Win a $25 GC: Sentinels of the Night by Anita Dickason

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I am a retired police officer. I was a beat officer, worked undercover narcotics, an advanced accident investigator and was on the Dallas SWAT team and a unit sniper. That is a broad area of police experience that I can draw on to create my characters and plots.

Since I write about crime, it would be very difficult to keep ‘me’ out of the book. Several incidents in Sentinels of the Night are based on personal experience. Here is an excerpt of one.

Two armed men have taken a clerk and two customers hostage in a convenience store. Kevin Hunter is the police chief and has just arrived at the SWAT van. Grayson is the Lieutenant in charge of the SWAT team.

Two officers sat in front of a display panel that controlled the communication and computer systems. One, the hostage negotiator, was on the phone. The rings on the other end of the call were audible over the speakerphone.

“Any contact?” Kevin asked, reaching into a cabinet to grab a tactical radio and headset.

“Not so far,” Grayson replied.

“What happened?” as he positioned the headset over his ballcap.

“A patrol officer pulled into the parking lot as the robbery was going down. When the suspects saw his car, they shoved the clerk and two customers to the back of the store. Instead of rushing inside, the patrol officer used his head, pulled back, and radioed for help.”

“Where are the perimeter officers located?”

Grayson stepped to the white drawing board mounted on the wall and quickly drew the store and surrounding streets. He marked each officer’s location with an X. Patrol had effectively cordoned off the surrounding streets to block any unauthorized entry.

“The manager should be here in a few minutes with a diagram of the interior.”

“Is your entry team ready?” Kevin asked.

“They will be in a few minutes. They are suiting up and will be on standby behind the building. But we’ve got a major problem. The entry will have to be through the front door. The back door cannot be opened from the outside.”

Kevin didn’t believe the knot in his gut could wind any tighter until he heard Grayson’s words. The store had windows across the front. Once the entry team turned the corner of the building, the suspects would see them. The breach would turn into a suicide mission.

FBI Tracker Cat Morgan has an unusual talent, one she has successfully concealed, even from her fellow agents. That is—until she finds a body with a strange symbol carved on the forehead during a stop in Clinton, Mississippi and crosses paths with the town’s rugged police chief, Kevin Hunter. Despite his instant attraction to the sexy agent, Kevin is suspicious of her presence at the crime scene and isn’t buying her dubious explanations. He wants her out of the investigation and out of his town.

The discovery of another mutilated body with the same symbol sends Cat back to Clinton, and this time she isn’t leaving. To stop the killer, Cat must find a way to overcome Kevin’s distrust and will face an impossible impasse—truth or lies. But will either one matter, when the killer fixates on her for his next sacrifice?

About the Author:

Anita Dickason is a retired police officer with twenty-seven years of experience, twenty-two with the Dallas Police Department. She served in patrol, undercover narcotics, accident investigation and was on a sniper on the Dallas SWAT team.

Anita is the recipient of the prestigious Law Enforcement Professional Achievement Award from the State of Texas House of Representatives. Other awards include Officer of the Year—Texas Women in Law Enforcement, Officer of the Year—International Association of Women in Police, Runner-up Officer of the Year—Dallas Police Department, Officer of the Month—Dallas Police Department and multiple Police Commendations, Certificates of Merit and Citizen/Business commendations from the Dallas Police Department and the Dallas community.

Anita was a certified instructor with Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Her instructor certifications include Defensive Tactics, Batons, Spontaneous Knife Defense, Field Sobriety Procedures, Drug Recognition Expert program, and Accident Investigation.

She is a Past President of Texas Women in Law Enforcement, and Past Treasurer for the International Association of Women in Police.

Her first book, JFK Assassination Eyewitness: Rush to Conspiracy, is non-fiction and details the reconstruction of a 1966 vehicle accident near Midlothian, Texas that killed a key witness to the Kennedy assassination. The project opened the door to a new career, Author and Publisher. She owns Mystic Circle Books & Designs, LLC and provides manuscript and design services, helping other authors turn their manuscripts into a published book.

Her fictional works are suspense/thrillers and her plots are drawn from her extensive law enforcement knowledge and experience. Characters with unexpected skills, that extra edge for overcoming danger and adversity, have always intrigued her. Her infatuation with ancient myths and legends of Native American Indians, and Scottish and Irish folklore adds a touch of paranormal for the backdrop of her characters.

The experience of writing led to developing a knowledge of self-publishing and graphic design and a new business endeavor: Mystic Circle Books & Designs, LLC. It is a tossup of what Anita enjoys more, working on her books or helping another author publish their works. She has found an unexpected enjoyment in designing book covers, bookmarks, bookplates, etc. Email her for an autographed custom bookplate -- anita@anitadickason.com

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