Heather Harlen
Heather Harlen is a writer, teacher, writing consultant, and curriculum designer. She has a B.A. in English and a teaching degree, an M.A. in creative writing, and an M.Ed. She is the owner of Heart In Hand Writing Services, a company specializing in writing coaching and developmental editing. Heather and her husband live in Eastern Pennsylvania where she teaches high school English and is working on Book 3 of the Marina Konyeshna Trilogy.
SHAME, SHAME, I KNOW YOUR NAME
(BOOK 2 of the Marina Konyeshna Trilogy)
Northampton House Press, 2017
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
It’s been a few months since small-town event planner Marina Konyeshna survived a pursuit by international human traffickers and a mine collapse. Marina’s friends have questioned the empty whipped-cream vodka bottles and the new tattoo, but she thinks they’re overreacting. Her love life is perking up, but it’s not clear how long her new guy will wait on the sidelines while she buries herself in work.
Still, Marina can’t pack her bags fast enough when a blast from the past offers her the opportunity to work with Russia’s richest woman. In Moscow, Marina’s thrilled to find herself mistaken for a glamorous pop singer who could be her twin; but she soon finds there’s more to being a celebrity than designer clothes and red carpet events. What follows is a return to the dark world of human trafficking, this time peering into the “red market,” where the human body is currency in ways she never imagined possible. Marina must learn what it takes to survive - physically, mentally, emotionally, and culturally - thousands of miles from home.
HOPE YOU GUESS MY NAME
(BOOK 1 of the Marina Konyeshna Trilogy)
Northampton House Press, 2013
Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
If plucky heroines had their own secret society, Marina Konyeshna, Stephanie Plum and Bridget Jones would all know the handshake.
Event planner Marina Konyeshna can plan both elegant soirees and adrenaline-pumping skydiving birthday parties. Unfortunately, her quarter-life crisis is in full swing: she’s crashing on the sofa bed in her mom’s basement, her career at Prestige Events is veering toward disaster and her Adderall prescription needs to be refilled. To make matters worse, Marina witnesses a terrifying assault and discovers the body of a young girl on the banks of the Susquehanna River. It’s soon clear the two events are related, but she's forced into silence by the thugs responsible.
Enter a mysterious and gorgeous client from Turkey. Arman Ocalan, a wealthy construction company owner, takes Marina out on a date and sparks fly; but Marina’s boss’s boyfriend warns her to stay away from Arman and his “connections,” leaving her confused. When Arman invites Marina to form a team for an elite geocaching event, she can’t pass up the prize money. As the competition unfolds through the backwoods, abandoned mines, and culm heaps of rustbelt Pennsylvania, Marina discovers the link between her client and the murdered girl … and realizes what will happen if their team doesn't win.
