I'm happy to release my third book with Eternal Press, a standalone thriller, this November. Basically, I still have to pick up my jaw from the floor--or again. Good times. I'd like to celebrate them with you by sharing another excerpt from the story that got the ball rolling:
“I
don’t have any kids for you to babysit,” Maria said, “but you
can
come over any time if you like.” She and Callie shared a smile
that
was a lot more genuine and made Rebecca irrationally unhappy.
She
should be glad that most of her friends accepted Callie,
because
it would make a lot of things easier. Maybe. Rebecca emptied
her
glass quickly. Coming here such a bad idea. She spent the
next
few minutes working up the courage to tell Callie she needed
a
moment in private.
“MILF,
really? You called me that to her face?” she asked as
they
stood by the coatrack in the hallway. First Asha Malik, now
Maria
became Callie’s new best friend. It wasn’t the best of weeks
for
Rebecca. She could tell it took Callie a few moments to make
the
connection.
“Oh,
that.”
“Yes,
that. So?”
“I
told you Asha doesn’t have any manners whatsoever. What’s
the
big deal?”
“What
the big deal is? You talked about me! Behind my back.”
“Just
like you did before I came into the room?”
Rebecca
had nothing left to argue with. She was brave, and
just
barely drunk enough to confess her earlier lapse. Meanwhile,
her
mood was taking an abrupt shift from defensive to guilty.
“I am
so sorry. You’ve got to believe me.”
“It’s
fine. I was overreacting too.” Callie sighed, and to Rebecca,
it
sounded heart-wrenching. Not everything was fine after all.
“No,
you don’t get it. I didn’t mean to expose you. It just...happened.”
What
a miserable day.
“They
would have found out at some point, anyway.”
It
was not the reaction Rebecca had expected, and she didn’t
think
she deserved this rather merciful response. She was making
too
many mistakes already.
“I
didn’t talk about you to Asha,” Callie said softly.
“You
didn’t say ‘hot’?”
“Sorry.
No.”
Her
face was burning as they were standing too close in the
dimly
lit hallway, uncomfortable truths coming at her all at once.
The
way scenes from Callie’s book lingered on her mind, time and
again.
“Okay
then.”
The
way Maria had been all over Callie. There was no reason
to go
all crazy, was there? Maria was touchy-feely with everyone.
“God,
look at me. Drunk on a Saturday morning.”
Callie
reached for her hand, and Rebecca stepped back so
quickly
she nearly hit her head against the wall behind her.
“What
do you want, Rebecca?”
Get
so drunk I won’t feel the pain of curiosity anymore—or I
won’t
care...Order more of those books of yours. Go, before I can
take
a good look at what the answer to your question is.
“You
have to understand!” she said heatedly. “I’ve never been…
I’m
not normally that way. I’m not as narrow-minded as you think
I am.
”
“Are
you done with that private chat of yours?” Maria had
joined
them before Callie could answer. “Craig will drive you
home
if you want.”
“No thanks,” Rebecca said. “I think I’ll take a
walk.”
~ ~ ~
Watch this space for fabulous guests visiting my blog in June and July, and the chance to win free books of different genres!
(Graphic by Vicki Clarke)
(Graphic by Vicki Clarke)
No comments:
Post a Comment