RESCUE ME
Publisher: MELANGE BOOKS
I’m so happy to bring Jody Vitek back to GLIAS so she can
share her second novel, Rescue Me.
I’m excited about this story because it’s filled with animals and rescues and
dedication and true love and animals! Jody wove a lot of interesting tidbits
from her own life into this story, and I think it’ll weave its way around your
heart.
Help me welcome back Jody Vitek.
ALL ABOUT RESCUE ME
Can Catherine accept the consequences of a great-aunt's dying wish
without losing her heart or independence?
Taking in stray, injured or
needy animals, veterinarian doctor Catherine Mornelli opens the Four Hooves and
Paws Rescue program. But the land where the animals are kept is being sold. She
approaches her Great-Aunt Elaine about possibly using her barn. However,
visiting her aunt and checking out the barn also means seeing her ex-boyfriend.
Josef Garrison farms land that
once belonged to his family for generations but went to his neighbor Elaine
after his great-grandfather lost it in a poker game to Catherine’s great-grandfather.
When Catherine returns, he sees a way to win back her heart and the land at the
same time.
A SPECIAL STORY EXCERPT!
She didn’t want to venture to a
place she didn’t like, not even to check out a strange noise. Opening the door,
she flipped the light switch and peered down the stairs. Splashing. Water ran
somewhere in the basement.
“Damn it,” she exclaimed,
slamming the door shut.
Her back rested against the
closed four-paneled wood door. A battle raged in her mind.
You need to go and see what’s going on.
No, I don’t. Josef owns this now. It’s his responsibility.
Just try to go down the stairs and get a better look.
“Fine, I’ll go take a look.” She
turned, grabbed the clear glass doorknob, and slowly opened the door as though a
monster were going to jump out and attack. Her stomach knotted. Alone in the house,
chances were she wouldn’t find anyone dead down there, but it always came back
to haunt her.
Through the open door, she placed
a foot onto the first wooden plank. She swallowed the lump in her throat as her
breath quickened. The other foot, another step. Her body trembled. Another step
and a sickening wave of terror rocked through her body.
Catherine turned, racing back
through the basement door and out the back screen door. Walking around the big
oak, she breathed in and out until she could breathe through her nose. After
the third lap, feeling calmer and
more in control, she entered the house and grabbed her phone. She dialed and
waited for Josef to answer.
“This is Josef. Leave me a
message, and I’ll get back to you.”
“Josef, it’s Catherine. I need your
help. I’m sure the water heater went out because there’s water in the basement.
Come over ASAP.” She sat at the kitchen table and finished her sandwich.
What was she going to do? No air
conditioning was one thing, but no hot water was a different story. It appeared
cold showers were in her future.
Gravel crunched from an
approaching vehicle twenty minutes later. His truck pulled into the roundabout
and parked behind her pickup.
Catherine met him on the steps.
“I didn’t expect you here so soon.”
“Well, if there’s water in the
basement, ya don’t have time to waste.” Josef walked to the back of the truck
and opened the tailgate. “I brought my pump to get the water out. Then we’ll
assess the damage.”
Josef wiggled his way into water
waders, put a bulky roll of tubing over his shoulder and grabbed the large
pumping mechanism. “I’m assuming ya haven’t gone down there yet?” He peered
back at her.
“I tried, but I couldn’t do it.”
“What is it with you and that
basement?” He set the pump on the ground. “Ever since you were little, you’ve
never liked going down there. You afraid of the boogeyman getting you?” He
chuckled, but she didn’t find it funny.
“No. Maybe it’s the steep narrow
stairs, stone walls, dirt floor and lack of windows down there. I don’t know. I get creeped out.”
“Well, let’s get to work.” Josef
walked in and straight for the basement.
“What do you want me to do?” She
followed as far as the top of the stairwell.
He turned on the second step and
looked at her. “Come stay at my place.” He stated it plain and simple,
continuing down the wooden staircase and stepping into water. He turned with a
stern face. “Shit, Catherine! Why didn’t you shut the water off?” and
disappeared from site.
She winced. It couldn’t be
helped. She tried going into the basement but couldn’t. There was mumbling from
the basement, but nothing clear could be made out because of the splashing. He
probably cursed her with each step.
He came around the corner
dropping an end of the black tubing in the water and unwound it up the stairs.
In the narrow passageway, his chest brushed against hers, and their eyes held.
A connection bore into her soul. Warmth swept over her body, while her nipples
perked, exposed through the thin layers of her shirt. Something was there
between them. He jogged down the back steps, she trailed behind, and he fired
up the pump.
“I tried to go down, Josef. I
just couldn’t do it. I’m sorry,” she yelled over the loud humming.
Water from the hose splashed onto
the dry soil.
“It’ll be fine.” He stated,
irritated as he bent over the machine. Standing, he glanced at her and walked
to his truck. “Pack your things and stay at my place.” It was a statement
rather than a suggestion.
“Why?”
“You’ll need a place to stay.”
His tone softened as he slid the water waders off, an action she found oddly
sexy.
A BIT ABOUT JODY AND SOME FUN QUESTIONS:
Born
and raised in Minnesota, Jody remains close to home, living with her husband of
more than twenty years as well as three children and a cat named Holly. Growing
up, she enjoyed reading V.C. Andrews' Dollanganger series, S.E.
Hinton and Stephen King to name a few.
She’s
traveled throughout the United States, to the Bahamas and Cancun, Mexico.
Between watching soccer games, scrapbooking and being the COO of the Vitek
household, she writes contemporary romances.
LIZ: How often do you get lost in a story?
JODY: Every time I read. That’s the
reason I read, to escape. I don’t read as much as I’d like and my TBR pile is
enormous.
LIZ: What’s your favorite cartoon character?
JODY: To pick one is very difficult. I love cartoons. Growing up I loved the
Flintstones, The Jetsons, Scooby-Doo, along with the Warner Bros. characters.
Today’s cartoons are great on Disney and Nickelodeon. I love Johnny Test,
Phineas and Ferb, and Spongebob Squarepants. I’m a kid at heart and if I have
to pick one, then I guess Scooby-Doo. He’s a big dorky loveable dog who is
there to solve the mystery.
LIZ: Oh, my gosh, I LOVE Phineas and Ferb—I want them as my best
friends.
LIZ: Can you write us a haiku about your book or one of your
characters?
JODY: This is pretty bad if you ask me.
But I tried and this is what I came up with.
Cat helps
animals.
Josef
and Cat need each other.
Josef
rescues Cat.
LIZ: Name three
things that are, at this moment, in your heroine’s purse, satchel, reticule,
weapons belt or amulet bag (or whatever she carries)?
JODY: Black hair binders, small
bandages and Four Hooves and Paws business cards.
LIZ: What sound or noise do you love?
JODY: Nature. The peace and quiet of
the great outdoors. You hear the birds, crickets, frogs, fish flopping and
turtles plopping. The wind rustling the leaves of the trees. Maybe a waterfall
in the distance. The crackle of a fire.
LIZ: If you were given a chance to travel to the past where would
you go and specifically why?
JODY: The 1920’s. The era of The Great Gatsby. I remember reading
that book and being taken away. I’m a girly girl and would love to have worn
the dresses and jewelry. Not to mention the hats.
LIZ: What’s your favorite movie of all time?
JODY: “The Sound of Music.” The love
story is fantastic as is the music. It pains my family when I watch the movie,
which I own on DVD, or listen to the music. The good thing about listening to
the soundtrack, it’s now on my iPhone and I listen whenever I want.
LIZ: Who’s your favorite villain?
JODY: One of the only villain’s that
comes to mind is Sean Connery in the movie “The Rock.” I find Sean extremely
sexy and he doesn’t let me down in “The Rock.” He’s a villain who’s not a
villain. If I have to pick a true villain, then Hannibal Lecter it is from the
movies “The Silence of the Lambs” and “Hannibal.” He’s so disturbing yet his
love for Clarice is intriguing.
LIZ: What is your biggest vice?
JODY: Coffee. I have to have my coffee
in the morning. I can’t function without it. I usually drink a pot throughout
the day. I could live without my laptop or iPhone, but I can’t live without my
coffee. It kills me when I have to fast for surgeries or lab tests.
LIZ HAS GOTTA ASK: What’s the most personal thing you’ve ever put
in one of your books?
JODY HAS TO ANSWER: Actually, Rescue Me
has the most revealing bits about me. I hate some basements, but not for the
same main reason as Cat. I hate unfinished basements and I struggled sometimes
to go down to my childhood basement.
DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS?
Cat, like me, loves old time
candy. Boston Baked Beans and Necco Wafers are just a couple. What is your
childhood favorite candy? Do you still eat it now and then?
Jody is offering a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky commenter today, so join in the fun!
GET IN TOUCH WITH JODY:
Contact e-mail: info@jodyvitek.com
Website: www.jodyvitek.com
Facebook: Jody Vitek Author
Twitter: @JodyVitek
Goodreads: Jody Vitek
WHAT IS UP NEXT FOR YOU? Currently
I’m working on a follow up to my debut release Florida Heat. The working title is Texas Two Step, and it’s Chloe and Chad’s story.
Florida Heat
Love in the
Land of Lakes