New Book Excerpt: KILLING HIS ALTER-EGO

Published by Desert Breeze Publishing:

"Does she like animals?" Kyle asked, trying to redeem himself. "Just from the way Jess interacts with the animals in the script, I get the feeling the writer knows animals, how to work with them. Wild animals. Back home, we get a lot of people who don't even go to the zoo. They ignore our safety warnings and then talk to the animals like they understand English and..." He shrugged.

"Yes, indeed. Raine, so I'm told, has an incredible gift for animals. Her parents run a wildlife rescue center and she is something of their secret weapon, able to calm sick animals so they can be treated."

"Is that a fact?" Alyssa took another step off the patio and tipped her head to one side, studying Raine. "What do you think of her, Kyle?" She laughed when he just shook his head, unsure what she was getting at. "Does she look like Jess to you? Can she act?" She turned back to Menger.

As a matter of fact, Raine did look a lot like Kyle envisioned Jess, when he read the script.

"How old is she?" he had to ask.

"Hmm, still in high school. She's the protégé of a colleague. That's how she came to have consultant credit in the pilot script," Menger said.

"Triple threat," Jamie muttered.

"How's that?"

"She writes, she's a critter wrangler, she's cute, and if she can act..." He shrugged.

"That's four," Kyle had to say. His cousin snarled silently at him, earning soft chuckles from Alyssa and a thoughtful look from Menger.

"Excuse me," Alyssa said. "I shouldn't take long, but--"

"No need," Menger said. "I spotted a coffee shop next door. I think I'll settle down there and get some notes jotted down while the ideas are still clear in my head."

"Sounds good." She nodded to the three of them and set off around the pool.