Monday, April 22, 2019

#BookSpotlight - "Finding Euphoria" by C. Becker


Book Title: Finding Euphoria
Series title: Euphoria
Book no. 1
Author: C. Becker
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Cover artist: RJ Morris
Editor: ELF
Genre: Thriller

Pages: 416

Blurb


Hailey Langley refuses to be a victim and has moved on from her traumatic past. But her marriage problems worsen when a deadly illicit drug threatens to draw her into the life she left behind.

Mark Langley has allowed his job to interfere with his marriage, but he never suspected the secrets in Hailey’s past might hold the key to solving both of his current investigations.

Together, they must unravel the mystery of the drug called Euphoria and find a way to save not only their marriage, but countless lives, before it’s too late.

~~ Q&A with the Author, C. Becker ~~

Tell us something about your book that is unique.
Illness is a part of life and that’s exactly why I wove it into the story—to keep the story real. Finding Euphoria presents medical subjects discussing Parkinson’s disease, dementia, diabetes, and drug interactions with the brain.

What is your background?
In college, I studied the sciences and graduated as a medical technologist. I loved working in the laboratory, analyzing blood and body specimens. The human body is an amazing machine, and I will never tire of learning how the body functions.

Did your book require a lot of research?
LOL Tons! I spent hours planning how to use the different diseases in the plot, and then I spent even more hours learning the specific particulars to give the subject matter credence.

Will the other two books in the Euphoria series be similar to the first book?
The other books won’t go into as much depth as the first book, but they will discuss medical conditions. However, the series is still focused on the plant Bixa aparra where Euphoria is extracted. The second book is set six years later from the ending of the first book. Hailey is the main character throughout the series.

Awesome. Thanks so much for stopping by! I'm excited to learn there will be more books in the series.


Excerpt


He turned the bottle around in his hand and set it on the end table. “Don’t put me in this position. You know what would happen. Grace is his mother. She’s the one who needs to stay with him.”
Regret tugged at her heart. “I wouldn’t take any time away from her.”
Parker groaned. “Just you being there would make her feel uncomfortable.”
“Why?”
“You know why.”
“But I’ve stayed away for seventeen years,” she whispered.
“That was the adoption arrangement.”
She bit her lip. “I can’t stay away any longer.”
“You agreed to those terms in the contract. You terminated all parental rights.” Parker stood and paced to the kitchen.
“But it’s not fair!” She put down her water and began wringing her hands.
Straightening his arms, he leaned against the bar. “Hailey, please don’t start. I know how you feel…”
“You couldn’t possibly know how I feel. I need to see him.” She fought to control the bitterness in her voice.
“No.”
She rose, knocking over the water bottle. “He’s my son!”
“Not anymore, he isn’t.”
The rebuke stung. “He’ll always be my son!”
“When you gave him up, you promised to keep your distance.”
“I have.”
“Forever.”
The reminder lanced her heart. “You’re being unfair. He’s dying.”
He slammed his fist on the bar. “Don’t say that. He can’t die.” Parker pushed himself up and stomped near the window, raising his hands to rest on top of his head as he faced the curtain.
A muscle twitched in her hand. Her knees buckled. She sat on the edge of the couch, wringing her hands. “I was young. I couldn’t give Justin the life he deserved. I’m not asking to take him back. I only want to see him.”
Rubbing his jaw, he walked back to the couch and sat. The hard lines on his face softened. “The adoption papers were clear. No contact.” He placed his hands on top of hers and stilled them. “If the decision was mine, I would allow it, but Grace would lose it if she found out you’re Justin’s biological mother.”
Her hands squeezed into tight fists. The urge was unbearable. “I wouldn’t tell her.”
Parker ran a hand through his hair. “Argh! Don’t you understand? She’d take one look at your face and know the truth. Don’t forget, you’re the one who wanted us to protect him.”
She stood. “Well, you did a hell of a fine job, didn’t you? You divorced Grace and deserted him. Parenting takes sacrifice, Parker. You were too busy changing careers, and now he’s messed up with drugs. How did that protect him?”
Standing, he reached for her.
“No. You stay away from me.” She extended her hands and backed up a step. “Justin’s dying! Dying, Parker! And I don’t know him…You won’t let me see my own son.”
He wrapped his arms around her.
She pushed him, pummeling her fists against his chest with all her strength.

He silently took his beating.

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About the Author

A native of western Pennsylvania, C. Becker earned a B.S. degree in Medical Technology and MT (ASCP) certification. She has worked in clinical settings analyzing body fluids and testing drugs of abuse. As an author, C. Becker has published multiple stories in various genres.

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