Today I welcome author PeggySue Wells as she shares about her book, Unnatural Cause, offers readers the opportunity to claim a free short story. Read through to find the link.

In Unnatural Cause, I wove in a long-unsolved family mystery that dates back to World War II.

My very smart coauthor, Max Garwood, is a patent attorney and inventor. Max pitches brilliant plots to me and I craft a novel from his ten bullet points. Unnatural Cause, the recent book in the Marc Wayne Adventure Series, is probably equal parts Max’s fiction and my truth.

My grandmother was one of ten children who grew up in a small, patriotic burg in the Midwest. When the US entered World War II, her oldest sister’s son, who had been a pilot since age ten, enlisted. Grandma’s young husband, my grandfather, also joined the military.

On July 6, 1944, the troop train carrying freshly minted soldiers including my grandfather, left Indianapolis on their journey to the European war theater. As the sun went down in Tennessee, the train jumped the tracks, careened down a cliff, and crashed into a large rock in the river. Was it sabotaged? The largest troop train wreck in the nation, that tragedy continues to dramatically impact the sleepy town of Jellico.

Grandma’s oldest sister was informed that her pilot son was killed in a test flight. Though they buried his uniform, many people said they saw him after the war. Family members who searched for him found his military record had been expunged.

What’s a novelist to do with an excellent plot and a long-unsolved family mystery?

Named after the herb, angelica, the tiny town of Jellico is the faithful keeper of the flame. Daily, people make the pilgrimage to the site of the devastation to ask questions and, as in my case, try to comprehend the moment that forever changed the dynamics of my family.

In each of my novels, I take the reader somewhere you’ve never been before and tell you about something you didn’t know. Unnatural Cause explores what could have happened during World War II. Visit Jellico, tour the Atomic City, walk the patriotic cemetery in Ohio, and consider how what people did and why they did it impacts us today.

From my research and the stories handed down through the family, I am certain the two vital men we lost during that war between good and evil did it right. The surprise ending honors them and, just maybe, offers some closure for those of us with unsolved family mysteries.

Giveaway: Get started on the Marc Wayne Adventure Series with a complimentary copy of The Patent. In this free ebook, small-town inventor and patent attorney Marc Wayne goes missing when he helps his FBI sister, Mallory, on her first case. Click this link to get your free ebook of The Patent: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/3u1hk3h9ui

A Peek Inside Unnatural Cause:

Chapter One

Mallory Wayne chambered a round in her SIG Sauer and holstered the gun inside her jacket.

Between work and tonight’s assignment, she had skipped lunch in favor of practicing her aim at the shooting range. With a final look at her appearance in the full-length mirror, she left the locker room and went to meet her co-workers.

“Your glow can only mean one thing.” Her supervisor, Logan Deverell, studied her as they met at the government vehicle.

From the driver’s seat, Bradley Ralston grinned. “Does Mallory actually have a love life?”

Mallory slid into the back seat leaving the front passenger seat for her supervisor. “Not everyone uses 900 numbers, Ralston.”

The driver feigned shock as he put the car in drive. “Who told?”

Deverell unwrapped gum and the smell of cinnamon lingered as he folded the stick into his mouth. “What brings little boy blue to D.C.?”

“Marc is meeting with personnel of the Patent Office,” Mallory said, “to look over improved security for patents that are flagged with a secrecy order.”

“I saw the director of the Patent and Trademark Office on tonight’s guest list,” Deverell put in. “Along with Marc’s name.”

Raltson glanced at her in the rearview mirror. “I heard you did well as lead on your first project.”

“Except for the part where I almost got my brother killed.” Mallory looked out the window, surprised at the lump that had jumped into her throat.

The drive from the FBI building to the Russell Senate Office Building wasn’t far but D.C. traffic was notoriously slow. Located along Constitution and Delaware avenues, the Russell Building officially opened for the 61st Congress on March 5, 1909, making it the oldest of the United States Senate offices.

Inside, Mallory and her coworkers made their way to the Kennedy Caucus Room, dedicated to the service of brothers John F. Kennedy, Edward F. Kennedy, and Robert M. Kennedy. Members of the FBI as well as the Secret Service had swept the room, the building, and the surrounding area in preparation for tonight’s occasion. Mallory checked the time, anticipating when her brother would arrive from Indiana for tonight’s event. 

Considered one of the grandest and most historic in the capital city, the room had served as the stage for important functions including Senate committee investigations on the Titanic, Pearl Harbor, and Watergate. John F. Kennedy had announced his candidacy for president of the United States in this setting. 

Tonight, Mallory expected a significant announcement about Senator Elgin Russell. A descendant of former Georgia Senator Richard Russell Jr. for whom the building was named, Elgin Russell’s stellar career had positioned him to be a promising candidate for the White House. With his background in law, Russell’s name had been discussed as a nominee for Supreme Court Justice.

Mallory watched as guests began to enter the room. In the dance of politics, position, and power, people said hello to some and snubbed others. 

“Little boy blue is in the house.” Deverell’s voice came through her earpiece.

She searched the incoming faces and spotted Marc. He saw her and came her way.

“Do my eyes deceive me or is that a tie?” She touched the neat knot at his throat. “I’m impressed.”

“My first.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “That scout badge for knots came in handy.”

“We’ll grab a late dinner after and catch up.”

“Deal.” He grinned and went to find his seat.

Like so many other formal events that Mallory had been part of, the hall filled and buzzed with conversation that quieted when the emcee gave his opening welcome. The audience stood and clapped when Senator Russell took the podium. A young and handsome man, Mallory thought Russell had the clean-cut Americana charisma of a Kennedy. Much like a high school class valedictorian, he was currently Washington’s most likely to succeed.

“I’d like for us to take a moment of silence in honor of the recent passing of our supreme court justice.” Russell bowed his head and the room became solemn. Mere weeks ago, Mallory recalled, the Supreme Court Justice Franklin Bell had dropped dead of a heart attack. The news had come as a surprise considering the Justice had been young and, according to his recent check-up, appeared to be in vibrant health.

After 60 seconds, Russell broke the silence. “We salute the past and those patriots who stewarded our nation to this present moment. Leaving the past, we look now to the future.” The senator spoke at length about the state of the nation and the issues that were foremost in the minds of America’s citizens and her leaders. “With these in mind, I am here to–”

But the pregnant pause before the dramatic announcement went overly long. Mallory studied the speaker’s face as his mouth contorted and his color paled. Sweat broke out on his forehead. In her earpiece, Mallory heard Deverell swear.

Senator Elgin Russell clawed at his chest as his pallor changed from gray to blue. His wife stood and called his name. Then the room erupted in pandemonium as the Senator dropped to the platform floor.

About PeggySue:

PeggySue Wells is the bestselling author of 40 books and collaborator of many more. Action and adventure, romantic suspense, military romance, and cozy mystery are the page-turning novels by P.S. Wells including Chasing Sunrise, Homeless for the Holidays, and The Patent. How to live better, easier, and simpler is the focus of her nonfiction including Slavery in the Land of the Free and The Ten Best Decisions A Single Mom Can Make.

Connecting Online:

PeggySue is the founder of SingleMomCircle.com 

Check out books and resources by PS Wells on her website: https://www.peggysuewells.com

FB Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Peggy.Sue.Wells.Adventure

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Website: https://www.peggysuewells.com   and  https://singlemomcircle.com