To celebrate the upcoming release of Deadlock(June 25th!), my publisher has arranged a Scavenger Hunt! Follow the links at the end of each stop and collect clues along the way! At the end of the Scavenger Hunt, enter your clues to be entered to win the grand prize: a Nespresso Espresso maker and coffee goodies to keep your all-night hacking (or reading) sessions going strong. You might find a few bonus giveaways in hidden links throughout the Scavenger Hunt, too, including print copies of Deadlock!
To get you started, here is the first chapter of Deadlock! I’m so excited for you to meet Lindsey and Jace.
Chapter 1:
I’m going to kill my sister.
Lindsey Morris gritted her teeth into a smile for the photo her jolly Aunt Martha snapped, the silent threat in her head becoming more of an inevitable truth with each passing moment. God knows, it wasn’t unlike her twin sister Lena to flake out on her, but their parents’ fortieth anniversary party was something the two of them had been planning for months. All for Lena to leave Lindsey holding the bag. Again.
Relieved from picture duty at last, she left her parents and hustled in her towering heels across the banquet hall to check on the champagne, dodging cousins and uncles and aunts. She hadn’t seen some of them in years. If a certain sister hadn’t left her running this entire show, she might have had time to stop and catch up with each of them.
All of it had come together nicely, though. Her parents were beaming in front of a life-size poster of one of their wedding pictures, forty years having done nothing to dim their happiness and love for each other. Lindsey snapped a picture of her own before slipping out the door into an echoing hallway to dial Lena. As expected, her sister’s voicemail greeting chirped in her ear.
“Hello?” A long pause ensued, during which Lindsey’s blood pressure spiked. “Gotcha! Sorry, you don’t get to talk to me right now. If you want to talk to me later, better make it good.”
Lindsey waited for the tone. “I don’t want to talk to you. I want to strangle you. Dammit, Lena, where are you?”
Hours passed before she could get away to the blissful solitude of her apartment, where she hoped a glass of wine and a Simpsons marathon might make her feel a little better. But even Bart and Homer’s animated antics weren’t enough. Her anger had burned away to sad ashes, and she couldn’t get her parents’ disappointed faces out of her mind. It would serve Lena right if none of them ever spoke to her again, as drastic as it sounded, but something about Lena made one eager to trust her and believe her when she made the promises she never kept. And the anger Lindsey felt when that inevitably happened could just as easily be turned on herself for enabling her twin, for never enforcing any consequences when Lena flaked out.
But how many times had she tried? How many times had it worked?
Then her glass was empty, and she poured another, sitting alone on her couch and staring at the way the light from the TV played hypnotically through the crimson depths as she swirled the liquid in her glass. Everything she was doing to make herself feel better was having the opposite effect. The fact she had no one to vent her frustrations to made it worse. Bad-mouthing her sister to their parents wasn’t an option, especially today—they were probably on the plane for their anniversary trip to Cabo San Lucas.
Lucky them.
“I need a vacation, too,” Lindsey told her wineglass. It was the only one there to listen. Then, sighing, she set it down on her coffee table and picked up her phone, shooting ramrod straight when she saw that she had somehow missed a text from Lena twenty minutes ago. She’d probably been in the kitchen scavenging.
Sorry. Ran into some trouble. Give Mom and Dad my love. I need a favor. Go to this address and ask him for help. Please. It will all become clear.
An address followed, which Lindsey’s eyes scanned without seeing. Her brain had shorted out on the word “favor.”
“Are you freaking kidding me?” she asked her phone, gripping it with a force that threatened to shatter it.
Lena in trouble was nothing new. Ever since high school, on through college, and even after, she’d been getting herself or someone else into shit she couldn’t always talk her way out of. Thinking Lindsey would simply forget about tonight and rush in to help her was simply par for the course, but Jesus, it had to stop sometime, didn’t it?
One thing was for sure. No way was she going to that address, wherever it was. To some strange place to ask someone she didn’t know for—what, even? Who was she supposed to be looking for? She wasn’t about to let Lena make her look like an idiot on top of everything.
No one else could get her off her warm cocoon on the couch to face the biting cold. She didn’t know what she might find at her sister’s apartment; she didn’t care, but she was going all the same. Lena probably wouldn’t be there, but maybe it wouldn’t be too difficult to nose around and find out where she was. Then she would go find her, even if she had to hop on a plane to do it.
There were some things she desperately needed to say to Lena’s face, and it was well past time.
She rushed through her apartment, throwing on a coat and shoving her feet into boots, her pulse pounding in her ears. No one else on earth could push her buttons like this. Lindsey hadn’t trusted Lena since college, her twin’s antics during that particular time of their lives having been the final straw.
Yes, she was her sister. Yes, Lindsey still loved her as such. Gossip sessions, shopping trips, friendship…those areas had always come easily. But real trust?That ship had sailed years ago, when Lena had pulled what was probably her cruelest stunt of all—at least that Lindsey knew of. The skeletons that could lurk hidden in Lena’s closet were enough to give her cold chills. The two of them had the same face, and Lena probably had enough enemies that Lindsey should look over her own shoulder when she walked down the street.
In the back of the Uber she called because wine and rage and driving didn’t mix, she white-knuckled her purse straps all the way to her sister’s apartment, going over everything she wanted to say in her mind in case Lena was there. Confrontation ordinarily tied her tongue up in knots, and no doubt it would this time.
She had to have her words straight in her head or they would slip right out. But niggling in the back of her mind was the fact that their parents would never get over an irreparable rift between them, no matter the cause. It was enough for her to rein in on a few of the epithets she wished to hurl at Lena’s perpetually smug face. But not many.
If Lena was off having a grand adventure with plans to show up next week thinking all was well—she added the epithets back in.
Long ago, Lena had given Lindsey a key to her apartment so she could water her plants while she was away. The plants had died anyway—Lena didn’t even take care of them herself after she got home from wherever she’d been. But Lindsey had hung on to the key, and it had come in handy more than once. She stalked directly to her sister’s door, lifted her fist to beat on it, thought better of it—she might not even answer—and fit the key into the lock.
The sight that greeted her as she flipped the nearby light switch caused her heart to stutter and her breath to catch, momentarily choking her.
Her sister’s apartment was trashed.
Scavenger Hunt: Where are Lindsey’s parents going for their anniversary trip?
Next stop, Melynda Price
Deadlock releases June 25th! You can pick it up in paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever books are sold. Add it on Goodreads!
These are truly fantastic ideas in on the topic of blogging.
You have touched some good points here. Any way keep
up wrinting.
I think the admin of this site is really working hard
in favor of his site, since here every material is quality based material.
Got all the dog hair from the back seat, honestly did not think that was possible. vehicle ceramic coating near me
Valuable information! Discover more at diagnóstico capilar gratuito .
Love your approach to keyword research—it’s so vital for effective SEO! For further learning, visit ?? ?? ? .
This was a great help. Check out técnica FUE Jaén for more.
Interior looks brand new, could not believe the transformation from before. vehicle ceramic coating near me
Appreciate the thorough write-up. Find more at parejas liberales intercambio .
This post is a great reminder that lawn care is more than appearance. Pest control from Lawn Pest Control Services Cape Coral FL can support long-term lawn health.
Williamsburg area resident, glad to have found such a trustworthy salon. nail salon near me
Wonderful items from you, man. I have be mindful your stuff prior to and you are just extremely magnificent.
I actually like what you’ve received here, really like what you’re saying and the best way through which you
are saying it. You’re making it enjoyable and you still take care of to keep it sensible.
I cant wait to read far more from you. That is really a terrific site.
Thanks for the detailed post. Find more at trasplante capilar Jaén .
It’d be great if more companies offered workshops educating prospective homeowners about essential processes involved with buying/building !# # anyKeyWord ## Custom home building Los Angeles
One thing I’ve learned throughout this journey is just how crucial collaboration becomes during construction processes !# # anyKeyWord ## Los Angeles Home Builder
Medicare insurance brokers provide valuable support for those comparing multiple plan options. Visit Medicare Insurance Broker .
Wow, amazing blog layout! How long have you been blogging for?
you made blogging look easy. The overall look of your site is fantastic, let alone the content!
Pine Castle resident, love having such a reliable option this close. nail salon near me
Hello, I think your site might be having browser compatibility issues.
When I look at your blog site in Ie, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it
has some overlapping. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up!
Other then that, superb blog!
The luxury homes in Los Angeles are on another level, thanks to the incredible work of local builders. Los Angeles kitchen Remodeling
Example of a trustworthy opportunity: you can try this out
I like this w?b site very much, Its a really nice office to read and get information.
My webpage – best travel agency in the world 2013
Table glass repair was perfect, could not tell it had ever been damaged. Glass Shower Doors
Can’t wait until my neighborhood has its own set of newly built homes—there’s nothing like fresh architecture around you! Los Angeles General Contractor
I like how Woodland Hills kitchen Remodeling helped us navigate Woodland Hills city permits so we didn’t have to deal with the paperwork ourselves.
Licensed and insured gave us real confidence for such a big investment. Glass Shower Doors
Yes! Finally something about hair transplant turkey.
Rain and soil moisture sensors pay for themselves. I in contrast just a few models and shared install data: irrigation system install .
Before hiring a Woodland Hills general contractor, it’s smart to compare bids; Custom home buildingWoodland Hills gave us the most detailed proposal.
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article.
I’ll be sure to bookmark it and come back to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the
post. I’ll definitely comeback.
What i don’t understood is actually how you are no longer actually much more well-preferred than you might be now.
You’re very intelligent. You know therefore significantly when it
comes to this topic, made me in my view believe it from numerous various angles.
Its like men and women don’t seem to be fascinated until it’s something to accomplish with Lady gaga!
Your individual stuffs outstanding. At all times
deal with it up!
online casinos Ireland, https://washkostg.wpengine.com/2026/07/21/the-best-online-casinos-in-ireland-top-picks-and-expert-insights/ feature a thrilling experience for gamers. With a variety of games and exciting bonuses, players can relish their time. Explore deals to maximize your fun!
Showroom visit alone was worth it, so much to see and compare in person. Flooring Store Near Me
Entreprise vraiment locale et ca fait toute la difference dans le service. paysagement boucherville?
Got the summer offer on my screen replacement, saved a good amount. phone repair
Refinishing our old hardwood saved us so much compared to full replacement. Flooring Store Near Me
Everything posted made a lot of sense. But, what about
this? suppose you wrote a catchier title?
I mean, I don’t wish to tell you how to run your blog,
however what if you added something to maybe grab people’s attention? I mean Scavenger
Hunt! – Cherrie Lynn is kinda vanilla. You should peek at Yahoo’s home page and note how they create news headlines to get viewers to click.
You might add a video or a pic or two to get readers excited about everything’ve got to say.
In my opinion, it would make your posts a little livelier.
The storage hacks you shared are clever. I’ll add these to my plan and visit winnipeg bathroom renovation .
Tres beau travail et vraiment professionnel du debut a la fin! paysagement boucherville?
Drain cleaning cleared a clog that had been bothering us for weeks. Plumber Near Me
Current offers saved us money, worth asking about before booking. phone repair
Local businesses in LA should definitely keep an eye on what SEO Agency Los Angeles CA is doing with their clients!
The design tips for kids’ bathrooms are practical. I browsed ideas on winnipeg bathroom renovation .
Honest quote, no hidden fees — that’s why I used Long distance movers Jersey City for my JC move.
Hi there! Would you mind if I share your blog with my myspace group?
There’s a lot of folks that I think would really enjoy your content.
Please let me know. Many thanks
Would recommend O-Town to anyone in Ogden needing honest plumbing help. Plumber Near Me
Our estimate with Long distance movers Spokane included all pads, shrink wrap, and assembly—no nickel-and-diming.
Curious what “door-to-door” really means for Jersey City? The FAQs on Jersey City car shippers explain it clearly.
I love how informative this post is! I’ll definitely consider SEO Agency Los Angeles CA for my SEO strategy in LA.
Appreciate the great suggestions. For more, visit traslados dentro de la ciudad .
This was very beneficial. For more, visit Commercial Roofing .