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Mateguas Island #0.5
Secrets: A Story of Love and Betrayal
Karen and Bill Andersen are living the “American Dream”. Beautiful and successful they seem to have everything until a foolish indiscretion on Bill's part results in the loss of his job. Thus, begins the unraveling of their charmed existence. As their financial condition deteriorates, so does their relationship and Bill, keeping his misdeed a secret from Karen, becomes increasingly consumed by guilt. Karen intuiting that he’s hiding something from her, becomes angry and bitter as the discord in the family escalates. In danger of losing their home and with her marriage crumbling around her, Karen must make a choice and, by doing so, has her own little secret – a secret that could eventually destroy them all.
SECRETS is the prequel to MATEGUAS ISLAND, A Novel of Suspense and Horror, to be published in the spring of 2014.
SECRETS is the prequel to MATEGUAS ISLAND, A Novel of Suspense and Horror, to be published in the spring of 2014.
- GenresHorrorShort Stories
52 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 6, 2014
24 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
About the author
Linda Watkins
18 books369 followersAward-winning, USA Today Bestselling Author, Linda Watkins, currently resides in Sedona, Arizona and, in another life, was a Senior Clinical Financial Analyst at Stanford University School of Medicine. Born on the east coast, she grew up in a suburb of Detroit. Upon graduation from college (Carnegie Mellon, '70), she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where she lived and worked for most of her adult life. In 2006, she packed up her belongings and, along with her 3 rescue dogs, took the plunge and moved to a remote island off the coast of Maine.
It was on this island that she wrote her first novel, MATEGUAS ISLAND and, since publication, the novel has garnered the following awards:
* 2014 Gold Medal, Supernatural Fiction, READERS' FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD COMPETITION
* 2014 First Place Award, Contemporary Gothic, CHANTICLEER BOOK REVIEW, PARANORMAL AWARDS
* 2015 Outstanding Novel in Horror/Suspense, IAN BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS
RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND, the sequel, was awarded the 1st Place Award in Contempory Gothic in the 2015 CHANTICLEER BOOK REVIEW PARANORMAL AWARDS and was named 2016 Finalist in Horror by READERS' FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD COMPETITION.
In addition to the Mateguas Series, Linda is also the author of a stand-alone novel, SUMMER GIRL, A NOVEL which was named a Finalist in Fiction in the 2018 BEA Awards and a Silver Medalist in Novellas/Short Stories in the 2018 Readers Favorite International Book Award Competition. She is also the author of an award-winning novella, SARAH & ZOEY, A STORY ABOUT THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Her entry into the multi-author box-set, LOVE UNDER FIRE, has secured her place as a USA Today Bestselling Author.
STORM ISLAND, A KATE POMEROY MYSTERY, the first book in a new Gothic series, will be published in late 2018.
Serious about dog welfare and rescue, all net proceeds from sales of THE MATEGUAS ISLAND SERIES are donated to Linda's charitable trust, The Raison d'Etre Fund for Dogs, Dedicated to Rescue and Research.
Linda is a member of the Horror Writers Association, The Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers, The International Association of Crime Writers, and the Authors Guild.
For more information, please visit her website www.lindawatkins-author.com.
It was on this island that she wrote her first novel, MATEGUAS ISLAND and, since publication, the novel has garnered the following awards:
* 2014 Gold Medal, Supernatural Fiction, READERS' FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD COMPETITION
* 2014 First Place Award, Contemporary Gothic, CHANTICLEER BOOK REVIEW, PARANORMAL AWARDS
* 2015 Outstanding Novel in Horror/Suspense, IAN BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARDS
RETURN TO MATEGUAS ISLAND, the sequel, was awarded the 1st Place Award in Contempory Gothic in the 2015 CHANTICLEER BOOK REVIEW PARANORMAL AWARDS and was named 2016 Finalist in Horror by READERS' FAVORITE INTERNATIONAL BOOK AWARD COMPETITION.
In addition to the Mateguas Series, Linda is also the author of a stand-alone novel, SUMMER GIRL, A NOVEL which was named a Finalist in Fiction in the 2018 BEA Awards and a Silver Medalist in Novellas/Short Stories in the 2018 Readers Favorite International Book Award Competition. She is also the author of an award-winning novella, SARAH & ZOEY, A STORY ABOUT THE POWER OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. Her entry into the multi-author box-set, LOVE UNDER FIRE, has secured her place as a USA Today Bestselling Author.
STORM ISLAND, A KATE POMEROY MYSTERY, the first book in a new Gothic series, will be published in late 2018.
Serious about dog welfare and rescue, all net proceeds from sales of THE MATEGUAS ISLAND SERIES are donated to Linda's charitable trust, The Raison d'Etre Fund for Dogs, Dedicated to Rescue and Research.
Linda is a member of the Horror Writers Association, The Great Lakes Association of Horror Writers, The International Association of Crime Writers, and the Authors Guild.
For more information, please visit her website www.lindawatkins-author.com.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 16, 2014
Linda Watkins' novella SECRETS is a revealing prequel to her horror suspense novel MATEGUAS ISLAND. As both a standalone story and a companion piece to the tale that unfolds in her novel, SECRETS lets us into the damaged lives of the husband and wife at the center of the stories in depth. We are shown the sins and the hopes and dreams that made them who they are.
In SECRETS the family doesn't realize how blessed the life they are leading is until it starts to crash down all around them. When the hard working husband, who spends too much time away from his wife and daughters, becomes frustrated by a perceived lack of support from his wife he gives in to drinking and temptation. The charmed existence he took for granted slowly begins to disintegrate. Though his wife suspects him of something beyond giving into his weakness for alcohol, he keeps his dark secret to save what little of his world he has left to cling to. And when the family nears financial ruin his wife resorts to desperate actions of her own that she is ashamed of as well. Even with the possibility of their life together looking up as they move forward, will they ever escape the darkness of their secrets within?
John Prince
In SECRETS the family doesn't realize how blessed the life they are leading is until it starts to crash down all around them. When the hard working husband, who spends too much time away from his wife and daughters, becomes frustrated by a perceived lack of support from his wife he gives in to drinking and temptation. The charmed existence he took for granted slowly begins to disintegrate. Though his wife suspects him of something beyond giving into his weakness for alcohol, he keeps his dark secret to save what little of his world he has left to cling to. And when the family nears financial ruin his wife resorts to desperate actions of her own that she is ashamed of as well. Even with the possibility of their life together looking up as they move forward, will they ever escape the darkness of their secrets within?
John Prince
February 17, 2014
Now is the time to pick up Linda Watkins’ novelette Secrets. This short tale -- now available on all e-devices -- is a dark prequel to her horror novel, Mateguas Island, due for publication later this spring.
Secrets depicts how an upwardly mobile Silicon Valley family slides into descent, losing income, reputation, home and love. Bitterness accretes as they retreat in desperation to re-invent themselves at the family bequest on an isolated island off the coast of Maine.
Something quite different happens.
And not another word except to say you’ll be ready and eager to visit Mateguas Island this spring.
Secrets depicts how an upwardly mobile Silicon Valley family slides into descent, losing income, reputation, home and love. Bitterness accretes as they retreat in desperation to re-invent themselves at the family bequest on an isolated island off the coast of Maine.
Something quite different happens.
And not another word except to say you’ll be ready and eager to visit Mateguas Island this spring.
January 19, 2014
In the book Mateguas Island, where I was first introduced to Bill and Karen, I wondered about the events that led to their decision to move to a remote island in Maine (and the horrific events that followed).
This story gave me a glimpse into the past and answered questions about Bill and Karen and their relationship long before it was so severely tested on Mateguas. I know what happens when you lose your job and your ability to support your family. Everything changes. As I watched this happen to Bill, I felt his pain as the life he worked so hard to build slowly crumbled around him. Karen, instead of being the life-partner he needed, added to the pressure.
In this prequel to Mateguas Island, Linda Watkins has filled in the details, connected the dots, and forced me to choose sides in the battle I know is coming. A fitting preparation for Mateguas.
This story gave me a glimpse into the past and answered questions about Bill and Karen and their relationship long before it was so severely tested on Mateguas. I know what happens when you lose your job and your ability to support your family. Everything changes. As I watched this happen to Bill, I felt his pain as the life he worked so hard to build slowly crumbled around him. Karen, instead of being the life-partner he needed, added to the pressure.
In this prequel to Mateguas Island, Linda Watkins has filled in the details, connected the dots, and forced me to choose sides in the battle I know is coming. A fitting preparation for Mateguas.
January 30, 2014
In the beginning, Karen and Bill reminded me of a lot of couples I know, which makes this story all the more real. Many marriages suffer for the same reasons, and what happened to Bill often occurs in the workplace. Their struggles as Bill faces unemployment is something countless people have faced, and is easily relatable.
Growing up, I had to watch my mom go back to work to bring the household onto stable ground. My parents grew apart and our house was foreclosed, and Linda Watkins relates all of that in her story.
It was interesting that one secret (Bill's secret) started the story, and another secret (Karen's secret) ended it. And the end . . . that was shocking. No doubt it hints at something more sinister to come.
Growing up, I had to watch my mom go back to work to bring the household onto stable ground. My parents grew apart and our house was foreclosed, and Linda Watkins relates all of that in her story.
It was interesting that one secret (Bill's secret) started the story, and another secret (Karen's secret) ended it. And the end . . . that was shocking. No doubt it hints at something more sinister to come.
February 20, 2014
Linda Watkins writing get crisper with each new piece she writes. In Secrets, a prequel to her up-coming novel, Mateguas Island, She shows us what motivates, drives and propels these characters through this story and into the next. You may think you know where this tale is heading and that is when everything changes. Most writers create extensive back-stories that they use to form the motivation that moves their characters, but oftentimes we, the readers aren’t given any of that information. In Secrets, Linda gives us that look into the back room and behind the closet door, and we all are better off, and hopefully better prepared for what lies ahead.
November 3, 2017
After seeing scores of tweets about Mateguas Island, I decided to start at the beginning. Oh, and am I glad I did. This first book is short and sweet but sets the framework for the sequel. I can't wait to get my hands on it. Linda Watkins did a wonderful job of enticing me into her novel and I'm glad I took the bait. The characters are likeable and loveable. I think they depict America today, but I think things are going to get dicey when Karen and Bill Anderson move to their new island home in Maine, where their dark secrets will haunt them. I'm off to read Book 2.
September 1, 2014
SECRETS: A Story of Love and Betrayal by Linda Watkins has an engaging plot line that had me emotionally involved from the first page. These books are easy to get lost into.
SECRETS is the prequel which is a very good introduction to Mateguas Island. The author did a great job of taking us into Bill and Karen’s life. Hard not to feel emotional. I loved being able to get more of the backstory so I found this to be a very satisfying read. Nothing is as it seems or predictable.
This series is well written, realistic, disturbing and at the same time so entertaining.
Quote ~
Why won’t he just tell me? Doesn’t he see that his refusal to come clean just compounds the problems we’re having? To her, his secret had become like a wedge and each time he backed off on telling her, that wedge was driven deeper and deeper, even widening the distance between them…”
SECRETS is the prequel which is a very good introduction to Mateguas Island. The author did a great job of taking us into Bill and Karen’s life. Hard not to feel emotional. I loved being able to get more of the backstory so I found this to be a very satisfying read. Nothing is as it seems or predictable.
This series is well written, realistic, disturbing and at the same time so entertaining.
Quote ~
Why won’t he just tell me? Doesn’t he see that his refusal to come clean just compounds the problems we’re having? To her, his secret had become like a wedge and each time he backed off on telling her, that wedge was driven deeper and deeper, even widening the distance between them…”
March 19, 2014
SECRETS, a novelette by Linda Watkins, is an enticing prequel to her novel Mateguas Island. It takes the reader to the heart of a troubled marriage. Mistakes, anger, and missed opportunities for redemption lead Bill and Karen Anderson from a charmed life to a day-to-day struggle for survival, for them and their twin daughters. This deftly written story provides insight into what went wrong and sets the stage for her chilling thriller, Mateguas Island.
June 16, 2015
SECRETS: A Story of Love and Betrayal
(Matequas Island Book 1
By Linda Watkins
Bill and Karen Anderson share the proverbial ‘marriage made in heaven,’ until the unthinkable happens — and from Karen's point of view it is unforgivable. Yet it's not that simple. They have lovely five-year-old twin girls named Sophie and Terri. Is it fair that their young, previously happy lives change for the ‘sins of the father?’
It shouldn't have happened. Bill had a great job as lead engineer working on a new software package for a company could take him far ahead into his field. Karen's life was pleasant until Bill began keeping extremely long hours, missing dinners and time with his daughters. Their marriage begins to bulge from the stress, showing signs of tearing into irreparable threads. Both of them are trying to hold things together, they really are. But like in the Garden of Eden, temptations slither in, changing their lives, spiraling out of control and veering off into an entirely different direction.
Author Linda Watkins writes a fast-paced, compelling prequel to her outstanding ‘Matequas Island’ series. Will Bill and Karen be able to rebuild their lives on this tiny mysterious island in Maine? Readers will want to read the next two books in this wonderful series to find out.
Micki Peluso, author of . . . And the Whippoorwill Sang
(Matequas Island Book 1
By Linda Watkins
Bill and Karen Anderson share the proverbial ‘marriage made in heaven,’ until the unthinkable happens — and from Karen's point of view it is unforgivable. Yet it's not that simple. They have lovely five-year-old twin girls named Sophie and Terri. Is it fair that their young, previously happy lives change for the ‘sins of the father?’
It shouldn't have happened. Bill had a great job as lead engineer working on a new software package for a company could take him far ahead into his field. Karen's life was pleasant until Bill began keeping extremely long hours, missing dinners and time with his daughters. Their marriage begins to bulge from the stress, showing signs of tearing into irreparable threads. Both of them are trying to hold things together, they really are. But like in the Garden of Eden, temptations slither in, changing their lives, spiraling out of control and veering off into an entirely different direction.
Author Linda Watkins writes a fast-paced, compelling prequel to her outstanding ‘Matequas Island’ series. Will Bill and Karen be able to rebuild their lives on this tiny mysterious island in Maine? Readers will want to read the next two books in this wonderful series to find out.
Micki Peluso, author of . . . And the Whippoorwill Sang
Read
November 11, 2020Intriguing and tense. I loved it!
This intense story is well written and suspenseful. I would enjoy more of these characters as a spinoff of the Mateguas series, as I've read them all, so far. Well done!
This intense story is well written and suspenseful. I would enjoy more of these characters as a spinoff of the Mateguas series, as I've read them all, so far. Well done!
March 2, 2018
Whoever put this on the romance short novel list doesn’t know what romance is.
Want to read
July 2, 2014Free 07-02-14 (Prequel to Manteguas Island)
http://www.amazon.com/SECRETS-Story-B...
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June 10, 2014
Formulaic
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews