Most summer storms tend to break the sultry heat, at least for a few hours. The Storm I want to introduce you to tends to ratchet up the temperatures, especially around my heroine.
Nurse Rachel Dennison comes to Texas determined to prepare her new patient
for a second round of chemo. What she isn’t counting on is her patient’s twin
brother, Storm Masterson. Despite her initial attraction, Storm has two things
Rachel can’t abide: a domineering personality and a fiancée. Half Native
American, with the ability to have "vision dreams," Storm dreams about Rachel
for three nights before her arrival. Both are unprepared for the firestorm of
emotions their first encounter ignites. Ultimately, it is Rachel’s past—and
abusive, maniacal ex-boyfriend—that threatens to keep them apart…and Storm’s
dreams that bring them together again.
Storm, tell us how you met Rachel.
A bunch of my high school buddies and I were at our old swiming hole, celebrating Jackson's birthday. We were drinking and remembering how things were "back in the day" when we played football. While I was swiming, they all took off and left me behind. So, I had to walk home.
I think you missed one important part, Storm.
You're really going to make me do this, aren't you? Don't shrug your shoulders at me. And don't give me that evil smile, either.
Now, is that any way to treat your author?
Hunh! Looks like I have no choice but to tell everything. Jackson took all my clothes except for my Stetson and hand-tooled boots. That's all I had on when I crested the hill into the oncoming headlights of Rachel's Beetle convertible. And why do you smile like that everytime you think of my prediciment?
Sorry. Just the thought of you...well...I imagine you were quite the sight.
Sight? Now, Rachel, she was the sight. Her long tawny hair was in this long braid. She had on a pink dotted sundress, and her shoulders' were warm from the sun.
Wait. How did you know her shoulders were warm? Did you touch her?
Touch her? I kissed her. After all I'd been dreaming about her and those blue eyes of hers for three nights. I couldn't let her get away without kissing those lips I'd dreamed about.
I think the ladies will want to know more about you.
There's not much to tell. I love my twin sister, adore her little boy, enjoy my ranch. Basically, I'm an ordinary Texan -- God, country, family. Now, if you want to hear about someone special, ask me about Rachel. She's intelligent, strong-willed, caring and has this pair of red, strappy stilletos that drive me mad. The first time I saw her in them I nearly dropped to my knees.
Excerpt --
By the tone of
his voice he wasn’t being critical. She’d been prepared to handle critical and
rude and overbearing, but not his gentleness. Rachel searched his face. Warmth
shone from his eyes, and for the first time, she noticed wrinkles at their
corners, no doubt from spending so much time in the hot Texas sun. She fought
the urge to reach up to smooth them with a touch.
“Yes. The
better a woman feels about her appearance, the stronger she feels. For cancer
patients, feeling strong about anything
gives them an added boost. In time, her hair and eyelashes will grow back. This
is just a stop-gap measure until then.”
He glanced at
his sister again. “I see.”
“I talked her
into buying some clothes that fit, too. Wearing clothes that hang on you is
only a constant reminder you’re sick. Better to feel pretty and alive, don’t
you think?”
Storm studied
Rachel for several beats. “You focus heavily on the emotional side of the
patient, don’t you?”
“Aren’t we
ruled by our emotions?” She certainly was, especially at that moment, with the
heat from his warm hand pressing into the small of her back. The smell of his
cologne wafted over her, and his dark eyes regarded her intently.
He smiled and
leaned over so his mouth was near her ear. “Great shoes, by the way.”
She chuckled
and looked in the opposite direction, hoping he wouldn’t see her blush. “Sunny
called them ‘ho-red.’ We laughed so hard when the shoe salesman fumbled, trying
to tie the laces around my ankles and calves.”
Storm glanced
at her shoes again. She could have sworn she heard him mutter, “Lucky bastard.”
BUY LINK: http://amzn.to/pkkcLq
STORM'S INTERLUDE was a HOLT Medallion Award of Merit winner in two categories. Best book by a Virginia author and Best Mainstream Single Title.
7 comments:
Vonnie,
This is one I will have to read. Sounds wonderful.
When it comes to opening scenes, yours is way at the top of the awesome list!
Oh, Margo, I have to share that I was in a major snit when I wrote that opening scene. I'd just gotten another rejection from a publishing company about my sweet and gentle hero. I was running the sweeper and grumbling, "All they want are alpha heroes. They want alpha? I'll give 'em alpha, but he's gonna pay." I put my sweeper away, powered up my laptop and wrote the most bizarre opening scene I could think of...poor Storm.
Thanks, Jannine. There was an evil chuckle as I wrote it, believe me.
hehe. Terrific interview Vonnie. I agree. As opening scenes go, that one was fantastic. That's one you don't forget. Fantastic excerpt, too.
Thanks, Joanne. The opening does raise a few eyebrows. Personally, it jusst makes me grin like the simpleton I am.
I will have to reread this book again once I get better caught up on my demanding reading list! Thanks for the great interview, Storm.
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