Ruth Ann Nordin's Blog, page 88

Monday Post: Two More Scenes from Kent Ashton’s Backstory

Instead of doing an “inspiration for the book” post, I thought I’d do another scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory.  It’s in first draft form.

The events in these two scenes happen right before Kent ends his courtship with Ann in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  I’ll explain why he does this the next time I post a scene from this book.  So stay tuned.  :-)

Kent gripped the hat in his hands and stared out the parlor window in the Statesmans’ house.  Her father had to say yes.  Whatever he had to do, he’d make sure he didn’t leave until her father agreed to his request.

“You wish to see me?” Mr. Stateman asked as he entered the room.

Turning from the window, Kent swallowed the lump in his throat.  “Yes, sir.”

He gestured for the servant to leave them alone, and after the servant closed the door to ensure their privacy, he sat down.  “Have a seat.”

Kent obeyed but sat on the edge of the chair.

“What is it you wish to discuss?”

He took a deep breath, his hold on the hat loosening only a little.  “Sir, I hope you don’t think I’m out of line, but want to let you know that I love your daughter.” When her father didn’t respond, he added, “I came here to seek your permission to marry her.”

Her father released his breath.  “I thought that’s what you might wish to discuss.” He rose from his chair and stepped to the picture of Ann when she was younger.  “Ann is my only child.  Even if another was responsible for her birth, I promised her mother as she was dying that my wife and I would give her the best in life.”

Sensing this wasn’t going the way he hoped, Kent slowly stood from the chair but didn’t move forward.  “Sir, I assure you that my intentions are honorable.  There will never be anyone but her.  If you worry I’ll take a mistress, I can put your mind at ease.  I’ll be faithful to her until the day I die.”

“I believe you mean well, but…” He turned to face Kent and shook his head.  “I can’t explain my reasons to your satisfaction.  I might not have be born into money, but I didn’t get to where I’m at by taking undo risks.  Ann is the more important than money, and I’d give up all of my wealth for her happiness.” He glanced at her picture.  “I can’t give you my permission.”

Kent strode over to him, his hold on the hat tightening.  “Is it because I’ll take her to New York?” Maybe Ann told her father about the plans they’d made.  Maybe he wanted to make sure his daughter would be nearby so he could visit her.  “I can keep her here.”

“Where she lives into a concern.  I can afford to travel.”

“Then what is it?  Surely, whatever is an issue can be resolved.  I’ll do whatever you ask.”

“There are some things you can’t change.”

His eyebrows furrowed.  “Maybe not, but I don’t see what can be so pressing that two people who love each other can’t overcome it.”

“I’m sorry, but the answer is no.  I have to trust my instincts.”

“You think I’ll do something to hurt her?  Sir, I assure you that you couldn’t be more wrong.”

After a long moment, he shook his head.  “It’s not you.  At first, I thought it was, but it’s not.”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m not sure.”

Kent let out a bewildered chuckled.  “You’re not sure?”

“I told you I can’t explain it to you to your satisfaction.  I’m just old enough to know that I need to trust my instincts.”

“If you had no intention of letting me marry her, then why did you agree to let me court her at all?”

“I thought I was wrong.  I wanted to wait and see if I was hasty in telling you no.  But my instincts are screaming louder than ever.” He walked to the parlor door and opened it.  “I’m sorry.  I really am.”

A strained silence passed between them as Kent thought of what he might say—what he could say—to convince her father that he was wrong, that Ann would be happy married to him.  But how could he argue against something as intangible and vague as a father’s ‘instinct’?  Shoulders slumped, he placed his hat on his head and mumbled the obligatory ‘thank you’ before leaving the house.

***

When Kent entered his house, he tried to pass his father without speaking to him, but his father called out to him.  Sighing, he entered the parlor.

His father set down the newspaper and rose to his feet.  He motioned for the butler to leave them alone.  Once the door was shut, his father turned his gaze to him.  “What did Ann’s father say?”

“I’ll ask him in another month,” Kent replied.

“So he said no.”

Kent gritted his teeth, not liking the way his father seemed pleased by the situation.

“Rebecca father is impressed with you.  He says you’re an honorable man, one he can see hiring in his company.” His father gave him a pointed look.  “I don’t need to remind you what kind of money you’d get if you agreed to work for him.”

Kent avoided eye contact with him.  “No, you don’t need to remind me.”

“Son, sometimes you have to do things you don’t want to do in order to get what you want.  You’re young and inexperienced.  When you get older, you’ll understand that you have to sacrifice things you want in order to succeed.  I think it’s time you considered courting Rebecca.”

“Never.”

“Kent,” he snapped, drawing Kent’s attention back to him, “you will not fail me and your mother in this.  We’ve come too far with the Johnsons to lose now.  You will court Rebecca, and in due time, you will marry her.”

“The only reason you associate with the Johnsons is because of their money.  You don’t even like them.”

“My reasons for dealing with them aren’t your concern.  Your concern is in what you will do.  It’s your duty to honor your parents.

“So by honoring you, I have to lie?”

His father stared at him and though his eyes pierced right through him, Kent refused to break eye contact with him.  If he was going to make his stand, he needed to do it.

“You will do whatever it takes to secure the financial standing of this house,” his father hissed.

“And if I don’t?”

A tense moment of silence passed between them before his father said, “You don’t have a choice.” His father strode out of the room, his footsteps echoing off the hardwood floors.

Kent released his breath.  No, he wouldn’t marry Rebecca.  He’d take the job if Mr. Johnson offered it, but he wouldn’t marry her.  And he’d ask Ann’s father for her hand in another month.  Perhaps by then, her father would agree.  He’d denied Kent permission to court her twice before he relented.  Surely, he could find a way to convince him that he’d be good to Ann.  Whatever his instincts were telling him, his fears were unfounded.  Kent would never do anything to hurt Ann, and he’d defy his parents if he had to make sure they didn’t hurt her.  One way or another, he’d marry her.

Sunday Story Sample: Two Scenes from Kent Ashton’s Backstory

I figure we’re hovering around the halfway point in this novella.  This is where things start to take a bad turn for Kent.  The only thing that makes writing the worsening of Kent’s situation is knowing he gets a second chance in Lassoing Her Groom.

As a disclaimer, this is in first draft form.

January 1900

“Your uncle sent another letter,” Kent’s father told him during dinner.

“What does he want?  Money?” his mother asked, glancing up from her plate.

“Probably.” He glanced at the butler who remained close by in case they needed anything.  Clearing his throat, he said, “He also wants Kent to visit him.”

“Me?” Kent asked, surprised.

“Don’t worry.  I have no intention of sending you to Ireland,” his father replied then sipped his wine.  “Your uncle could probably use help on his farm.  He has no children.”

“Did he have a wife?” This was the most he’d heard of his uncle’s life.

“He did but she died in childbirth.”

His mother pressed her hand on her heart.  “That’s most unfortunate.”

“Well, living in poverty, it’s hard to expect a thriving family,” his father said and cut into his steak.

“A lady doesn’t have to be in poverty to die in childbirth,” Kent argued.  “This isn’t something restricted to a person’s station in life.”

“Given Miss Stateman’s situation, it’s no wonder you feel that way,” he murmured, his voice low enough to go undetected by the butler.

Kent’s face warmed and he tightened his hold on his fork.  Ann had nothing to be ashamed of.  So what if her real mother had been a runaway who happened to cross paths with Mrs. Statesman.  Mr. and Mrs. Statesman were kind in providing shelter and food for the young woman who ended up dying while giving birth to Ann.  And besides, the Statemans actually had money, unlike his parents who only pretended to.

“There’s no sense in dwelling on the past,” Kent’s mother said and shot his father a meaningful look.  “Miss Stateman comes from one of the richest families in town.  You can’t deny how successful they’ve been.” With a glance at Kent, she smiled.  “A good match, if I do say so myself.”

Kent returned her smile.  He couldn’t agree more.  Ann was perfect, the ideal wife.  Now that her father had consented to let him court her, there was nothing stopping him from marrying her.  He’d marry the woman he loved and secure his parents’ future as soon as school was over.

“Rebecca would have been a better match,” his father said.  “The Johnsons would make better in-laws.”

“That’s not your choice,” his mother replied in a firm tone that gave a slight edge to her smile.  “We’ve been hoping our son will find a suitable lady and he has.  That’s all that matters.”

His father shrugged but didn’t argue with her.

Releasing his breath, Kent turned his attention back to the meal.  Thankfully, his father wouldn’t hinder his plan to marry Ann.

***

April

“Another splendid evening,” Kevin’s father told Mr. Johnson as he rose from the chair in the Johnsons’ parlor.

“Yes,” Mr. Johnson agreed.  “Our children make a good match.”

“Indeed they do.”

Kent turned away from the two men and rolled his eyes.  He didn’t care much for the dinner engagements his parents insisted he go to at the Johnsons’ but he had no choice.  At least not yet.  Once he married Ann and secured the generous dowry her father offered, he would be free from his parents’ demands.  Better yet, he’d get his own piano and play every day after he came home from work.  He ran his hands over the Johnsons’ piano, admiring the sleek surface.  Besides Ann, few things were as wonderful as the music this instrument produced.

Rebecca sat next to him on the bench.  “You seem preoccupied this evening.”

He scooted away from her.  He hated it when she intentionally got close to him.  He thought she’d stop once his courtship with Ann was official, but she only seemed to get worse.

She brushed her hand against his, and he pulled back.  With a chuckle, she said, “There’s no need to be shy.  We’re friends, aren’t we?”

He struggled with knowing how to answer her.  His parents were fond of her.  There was no doubt they would prefer to marry her because doing so would secure him a notable position in Mr. Johnson’s company, thus increasing their wealth.  But the decision wasn’t theirs to make.  Ultimately, it was his and he couldn’t imagine sharing his life with anyone but Ann.  Even so, he dare not upset Rebecca by revealing the simple that he would never love her, that his heart would always belong to another.  As it was, Kent’s father was hopeful Mr. Johnson might consider a financial partnership with him, and it would require half of Ann’s dowry to make it happen so Mr. Johnson wouldn’t learn the truth about his financial standing.  But if he could manage it, then Kent would truly be free from his father’s demands.  So no, he dare not do anything to upset Rebecca because her father would, in turn, undoubtedly be upset too.

Kent cleared his throat, ignoring the way she smiled at him with more romantic interest than she should.  “Of course we’re friends.” He made sure to emphasize the ‘friends’ part of the sentence, but he wasn’t sure she noticed, especially since her smile widened.

“We have so much in common,” she replied.  “Our love of music, for one.  Our parents get along infamously well.  We come from old money.  We’re both attractive and refined, which isn’t the case with everyone in our social standing.  Those are just a few things we have in common.  I’m sure in time we’ll discover more.”

Her shoulder brushed his, and he bolted to his feet.  When her eyebrows furrowed, he said, “I just remembered something I need to tell my mother.  If you’ll excuse me.”

She inclined her head to excuse him, so he went over to his parents.  Since his mother was only listening as Mr. and Mrs. Johnson talked to his father, he whispered, “Mother, is it time to leave yet?”

“Almost,” she replied.  Glancing at Rebecca who was putting the songbook away, she asked, “Are you not enjoying yourself?”

“You know my intentions are for Ann.”

With a sigh, she nodded.  “As long as her father lets you marry her, then there won’t be a problem.”

“He will.”

She hesitated for a moment then said, “It won’t hurt to entertain thoughts of Rebecca, just in case.”

He clasped his hands behind his back.  “I thought you supported me in marrying Ann.”

“As long as the lady you marry comes from money, I don’t care who she is.”

Kent’s father looked in his direction.  “Is everything alright?”

Kent and his mother turned their gazes to him and Mr. and Mrs. Johnson.  His mother smiled.  “Everything is fine.  Kent was just telling me how much he enjoys playing the piano while Rebecca sings.”

Kent forced aside the urge to grimace when he saw the pleased expression on everyone’s faces.  If he didn’t act, and act quick, he might not be able to marry Ann as he hoped.  It was becoming clear his father, Rebecca, and her parents were all in agreement that he should marry Rebecca.

 

 

Updates on What I’m Working On

Runaway Bride is right on Track for April 15

I’m happy to say that things are going along smoothly for this title.  I’ve scheduled a couple chapters to go through in the final reading phase.  At the moment, I’m ahead of schedule by a three chapters.  I might give it another read through.  I use my Kindle’s text-t0-speech feature for the final read through.  It’s amazing what you pick up when you listen to a book versus reading it.  :D  The “listen to” phase is the one I do after the everyone else is done going through my book.

His Abducted Bride is at the Halfway Point

Fortunately, the halfway point is where ideas start coming again.  Usually, I’ll start books off strong (meaning, I know exactly where I’m going with the story).  Then around the 20,000 word mark, I start to slow down because I’m not sure how to get from Point A (my beginning) to Point C (my middle).  Once I get to Point C, the rest is usually about finding a way to get to the climax of the book (which is where everything comes together so all plot points can be resolved).  I don’t know how else to explain it than that.  Now that I’ve hurdled the Point B phase (which is getting Sandy to fall in love with the hero), I can push forward more easily.  In this case, the two will soon find themselves against a villain neither one expected when the story started.  :D

Kent Ashton’s Backstory is Going to be Longer Than I Planned

At first, I expected Kent’s story to be a couple of scenes.  It was going to be a short story.  Then I knew I’d have to add more to it, given the way his parents are (wanting to use him to secure their financial future).  Then I realized Rebecca was the real villain in the story (more on this coming in future posts).  I’m close to 10,000 words and am just now approaching the scene where Rebecca makes her move.  I had my anticipated goal word count at 20,000 for this story, but today I upped the story to an anticipated 25,000 words (making it a novella).  I still have to explain how Kent finds out he’s been duped and why he goes after Ann.  I need to explain his actions in Falling In Love With Her Husband.  That’s why I started this story to begin with.

Kent has turned into one of the most intriguing (and emotionally hurt) characters I’ve ever written.  There are so many layers to him.  These are layers I’ll get to fully enjoy as I go more into Lassoing Her Groom.  Rose Larson (the heroine in Lassoing Her Groom) will have to fight hard to get him to open up to her, but having started Lassoing Her Groom, I already know she’s up to the challenge.  But anyway, all these layers begin in Kent Ashton’s Backstory, which is why I’m excited about writing it.

I am, however, conflicted on how I label this novella.  It’s not a romance.  There is romance in it.  The whole plot is Kent’s struggle to find happiness with the woman he loves, but he loses her.  This is a book where the hero loses the girl, and I’ve never done one of those.  So what in the order do I label it?

If I ended Kent’s story here, I’d be majorly depressed.  The ending is one where he cries.  I already know he’s going to cry.  It’s depressing, even though there’s a happy ending (in a way) for him.  He doesn’t get the girl, but he gets saved from the situation his parents bound him in.  But if I didn’t write Lassoing Her Groom to continue his story, I would be depressed.  LOL  I need to give this poor guy a happy ending.

So what Kent Ashton’s Backstory has become is a Prelude to Lassoing Her Groom, and I’ll make that clear in the description when I publish it.  I can’t make it part of Lassoing Her Groom because the focus of Lassoing Her Groom needs to be on Rose and Kent’s romance, not his past.

While I’m speaking of Lassoing Her Groom, I’m Only In Chapter Two

And Rose is already intrigued with Kent.  The time period of this book is 1907.  Dave and Mary Larson (Rose’s parents) are in their 50s (it’s hard to think of them in their 50s).  Rose and her twin sister Harriett are 18.  Kent is now 25.  (Kent was 17 when Kent Ashton’s Backstory begins.)  Neil Craftsman’s son, Stan, is in love with Rose.  Harriett is in love with Stan.  (And yes, I plan to pair up Stan and Harriett in another book.)

A thought just occurred to me.  I can’t remember for sure, but I think I said I wasn’t going to write a Nebraska series book this year.  I don’t remember where or when I said it.  But I was thinking of Richard and Amanda’s book and Dave and Mary’s third book when I said it.  Sorry for any confusion.  Rose Larson is part of the Nebraska series.  She’s just the second generation.

It gets more confusing as the series continues to evolve.  This is why I need timelines on this blog.  I refer to them a lot to figure out where I’m at and how old people are.

I’ll discuss Her Lassoing Groom in future posts.  (I’m at 900 words and want to wrap this up soon.)

His Reluctant Lady

I’m glad I’m doing this before The Earl’s Scandalous Wife because I realized that Lord Clement will be jilted at the altar in this book.  I know.  Poor Lord Clement.  The guy just can’t get a break.  My gut was telling me I needed to write more for Lord Clement before I wrote his book.  Now I know why.

I’ve just started chapter six in His Reluctant Lady and finally know where it’s going.  Mister Robinson (aka Christopher) from The Earl’s Inconvenient Wife is just as fun and willing to do whatever he wants (except he won’t push the limits to the point where he’ll have to clean out Lord Roderick’s stalls again).  ;)  He does, however, use his connection to Lord Clement (his guardian) to his advantage, and yes, this ends up leading poor Lord Clement to being left without a bride, but to be fair, Christopher is going to sincerely try to marry off his guardian.  Not that Christopher is being ultra-nice or anything.  He just wants Lord Clement to be too busy to watch everything he’s doing.

***

That’s it for today’s post.  Tomorrow and Monday, I’ll post up more scenes from Kent Ashton’s Backstory.

Answering Some Questions From My Inbox

I figure if I’m getting a question, then others have the same question.  So I thought I’d answer them today.  If you have additional questions, don’t be shy about commenting below.  :-)

1.  Will you write about any of the secondary characters in Substitute Bride?

Yes, I do, though not this year.  I don’t know when I’ll get to my next Florida Contemporary Romance.  I plan to include Nick Hammond (Lexie’s fiance in Runaway Bride) and Blake Rogers (Lexie and Caitlyn’s brother) in that series.  So you’ll see Caitlyn and Lexie and their children in Blake’s book.  I don’t know if they’ll make an appearance in Nick’s story, but since Blake is their brother, they’re guaranteed to show up at some point.

At the moment, I have plans for five more books in the Florida series.  (The Florida series takes place in the same area of Florida–the panhandle along Fort Walton Beach–that the Across the Stars Series takes place.)  In Substitute Bride, I introduced Nita (Alexandra’s best friend), Camden (the guy who was skinny as a rail but ate all the time), and Greg (Kevin’s best friend).  Nita does not end up marrying the guy she was dating in Substitute Bride, which is why I never gave him more than a simple mention.  I’m not sure who she ends up with.  It could be Greg or Camden or someone else, like Blake or Nick.

What I do know is that Tammy (the evil girl in Substitute Bride) and Troy (the guy who was there to make Kevin jealous by flirting with Alex) end up together.  And I’m going to pair them up in a very implausible, totally unrealistic, BUT extremely fun plotline.  Sorry guys.  Sometimes fun and laughter trump realism when I write books.

Needless to say, I have years to go before I finish with this series, just as I have years before I finish with the Larsons in Nebraska.  I’m just taking a break from the Larsons at the moment, though I’m hoping Kent will get his chance to be with Rose Larson before the year is up.

I really enjoy putting characters in one series into another series, and now that I have enough series out, I can easily do this.  So start looking for some secondary characters in one series being featured in a different one.  :-)

2.  I want to wait until you’re done with the Nebraska series so I can read all the books in order.  When will you be done with it?

I have no idea.  I have about 30 more books to write, and honestly, I suspect I’ll die before I finish the series.  I’ll probably be typing one of the books when it’s my time to go.  Not to be morbid or anything.  :-)  I just came to accept that the more I write, the more ideas I get.  What was supposed to be one book (Eye of the Beholder) before I turned my attention back to the characters in the Virginia series pretty much turned into a lifelong project.

Believe it or not, I originally had plans to write about Agnes Brothers and Alex Dawson (from Falling In Love With Her Husband).  I also wanted to write about Kate Tanner (aka Kate Walker)’s brother Billy, but that never panned out.  Billy, however, might eventually find his way out west with a Larson or Craftsman girl.  ;-)

I also can’t guarantee when I’ll be completely done with any other series I’ve started.  I never know when a character is going to pop up and want their own story.

3.  Do you really think it’s necessary to put sex in your books?  

Yes, I do.  If you’d rather avoid sex scenes, I suggest another author.

4.  Did women ever go to Pandoran (Mark and Chris’ world in the Across the Stars series) to help populate the world with female offspring?

Yes.  I envision a group of women from Alaris who will agree to go there.  In fact, it might be a situation where males on Alaris become unable to have children.  But I don’t know if or when I’ll get around to writing it.  The focus would be on romance, rather than the sci-fi part, something that would probably upset the sci-fi fans but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.  As fun as it is to mix genres up, I don’t like to get techy in the sci-fi thing.

5.  What?  Mixing genres?  What are you talking about?

I thought I’d answer this before someone asks.  :-)  I love a variety of genres and I read a variety of genres.  I have blended them into some of my romances, though the focus always remains in the romance area.

For example, Brave Beginnings, Her Counterfeit Husband, and Shotgun Groom were romance mixed with thriller elements.

Though it probably seems morbid, my favorite scene in Brave Beginnings (besides the scene where Gary takes Julia to meet Chogan in the middle of the night) is when Ernest grips the wine glass in his hand and cuts his hand so blood drips to the floor.  Ernest had a surprising dark side, and that was the scene where I realized just how dark he truly was.  Originally, he was supposed to end up with Millicent.  But there was no redeeming him.  I especially enjoyed the comparison between the “refined white gentleman” who was really a savage versus the “savage redskin” who was really a gentleman.  I love to throw in comparisons like that.  Just like when I compared true beauty that is often overlooked to the superficial beauty that is often praised in Eye of the Beholder (Mary vs. Cassie).

I could go on, but this post is getting long.

Other mixing of genres is romance and fantasy (His Abducted Bride), romance and science fiction (Suddenly a Bride, I especially enjoy the discussion about how Pandoran ended up without women in that book), romance and humor (I have too many of these to count but I probably enjoyed A Most Unsuitable Earl and An Inconvenient Marriage the most).

***

Since I’m at the 1000 word mark for this post, I’ll end it here.  If any more questions come to mind, I’ll put them in another post.  And like I said earlier, if you have any, feel free to comment.  :-)

I Finally Picked the Books I’ll Work On for the Next Three Months

My husband and I decided to take a vacation in July to visit his parents.  (My parents are no longer alive so we do our vacations for his side.)  Anyway, I had to pick which books had the best chance of getting finished and published before I go on vacation.  So I picked the four books (three novels and one novella) that look the most promising.  I just posted my choices and explained them at length on my newsletter blog.  I was going to repeat myself here to explain why I chose the books I did, but why do that in case some of you already read that blog?  So I’ll do a cliff notes version on this blog and you can go to my newsletter blog to find out more information if you wish.  Or, if you’ve already read that blog post, you can save yourself the double post.

Here goes…

First of all, Runaway Bride is expected to be out around April 15.  I’m really happy with how Mark and Lexie’s story turned out.  And it turned out Lexie’s mom wasn’t all that bad after all.  :-)  I expected her to be, given how things played out in Suddenly a Bride, but I guess seeing her from Lexie’s point of view gave me another perspective of her.

Now for the list of books I’ll be working on for the next three months: His Abducted Bride, Kent Ashton’s Backstory, Lassoing Her Groom, and His Reluctant Lady.  *fingers crossed that no one gets sick or something else happens to prevent me from finishing and publishing these before July*

Here’s the detailed blog post on my newsletter blog for more information.

Inspiration For the Book: Another Scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory

I thought I’d post another scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory.  It’s really fun to see how the story is coming together.  This scene paves the way for why Kent tried to “rescue” Ann while she was in North Dakota.

“Kent?”

He turned from the carriage in time to see Ann hurrying in his direction.  His heart sped up at the sight of her.  It’d always speed up because she was near.  Turning to the driver, he said, “Take the carriage on home without me.”

The driver nodded and Kent stepped around a couple strolling down the sidewalk to meet her.  “Ann, I don’t know if your father would approve of your talking to me.”

She lifted the front of her hat up and tilted her head, showing him the most beautiful eyes he’d ever seen.  “Won’t you ask him if you can court me?  Please?”

Making sure no one passing by on the street lined with businesses would hear them, he gestured for her to walk with him in a more vacant area.  “I already did.  He said no.”

“I meant that I need you to ask him again.”

“If he said no the first time, what makes you think he’ll say yes the second?”

She clenched the purse in her hands and sighed.  “If you don’t find a way to get him to say yes, he’ll arrange for me to marry Todd.  I just know he will.  My parents have been pushing me at him for months now and day by day, it only gets worse.”

“But I thought your father promised you that it would be your choice.”

“And I choose you.” She stepped in front of him.  “Kent, if you don’t do something, then I’ll be forced to marry someone I don’t love.  Do you really want that?”

He lowered his head.  “No, of course not.  Ann, I…”

With a sigh, his gaze met hers and he fought the urge to embrace her.  He wanted nothing more than to hold her.  If he had enough money, he’d suggest eloping and running off to a place where no one would find them.  But he didn’t have more than a few coins to his name.  Without her family’s money, he couldn’t give her the things she was accustomed.  She deserved more than he could offer.

“I want to be with you,” he finally said.  “I want it more than anything.”

“Then do something.  If it’s not you, it’ll be Todd.”

“I don’t know if I can ask your father right away.”

“Well, then maybe you can come over and visit me.  We’ll be in the parlor and one of the servants can watch us.  We’ll do everything proper.”

“We’ve never done nothing inappropriate.”

“I know but maybe my father isn’t sure about your intentions.  Up to now, we’ve talked at the school or on my way home.  You haven’t been in my home.  No one can vouch for you since you recently moved here.” Her smile widening, she nodded in excitement.  “I think I know why my father refused your request.  He doesn’t know anything about you.”

That sounded like a reasonable explanation.

“Will you come to my house and visit?  You’ll get a chance to talk to my parents and I’m sure once you do, my father will see you the way I do.”

“Alright,” he agreed and returned her smile.  “I’d love to spend the rest of my life with you.”

“I want the same thing!”

They hadn’t come out and stated their feelings before, so to hear her confess where she wanted things to go renewed his confidence.  She was right.  What he needed to do was show her father that he was an honorable young man.  “Can I come by tomorrow?”

“Please do.”

As much as he wanted to kiss her, he reminded himself that it’d be better if he waited until they were engaged.  “Wait for me by the large oak tree in front of the school and I’ll walk you home.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Me neither.”

“May I walk you home?”

“Actually, I’m on my way to see Agnes.  Would you like to walk me to her house?”

“Of course.” It gave him an excuse to spend time with her.  He’d never give up the opportunity to do that.  “Which way does she live?”

“That way.”

Turning around, he strolled beside her, in no hurry.  “I should bring over some pictures of New York City.  You said you haven’t been there?”

“No, I haven’t but one of my friends has, and she says it’s lovely.  There’s so much to see and do.”

“She’s right.  You’d love it.  It’d be perfect for you.” He hesitated to say more but since she’d made her feelings known to him, he saw no reason to hold anything back.  “I’d like to take you there for our honeymoon.”

“I’d love that.”

As he told her where they’d go, the future he wanted became more real to him.  Before, he’d had a vague idea of what it’d be like to spend the rest of his life with Ann at his side.  But now, he could see it with such clarity, he had no doubt it’d come true.

They reached Agnes’ house, and reluctant to end their pleasant conversation, he said, “We’ll do many wonderful things there.”

“I can’t wait.  It all sounds so exciting.”

He heard someone walking up the porch steps, his eyebrows rising in surprise when he saw Todd.  He forgot Todd was Agnes’ older brother.  “Good afternoon, Todd.  It’s a pleasant day, don’t you agree?”

Todd glanced from him to Ann then back to him.  “Yes, it is pleasant.” He cleared his throat and passed them.  “I can let you in.”

“I came to visit with Agnes,” Ann said.

“I know,” Todd told her as he opened the door and waved them in.

“Oh, I won’t be staying,” Kent replied.

“I’ll be in there in a moment,” Ann added.  “Will you tell Agnes I’m here?”

When Todd was out of hearing distance, Kent turned his attention back to her.  “He loves you.”

“I know but I don’t love him.  I’ll never love him, no matter how much he or my parents wish it.  I only want to marry you.  Promise me you’ll do everything you can to make sure we end up together?”

He nodded and brushed her cheek with his fingers.  “I promise.”

“Ann?  I’m so glad you came!”

He lowered his hand right before Agnes showed up at the door.  “I better go.  I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tipping his hat, he offered Agnes a greeting before heading down the porch steps.  As he glanced back, Ann gave him another one of those smiles that made him feel as if all was right with the world.  His lips turned up but then his gaze caught a slight movement in the parlor window.  His steps slowed when he realized Todd was watching him.  It was the first time he sensed a challenge.  He stopped and faced the window, but Todd lowered the curtain, blocking his view of him.  Eyebrows furrowed, he put his hands in his pockets and headed down the street.

Sunday Story Sample: A Scene From Kent Ashton’s Backstory

For today’s  Sunday Story Sample, I wanted to post another scene from Kent’s story.  As always, this is in first draft form, so it’s not perfect.  :D

“You tell the most amusing stories,” Kent’s mother gushed after Mr. Johnson finished telling everyone his experience at the billiard room.

Kent’s father, Mrs. Johnson, Rebecca and her younger sister all chuckled along with his mother.  Kent forced a polite smile, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget Ann.  It’d been two weeks since Mr. Statesman refused to let him court her.  He’d told Ann her father’s answer and saw the disappointment in her eyes.  But what could he do?  He was bound by the rules of polite society, and if her father didn’t want him to be with her, there was nothing he could do about it.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he lifted the steak to his mouth and forced himself to eat it.  For all the flavoring the Johnsons’ cook used, it was tasteless to him.  He couldn’t enjoy anything without Ann.  It was like losing Wilma all over again, except worse because he loved Ann more.  She was vibrant and full of life.  She was the kind of lady who could make a gentleman forget everything but her, and she gave him a reason to believe in the best life had to offer.

“Kent?”

Blinking, he directed his attention to his father.  He cleared his throat.  “Yes, Father?”

“Perhaps you’d be willing to entertain everyone after this fine dinner?” Turning to Mr. Johnson, he added, “My son has been playing the piano since he was five.  He’s mastered some of the masterpieces written by famous composers, Beethoven being one of them.”

“Now, has he?” Mrs. Johnson asked, her smile widening with pleasure.  “Rebecca has a lovely voice.  Perhaps your son could play while she sings?”

“That would be delightful!” Kent’s mother replied.  “Wouldn’t that be delightful, Kent?”

Kent’s gaze went from his mother to his father who indicated he’d better agree to it.  Ever since he told his parents that Mr. Statesman had refused to let him court Ann, he’d been afraid they would try to pair him up with Rebecca, and now it looked as if that was what they’d set their mind to do.  He glanced at Rebecca.  She gave him a shy smile, which he returned only because he was expected to.  The last thing he wanted to do was encourage her.

“Excellent!” his father said, nodding his approval at Kent.

After the meal was over, Mr. Johnson escorted everyone to the parlor.  He gestured toward the grand piano.  “There she is, Kent.  Thumb through the music book and see if there’s anything you know.”

“Oh, he can play anything as soon as he sees it,” Kent’s father replied, patting Kent on the shoulder.  “Perhaps we ought to let Rebecca pick the song.” Looking at her, he asked, “What would you like to sing?”

With a shy smile, Rebecca approached the piano and opened the book.  “I hope no one minds if I sing ‘All Things Love Thee So Do I’?”

“It’s her favorite song,” Mrs. Johnson said, sitting next to Kent’s mother on the settee.  “I just love to hear her sing it.  She has the voice of an angel.”

“Then we must hear it,” Kent’s father agreed, motioning for Kent to play for them.

Glancing at the grandfather clock, Kent settled onto the bench and scanned the music.  It looked like a simple enough tune.  He tested out the scale on the piano and played a portion of the melody.  When he figured he had a good feel for the music, he began the song.  Rebecca soon joined in with the lyrics, and to his surprise, she had a beautiful voice.  In some ways, it was hypnotic.  It pulled him in and made him feel the emotion in the song, a deep abiding love, a deep longing.  His thoughts went to Ann.  Why did her father refuse to let him court her?  He saw no reason for the gentleman’s refusal, and as much as he tried to push it aside, it continued to bother him.

When he finished the song, everyone clapped and called for another one.  He glanced at Rebecca to see if she had another piece she’d like to sing, but she encouraged him to pick one.  After sorting through the book, he showed her “The Sailor Boy’s Grave” and asked if she knew the lyrics.

“Are you familiar with the music?” she asked him.

He nodded.  “You can read them while I play.”

“I’ll do so.”

The arrangement was made and his fingers moved across the piano with ease.  If nothing else, the evening was enjoyable simply because he was playing music.  Sometimes it seemed that nothing could soothe the soul like a good melody.  It was unfortunate his parents didn’t have a grand piano.  He’d play it all the time.  Since leaving New York, he hadn’t had the chance to do it.

After an hour passed, his father stood up and announced that it was time to leave.  While Rebecca’s parents and his talked about the lovely evening they had, Rebecca sat next to Kent.

“Our parents get along remarkably well,” she said, leaning closer to him than he preferred.

He glanced over his shoulder, but no one noticed them.  Clearing his throat, he shifted away from her and closed the book.  “Yes, they do.”

“And we have so much talent.  Few are as musically inclined as we are.”

“Um…yeah.”

“My parents say you come from a noble bloodline.  Do you really have an ancestor who was a prince?”

“That was in the late eighteenth century, but I’m not a direct descendant.”

He traced the white and black keys.  He really missed spending time at the piano.  Rebecca let out a high-pitch laugh, and he had to fight the urge to wince.  He couldn’t recall hearing a more atrocious sound.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a direct descendant or not,” she said with a wave of her hand.  “The fact that one is in your history is important.  It means you’re better than other kinds of people.”

His directed his gaze to her.  “What kind of people?”

“You know the kind.  People who have nothing to commend themselves.  You and I have much in common.  We’re old money.  We’re established.  Some families in town aren’t.” She lowered her voice and leaned toward him.  “You shouldn’t waste your time with such persons.  After all, does a prince marry a nobody who managed to be adopted into family who recently acquired their wealth because of a lucky investment?”

Her meaning dawned on him.  Ann had told him she’d been adopted.  The matter hadn’t bothered him, nor did the fact that her father hadn’t been born rich.  Apparently, it bothered some of the people in the town, including the Johnsons.  He glanced at Rebecca’s parents who were conversing with his parents as if they were old friends.  He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.  If they only knew the truth about his family, they wouldn’t have anything to do with them.

“Come along, Kent,” his mother called out.  “We must be going.”

“Yes,” his father added.  “Perhaps you and Rebecca might delight us with another concert in the future?”

“We’d love to,” Rebecca said with another shrill laugh.

“Wonderful.” His father shot Kent a meaningful look.  “Isn’t that wonderful, Kent?”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Kent nodded.  “Wonderful.” And he was already dreading it.

Inspiration for the Book: Falling In Love With Her Husband

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to write another scene for Kent Ashton’s Backstory.  I’m finishing up the second draft of Runaway Bride tonight and will start sending it out to editors.  I’d like the book out mid-to-late April.

Falling In Love With Her Husband went through a lot of changes.  It started out in 1997 when I was reading a lot of Janette Oke books.  I enjoyed her work a lot, especially her Seasons of the Heart series.  I was, however, disappointed that the wedding night was never shown.  Even back in college, I wanted romances with a little more spice.

Anyway, it was Janette Oke who actually inspired the book that would eventually become Falling In Love With Her Husband.  I remember reading her books and thought, “What if a heroine married the hero because she was recently rejected from the man she wanted to be with?  What if the hero loved her and willingly married her, knowing she didn’t share his feelings?”  I wrote half of the book (Todd’s Bride) in 1997-1998.

Then I graduated from college (in Pensacola, Florida) and moved to Bismarck, North Dakota where I forgot all about it.  Real life took over, and I did a couple of jobs.  I ended up meeting my husband who was stationed at Minot Air Force Base and got married about four months later.  We’ll celebrate our 13 year anniversary in July, which is proof that the length of time you know someone isn’t as important as the quality of the person you meet.  Like the old church ladies told me, “Staying married means both sides are committed to sticking together no matter what.”  They didn’t say everything would always be sunshine and fluffy happy feelings.  They told me it was a lot of work, and darned if they weren’t right.  But I married my husband because I saw how he treated his family and others with respect and knew he was a good guy.  He also had a good, stable job and shared similar values as I did.  There was also the excitement in being with him, but I tend to be a logical in affairs of the heart.   I also made sure my dad approved of the match before I considered marrying him.

Anyway….

Fast forward to 2007 when I happened to get a post card in the mail from a Christian Romance publisher “Heartsong Presents” and I found my attachment to romances again.  Reminded of Todd’s Bride, I went down to the basement and dug it out of an old bin.  I’d love to say that I finished it and was happy with the result, but I wasn’t.  After I put Todd’s Bride through a vanity press, I wished I had given Todd’s point of view.

 

So I wrote Ann’s Groom and published it through a vanity press, too.

I still wasn’t happy with it.  I wanted to unpublish them, but since they were with a vanity press, I didn’t have control of them.  I still don’t.  But, I still owned the copyright to the stories.  So I took Todd’s Bride and Ann’s Groom and merged them.  I expanded it to complete it, and I added what I thought was missing from the other two: sex.  As much as I tried to convince myself I didn’t need to add sex to make the story better, in the end, I knew that to be completely satisfied with the story, I had to include the sex scenes.

Falling In Love With Her Husband was a lesson in learning what type of romances I wanted to write.  Todd’s Bride and Ann’s Groom were Christian Romances, but I later discovered I wasn’t meant to write Christian Romances.  That isn’t my calling.  I get bored reading them (due to lack of spice), so why would I write something I don’t like to read?  The first rule of writing: love what you’re writing.

I don’t want people to waste their time reading Todd’s Bride or Ann’s Groom.  I’d rather they read Falling In Love With Her Husband because that is the story as it is truly meant to be.

As a writer, I learn ways to improve things all the time.  The process of growing as a writer is a complicated and sometimes aggravating (since it’s not always easy to figure out the type of books we’re meant to write), but it’s also a thrilling.  Falling In Love With Her Husband was the book that got me hooked on writing romances, and it eventually helped me define which type of romances to write.  Second rule of writing: never be afraid of changing the way you’re writing if you’re led in another direction.  Third rule of writing: you can’t please everyone.

Sunday Story Sample: Another Scene from Kent Ashton’s Backstory

Today’s scene isn’t long.  I’m hoping to add another one tomorrow, but it also depends on how things go.  I have a writer’s group I’m going to tomorrow, and I’ll be gone all day.  So it depends on how things go tonight.  I’m working on the next scene in the story.  I’d like to finish it and post it tomorrow.  *fingers crossed*

Quick update from my last post:

1.  I’ll write the wedding night to “A Bride for Tom”.  However, I’m not exactly sure when.  I’ll keep you posted.

2.  Thanks to all the great ideas for how I can make my heroine scandalous in Perry’s book.  I’ll be thinking through my options on which direction to take the story over the next couple weeks.  I can’t get started on the story until I get Runaway Bride out.

Now for today’s post…

Okay, all that aside, here’s the scene where Kent Ashton makes his first attempt to court Ann.  (In Falling In Love With Her Husband, Ann pleads with her parents to meet Kent’s parents to give him a chance.  That took place after the second time her father refused to let Kent court her.)

“I’m afraid I can’t grant your request,” Mr. Statesman replied from where he sat in his chair.

Kent stared at Ann’s father, wondering what he said or did that upset the older gentleman.  But he couldn’t come up with anything.  Adjusting his tie, Kent sat up straighter in the chair, unwilling to leave the parlor until he got his next answer.  “Sir, if you don’t mind my asking, why do you deny me the privilege of courting your daughter?”

Mr. Statesman let out a long sigh.  “There are some things I can’t adequately explain.”

He furrowed his eyebrows.  “I’ve walked your daughter home from school for a month now, and I confess my admiration and respect for her.  She seems to share the same sentiment toward me.” He paused before continuing, “I’m aware that you are seeking a young man to court your daughter.  Why am I not suitable?”

Her father shook his head.  “These matters are complicated.”

“I don’t understand how complicated they can be when you were trying to arrange something with Alex Dawson’s father, and Ann has stated her disapproval of Alex many times.” As soon as he spoke the words, he wished he could take them back.  Ann had told him that in confidence.

He furrowed his eyebrows and lifted his chin.  “I don’t believe I have to explain what I do or don’t do to you.  The answer to your question is no.  You do not have my permission to court my daughter.”

Kent knew that was all he’d get from her father.  With a sigh, he rose from the chair and managed a stiff bow.  “Thank you for your time, Mr. Statesman.”

As he left Ann’s house, his face burned with anger.  If her father had just explained why he refused his request, then the sting wouldn’t be so great.  But there was no reason for it.  And the fact that Kent knew her father had said yes to so many other men and tried arranging something with other fathers added additional insult to the rejection.  What was wrong with him?  He’d taken care to be respectful when he talked to Ann, and he honestly cared for her.  So why had her father said no?  And was there anything he could do to get into her father’s good graces?

A Bride for Tom (Adding a Wedding Night?) and a Question About Scandals in the Regency Era

Adding the Wedding Night to “A Bride for Tom”?

Lately, I’ve been wondering if I should go back and add a sex scene at the end of “A Bride for Tom.” My concern is that people reading that book will assume my stuff is G-rated.  So when some people read my other books, they are appalled to find out I have sexual situations in them.  I don’t want to mislead people or make them think I write G-rated content when I don’t.  The reason I didn’t add it before was because I didn’t think it advanced the plot.  I mean, it would have been funny because Tom does fall over himself to impress Jessica.  But it doesn’t advance the plot.  I’d only add it so that people don’t read it and assume all of my books are G-rated.  That way those who prefer “clean” romances won’t be disappointed when they buy my other books.

What Makes for a Scandalous Lady in the Regency Era?

I’m currently in the brainstorming phase of this book, which I do consider part of the writing stage.  It’s just one that doesn’t involve words on paper.  So anyway, I’d like to have the heroine have a scandal of some sort in her past that makes her less desirable for marriage.  This will make my opening scene where her brother is trying to arrange a very undesirable marriage for her.  Since she can’t easily get a gentleman of good standing (due to some past behavior), she would want to take matters into her own hands and work it so that she has to marry Perry.

But the problem is, I don’t know if there is a scandalous action in her past that would fit this scenario.  Any of you guys with Regency expertise have some ideas?