Three Cs

Today, I am doing my first guest post for another author. Her name is Penelope Marzec, and here is a little bit about her.

Penelope Marzec grew up along the Jersey shore. She started reading romances at a young age and fell hopelessly in love with happy endings. Two of her inspirational romances won EPIC’s eBook Award and another was a finalist in that contest. Her paranormal, Irons in the Fire, was a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award. Her Christian historical, Patriot’s Courage, placed First in the Inspirational
category of the 2021 National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) Contest.

Visit her website at penelopemarzec.com for more information.

Penelope’s latest book is Angel of the L Train, a Christian suspense novel that was published in August 2022.

Summary:

Thea Ahern desperately needs a job, so when she lands a job at LetSlip, a New York City gossip magazine, she takes it even though it will mean hiding her heritage. When she helps a man who is attacked on the subway, she’s hailed as the Angel of the L Train, and people notice her striking resemblance to a once famous actress. This sparks a renewed interest in Paris Hulette and her whereabouts. What happened to the award-winning actress after her husband shot her? And is Thea Ahern really the actress’s daughter?

Thea’s coworker, John, understands what it means to hide from your past, and so he shields Thea from the ensuing media frenzy. She falls for him, and he falls for her, but LetSlip’s CEO orders John to investigate Thea. Now he has to choose between protecting Thea or losing his job.

When LetSlip’s CEO is murdered while John is in the building, John is thrust into the public spotlight along with Thea, and his past is revealed. Can Thea ever trust him again? And can he ever be forgiven for what he’s done?

Read an Excerpt:

Thea Ahern twisted her hands in her lap as she sat in front of the huge polished desk of LetSlip’s CEO. The receptionist in the notorious gossip magazine’s human resources office took one look at Thea and sent her directly to this office, which seemed odd. Still, this interview was the first one she’d managed to get, and while LetSlip’s reputation might be unsavory, it was a job—and she needed money.

As the petite CEO studied Thea’s portfolio, Thea glanced at the huge, abstract painting covering the wall on her left. She clamped her jaw together in an effort to prevent displaying any trace of emotion. Her mother created that work of art ten years ago or so. Sorrow pierced Thea as she remembered her mother’s joy in splashing the canvas with the vivid colors. It spanned the entire wall, brightening up the otherwise drab office.

“I’m impressed with your work.” The woman stated from across the other side of the
massive desk.

“Thank you, Ms. Capello,” Thea gave a tentative smile as a sense of relief flowed through
her.

“Please, call me Salbatora. We use first names only at LetSlip. We’re all family here.” The woman shoved aside Thea’s portfolio. “You haven’t lived in Brooklyn for long. I can tell by your accent. Where did you grow up?”

“In south Jersey,” Thea answered.

“Down the shore?‛”The woman tapped her well-manicured fingers on the shiny desk.

“Sort of, actually in the Pine Barrens.”

“I’ve never been there.” The woman turned her head to stare at the painting on the wall.

A strange chill slid up Thea’s spine.

The woman returned her attention to Thea. “How do you like New York?”

Thea faltered. It’s too noisy—especially at night. “It’s lively.”

A flash of humor crossed Salbatora’s face. “Yes, that it is.‛”The CEO folded her hands on the desk, her eyes seemed suddenly remote. “Can you tell me about a time when you were faced with a stressful situation that demonstrated your coping skills?”

Thea’s heart pounded. When it came to dealing with stress and managing to cope, Thea considered herself the reigning champion. She believed she deserved a trophy. But she must not tell her problems to Salbatora. Not now. Not ever.

A minute ticked by. Thea stared at her hands as perspiration beaded on her brow. She needed to say something. She closed her eyes and remembered…a scary incident.

Thank you, Lord.

“When I went to college, pets weren’t allowed in the dorm, but one of the guys kept a lizard in his room, using a heat lamp for warmth. Word went out about a room inspection, and the lizard owner threw a blanket over the terrarium before he went to eat dinner.”

“I see…”The words were a bare whisper.

Thea drew in a breath and continued the story. “The blanket caught on fire and smoke filled the hallway. The sprinklers went on, but the situation was chaotic for several minutes. Some of the students became hysterical about leaving their stuff, but I stayed calm and led them out of the building.

“The lizard?”

“He passed away, but none of the students were injured.” Thea did not consider herself a heroine, but the event remained a traumatic memory. No doubt, it wasn’t the sort of stress workers withstood putting together a gossip magazine. “At any rate, the campus police arrived quickly. Still, most things in the dorm were ruined by water damage.”

“What did you lose?”

“My laptop, books, clothes, and bedding—like everyone else in the building.” Thea shrugged. “But folks in my hometown helped me out afterward.”

“How fortunate for you.”

“Yes. The people in the town where I grew up are the best.” Thea sighed. She missed her home.

“What town is that?”

“Woods End. It’s very small. Out in the Pine Barrens, as I said.”

“I guess that’s why I never heard of it.” Salbatora stood.

Thea swallowed hard and rose. Was she being dismissed? Did she fail the interview? Maybe the example she gave didn’t measure up to the CEO’s standards.

Salbatora pressed a button on her phone. “Liz, please come in and show Thea where she’ll be working.”

“Right away.” Came a reply.

Thea swayed and held onto the edge of the desk. I got the job?

“I’m sure you’ll enjoy working at LetSlip. You’ll be assigned a mentor for a few weeks.”

Thea nodded. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure. And don’t ever hesitate to come to me with any questions.”

A knock came at the door and Liz entered with a clipboard. “Follow me, Thea. I’ll get you situated right away.”

Thea reached for her portfolio. “Bye.” She waved to Salbatora, but the CEO of LetSlip stood next to the painting on the wall and stared at it in utter fascination with a bemused smile lighting up her face.

An icy shiver slid down Thea’s spine, but she ignored it attributing the sensation to the Arctic temperature of the room.

Check it out:

You can purchase Angel of the L Train by clicking on these links: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, and Apple.