Showing results by author "RJ Scott" in All Categories

In the hottest summer on record, Iron Lake reservoir is emptying, revealing secrets that were intended to stay hidden beneath the water. The tragic story of a missing man is a media sensation, and abruptly the writer and the cop falling in love is just a postscript to horrors neither could have imagined.

Sheriff Neil Windham has one mission: to protect Whisper Ridge. But when human remains surface at the Lennox Ranch, the town's past comes back to haunt it. As Neil dives deeper into the investigation, he's torn between his duty, his father's declining health, and the fire ignited by the relentless, unpredictable former Navy SEAL, Connor Mason.

Experienced and much-in-demand horse trainer Levi doesn't need or want people. With his horse and dog at his side, he lives out of his trailer and trains horses in the summer to earn just enough to head south for winter. Everything in his easy-going life is on track until he knocks over Quinn, a pink-haired stranger who pirouettes in front of his truck, sits in his lap, and calls him cowboy with the sexiest voice he's ever heard. Anger turns to frustration, lust turns to love, and by the end of the summer, Levi doesn't know which way to turn.

Losing his brother has shaped Drew to become the man he is today - heartbroken, alone, but determined to make a difference in the world. Joining the military, fighting battles in places that he's never even heard of, is his attempt to make amends for telling his brother to go to hell. After his brother disappeared, he'd clung to the hope Casey was out there living his life. Of course, he'd be furious at Drew, and probably hate his brother, but at least in Drew's head, Casey was safe.

Federal Agent Lucas Beaumont has an agenda - get himself assigned to the case of the apparent serial murders at Lancaster Falls, find out who the murderer is, and then lay the ghosts that haunt his grandfather to rest. In the midst of a horrific murder investigation, the only peace he gets is from simple moments in a warm kitchen, talking to hotel owner, Josh. Attraction to the easygoing man is something he didn't expect; in doing so, he opens himself to hurt, but at the same time, he begins to fall in love.

Best-selling horror writer Chris Lassiter struggles for inspiration and he's close to never writing again. His life has become an endless loop of nothing but empty pages, personal appearances, and a marketing machine that is systematically destroying his muse. In a desperate attempt to force Chris to complete unfinished manuscripts his agent buys a remote cabin. All Chris has to do is hide away and write, but he's lost his muse, and not even he can make stories appear from thin air.

In a single devastating morning, August's life crumbles. His covert assignment derails disastrously as the family he's meant to safeguard falls prey to the ruthless Cooper River Cartel. The tragedy deepens when a little girl vanishes without a trace, leaving behind nothing but her favorite teddy bear—a silent witness to a kidnapping that makes no sense. As a former SEAL, August grapples with his failure and imagines killing those who broke everything he was supposed to protect.

What is Writeopolis? Writeopolis is a fortnightly (or, for US listeners, twice a month) conversation between writing professionals (and Kit Power). The conversation happens live every other Sunday evening via Discord, with live text chat accompanying the voice discussion (no video; RJ and Kit don't have that kind of time to sort their hair out every weekend). The resultant conversation is later released in podcast form via this feed. Who is Writeopolis? Writeopolis is BFS Award winner RJ Barker, author and playwright Scott K Andrews, and BFA finalist author, blogger, podcaster and ...

Micah Lennox left Whisper Ridge after promising the man he loved that he would never return. But the only way he knows to keep his pregnant sister and nephew safe is to go home. Spending winter in Wyoming opens too many old wounds, but he's on the run from justice which can't be far behind. After a hostage situation leaves Doctor Daniel Sheridan struggling with PTSD, he returns to Whisper Ridge. Joining his dad in family practice is a balm to soothe his exhausted soul, and somehow, he finds a peace he can live with. That is until he meets Micah in a frozen graveyard.

Driven by a combination of alcohol-induced recklessness and an overwhelming desire for something real, Josh ventures into a dark and seedy bar and lusts after a sexy, enigmatic hooker. When Josh negotiates a price for one night of pleasure he can't know that when his time with Ethan is over, he'll be left shattered and forever changed by the encounter. Fleeing with his son is the only means of ensuring their survival amidst the chaos of what comes next, and there's only one man he can trust to keep them safe. A hooker who isn't a hooker at all.

Twenty years at war have left Sergeant Jasper "Jazz" Brookes battered, scarred, and haunted. His marriage is wrecked, his daughter barely speaks to him, and the world he fought for has moved on without him. Homeless by choice, Jazz manages until the brutal Chicago winter forces him to seek help from a shelter he doesn't want to need.

Three months after the murder of Mike Bressett, the sleepy town of Prophet faces another tragedy-the death of Billy Odette, a well-liked Makah man who ran trail rides for the tourists. When Billy is discovered to have been the victim of a vicious animal attack, dragged right off a popular trail, angry locals are quick to blame a wolf pack that's recently moved into the area. Sheriff Gabriel Thompson is the only authority standing between those who want to protect the wolves and those who want them hunted down-all while trying to keep people safe and get to the bottom of what happened.

Gabriel is a former undercover cop haunted by the things he's seen and done. He returns to his small hometown of Prophet, taking on the role of sheriff, hoping to mend his fractured relationship with his estranged brother and rebuild his life. But when a chilling murder occurs at Sentinel Rocks, a sacred Makah site on Lake Prophet, Gabriel's dreams of peace and reconciliation are shattered.

High school teacher Chris, an amputee since his teens, has wrestled with darkness and emerged victorious. He's a pillar of strength in the classroom, deflecting his overbearing family by day and yearning for love by night. Yet a recent reminder of his fragility at the Lennox ranch has stirred specters of his past. Enter Noah and his son, Fox, who bring a glimmer of hope into Chris's life, igniting a fire that dares him to fight for love once more.

The discovery of a body at the Thompson Cabins sets off a chain of events that hits too close to home for Sheriff Gabriel Thompson. When his brother Sam becomes a prime suspect in the murder investigation, Gabriel is forced to keep secrets from Tiber and call in outside help as he fights to prove Sam's innocence. It's a nightmare that becomes all consuming.