All right, ladies and gents. It's the day you've all been waiting for.
Nancy S. Thompson is in the house!
Kind of.
Okay, I lied. Her main character, Tyler Karras, is here, but he's... on the couch. Maybe I should explain. Ty had a little court-ordered therapy to attend to, so I asked if we could sit in on his session. You know, to get a feel for his story.
What? That's totally legal, isn't it? *Pause* Well, I won't tell, if you don't!
(Note: This is fiction and probably a perfect example of what not to do as a therapist. Entertainment purposes only.)
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Therapist: Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Mr. Karras. May I call you Tyler?
Tyler: *looks down and snorts with a derisive smile and a small shake of his head* Yeah, sure, Tyler’s fine.
Therapist: I'd like to spend this session getting to know you a little better. *looks at notes* It seems you've had a difficult time recently. Would you like to tell me what happened?
Tyler: *shrugs* What can I say? It started when my parents and sister died. Car accident. My brother was injured, got himself addicted to drugs and alcohol, started running with a bunch of Russian thugs. Gangsters, really. Mafia. Then, on top of it all, my wife was killed, and with her, the child she was carrying, our first. So yeah, it’s been difficult.
Therapist: I’m very sorry to hear that, Tyler. *scribbles a few things down* And how did all of that make you feel?
Tyler: *glares back* How do you think? Pissed. Like I needed a drink. A lot of drinks. And a whole lot of payback, too. Trouble was, one interfered with the other, and I made a mistake. A big one.
Therapist: Oh? *leans forward* Have you had a problem with alcohol in the past? Has it… interfered with your life prior to this?
Tyler: No, not prior. Never. Except for my bachelor party, I hardly ever drank alcohol.
Therapist: I see. Well, why don’t you tell me a little bit about this mistake?
Tyler: My wife, Jillian, got mixed up in a case of identity theft. It screwed up her credit which prevented us from buying the house we wanted in time for our child—Jill was pregnant with our first. Anyway, though the cops and DA knew who did it, they couldn’t arrest or prosecute the woman responsible. Jillian asked my brother, Nick, and his Russian buddies to intervene, but I found out and called them off. So she tried to take care of it on her own. Ended up dead. And I’m to blame.
So then I decided to go after that woman myself. I promised to turn her over to Nick’s boss. In exchange, he said he’d let Nick leave the business for good and wipe his debt clean. He'd finally be free of them, like I always wanted. It seemed like the perfect plan at the time, but because I was so…angry and drunk, I mistakenly targeted the wrong woman. But by then, it was too late. I knew what I’d done was wrong, but the Russians were holding Nick as leverage to force me to complete our deal. Their freedom—all our lives—it was all in the balance. And I was stuck. I couldn’t turn over an innocent woman to be traded as a sex slave. But I couldn’t just let my brother die, either.
Therapist: *swallows* So, what did you do?
Tyler: Well, um… This is all privileged, right? I mean, you can’t divulge what I say here, can you?
Therapist: *shakes head*
Tyler: Right. Well then, let’s just say that…I did what I had to, but it didn’t work out. Not like I wanted. *hangs head* Not like it should have. *stands abruptly* Look, I really appreciate your time, but…I’m not ready to talk about all this. It’s still too… It’s just a little... Maybe next time. *turns and walks out*
Therapist: *blinks at Tyler's retreating form* A-All right. Next time, then.
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Ah! I love Tyler, and I love this book. As most of you know, Nancy is my pub sister and critique partner, so I was fortunate enough to read her book many moons ago.
Wow.
I was blown away. Seriously, I read the whole thing in one sitting. I highly recommend it. :)
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Obsessed with revenge following the violent death of his pregnant wife, Tyler Karras pledges the woman responsible to sex-traffickers in San Francisco’s Russian Mafia. In exchange, they’ll finally let his brother leave the business for good—with his debt wiped clean and his heart still beating. But when Tyler mistakenly targets the wrong woman, he’s forced to protect her from the very enemy he's unleashed, and the Russians are holding Nick as leverage to force Ty to complete their deal. Caught in a no-win situation, Ty must find a way to save himself, his brother, and the woman, but with the Russian Mafia, even two out of three makes for very long odds.
Visit Nancy’s blog, follow, and leave a comment during her book tour for a chance to win an ARC of The Mistaken! Plus, 5 runner-up winners will each receive an ebook. :)
WHERE TO BUY:
EARLY PRAISE FOR THE MISTAKEN:
“A deliciously slow burn that builds to a ferocious crescendo, Nancy S. Thompson's THE MISTAKEN kept me riveted until the very last page. Tyler Karras is a complex and flawed protagonist, and his redemptive journey makes him the perfect anti-hero. This psychological suspense is a standout, and I can't wait for Thompson's next book.”
~ Jennifer Hillier, author of CREEP and FREAK
“Nancy S. Thompson's debut novel, The Mistaken, is a first-rate thriller full of hair-raising twists and turns. Pursued by the police and the Russian mafia in San Francisco, brothers Tyler and Nick Karras are fascinating, fully-drawn, desperate characters. The action is non-stop. Thompson's taut, intriguing tale of revenge, mistaken identity, kidnapping and murder will keep you enthralled and entertained.”
~Kevin O’Brien, New York Times Bestselling Author of DISTURBED and TERRIFIED
“Fast-paced and emotionally gripping - once the ride begins, you won't stop reading until it ends." ~Alex J. Cavanaugh, author of CASSAFIRE and CASSASTAR
THE MISTAKEN BLOG TOUR:
ABOUT NANCY:
Nancy is an interior designer with her own business since 1997.
A California transplant, she currently lives with her husband of 21 years near Seattle, WA.
They have one son together, a college freshman at Arizona State University.
She was recently contracted as a freelance editor for Sapphire Star Publishing.
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