Steeled with a Kiss
by
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Retuning to Chicago from a long concert tour, Penny Lane, an “accidental” religious rocker finds herself attracted not to her fiancé and fellow band member, Lenny Blue, but instead to Marc Hawthorne, a local black celebrity scholar. In the course of Penny and Marc's quick moving affair a series of life-changing events are put into motion, leading to Lenny's sudden and perplexing death. When the truth tumbles out during Lenny's funeral, the final pieces of the puzzle show a deeper fracture that can only be healed by love. A romantic suspense novel that's both a "whodunit?" and a "whodunwhat?" Steeled with a Kiss tangles its characters in a tapestry of heartland intrigue while seducing readers with humor and surprise.
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About the Book
For Penny Lane, her career and her engagement are a convoluted mess. An “accidental” religious rock star, she sings with the band Save the Chukkas under the stage name of Margo Steale; she’s engaged to fellow band member, Lenny Blue, who proposed to her on stage during the Grammy Awards. But she realizes she loves Lenny more like a friend than a future husband.
This realization becomes very clear during a chance encounter with Dr. Marc Hawthorne, a local black scholar and elementary school teacher. As a romance between Penny and Marc blooms and moves forward quickly, Penny tells Lenny that she cannot marry him; a media frenzy ensues.
But the situation becomes even more complex when Lenny turns up dead. The first rumors hint at suicide, though investigators are also considering his death a homicide with possible involvement by Penny. Can Marc trust that his new love is a victim of “wrong place, wrong time” syndrome? When the truth finally tumbles out during Lenny’s funeral, the final pieces of the puzzle show a deeper fracture that can only be healed by love.
About the Author
VERONICA NEILL grew up in a small rural community in Wisconsin. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and communications and completed graduate work in theology and education. Neill has a deep interest in spirituality and helped create an interfaith spirituality center in Chicago. She lives in northeast Illinois.