Book Excerpt - Dream Killer by Mike Baldwin

Dream Killer by Mike Baldwin

To fulfill her friend’s dream, legendary sports agent Veronica Townsend has constructed a kids’ summer camp on a farm in Burlington, Kansas, where baseball hero John Jensen was raised. Camp Dream Catcher, though, is in danger of shutting down after a lifeguard is murdered. With cancellations pouring in, Veronica must solve the mystery in a desperate attempt to keep the camp open.

Missy, a shy, 30-year-old, single woman who has lived her entire life in Queens, is doing her boss a favor by serving as the camp’s bookkeeper. Devoted to Veronica, Missy goes through a life-changing experience at a camp that awards scholarships to inner-city kids.

Ashley Webb, the camp’s co-director, has taken a sabbatical from her job in Omaha to oversee the camp’s day-to-day operations. Since evidence reveals the killer most likely is on the camp’s staff, Ashley is concerned Veronica is in denial the camp needs to shut down until law enforcement officials uncover the person responsible for shooting the handsome lifeguard. Reggie Gordon, the camp’s other co-director, is a former African American Major League Baseball star, who vows to help Veronica. Because he grew up in the projects in Chicago,

Reggie sees the benefits of a camp that caters to inner-city kids.

When additional problems surface, it appears Veronica has no choice but to shut down the camp, in part because she made some risky financial decisions to open ahead of schedule. Veronica, though, is resolute the camp will not shut down so she can honor John Jensen, “the kindest man I’ve ever met.”

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Killer-Mike-Baldwin-ebook/dp/B0180MYFP0
Barnes and Noble (Nook): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dream-killer- mike-baldwin/1122958692?ean=2940152469417
Apple (iTunes, iBooks): https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/dream-killer/ id1059585495?mt=11
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/ebook/dream-killer-1 
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/593129 

EXCERPT from DREAM KILLER 

All but one of their thirty guests had departed the Stilson twins’ house other than a passed-out woman on a bed in the back bedroom.
Ava and Emma wouldn’t spend much time fretting over the mess. Emma gazed at trampled-on beer cans, pizza boxes and empty bags of potato chips. The kitchen also looked like a dump site. “Look at this place.”
“One of our best parties ever!” Ava boasted, giving her sister a high-five.
They soaked in the scene and smiled as if a trashed house was a badge of honor. Vomit on the bathroom floor smelled putrid. Someone used the shower as a second toilet, no surprise considering the bathroom was Grand Central Station.
“It’s never been quite this bad before,” Emma said. “How much do you think Marsha will charge us this time?”
Ava mulled over the question. She surveyed the mess in the living room before she announced a dollar figure for a maid who used the Stilson twins as a side income, the only maid in Burlington willing to clean a house that looked like a tornado had swept through New Strawn every time they threw a party.
“My guess is five-hundred, maybe six.”
“I feel sad for Marsha. She works hard. We’re so lucky.” “What a night! The fridge is empty. I’m going to the cellar.”
Ava hummed a song while she walked down the hallway. To assure her sister could hear, Ava raised her voice. “How much beer do we have left? Between tonight and the Fourth of July shindig we might have to order twenty cases from the Budweiser guy.” Emma was in the bathroom. She was attempting to clean up the vomit without actually touching the nauseating mess when she heard her sister scream.
“Emma, get down here right away!”
Barefoot, Emma’s blue-painted toes scurried down the hallway. Small, baby steps resembled a bunny hopping alongside a fence. As Emma neared the cellar door, Ava’s next statement sent chills up her spine.
“I think he’s dead!”

About the author

A former sportswriter, Mike Baldwin has transitioned to becoming a full-time novelist who specializes in mysteries that feature female lead characters. Mike writes classic whodunits that appeal to mystery fans of all ages.
Whether it’s a suspense-filled novel that keeps him up all night, or TV shows like “Major Crimes,” “Law & Order,” and “Cold Case,” Mike loves fast-paced stories packed with twists and turns that keep the reader guessing until the surprise ending.
Mike’s unique writing style is he uses multiple points-of-view to provide depth that allows the reader to see the plot form different perspectives. His goal is take readers to new places, whether it’s a rural setting in his current novel DREAM KILLER or Hollywood and Watts in his upcoming fall/winter project.
Regardless of the setting, Mike believes it’s essential that readers become emotionally invested in the characters, although the primary goal is to simply write a fun, thought-provoking mystery sprinkled with occasional humor and a dash of romance.
During his newspaper career, Mike covered Super Bowls and Final Fours, and interviewed countless Hall of Fame athletes and coaches. He was blessed to attend games in 80 of the 90 NFL stadiums, NBA arenas and Major League Baseball stadiums, plus visit more than fifty college campuses.
The highlight was when he was a beat writer who covered the Dallas Cowboys for The Oklahoman, the Oklahoma City newspaper. For seven years, Mike wrote daily stories during the Barry Switzer era when the Cowboys were led by future NFL Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith, Michael Irvin and Deion Sanders.
Mike was humbled and honored last year when he was voted into the Oklahoma Christian University Sports Hall of Fame.

Website: mikebaldwinbooks.com
Twitter: @mikebaldwinbook 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/49480134-mike-baldwin



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