Title: December Rain
Genre: Erotic Contemporary
Romance
Author: A.L Goulden
Release Date: November 25,
2014
Synopsis:
Monica and Alex Waters have spent that last
few months working to repair a broken marriage and rekindle their passion. Just
as they start finding their spark, Quinn Matthews and his escalating career
resurfaces, but this time Alex makes the decision to let Monica go.
The devastation of losing her high school
sweetheart, her home, and even her dog twists Monica down a destructive path
that alienates her from her closest friends and lands her on Quinn’s couch.
Despite her efforts to resist jumping into his arms again, the spark between
them reignites and sweeps her away on a whirlwind holiday adventure. She finds
that falling in love with Quinn’s family and lifestyle is as easy as falling
for his ocean colored eyes. The problem is that it’s all too easy, and when she
sees that Quinn’s reinvented life has completely shifted towards her dreams,
she starts to question whether he’s too good to be true.
Quinn has a secret that was never meant to
be kept this long, but will Monica be able to trust another man who’s lied? And
now that Quinn’s got his happily ever after in sight, he’s not about to let her
go or share her with another man
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Excerpt...
The outdoor style shopping mall is bustling with tourist and
local art lovers. Rows of art galleries surround the courtyard where a stage
welcomes a local reggae band. Monica settles into a groove and starts dancing
with the crowd. Alex tries to hang in for a couple of songs before he starts
feeling claustrophobic and looks to the galleries and shops around them.
“Go ahead,” she says with a loving smile.
“I’ll meet you down there… after one more song.”
He gives her a little kiss on the cheek and
glides his hand across her behind before making his way out of the crowd. His
attention is pulled by various pieces in windows along the way. There’s a large
glass sea turtle in shades of green and gold followed by a painting of an
autumn forest with heavy texture. He stands there daydreaming for a minute
until he’s distracted by a reflection passing in the glass. It’s so brief he’s
sure it’s his imagination. He barely catches a glimpse down the mall as the
backside of the man disappears into another gallery.
Alex follows the ghost, dodging through
happy couples and pushy salespeople trying to get his attention. Before he can
see inside a painting that’s prominently displayed on a front wall stops him. A
cold washes over as he stands there staring at it. He slowly moves inside,
mesmerized by the familiar vibrant paint strokes until he sees a few people
gathered in the back. A man talking to two smiling women stills himself as
Alex’s eyes freeze on the back of his shaved head. No words were needed as the
tropical air takes a chill. Even the women sense a showdown and step back to
give Quinn room.
Quinn turns. What do I say? Fuck! I thought
that was him. I hoped it wasn’t. Quinn moves very slowly towards Alex. Is he
gonna hit me? I do deserve it. Might as well get it over with. “Hey.” Quinn
pauses near the center of the room waiting.
Alex swallows hard, his nostrils flaring
and fist clenched. His jaw flexes as his breathing grows heavier, but the
emotions just start to turn to mush. His eyes fill as thoughts of his new
friend’s betrayal wash over and the painting draws his eyes again.
“I’m sorry Alex,” Quinn says quietly.
Monica nearly passes the gallery on her way
to see their friends when Alex’s shirt first catches her eye. She halts and
shifts backwards until she sees the painting and stops. It’s a female figure
bent forward reaching for her toes. The abstract form of her body in swirls of
orange and reds is cradled by a man swathed in blues and purple. Oh my God!
That’s me. That’s us, stretching. It can’t be. He’s...
She struggles for air as the tears swell,
and she can already feel him. As she stands there, not crossing the threshold,
the two men watch her. When her eyes finally land on Quinn, electricity fills
the room. She can only see him and the deep tan that backdrops the pale oceany
eyes reaching for her. A warm drop gently slides down her cheekbone as her
breathing syncs with his. His lips move slightly hinting at words that he can’t
find while she struggles not to run into his arms.
Alex’s discomfort is audible as he clears
his clogged throat to rattle her attention to his worried eyes. She steps in
and touches his hand briefly. “I’ll be outside,” she says, turning without
another glance at Quinn.Her feet move quick as her thoughts try to keep up.
What are they doing? Alex is gonna hit him. I can’t believe he’s here. What are
the odds? Did he know we’d be here? No. Maybe he moved here. That painting was
him and I together. Would Alex know that? It’s pretty abstract. Fuck! This
can’t be happening. Before she knows it, she’s at the other end of the mall
near the parking lot. She settles on a bench to wait for the world to stop
crumbling around her.
About the Author:
Bio:
I'm a designer, author, wife and dog-lover
living in the South Pasadena area of California. I got my BFA in Film
Production from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, but my love of
a good story came way before college. I remember writing my first full story in
fifth grade on a typewriter. I cut and pasted it into a book, complete with
cardboard cover and taped binding. Things have changed a lot since then. With
the magnificent digital age I can produce books and give them to the world
without a sticky mess.
In college numerous instructors and peers
praised my dialogue pushed me to hone my storytelling skills. Of course the
need to cut and paste was still there, so I went into the world of Production
Design and Art Direction for films and television. It gave me the ability to
connect design to storytelling in a way that no other career can. The past 18
years have spun a unique perspective on visually emotional tales of
relationships and the thread that ties all things together. Now I'm shifting
focus on the driving force that brought me here... stories. I hope that I can
share a unique perspective on life, love and the pursuit in all of the above.
1. I not only like to design things like
homes, gardens, and interiors, I like to build them too. I built the redwood
decks in our backyard when our carpenter backed out at the last minute. Since I
was off work for a few weeks, I went for it. The best part was the neighbor's
reaction to me out there every day with power tools and very long planks of wood.
I think working with your hands gives you an immediate sense of accomplishment.
2. I'm a reluctant morning lover, which
means I love getting things get done early while it's quiet and calm, but my
attitude when I first roll out of bed is sour.
3. I've practiced bonsai for many years and
have a garden with 10 trees on display.
4. I love board games and try to organize
game nights with friends as often as possible. My family was always very
competitive and had a regular Sunday night usually filled with Yahtzee or UNO
battles.
5. My favorite book as a kid was Pride and
Prejudice, but I was very Dyslexic so I hated reading. Eventually I got into an
assistance program that worked me through the difficulties and turned me into a
bookworm.
6. I'm a hardcore Oakland A's fan. Baseball
is the only sport I follow.
7. We moved from Oklahoma when I was twelve
to Las Vegas. It was so completely twisted and unique to living anywhere else
in the world, especially in the early 90s when things were booming. I got a
well-rounded education on what I didn't want out of life by living there. I
don't visit unless I'm dragged there.
8. I have an English Setter and German
Shorthair Pointer that keep me on my toes.
9. I love road trips, but have to be the
driver. I'm a terrible passenger.
10. My husband and I are celebrating our
10th wedding anniversary in 2015, but we've known each other since the summer
of 1993 in high school.
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