Jan Sikes is a dear friend, a Story Empire colleague, and an incredible author. She’s taking her newest publication on tour and chose Entertaining Stories to spread the word. Check out her excerpts, and please use those sharing buttons.
***
Thank you, Craig, for inviting me to your blog site today to talk about my new book, JAGGED FEATHERS! I appreciate your generosity.
Today, I want to talk about one aspect of my new book that required a lot of research and that is drug cartels. My knowledge of these powerful organizations comes from watching “Queen of the South” and “Ozarks.” So, I needed to do some actual research to give my story a believability factor. They show up early in the book, but their appearance only raises questions for Vann. Questions that Nakina hesitates to answer.

EXCERPT #1:
Vann slipped her backpack off and lifted her onto the seat, glad for his determination to stay in excellent physical shape following his rehab. She hardly weighed anything. He tossed the backpack onto the floorboard, and Champion jumped in.
One thing for sure, this woman was no ordinary street person with her fancy inlaid boots and soft leather jacket.
Only two blocks away, the black SUV approached faster.
He met her dark eyes, pools of sadness and despair, when she gripped his hand. “Please, mister. You can’t take me to a hospital. They’ll find me there.”
Vann sprinted to the driver’s side, keeping an eye on the approaching vehicle now only a block away. The hairs on his arms stood on end like they always did when in enemy territory.
Time to move. He jammed the gears, and tires squealed as he made a U-turn, meeting the SUV head-on.
The window on the driver’s side lowered, and the unmistakable glint of blue metal sent him sailing down a side street. But not before a bullet whizzed by the jeep, missing its target.
“Oh, hell! Get down,” he yelled.
A sharp turn down a deserted alleyway put him closer to the highway. He pressed on the gas.
With one eye on the rearview mirror, he took fast zigzag turns until he reached the main road.
He’d lost them. But questions flew around his head like a swarm of angry bees.
EXCERPT #2:
(Nakina is talking) “So, I came to work on a Friday morning, and there were two Latin American men dressed in expensive suits waiting to see Mr. Gordon. They weren’t on his schedule, and I’d never seen them. He hadn’t arrived yet, so I asked them if they wanted to wait. But Mr. Gordon didn’t come in. When I tried to call him, he didn’t answer. I started getting a bad feeling. And I got flashes of men with angry faces, cursing, and the sound of a shovel connecting with hard ground.”
“What did you do?” Vann tried to imagine her fear.
She cleared her throat. “I told the men that I didn’t know where Mr. Gordon was, and he wasn’t answering his phone. They left after an hour or so.”
“Who do you suppose they were?”
“I’m getting to that. Almost the minute the two men were out of sight, Mr. Gordon crawled through the window in his office and called for me. He was disheveled and looked as though he’d been trekking through the woods, with dirt and pieces of leaves and grass on his clothes.”
“I hope you locked the office door behind the two men when they left.”
“I hadn’t, but as soon as Mr. Gordon came in, I did. He was wild-eyed and almost incoherent. He shoved this package in my hands along with the key and told me to deliver them. Then he handed me a bus ticket. I was totally freaked out and tried to ask questions. The only thing he said was that the Montoya Cartel was going to kill him. He said this package would take care of his wife and son and that I was the only person he trusted to deliver it.”
Vann scrubbed his chin and leaned forward. “The Montoya Drug Cartel?”
Nakina nodded.
“That’s who is after you?”
***
I’ve never had any first-hand dealings with a drug cartel, thank goodness, but I do enjoy watching the shows that expose their inner workings. I won’t ask if anyone has ever had a run-in with one of these powerful organizations, but I will ask how many have watched “Queen of the South” or “Ozarks?” Your thoughts?
BOOK TRAILER LINK: https://youtu.be/CwGRyRVMyLE

BLURB:
Vann Noble did his duty. He served his country and returned a shell of a man, wounded inside and out. With a missing limb and battling PTSD, he seeks healing in an isolated cabin outside a small Texas town with a stray dog that sees beyond his master’s scars. If only the white rune’s magic can bring a happily ever after to a man as broken as Vann.
On the run from hired killers and struggling to make sense of her unexplained deadly mission, Nakina Bird seeks refuge in Vann’s cabin. She has secrets. Secrets that can get them all killed.
A ticking clock and long odds of living or dying, create jarring risks.
Will these two not only survive, but find an unexpected love along the way? Or, will evil forces win and destroy them both?
UNIVERSAL PURCHASE LINK https://linktr.ee/Rijanjks
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
WEBSITE: http://www.jansikes.com
BLOG: http://www.jansikesblog.com
TWITTER: http://www.twitter.com/jansikes3
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorJanSikesBooks
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/jks0851/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7095856.Jan_Sikes
BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/jan-sikes
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jansikes/
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.amazon.com/Jan-Sikes/e/B00CS9K8DK

Nice post
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Thank you, Charles. Glad you stopped by!
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Thanks, Charles.
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Another great excerpt! Thanks for hosting Jan, Craig.
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Thank you for leaving a comment today, Jill. I’m glad you enjoyed the post.
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Great excerpt, Jan. I haven’t had dealings with drug cartels either, (thank goodness). I’m enjoying Jagged Feathers!
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Exactly, Joan. If I did, I certainly wouldn’t admit it on social media. 🙂 I am so glad you are enjoying Jagged Feathers!
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Hubby and I love Ozark and are about to watch the newest episodes on Netflix. I’m sure that was some enormous research you did. Best of luck with your new release, Jan. Thanks for sharing, Craig 💕🙂
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Ozarks is definitely a popular show and I enjoyed it. I saw where a new season was about to start. I’ll have to keep an eye on it. Thank you for stopping by, Harmony!
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Good to see Jan here, Craig. Thanks for hosting her today. Congratulations, Jan
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Thank you, John. I appreciate you stopping by!
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I haven’t seen either of those shows, Jan, but I have heard a lot about Ozark. The other one I’m not familiar with.
Your far braver than I am. I don’t think I could tackle writing about a drug cartel, but you handled things very well in Jagged Feathers.
Two great excerpts from a thoroughly enjoyable book!
Thanks for hosting Jan today, Craig.
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Thank you for your kind words, Mae. At least I didn’t have to get inside the drug lord’s head. 🙂 That would be difficult. I am so glad you enjoyed Jagged Feathers and thanks for all of your support!
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Great excerpts! I’ve never watched either of the shows but I’ve read a book about the cartels. Vicious. Good luck with JAGGED FEATHERS!
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Thank you, Judi Lynn! I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment!
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Great excerpts, Jan! Thank the Lord, I haven’t had to deal with any cartels, but too many people get caught in their webs. They certainly add a lot of tension in your story! Thanks for hosting Jan, Craig!
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Ah, research. Most writers hate it, but I’m a total nerd for it. It’s probably one of my favorite parts of the whole process. Of course, I usually end up down a rabbit hole. Or two. This is another great stop along the celebration of your book release, Jan. As for the shows, I haven’t seen either but have had Ozarks recommended to me. I’m horrible about tv shows, though. I’m more of a let First 48 Hours play in the background as I complete a random task. Craig, thank you so much for supporting our friend today and helping promote her awesome-sounding book!
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I can’t say that I enjoy research, and yes, it can definitely send me down rabbit holes that I emerge from hours later. But when we write about something we don’t know, it’s necessary. Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment, Marlena! I appreciate your support!
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Ozarks has been on my radar for a while now, mostly because of the setting and the actor. Since it’s ending this season, I’ll likely binge it when the final episodes drop.
Wishing you all the best, Jan. Thanks for hosting, Craig.
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Right, Staci. Catching up on all the episodes is a good way to go into a new season. I am actually a season behind. I sort of lost interest along the way, but am going to go back and catch up. Thank you for stopping by today!
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Another great post! Thanks, Craig, for hosting Jan today! And Jan, this book sounds better and better. I’m so glad it’s already awaiting me on my Kindle! (SOOOOON, my precious! 😂 ) The best of luck with this one, Jan, and great tour! 😊❤
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I’m so glad you enjoyed today’s post, Marcia! And I’m thrilled that you are looking forward to reading the book! And YES! SOOOOON!!! 🙂 Thanks for your support!
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Your research shows, Jan 🙂 I haven’t watched either of those shows, but like you I can only base my experience with drug cartels on TV shows.
Thanks for hosting, Craig 🙂
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Thank goodness for that, Denise. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by. I appreciate your support!
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This book just keeps getting more and more interesting, Jan. I haven’t watched either of those shows as I’m limited to the amount of time I have for watching TV and always spend it watching shows with my son. My sister watches Ozark and loves it. Another great post, Jan! Thanks for hosting, Craig. 🙂
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I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Yvette. I love that what TV you watch, you do it with your son. That’s the way it should be. Thanks for stopping by!
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Hmmm… I need to read this to see if anything in one of mine intersects. Curious how what we think of the bad guys is down to Hollywood. Good post.
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Good point, Phil. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment!
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Love Osarks! We enjoyed Queen of the South, too. Thanks for a peek at your new release, Jan. Both excerpts rocked.
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My pleasure, Sue. I appreciate you taking the time to read the post and leave a comment!
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Yes, Osark, sure kept the heart pumping! Jan sure chose ruthless, brutal, and formidable foes in this story.
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Thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment, Wendy! So glad you enjoyed the story!
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A splendid post, thanks Craig.
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Thank you, Robbie!
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When I read you did research into drug cartels, I immediately thought of Ozark since I just finished the first part of season four – what a coincidence! Bet you learned a lot, Jan, lol.
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I did, Teri. At least enough to write about it. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
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A wonderful read with lots of suspense. Jan, you must have done a great amount of research. Craig, thank you for hosting Jan today,
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Thank you, Karen, for stopping by this blog tour stop and leaving a comment!
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Another great peek into Jagged Feathers! Thanks so much, Craig, and congratulations, Jan! It’s been a fantastic week. ✨🎉✨
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Thank you, Gwen!
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