromising businesswoman. Although strong-willed and highly successful, even she is no match for the cunning Frank Kinkaid and the destruction he brings into her life. But on a dark and turbulent summer night, in the wake of a violent storm brought in on a hot westerly wind, Frank Kinkaid will finally pay for his sins, will finally meet his destiny. The question is, “Who will become his executioner?” less

Sheriff Jed Tyler’s tenuous marriage is being tested. His affair last winter with the stunning and provocative Laura Kinkaid has left his marriage in shambles—he, struggling to regain his wife’s trust and confidence, Jenny seemingly unable to forgive and forget... moreSheriff Jed Tyler’s tenuous marriage is being tested. His affair last winter with the stunning and provocative Laura Kinkaid has left his marriage in shambles—he, struggling to regain his wife’s trust and confidence, Jenny seemingly unable to forgive and forget. As the couple’s relationship continues to deteriorate and it seems things can’t get any worse, Tyler suddenly finds himself embroiled in the brutal murder of a young woman who works at the newly-acquired real estate company of Samantha Jessup—the tough-minded, take-no-prisoners business woman who grew up the hard way. In the midst of Tyler’s investigation, he is hit with yet another bombshell when he accidentally runs into Laura Kinkaid one chilly autumn day. The secret that he learns will turn his world upside down. In the meantime, Jenny Tyler gets some surprises of her own when the man she had so passionately loved long ago, the man she had committed her life to, the man who had then mysteriously vanished from her life—Tripp Castleberry—suddenly reappears at her doorstep, declaring his steadfast love for her and stirring emotions that lay buried in her heart. Torn between her commitment to a failing marriage and her renewed feelings for her old love, her first love, Jenny spirals toward despair and destruction. When a second woman is found murdered—her body also mutilated almost beyond recognition—the terror-stricken people of Blacklick Valley wonder which of them might be the psychotic madman’s next victim. Will Tyler learn the identity of the serial killer that threatens Blacklick Valley and uncover the dark secret that drives his insanity? Will Jenny Tyler succumb to the obsessive passion of the mysterious and elusive Tripp Castleberry and her own secret longings? Will Laura Kinkaid’s secret destroy the Tyler marriage or bring resolution? So many secrets—Deadly Secrets…. From the author of Rain of Terror, named to “Best Kindle Books of 2015” by Digital Book Today, DEADLY SECRETS is a powerful, fast-moving, emotionally-charged Mystery/Romantic Suspense sure to keep you up at night as the tension ratchets up and sweeps you along on a nail-biting roller coast ride. Come along as dark and deadly secrets explode across the pages; and find out if love does, in fact, conquer all. * * * *The handsome and rugged sheriff, Jed Tyler, whose marriage hangs by a thread… *The exotically beautiful Laura Kinkaid whose affair with Tyler nearly destroys his marriage… *The mysterious and dangerous stranger, Tripp Castleberry, obsessed with love for another man’s wife… *Jenny Tyler, whose heart’s secret longings lead her down a path of destruction… *A malevolent predator who brings torment and death to his victims… …their secrets about to explode in vivid detail, tearing their worlds apart. Each with a secret…so many secrets…Deadly Secrets. If you’re a fan of Nora Roberts, Sandra Brown, or Lisa Jackson, you’ll LOVE Deadly Secrets! * * * less

Tension is running high in Blacklick Valley as Sheriff Jed Tyler races against time to untangle the remaining elusive secrets that threaten its inhabitants before another life is lost. Will he succeed in his efforts or—this time—will he be too late? More than a year has passed since Claire Whitman’s diabolical abduction of three women, the murder of one, where she piteously cast them into a place of our worst nightmares, leaving them to die in the most horrific way... moreTension is running high in Blacklick Valley as Sheriff Jed Tyler races against time to untangle the remaining elusive secrets that threaten its inhabitants before another life is lost. Will he succeed in his efforts or—this time—will he be too late? More than a year has passed since Claire Whitman’s diabolical abduction of three women, the murder of one, where she piteously cast them into a place of our worst nightmares, leaving them to die in the most horrific way. But did she act alone? Or, did she have an unknown accomplice—one still viciously intent on carrying out his murderous scheme? And what of Annie Ross, the young, naïve mistress of Laura Kinkaid’s late husband Frank, who was forced into an unwanted abortion that left her relentlessly guilt-ridden, broken, and betrayed? Has she simply disappeared into the mists of her delusional mind? Or, is she back with a fiery vengeance and her own psychotic plan for justice? Last fall, CIA operative Tripp Castleberry, in conjunction with federal DEA agents, believed his team had cracked the local link in a far-reaching Mexican drug cartel network, cutting off the massive flow of illegal drugs flowing into the region with a secretive sting operation. Unfortunately, the mastermind, the king-pin behind it all, remained unidentified and has recently reestablished operations. Will he continue to elude authorities at every turn or will he finally be unmasked? Now, just weeks after Jed and Jenny’s divorce has finalized, are Laura and Jed and baby Jonathan, the product of their illicit love affair, living the idealized life they had imagined at Laura’s grand estate at Green Hills? Is Jenny content in her new relationship with Tripp Castleberry, the mysterious and dangerous lover from her past who came back to reclaim her? Has Timmy, Jenny’s young son, adapted to the sweeping changes in his world or does his life seem to be collapsing around him? Is hard-core, take-no-prisoners business entrepreneur Samantha Jessup destined to living her life alone, or is there a man out there strong enough to tame her? Return now to Blacklick Valley as these webs of mystery unfold in explosive detail and for the volatile and shocking conclusion of The Blacklick Valley Mystery Series. less