PW #132: Adult Romantic Suspense #ownvoices: THROUGH THE INFERNO

Manuscript Status: Finished

Mentors Names: KT Hanna and Jami Nord

Mentee Name: Jessi Gibson

Title: THROUGH THE INFERNO

Category: Adult

Genre: Romantic Suspense #ownvoices

Word Count: 87,000 words

Pitch:

A tragic blaze leaves a firefighter battling to adapt his broken body. His nurse, a transgender woman, is attacked and left for dead by a charming psychopath. The two begin to heal together, and romance blossoms. But her attacker resurfaces, threatening more than just their lives.

Excerpt:

CHAPTER 1
Jason Merone

Jason Merone held three aces to go along with the two eights on the board. Dead man’s hand, he thought, pondering the best way to string along the other guys in the pot for the most chips. The game was Texas Hold’em, and he was a Great White in a guppy pond.

The Sunday night poker game was winding down. Dinner was devoured and cleaned up, letting the crew relax until the shift’s end in the morning at6:30. Weekends came with no scheduled duties other than cleaning the surrounding housing area of the fire station. The only call they responded to was a fender bender on the exit ramp of the interstate, fortunately with no injuries, making a quick and easy run.

“Too rich for me,” Captain Engmeyer said after Jason raised, folding his hand and stepping away from the table with a muttered “Gonna drain the main vein”.

Down to two and time to show. He flipped his cards, showing the nuts.

“Mutha fuck!” The red faced veteran opposite him yelled as he slapped his beaten flush to the table. Everyone at the table laughed. “Shit, Truffy, I thought for sure I had you beat, the way you were betting.”

“Hell, Vince,” Jason retorted to the veteran of four years. “You oughta know by now the house always wins.” He grinned an insincere apology as he grabbed the pot.

The klaxon blared before Jason could finish raking in the chips, and the dim lights flared into brightness.