Roxy's Reviews: Book Release Blast: Excerpt + #Giveaway: The Escape by Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons

The Escape

Gumshoes & Grifters #0.5

By- Allana Kephart & Melissa Simmons

Genre- Mature YA/ Contemporary/Suspense / Thriller

Publication Date- February 1st, 2015

Run for your life…

Sixteen-year-old Claire McBride just witnessed a brutal murder at the hands of someone she knew, someone she thought she could trust. Now she’s alone, afraid and desperate to put as many miles as possible between herself and the killer. Seeing no other options, she flees her home town of Galena, leaving behind everything and everyone she’s ever held dear.

Run for your life…

Carter Emerson's whole world has come crashing down around him. He woke to the news his best friend, Claire has gone missing without a trace, and there’s nothing he can do about it. Finding out her car was abandoned in the busy city of Chicago, he and his brother can't help but fear the worst… With no solid suspects or leads, it looks like Carter’s worst nightmare could come true, and Claire’s disappearance may turn into a cold case.

Run for your life…

With the killer at her heels, Claire has no choice but to leave Carter in the dark. She can’t risk his safety just because she misses the sound of his voice… But will the run of Claire’s life be worth it in the end? Or will her past catch up with her no matter how hard she tries to escape it?

Watch the trailer here!

Enjoy an excerpt from The Escape

Angus barks at me. His brow is furrowed and his ears are down, and I can’t tell if he’s afraid of or for me. Adam dons the same expression when I turn my glare back to him. My brother looks worried when he stands up off the bed and puts his hands out in front of him. “Carter… Calm down, okay? We’re going to find her—”

“Stop it!” I snap at him. “This isn’t funny, Adam!”

He frowns at me and lowers his hands with a shake of his head. “Carter…”

I shake my head at him and rush to my bed, shoving him out of the way as I go. I grab my phone off the bed and take off out of my room. Claire is on my speed dial—lucky number seven, which she insisted on claiming—so my phone is dialing before I make it to the bottom of the stairs. I plan on telling her I’m coming over whether she answers or not, that Adam is a dick and I don’t care if she’s upset with me or why, but I need to see her, I need to hug her, hear her voice. Anything…

The phone beeps three times, signaling that she didn’t answer. I expect her sassy, warm voice to come on the line and begrudgingly apologize for missing a call, but a robotic woman comes on and yaks at me in her place. “We’re sorry, but the number you are trying to reach has a voicemail box that is full. Please try your call again later. Goodbye.”

The bottom drops out of my stomach and I stumble forward; grasping the doorknob to keep myself upright. Claire clings to her phone like it’s a part of her being. She loves her electronics and never lets them go dead, so to receive a message like this would mean it’s probably broken in some way. Reality barrels down on me and I’m forced to realize the truth.

My brother isn’t joking.

Claire McBride, my best friend, the girl I’ve known since kindergarten, is missing.

About the Authors

Allana Kephart has been making things up and bending people to her will from a very young age. She loves animals and reading and spends a large amount of time thinking up ways to torment her characters. She shares a brain, a love of coffee and the color purple with her alter ego/best friend/co-author, Melissa Simmons.

Melissa Simmons is an avid reader who married her soul mate and is the proud mother of a spoiled cat. She spends her days helping promote independent authors and doing what the voices in her head tell her to. She shares a brain, a love of coffee and the color purple with her alter ego/best friend/co-author, Allana Kephart.