Coincidence? Fate? Signs? by Rita Henuber (hosted by Killer Fictionista Diane Kelly)

It's my pleasure to welcome author Rita Henuber to the Killer Fiction blog today.  Rita writes about extraordinary women and the men they love. Her book Under Fire is about a Coast Guard helicopter pilot, Olivia Carver, who is on a very personal mission. Her twin brother, an undercover officer, was murdered by a drug cartel and she won't stop until she finds the man responsible for his death.

In the course of her own investigation, Olivia meets informant Rico Cortes. He's mysterious and sexy and despite her reservations, the two share a night of passion. But Rico turns out to be more than a one-night stand. He's a DEA agent, deep undercover in Miami's drug world, and possibly the one man who can help Olivia find the justice she seeks.

Rico realizes his cover is blown, he isn't sure whether it was someone in the cartel or an inside agent. Olivia is the only one he can trust and together they venture on a dangerous, rogue mission to infiltrate a drug lord's inner circle…with Olivia as bait.

Under Fire is available at Carina Press , Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Audible

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Coincidence? Fate? Signs? 

I believe in the saying, there are no coincidences.  I think random events come together to build the structure of our lives. I LOVE it when an author weaves coincidences in a story. This is a common thread to the books I write. Why? It's happened to me so many times I have to included it in my books. I wouldn't be a published author today if a series of ugly events hadn't brought me to my knees. I withdrew and read. Something I hadn’t been able to do in 10 years. Then I thought, I can do this. I can write a book. I started writing the stories swirling in my head. If these those ugly events hadn't happened to me I wouldn’t be here today. Coincidence? Fate?

It's not just me, I’ve seen it happen to people around me. A woman, 50, a man 53, the sweetest and nicest people you'd ever want to meet, neither ever married, two grades apart in high school in a small town. In the same social groups for close to 30 years begin dating. In less than two years they married. I might add- mind bendingly, happily married. 14 months into the marriage, she collapses and is diagnosed with a fast-growing brain cancer. The doctors said she probably had it for 3 to 4 years with no symptoms. Are you doing the math? She was gone in five months. With all seriousness, she made her husband promise that after a suitable amount of terrible mourning he would get on with his life, marry and have a hell of a good time. He also had to promise not to let his family use him the way they had before they married. You see, he was the unmarried guy who did everything for everybody. He did find someone else and moved 1000 miles away. He is extremely happy. Fate?

Another woman I know, unhappily married, was on her way to meet another man to engage in an affair. She was in a horrific car accident. Pinned inside the car when it caught fire. A man freed her and disappeared into the night. No one knew who he was. Five years later, divorced, at a party she heard a man telling the story of how he'd pulled a woman from a car accident. Yep. They got together and were married.

My husband and I first met when I was 14 and he was 16. Or, so I thought. Several years after we were married he recounted an incident. I was 9ish and he was 12. His family had rented a home in my neighborhood, a block from my house. There was an altercation between neighborhood kids. My cousins, others boys, myself, against another group of boys. I was the only girl. Future hubs was the oldest and tallest. I was already swinging and he grabbed me from behind and dragged me away. I was livid. Kicking and hollering. He wouldn't let go. I'd totally forgotten it, but he hadn't. He recounted everything vividly, even some of the things I said. He told me he pulled me out so I wouldn't get hurt.

Do you remember the Apollo 13 events? If you don't perhaps you saw the movie. The lunar mission was aborted after an oxygen tank exploded crippling the service module. The original pilot Ken Mattingly, was grounded after exposure to German measles and replaced by Jack Swigert. Mattingly did not come down with the measles and was the leading force in jury-rigging the space capsule to get the crew safely back to earth. Many believe if Mattingly had been aboard the outcome of that mission would have been very different.

M. Night Shyamalan wrote and directed a movie called Signs.  Some say it’s about crop circles and aliens. NOT!  It’s about SIGNS. Ergo the name. M. Night say he truly believes in signs. Coincidences. The movie is loaded with them. 

I enjoy a book loaded with signs, coincidences, and unorthodox meetings. Do you?