Snippet Sunday, April 27

Welcome back to Snippet Sunday at Creative Hodgepodge! I have one more snippet from The Friendship Star Quilt, co-written with my friend Stephanie Michels. This dialogue happens only a few minutes after those from April 13's snippet:

A few minutes later, an early model sedan raced into the lot in front of the shop, and skidded to a halt. The driver’s side opened, and a tall man in a blue windbreaker jumped out. His dark hair practically stood on end, as if he’d been running worried fingers through it. He glanced around, spotted the shop, and hurried toward it. Without a word, he rushed to Jennie’s side and scooped her up in a tight embrace.

“Jennie, I am so, so sorry! I knew the party was over at five-thirty. I should have set the alarm on my phone. I’m so sorry you had to wait for me.”

The Friendship Star Quilt is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords, as well as other ebook outlets. It’s the second book in the Stitching Post series. Book One, The Calico Heart, is a finalist for a RONE award (Reward of Novel Excellence) in the Contemporary – General category!

Snippet Sunday, April 13, 2014

          Welcome back! Here is another short snippet from my newly released sweet contemporary novel, The Friendship Star Quilt, co-written with Stephanie Michels. This week’s lines pick up where last week’s snippet left off:

          “He turned the lights off while you were still waiting?” Anne had met George Connors many times in the two years she’d worked at The Stitching Post. She couldn’t imagine the shop owner behaving so cruelly.

          The child nodded. “He told me I had to wait outside.”

          Anne poked her head out the door and glanced at the ice cream shop. Sure enough, Freeze! was dark and empty. “Well, come inside. I won’t make you wait in the rain. What’s your name, honey?”

          “Jennie… Jennie Carmichael.”

          “My name is Anne, Jennie,” she told the child, giving her a reassuring smile. “Would you like me to call your father and let him know you’re here?”

****

          The Friendship Star Quilt is now available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords, as well as other ebook outlets.

Snippet Sunday

I’m so sorry I haven’t participated in Snippet Sunday the last two week! Life is going at mach speed lately. One reason is the upcoming release of The Friendship Star Quilt, the second in a series about a group of quilters. Here’s the opening:

At the sound of the door opening, she looked up to greet the newcomer. But her guest wasn’t a customer or a quilter.

Instead, a little blond cherub about six or seven years old stood in the doorway, studying the store with wide eyes.

“Do you need something, sweetie?” Anne asked.

The little girl turned soulful blue eyes in her direction. “It’s raining outside, and my daddy hasn’t come to pick me up yet. Is it okay if I wait in here?”

“Sure. Where was your dad supposed to pick you up?”

“The ice cream shop next door. I was at Suzy’s birthday party, but everyone else is gone now. And the ice cream man turned the lights off so I couldn’t stay there.”

The Friendship Star Quilt, by Stephanie Michels and me, will be out THIS WEEK thanks to Astraea Press! 

Snippet Sunday

Photo from Wikipedia Commons

          Welcome back! For the month of March I thought I’d share snippets from Searching for Lady Luck, a novella I submitted just last week. It’s spring, 1936, and artist Charlie Brannigan tries to sell some of his paintings on the Boardwalk in Wildwood, New Jersey.

****

          A wind gust blew one of his smaller paintings off its perch and onto the boardwalk. He scrambled after it, but a young woman bent and picked it up before he could reach it. She studied the scene he’d painted on the tiny canvas - a mother robin, tending her eggs in her nest. 

          “Good morning, ma’am. That’s one of my best miniatures. If you like it, I’d be happy to give you a bargain on it.” 

          The woman looked up from the painting and met his gaze. He blinked, wanting to make sure he wasn’t imagining the lovely face. Smoky gray eyes, wide and welcoming, in a heart-shaped face, made her look much younger than her clothing and severe hairstyle suggested.

****

Searching for Lady Luck has been accepted as part of EsKape Press’s Luck Be a Lady anthology, due to be released this spring. 

Snippet Sunday, February 23, 2014

          Welcome back! I have one more snippet from Operation Rhombus, my short story contribution to the Valentine anthology from Astraea Press called Love and Diamonds. Absent-minded math teacher Paul Cramer picks up English teacher Ellie Hartwell for a special Valentine’s Day dinner:

          She grimaced when she stepped down from the car into a snowbank. Hopefully her dress shoes would survive. Too bad she hadn't worn her boots, but she hadn't wanted to carry them around.

          "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I should have dropped you off at the front door before I parked the car. Here, I'll make sure you don’t step into any more snow." Before she knew it he'd picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder, fireman style. Her head hung down and her hair flopped forward. What a perfect way to enter a fancy restaurant.

Here’s the blurb for Operation Rhombus:

          Valentine's Day is coming up and all Ellie Hartwell wants is to spend time with fellow teacher Paul Cramer, but he's too busy with his new project. It seems like everyone at Willow Run High School knows about Operation Rhombus and is rooting for his success. Ellie would be happy to offer her support, too—if she only knew what it was.

Operation Rhombus and fourteen other short romances are included in one volume called Love and Diamonds, available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other ebook outlets. 

Snippet Sunday

          Here’s another snippet from my Valentine short story, “Operation Rhombus,” which is included in Love and Diamonds, an Astraea Press Anthology just out last week.

          Selecting her items took only a few minutes, and she turned toward the check out lane when her cart nearly collided with that of Lilah Bedford, the Home Ec teacher. 

          "Hello there, Ellie. Where's Paul?" 

          "He's out of town, picking up supplies for something called Operation Rhombus." 

          "Operation — oh yes, I heard about that. Great idea. I hope he's successful with it. Well, I've got to go. See you on Monday!" 

          Why has everyone else heard about Operation Rhombus except me? she wondered. 

Thanks for visiting! Love and Diamonds is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and most ebook outlets. 

Snippet Sunday - February 9

I've just joined a group called Snippet Sunday. Members of this group post six sentences from something we've written. So here are six-ish sentences (one is really short, so I think the rules allow me to add another) from my latest release, "Operation Rhombus". It's a short story included in Love and Diamonds, available this week from Astraea Press:

"Yeah, where is Mr. Cramer, anyway?"

"He said he had to get some supplies for some school project," she told them.

"School project?" I wonder what project that would be," a girl to her right wondered.

The boy next to her nudged her. "Don't you remember? He was talking about it yesterday in trig class. Operation Rhombus."

"Operation Rhom— Oh yeah! I remember now."

Love and Diamonds is available at Astraea Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other ebook outlets.

Please come back on Wednesday for our Valentine Scavenger Hunt! All fifteen authors represented in the anthology are participating.