Excerpt
1:
A time comes
when every woman must learn what to do with life’s lemons. Some
make lemonade. Some clean their garbage disposals. And some make a proper cup
of tea.
Sarah Flynn always chose tea.
Excerpt
2:
Eduardo
laughed again.
His
laugh wasn’t loud or overbearing but a genuine expression of amusement. His
eyes, so rich with warmth, smiled, too. For a moment, she lost herself gazing
into them, even after his laughter subsided. She cleared her throat and stepped
toward the table, where she pretended to busy herself with collecting the
folders and handouts. “So, did you have a question?” She kept her gaze on the
papers in front of her.
“Question?”
She
stole a glance at him and nearly gasped. With his eyebrows pressed together and
his glasses dipping to the edge of his nose, she knew where she had seen his
face before. Michelangelo’s David. His eyes, his nose, and his mouth were all
strikingly similar to the image she’d studied in college. And she’d studied the
David closely: the toned biceps, the chiseled abdomen, and the intricately
carved genitals...
A
deep blush rushed her face, and she shifted her gaze to the desk. Why was she
so embarrassed? She wasn’t undressing him with her eyes. Even if she had paid
attention to the wide shoulders and narrow hips that now caught her eye, she
needn’t be ashamed.
How
long had passed since she had felt the warmth of desire for a man? Sarah
swallowed hard and fanned her face. Apparently, long enough that even an
innocent attraction burned her cheeks bright.
He
relaxed his brows. “Are you all right?”
Sarah
froze her fanning hand in mid-flap. “Oh...yes. I’m still getting used to the
temperature here.”
Excerpt
3:
Sarah led the way and shuffled into the narrow pew.
The man at the end glanced up from his book. He did a
double take then stood.
Sarah stopped, and her heart quickened. Not him. Anyone but him.
“Sarah,” Eduardo said. The hymnal slipped from his grasp and
clattered to the floor. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Sarah was too shocked to move. “Yes.” Her voice
shook.
Eduardo knelt to pick up the book.
Swallowing hard, Sarah firmed her tone. “I mean, likewise.”
As Eduardo returned to standing, his gaze flitted
between Sarah and the hymnal. He rubbed the spine of the book and chewed his
lip.
Mom nudged Sarah’s side and mumbled something.
But Sarah didn’t catch what she said. She didn’t turn
to ask, either. She could only focus on the questions racing through her mind: Is he alone? Where is Antoinette? And Lucia?
She glanced back over her shoulder.
With a wave her hands, Mom motioned to Sarah to scoot
down the aisle.
Sarah looked past Mom to the stoic face of Sister
Maria, who conveniently avoided meeting Sarah’s gaze. She clenched her teeth. Does hell have a special place for people
who strangle meddling nuns? She inched down
the pew, making room for Mom and Sister Maria—and bringing her closer to
Eduardo.
What are your top ten favorite books or authors?
Jane Austen
Tracy Chevalier
Bronte Sisters (does this count as two??)
Philippa Gregory
Petra Durst-Benning
Khaled Hoesseini
Erin Morgenstern
Geraldine Brooks
Sharon Owens
What book do you think everyone should read?
Any romantic should read Pride
and Prejudice. This is probably my favorite book of all time. I’ve lost of
how many times I’ve read it! While the plot-line is thin, Austen’s characters
are so memorable you’ll be rooting for them long after you finish reading.
Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?
They come to me as I write. Usually, I know the two main
characters (hero and heroine). I usually write in a side-kick for each of these
but who they are is totally unknown when I start a story.
I do very little research during the first draft. I tend to
make notes of things but otherwise fly by the seat of my pants. After that, I
go completely maniacal on research and plotting. If you could see my
spreadsheet…. (*facepalm!)
Absolutely! My dream has always been to retire early from
teaching and write on a full-time basis.
I’m a total historical fiction junkie. Oddly, I don’t read
romance--virtually none--so I’m not talking historical romance. I mean The Killer Angels, The Girl with Pearl
Earring, etc. I live and die by my historical fiction books!
Noise doesn’t bother me but speech does. That is, I don’t
like to listen to music with words or be in a crowded setting where words are
popping into my head. They tend to distract me from my task and/or
unintentionally make their way into what I’m writing!
I’m not giving up any book titles here, but I actually
started writing by rewriting endings of books that drove me batty! I’m a
complete HEA chick, and I used to get so depressed when I’d read a book that
didn’t end this way. One day, I decided, “Heck! I’m gonna make this a happily
ever after!” I had so much fun with it, I started writing my own stories.
I’m a sucker for memorable characters and vivid settings
(ahem, have you read my book? LOL). I love multiple plotlines, timelines, and
POVs. I’m not huge on complicated plots--I’ll never be a John Grisham--but I
like there to be some element of surprise.
Right now I’m reading The
Story Between Us by Darlene Deluca.
Neither! I write the stories in my head. I know many of them
won’t interest others, but my characters demand their story be told. Writing my
stories, is more about appeasing them than myself or my readers.
How long on average does it take you to write a book?
One or two years. It depends how many drafts are needed.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Yes! And unfortunately I suffered from it for nearly a year.
I still dont know what caused it, but it was a horrible time! I was so glad when
it ended.
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