Occupation: Foreign Correspondent

The alarm blares at 5:30 AM, jarring me from another restless night of unanswered questions about the Ohio Valley Aggregates Corporation. I force myself out of bed, padding barefoot across the worn linoleum floor of Uncle Leo’s trailer.

Coffee first. Always coffee. As the pot brews, I scan through my notifications. A missed call from Vincent’s burner phone, a text from Noah asking to meet up. I reluctantly ask for a raincheck. My heart twinges, caught between the two men, but I push those feelings aside. There’s work to be done.

By 6:15, I’m showered and dressed. I grab my laptop bag and head out, pausing to water the small herb garden Uncle Leo and I planted.

My first stop is Katie’s diner. As I sip my second coffee, I eavesdrop on nearby conversations. An elderly couple mentions a name I make a mental note to follow up on. A colleague of Noah’s so I’ll run it by him first. Could be tricky and we’ll probably get into another argument. But the makeup sex … I send him a quick text and get that “In A Meeting” response. Damn.

By 8:30, I’m parked near the overlook where I first noticed suspicious activity. Using my zoom lens, I snap photos of the increased security presence. Something’s going on, but what?

Mid-morning finds me at the library, scanning old newspaper archives. The librarian, Mrs. Hawkins, shoots me concerned glances.

Lunch is a hurried affair – a turkey club sandwich eaten while I dictate my morning’s findings into a note uploaded to my cloud storage. My phone buzzes with a text from Stacy, reminding me about dinner plans. I decline and take a moment to study her photo with the adorable face of her little boy, Pierson. I feel a pang of guilt; I’ve been neglecting our friendship lately, too consumed by this story.

The afternoon is a whirlwind of interviews with local activists, concerned citizens, and even cornered a reluctant city council member. Noah will scold me about that later, I’m sure. Each conversation adds layers to my understanding but raises new questions.

As the sun sets, I drive to the cemetery, allowing myself a moment of quiet reflection near my parents’ graves. The weight of the story I’m chasing, the complexities of my personal life, and the lingering grief for Uncle Leo sometimes come crashing down. Seems like this is the only place I find peace these days.

As darkness settles, I wipe my eyes, start the car, and I head back to the trailer to write up more notes and plan for the next day. I sip ginger tea and scarf down what’s left in the fridge, a bowl of cold noodles.

It’s past midnight when I finally crawl into bed, my laptop balanced on my knees. As exhaustion pulls me under, I wonder: am I getting closer to the truth?

Tomorrow is another day to uncover the secrets buried in this small town I once called home. A town that was never kind to me but has somehow pulled me into its arms. It’s not an easy life, but it’s mine. And I’m going to make it count.

My body heats as my phone buzzes with the nightly text from Noah: You up? I slip my legs from under the covers and my feet find Uncle Leo’s moccasins as I head for the shower. Who needs sleep?

Love, Lies, and Local News
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release: December 2024
Format: Digital (Print to follow)
Purchase Link

Elizabeth Nelson, a fearless foreign correspondent from small-town Sweetwater Springs, Ohio, is used to chasing stories in the world’s most volatile regions alongside her trusted videographer, Vincent Rivera. But when a military coup in Venezuela forces them to flee for their lives and return to the United States, leaving Vincent hospitalized in El Paso with a fractured ankle, Elizabeth’s journey takes an unexpected turn back to her roots.

Returning to her Midwest hometown for a college friend’s wedding, Elizabeth collides with her past in the form of Noah Montgomery, her high school sweetheart turned rising political star. Their reunion ignites old sparks, but their visions for the town’s future couldn’t be more different. While Noah champions stability, Elizabeth’s investigative instincts smell trouble brewing beneath the surface.

As Noah signs off on a controversial industrial project that threatens to demolish a beloved community center, Elizabeth uncovers a trail of environmental violations and worker exploitation. But before she can dig deeper, a devastating flood nearly claims her life and destroys the community center. In the aftermath, Noah confides his suspicions: the disaster wasn’t natural at all, but a calculated act of sabotage.

With the town in chaos, Noah turns to Elizabeth for help with his campaign to rebuild Sweetwater Springs. As they work
together, rekindling their connection, an unexpected complication arrives: Vincent, now recovered and ready to whisk Elizabeth back to their globe-trotting life. But Vincent’s unspoken feelings for Elizabeth manifest in a dangerous obsession, putting Noah’s life at risk and forcing Elizabeth to confront her true desires.

As the clock ticks down, Elizabeth races to uncover who’s behind the town’s destruction. Will she solve the mystery and give her romance with Noah a second chance? Or will Vincent’s jealousy tear them apart – permanently?

About the author
Barbara Howard, a storyteller and tech-savvy gardener, crafts enchanting mysteries with diverse characters and a hint of romance. As the author of ten books including the Finding Home and The Clover City Files series, she combines her 16 years of self-publishing expertise with a wealth of professional experience, including roles as a Department of Defense Project Manager, KPMG Eastern Region Project Leader, and Corporate Sales Representative for Borders Books & Music into her writing. Now back in her Midwestern hometown and serving as Board President of the Great Lakes Fiction Writers, Ms. Howard spends her time treasure hunting, spoiling her fur-babies, growing veggies, and plotting captivating whodunits. Memberships/Affiliations: Mystery Writers of America (MWA), Sisters in Crime (SinC), Great Lakes Fiction Writers (GLFW), Crime Writers of Color (CWoC), The Authors Guild (AG).