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Friday, February 3, 2012

Sweet Saturday Sample of "The Love List"

Thank you for stopping by today. My Sweet Saturday Sample is from "The Love List" my brand-new novella, sequel to "The Marriage List" just released last weekend. Grey and Carrie awaken at his family's old Victorian house in upstate New York. It's the day
 after Thanksgiving.
Carrie stared at her left hand. The brand-new, three-carat diamond
resting on her fourth finger twinkled its brilliance and clarity at her,
reminding her of her engagement, now three days old. Grey sat on the
window seat in front of a bird feeder and pulled her onto his lap.
There’s food in the feeder. Are there still birds this far north in
November? Haven’t they all migrated by now?
Neither one spoke but Grey slipped his arm around her waist,
steadying her and she rested her head against his shoulder.
“Come on,” he said, easing her off his lap, taking her hand and
leading her to the back door.
They pulled on down parkas and gloves, Carrie tucked her
shoulder-length streaked blonde hair under a knitted hat. The early risers trudged out into the cold where their shoes crunched on the thin layer of hard snow. Their breath hung suspended in the frigid air. Grey took her hand again and she followed him down a well-worn path to the lake. The bright sunshine bouncing off the frozen water peeked through gaps in the trees, blinding her temporarily. She could see the thick ice on the lake and a smile came to her lips.
“Let’s go,” she said, pulling on Grey’s hand to increase their speed
and moving out onto the frozen surface.
A sudden sharp tug on her hand pulled her back with a jerk.
“No!” Grey hollered at her, folding his arms around her so she
couldn’t move.
Carrie looked up at him and raised her eyebrows. “Grey? What
the…”
“Don’t go there.” He tightened his grip, his mouth set in a grim
line.
“But it’s frozen solid. And it’s so much fun to walk on.”
“It isn’t frozen solid.”
“It is. Look,” she said, squirming to get away but unable to shake
off his firm grip.
“No, no, no Carrie.” His eyes shone as he held her still, and she
watched him blink back tears.
“What?”
“The ice, it’s wrong. It looks frozen but it isn’t. When I was eight,
my best friend, Tom, dared me to go out on the ice. I refused and tried to keep him from going but he wouldn’t listen. He fell through and died before I could get help.”
Carrie hugged him, her cheek on his chest. She moved back a step
and looked into his eyes, catching a glimpse of the frightened little boy he was on that horrible day. What a terrifying experience! Her heart melted.
“I’m so sorry. I won’t go there. I promise.”
He leaned his head on hers and closed his eyes. “I couldn’t stand to
lose you, too. I love you so much,” he whispered.
“I love you, too.” She snuggled more tightly into the comfort of his
embrace.
They held onto each other while the sun melted the ice coating the
tree branches and the air began to warm up. Cold water dripping down on them from trees above forced the lovers to move.


A little bit about the book

Can the swinging bachelor change his ways and become a devoted, selfless and faithful man overnight? Grey's marriage list brought them together. But when Carrie starts her own list, can Grey incorporate her ideas about love into his life? Family issues, jealousy and an icy lake threaten to destroy the happiness Carrie and Grey have found together. An argument, a holiday trip to visit family and confronting an old fear test the lovers who have pledged their love and now must learn to make it stronger every day.
Buy Links Only $1.99

8 comments:

Jenna said...

This excerpt is so true to life. It's a roller coaster of ups and downs--happy one moment, fearful or panicked the next. I hope they figure out how to keep the keel even. Nice sample. :)

Elaine Cantrell said...

Nice sample. I liked his concern for her.

Sandy Nachlinger said...

Loved your description of the scene surrounding them. The story about his boyhood friend chilled the scene even more! Good job.

Lisa said...

Everytime I read Tge Love List, I love it more. Such a wonderful book.

Patricia Kiyono said...

I must have read this book because this scene sounds so familiar. Or maybe it sounds familiar because it's so believable! Thanks for sharing.

Lindsay said...

I love not only this scene but the whole book. Read it in one sitting because I couldn't put in down

Sarah Ballance said...

I can not only see but FEEL this scene. You did a wonderful job of drawing me in! (And now I'm cold, LOL.)

Meg said...

I agree with Sarah - I could hear, feel and see everything! Vivid!! Great snippet, plus great emotions.