Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, where I share snippets from new and past releases and works-in-progress, and love it when author buddies can be conned into doing the same.

With today being such a day!

First, news from the Hein house.

As you probably guessed from last week’s post, it’s been a bit hectic here. I’m back home from our short-notice road-trip to South Australia and once again knuckled down to Serenity’s Song (working title), and trying not to think about its fast-approaching deadline.

Which always makes me think of that Douglas Adam’s (of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fame) quote: “I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by.”

I’m not sure I do. I hate being late for anything. Gives me the heebie-jeebies!

Enough of that. Back to our most excellent guest.

I am absolutely delighted to host fellow Hunter Valley author Lee Christine on today’s Teaser Tuesday. You may know Lee from her Bindarra Creek and Mindalby rural romance novels, Shadows of the Heart and A Daughter’s Choice, or her romantic suspense novels In Safe Keeping, In Safe Arms, and In Safe Hands.

Lee has a new crime novel out and, wowsers, does it sound good. Loaded with atmosphere, intrigue and great characters.

I was lucky enough to attend the launch of Charlotte Pass last weekend and it was a fantastic event. Lee spoke so eloquently and passionately about the story, how it came about and her love for writing suspense that we were all left eager to get our hands on a copy. Which I now have. Rah!

Here are a couple of piccies from the day.

Lee being excellently interviewed by former Sky News reader and journalist Nicole Webb, entertaining us with her tales of writing Charlotte Pass.

Lee (centre) with (L to R) author buddies Kaz Delaney, Michelle Douglas and me.

And here’s Lee to tell you more about Charlotte Pass and to share a snippet. Make sure you read right through to the end. There could be a giveaway!

.

Thank you so much, Cathryn, for having me on your blog today.

Well, here we are almost midway through February already, and hasn’t it been a challenging few months for many Australians? My heart goes out to everyone suffering from the devastating effects of the bushfires and drought which have been wreaking havoc on our beautiful country for months.

Hopefully, as we move into the last days of summer, the temperatures will be kinder, and the much needed rains will come. If the mercury stays high, you can always turn on a fan or the air-con, pour yourself a long, cool beverage and curl up with Charlotte Pass, a crime novel with romantic elements set in an isolated village high up in the snowy Australian Alps.

 .

Ryder loosened his fingers on the rear grab handles, enjoying the surge of adrenaline as the snowmobile roared up Mount Stilwell. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows over the ski runs, but it was the view inches in front of Ryder that held his interest. Vanessa was leaning forward, the medic symbol emblazoned across her back, her upper body constantly in motion. There was a graceful physicality to the way she manoeuvred the snowmobile through the wooded terrain, avoiding the areas of loose deep snow where the machine was at risk of getting stuck.

The gradient increased as they neared the site and Vanessa slid back on the seat. She wriggled forward, putting an inch or two between them, only to slide back again as they climbed higher. With his spine pressed into the snowmobile’s backrest, Ryder had no room to move. Not that he wanted to. Eventually, she gave up fighting gravity and stayed put, her bottom resting snugly between his thighs.

Ryder smiled at his good fortune but forced himself to focus on something other than the woman pressed against him. Instead, he inhaled a deep breath of freezing air and thought about Lewicki’s unexpected arrival. Ryder had been relieved to see his friend. Lew’s historical knowledge of the case would be invaluable, though he’d have to be prepared to take a back seat, which would be hard for someone with Lew’s temperament. Flowers had been doing some decent work, and Ryder didn’t want Lew upsetting their fledgling partnership because he was so invested in Celia’s case.

Ryder caught sight of the granite boulder through the trees and then the grave site came into view.

‘I hope this doesn’t prove to be a waste of time,’ Vanessa said, unclipping her helmet as they climbed off the snowmobile a few minutes later.

Ryder tried to keep his expression neutral. A waste? Never. Riding pillion behind her had been worth every second in the freezing cold. His body hummed with nervous anticipation, and it wasn’t because he was about to look at something called a tree well. He managed a casual shrug as they walked towards the tape. ‘It’s always best to check things out.’

He lifted the tape so she could duck underneath, then followed her into the cordoned off area. The snow was deeper away from the trails, and despite his calf-length hiking boots, Ryder sank to his knees in the snow.

‘Be careful here.’ She moved tentatively towards the base of the ancient gum. Snow weighed down its foliage, the lower boughs resting on the ground. Ryder watched as Vanessa squatted and took hold of one of the smaller branches. Even before she’d pushed it aside, he could see the circular void that had formed around its trunk.

‘Let me hold that.’ He squatted beside her and she let him take the weight of the branch. Pushing it out of the way, he leaned forward and peered down into a wide, deep hole.

.

Oooh, I wonder what Ryder is about to find down that hole? I guess we’ll all have to read Charlotte Pass and find out.

Grab your copy today from:

Amazon | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play

Booktopia | Bookdepository | Angus&Robertson | Dymocks

Now, as alluded to in the intro, we have a…

GIVEAWAY!

Charlotte’s Pass is set in an isolated, snowed-in village during Winterfest celebrations. I don’t know about you, but finding dead bodies is not my idea of a good way to celebrate winter. I’m pretty sure we can come up with plenty of other ways.

So, for your chance to win a paperback copy of this fantastic new Australian crime novel, share in the comments how you love to celebrate winter (or would like to) or a winter celebration that you’ve experienced and enjoyed and you’ll be in the draw.

Me? My favourite way to celebrate winter is to cook comfort food. Slow-cooked soups and casseroles, rich and muscular with flavour. Decadent desserts featuring chocolate or caramel, or fruit like apples and pears. And red wine and Guinness. Mustn’t forget those.

See? Too easy. So get sharing!

Please note: Giveaway closes midnight AEDT, Friday 14^th February 2020. Australian postal addresses only.

If you’d like to learn more about Christine and her books, please visit her website. You can also connect on Facebook and Twitter using @leechristine59.

.