In LOVE THE DAY, my recent release from The Wild Rose Press, Lucy Moon had once been a handmaiden to the goddess Artemis. When she angered Artemis, she banned from Mt. Olympus and given immortality to wander the earth and live among humans forever. In addition to immortality, she ended up with another curse from Artemis. Through the centuries, Lucy learned to cope and enjoy her life among humans. She learned to savor each day for its unique moments, to enjoy each person for the differences that were special to each one. She learned to stop and smell the roses.
When I wrote this story, the boat Lucy and Benedict stop to see was still visible and was part of the inspiration for this story. My husband and I made a recent trip north on South Padre Island and the boat is no longer visible. It's been buried by the sand.
A bit of set up: The story takes place on Padre Island and in the town of South Padre Island. The hero, Benedict, owns a bar/restaurant where he has met Lucy Moon. They're driving north of the town on the Gulf of Mexico side of Padre Island to have a picnic supper.
Love the Day is copyrighted by Elizabeth Hanawa writing as Betty Hanawa and is available from The Wild Rose Press. Following passage may differ slightly from the final product.
Benedict spotted the shrimp boat, wrecked and pushed onto the tide line during a winter storm, now almost covered by sand. The masts stood about the waves, nearly the only part still visible. He parked the truck and then joined Lucy at the wave edges.
She studied the battered shrimp boat as though it was the finest piece of sculpture she ever saw.
“It’s just a wrecked boat.”
“No,” Lucy said firmly. “Look at it. Watch the way the waves hit the masts. Watch how the spray flies off the rigging and scatters in the sunlight.”
Benedict watched the surf come in and hit the boat. The spray didn’t look special to him. It was just water bouncing off the wires angling down from the masts.
The waves foamed with a crashing slosh. Seagulls quarreled and called. Time stretched while they stood quietly watching the sea and sand slowly bury the boat deeper with each wave.
Lucy lifted her camera and began taking photos. “I saw the photos of this boat at your bar. Did you name your bar The Sinking ship after it?”
“No, I named the bar months before this happened. A friend took and framed the picture. He thought I needed some local color in with all the pictures of famous boats that have sunk.” He watched the wind plaster Lucy’s skirt against her rear.
While he spent the day touching Lucy as much as he was able to get away with in public, she only occasionally touched him. He definitely needed her help putting on sunscreen, all over his body.
“Why did you name the bar, The Sinking Ship?”
Like a lovesick hound dog sniffing after a female in heat, Benedict followed Lucy around the water’s edge while she took photos from different angles. He watched her handle the camera, adjusting focus and the zoom attachments like a pro. He wondered if he might ever feel her fingers dance along his skin as decisively as they twiddled the length of the camera lens.
No, first he wanted her for a friend, he ordered his body. His pulsing shaft called him a liar.
Resolutely, he reminded himself he had a brain, not just a shaft. He also promised her he wasn’t going to push her for sex today. If he wanted Lucy for a friend, he needed to ignore his hormones and reengage his tongue before he started drooling. What had she asked? Oh, yeah.
“Just thought it sounded good. At lot of people come into a bar thinking their lives are out of control and they’re standing on the deck of a sinking ship.” Like me, Benedict glumly thought. “In the bar, they relax, enjoy the other people and forget their troubles for awhile.”
“I go to visit with people.” Lucy stowed her camera back into her bag. They went to the truck.
“You always look like you’re having fun. People like to be around you.”
In the truck, Lucy refastened her seatbelt. “I like people. No one is the same and very few people are totally unlikable.”
“You really seem to enjoy life.”
“I try to enjoy each moment. Every moment is different. Every thing is different. It makes life more enjoyable when each moment is savored for its uniqueness.”
I'll be giving a pdf of the winner's choice of my titles at The Wild Rose Press to one commentator on today's blog. I hope you enjoy The Wild Rose Press "Stop and Smell the Roses" Blog Day. Be sure to visit the other Roses who are blogging today. Check back here on Tuesday to see who won a copy of Love the Day.
Other authors from The Wild Rose Press who are blogging today are:
Amber Leigh Williams
Author's Studio
Christine Clemetson
Find a Great Romance
L.M. Gonzalez
Teri Wilson
Rebecca Savage
Hywela Lyn
Jennifer Johnson
Joyce Moore
Liana Laverentz
Linda Hope Lee
Laurie J. Edwards
Dawn Deanna Wilson
Susan Vaughn
Tanya Hanson
Tina Gayle
Laura Hogg
Bess McBride
20 comments:
Excellent excerpt! And there's nothing like a good curse story, eh? ;) Have a great week, Betty.
I love Padre Island, and don't get there enough!
Hi Betty, I hope to be able to visit Padre Island and look for a sinking boat. You bring the setting alive with your story.
You sold me with your excerpt. BTW, what a neat idea to share your list of other authors blogging today.
Hugs,
Destiny
Never been there but I've heard stories form relatives and friends who've vacationed in the area. I think South Padre would be as addicting to me as Lake Erie is. I feel like I was born to live on the water but have little time or gas money to feed that addiction
:-( Maybe someday!
Sandy Wickersham-McWhorter
www.sandywick.com
I love the concept of your story, Betty. Far too many of us forget to savor every moment of every day.
Loved reading your excerpt, too!
Love the setting and the description of the boat, Betty! I can just see it, sitting there half-buried by sand.
Hi Betty,
Love the excerpt. This is one of the reasons I like this type of contest...allows me to discover work of new-to-me authors.
Savor each and every moment. Nothing could be better! Your book sounds incredible!! Great blog, and much success!
Nice excerpt, and I love the setting! So romantic!
Love the excerpt. Great to meet other WRP authors! Have a good one!
Great description in that excerpt, Betty! Sounds like a great read!
I love the setting of your book, too. I just love boats and the beach. Both are so romantic! :)
What a great excerpt, sounds like a really great story!
Great excerpt, Betty. I love to visit places in books.
Betty..the excerpt is great! And your story sounds wonderful.
Wonderful excerpt, Betty! Love The Day sounds like a fabulous read :-)
Hi Betty,
It's nice to share this blog bouquet with you on this day.
Your story sounds interesting and I love to read stories set in places I know.
Great Excerpt Betty!
It fits perfectly with the stop and smell the roses theme.
~Afshan
I enjoyed your excerpt. Good luck with your book.
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