Seeing Red

by Maggie Toussaint

Owning a bed and breakfast is Emma Heartly’s dream, but without a clear title she can’t afford the rehab of the abandoned family dwelling. To prove herself to her younger sisters, Emma moves in and begins renovating the two-story house.

Quentin Stone much admires the classic lines of the crumbling Victorian and its red-haired owner. Though Emma can’t afford to hire Stone Construction, he volunteers to help her after-hours.

Despite family interference, they lay the foundation for more than a B&B, but troubles follow. Can they overcome past mistakes to find happiness?

226 pages, Paperback

First published February 8, 2011

About the author

A scientist by training, a romanticist at heart, Maggie Toussaint loves to solve puzzles. Whether it’s the puzzle of a relationship or a who-dun-it, she tackles them all with equal aplomb and wonder. Maggie writes romantic suspense, contemporary romance , and science fiction for Muddle House Publishing, cozy mystery for Camel Press, Henery Press, and Muddle House.

She has five published romantic suspense novels: House of Lies (won the 2006 Readers Choice Award for Best Romantic Suspense), No Second Chance (won 2 cover awards), Seeing Red (LASR book of the week), Muddy Waters ( Beacon finalist), Hot Water (EPIC finalist, cover art winner), and Rough Water.

Her mystery titles include In For A Penny, On the Nickel, Death, Island Style, Murder in the Buff, Dime If I Know, No Quarter, Gone and Done It, Bubba Done It, Doggone It, Dadgummit, Confound It, Dreamed It, All Done With It, Seas the Day, Spawning Suspicion, and Shrimply Dead. She also wrote a romantic mystery novella series, The Lindsey & Ike Mysteries.

Her next release, SNUFFED OUT, is tentatively scheduled for January 2023 under the pen name of Valona Jones.

Her works blend mystery and romance, often with a dash of humor.

She's a member of Southeast Mystery Writers of America, Sisters In Crime, and Guppies. She was awarded the WRW Magic Crystal Award in 2004. She also won Silver Falchion Awards, the National Readers Choice Award and the EPIC ebook Award. She's been a finalist for Georgia Author of the Year three times.

Visit her at www.maggietoussaint.com

Reviews

[Tommy]

Great short fast read. I enjoyed this story.

[Lindsay Townsend]

Maggie Toussaint is excellent at creating lively, opinionated, caring, ultimately engaging characters and her romantic suspense 'Seeing Red' is no exception. Emma and Quentin meet in Emma's family home, which she intends to turn into a magnificent inn and guest house. Both are attracted to each other - the air fairly crackles with delicious tension - but both are wary. Emma has deep seated and perfectly understandable trust issues that are explored as the novel progresses. Quentin Stone (love the name, matches the man so well) has a record of rushing into love and does not want to make the same mistake. Plus he has another secret...

Their relationship develops through good humour, intelligence and warmth. But there are problems. Will Emma's sisters be supportive of her dream? Quentin's family, though good-hearted, can be a bit overwhelming. Quentin is bossy and used to taking charge, but so is Emma (they are both the eldest in their families), so at times the sparks fly. I liked the way they resolved their quarrels in a caring, realistic way that gave me confidence for their mutual future together.

However there are other, darker problems. Emma's boss is a brute and a bully, intent on making trouble for Emma. And someone is moving against her, slashing her car tires, even sawing through roof joists...

As Quentin and Emma join forces to uncover the truth, the novel builds to an exciting, tense climax and a great resolution scene that is both romantic and apt.


Thoroughly entertaining.

[Barbara Edwards]

By the time Emma meets Quentin, a man she could care about, she’d convinced she’s the latest victim a family curse. Emma is determined to avoid love. She has enough problems. Her sisters won’t agree to sign over the family home so she can convert it to a Bed & Breakfast although this is her dream. Quentin is a building contractor who volunteers his time to help her after finding his sister is her best friend.
Quentin’s lost four fiancées by jumping into relationships. Meeting Emma, he’s convinced she is the one, but he’ll woo her, not rush her. He’d determined to do it right this time.
An accident at the house hurts both women. Quentin discovers it was deliberate and insists Emma stay with him until they discover the person behind the threat.
Seeing Red is a nicely woven tale with a well developed cast of characters.
I’d recommend it to my friends.

[Maggie]

This is a backlist romance that's now available in all digital formats from Smashwords and Amazon, and also in print through Amazon.

In Seeing Red, Emma Heartly wants a new life because she's in a dead end job working for her ex-boyfriend. She's determined to create a bed and breakfast out of the old family homestead, but its a fixer-upper and she's short on cash. Enter construction expert Quentin Stone, who loves old Victorians and feisty redheads. He volunteers to help her after hours, courting her with construction, but trouble follows this pair. At first it seems accidental, but as the incidents escalate, it's clear someone doesn't want Emma to succeed. Will Emma find the happiness she seeks or will she suffer another fate?

[Maggie]

This book is about knowing yourself and its about reaching your potential. Happiness comes from following your own dream.