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Damage Done
By M. J. Schiller
BLURB ~
When an unhappy youth leaves him damaged, will Teddy Mckee be able to
find love?
“Teddy Passmore McKee was born in Cork, Ireland, with a limp
and a chip on his shoulder that threw his balance off all the more.” When he
falls in love with the dark haired beauty born of an Irish father and a Spanish
mother, will Gabrielle Quinn be able to restore his balance? And what about the
charming Sean Hennessey? When Gabby catches his eye, too, will Teddy’s playboy
best friend cause his own damage?
Fourteen years later, will Teddy and Gabrielle’s son be able to
overcome the damage done to him in his childhood?
“Even through bloodshot eyes he could see she was different.” But can Michael leave behind the bottle, and
his womanizing ways, to win over the lovely Tess Flanagan? Tess has sustained
some damage of her own. Can she and Michael overcome the terrors of the past
and learn how to love each other?
And if they do, will they be able to elude those after them who want to
create their own damage?
On the run after an altercation leaves their boss in a pool
of blood, will Michael and Tess be able to stay one step ahead of their
pursuers? Or is it simply too late to correct the damage that has been done?
You can find M.J. at:
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You can find DAMAGE DONE at:
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00LU7719K
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/damage-done-mj-schiller/1119955011?ean=2940149795697
“Tessie…” He
offered again. “We have to get out of here.”
She remained
frozen in her spot, staring blindly over the cliff. He moved a step closer and
gently grasped her elbow. “Tess—”
She whirled around
and his heart caught in his chest as he stared into her wild green eyes. Tears
shone on her damp cheeks, glimmering in the moonlight like trails of scattered
diamonds. “Nay, Michael,” she said, her words coming out choked. “I have to
tell them the truth. It’s my fault. …I k-killed him.” She sobbed.
He looked at her
sadly, begging her, “Let me help you.”
The back door
creaked open and light spilled out from the bar across the grass, startling
them. He saw Jimmy Flynn’s outline in the doorway. “They’re out here!” he
yelled.
Without waiting
for a response, Michael took Tess’s arm and steered her along the cliff’s edge.
He stepped over the railing and helped her to the other side as well. They
stood on a narrow ledge. To the left a trail dropped off toward the sea. He led
her skittering down the path, loose rock pebbling the beach far below. He had
taken the pathway many a night when he was drunk and feeling particularly
reckless. Tonight he hurried over it with only self-preservation and Tess’s
safety in mind.
They heard voices
above them, coming from every direction as searchers fanned out along the top
of the cliff. Their eyes met. They hardly dared to breathe. A flashlight beam
ventured over the railing and along the cliff face. She clutched his hand,
squeezing it until he lost feeling in his fingers. He tried to flatten himself even
more tightly against the rock face, wishing it would somehow melt and absorb
them. Several seconds passed and the beam of light was joined by another, and
another, each swinging away, and then toward them again.
He grabbed a quick look at the
churning sea below then closed his eyes for a second, and his stomach dropped.
He took a deep breath before turning his head to look at Tess. Her eyes were
closed and her lips were moving fervently, but she emitted no sound. He
swallowed, wondering again why the sight of her affected him so. After several
minutes a voice called out, “You won’t get away with this, Mikey.” Had someone
seen them? He heard Jimmy Flynn mutter, “Wherever they are, we won’t find them
tonight.” One by one the lights disappeared until only a solitary beam shone.
BIO ~
MJ is a lunch lady in the heart of Central Illinois. My
gosh! Can you get more folksy than that? She met her husband at the University
of Missouri-Columbia and now she has a nineteen-year-old (how did that happen?)
and seventeen year old triplets! She loves to read, karaoke (where she can
pretend she is a rock star) and spends WAY too much time on Facebook. She grew
up in St. Louis and still has family there.
Favorite Quotes:
Mr. Quinn raised a brow. “Well, now. Would you be stealin’
my best gal, Teddy McKee?”
Teddy was startled, and shook his head, about to deny the charge
vehemently, when he caught the teasing twinkle in the banker’s eyes. He
chuckled. “Nay, sir. Not at all.”
“Teddy?” Gabrielle mumbled weakly from behind her.
“Aye. I’m here.” He flew to her side, his whole body
sighing. “How are ya feelin’?”
“Weak as a kitten,” she mumbled, closing her eyes.
“You rest then.” He patted her hand.
Her eyes flicked open. “How long have you been here?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Awhile, I guess.” He shrugged.
“He’s been here all night,” the nurse commented with a
smile.
“You have?”
Teddy shifted his weight. “Aye. I suppose so.”
“That’s nice,” Gabby said, sighing and closing her eyes
again. She drifted off to a comfortable sleep, a smile on her face.
. “Last one to the barn is a rotten egg,” she challenged him
at last, darting off without waiting for a response.
“Not fair, not fair!” He tried, awkwardly, to remove himself
from the trough. But when he took off after her, he was grinning.
I was given this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is a combination of two stories in one about the same
family. In the story you first meet three people who are friends and the two guys
love the same women and she (Gabrielle) ends up marrying Teddy. While Sean
allows the anger and love for her turn to something very bad. Teddy works for Sean by making him coffins
with faults bottoms, not realizing that they are for smuggling drugs. Teddy found out what was going on and left
Gabrielle and their son Michael. Left fend for themselves, Gabrielle had to
work long hours just to pay the bills. When tragedy struck Michael ran at a
young age. Fourteen years later Michael meets a beautiful woman named Tess who
also has had a tragic life. Will the danger from both their past destroy what
they are building? Or will they let go of the past and build something new and
strong?
This was a story that contained rape, violence, anger,
drugs, torment and love. As you read this story you feel the same emotions that
the characters feel. The characters are will formed and you don’t want to put
it down once your start reading it. With all the sadness in this story you
still feel the love that is felt by all the characters. Even though some don’t deserve
it you still feel sorrow for what has happen to them.
FOUR SORROWFUL ANGELS
Thank you so much for your lovely review! I'm sorry I was late getting here. Ironically, when this review posted I was in Indy (Indianapolis, IN) and didn't have access to the internet. I appreciate you taking so much time to read and share DAMAGE DONE with your readers!
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