Starting our week off right, we have back with us author Alana Lorens. Last week she shared her suspense, ENCOUNTER. Today she has her heart tugging fiction, SECOND CHANCES.
Tell me three words that describe yourself starting with A, B, and C.
Adventurous
Barefoot
Creative
What are your three favorite things?
I love travel, good food and candlelight.
If you could spend the day with any celebrity,
who would it be?
I confess, I’ve had a huge crush on Nathan Fillion ever since Firefly. So it would be amazing to be
able to spend a day with him, even on the set of Castle. As long as I didn’t drool too much. J I’d hate to embarrass myself.
Squeee, I love Nathan as Richard Castle, all that charisma- "I really am ruggedly handsome!". He plays the role so well.
Favorite item of clothing in your closet?
Currently it’s a burgundy print fuzzy tunic—3/4 length sleeves, which are
good for my fibromyalgia, not too heavy so it doesn’t hurt to wear it, and its
velvety feel makes me feel extravagant.
And it matches my new ruffle scarf PERFECTLY.
When not writing, what can you be found doing?
In addition to writing, I am practicing law, too, so I struggle to find
writing time some days. It does make me feel good to help people, especially if
they’re in a bad situation and something I can do helps them get to a place
where they’re happy and safe.
Blurb:
When Inessa Regan gets
a pink slip, laid off from her law firm at the age of 42, without prospects
she’s sure her life is over. She hides from the world, until her neighbor
brings her a client, a young Iraq war veteran dying of cancer.
Kurt Lowdon only wants to make sure his affairs are in order should the worst happen, but meeting Inessa gives him encouragement on the road to recovery. His quest to help her realize her self-worth leads them into dangers they never expected, as horrors from the war and long-hidden family secrets come back to haunt them.
Kurt Lowdon only wants to make sure his affairs are in order should the worst happen, but meeting Inessa gives him encouragement on the road to recovery. His quest to help her realize her self-worth leads them into dangers they never expected, as horrors from the war and long-hidden family secrets come back to haunt them.
Excerpt:
Inessa had visited the Pittsburgh IKEA store half a dozen times
before, addicted to the simple, classic furniture designs and colorful décor
items, but none of those experiences had ever been like this.
Perhaps the difference was because Kurt was a man, maybe it was the
purpose of the visit, but she had fun. Negotiating the departments along
the store’s one-way dictated path became an adventure different from any she’d
had with a girlfriend.
The things that attracted Kurt’s attention! Forget the Swedish
meatballs. He raved about a cushy pillow in shades of spring green and
chocolate. He bought new towels in bright red and orange. Every gadget
fascinated him, and he dug a sample out of the bins to test each one.
When they passed one bedroom set-up, the downy beige and green
comforter was softly rumpled, as if the owner had just climbed out seconds
before. “That looks comfortable.” he exclaimed, and he scrambled right in.
“Kurt!” She’d looked around, mortified. Several young couples passing
by in madras Dockers and khakis stopped to stare; some smiled.
“What? This is a display bed. You’re supposed to try it out. Come on.”
He held up the covers for her to join him. The mischievous expression on his
face broke her up, embarrassed as she was.
“I don’t think so. You rest. I’ll be looking at office supplies.”
“I don’t think so. You rest. I’ll be looking at office supplies.”
“Spoilsport. No one will care if you romp in the bedroom department at
IKEA. Look, now everyone else is, too.” He gestured to several displays around
them as other customers climbed onto neighboring beds, laughing and teasing
each other. When she still held back, he affected a pout and pushed himself
out, smoothing the bedspread again. “All right. Business first. Let’s go.”
Over the next couple of hours and the seeming miles of displays, he
thoughtfully helped her select what she needed—a desk, comfortable chairs for
her consulting clients, bookshelves for her legal research materials—but also
remained playful. He had to experiment with every one of the wheeled desk
chairs, spinning them around until he found the one with the least traction.
“Try this one. It’s better than Kennywood.”
She laughed and checked the growing list of items on the small screen
of her Blackberry, and the total she’d be spending. The thought of invading her
cushion money sent little electric quivers through her midsection, but now that
she was committed to this, it had to be done. “I think that does it.”
“Pick-up downstairs.”
They went down to the first floor and traversed the long rows of
cardboard boxes, loading the ones they’d chosen onto a flatbed cart. He grabbed
a new desktop set in green and blue. “You need this.”
“I need it? For what?”
“Just for fun.”
“Fun? It’s for work. Work’s not about fun.”
“Every moment should be about fun, counselor. Every moment.”
Buy Links: ALANALORENS.COM Amazon
Be sure to drop by next Monday for another chat with Alana.
Welcome back Alana, Second Chances looks like a beautiful story.
ReplyDeleteThanks...it's unusual in that Inessa is quite a bit older than Kurt. But he has such a warm heart and determination well beyond his years. Neither of them expects to fall in love--which is always the best kind!
ReplyDelete