Dead Drift (A Whitewater Thriller Book 1) Thriller by Kelly Romo ➱ Book Tour with Giveaway

  

 

Dead Drift

A Whitewater Thriller Book 1

by Kelly Romo

Genre: Thriller 

Two teenage girls on the run with fake IDs and a beater car…what could go wrong?

Emmy has always been impulsive. She is no longer a minor and has aged out of foster care. When her best friend, Amber, is the target of a perverted uncle who lives in the basement of her group home, they plan her escape.

They head for Canada, where Amber will be safe, and the foster care system can no longer control their lives. When they come across a whitewater rafting brochure, they decide to take a detour for one last adventure before leaving the country. Emmy and Amber have no idea it will be a decision that will forever change their fates.

The rafting town is so far in the middle of nowhere that Emmy’s car radio catches nothing but static. They consider turning around until a truck pulls up, loaded with hot whitewater rafting guides and rubber rafts--just the fun they were looking for. Ignoring every instinct, they turn off the pavement and follow the truck down an isolated dirt road. They end up in Lodell, the town where a girl went missing the previous summer…and she will not be the last.

Add to Goodreads

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords * Books2Read

Prologue

HIM

There are five stages of drowning: surprise, involuntary breath-holding, unconsciousness, hypoxic convulsions, and finally, death. 

Shawna’s hair spreads out in a halo of jet-black strands lit by the moon and rippling in the current. There is no fear or panic in her. I spared her of that. Her death is beautiful and silent as I hold her in my arms and cradle her beneath the surface. I put my lips to hers and inhale her very last breath before she gasps and draws my water into her lungs. She becomes heavy then seizes like a fish. My blood surges and thunders inside me. I have never felt so alive. Shawna finally relaxes, surrenders, and becomes mine forever. I hold and comfort her through it all. Binding her to me was easier than I thought. I should have done this years ago. 

I raise Shawna up. Her nose, lips, and tits break the surface, all slick and shiny in the moonlight. I give her one last kiss, then take her nipple between my lips and flick it with my tongue. I wish I could keep her longer, but she is losing her warmth. I take a clump of her jet-black hair and wind it tight around my finger until the tip of it goes numb. I yank it from her head. It is surprising how easily it comes out and hangs from my hand, as black and shiny as tar. It will be perfect. 

 No longer will I catch and release. Shawna is mine forever, for I am the river, and the river is me. It is the fluid, and I am the flesh.

Chapter 1

I guess I’m turning out just like everyone expected, but at least I’m not pregnant. Aiding in Amber’s escape will be the biggest crime I have ever committed. I don’t realize what a death grip I have on my steering wheel until I pull to the curb, put it in park, and turn my headlights off. A million butterflies flutter in my chest and up my throat. It is exactly four-fifteen in the morning, and Amber is not expecting me until four-thirty. She will be shocked that I made it on time. 

Everything I own in the world sits in the trunk, which isn't more than a single suitcase. I used to have more until three years ago. I was pissed that I had to leave my foster parents, Scott and Jeanette. I thought they loved me, and their house would be my forever home. I was so tired of packing up and dragging all my shit with me that I threw garbage bags of clothes, photos, notes, and keepsakes into the trash—which I now regret. I thought all the pictures were of former friends who I would never see again. It took me about a month to realize that the only two photos I had of my mom were mixed in with them. 

I don’t remember much about my mom. She overdosed when I was four. I do remember she had dry hands and a scratchy voice. She used to read to me from a Mother Goose nursery rhyme book with bright watercolor pictures. Other than the two photos, the book was the last thing I had from my mom, but it went missing at my eighth-grade parents’ house. I think one of the little kids stole it when they left.  

The neon blue numbers on my phone say it is four twenty-five. I step out of my car, press the lock button, and silently push the door until it clicks shut. I lived in this neighborhood—until last November when I turned eighteen. I lived in that house. Thanks to the state of Oregon, I’ve always lived in that house in any neighborhood. The one with the foster children—where kids come and go based on their behavior or personality. Sometimes, no matter how good you are, you have to move somewhere new. And you have no idea why.

A few porch lights glow, and some houses have a window or two lit, probably for some child afraid to sleep in the dark—which I never understood. If your light is on, a peeping Tom could stand right outside your window and watch you sleep, even through the smallest gap in the curtains. 

My stomach clenches tight, and my heart pounds on the wall of my chest. I broke laws before, like staying out after curfew, drinking underage, egging houses, or stealing things I needed—but nothing like this. I am legally an adult and about to harbor a runaway. I can do hard-time for this. Amber and I have one chance, and we need to get it right.

What inspired you to write this book?

The story came to me while on a road trip in Oregon, where we visited a tiny rural town called Maupin. We went whitewater rafting and fly fishing there. My fictional town of Lodell is based on Maupin. I did not want to use Maupin because I did not want to curse the town by writing about a serial killer. Little did I know that Maupin really did have a serial killer come through it. His name was Israel Keyes, and he was a prolific serial killer in Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. I did not base my story on him because I just found out…but it is odd that the story came to me there.

I also had to justify why I stream all the true crime and psychopath shows. I am fascinated with how the human mind works and why people do what they do.

What can we expect from you in the future?

DEAD DRIFT is the first book in a three-book WHITEWATER THRILLER series. I also have a companion historical fiction novel for WHEN SORROW TAKES WING almost finished. I also have an idea for a spin-off series that starts with DEAD DRIFT.

Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?

At the beginning of my novel, Emmy was not a foster child, and I had some issues determining why she would stay in Lodell. My son started dating a lovely young lady who had aged out of foster care. After many conversations with her about her experiences in the foster system, I decided that would be perfect for Emmy. I also thought it would be a great way to bring attention to what these children have to deal with. My son's girlfriend let me include some of her experiences or experiences she knew other kids went through. She was also one of my content editors. I am very proud of her strength and what she has done with her life despite her rough childhood.

Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in (DEAD DRIFT)?

Most of my characters are from a small fictional town called Lodell. One of the main families is the Ungers. Skid and Jake are cousins, and both are whitewater rafting guides. Jake is a guide in the summer and attends a university during the school year. He wants to be a lawyer. His girlfriend, Erin, who also grew up in Lodell, is attending college to be a veterinarian. Jake's father, Doc, is helping her with her tuition. Skid is the youngest child of Rose and Russ. His older siblings moved out of Lodell. He is only a guide and does odd jobs in the off-season. Rose owns the local bar, Buckskin Mary's, and Russ is the Chief of Police—and the only paid officer in town. Brian is Emmy's love interest. He grew up in Lodell. He does not know who his father is and his mother died when he was eight years old. Rose and Russ raised him with their children when his mother passed away. Emmy is my main character. She aged out of foster care and aided in the escape of her friend, Amber. They were on the way to Canada when they took a detour for a whitewater rafting adventure…and the rest is history.

How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?

There is something about the Deschutes River that entices me. I have done a lot of camping, fly fishing, and whitewater rafting there. I have also interacted with many different whitewater guides and fly fishing guides. I based my characters on people I have met that fit that love the outdoors and adventure.

Where did you come up with the names in the story?

Character names just come to me, and they feel right. One time, I had to change a character name because I met someone with the same first and last name. The character was a pedophile, and I didn't want to do that to the kind man with the same name. I changed it, but to this day, it feels wrong, and it bothers me every time I read it.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I loved the rawness of the setting and the characters. I loved incorporating some of the guides' experiences and how they live. I also loved the freedom to write something more contemporary, so I didn't have as much research. Don't get me wrong, I love research, and I did quite a bit for this book, but historical fiction takes an enormous amount.

How did you come up with the title of the book?

Titles are challenging for me. At one time, this book had a working title of DROWNING TOWN and DROWN ME LIKE A RIVER. My son loved DROWN ME LIKE A RIVER because it reminded him of the Bishop Briggs song, RIVER. I liked it also, and I love her song, but the title didn't feel quite right. I watched a video on fly fishing that demonstrated how Dead Drift your fly to mimic a real insect. I liked its sound, and it went perfectly with the serial killer who ties flies--and he puts his victims in the water in a literal "dead drift."

Who designed your book covers?

My first cover for WHISTLING WOMEN was created by a designer at my publisher. For WHEN SORROW TAKES WING and DEAD DRIFT, my daughter designed them. She is a graphic designer. It was wonderful sitting with her and coming up with ideas together. She takes my ideas and does magic with them. I love that we are a mother-daughter team, especially since she used to come writing with me when she was a little girl. She would sit and do her artwork for hours.

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

Not that I know of yet. I guess I will know when I start getting reviews and feedback from readers.

Did you learn anything during the writing of your recent book?

I learned to whitewater raft and tie my own flies. I also learned about the life of a river guide.

If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?

I would love to spend a day on the river with Erin and Emmy. We would have a blast shooting the rapids and having a girls' day.

Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?

My characters are combinations of people I know, but nobody specific.

What did you edit out of this book?

I edited out a hog farm. I was going to have the serial killer feed his victims to hogs. I'm glad I cut that. The entire town revolves around the river, and I kept it that way.

Kelly Romo grew up in California but has lived in Oregon for over twenty-five years. She teaches writing, literature, and social studies. She is the mother of three grown children: Brittany, Brennan, and Ryan. She is an avid outdoorswoman who loves to kayak, hike, and fish.

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$20 Amazon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Join us on the #BookTour with Guest Post & #Giveaway

#Thriller #Suspense #YA #YoungAdult #DeadDrift #WhitewaterThriller #NewRelease @KellyAnneRomo @kellyromoauthorpage  · Author

#OnTour with @SilverDaggerBookTours | #SilverDaggerBookTours