* The cover of Spooky Man by Garth ap Thomas.
A local journalist
has had his latest book published online.
Garth ap Thomas,
who lives in Denbighshire and used to cover Llangollen when he worked on the
Vale Advertiser from 1998-2006, is the author of Spooky Man, an e-book
comedy-mystery story, which is available on Amazon.
When a manhunt
involving armed police officers takes place in a remote Scottish village the
Daily Gazette sends Maddie Jones to cover the story.
|
* Garth ap Thomas. |
But Maddie's
investigations reveal there is more going on than the search for a fugitive
wanted for murder. She discovers
evidence of a Government military project researching Extra Sensory Perception
which has gone badly wrong.
To try to find out
more Maddie enlists the help of stage psychic Simon Hall. The duo soon realise
a killer is on their trail – but just who is it?
Spooky Man is a
follow up to Am I Psychic? – Garth’s first e-book featuring the adventures of
Maddie Jones and Simon Hall.
Here, Garth has
given llanblogger permission to bring you an extract from Spooky Man ….
“Madeline Jones.
Stay there, don't move a muscle,” screamed the warning from the security guard.
Maddie had been
walking briskly through the car park in an attempt to get away from the office
building as quickly as possible, but now she knew she'd been caught. She turned
round with a feeling of deep dread, to see Kevin running up towards her.
Kevin Thomas was
the newest recruit to the security team at the Gazette offices, the newspaper
where Maddie worked as a reporter. They were the same age, 19, and Maddie
feared he fancied her.
This was awkward as
she definitely didn't reciprocate. Just because he was a security guard Kevin
acted as if he was a special agent for the FBI, so immature. And a big head as
well.
Maddie had finished
a tough day at work and now just wanted to get home, take a soak in the bath,
have something to eat and watch a bit of TV.
After being spotted
by Kevin on her way out she'd initially ignored his calls to come back. But as
the barking continued, getting louder and more insistent, she realised
pretending not to have heard was not an option.
Maddie hoped Kevin
wasn't going to ask her for a date. She'd heard he'd just split with his
girlfriend and had been trying to persuade virtually any female at the Gazette
to go to a curry night with him organised by his local football club. Kevin was
a big footy fan.
“Hi Kev."
“At last, got you,”
he panted. “You can't half cover some ground. Didn't you hear me shouting
before?
“No," Maddie
replied, forcing her eyes not to blink.
“You must need your
ears syringing girl.
“I love it when you
talk hygienic Kev, but honestly I haven't got time for this,” said Maddie,
spinning to turn round and get back on her way before he could ask if she
wanted to go out.
"Your boss
phoned down as you were leaving the reception area, I've got a message for
you."
"My boss,
which one?"
"Susan."
"OK."
Susan Roberts was
the Associate Editor. Kev said the message was that Maddie had to be in at the
office an hour earlier than usual tomorrow.
"Why,"
asked Maddie. She's been through a grueller today and already her free time to
recover was being eaten into.
"Susan said
there was a job that might be coming up needing special attention. Couldn't
give any more details at the moment."
"This wouldn't
be a wind up would it Kev? One of your hilarious little pranks?" Kevin was
known to like practical jokes.
"Cross my
heart girl. Phone her now if you like.
Maddie surveyed
Kevin's face for clues. "I'll believe you," she said carefully.
"My sixth sense tells me you're on the level, this time at least."
"Think you're
a magician mind reader like that Harvey Houdini? Whatever, you've been told so
I'm in the clear. Before you go there was something else I was meaning to ask
you."
Maddie's sense of
dread suddenly shot up again. It was pretty obvious what Kevin was going to
say. She decided to nip it in the bud. "Sorry Kev I don't like
curry."
He looked at her in
amazement. "Are you psychic?"
"No,
voodoo."
"Really,"
Kev asked, his eyes widening with ever increasing astonishment.
"Yeah I'm the
high priestess of the Ridley Wood coven."
"Ridley
Wood?"
"It's up west,
near Notting Hill. Don't want to sound like a snob but I find you get a better
class of witch round there. Now if you'll excuse me I've got to go home and
stick pins in some dolls. See ya."
With that she
twitched her nose a couple of times and walked away.