A Note From Sandra
First of all, when I say that my hero Crawford Hunt is a Texas Ranger, I’m not referring to the baseball team. He’s an officer in the elite law enforcement agency around which much Texas lore has been spun– from chasing gunslingers and renegade Comanches, to the deadly ambush of Bonnie and Clyde, to the much more recent apprehension of the man convicted of murdering Chris Kyle, the American Sniper. These legendary lawmen are fodder for storytelling. I wanted to tell one, and it became FRICTION.
As in all good tales, my protagonist had to be placed in a dilemma, caught between a rock and a hard place, trapped in terrible trouble. (You get the idea.) So, in addition to providing Crawford with a seemingly unstoppable bad guy to either capture or kill, I also gave him the thing most irreconcilable with his chosen profession: a five-year-old daughter named Georgia. Upon the accidental death of his wife, Crawford, suffering from grief and guilt (you’ll learn the cause of his guilt when you read the book), had conceded temporary custody of then one-year-old Georgia to his late wife’s parents. Now, four years later, he’s petitioned the court to return full custody to him. You think it’s incongruous for a rough and tumble Texas Ranger, bent on going after bad guys, to be rearing a five-year-old little girl alone? No matter how much he loves her, or how much his adoration is reciprocated, is that a stable and workable situation? Well, family court judge Holly Spencer also nurses some reservations. The story opens just as the custody hearing convenes.
The courtroom is redolent with tension, especially when Crawford takes the witness stand. Events turn disastrous when a masked gunman barges into the courtroom firing a semi-automatic handgun. Crawford reacts instinctually. His swift actions save Judge Spencer’s life, and that of many others, but at what cost to him personally? His bravery is considered by some to be sheer recklessness, and matters become worse when the investigation into the shooting takes a horrifying turn.
Crawford is then forced time and again to choose between performing his duty in his “one riot, one Ranger” modality, or risking his chances of ever getting his daughter back. And, in case you think he’s getting off lightly, he has an incurable itch for the judge, the one woman in the world who is off limits to him. Not only must Holly adhere to a strict ethical code that prevents her from indulging her increasing attraction to Crawford, but she also represents the court that might ultimately deny him custody. I think you’ll be fully engaged as the protagonists wage their battle with the villain as well as with their forbidden lust for each other. I also believe you’ll be entertain by the array of colorful secondary characters – which only Texas could spawn!
- Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
- Release Date: August 18, 2015
- ISBN-13: 978-1455581160
- Available Formats: Audio, e-Book, Print