Shades of Grey II: Hear No Evil (Book Two in the Shades of Grey Series)

By Amanda M. Holt

Book Two in the Shades of Grey Series

When Crystal Grey, a teenager with dark secrets, disappears from her Vancouver home, her family is tormented by questions:

Where has Crystal gone?
Why hasn't she returned?
Who is she with?
What is she doing?
Why did she leave?
When is she coming back?

Involved in the drug trade and running with a fast crowd, Crystal is now being exploited by some very sinister people - facts that the Vancouver Police Department are reluctant to reveal to her family.

Her sister, Eve, refuses to sit idly by and watch her sister become some kind of statistic. However, the strain of the situation is taking its toll...

You see, Eve has a few dark secrets of her own.

Secrets from the past, secrets born of madness and violence that whisper seductively to Eve in waking and in dream, calling her to action, calling her to punish the people who have hurt her baby sister, who are using her for their own criminal gain.

These nightmarish voices, thought to have been silenced by a team of mental health professionals years before, seem as though they are back and more vicious than ever before.

Will Eve give in to their siren song and take justice into her own hands? Even if it's at the cost of her very sanity?

This anger inside of her is so wrathful, so unnatural, so all-consuming, so...hungry.

Sometimes, she just doesn't feel like herself...

....sometimes, it's as if she doesn't feel human at all...

Look for Book Three ~ Shades of Grey: See No Evil in January/February of 2012

The Shades of Grey Series:

Shades of Grey: Prologue (November 2011)
Shades of Grey: Hear No Evil (December 2011)
Shades of Grey: See No Evil (January/February 2012)
Shades of Grey: Speak No Evil (February/March 2012)
Shades of Grey: Epilogue (March/April 2012)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amanda M. Holt
• Release date: Apr 26, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476498324

Amanda M. Holt

Let's see... I was born in Revelstoke, British Columbia. Raised in Small Town, Manitoba and spent my adult life in different Manitoban locales: Dauphin, Ste. Rose du Lac, Ochre River, The Pas, and now - Thompson! I'm the oldest daughter of an oldest daughter. I believe that guns don't kill people: people kill people. I also believe that, contrary to the behavior of the main character in my Shades of Grey Series, people with mental illness are not typically violent (read the statistics, it's true...and besides, if you make it to Book 4 of Shades of Grey, you will be [spoiler alert] wondering if she is ill, or not ill, or...? What the-? I intend to keep you guessing! Until I leave you quivering and satisfied, that is!) I've worked many JOBS over the years, but am now in a CAREER in Health Care that I find very gratifying. That being said, as you would likely hear from any aspiring author, if there comes a day that my first love (writing) enables me to write from day thru night without having to worry about making the rent or putting groceries on the table (anotherwords, a steady writing income), then of course I would consider retirement from my "real world" career. My first and forever true love? Writing! And there is SO much that I want to write about! Working on about seven projects in regular intervals at the moment, plus some novellas and the six completed projects that are in revision/editing...all of which will appear here on Smashwords, if they meet with their (Smashwords') standards for quality that is. At the time of writing this, I am childless (thank Heavens), seeing someone who is very special to me, and I've no pets and no houseplants. I enjoy chocolate, chai tea with a lot of milk, and coffee dolled up the same way. I eat too much ketchup (Heinz, there ain't no other kinds) and not enough sushi... I have more journals than i know what to do with, but they seem to have a starring role in keeping me sane...if not for them, if not for reflecting on my goals and motives fairly regularly, I'm certain that I would have made some very poor choices in bedpartners, purchases, habits and careers. My advice to anyone literate? Journal. Write down your thoughts, goals, aspirations and reflect on them at least once a month. If I am on a track, on a path, it seems to me as though journalling seems to keep me on it. My advice to anyone who wants to write a book? If you can carry on a conversation during a coffee break and tell a well-spun tale or joke, you are entirely capable of writing a book...especially if you have some noteable life experiences to draw from. There's inspiration for that book (or books) all around you. Don't look: SEE!!! And don't procrastinate: DO!!! (Now if I can just follow my own advice :) ). I've had 15+ stories (novellas and full length novels) published at publishers other than Smashwords, but I don't think that it's in good taste to print the names of those companies here, where i'm supposed to be promoting Smashwords novels. Suffice to say, they are small publishing houses, not New York publishing house giants! All that being said, i'll update this if/when anything noteworthy happens in my life. Sincere regards and happy reading! Amanda M. Holt NOTEWORTHY NOTE: All of my titles that were available as Kindle format at Amazon will soon (all) be available here at Smashwords. I just have to hurry up and do the formatting, and ideally they will pass the Smashwords standards review. Thank you for your patience, understanding and support of both my work and my chosen charities, which benefit from a portion of my royalties/sales. Future works will feature donations to other charities near and dear to my heart. Writing has taken a back-seat to other pursuits... will increase writing productivity soon. Sincere regards & happy reading, Amanda M. Holt July, 2013

Book preview

THE SHADES OF GREY SERIES

Shades of Grey: Prologue

(Released December 2011)

Shades of Grey: Hear No Evil

(Released December 2011)

Shades of Grey: See No Evil

(Estimated release May/June 2012)

Shades of Grey: Speak No Evil

(Estimated release September/October 2012)

Shades of Grey: Epilogue

(In Late Development)

Shades of Grey: Do No Evil

(In Early Development)

Published by Amanda M. Holt at Smashwords

Copyright 2012 Amanda M. Holt

Discover other titles by Amanda M. Holt at Kindle

Spring/Summer 2012

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold

or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person,

please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did

not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to

Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedication:

"For my family, biological and surrogate – and their support of my hobby.

My parents, who I worried a lot through the years. They’ve earned every grey hair on their heads.

Nancee G., for GOD’S SAKE woman, pick up a goddamn pen and start writing again! No time like the present! I crave the words that you will one day put to paper…please let it be soon…

Rhoda/Iolene, Lynn, Mel, Matt and Russ – when you see me, your eyes light up and your smiles are so sincere they really warm my heart. Thank you for adopting me as one of your own.

T, a goddess among women! An unpredictable, untamable, fierce and feisty goddess who would not consider herself a goddess, but BAH! T! It’s MY opinion! I’m allowed to have MY opinions! Whether you like my opinions or not - deal with them! I’ll love you forever, in one way or another, in whatever form my energy may take…yikes, right? Another opinion!

Hurricane Mikey, my brudder from anudder mudder. Is that weird? I don’t think so. It’s evolved to this and I like what this is. Keep looking! You’re Mister Right! You’ll find her!

My assorted Thompsonite peoples…workmates, friends, co-conspirators…Thank you for your ongoing support and for letting me be myself and express myself without consequence.

The Charrons. You opened your hearts to me, the most precious gift of all…

Meeeeshelle. You are poetry in human form. I know that you will never alter who you are to meet with a man’s approval. You are beautiful, you are stronger than you give yourself credit for and you are so stubborn sometimes it makes me want to pull my hair out! But I love you, I respect you and as always, wish you happiness with lots of babies. Don’t hate me. I think you’d make a marvelous mother!

Kristen. Have I ever met a more decent human being? You’re not too shabby with a baseball glove, either. Batting needs a little work though. Just kidding! Love ya, Wifey!

Kay Kay. We can’t let distance get the best of our friendship. Write, text, call, email, fb, do whatever it takes…I will if you will.

Mr. and Mrs. Sarah Peters. I just HAD to put it in typeface! New friends, dear friends, how I adore thee! Thanks for the interesting talks and entertaining evenings – they are very inspiring!

Pretty Kitty. As in Kat. Couldn’t leave you out of this…there’s a story with a character I’ve fashioned after you coming up in the near future. You’re so quirky and spirited and terribly nice and creative…I admire you. Ryan, if she was gay and into me and I was gayer and into her, you would be SH!T out of luck.

Ryan. Because you’re in a secret society of some kind and I think that’s really cool. Oops! Guess the secret’s out. What is it? Illuminati? Palladins? The Rosa Crucian Order? Free Masons? Stone Masons? Do you wear a cool robe? Are there ritualistic sacrifices? Is there a goat’s head on an altar at your secret headquarters in Gillam? Come on, out with it before I get creative and write my OWN version of the truth!

My nameless lost sibling – are you my Guardian angel? I think you are. Thank you for watching over me in the peril of my youth. Continue watching over me – I have much that I would like to do.

And finally, for my readers: you really are the sole reason I do this. Without you, these words would just be meaningless electrons on my laptop. Your interpretation of my tales, the imagery you create in your mind as you read my work – that is what truly brings my characters to life! And they do enjoy living.

Happy reading! A.M.H"

Donation Pledge:

Hello Reader!

By purchasing this eBook you have made possible a donation to Children of the Street Society (British Columbia, Canada). Every book title that I experience a sale for at Kindle Direct publishing will result in a donation to a charity that is near and dear to my heart.

Children of the Street Society is one such charity.

(Taken pseudo quote from their website) their mission is to take a proactive approach through public awareness, education and early intervention strategies to prevent the sexual exploitation of children and youth, while offering support to families.

Their vision is a world where children and youth are safe and free from all forms of sexual exploitation.

Children of the Street Society takes a collaborative and comprehensive approach to preventing the sexual exploitation of children and youth. They know that investing in preventative measures means a decrease in the need for intervention and enforcement services, and is cost-effective over the long-term. They offer a variety of preventative programs which engage a diverse range of individuals and groups. Their primary prevention tool is education and awareness workshops – they facilitate over 500 workshops, in approximately 30 B.C. communities, with more than 25,000 participants annually.

For more information on their services, you can visit their website at http://www.childrenofthestreet.com

SHADES OF GREY: Hear No Evil (Book Two)

By:

Amanda M. Holt

Chapter One:

June 5 1:43 p.m.

Eve had been at the Whitmore Collegiate Institute for two hours now, making little progress in that time.

It seemed there were few people who knew anything about Crystal’s activities in the past few months. Details were especially skimpy regarding the last few days leading up to her disappearance.

If they knew anything about Eve’s little sister, they weren’t talking.

Eve was beginning to get a tension headache.

It was as though someone were turning her headache dial from low to medium, with their intentions set on crippling her with the highest setting possible.

She closed her aching grey eyes and tried to will the throbbing pain away.

If she wasn’t careful, a headache like this could turn into a fully fledge migraine.

Eve figured that the headache wasn’t there simply because the French twist that held her long onyx black hair was so tight that it was almost giving her a facelift. She had her mother to thank for that as she wouldn’t let Eve leave the house looking like she didn’t care about her appearance.

The headache wasn’t merely dialing up because the person she was waiting for had yet to show up and was getting later by the minute.

And it wasn’t just