Sunday, October 23, 2011

Mayan Intrigue: Mystery and Adventure

Mayan Intrigue: The Adventures of John and Julia Evans

ADVENTURE...SUSPENSE...ROMANCE...HUMOR...INTRIGUE!

The jungles of the Yucatan, Mayan ruins, looters, a mysterious artifact, and a nosey reporter are focus of Mayan Intrigue. With a blend of mystery, suspense, and Julia's curiosity, John and Julia find themselves on the run once again. The discovery of a priceless artifact soon puts Julia’s life in great danger. From valuable artifacts to shady businessmen, the Yucatan Peninsula becomes a dangerous vacation spot for John and Julia Evans.

Suko’s Notebook Review: “Excitement prevails…this book is full of mystery and suspense… Linda's writing is lively and down-to-earth; she has the ability to make you feel as if you're in these stories, along with John and Julia, trying to decipher the truth and escape from harm.”

Socrates Book Review: "Ms. Clarke’s descriptions easily transports the reader to Mexico. You really feel as if you are part of the story. Her words flow beautifully through each page of the book. Readers learn more and more about the beautiful relationship shared by John and Julia. Their commitment to each other is stronger than ever. With each book, these two become more like friends of the readers instead of book characters. I enjoyed this very much and am looking forward to the third book in this thrilling series."

Chapter 1

Julia strode down the well-traveled path. Her heart was beating rapidly and she had a feeling of urgency as she hurried along. She stopped and looked around. The trees on both sides of the trail were so thick that she couldn't see beyond them, and a canopy of branches overhead was hiding the sun from view. Thick vines and vegetation had crept up the trunks of many trees and were hanging over the limbs. She heard the chatter of monkeys and a few tropical birds communicating with each other, but other than that, it was peaceful and serene. So why had her pulse rate accelerated?

Julia continued on for a ways until she came to a fork in the path. The trail on the right was trimmed and well-worn but the one on the left was less traveled and narrow. Not only that, a large fat snake was hanging from a branch. The snake's head lifted and followed her every movement. This sent a chill up her spine and Julia shivered involuntarily. Snakes had never bothered her before but this one was much larger than an ordinary garden snake. Whether or not it was poisonous, she didn't know.

Julia bit her lip, wondering which path to take. The one on the right seemed more inviting, but she was curious about the other and where it led. After a few seconds, she headed down the well-trimmed path. For some reason, she felt a deep foreboding with each step she took. Had she chosen wisely?

It did not take long until she came upon an opening in the thick forest. Julia's eyes widened at the beauty, so green and lush. A magnificent aqua-colored lake stood out from this forest and peacefulness seemed to rein over this area. As her eyes scanned the beauty of this land, she heard crunching of debris from behind her.

Instinctively, she knew that her life was in danger. Why, she did not know. Julia's heart pounded furiously. Beads of sweat formed on her brow and her chest tightened. Taking a deep breath, she slowly turned and found herself face to face with a large burly man that had an angular scar across his cheek. His piercing dark eyes were hard and cold as he glared at her. His contemptuous smile told her that he had been hunting her like prey.

Julia was helpless. She was in a remote area by herself. When the man saw her fear, he grinned, accentuating the scar along his cheekbone. As he slowly approached her, to her horror, she could not move an inch. She was frozen to the spot. So she did the only thing she could think of. She let out a blood-curdling scream that echoed in her ears.

Instantly, John bolted upright from his bed, his heart pounding erratically as he awoke from a deep sleep. He blinked his eyes a couple times, trying to come to his senses when he finally realized that Julia had awakened him, screaming at the top of her voice. He leaned toward the nightstand, switched on the light, and then turned toward his wife. When he saw how pale she was, John realized she had had a nightmare. Was it the same dream again? He took her hand and squeezed it lovingly as he watched her chest rise and fall in quick breaths. After a few moments, her eyes flickered open and met his. When he looked into her hazel eyes, he knew she was frightened.

"You had another one, didn't you?"

Julia nodded.

"The same one?"

She nodded again, her eyes wide with fear.

"It's been a month now and you've had this same dream once or twice a week. Does it ever vary or is every detail the same?"

"The same," she answered as she pushed her fingers through her rich auburn hair. "There's no variation."

John slid next to her and pulled her into his arms. How he loved this woman, his wife and companion! And it wrenched his heart that she had to endure such dreams. What had caused them in the first place? He wrapped his arms around her in a protective manner as she snuggled in his embrace. She gave a sigh of relief as he tightened his arms around her.

Julia was an investigative reporter for the Dixie Chronicle in St. George, Utah. She was a stubborn, determined woman but her pleasant smile was genuine, which warmed the soul of those she met. She, also, had a deep faith in God but she had her mischievous ways. For fun, she would introduce herself by using her first and middle name, just to see the surprised look on people's faces. What was her middle name? Roberts. That's right. Julia Roberts! In fact, she almost laughed out loud when someone actually asked for her autograph. She didn't even look like the movie star. Not wanting to embarrass the poor man, she gave him her autograph. Julia vowed that one day she would ask her father why she had been given such an unusual middle name.

She was stunningly beautiful, a farm girl at heart with a touch of grace and elegance, when needed. Her husband cherished everything about her, even her strong will and stubborn ways. She was completely opposite from John, which made his life with her even more intriguing. They had been married for twenty-one years. She was forty-one and he was forty-three.

Right now they were in a hotel in Merida on the Yucatan Peninsula on assignment for the Chronicle. Needless to say, they decided to make it a vacation and stay two weeks instead of one.

As Julia heard the deep breathing of her husband, she knew that he had fallen asleep again. She smiled. This vacation was a much-needed one for both of them. John had been working extra long hours lately and she had greatly missed his presence at home.

Julia had longed for his attention and loving ways, even his teasing, for the past six months. She longed for that affectionate kiss as he passed through the kitchen, holding hands during a movie, and words of communication while lying in bed. It sort of rekindled the fire that may have been forgotten from every day life in a busy world of responsibilities.

Julia knew how important it was to keep a romantic relationship with her husband. She liked a romantic evening best when it was spontaneous rather than planned. But who had time to even plan lately?

It had been quite a while since Julia felt her heart beat rapidly as she felt her husband's arms tighten around her waist and she desperately missed it. She felt a need to renew those special feelings as often as possible, to keep their love alive. So, here they were in Mexico, and finally taking time for one another.

The only thing that confused her was why she was having these dreams. They were the same exact dreams every time. As she lay staring at the ceiling, Julia knew that she could not fall back to sleep so she very quietly slid out of bed.

She walked to the dresser and slipped on some clothes, brushed her hair, and put on some makeup. Then she turned out the lamp beside the bed and slipped out the door to take a relaxing walk. It was six o'clock in the morning and not a soul was up and stirring on this Sabbath day. This was a perfect time to meditate and think of all her many blessings, for her husband and their three daughters.

Julia walked out into the cool morning air and breathed in the fresh fragrance. As she slowly strolled down the sidewalk, she thought about her assignment for the Dixie Chronicle. She was supposed to write about the ruins of the ancient people of Mesoamerica. What an exciting assignment! She was so thrilled when her boss had given her this important project, the first one he had ever given her since her promotion as an investigative reporter. She smiled with contentment as she walked toward a bunch of tall thick shrubs next to a park.

As Julia stepped around the shrubs, she saw a short pudgy man with wisps of grayish brown hair surrounding his balding head. He was smiling as he admired something in his hand. The man beside him was an unusually tall Latin. His short sleeves revealed his tanned arms and he had dark curly hair that touched the collar of his white shirt.

As the balding man pulled a large envelope from his jacket and handed it to his companion, he exclaimed, "Beautiful! It's simply..."

His words trailed off when his eyes met Julia's. As if startled by her presence, he froze, staring at her with widened eyes.

Instantly, his companion turned around and looked over his shoulder to see what he was staring at. But it did not take long for the Latin's dark eyes to quickly change from surprise to irritation. Julia noticed that his eyes were hard and cold and his jaw was rigid. A chill went down her spine as a feeling of apprehension crept inside her. Something told her to leave and to leave now. She was not about to question those feelings, so she instantly turned on her heels and strode toward the hotel.

Why had these men acted so strangely? If they had wanted privacy, why did they meet at a public park? But as she thought about it, it was only six o'clock on a Sunday morning. Why would they expect anyone to be wandering through the park at this time of day? What surprised her most was their attitude and the way the Latin had reacted to her presence, as if he were angry.

Feeling uneasy, Julia dared not turn around and see if she was followed but quickly picked up her pace.

35 comments:

Marjorie/cenya2 said...

This is a super giveaway and I would love to win one of your books.
Thanks for the chance to win.

cenya2 at hotmail dot com

Shawna said...

Oh yes, I'd love the ebook of this! Please add me. anmlvrami at yahoo dot com

clenna said...

I love the stories of the Mayan ruins. This book sounds great. I would love to read it.

clenna at aol dot com

Diana said...

I especially like the part with the fat snake watching Julia. I can totally see that moment in my mind. Quiet and creepy and curious.
ladyofnarnia(at)yahoo(dot)com

apple blossom said...

the romance mixed with suspense sounds super. thanks

ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

Mandi Tucker Slack said...

Hi Linda!! Wow...that sounds fantastic!! I would love to win a copy! You definitely had me at priceless artifacts and Yucatan Peninsula. Also, I really enjoyed meeting you a few weeks ago in Ephriam! Thanks

Mandi Slack
slackmandi@yahoo.com

Literary Chanteuse said...

Count me in for an e copy! Thanks!

Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com

Donna said...

Would love a chance to win an ebook about the Mayan Intrigue. video was great. As for the excerpt, a scar on the cheek of a bad guy is always spooky!

Caroline Clemmons said...

Linda, your book sounds intriguing. I know my husband and I would each enjoy it.

Cathy W said...

Sounds like something I'd really enjoy.
thanks for the chance.
cjwallace43 at gmail dot com

booklover0226 said...

The one thing that grabbed my attention is the location. A beautiful setting with mystery and intrigued... how exciting.

Thanks,
Tracey D
bookklover0226 at gmail dot com

michelle130 said...

this is great giveaway.

desitheblonde said...

the book sound great would blog on them all over the internet
desitheblodne2msn.com

Unknown said...

Thank you, I would love to win an ebook copy

kissyjensen at gmail dot com

Unknown said...

My attention was drawn to the location- Mayan ruins.

Thanks for participating in the blog hop and for the giveaway opportunity.

sundee94@comcast.net

Vicki said...

This book got my attention from the minute I started to read the description, to when the two men met in the park and we have no idea what they are looking at. I want to read more thru an ebook.

Vicki - seasia777@aol.com

Anonymous said...

Okay great review - What caught me was, not only the way you feel like you are really with the characters in Mexico, ut when Julia for the first time is scared by a Snake? Odd huh.. It follows her movements... Dont like it and she dosent know if it's poisonous -that in itself let you know that something is up! Then she bites her lip and make a chose on a path, only then to feel with each step did she make the right choice. I am hooked, scared and also wonder if she made the right path choice,,,

Anonymous said...

see previous comment - Jenn
Also my e-mail
jdovefamily(at)gmail(dot)com

trinity said...

Would love to win this book it sounds great!
Trinity Blacio
trinityblacio12@gmail.com

Krystal Larson said...

Thank you very much for the chance :) edysicecreamlover18@gmailDOTcom

Clarbojahn said...

Am including it with my next order to Amazon for the free shipping. Love mysteries and this sounds great. I love anything Mayan and Mexico ruins. Your first chapter has me in knots and I want to know more.
Thanks for this give away.

Clarikebowmanjahn at yahoo dot com

Darlene said...

I have always been fascinated with Mayan ruins! Please enter me in the draw, and thanks for the giveaway.

darlenesbooknook at gmail dot com

Katherine said...

I am intrigued to read the mystery and have heard so much about the great relationship between John and Julia! I would love to read this!

katsaddress AT gmail DOT com

Krysykat said...

Chapter one looks great. I'd prefer a hard copy.

Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com

Christine A. said...

I would love to win a hardcopy of this book, it sounds great. Thanks for the giveaway.
GFC- Christine A.
your1chef at aol dot com

Becca said...

I love that Julia Evans is a nosey reporter. They always make for interesting stories. I would prefer a hard copy. Thanks so much for the chance! sbcashortie at hotmail dot com

Vicki said...

I'd love to win a copy of this book!
Thanks!
irbratb(@)gmail(.)com

Mary Preston said...

The book looks very interesting thank you.

marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

LB said...

I want to know who these men are and what they are holding!!
I'd like a hard copy

petrellinyc-blog at yahoo dot com

Germaine Dulac said...

I would love to win a hard copy of this! Sounds interesting!

germaine.dulac(at)yahoo(dot)com

Janiera said...

what interested me is reading about the ruins. I would love a hard copy!
prettyhaydengurl@yahoo.com

Lexie@BookBug said...

I would love a hard copy! Can't wait to read this one!
lexie.bookbug at gmail dot com

Linda Weaver Clarke said...

Congratulations Donna! You mentioned that "a scar on the cheek of a bad guy is always spooky!" I thought so, too.

Rea said...

Obviously I'm not in for the giveaway but I just wanted to let you know that your ystery series sounds really intriguing! This first chapter makes me want to read more! Apparently I'm a bit late coming to realise that you even have a series out as you're already on three books, but I will certainly be taking down the titles to explore more in the future - they sound great!

Linda Weaver Clarke said...

Thanks, Rea, for your comment. You are so sweet.