Through His Heart by Deborah Camp (VBT, guest post, excerpt, review and GIVEAWAY)

Here's a fun guest post by Deborah Camp...

Music to Love Levi and Trudy By

by

Deborah Camp

I’m so happy to launch the third novel in the Mind’s Eye series--Through His Heart




I love spending time with Levi and Trudy, and I hope you do, too. I haven’t submitted a “playlist” before because – well, frankly, my taste in music is all over the place and I thought you might think I’m a weirdo. But, then I AM a weird creature, so it’s no big secret.

Last night as I was dozing off, I said to my bedmate, “Maybe I should do a playlist.” We were listening to music. He said, “Do it. I dare you.” People – he dared me, so I must do it. Right?

Here is my eclectic playlist with notations about why each song is included. You should be able to find these recordings on Amazon and some on YouTube, if you’re interested.

Latch sung by Sam Smith. Or “Latching onto You.” I’m a fan of Sam’s and I’m enchanted by his album “In the Lonely Hour.” It’s mostly about unrequited love, but Latch is what Trudy has on her cellphone as a ringtone for Levi’s calls. The song is about finally being close enough to latch on and not let go, to break down barriers and grab onto each other. Sam has a great voice and he knows how to work a falsetto.

Time After Time sung by another Sam – Sam Harris (an Oklahoma boy!) from his “Suitcase of Memories” album. This is an ode to the relationship between Levi and Gregory, his spirit guide.

The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face sung by Roberta Flack. This is Levi’s ring tone for calls from Trudy. It captures everything he feels about her.

Stronger sung by Kelly Clarkson. Before Trudy fell in love with Levi this was her ringtone on her “old” cellphone. It was her personal anthem. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Stand a little taller!

Little Boy Lost sung by Barbara Streisand on her “Pieces of Dreams” album. It’s Trudy’s love song to Levi. Beautiful lyrics by the fantastic Marilyn and Alan Bergman and music by Michel LeGrand. They also teamed up to create the next song on this list (one of my all-time favorites!).

How Do You Keep the Music Playing? sung by Johnny Mathis on his album of the same name. This is a lovely song that questions how a couple can keep the magic going in their relationship. I love these lines: “I know the way I feel for you it’s now or never. The more I love, the more that I’m afraid, that in your eyes I may not see forever. Forever.”

What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life? Sung by Johnny Mathis on the “How Do You Keep the Music Playing? album. This is a great album and this is a great song. It is Levi and Trudy’s “love song.”

If you can’t tell by now, I’m a big Johnny Mathis fan. He’s my favorite singer. Nobody can top him when it comes to love songs. The album I’ve mentioned here is one of his best. The orchestrations in it are staggeringly haunting.

There you have it. Music to read Through His Heart by. Enjoy and happy reading!

 

Through His Heart

by Deborah Camp

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BLURB:

“Sending you an SOS.”

When psychic Trudy Tucker hears this plaintive cry in her mind and then connects psychically with a little girl’s kidnapper, she is drawn to a small town in Missouri where everyone is suspect – including herself and her lover, celebrated psychic detective Levi Wolfe. As she and Levi work together to sort through whom and what to trust, an innocent life hangs in the balance.

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EXCERPT

A shudder raced through her and her stomach knotted. Nausea rose up to her throat as darkness descended in her mind.

“I’m sending you an SOS. Sending you an SOS. An SOS.” Can you find me? Can you hear me?

“I hear you,” Trudy whispered, answering the small, trembling voice.

“Did you say something, Rachel? Are you singing something?” This was a different voice in her head. A deep bass, but gentle. Coaxing, cajoling, cunning.

The darkness parted like a curtain in Trudy’s mind and Rachel came into view. She sat in a child’s white rocking chair, her red tennis shoes dangling inches from the floor. A wedge of purple discolored her right cheek. Her lips twitched and her chin quivered.

“Be a good girl and do what you’re told and that won’t happen to you again. No one wants to hurt you. You gotta obey, though. Can’t say ‘no’ to your elders. Your mama should have taught you that.”

“It hurts.”

“Want me to kiss it and make it well?”

Rachel rounded her shoulders, making herself smaller. “Nuh-uh.”

“Okay then. I could make it stop hurting though . . . I’ll read you a Bible story. How about that? Remember what we talked about? God is way up here . . . then there’s his disciples right here . . . and then your elders . . . and you’re way down below that.”

Glimpses of hands . . . moving up and down, illustrating the levels. Dirty nails, dry skinned knuckles.

“Where’s Mommy?”

“Are you hearing me? This is important.”

“I want to talk to Mommy.”

“She doesn’t want to talk to you! God gave you to us. Your Mommy is busy serving the Lord and now you’re here serving us because it’s been ordained. Quit touching your face! That won’t help it heal. Come sit in my lap while I read. Did you hear me ask nice? You won’t like it if I have to ask twice. That’s my good girl. You act like this all the time and you won’t get any more boo-boos.”

Was he kissing her? Was he licking her?

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Author of more than 40 novels, Deborah lives in Oklahoma. She has been a full-time writer since she graduated from the University of Tulsa. She worked for a few years as a reporter for newspapers before becoming a freelance writer. Deborah’s first novel was published in the late 1970s and her books have been published by Jove, New American Library, Harlequin, Silhouette, and Avon. She has been inducted into the Oklahoma Authors Hall of Fame and she is a charter member of the Romance Writers of America. She is widely published in non-fiction and writes and edits for a magazine focused on small businesses. Deborah taught fiction writing for more than 10 years at a community college. She is currently working on a series of novels featuring two psychics who work with police nationwide to identify and track serial murderers.

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All of her novels are available on Amazon as ebooks

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway


The tour dates can be found here


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My Review:

4.25 out of 5 stars

Through His Heart by Deborah Camp is part of the paranormal ‘Mind's Eye’ series that features Trudy Tucker and Leviticus (Levi) Wolfe, psychics.  A visit to Trudy’s home and subsequent encounters with her parents causes Levi to take a hard look at their relationship.  Complicating matters is Trudy’s channeling of a young girl who has been kidnapped which causes her to become more involved with Levi’s family, much to his consternation.  Their relationship is about to be tested like it never has before, and only by finding a way to share their deepest fears will they be able to build a foundation for the future.  The question is whether each of them is willing to pay the price.

This exciting and suspenseful story explores multiple aspects of psychic phenomena even as it depicts the horror of abuse, both mental and physical.  It is wonderful to watch the maturation of a relationship between two remarkable individuals who have developed contrasting personalities in response to their pasts yet forge an intimate connection that allows each to become a better person.  There are heartbreaking revelations which give even more insight into how Levi’s personality developed but most impressive is the way that he finds the courage to reach out to Trudy.  The two of them still frustrate me as they go back and forth with their angst-filled reactions but I am starting to like the couple that they have become. I really appreciate getting a better idea of what has made Levi into the man he has become and I hope that certain members of his extended family show up in future stories because I think they can teach him a lot.

I think that it is possible to read this as a stand-alone story, but it is undeniably richer if one has read all of the stories together.  There are intensely emotional scenes that may be disturbing to the timorous, particularly with respect to evils that can be perpetrated on children, but there is also a beautiful and sizzling relationship that is unfolding which leavens some of the harsher scenes.  I think this is an excellent addition to the series and it will appeal to those who like psychic phenomena, suspense, and a sexy couple who make great detectives.

4 out of 5 stars

Through His Touch by Deborah Camp is the second story in the ‘Mind’s Eye’ series that follows the adventures of Trudy Tucker and Leviticus (Levi) Wolfe, who is reluctantly adjusting to mentoring her as she hones her psychic skills.  Levi is striving to bolster Trudy’s self-image and eliminate her feelings of inadequacy, but it is difficult to get past his own hang-ups, especially since he has the added stress of a stalker who is escalating in her efforts.  The horrific secrets that Levi finally shares with Trudy makes her determined to find a way to breach his walls but the escalating danger causes him to retreat even more and each of them will have to decide whether their blossoming relationship is worth the risk to their lives as well as their hearts.

This sensual and suspenseful story provides an exciting read even as it details the way two insecure and scarred individuals find a way to become a rock for each other to depend on.  There are fairly graphic and horrendous events described but also wonderfully romantic milestones that accompany the compromises and adjustments that are being made by both Trudy and Levi.  The psychic aspect is minimized in this story, which seems to focus more on the complicated relationship that is unfolding, but there is the added complication of the danger that is escalating.  It would be advisable to have read the first story in the series in order to have a better idea of the background for this relationship, especially since this story starts right after the first one ends. This is a very nice addition to an entertaining series that will appeal to those who like a thrilling mystery, romance and a touch of the extraordinary world of psychic phenomena.

Copies of these titles were provided to me for review