Someone—or something—wants Kellen out of town . . .
Kellen Brand’s inheritance comes as a monumental shock—a rundown farm she doesn’t want and one paroled Watcher all her own.
Cowboy Watch
The Watchers Book 1
by Petie McCarty
Genre: Paranormal Small-Town Romantic Suspense
The Watchers Series—Fallen angels cast out of heaven by the archangel Michael for coercing with Satan to gain control. Some of these turncoats—duped late in the game by Satan’s lies—doubled back to seek redemption for their unwitting betrayal. Offered parole in exchange for penance, these Watchers are given the toughest bodyguard missions with little leeway for success. One last chance. These are their stories . . .
Someone—or something—wants Kellen out of town . . .
Kellen Brand’s inheritance comes as a monumental shock—a rundown farm she doesn’t want and one paroled Watcher all her own. Kellen’s eccentric mother believed Watchers to be fallen angels seeking penance by guarding individuals who had lost their way. Seriously? A Watcher? Only her mother . . .
Since Kellen vows no sane woman would choose to live in Riverside, she’s on a mission to dump the old farm fast and to the first buyer who comes along. Unfortunately for her, the only buyer is a resort developer, spurned by a townful of objectors and one handsome cowboy—her neighbor, Luke Thornton. Luke must block Kellen’s farm sale or risk exposure of his own family’s secrets. He can ill afford his immediate and compelling attraction to his new neighbor.
Someone is watching Kellen, but not who she thinks. Someone deadly and intent on scaring her out of town. Or worse. Luke has a hellish choice to make—step in and rescue Kellen from her threats, or to protect his family, stand by and watch . . .
Petie spent a large part of her career working at Walt Disney World—”The Most Magical Place on Earth”—where she enjoyed working in the land of fairy tales by day and creating her own romantic fairy tales by night, including her new series, The Cinderella Romances. She eventually said good-bye to her “day” job to write her stories full-time.
These days Petie spends her time writing new Cinderella series tales, her new The Watchers series, sequels to her regency time-travel series, Lords in Time, and more contemporary romance standalones to go along with her two previous releases—Any Fin For Love and Ambush in the Everglades.
Petie shares her home on the Cumberland Plateau in Tennessee with her horticulturist husband and an opinionated Nanday conure named Sassy who will make a cameo appearance in the upcoming Book 2 of The Watchers series, Christmas Watch.
Ten years ago, Reagan’s friend died in a tragic accident. But what if it wasn’t an accident?
The morning after a raging college graduation party, we found Lanie Martin lying at the bottom of a ravine, her neck snapped in a fatal fall. And I’m not proud of what came next.
Before we called the police, we covered ourselves. Cleaned up from the blow-out at Ella’s cabin in the Adirondacks the night before. Got our stories straight.
Ella begged me not to tell the police what I saw. She insisted that it was an accident—and we all went along. What did I know? I was plastered that night, and large chunks of that evening are missing for me.
But now, in my postpartum state, memories are starting to return, and I can’t help but feel that they might be connected to the soul crushing depression I’ve been experiencing. Is it guilt? Or do I know more than I think I do?
So when I receive Ella’s invitation for a ten-year reunion at her family camp—a gathering of remembrance and healing, she’s calling it—I know I have to go.
Are the memories I’m struggling to recover the key to my moving on? To being able to take care of my infant son and stay married to the perfect man?
Or are they a death sentence for me, too?
“The Unforgetting is a great read filled with tension on every page, stunning twist after twist, and a mind-blowing ending that you’ll never see coming. Highly recommended!” – R.G. Belsky, author of the Clare Carlson series.
“The Unforgetting is a riveting, twisty, slow-burn atmospheric thriller that will delight and disturb, in the best possible ways. Highly recommended.” Douglas Corleone, international bestselling author of Falls to Pieces
Gyrating to the rhythm of the blaring music, I want to be one with the flames. They dance in a way I envy, shooting up and down in sharp angles, casting shadows over the partiers, giving them a ghoulish look. Some of the people I know. Many I don’t. We twist and writhe and merge with the music.
Nirvana.
So fitting.
The smell of burning wood permeates my nostrils, mixing with reefer and patchouli oil. Embers float down like sparkling rubies in the twinkling night sky. A red-hot one lands on my shoulder. I bat it off, singeing the hairs on my hand, but I don’t flinch.
This is what the afterlife must feel like. When you become a bodiless bundle of energy, no longer tethered to the corporal world, free to roam around the atmosphere.
A blood-curdling scream comes from…somewhere.
Something bad is happening.
But we don’t stop.
We can’t stop.
We keep dancing and laughing and soon the flames are too hot and it’s not fun anymore and I think maybe, just maybe, that was my scream I heard in the woods.
Giveaway
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Bonnie Traymore is the award-winning, Amazon best selling author of page-turner mystery/thrillers that hit close to home.
Her books feature strong but relatable female protagonists. The plots explore difficult topics such as jealousy, infidelity, murder, and the impact of psychological disorders, but she also includes bits of romance and humor to lighten the mood from time to time.
She’s an active status member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America.
What if everything you thought you knew was wrong?
The glittering lights of Broadway are just a cover for the dark secrets hidden behind the curtains.
NYPD homicide detectives Mike Stoneman and Jason Dickson are about to find out how many layers one story can have in their latest case.
As they prepare to testify in a high-profile murder trial, they begin to question if they got it wrong. The Broadway director claims evidence was planted to frame him and that Mike and Jason developed tunnel vision.
If they did, can they live with themselves, knowing that an innocent man might be convicted . . . and that someone else got away with the perfect crime?
With orders to stay away from the closed case, Mike and Jason are plagued by doubts and can’t let it go.
When new evidence leads to even more questions, the detectives race to put the pieces together and uncover the whole truth.
But their unauthorized investigation could lead to catastrophic collateral damage, could cost them their badges, and the director may still be guilty.
For fans of intense crime thrillers and complex characters, Double Takedown is a must-read.
What readers are saying:
“A fantastic story with delicious plotting! A crime thriller that’s more than a cut above the rest.” ~Anna Willett, author of the Cold Case Mysteries featuring Detective Inspector Veronika Pope.
“The sixth installment in the Mike Stoneman Mystery series, Double Takedown is a mind-blowing and perfect detective mystery read.” ~Feathered Quill Reviews https://featheredquill.com/double-takedown/
“Mike and Jason are probably my two favourite detectives. Their side stories with their wives and families enhance what is already sure to be a great read. Another page-turner, you won’t put this down till the end, I promise!” ~@Roxxisreading
“A compelling mixture of mystery, police procedural, and thriller. I couldn’t put it down.” ~ Guy Wheatley author of From the Delta Mud.
“As a retired Homicide Investigator after thirty years, trust me when I tell you that Double Takedown reads as real and as gritty as any case that I ever worked. A mystery tour de force for the ages.” ~ Frederick Douglass Reynolds, Award Winning author of Saint Bloodbath, and Black, White, and Gray All Over.
“In this gripping installment to the Mike Stoneman detective series, we dive into the underbelly of the theatrical world where drugs are routine and the line between accident and foul play blurs. I couldn’t put it down.” ~Daniel V. Meier Jr., Award winning author of the Sam Adams Investigator series.
FORTY-FIVE MINUTES INTO THE FIRST ACT of the ballet, Rachel pulled down her sparkling purple facemask and whispered into Jason’s ear, “What’s going on down there?”
They were seated in the next-to-last row of the orchestra level. At the front of the house, partially illuminated by the stage lights, someone was standing.
Rachel could not see who it was, but could hear the buzz of people talking. Then, a woman’s scream attracted everyone’s attention. Necks strained to see. More people stood.
The music stopped in the middle of the piece. The performers continued dancing for several seconds on a silent stage.
The conductor, standing on a raised podium so she could see the stage and the orchestra pit, turned toward the audience.
She was talking into her headset microphone. There was another scream. Then the conductor’s voice boomed over the sound system.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats. We have a medical emergency in the front row. If there are any doctors in the house, we need assistance right away.”
Rachel’s EMT training kicked in before the conductor finished saying “emergency.”
She leapt over Jason’s lap, then kicked off her heels as she sprinted barefoot down the long, sloping path toward the stage.
Dozens of people began filming on their phones. Despite the conductor’s instruction, half the house seemed to be standing.
Mike jumped up as soon as he saw Rachel leave her seat. He grabbed Jason’s sleeve. “Let’s go, we need to work crowd control down there. Michelle, call 9-1-1.”
Jason and Mike were forty feet behind Rachel. When they reached the front of the theater, a small group of gawkers had already gathered in the aisle.
“NYPD! Please take your seats and keep this aisle clear for emergency services!” Jason shouted, his baritone carrying throughout the auditorium.
Mike gently eased several men in formalwear away from the space between the front row and the orchestra pit.
Jason did the same. The two detectives took up positions on either side of the aisle, casting authoritative glares at anyone who seemed interested in venturing toward the commotion in front of the stage.
Jason glanced down the front row and saw Rachel’s bare back hunched over someone lying on the floor.
The straps of her purple dress flashed in the house lights, which had come on. Rachel and two men worked together to drag a figure on the floor toward more open space.
Jason saw black shoes and pants, but could not see the man’s face. An usher ran down the aisle, holding a small red case that Mike assumed was an automated external defibrillator.
He dashed past the two cops and handed the device to Rachel, who had taken charge of the emergency situation.
Rachel barked instructions while prepping the AED, then administered an electric charge to the victim’s now-bare chest.
On the elevated stage, twenty dancers leaned over the edge to watch.
One minute later, an actual EMT team barreled down the aisle with a gurney on wheels carrying their own equipment.
Rachel remained on her knees, working on the supine man, while the two tuxedoed doctors stepped back.
The public address system announced that there would be an intermission in the performance due to the medical emergency and asked everyone to calmly return to the lobby.
As the crowd slowly rose and meandered to the exit, those still filming remained standing until Mike, Jason, and several ushers shouted them into submission and herded them toward the doors.
On the floor, the EMT crew loaded the unconscious man onto their gurney, then hustled out an emergency exit door at the left corner of the stage.
As soon as the crew passed them, Jason and Mike rushed toward Rachel. Jason gently pulled her to a standing position.
She hugged Jason in her bare feet as Mike stood back. Before Jason and Rachel disengaged, a tap on Mike’s back caused him to spin around.
Michelle held out Rachel’s sparkling heels with a concerned expression.
“Don’t like following instructions, huh?” Mike said.
Michelle flashed a tiny smile. “I told the usher I’m a doctor and he let me stay.”
“Thanks,” Rachel said, slumping into a front-row seat and working to slide back into her shoes.
“Do you know who that was on the floor?” Michelle asked.
Rachel stood. “Oh my God. You couldn’t see, could you? It was Alex Bishop.”
“The lead in Godfather? He was just nominated for a Tony!” Michelle grabbed Mike’s sleeve.
“He was,” Rachel said, “but unless the EMT crew works a miracle, he won’t be there to win it.”
Kevin G. Chapman is an attorney specializing in labor and employment law. In 2021, Kevin finished the first five books in the Mike Stoneman Thriller series: Righteous Assassin (Kindle Book Award semi-finalist), Deadly Enterprise (Kindle Book Award semi-finalist), Lethal Voyage, (Winner of the 2021 Kindle Book Award, CLUE finalist, RONE finalist), Fatal Infraction(Best Police Procedural of the year – CLUE Award), and Perilous Gambit.
In late 2022, Kevin published a stand-alone mystery/thriller titled Dead Winner (CLUE Award – Best Suspense/Thriller of the year).
Then, in 2024 came The Other Murder, winner of the CLUE Award Grand Prize (best suspense/thriller of the year) and finalist for the National Indie Excellence Award. Now, in 2025, Mike Stoneman is back in book #6, Double Takedown.
Kevin is a resident of Central New Jersey and is a graduate of Columbia College and Boston University School of Law. Readers can contact Kevin via his website at www.KevinGChapman.com.
