Rosa Temple's Blog, page 7

#A-Z Challenge [2016]

p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }
T he next morning, Marianne ignored a call from Jess. She was still upset with her sister when she went into the gallery and offered to buy everyone a pastry. She was inundated with requests from all three of her colleagues and took herself off to the coffee shop and thought she’d get a large chocolate bar, too. She would grab at all the sweet things she could to try to get her out of the lousy mood she was in.She walked into the coffee shop with her list and waited in the queue which was so long she wondered if everyone in it had also been let down by their only sister and needed to be cheered up on a Tuesday morning.“Can I help you?” The girl behind the counter had rosy cheeks and the ends of her blonde hair was tinted blue. Marianne froze. There was a mirror behind the counter that she looked into for the first time that morning. It reflected the rest of the coffee shop; all the tables and chairs and all its customers. And there he was. Richard. He was sitting at the same table they’d shared just the week before, a laptop on the table in front of him and he was staring right at her.She turned for a second. He didn’t smile this time. The woman behind Marianne huffed so she quickly stumbled through her order. When the girl with blonde, blue hair handed her the bag of pastries she took it and attempted to bolt out of the door.Just a few paces from the door someone shouted: “Hey! Excuse me.” It was a female voice. Marianne didn’t turn around, she just headed out of the door but not before she heard the familiar voice of Richard, calling her name:“Marianne!”

#A-Z Challenge [2016]

p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }
S isters were meant to be able to talk weren’t they? To trust each other. Marianne had shared all her most intimate thoughts, her dreams her concerns, everything, with Jess and now she felt as if she didn’t know her. She was angry at how casually Jess took the whole situation. She took it in her stride as if it were nothing to be unfaithful, to jeopardise a marriage and have your own children’s future hanging in the balance. What if Steven had walked out on Jess? How would that have impacted on her three children?Marianne arrived at the house hot and out of breath. It had been days since she last jogged and she could quite happily put her trainers on now and run and run and never stop. How could Jess, of all people, do this?How many times had Marianne said she’d give up the rest of her life to have one year as a married woman with at least one child. She knew it was a stupid thing to have ever vowed. She and Iain had tried for nine years to have a child and Jess was taking her good fortune for granted.Nothing was making sense. Marianne went straight to the fridge because she thought she had an opened bottle of white wine in there but she was mistaken. She grabbed a carton of juice, tipped back her head and kept on drinking until she felt physically ill.She needed to talk to someone. Her go to person for helping her sort her head out had always been Jess. Who could she talk to now? Her mind went straight to Richard. To think she’d put Richard off because she wanted to be there for her sister, thought Jess needed her and that she could finally pay her back for all the late nights she’d spent crying herself to sleep on Jess’s sofa.She was at a loss. She felt as though she’d lost her sister. Any chance to get to know Richard was lost too.

#A-Z Challenge [2016]

p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; }
“ R ichard seems nice enough, but I still can’t handle taking a risk. Finding I really like him and then being let down.” Marianne sat at the kitchen table while Jess loaded the dishwasher. Jess had poured them both a tall glass of white wine and came to join Marianne at the table. She put her hand on Marianne’s.“Look Mari, why deny yourself even a moment’s pleasure. From what I can remember from the drunken haze I saw Richard through, he looked a nice person. Certainly good looking. And so what if it’s only one date? So what if you just have one night of rampant love making? Grab it with both hands. Live for the moment.”“I should be saying the same to you, Jess.” Jess sat up. “What are you talking about, Mari?”“What you said at the weekend. I was worried about you. I’ve been out of mind thinking that you must be going through hell, bringing up three children when all the time your husband is cheating on you.”Jess’s face fell. Marianne moved to the chair beside her.“You can tell me, Jess. That’s what sisters are for. Sharing.” Jess covered her face with her hands. Her shoulders heaved up and down but she seemed to be weeping silently.“That’s it, let it all out,” said Marianne. Jess looked up at her, red faced. She hadn’t been crying at all, but laughing. “Silly, Marianne. Steven isn’t having an affair. I’m the one who had the affair.”Marianne’s jaw fell open.“Look I’m human okay?” Jess said. “It was a gym instructor. What can I say? I was bored. It lasted all of five minutes and I went and told Steven all about it. That’s why he stays away. He can’t bear to be with me, even though he said he forgave me. He can’t see passed it. I don’t blame him. I know it’ll take time.”Marianne’s chair made a scraping sound on the kitchen floor as she stood.“You cheated on Steven? You’ve had all the things I wanted and you messed it up for a a quick shag?”“Don’t you start judging me, too. I’m not the one who drove everyone to distraction about fertility remember?”Marianne grabbed her jacket and bag and raced to the door.“I can’t talk to you now, Jess. I have to go.”“Mari, wait. Do you hate me?”Marianne didn’t reply. She closed the front door gently behind her and began to run the short distance home.

Leap Year Short [short] Story by Rosa Temple

Look Before You Leap  p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; } There was only one person who could embarrass me more then my mother, and that was her sister, my aunt Madeleine. I was named after aunt Madeleine but since I was a young girl my friends all called me Maddie - as in Mad, because of all the crazy antics I got up to. But I had to do something to alleviate the boredom of our prissy, all girl boarding school in Sussex, didn’t I?
When I left school I ran all the way to...

Book Review - Strictly Between Us

Strictly Between Us by Jane Fallon was a fun and entertaining read!
First off, I really liked the cover design. So simple, yet effective. Lipstick on the coffee cup to foreshadow revelations and secrets.

The Blurb :

Rumours, secrets and lies. It's all in a day's work.
Tamsin and her best friend Michelle have been inseparable since they were teenagers. Even now they spend all their time together, along with Patrick, Michelle's handsome husband.
So when Tamsin hears a rumour that Patrick is having an...

What I #amreading #amwriting!

It seems that every time I move away from my laptop I'm reaching for a book and grabbing a cuppa. All I do is read or write these days and I haven't come up for air. I feel like there's a world going on around me that I'm missing and vow not to become a recluse!

So, before I break out of here and go and catch up with the rest of humanity I thought I'd share what it is I'm reading and writing at the moment.

#amreading

My current Chick-Lit book fix:
Strictly Between U s by Jane Fallon has been descr...

What I #amreading #amwritng!

It seems that every time I move away from my laptop I'm reaching for a book and grabbing a cuppa. All I do is read or write these days and I haven't come up for air. I feel like there's a world going on around me that I'm missing and vow not to become a recluse!

So, before I break out of here and go and catch up with the rest of humanity I thought I'd share what it is I'm reading and writing at the moment.

#amreading

My current Chick-Lit book fix:
Strictly Between U s by Jane Fallon has been descr...

In Love with Love Winners!

Thank you for liking my Facebook page, you all get a copy of Natalie's Getting Married!

K'Tee BeeLexi BrewRachel BroughtonKaela KueppersKaren Kaiser BakerAlexandra PennerAllison WhitmoreJen ZingaroJulieMcDonaghEmma McCoyMichele Gray Email me on rosatemple@btinternet.com to let me know which format you'd like.

Hope you had a wonderful StValentine's Day!

love Rosa
x

Related articles [image error] Reasons To Be Cheerful

Character Interviews: Natalie's Getting Married [Pt 6]

Meet Liam The lovely Liam is the guy who walked into Natalie's life completely by chance and their meeting had a massive impact on both their lives. Liam is kind and thoughtful. Like Natalie, he's an entrepreneur and all round good guy.

Tell me a bit about your background
My parents moved us to London from Suffolk when my sister and I were young. I've always been close with my sister who's married now with a baby girl. I was always into music - all kinds. As a fan, that is, not a musician....

Character Interviews: Natalie's Getting Married [Pt 5]

Meet AlissaWhen we first meet Alissa, she's seventeen going on forty five. She's wise beyond her years and she teaches Natalie a thing or two even though Natalie is in her mid to late twenties when she employs Alissa to assist in her photography shop in West London.

Tell me a bit about your background
I'm a West London girl, whose parents come from Jamaica. I'm the oldest child in the family. Below me are my twin brothers. They're quite a few years younger than me, cheeky and sneaky and I have...