Tuesday Teaser/Opening ~ Mind Games

Urban fantasy is one of my favorite genres, especially when the idea behind it has a spark of originality. Picture a group of superheroes whose superpowers are based on their neurosis and you've got a glimpse of the world Carolyn Crane creates in Mind Games.


Blurb:
JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.

Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

Opening:
  From where we sit I have the perfect view of Shady Ben Foley, dining on the other side of the lavishly decorated Mongolian restaurant. He's with an innocent looking young couple--a pretty girl with dark ringlets and a wholesome blond country-boy fellow. Do they not get what he is?
  The last time I saw Foley was maybe fifteen years ago—I was a teen and he was a middle-aged man in drawstring pant, mowing his lawn and ripping off my family. He's grown paler and thicker, but I recognized his sharp little nose and peering eyes the instant I saw him out on the street.

Teaser:
I'm medium pretty, and this is not a look you give a medium pretty girl. It's almost as if he beholds me, full of awe—as if there's something miraculous about my appearance. What does he see? I've heard of people looking beatific in their last moments of life—is that it?

Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current readOpen to a random pageShare two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! To see what others are sharing on the Teaser Tuesdays, check the comments at:: http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/ 






Share the first paragraph (or a few) from a book you are reading. Here's the link: Bibliophile By The Sea