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Emily O'Brien #5
In the Presence of My Enemies
Carolyn Mercer is desperate. Her perfect life is about to be ruined unless she falls in line with a self-help group she joined with her new husband. Backed into a corner, she can think of only one person to help her escape her situation – reporter Emily O’Brien, a friend of her ex-husband who blames her for the breakup.
While the two aren’t exactly enemies, they’ve never been friends. Still, Carolyn’s problem isn’t one Emily can leave her to face on her own. Joining the group to see if she can dig up some dirty laundry, Emily finds more than just con men bilking the gullible. The leaders have tapped into dark forces and they will go to any lengths to get what they want.
The deeper she gets, the higher the stakes, with Emily needing to call on her faith to find a way out. But, despite her best efforts, Emily’s intervention leads to deadly repercussions, for her, for Carolyn and for the people they love.
While the two aren’t exactly enemies, they’ve never been friends. Still, Carolyn’s problem isn’t one Emily can leave her to face on her own. Joining the group to see if she can dig up some dirty laundry, Emily finds more than just con men bilking the gullible. The leaders have tapped into dark forces and they will go to any lengths to get what they want.
The deeper she gets, the higher the stakes, with Emily needing to call on her faith to find a way out. But, despite her best efforts, Emily’s intervention leads to deadly repercussions, for her, for Carolyn and for the people they love.
243 pages, ebook
Published December 29, 2015
3 people want to read
About the author
M.R. Miller
8 books4 followersI worked for more than a decade as a journalist for a small Midwestern newspaper. My family recently moved to Missouri where I now work at a university. In my spare time, I am working on the Emily O'Brien series.
From the time I started writing the series, I struggled with the fact the books weren't going to fit neatly into any category. The books have strong Christian elements, yes, but they weren't necessarily written as Christian books. I tried writing the first book that way initially but it just didn't fit well with the story or the characters. So I decided to write it the way that felt right to me. I guess that's the reporter in me.
And when I made that choice, I found Emily's voice and that propelled the story forward. At the time, that was OK since I was writing just for me. I never expected to let anyone else see them. But I had a persistent husband and I finally figured, why not?
I've heard the term "realistic Christian fiction." I guess that might be the closest category I could find, but it wasn't an option on Amazon or Smashwords. And I'm not sure it really covers it all anyway.
So in advance, I apologize to anyone I offend -- either because you don't like my views on faith or because you don't like the book's profanity or realism. I realize the books have the potential to alienate both ends of the spectrum but I had to write the books authentically.
I promise to keep the books between PG and PG-13 -- no F-bombs or raunchy sex scenes or grisly, bloody details that make you quit eating your lunch. And as the series progresses, I hope readers see a change in Emily, that she becomes a better reflection of her faith. That was one of my goals when I began writing, to create a newbie Christian character that matures over time. She's definitely a work in progress.
From the time I started writing the series, I struggled with the fact the books weren't going to fit neatly into any category. The books have strong Christian elements, yes, but they weren't necessarily written as Christian books. I tried writing the first book that way initially but it just didn't fit well with the story or the characters. So I decided to write it the way that felt right to me. I guess that's the reporter in me.
And when I made that choice, I found Emily's voice and that propelled the story forward. At the time, that was OK since I was writing just for me. I never expected to let anyone else see them. But I had a persistent husband and I finally figured, why not?
I've heard the term "realistic Christian fiction." I guess that might be the closest category I could find, but it wasn't an option on Amazon or Smashwords. And I'm not sure it really covers it all anyway.
So in advance, I apologize to anyone I offend -- either because you don't like my views on faith or because you don't like the book's profanity or realism. I realize the books have the potential to alienate both ends of the spectrum but I had to write the books authentically.
I promise to keep the books between PG and PG-13 -- no F-bombs or raunchy sex scenes or grisly, bloody details that make you quit eating your lunch. And as the series progresses, I hope readers see a change in Emily, that she becomes a better reflection of her faith. That was one of my goals when I began writing, to create a newbie Christian character that matures over time. She's definitely a work in progress.
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June 25, 2016
Another great story in this series. It was well worth the wait.
Displaying 1 of 1 review