CLICK ON THIS LINK BELOW TO BUY NOW! It will take you to EVERY retailer selling the book.
www.books2read.com/JordanbyVictoriaLandis (And, scroll down to read more reviews and the first chapter)
"Victoria Landis has written a compelling, exciting but tragic, tale of a gift of good in the world and how it is corrupted by the machine of greed and ambition. Please Read This!" - Andrew Gross, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Button Man, Saboteur, and The One Man
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From Gary Roen for the Midwest Book Review - "From the Elmer Gantry school of American literature, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "JORDAN" by Victoria Landis is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections."
***
From the Critic's Report of The BookLife Prize - " Each page leaps to the next. . . This is irresistible reading, hard to put down without knowing what will happen next in the strange situation of Jordan's amnesia, and how she has become capable of miraculous feats."
Jordan is the fast-paced, riveting story that answers the question - how would human nature react to a modern-day miracle in a viral social media world?
When Petra Simmons and her brother, Andy, help a seemingly homeless woman, it immediately changes their lives forever. Within days, it's clear the woman, Jordan Crissman, possesses an amazing ability - perhaps the most miraculous ability of all.
They realize in the current world of viral social media, they must be careful. How to best employ the miracle without causing havoc? They plot a strategy.
Despite their plans, word gets out too fast, and the world comes running - invading and overwhelming South Florida - along with serious danger.
Television talking heads pontificate. Pundits opine. Some claim she's a messiah. Others insist she's the devil. Massive crowds gather, demanding to see Jordan. Everyone wants her. There seems to be nowhere to hide. Horrible rumors take hold. Protest groups march and riot. Mass hysteria reigns . . .
And people are dying.
www.books2read.com/JordanbyVictoriaLandis (And, scroll down to read more reviews and the first chapter)
"Victoria Landis has written a compelling, exciting but tragic, tale of a gift of good in the world and how it is corrupted by the machine of greed and ambition. Please Read This!" - Andrew Gross, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of Button Man, Saboteur, and The One Man
***
From Gary Roen for the Midwest Book Review - "From the Elmer Gantry school of American literature, and an inherently fascinating read from cover to cover, "JORDAN" by Victoria Landis is unreservedly and enthusiastically recommended for both community and academic library Contemporary Literary Fiction collections."
***
From the Critic's Report of The BookLife Prize - " Each page leaps to the next. . . This is irresistible reading, hard to put down without knowing what will happen next in the strange situation of Jordan's amnesia, and how she has become capable of miraculous feats."
Jordan is the fast-paced, riveting story that answers the question - how would human nature react to a modern-day miracle in a viral social media world?
When Petra Simmons and her brother, Andy, help a seemingly homeless woman, it immediately changes their lives forever. Within days, it's clear the woman, Jordan Crissman, possesses an amazing ability - perhaps the most miraculous ability of all.
They realize in the current world of viral social media, they must be careful. How to best employ the miracle without causing havoc? They plot a strategy.
Despite their plans, word gets out too fast, and the world comes running - invading and overwhelming South Florida - along with serious danger.
Television talking heads pontificate. Pundits opine. Some claim she's a messiah. Others insist she's the devil. Massive crowds gather, demanding to see Jordan. Everyone wants her. There seems to be nowhere to hide. Horrible rumors take hold. Protest groups march and riot. Mass hysteria reigns . . .
And people are dying.
REVIEWS
5 Stars "Victoria Landis has written a wonderful story about the titular character jordan, who is discovered to have special powers seldom seen in humans. The book relates her reemergence into the world after having been missing for three years. Her limited memories of the past complicate even the simplest of questions: Where has she been? Is there a larger purpose to her new powers? Who can she fully trust? Why is she here? The secondary characters have their own reasons to discover the same answers. Jordan finds people she can trust and begins to work the task she has been given as best she can. But for every miracle there is an equal and opposite backlash. Can Jordan win through the gathering darkness into a better world?
"I found Victoria Landis' story to be simply superb. She very accurately (although optimistically in my opinion) predicts society's reaction to someone like Jordan. I very much enjoyed the parallels drawn from religion and mythology, right down to the names of the participants. The text is tightly-edited and without wasted exposition, i.e. nothing structural will prevent readers from turning the pages to the very end. The characters assumed their own life and breathed, along with this reader. I could smell the smoke and feel the heat. Jordan's story doesn't answer all the questions I had about her and those close to her, but hopefully, they will be addressed in a sequel. I know I will be one of those eagerly lining up to see what's next!" - Dan M. Kalin for Readers' Favorite
"In Jordan, Victoria Landis takes her skill for developing characters and relationships to a new level. This work portrays a new view of an age-old question. How do people react when confronted with things they don't understand? A compelling story that reveals the many sides of human nature, told in Victoria Landis' talented manner."
- Charles Todd, Mary Higgins Clark Award Winner and NY Times Best Selling Author
"We say it's a page turner! The characters are so real, you feel as if you know them personally. The setting is opulent Boca Raton, where the rich get richer, and there seems to be nothing that money can't buy. It's love vs. greed, who will succeed? I couldn't put it down and can't wait for the sequel!" - The Conch Republic Coconut Telelgraph
"Jordan by Victoria Landis is a fast-paced and thought-provoking story on what would happen if a true miracle worker walked among us. Some would consider it a blessing and others the work of the devil. Petra, owner of a chocolate store, has her life disrupted when she is drawn to a strange young woman claiming amnesia. Jordan has no memory of where she's been for the past three years. She returns to her hometown and begins to exhibit the power to heal people. The reaction is similar to how we earthlings might greet our first alien visitor from outer space. Skeptics stage demonstrations while others desperately in need of healing mob the town and force Jordan into hiding. Petra and friends join her in seclusion, where they face danger and betrayal. Once you begin reading this story, you won't be able to put it down." - nancy J. Cohen, Agatha Award Nominee & Author the bestselling Bad Hair Day Mysteries
"Victoria Landis has masterfully combined great elements into a highly-charged, compelling story with an explosive ending. Read Jordan! It's good for what ails you." - Don Bruns, USA TodayBest Selling Author
"What would happen if a young woman appeared with mysterious healing powers, a woman intent on using her newfound talents to improve the world? How would the public react? What about the media, the government? Would both welcome her with open arms? Or, would there be slanderous articles and broadcasts speculating on the source of her powers, perhaps accusing her of witchcraft or being Satan's offspring? Jordan lives these questions and many more. Follow her as she wends her way through friendship, love, and evil, only wishing to bring healing to those who need and deserve it."
- Randy Rawls, Author of the Beth Bowman PI series and the Ace Edwards PI series
"If you're looking for a story that's truly original, here it is." - Vincent H. O'Neil, Author of The Sim War series
5 Stars "Victoria Landis has written a wonderful story about the titular character jordan, who is discovered to have special powers seldom seen in humans. The book relates her reemergence into the world after having been missing for three years. Her limited memories of the past complicate even the simplest of questions: Where has she been? Is there a larger purpose to her new powers? Who can she fully trust? Why is she here? The secondary characters have their own reasons to discover the same answers. Jordan finds people she can trust and begins to work the task she has been given as best she can. But for every miracle there is an equal and opposite backlash. Can Jordan win through the gathering darkness into a better world?
"I found Victoria Landis' story to be simply superb. She very accurately (although optimistically in my opinion) predicts society's reaction to someone like Jordan. I very much enjoyed the parallels drawn from religion and mythology, right down to the names of the participants. The text is tightly-edited and without wasted exposition, i.e. nothing structural will prevent readers from turning the pages to the very end. The characters assumed their own life and breathed, along with this reader. I could smell the smoke and feel the heat. Jordan's story doesn't answer all the questions I had about her and those close to her, but hopefully, they will be addressed in a sequel. I know I will be one of those eagerly lining up to see what's next!" - Dan M. Kalin for Readers' Favorite
"In Jordan, Victoria Landis takes her skill for developing characters and relationships to a new level. This work portrays a new view of an age-old question. How do people react when confronted with things they don't understand? A compelling story that reveals the many sides of human nature, told in Victoria Landis' talented manner."
- Charles Todd, Mary Higgins Clark Award Winner and NY Times Best Selling Author
"We say it's a page turner! The characters are so real, you feel as if you know them personally. The setting is opulent Boca Raton, where the rich get richer, and there seems to be nothing that money can't buy. It's love vs. greed, who will succeed? I couldn't put it down and can't wait for the sequel!" - The Conch Republic Coconut Telelgraph
"Jordan by Victoria Landis is a fast-paced and thought-provoking story on what would happen if a true miracle worker walked among us. Some would consider it a blessing and others the work of the devil. Petra, owner of a chocolate store, has her life disrupted when she is drawn to a strange young woman claiming amnesia. Jordan has no memory of where she's been for the past three years. She returns to her hometown and begins to exhibit the power to heal people. The reaction is similar to how we earthlings might greet our first alien visitor from outer space. Skeptics stage demonstrations while others desperately in need of healing mob the town and force Jordan into hiding. Petra and friends join her in seclusion, where they face danger and betrayal. Once you begin reading this story, you won't be able to put it down." - nancy J. Cohen, Agatha Award Nominee & Author the bestselling Bad Hair Day Mysteries
"Victoria Landis has masterfully combined great elements into a highly-charged, compelling story with an explosive ending. Read Jordan! It's good for what ails you." - Don Bruns, USA TodayBest Selling Author
"What would happen if a young woman appeared with mysterious healing powers, a woman intent on using her newfound talents to improve the world? How would the public react? What about the media, the government? Would both welcome her with open arms? Or, would there be slanderous articles and broadcasts speculating on the source of her powers, perhaps accusing her of witchcraft or being Satan's offspring? Jordan lives these questions and many more. Follow her as she wends her way through friendship, love, and evil, only wishing to bring healing to those who need and deserve it."
- Randy Rawls, Author of the Beth Bowman PI series and the Ace Edwards PI series
"If you're looking for a story that's truly original, here it is." - Vincent H. O'Neil, Author of The Sim War series
Here's a map of the fictional fabulous Teigh brothers' estate/family compound invented for Jordan . . . And the whole first chapter!
JORDAN
CHAPTER ONE Sunday 6PM Petra Simmons plucked the last truffle from the day’s sample tray and added it to the other chocolates in the white paper bag. She handed it to Lettie Hillier, an old friend of Petra’s deceased parents. Lettie accepted it with a grin. “Are you sure you kids are doing okay?” “I miss them.” Andy, Petra’s younger brother, stepped toward them. “Losing them still hurts,” Petra said. “But, yes. We’re fine.” She gestured to the bag. “Open it.” It crinkled when Lettie unfolded the top and looked inside. Laugh lines scrunched outward from her mouth when she smiled. She winked at Petra. “Chili-pepper-shaped? That’s new. Thanks, Punkin.” “You’re most welcome,” Petra said. “They’re infused with cayenne. Hope your husband enjoys them.” “If they escape being eaten on the drive home. You kids take care, okay?” “Will do.” Andy held the shop’s glass door open for Lettie, grinned at her as she exited, then locked it. Pushing her palms against her temples, Petra sighed. The building shuddered slightly for a half-second. Petra grabbed the counter. “Did you feel that?” “Yeah.” He pointed skyward. “Weird. Military jet going by? A sonic boom, maybe?” “I didn’t hear any boom.” “Me, either. Maybe it was too far away. Wasn’t very strong.” He ambled toward her. “We don’t get earthquakes.” With a dramatic flourish, he took a wide stance and stretched his arms outward, as if waiting for the building to shake. After a few seconds, he went back to a normal stand. “I think we’re good here. Why do you give Mrs. Hillier free chocolates?” “Because she’s been so kind to us since Mom and Dad died, and she sends all her friends to me for their special occasions. At first, she argued with me about the freebies. I’m far more stubborn than she knew, and I won. So now she calls herself my taste tester.” She wiped her brow and surveyed the mess around the seating area of three small round tables by the front windows. “Wow. That was one hell of a last minute rush, huh?” Grabbing the cleaning spray and sponge, she realized he hadn’t responded and turned. “Andy?” He’d returned to the door, his back to her. “There’s a strange chick on the plaza freaking everybody out. See? They’re all moving away.” Petra came from behind the counter and stood beside him. A disheveled woman, her brown hair a rodent’s nest, sat staring at the sky, on the bench ledge of the hexagonal fountain twenty feet from Petra’s Kingdom of Chocolate shop. She wore a red T-shirt and blue jeans−both ripped and stained. Her entire body shook for several seconds, then she lowered her head. The people nearest her shuffled further down the bench. A man with two toddlers in tow hustled them off the plaza. “Really, I can’t work up much interest,” Petra said. “Another homeless person. It’s sad, but too bad.” “No,” Andy said. “There’s something different about her.” Andy often misjudged situations and people. Petra sighed. “I don’t think so. She’s only another hard luck story.” “She’s pretty.” “No. She’s not,” Petra said. “Look beyond the mess. Come on, let’s see if we can help her.” “Please don’t. I’m so tired. I want to finish and go upstairs to relax.” Ignoring her, Andy unlocked the door and headed outside toward the woman. He gestured for Petra to join him. She shot a glance heavenward. “God grant me patience.” She ventured out. Reaching the homeless lady, Andy knelt to peer under the cascading hair. “Are you okay?” The woman shook her head. Nearing her, Petra found her younger than she’d assumed. Maybe thirty. And she did have attractive features under the unkempt locks. “Do you need help?” Andy said. His angelic expression of compassion tugged at Petra’s heart. “Apparently.” The woman chuckled and swept the hair from her face. Her voice also took Petra by surprise. The one-word reply was enunciated in a clear, sophisticated tone. “What happened?” Andy asked. “You look like you fell out of a tree.” She hesitated, then leveled her gaze at Petra. “I really don’t know. I can’t remember anything. It’s all blank.” Her eyes were a golden brown, almost amber. Unusual and striking. In her peripheral vision, Petra saw the three remaining people on the plaza, now sitting on an iron bench eating ice cream cones. One of them pointed behind Andy and Petra, and the others’ eyes widened. Petra twisted to see a small red fox sniffing and making its way, inch by inch, toward them. “Andy, very slowly, look behind us. It’s an actual fox. Where did that come from?” He turned. “That’s strange. Don’t make any sudden moves. Maybe it’s rabid.” “No,” the disheveled woman said. “He’s not. He’s being friendly.” Petra glared at her. But, in fact, the fox was sniffing its way closer to them as a curious dog would. She didn’t like the oddity of it. “I think we ought to go back inside.” “All right,” Andy said. “Come with us, um . . . What’s your name?” “Wait a minute.” Petra grabbed Andy’s arm and pulled him about ten feet away. The fox froze, then retreated a few yards. Its posture reminded Petra of a spooked cat with its fur standing on end. Whispering, she said to Andy, “Are you nuts? We’re not bringing this woman into my store. It’s closing time. I’m tired, and who the hell knows what kind of drug addict she could be?” “We can’t leave her out here.” “Sure we can. We’ll call security, and they’ll take care of getting her to someone who will help.” “No.” Andy gestured toward the woman. “We should help.” He went back. “You can be so infuriating sometimes, you know that?” Unwilling to leave him alone with a possible lunatic, Petra joined him. The woman was touching a purplish mark on her left palm. “I don’t blame you. Look at me.” She grinned and displayed her bruised arms. “I’m a mess.” Her eyes locked onto Petra’s. A strange comforting feeling about this woman enveloped Petra—as though she were with a long-lost friend. “Help me up?” She kept her right arm in the air. Petra offered her a hand before Andy could. “Come on. Can you stand?” “We’ll find out.” The woman gripped Petra’s hand and pulled herself up. She twisted her torso. “Okay. Much better. I was so dizzy when I woke up.” “Woke up? Where?” Petra’s fingers spasmed and felt suddenly warm. The recurring fear that she’d inherited her father’s arthritis raced through her. “Right here. On the edge of the fountain. All I know is waking while sitting on it.” “Were you tired when you sat down?” Andy asked. “Tired enough to fall asleep sitting upright on a concrete bench?” She gave him a blank stare, while seeming to ponder his question. “This is beyond strange,” Petra said. “I agree,” the woman said. “I don’t like feeling this disoriented.” She blinked. “I’m sorry, I don’t know how I got here.” Petra’s resistance to her lessened. To her amazement, she felt a growing urge to do as Andy suggested—help her. “My name is Petra Simmons, and this is my brother, Andy.” “Hello.” She pushed on and patted her legs, then her ribs. “No broken bones, it seems. I’m relatively unscathed.” “What’s your name?” Andy said. The woman’s mouth screwed up to one side. “I haven’t a clue.” The feeling the stranger wasn’t a threat, and was, in fact, someone innocent, grew stronger. “Tell you what. I live on the second floor over the shops.” Petra pointed behind her. “See? That bay window is in my living room. Let us take you there. You can get cleaned up, and I’ll lend you some clothes.” Andy gave her a shocked expression, then smiled. “That’s a great idea.” To the woman he said, “Don’t worry. We’re good people.” She nodded. “I know.” “And . . . how do you know?” Petra said. She shrugged. “I don’t know.” It seemed the woman was thinking the same way as Petra. Producing a key from the back pocket of her jeans, Petra handed it to Andy. “Will you lock up, then come upstairs? We can do the tally and cleaning later. And bring my phone and purse, too?” Grinning, he took the key, pivoted, and strode to the shop. That startled the fox, but didn’t stop him from edging closer. A huge black blur swooped in, nipped the fox on the head, then settled on a nearby tree branch. The fox yelped and scrambled into the thicket of cocoa-plum shrubs at the edge of the plaza’s parking lot, now backlit by the transitioning oranges, reds, pinks, and lavenders of sunset. “Did you see that?” Petra glanced around. The three people finishing their ice cream cones nodded, looking dumbstruck. “I have never seen a fox out in the open like that. Or a buzzard attacking a live animal.” Petra spoke to the ice cream folks. “That was a turkey vulture, wasn’t it?” One of them responded with a weak shrug. “Wow. Freaky animal day.” Petra gestured toward the alley between the two three-story buildings of the retail complex. “The apartment entry is in that causeway.” They walked in silence to the entrance. Petra used a passkey to unlock the residence lobby door, held it open for her, then pressed the elevator button. Petra studied her as they rode up one flight. Long hair, in tangled waves, fell to her waist. Her T-shirt had grass stains along with mud, as did her jeans. She wore a ripped and frayed pair of canvas sneakers that Petra assumed were once white. The doors opened, and the women turned right, going to the end of the hall. “I was lucky enough to get an end unit,” Petra said while inserting her key. “Lots of windows.” They went inside. “It’s beautiful.” The woman wandered around the combined living and dining space, stopping at the wide bay window facing the plaza and its fountain. She gestured to the open kitchen and the granite island that separated it from the living area. “There are four barstools. Do other people live here with you?” “No. I live alone. My boyfriend is here a lot, though, and my brother stays fairly often.” Petra walked to the short hall off the kitchen leading to the two bedrooms and a guest bathroom. “I imagine you’re anxious to get that dirt off you. You look like you’re around my size. A six?” She opened her bedroom door and went in. Another shrug. “Guess we’ll find out.” The woman leaned against the doorframe while Petra gathered some clothing for her. A stab of doubt hit Petra. What was she doing inviting this complete stranger into her home? “You’re being so kind. Thank you.” The woman touched Petra’s hand before taking the neat pile, then entered the bathroom. In an instant, the negative thoughts disappeared—replaced by that comforting feeling again. Petra shook her head to clear it. “You’ll find everything you need either in the tall cabinet or in the drawers next to the sink.” *** Petra was in the kitchen perusing the freezer when Andy came in. “How is the mystery girl?” He tossed the shop key into the raku pottery bowl on the entry table and placed Petra’s purse on the counter. “We left the store a mess, and I should have stayed to clean it, but I’m too curious about her.” “Still can’t remember her name. She’s in the shower.” Petra shut the freezer. “I’ll order pizza.” She grabbed her cell from her purse. “But first, I’m calling Ben.” “Is he on duty tonight?” “Yes.” When Ben picked up, she filled him in on the woman in her bathroom. “What’d he say?” Andy asked after she put the phone down. “It’s a slow Sunday night, so he’ll come over himself.” The bathroom door opened. Her guest emerged, smelling of fresh flowers. Clean, her skin was flawless. Andy let out a small gasp, and Petra knew he was smitten. That was probably not good. The woman smiled and pulled at the black tank top. “A little tight, but thank you so much.” She held up a hairbrush. “I couldn’t get all the knots out. Would you mind trying? It might be easier because you can see them.” She came to stand in front of Petra, handed her the brush, and turned around. With an inward shrug, Petra accepted the brush and worked through the first of the tangles. “My boyfriend is a Sheriff’s Deputy. I’ve asked him to come over. Maybe he’ll be able to help you.” |