I Say My Name

A BITTER, ICY COLD NIGHT...

Mystery writer Michael Coleman, parks at a seedy coffee shop, sits and opens his laptop.

He can't help but notice a bedraggled little urchin sitting by a window alone and shivering.

He sends over a hot chocolate, takes a washroom break, then leaves.

He arrives home to discover the crouching waif-like girl hiding in the back of his car...

Excerpt

He put his finger to his lips and signaled for Claire to shush. "You're scaring the crap out of me, Michael." He nudged the bundle on the floor with the bat but it remained motionless. "Come out of there. It's too cold to play games. So, come on out now."

"For God's sake, what is it?" Claire said.

"IT, is the little girl I saw earlier in the coffee shop, all alone."

Claire ventured close enough to see the bundle. "What in hell is she doing here?"

"I have no idea. She was gone when I left the place, so I figured her parents came for her. She's a mess, Claire."

The child kept her face shielded from the onlookers. "What I can't figure out is how in hell she got into my car?"

Claire suddenly reached out and touched her but the child curled up like a tight fist and let out an animal-like whimper. Claire jumped back. "You try. Maybe she has mother issues."

Michael knelt down beside the open door and remained silent for a moment. The child peeked out from under her arm and stared mournfully into Michael's eyes. "Do you want to come out?" he asked. She still wouldn't budge. He needed to consider a more radical approach. "I can't leave you in there to freeze, young lady. If you don't come out, I'll have to call the um ... police to come and take you somewhere warm." The child let out a sorrowful howl, then immediately untangled herself, crawled out of the car and plastered herself against the wall...

Praise for I Say My Name

"Reva Stern's I Say My Name is one of those mysterious child thrillers that is so filled with passion and suspense you feel like your fingers are glued to the pages. You can't put it down."-Andrew Neiderman, author of The Devil's Advocate and the V.C. Andrews novels

"A knockout of a novel, written by a ravishing new voice. Reva Stern's unforgettable story of a lost child and an emotionally wounded couple will encapsulate you in the shocking and gritty underworld of child abduction, prostitution, human trafficking, and murder. Utterly engrossing!"-Joyce Wayne, Author of "The Cook's Temptation and Last Night of the World

"A chance encounter at a coffee shop jump starts a riveting story that will shock and surprise the reader. Ms. Stern's novel is a page turner." Paul Shankman, EM Professor, University of Colorado-Boulder, and the author of a new book, Margaret Mead

"Reva Stern is a born storyteller. In this mystery thriller, she takes her readers on a roller-coaster ride through the intricacies of life, and depicts memorable characters embarked on voyages of self-discovery."-Leonard Rosmarin, Professor of French Literature, author of 16 books and decorated by the Government of France.