What exciting times are here! I have just branched into my first collection of short stories. Of course, I have contributed stories to anthologies in the past, but writing one piece is quite different from producing a whole collection. I am thrilled that my wonderful publishers at SpellBound Books have assisted me in having the book produced in time for the holiday season. That's very fitting considering the title story is Hunter's Christmas! You canorder your copy here https://rb.gy/9d79us
Let me share my excitiement with you:
The Blurb
DI Hunter Wilson is looking forward to spending a holiday in India with his girlfriend Dr Meera Sharma, away from the cold, wet winter of Edinburgh. He looks to share his happiness with others when he is attacked by Santa Claus, he says.
His team swing into action to catch his attackers but then receive information about an elf found dead in a car park and a car stolen by Mrs Claus.
Are the crimes by these Christmas characters connected?
Can Hunter’s team restore peace and good will to Christmas?
Hunter’s Christmas and Other Stories includes tales about DI Hunter Wilson and DS Jane Renwick along with those about new and different characters in this gripping collection of short stories especially for crime fiction readers.
The Extract
As the paramedics carried Hunter into the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh’s Accident and Emergency ward, Ailsa Myerscough hurried towards the patient.
“Hunter, Hunter what happened?”
“You know this man?” the paramedic asked.
“Yes, Parijat, I know him well. He’s my brother’s boss. What has happened.”
“The cop brother?”
“I’ve only got one.”
“Well, his boss here was jumped at an ATM at the West End of Princes Street. There’s a poor young copper standing there now to preserve the scene, but this guy’s got a compound fracture of the left femur and a broken left wrist. He’s had morphine for the pain and fluids to stabilise his blood pressure. He was awake when we found him but drifted in and out of consciousness since we got him into the ambulance.”
“Who did this, Hunter?” Ailsa asked.
He smiled at her. “Santa Claus,” he said.
“Yeh, okay. Take him to cubicle five. We’ll need two units of blood right away, Joan,” Ailsa spoke to the senior trauma nurse. “You get that hooked up. I’ll call his fiancée and my brother and then we’ll work out if we can operate tonight, or if it’ll need to wait until tomorrow.”
“I doubt we can work on both the wrist and the leg tonight,” Joan said.
Ailsa nodded. She walked towards the exit of the hospital and pulled out her phone. She called Meera who said she would be at the hospital within half an hour. When she phoned Tim and told him the news there was a short period of silence. She heard him telling his friends Bear and Mel what had happened.
“Did the boss tell you who did this?”
“Santa Claus,” Ailsa said.
The Author
Val Penny has an Llb degree from the University of Edinburgh and her MSc from Napier University. She has had many jobs including hairdresser, waitress, banker, azalea farmer and lecturer but has not yet achieved either of her childhood dreams of being a ballerina or owning a candy store.
Until those dreams come true, she has turned her hand to writing poetry, short stories, nonfiction books, and novels. Her novels are published by SpellBound Books Ltd.
Val is an American author living in SW Scotland. She has two adult daughters of whom she is justly proud and lives with her husband and their cat.