DANGEROUS GROUND is Available Now!!
Fiona Carver #1
In the remote and unpredictable Aleutians, danger comes without warning in an adrenaline rush of a novel by USA Today bestselling author Rachel Grant.
Archaeologist Fiona Carver has unfinished business in the Aleutian Islands. After an emergency evacuation cut her first expedition short, she’s finally back. But time is not on her side as she races to finish documenting the remnants of a prehistoric village, recover missing artifacts, and track down missing volcanologist Dylan Slater.
Having bluffed his way onto Fiona’s team with fake credentials, wildlife photographer Dean Slater is willing to risk more than federal prison to find his missing brother, but he needs Fiona’s help. She knows the inhospitable terrain better than anyone.
When the two set out together on a perilous journey, it becomes more than a recovery mission. In their fight for survival, nature isn’t the only threat. They aren’t the only ones on the hunt. Mile by dangerous mile, someone is hunting them.
Christina Dodd shared this exclusive excerpt from DANGEROUS GROUND
I’m so thrilled that Christina Dodd shared this DANGEROUS GROUND excerpt on her Facebook page!
Dean lowered the camera and searched with unenhanced vision, spotting a small shape on the roof of one of the dilapidated structures as the moon rose behind it. He raised the viewfinder to his eye and zoomed in. Sure enough, it was a short-eared owl.
He snapped several pictures. These would be keepers, as the moonrise and the crumbling structure combined with the owl’s fixed, knowing gaze gave the image an eerie feel. He could sell these shots. A good price could pay his bail if he ended up getting arrested.
“What is it?” Fiona asked.
“Short-eared owl. Third building over. On the roofline.” He offered her his camera. “Want to see?”
“Yes, please.”
She stepped beside him, and he draped the sturdy strap of his camera around her neck, then pointed the lens toward the round-headed raptor.
She let out a soft gasp. “Oh! He’s beautiful. I mean, if it’s a he.”
“It’s hard to tell with short-eared owls. The females are slightly larger than the males and maybe darker. But that’s difficult to gauge in this light and without both present.”
“Well, it’s beautiful, whatever it is.”
He looked down at the woman holding his favorite camera, as she gazed with rapture at the tiny bird thirty meters away. The rising moon gave her skin an ethereal glow.
Usually, in moments like this, he was the one holding the camera. Or the moment of discovery was planned, expected even, as part of the expedition. Tonight was random; that’s why it felt . . . special.
“Take a few pictures if you want,” he said. “I’ve got more than enough memory cards for the next two weeks.” He bought them in bulk, like they were Costco bags of Halloween candy.
“I don’t know where to begin. I’ve never used anything more complex than a point-and-shoot.”
“I’ve already set the shutter speed and adjusted the light meter for these conditions and that depth of field. You’re good to go.” He moved her finger to the shutter release button.
“Fire away.”She did, and after she took a few, she lowered the camera to look at the screen, which showed the last image taken. “I took that?”
He smiled at her obvious joy. “You did.”
“Well, I kind of cheated, but still, it might be the prettiest photo I’ve ever taken.”
“I’ll email it to you.”
“I’ll have it mounted and framed and tell everyone who will listen that I was the photographer.”
His grin deepened. He liked this side of her. “If you want, I can give you photography lessons when we’re on Chiksook.”
“Really?” Her face lit with excitement. “That would be amazing. Learning how to use a real camera is one of those things I’ve always wanted to do but have never had time for.”
“First weather day, you’ll get a lesson.” And he’d enjoy every moment like this one. Standing close. Teaching her . . .
On instinct, he dipped his head down, making a move without thought. This was as natural as breathing, as ingrained as scratching an itch. Fiona leaned in, lips ever so slightly parted, but then she dropped back. “Bill, don’t. Don’t ruin this. I don’t do field flings. Ever.”
All at once, he was zapped back into the moment. His name was Bill. She was Fiona. His brother’s girlfriend.
And he’d almost kissed her.
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