{"id":5964,"date":"2010-10-05T07:39:27","date_gmt":"2010-10-05T12:39:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/\/?p=5964"},"modified":"2010-10-04T17:40:18","modified_gmt":"2010-10-04T22:40:18","slug":"judgment-day-by-wanda-l-dyson-first-wild-card-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/?p=5964","title":{"rendered":"Judgment Day by Wanda L. Dyson – FIRST Wild Card Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a>\"\"<\/a>It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour<\/a><\/strong><\/span> <\/strong> book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old…or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!<\/strong><\/span> <\/p>\n

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!<\/em><\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Today’s Wild Card author is: <\/strong><\/div>\n


<\/p>\n

Wanda L. Dyson<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

and the book:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Judgment Day<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

WaterBrook Press (September 21, 2010)<\/p>\n

***Special thanks to Staci Carmichael, Marketing and Publicity Coordinator, Doubleday Religion\/Waterbrook Multnomah for sending me a review copy.*** <\/p>\n

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:<\/span> <\/span><\/strong><\/div>\n

\"\"<\/a>WANDA DYSON lives on a working horse farm, boarding and keeping a menagerie of critters. After writing three critically-acclaimed suspense novels, Wanda was asked to co-author the true story of Tina Zahn, Why I Jumped, a non-fiction work for which both Wanda and Tina appeared on Oprah. Wanda is a licensed Christian counselor who specializes in helping women recover from depression, anxiety, rejection, and the long-term effects of sexual and physical assault. <\/p>\n

\n Visit the author’s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n<\/embed><\/object>\n<\/p>\n

\n Product Details: <\/p>\n

List Price: $13.99
\n Paperback: 352 pages
\n Publisher: WaterBrook Press (September 21, 2010)
\n Language: English
\n ISBN-10: 1400074754
\n ISBN-13: 978-1400074754: <\/p>\n

AND NOW…THE FIRST CHAPTER:<\/span> <\/strong>
\n <\/span> <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

Prologue <\/p>\n

Friday, April 3. Baltimore, MD <\/p>\n

\n Running away from home had sounded like the best idea ever when she was planning it, but now that sixteen-year-old Britney Abbott was tired, hungry, and out of money, it felt more like the biggest mistake of her life. She climbed down off the bus, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and wondered where she was going to sleep for the night. <\/p>\n

If only her mother hadn\u2019t married that jerk. He was so strict. According to Ronnie, Britney couldn\u2019t date, couldn\u2019t stay over at a friend\u2019s for the night, and she had to be in the house no later than seven every evening. None of her friends had to live like that. <\/p>\n

Last Saturday night her mom and Ronnie went out to dinner, leaving her home alone with the usual litany of instructions: You cannot have anyone over. You will do your homework. You will be in bed by ten. You will not spend the evening on the phone with your friends. And you will not\u2014I repeat, not\u2014leave this house; I am going to call and if you aren\u2019t here to answer the phone, you will be grounded for a month. <\/p>\n

Fifteen minutes after they left, Ronnie-the-Predictable called. She answered the phone. An hour and a half later, she was gone. <\/p>\n

She looked around at the crowds dispersing in several directions. The smell of diesel fuel overwhelmed her empty stomach and it growled in protest. Everything looked the way she felt\u2014 worn-out, dirty, and depressed. <\/p>\n

\u201cHey, you okay?\u201d A girl stood against the wall near the exit from the bus station. Torn jeans, pink T-shirt, high top sneakers, leather jacket, and numerous rings and studs from ear to nose to lip. <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I\u2019m cool.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cYou look hungry. I was just going over to Mickey D\u2019s. You wanna come?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cNo money.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s okay. I think I can buy you a hamburger and some fries.\u201d <\/p>\n

Britney was hungry enough to be tempted and wary enough to wonder why the girl would make such an offer. \u201cMe?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah.\u201d The girl walked over. \u201cMy name\u2019s Kathi. I came to Washington about five months ago. A friend of mine was supposed to be on the bus but either her parents caught her trying to run away or she changed her mind.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a runaway?\u201d <\/p>\n

Kathi laughed as she shoved her hands deep into the pockets of her jacket. \u201cLook around, girl. There are lots of us. We come to DC to get away. Some stay, some move on to Chicago or New York.\u201d <\/p>\n

Britney felt relieved to know she wasn\u2019t alone. \u201cOkay. I\u2019ll take a hamburger. Thanks.\u201d <\/p>\n

Kathi linked her arm in Britney\u2019s and led her down the street toward the Golden Arches. \u201cWhat\u2019s your name?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cBritney.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, let\u2019s get you something to eat and then you can crash at my place.\u201d <\/p>\n

They chatted as they ate their food and drank their sodas, and with each passing minute, Britney liked Kathi more. She might look a little tough, but Britney supposed that living on the streets, you had to be. Her appearance aside, Kathi seemed friendly and generous. <\/p>\n

They were about a block past McDonald\u2019s when a woozy feeling interrupted their conversation. When she stumbled, Kathi steadied her. \u201cYou okay?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cJust lightheaded.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cTired, more than likely. It\u2019s not far to my place.\u201d <\/p>\n

But Britney\u2019s body felt heavier with each step. She struggled to stay awake. She had never felt this way before in her entire life. Not even after staying up for two straight days studying for a math test. <\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel so good.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re almost there,\u201d Kathi told her. \u201cJust down this way.\u201d <\/p>\n

Britney didn\u2019t like the dark alley or the dark van parked there with the motor running, but she couldn\u2019t find the strength to resist Kathi\u2019s pull on her arm. <\/p>\n

As they passed the van, the side door opened and a man <\/p>\n

stepped out. \u201cToo bad she\u2019s such a looker.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, well,\u201d Kathi replied. \u201cYou get what I can find.\u201d <\/p>\n

The man picked up Britney and tossed her into the van. Britney tried to call out, tried to resist, but she could no longer control her arms or legs. She could only lie there and let the fear grow and build until the scream inside felt like an explosion in her head. <\/p>\n

The man duct-taped her arms and legs. Then he placed a piece over her mouth. \u201cDon\u2019t worry, kid. This will be over real soon.\u201d <\/p>\n

1 <\/p>\n

Wednesday, April 15. Outside Washington DC <\/p>\n

Suzanne Kidwell shoved her tape recorder in the cop\u2019s face, smiling up at him as if he were the hero in her own personal story. \u201cWe have two girls missing now and both were students at Longview High. Are you looking at the faculty and staff at the school?\u201d <\/p>\n

The officer puffed a bit, squaring his shoulders and thrusting out his chest as he hiked up his utility belt. \u201cYou have to understand that we haven\u2019t finished our investigation, but I can tell you that we found pornography on the principal\u2019s computer. I\u2019d say we\u2019re just hours away from arresting him.\u201d <\/p>\n

She lightly traced a glossy red nail down his forearm. \u201cI knew I came to the right man. You have that air of authority and competence. And I\u2019ll bet you were the one who sent those detectives in the right direction too.\u201d <\/p>\n

He dropped his head in one of those \u201caw shucks, ma\u2019am\u201d moves. \u201cWell, I did tell them that he had been arrested about ten years ago for assault.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they made a man like that the principal. What is this world coming to?\u201d Before he could comment, she hit him with another question. \u201cHas he told you yet what he did with the girls?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet. He\u2019s still insisting he\u2019s innocent, but it\u2019s just a matter of time before we get a confession out of him.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThank you so much, Officer. You\u2019re a hero. Those girls would be dead without you.\u201d <\/p>\n

He blushed hard as she hurried off, lobbing him another dazzling smile as she calculated her timetable. It was nearly four and she had to be ready and on the air at six, scooping every other network in the city. <\/p>\n

At the station, she ran up the stairs to the second floor and jogged down to Frank\u2019s office. \u201cIs he in?\u201d she asked his secretary. <\/p>\n

\u201cSure. Go on in.\u201d <\/p>\n

If there was a dark spot anywhere in her job at all, it was Frank Dawson. The man delighted in hassling her. Professional jealousy, no doubt. She knocked on his doorjamb. \u201cCan I talk to you for a minute?\u201d <\/p>\n

Like Frank, the room was heavy on shine and light on substance. Awards and diplomas covered all the walls. Pictures of Frank with politicians, presidents, and the wealthy, beautiful, and powerful were displayed prominently on all the bookshelves. His desk dominated the center of the room, covered in paperwork, tapes, and files. <\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d <\/p>\n

Suzanne took a deep breath, clutched her notes, and strode into his office. \u201cYou know the two local girls that went missing recently?\u201d <\/p>\n

He glanced up at the clock, a subtle reminder that she should be getting dressed and into makeup. \u201cI think so.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cWell, I\u2019ve been doing some digging and they have a suspect.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd this is your business exactly why?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cBecause I scooped everyone else. I talked to one of the officers working the case and he told me that they have a suspect, they\u2019re interrogating him now, and they expect to announce his arrest momentarily.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd what does this have to do with me?\u201d <\/p>\n

She stared at him for a long moment. \u201cI want to go on the air with this late-breaking news.\u201d <\/p>\n

He scratched his chin. \u201cYour show is already scheduled, Suzanne. Corruption in the horse industry.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI know that, and I can still do that. I just need five minutes at the end of the show to cover this. We\u2019ve got the scoop! How can we not run with it?\u201d <\/p>\n

Waving a hand, he said, \u201cFine. Go with it. I sure hope you have all the facts.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI have them straight from the mouth of the police. How much more do you want?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cFine. Do it.\u201d <\/p>\n

Grinning, she rushed back down to wardrobe and makeup in record time, entering the studio with mere minutes to spare. <\/p>\n

Suzanne looked over at one of the assistants. \u201cWhere\u2019s my microphone?\u201d <\/p>\n

As someone rushed to get her miked up, the director walked in. \u201cWe have a job to do, people; let\u2019s get to it. We\u2019re on the air in two.\u201d <\/p>\n

She straightened her jacket as the assistant adjusted the small microphone clipped to her lapel. \u201cIt\u2019s fine. Move.\u201d <\/p>\n

The cameraman finished the countdown with his fingers. Three\u2026two\u2026one. She fixed her expression. <\/p>\n

\u201cGood evening, ladies and gentlemen.\u201d Suzanne turned slightly. \u201cI\u2019m Suzanne Kidwell. And this is Judgment Day.\u201d <\/p>\n

Suzanne took a deep breath while the station ran the introduction, taking a moment to straighten the notes in front of her and sip her water. <\/p>\n

When the director pointed at her, she launched into the ongoing corruption and abuses endangering horse owners. <\/p>\n

The camera shifted for a closeup. \u201cAnd before I close tonight, I want to give you a late-breaking report. Just like you, I\u2019ve been horrified by the tragic disappearance of teens here in the tristate area. But what made me truly sit up and take notice was that within the last two weeks, two young girls\u2014seventeen-year-old Jennifer Link and sixteen-year-old Britney Abbott\u2014were reported as runaways. Same neighborhood, same school, both runaways? <\/p>\n

\u201cNow maybe that could happen, but I was skeptical. I did some digging. And I\u2019m happy to report that the police have arrested Peter Fryer, the principal of Longview High School.\u201d <\/p>\n

Suzanne changed her expression from a touch of sorrow mixed with concern to outrage. \u201cI spoke to the lead officer and he told me that evidence against the principal included child pornography on Fryer\u2019s computer. In spite of being arrested ten years ago for assault, Peter Fryer was hired on as the principal of Longview just four years ago. He is still denying any involvement, but the police assured me they have their man. I will keep you posted.\u201d <\/p>\n

She angled her body. \u201cAs long as people out there who betray our trust, there will be Judgment Day with Suzanne Kidwell. Good night, America. I\u2019ll see you next week.\u201d <\/p>\n

As soon as she got the signal that she was clear, she pulled off her mike and stood up, grabbing her water as left the studio. <\/p>\n

She rushed down the hall, and when she reached her office, she sank down into her chair and kicked off her shoes. She barely had time to curl her toes in the carpet before her phone rang. <\/p>\n

She picked it up. \u201cGreat job, Suzanne.\u201d It was Frank. <\/p>\n

\u201cThanks, boss. I knew you\u2019d be happy.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThe phones are ringing off the hook. The other stations are scrambling to catch up to us.\u201d <\/p>\n

Smiling, she leaned back. \u201cThey\u2019ll be eating our dust for a while now.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll stay on this?\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAll the way to conviction.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

MY REVIEW:<\/strong><\/p>\n

I have learned that I can always count on Wanda Dyson to deliver a page-turning, action filled plot filled with drama, suspense, and enough twists and turns to hold my interest until the end. When I saw that her newest offering, Judgment Day<\/a> was on my review list, I couldn\u2019t wait to read it. I was rewarded with a story that more than met my expectations.<\/p>\n

As host of weekly TV news expos\u00e9, Judgment Day, Suzanne Kidwell\u2019s unorthodox research techniques and her tendency to stretch the truth has backfired. Not only has she lost credibility with her superiors, but someone has decided she deserves her own judgment day and what he has in mind isn\u2019t pretty. When she is framed for a murder, Suzanne is forced to hire private investigator Marcus Crisp and his partner, Alexandria Fisher-Hawthorne. As the PI\u2019s race against time to discover who framed Suzanne, the danger to themselves, their employee Razz, and Suzanne escalates. The more they learn, the more determined someone is to stop them.<\/p>\n

A story filled with plots and subplots that eventually mesh, Judgment Day<\/a> is another example of why Wanda is frequently described as\u00a0 \u201cThe Queen of High Octane Suspense\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8,67,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-books","category-mystery","category-suspense"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5964"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5964"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5964\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5967,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5964\/revisions\/5967"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.daysongreflections.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}