Blog Tour and Excerpt for Bomb Blast, A Thriller by Solange Ritchie

Bomb Blast: A Thriller
by Solange Ritchie

About Bomb Blast

Bomb Blast: A Thriller
Thriller
4th in Series
Middle River Press (February 24, 2023)
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 206 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1946886432
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1946886439
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BWZH8M65

In the fourth novel in the Dr. Catherine (Cat) Powers series, top FBI forensic pathologist and special agent Dr. Cat Powers is called as two Syrian-born bombers wreak havoc on “soft targets” in the United States.

Starting with the New York Stock Exchange, these bombers are intent on causing as much murder and mayhem as they can. As their bombing spree takes them cross-country, Cat is appointed the eyes and ears of the president of the United States. Teamed with Special Ops and bombing expert Sam Patterson, Cat must figure out who these bombers are, what their motives are, who is funding them, and ultimately, if they can be caught. As the bombings become more violent and deadly, Cat and Sam are in a race against time to catch these savage killers before they kill again.

Will they succeed or will the bombers avoid detection and escape?

EXCERPT FROM CHAPTER EIGHT:

March 14. 3:40 a.m.

Chicago Fire rolled up to the inferno, sirens blaring. The air was

filled with black smoke mixed with the toxic smell of melting and

burning fibers, carpet, fabric, furniture, plastics, and even people.

The smell was of acrid chemicals—all being burned together.

A battalion chief was barking orders over the roar of the fire and sirens,

“I need Hook & Ladder Company 5. Right now. As high as we can go.”

The firemen got to work connecting lines to hydrants trying to

douse the flames that they can reach with high-pressure water hoses.

From the looks of it, any sprinkler system inside the Water Tower either

wasn’t working properly or wasn’t working at all. Firemen were

shouting at one another to get water on the flames.

Fast.

But fast was not fast enough.

Cat could smell the caustic fire from a half block away. Within a

minute, Cat was on the scene with Sam. She was facing north towards

the lake, looking straight at the leading edge of the biggest, blackest,

most ravenous fire she had ever seen.

My God, how did it get so big so fast?

She felt goose bumps rise on her skin.

I’m not ready for this.

She felt overwhelmed by the initial sight of it.

The sheer scope and fury of it.

Ahead of her, the line of fire was huge, rolling through everything

it touched, like a hungry animal feeding on hapless prey. Consuming

all in its path. Feeding with each second. Growing with each second.

And up, up, up, until Cat had to bend her neck to see the top of it. This

close, she couldn’t only see the fire, she could feel its heat on her skin.

She had seen dramatic fires before but never one like this. Nothing as

overwhelming in its strength and fury as this sight. The whole front

line of the flames burning hot as it marched ever upward.

Ashes flittered through a strong breeze coming in from the north

in front of Cat’s eyes. Cat could feel the storm winds’ intensity growing

each minute. It was at her back coming off Michigan Avenue just

where it meets the beginning of the Magnificent Mile.

Cat could hear the fire’s roar grow as she got closer. The only word

to describe the sound was thunderous—like a low rumbling, roaring

sound all around her that seemed to grow louder with each second.

Then the sound turned into more of a howling, as the wind picked up

a clip off Lake Michigan feeding the fire with oxygen. All around her,

small pieces of things that were on fire swirled in the air. The trees that

lined Michigan Avenue bowed and leaned in the approaching storm.

Beyond the shores of Lake Michigan, a black oily layer of clouds, Cat

watched a funnel cloud form, dip, and rise back up into the sky like a

gossamer ghost. If she hadn’t witnessed it for herself, she would hardly

have believed it was there at all.

But as dramatic and ominous as the storm was, as Cat turned her

attention back to the fire, the scene above Michigan Avenue was far

more frightening. People in the apartments across the street and down

from the Water Tower were glued to the sight of the fire in their own

apartments. Cat could make them out—standing next to floor-toceiling

windows, their faces frozen in fear. Some were shouting. Some

seemed to be praying.

Cat knew they couldn’t believe what they were seeing, hearing, and

smelling.

It’s like a horror movie that won’t stop.

She gazed up. Before her, the scene was utter chaos. The top floors

of the Water Tower were almost fully engulfed by flames. The flames

seemed to have a mind of their own. She watched as they licked the

outside of the building and curled upward from floor to floor. The

fire blew out windows and then retreated into the interior shell of the

structure. This fire was ferocious. That much was clear.

Looking up through the smoke directly into the heart of the fire,

Cat knew that oxygen, furniture, people’s bodies, as well as a strong

northward wind off the lake were feeding it. The sound was terrifying.

Deafening. Like a train that wouldn’t stop. She watched the fire whirl,

twist, and grow—consuming objects in its path—consuming people.

Good God.

Sam had a look on his face that told Cat he was thinking the same

thing. With all the conflict and war and chaos he has seen in his life,

she was sure, he has never seen anything like this. Sam was silent, taking

it all in. Cat knew what he was thinking because she was thinking

it too.

How many people would die tonight?

About Solange Ritchie

BORN ON THE BEAUTIFUL TROPICAL ISLAND of Jamaica to a Jamaican father and a French mother, Solange Ritchie (then Solange Levy) immigrated to the United States at age eleven. Since then, she has become a dynamic force for change. Fed up with thrillers that start with a fizzle and longing to see more powerful women as lead characters, Solange decided to create her own characters. Despite the demands of a busy legal career, she accomplished her ambitious goal by rising each morning to write before work, dedicating her weekends to writing, and even spending her vacation time writing. Solange is fortunate to have traveled to over 19 countries in her lifetime.

Words have always been Solange’s passion – now so more than ever.

Solange achieved a successful writing career while doing “last minute trial,” mostly in Southern California. Dubbed “the Case Saver,” Solange handled intense legal motions that either make or break a case, especially in the areas of business, labor, and employment law. In 2014, she received the State Bar of California’s Solo and Small Firm’s Section’s highest award, the Myer J. Sankary Attorney of the Year Award. It is given to only one attorney each year in California.

When Solange was just thirty-seven years old, her first husband, John, died due to gross medical negligence at a leading Southern California hospital. This life-altering experience helped shape her into the person she is today. She began writing creatively to deal with the stress of his hospitalization and his death.

Solange’s first psychological thriller, The Burning Man, featuring FBI forensic pathologist Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers was published in 2015. Her second novel in the series, Firestorm, was released to critical acclaim, on May 15, 2018. Dying Declaration is the third novel in the Dr. Catherine “Cat” Powers series. Bomb Blast is Solange’s fourth novel in the series. Solange plans at least two more books in the Dr. Catherine Powers series. A fan of things that go bump in the night, Solange has also penned a Southern Gothic novel called Fiona’s Box, which will be released shortly.

Solange lives in Southern Florida. She enjoys traveling, writing, gardening, time with her family, as well as good food and conversation. Solange is available for speaking engagements. She especially enjoys talking with book clubs. To receive her Sunday blog post, Notes from Solange, just go to her author website, http://www.solangeritchie.com, and leave your e-mail address. Nothing negative or political is ever posted. Her author website, www.authorsolange.com, includes a blog, reviews, recipes, events, and the latest on Solange’s adventures. Solange welcomes your comments, reviews, and suggestions, and invites you to contact her at:

Author website: https://www.authorsolange.com/

Legal website: http://solangeritchielaw.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/solange.ritchie

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/solange-ritchie-5276486

Twitter: @solangeritchie and @solangeauthor

Purchase Link – Amazon

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

June 19 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT WITH RECIPE

June 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

June 21 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT WITH EXCERPT

June 21 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

June 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT