Spotlight Feature of Obsession by Tamaria Soana

Alexandria Stevens is a New York Times best-selling romance novelist. After she makes a guest appearance on a popular TV talk show, she creates a Twitter account. Within a few short weeks she meets a fan, and they become fast friends…or that’s what Alex thinks. When Alex finds herself being stalked, the person she least suspects is her new friend Jillian. What she doesn’t know is that Jillian has been obsessed with her for years. She wants everything Alex has, even her husband.
Content Warning: sexual situations, adult language, violence

Alex opened the door and signed for the flowers. As she took them to the kitchen to place them in a vase, her mind wandered to all the ways she could thank Hudson properly after his conference call was over. Her favorite one involved her being down on her knees. Alex couldn’t wait to see and smell the beautiful flowers. Giggling, she untied the ribbon and anxiously lifted the lid.
She screamed and dropped the box. It was filled with a dozen black roses, a purple plastic butterfly attached to one stem. Fear rocked through her body as she remembered the note left on her car. Like a butterfly, a wild butterfly. I will collect you and capture you.Alex fell to the floor and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Alex, oh my God. Are you okay? What happened?” Hudson asked as he placed his arms around her trembling body.
She pointed to the black roses. “I thought you sent me flowers,” she stuttered in between her sobs.
Hudson looked at the roses with confusion, then Alex pointed to the butterfly and told him about the note she’d found on her car and how Colleen said it was nothing, probably a sick prank.
“You should’ve told me, baby. I’m calling your father, this isn’t just a prank.” Hudson dialed Anthony, Alex’s father and a police detective. Hudson held her tight and assured her that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her and they would find out what was going on.
Anthony was at his daughter’s side within fifteen minutes with two policemen in tow. He asked a few questions and took the flowers for evidence. Alex just clung to Hudson as her father lectured her for not telling anyone about the note that had been left on her car. He was upset that the note had been destroyed, because there could’ve been forensic evidence on it that would help them figure out who was doing this.
Alex looked into her father’s eyes, he looked both angry and conflicted. She knew this had to be hard on him. He had to be both her father and the detective on the case. He assured them he would try and keep a lid on it for as long as possible. Alex let out a moan knowing what would happen if the media found out about it.
Hudson asked Anthony about the possibility of the police providing some sort of security for Alex. She objected, saying she didn’t want to be babysat. Her father quickly dismissed her objection, stating it was a good idea and he would arrange regular patrols of the street. He swore to her that he would catch the psycho who was stalking her. He hugged her before he left, which took Alex by surprise because he never showed emotion.
When everyone was finally gone, Hudson got Alex some water and two sleeping pills. Soon she was in bed wrapped in Hudson’s arms. Although she was both emotionally and physically exhausted, she felt safe next to him. She sighed and snuggled as close to his warm body as she could as she wiped away a tear and drifted off to sleep.
Alex woke to her cellphone ringing over and over again. Who the hell keeps calling? She moaned as she grabbed her phone from the bedside table. When she looked at the screen and saw who the caller was, she rolled her eyes.
“Mom?”
“Oh my God, Alexandria, are you okay? Why do I have to find out from the media that someone is stalking my daughter?”
Alex just let her mother rant—no good would come out of trying to stop her and explain things until she had it all out of her system.
“And a movie deal? Why am I the last to know everything? Well, I’m waiting.”
“I’m sorry, Mom. I was going to call you today. Things have been a bit crazy. What do you mean you heard it from the media?”
“It’s all over the entertainment news.”
“Christ!” Alex took a deep breath. She needed to focus and find out what was being said. “Mom, I have to go. I promise I’ll call you later and fill you in on everything. I need to find out exactly what has been leaked.”

Tamaria Soana is middle aged, but just feels like her life has begun. She resides in Western New York. Cuddling up with a good book under an electric throw has always been her way to escape the cold Buffalo nights. Growing up she always loved to write, mainly short stories and poetry. She’s married with two beautiful young girls and one very spoiled lab mix.