Greetings Friends!
Today, I have a GUEST POST from Jenny Morton Potts, the author of the psychological thriller HIDING! And be sure to check back in few days for my REVIEW!
by
Jenny Morton Potts
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Publisher: Cahoots Publishing
Date of Publication: February 2018
Number of Pages: 323
Scroll down for the giveaway!
Jenny Morton Potts takes to the psychological thriller stage on an international canvass, and with a unique, bold voice.
Keller Baye and Rebecca Brown live on different sides of the Atlantic. Until she falls in love with him, Rebecca knows nothing of Keller. But he’s known about her for a very long time, and now he wants to destroy her. This is the story of two families. One living under the threat of execution in North Carolina. The other caught up in a dark mystery in the Scottish Highlands. The families’ paths are destined to cross. But why? And can anything save them when that happens?
READ AN EXCERPT
Chapter 2
Death Row
June 2021
There was a walk now. They passed doors, like random choices. They all looked the same, all the colour of pale nicotine. But some of those doors were in the business of living and some were not. As you walked past them, you could feel hope slipping away. Which door? Which one? It was like a game the devil might play as you entered hell. Eventually the passengers reached the end of their journey and were shown into another room which was similar in size to the last but with what looked like a window on one side. The window was dark for the moment, with a black blind pulled down and opposite, there was a gallery with seating. The seating was slightly raked, like a theatre. They were here for a performance.
‘That’s 11.30 gone now,’ someone said from the far end.
‘Show must go on.’ Keller mumbled.
There was a crackle and then an audio test from the speaker in the corner. Keller imagined that President Descher had arranged a televised viewing and that all over the State the people could see and hear this: factory workers, grandmothers, schoolchildren, stopping what they’re doing and watching. From the audio speaker, Keller recognised words from the phonetic alphabet, then the date, today, June 23rd 2021, the location, the prisoner’s name and number HCI 72259-931 and the time scheduled for execution.
Keller knew that the duration for the poison to act was ten minutes maximum and that the ratio to be injected was set against the inmate’s weight and height.
Somewhere behind him, Keller could hear mumbling about the victims’ families and an officer explained that they were seated separately, in another viewing room. He imagined that the families’ room was crowded, since eight victims had lost their lives that day.
At 11.45 am, the time was announced once more on the speaker and the blind was pulled up manually, revealing the execution chamber. Keller had forgotten who was seated directly next to him now, but whoever it was flinched.
The prisoner was already strapped onto the gurney. There was a sheet over his body but you could see where the constraint buckles jutted up into the clean white cotton. His left arm was exposed however and the intravenous tube was already in. He was clean shaven. Keller had never seen him without a beard. He could almost pretend he did not know him.
Three Harfield guards came into the chamber now. They did not look at the window, which to them was a mirror. Who would want to see themselves doing what they were about to do, even if it was their duty. The three guards were each handed a syringe. The content of one of the syringes was deadly and the other two contained a harmless fluid. The guards would never know who among them administered the lethal injection.
The condemned man’s chest began to rise and fall. He blinked rapidly and his Adam’s apple bulged in his throat, as he struggled to find an impossible place between dignity and the screaming of his nerves to stay alive.
Keller murmured, ‘There is nothing to do now but die.’
A man in the chamber who had been out of their view, moved into sight. He was dressed in a plain dark suit. He identified himself as Warden James and held up a chart. His hand was steady enough, his white knuckles though suggested a very tight grip on that chart.
Keller stared down at the inmate who seemed to be staring back, though Keller knew that the glass was one way and that all the condemned could see was a reflection of his own final scene. All the same, their eyes met.
Warden James turned to the prisoner. ‘Is there anything you would like to say or read before we administer this lethal injection?’
‘Yes.’
Keller frowned down at the neighboring lap. It was the redhead next to him, the PhD student, twisting that engagement ring. The girl who more than likely had it all, the girl who could not cope without her cell, was barely coping at all. Keller could feel her trembling against the length of his torso and the anger in his veins burned. The young woman held her hand up to her mouth and whispered into it, ‘God, dear God.’
The Warden lowered his eyes to Prisoner HCI 72259-931 on the gurney and blinked several times. He said to the inmate, ‘Go ahead, what do you want to say.’
‘I would like to ask a question.’
‘What is your question?’
‘I would like to ask a question and have it answered.’
Warden James looked around the room at the other officials.
had never seen him without a beard. He could almost pretend he did not know him.
Three Harfield guards came into the chamber now. They did not look at the window, which to them was a mirror. Who would want to see themselves doing what they were about to do, even if it was their duty. The three guards were each handed a syringe. The content of one of the syringes was deadly and the other two contained a harmless fluid. The guards would never know who among them administered the lethal injection.
The condemned man’s chest began to rise and fall. He blinked rapidly and his Adam’s apple bulged in his throat, as he struggled to find an impossible place between dignity and the screaming of his nerves to stay alive.
Keller murmured, ‘There is nothing to do now but die.’
A man in the chamber who had been out of their view, moved into sight. He was dressed in a plain dark suit. He identified himself as Warden James and held up a chart. His hand was steady enough, his white knuckles though suggested a very tight grip on that chart.
Keller stared down at the inmate who seemed to be staring back, though Keller knew that the glass was one way and that all the condemned could see was a reflection of his own final scene. All the same, their eyes met.
Warden James turned to the prisoner. ‘Is there anything you would like to say or read before we administer this lethal injection?’
‘Yes.’
Keller frowned down at the neighboring lap. It was the redhead next to him, the PhD student, twisting that engagement ring. The girl who more than likely had it all, the girl who could not cope without her cell, was barely coping at all. Keller could feel her trembling against the length of his torso and the anger in his veins burned. The young woman held her hand up to her mouth and whispered into it, ‘God, dear God.’
The Warden lowered his eyes to Prisoner HCI 72259-931 on the gurney and blinked several times. He said to the inmate, ‘Go ahead, what do you want to say.’
‘I would like to ask a question.’
‘What is your question?’
‘I would like to ask a question and have it answered.’
Warden James looked around the room at the other officials.
‘Go ahead and ask your question.’
‘Not until you tell me that I will have an answer.’
Keller smiled and nudged the redhead. ‘You see? Make the most of every goddamned moment.’
The young woman was on the edge of her seat and on the edge of tears.
In the chamber, the suits and uniforms huddled and muttered amongst themselves and the Warden came free of the pack once more.
‘We shall try to answer your question. And cannot commit beyond that. I ask you therefore again, is there anything you would like to say?’
The inmate tried to lift his head but the strap across his brow was held tight. He cleared his throat and said in that thick Carolina accent that Keller thought he’d forgotten but which now reignited in his memory and ripped through his heart.
‘I want to know if my son can see me.’
***
Excerpt from Hiding by Jenny Morton Potts. Copyright © 2018 by Jenny Morton Potts. Reproduced with permission from Jenny Morton Potts. All rights reserved.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jenny is a novelist, screenplay writer, and playwright. After a series of ‘proper jobs’, she realised she was living someone else’s life and escaped to Gascony to make gîtes. Knee deep in cement and pregnant, Jenny was happy. Then autism and a distracted spine surgeon wiped out the order. Returned to wonderful England, to write her socks off.
Jenny would like to see the Northern Lights but worries that’s the best bit and should be saved till last. Very happily, and gratefully, settled with family.
She tries not to take herself too seriously.
You can connect with her on:
GUEST POST
The story of Hiding grew from one unique premise; a huge twist which obviously I cannot name here. But from that springboard point, I knew I had a family drama/thriller on my hands. The twist itself already demanded a certain set of characters: parents, grandparents, children. So I already had the sketched cast on the one side of the Atlantic. On the other side of ‘The Pond’, I had open season, in terms of relationships and crime plot. And so whilst this layout took longer to put into place in the United States, it was incredibly exciting. But it was also daunting since I was going to have to describe some very upsetting scenes and I wanted to do this without any sensationalism, though neither did I want to shy away.
For me, characterization is the greatest factor in any story. Some thriller writers will argue that characterization is less important in this genre because plot is king. But this isn’t true for me or my books. I have a coalition reign, where plot can still be king but characterization is the equally powerful queen. The ‘why’ is always as important as the ‘what.’
In my work, setting is very significant too. In ‘Hiding’, there is a grand scale – the huge austere mansion of ‘Taransay’ in the idyllic Scottish Highlands but there is also command in the small scale – Aunt Joya’s deathly porch in a small town Southern State. In the Highlands, the grand setting was purposefully overwhelming and fracturing for the Brown family. They were English. They did not fit in and made no attempt to. Why? Keller Baye’s experience was quite the opposite. His background fitted the community but a specific event, which was in no way his responsibility, pushed him outside of it.
Apart from my main settings, I tend to take characters to interesting places or lead them into unusual subplot situations. En route, I’m always aiming to take the reader somewhere unexpected. I want them to feel that they have been somewhere new with me. I have their feelings in mind the entire time. In my new thriller, ‘Just’, I have a doctor treating overweight coma patients, hoping to wake up to the world once more, svelte. I’m compelled to write scenes hitherto unseen.
I always say to reviewers before they take on ‘Hiding’: ‘Hopefully this novel will be quite unlike any thriller you have read before.’ And so far, they agree. Before making this proviso about originality, I had a reviewer mark me down to three stars, because she’d been hoping for a ‘good old fashioned thriller.’ You’ll never get same–old from me. Where would be the fun in that?
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
MAY 1 – JUNE 2, 2018
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Jenny Morton Potts.
One (1) winner of one (1) Amazon.com gift Card.
Many thanks to Partners in Crime Book Tours and especially Jenny Morton Potts! It was an absolute pleasure hosting! And be sure to check out the other blogs on the tour for more opinions and author extras!
05/01 Review/Showcase @ CMash Reads
05/02 Showcase @ Lauras Interests
05/03 Review @ Tales of a Book Addict
05/04 Showcase @ Bound 2 Escape
05/05 Review @ The World As I see it
05/06 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
05/07 Showcase @ The Pulp and Mystery Shelf
05/08 Interview @ Quiet Fury Books
05/09 Guest post @ Aurora Bs Book Blog
05/10 Interview @ BooksChatter
05/10 Review @ Lillys Book World
05/11 Interview @ A Blue Million Books
05/12 Showcase @ Mythical Books
05/14 Review @ Alinas Reading Corner
05/15 Excerpt @ Suspense Magazine
05/16 Review @ everywhere and nowhere
05/19 Guest post @ Loris Reading Corner
05/22 Review @ Stacking My Book Shelves!
05/23 Review @ Cheryls Book Nook
05/25 Showcase @ The Bookworm Lodge
05/27 Guest post @ Thats What Shes Reading (YOU ARE HERE)
05/28 Review @ Simply Kelina
05/29 Review @ Thats What Shes Reading
05/30 Review @ A Room Without Books is Empty
05/31 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews
08/01/18 Blog Talk Radio w/Fran Lewis
08/01/18 Review @ Just Reviews
05/02 Showcase @ Lauras Interests
05/03 Review @ Tales of a Book Addict
05/04 Showcase @ Bound 2 Escape
05/05 Review @ The World As I see it
05/06 Review @ Book Reviews From an Avid Reader
05/07 Showcase @ The Pulp and Mystery Shelf
05/08 Interview @ Quiet Fury Books
05/09 Guest post @ Aurora Bs Book Blog
05/10 Interview @ BooksChatter
05/10 Review @ Lillys Book World
05/11 Interview @ A Blue Million Books
05/12 Showcase @ Mythical Books
05/14 Review @ Alinas Reading Corner
05/15 Excerpt @ Suspense Magazine
05/16 Review @ everywhere and nowhere
05/19 Guest post @ Loris Reading Corner
05/22 Review @ Stacking My Book Shelves!
05/23 Review @ Cheryls Book Nook
05/25 Showcase @ The Bookworm Lodge
05/27 Guest post @ Thats What Shes Reading (YOU ARE HERE)
05/28 Review @ Simply Kelina
05/29 Review @ Thats What Shes Reading
05/30 Review @ A Room Without Books is Empty
05/31 Review @ Jersey Girl Book Reviews
08/01/18 Blog Talk Radio w/Fran Lewis
08/01/18 Review @ Just Reviews
That's What She's Reading 
I read this book so I am intrigued as to what the premise grew from>
LikeLike