Marine intelligence officer Chase Reardon finds a chilling kill list thrust inside the mouth of a dead Taliban soldier.

Back home in New York City, Chase’s wife, Alicia must account for her actions during his deployment to preserve her marriage and the fiery passion they once shared. Compounding their problems is Dimitri Ostopenko, the sinister and vengeful Russian mobster determined to vanquish Chase and his family for misdeeds he believes Chase committed against the Ostopenko family. Dimitri’s devious and ceaseless attacks carry a singular message:

Your enemy is closer than you realize.

Entangled family secrets, international arms dealing, murder, and kidnapping form the backdrop of a couple striving to reignite their desire and build their fortunes while fighting for their lives.

C. J. Pastore lives in Manhattan with her husband and two children. When not pounding the keyboard, she enjoys jogging, hiking, reading, and traveling. Immersing herself in other cultures, laughing, eating and drinking with the local populace are favorite pastimes. She holds true to Anne Frank's belief that “people are really good at heart,” and deems that whether walking in your own neighborhood or traversing the globe, the kindness and well-meaning wishes of others can be absorbed and reflected.

As a former writer of curriculum and teacher mentor, C.J Pastore has published articles in TESOL Journal and Social Studies and the Young Learner. Essays on the global rights of Children have been published in The Citizen. Captive of a Commoner, Book I in the Commoner series, is her first foray into the world of romance writing.

To learn more about C. J., visit her online at www.cjpastore.com.