PITTSBORO — A dead cop. A corrupt politician. An innocent woman caught in the middle.
That’s the basis for “Mine By Design,” a political romantic suspense novel by Becky Moore, set for release Feb. 3.
Becky Moore is the pseudonym of Dolly Sickles, who lives in central North Carolina with her family, their dog, six outlandish chickens and nearly 100,000 honeybees. Sickles is an adjunct instructor in the continuing education Creative Writing Programs for Wake Technical Community College and Central Carolina Community College; she’s a book reviewer with Frolic and BookPage; and she writes a biweekly column for the News + Record called “The Optimistic Gardener” during gardening season. She also writes children’s books under the pseudonym Dolly Dozier.
In “Mine By Design,” Abby Markham witnesses the murder of a local cop with ties to a political dynasty, then finds herself not only in the crosshairs of a killer, but also on the radar of a powerful U.S. Senator. The clock is ticking for her survival, and Detective Ben Owens knows the best way to keep Abby safe is to keep her close. But as the danger escalates, so does their attraction. With their backs against the wall, Ben and Abby will risk everything to make sure she survives the dangerous web of political corruption, lies and deceit.
After an eight-year absence from publishing, Sickles is thrilled to be back in the game.
“I had a terrible accident in 2013, which resulted in a traumatic brain injury,” she said. “It took me the better part of six years to get my thoughts back in order, and it feels great for creativity to be flowing again.”
A virtual book launch party and corresponding events will be listed on her Web site, www.BeckyMoore.net.
Sickles is a lifelong southerner with a penchant for storytelling and a propensity to try anything at least once. She loves to read and write contemporary romance, and romantic suspense. In her down time, she’s an avid gardener, hiker, kayaker, bicyclist, swimmer and community volunteer. She spent more than a dozen years working as a writer, graphic artist, photographer and public relations specialist in the pharmaceutical advertising, hi-tech, performing arts and HIV/AIDS grant writing fields before venturing into her current status of author, freelance writer and adjunct instructor.
She’s a PAN member of the Romance Writers of America, as well as a member of SCBWI, the North Carolina Writer’s Network, and the Chatham Arts Council.
