Intuition or Sixth Sense?
I saw a news post about a woman at Walmart who had a feeling about a man. He was acting strangely and she wrote down his tag number. Later that same day the man abducted a seven year old girl. The woman gave the tag number to the police and the child was saved.
There was another case a few years ago where a woman had a feeling about a child being in danger and it turned out she was right. The child had been kidnapped and thanks to the woman's intuition or sixth sense, that child was saved.
The second case is where the idea for A Matter of Trust was born. Have you ever experienced intuition that saved you or someone you know? Have you experienced a sixth sense? Tell us about it. You share one and I'll tell you about one of mine.
A Matter of Trust
By MJ Flournoy
While watching a news account of
the rescue of an abducted child, I became absorbed in the story. So much so,
that I took that one event and built an entire plot around it. The person in
the news story encountered a small child and her intuition told her something
was wrong. Being a teacher, I have often encountered situations where that
intuition kicked in to help a child. Often teachers have a sort of sixth sense
where the well-being of students is concerned.
I took that grain of an idea and
built it into the plot of A Matter of Trust. Jolie Wyngate is a teacher with a
gift, or curse, depending on how she views it. She tries to keep knowledge of
her ability undercover, but when the well-being of a child is at risk, she has
to use her ability, regardless of the personal cost.
What would you do in a similar
situation? If you had a special gift, but sharing that gift could cause you to
lose the career you’d worked hard to establish, would you do it? Would you do
the right thing regardless of personal costs?
I like to think that I would rise
to the occasion. That my innate sense of always “do what is right, regardless,”
would be strong enough to help me do what my conscious insisted I do.
That is exactly the dilemma Jolie
faces in A Matter of Trust. She has learned through many personal setbacks that
sharing her gift with others usually came with a steep price for her
personally. Now she faces the ultimate challenge.
Mac Carlson is a man on a
mission. Ex-Navy SEAL and security expert, Carlson’s mission is to save a
kidnapped child. Jolie shows up on his radar as his major suspect. With serious
trust issues on both sides, it seems unlikely that these two will be able to
work together to save the kidnapped child, let alone develop a serious
relationship.
Add to that the presence of the
Maniac, the disembodied voice that is the source of much of Jolie’s information
and the plot becomes very complicated. A Matter of Trust, by MJ Flournoy,
available now.
Leave a comment here and visit
MJ’s blog and leave a comment for a chance to win an Amazon gift card.
Excerpt:
A Coke, a fat one, or an
orange soda.
"Not gonna happen."
Jolie Wyngate shrugged, climbed from her car and hurried toward the convenience
store to pick up a quick snack before continuing on her way south.
And why not?
"Because I have to drive
another hundred and fifty miles, and I don't intend to stop every half hour for
potty breaks."
You are so not any fun! It's
just a Coke, for Pete's sake.
"And you, lady, are so
predictable."
Make it chocolate then.
Jolie smiled. Chocolate, a
compromise with which she could live. "Right."
And stop speaking out loud,
people will think you're crazy.
"Me crazy? Get real, Maniac,
I've talked to you since childhood. If I haven't landed in the
loony bin by now,
I hardly think it's going to happen."
Humor me, then.
Jolie shrugged, continuing toward
the store. She'd pick out a chocolate bar to keep her unseen companion happy.
Serve you right if I quit
talking to you all together.
"Put it in writing."
Jolie reached for the door handle.
A giggle erupted within Jolie's
mind. Then, in the tone Jolie hated hearing: Shush, pay
attention.
There's something wrong in there.
Oh, hell. Jolie bit the
soft flesh of her lower lip. Her hand tingled as if the door was
electrified. Shit,
this was the real reason for the Maniac's sudden thirst.
The cool, dry air of the
convenience store surrounded her when she stepped through the open door. For a
second, the young clerk behind the counter looked up from the newspaper spread
in front of her. Nothing. Jolie expelled a breath of relief, exchanged a quick
smile with the clerk, and then headed toward the candy isle.
Then she saw her. The little girl
wandered listlessly down the candy isle, her small hand
trailing over the
rows of candy, gently touching, but taking nothing. Jolie watched her for a
moment, then scanned the store and saw no one in sight.
The child turned, her gaze
lifting until it found Jolie. She tilted her head to the side, her eyes
searching Jolie's for an instant. Then she moved closer and stared up at her.
The expression on the small face caused Jolie's heart to turn over. She knelt
to the child's level and touched the riot of red curls. A jolt of emotion
skittered along Jolie's spine, but Jolie forced herself not to pull away.
"Hey, sweetie, does your
mommy know you're out here alone?"
The little girl looked about
three. She continued to stare mutely. Jolie smiled at her. "That your
mommy behind the counter?"
She lifted the child into her
arms. Unprepared for the sudden shock of pain and despair that engulfed her,
Jolie almost dropped her. Instead, she tightened her arms instinctively around
the frail body.
Something's not right.
Blurb
Her paranormal abilities had
always caused her grief. But can they save the life of a child who has been
spirited away from her parents and the life of the man she loves?
Jolie Wyngate is a middle school teacher with an extraordinary gift—or is it a curse? Throughout her life, she's been never been sure. Now, when she is implicated in the disappearance of a child, the ultimate value of her powers will be put to the test.
Mac Carlson, former Navy SEAL and security expert, is tasked with rescuing the girl, Rachael Anne. From the moment he meets Jolie, his suspicious and protective nature sets its sights on her as a prime suspect. Can Jolie clear her name and gain this man's hard-won trust?
More importantly, can she save the girl before time runs out? She won't be able to do it without her psychic abilities—but Mac has a hard enough time trusting Jolie as it is, let alone trusting her powers to lead them to Rachael Anne.
As Mac and Jolie realize they have no choice but to work as a team—and as they slowly warm to each other in the process—they realize they have a new problem: the man they are after has set his sights on Jolie. Now Jolie will need all of her abilities, and all of Mac's strength and skill, to stay out of the fiend's hands and bring Rachael Anne back home.
Jolie Wyngate is a middle school teacher with an extraordinary gift—or is it a curse? Throughout her life, she's been never been sure. Now, when she is implicated in the disappearance of a child, the ultimate value of her powers will be put to the test.
Mac Carlson, former Navy SEAL and security expert, is tasked with rescuing the girl, Rachael Anne. From the moment he meets Jolie, his suspicious and protective nature sets its sights on her as a prime suspect. Can Jolie clear her name and gain this man's hard-won trust?
More importantly, can she save the girl before time runs out? She won't be able to do it without her psychic abilities—but Mac has a hard enough time trusting Jolie as it is, let alone trusting her powers to lead them to Rachael Anne.
As Mac and Jolie realize they have no choice but to work as a team—and as they slowly warm to each other in the process—they realize they have a new problem: the man they are after has set his sights on Jolie. Now Jolie will need all of her abilities, and all of Mac's strength and skill, to stay out of the fiend's hands and bring Rachael Anne back home.
Bio for MJ Flournoy:
MJ Flournoy loves crafting stories of
romance and suspense. Her interest in writing grew organically from her love of
reading. A late bloomer, MJ attended college as a non-traditional student and
earned a degree in history with an eye toward writing historical romance.
After graduation from college, MJ
became a middle school teacher, which helps to keep her grounded in the real
world while her plots take her away to the extraordinary worlds of imagination
and creativity. MJ enjoys adding a twist of paranormal to her plots.
MJ makes her home in rural Georgia with
her husband. She has two children and two
grandchildren. Her favourite activities
are writing, reading, and travel.
Links:
Trailer for A Matter of Trust
Buy link for A Matter of Trust
MJ Flournoy
Good job!
I've never had such a feeling, but I suspect I'd have to say something if I did. The knowledge would eat at me until I let someone know. My conscience would not let me sleep.
MM, knowing you as well as I do, I am quite sure you would not only speak up, you would intervene! I've had little feelings through the years and I've learned to listen to that still quiet voice. Thanks for reading.
Always happens to me. The other night, as I filled my truck up with gas I watched as this young man raced into the parking lot, pulled into the darkest corner and hustled inside. After going through two robberies myself, something didn't seem right. I wrote down his license number and make of car, just in case. Then I watched. Fortunately, all was well.
Your book sounds right up my alley. It's going onto my buy list. Congrats, lady!
I get those feelings all the time, usually it turns out to be nothing. But, once in awhile. Like I was crossing at a major intersection and the light changed, the walk sign came on, but for some reason I just kept staring at it. Wondering why it was on when there was going to be an accident. And boom right where I would have been walking two people go hit by a car that had been stolen. The driver kept going...
Autumn, I'm glad that you event turned out not serious. But that is almost exactly how the one occured at Walmart and the little girl was saved because the young woman listened to that instinct.
Mary, I am so glad you listened to that little voice that told you to wait. We have to learn to stop and listen to our intuition.
Promised to tell you about one of my times. Remember way back in '96 when the Olympics were in Atlanta? Well, Atlanta started preparing for it about two or three years ahead. During those years I went to my writers meeting monthly in Atlanta religiously. I hadn't missed a meeting in years! But I told everyone that I was not going to come to Atlanta during all the chaos. I insisted I was not going to the Olympics, not even visit the Olympic Park. One morning I got a phone call. My daughter asking me to go to the Olympic Park with her and a friend. I refused. They called back. I started to refuse, then that little quiet voice said, you have to go. So I went. We walked around the park, had dinner at one of the downtown restaurants and walked some more. We stopped at one of the music venues. Everyone who knows me, knows I'll always sit rather than stand, so I sat on a bench beside a African American woman to listen to the music. Suddenly I turned violently sick. I told my daughter we had to leave. We walked away from the music venue and I started to feel better. We continued to walk and made a round of the park and returned to the music venue. No sooner had we stopped to listen to the music than I turned violently ill again. This time we left the park and made our way to the staging area of the buses. As we stood waiting for a bus, the entire bridge shook. There was a bus coming up, so we thought that was what caused it. I was so sick, they put us on the first bus, ahead of everyone else. We arrived at North Point and stopped to get some medicine for my upset stomach. That's when we learned about the bomb in the park and the lady sitting on the bench being killed. If I had not gone, my daughter would have been standing listening to the music when that bomb exploded. Thanks God I listened to that little quiet voice.
Wow. Fascinating post. I have had many instances of a sixth sense.
I'm anxious to this this story...can't wait...
Scarlet, you have the most interesting experiences!