Now You See Me by Pamela L. Todd

Now You See Me

by Pamela L. Todd

(A Totally Bound 'What's her Secret?' imprint)

Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Crime & Mystery, Suspense, Thriller

Invisible. A ghost. No one sees her. No one knows her. Until him.

For the last seven years, Jo Carpenter has been a ghost in her own life. No friends. No permanent address. No long-term job. And that is exactly the way she wants it… Until a typing error lands her on Nate Harding’s doorstep in the city of Edinburgh, answering his ad for a roommate.

Nate and his luxury house are a different world for Jo. Tall, rugged and with a voice that seems hardwired to Jo’s sex drive, Nate is a distraction Jo can’t afford, but neither seems able to fight the growing tension between them. Nate’s touch brings Jo back to life and every encounter leaves her craving more. As they grow closer and intimacy creeps its way around them, Nate knows there are things Jo isn’t telling him. What he doesn’t realize is the less he knows about Jo and her past, the safer he is.

For years Jo has been careful—hasn’t let her guard down, got too comfortable or let anyone get close enough to see the person beneath her protective armor. Soon it isn’t just Nate that Jo has fallen for—it’s his whole family, from his adorable niece to his eccentric sister, Suze, who quickly becomes the best friend Jo has ever had. Against her better judgment, Jo let’s herself believe she can have a normal life. In Nate’s arms she forgets the things that haunt her, and the reasons she should leave that innocent family become all the reasons she can’t.

Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of physical abuse and a reference to enforced undressing.

Pamela L. Todd on Just Keeping Reading

For writers, there are two fundamental rules: write and read. A lot. Of both, if you can. You can’t be a writer without being a reader.

I don’t remember when I first realised I was a writer. Because being a writer isn’t something you do it’s something you are. You write because you have to. Simple as that. I wrote my first story aged six, and as a teen I always had stories rattling around in my head but I cannot pinpoint the moment in my life when I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt what I was. But, I always knew I was a reader. Reading opens up entire worlds. A good book can break your heart, introduce you to your best friend and live with you for the rest of your life.

When you’re in the middle of writing a book, sometimes the last thing you want to do is fill your head with someone else’s story. But it can be refreshing. A palate cleanser, if you will. Take some time, fall into a good book and when you go back to yours it will be with fresh eyes and a quiet mind. Unless you’ve been reading A Song of Fire and Ice book, then you might be constantly wondering who’s going to bite the dust next.

Reading for a writer can also provide you with tools. You can observe different writing styles, see how different authors structure their sentences, get different dialogue techniques. Just, you know, don’t mistake studying for plagiarism.

As a child I was given absolute free reign over what I read. This had a lot to do with the fact that my parents weren’t avid readers, so they didn’t realise half of what I was reading I probably shouldn’t have been. But, it has hugely benefitted me now, as a reader and a writer. As a writer, it lets me get away completely from what I’m working on. And as a reader…well, the possibilities are endless.

One of the hardest questions I could ever be asked is what my favourite book is. I couldn’t even tell you what my favourite genre is. I can appreciate the complexity of a thriller, gets chills from a horror, shivers from a romance, facts from a biography, tension from a fantasy and the heartbreak of a drama. And because new books are coming out every day, the list of books that make my Top Whatever-It’s-Up-To-Now just grows and grows.

While I have hundreds of favourite books, I only have a handful of favourite authors.

Stephen King was my first ever favourite author. I read It when I was eleven (but I enjoyed it so much more when I re-read it as an adult) and I can remember marvelling at the colourful cast of characters (BEEP, BEEP, RITCHIE) and just finding it so incredible that a person was capable of producing something like that. I absolutely adore his Dark Tower series, The Shining scared the absolute crap out of me and I had hope throughout the entire length of Cujo that the dog would somehow get better and everyone would live happily ever after.

Karen Marie Moning is an amazing writer. I came to her a little late in the game, joining her hugely numbered list of fans for the Fever series. I’ve re-read that entire series countless times and I only bought them a year ago. Mac and Barrons are two characters that leap off the page demanding attention. I aspire to get as good as her one day.

Jojo Moyes. Where do I start with Jojo Moyes? The first book of hers I read was The Last Letter From your Lover. I really, really enjoy books that have split time periods and this one was superb. Next was Me Before You. I feel like I barely survived it. By the time I read and loved The Girl You Left Behind I knew she had a fan for life. Jojo captures what it is to be human and shows different facets of the world.

So these are my main contenders. I’m always on the look-out for more, so don’t be shy in telling me yours!

Pamela has adored books since she can remember. There was no greater pleasure than discovering a new world to venture into, a new character to fall in love with…until she created her own and realised there was something even more magical.

When she isn't locked away at her computer, or scribbling in a notebook, Pamela can be found as her alter ego—namely wife to Matthew and mother to Todd. They also share their home with a schizophrenic cat and two greedy goldfish.

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