{"id":5371,"date":"2012-01-03T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2012-01-03T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/?p=5371"},"modified":"2012-01-01T17:26:06","modified_gmt":"2012-01-02T01:26:06","slug":"the-end-of-a-line","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/the-end-of-a-line\/","title":{"rendered":"The End of A Line"},"content":{"rendered":"

Okay, so it’s a\u00a0tad later than\u00a0initially promised, but I’m now extremely happy to present a second excerpt from WHERE SHE BELONGS<\/a>, which is currently shipping from Amazon<\/a>, Barnes and Noble<\/a>, and Amazon Canada<\/a>. Librarians can order from Five Star\/Cengage<\/a>. You can download a PDF of the Five Star Winter 2011 Catalogue here<\/a> and present it to your librarian to make ordering (and reading!) easier and faster.<\/p>\n

While I’m thrilled to finally see WHERE SHE BELONGS<\/strong> published, it’s kind of a sad time, too. Because the Five Star Expressions line, which published romances and women’s fiction, is ending with the publication of my novel and another by author Stacey Coverstone.<\/p>\n

I didn’t kill the line, I promise! I know it looks that way, but I swear it’s not true. Five Star will continue to publish mysteries, and some romantic supsense novels and mystery romances will be included in their Mystery line. But no more Expressions novels.<\/p>\n

I have no idea how large the print run is for my book. Or when it will sell out. So if you’re itching to read it, I’m not feeding you a line when I say it’s best to buy it now–or ask your library to order it in for you.<\/p>\n

Enough with the doom and gloom! It’s time for another excerpt.<\/p>\n

Excerpt 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first scene posted on my blog December 16th was from Jess’s point of view, so now\u00a0 here’s one from\u00a0Adam’s.<\/p>\n

Jess and Adam have just taken Jess’s mother’s car to a mechanic. Adam has an SUV and a bush pickup, so he’s lending Jess his SUV while her recently deceased stepfather’s classic car is in the shop. Trouble is, she hasn’t driven a standard stick shift since she was a teenager. Adam gives her a lesson in the garage parking lot, then, well, he’s supposed to give her directions to his log house, where she’ll drop him off (that’s where his pickup is). But he wants to spend time with her, so…<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll let you know when to turn. Relax.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEasy for you to say.\u201d But she slackened her death-grip on the steering wheel and took two more loops around the garage, engaging and releasing the clutch in better synchronization with the gearshift. She released a breath. Pride wreathed her face as she pulled onto the highway and accelerated to a few kilometers below the posted speed limit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam clapped and whistled. She shot him a humor-filled glance.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAnother milestone!\u201d he declared when she turned onto Destiny Falls Crossroad without riding the clutch.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, shut up,\u201d she tossed back lightly. \u201cCan\u2019t you see I\u2019m driving?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, Mother.\u201d He slouched against the armrest like an insolent teenager. Pretending to watch the scenery, he monitored her progress from the corner of one eye. She returned her attention to the road, which curved and wound at a steady incline. The spruce and fir trees lining the shoulders increased in size and density as the houses facing the Crossroad gave way to treed acreage and forested mountains. The road narrowed, and soon thick brush obscured the signs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cShouldn\u2019t we have reached Red Rock Road by now?\u201d she asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe passed it five minutes ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat? Why didn\u2019t you say something?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou told me to shut up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOh, for\u2014\u201d She glared at him as if he were frustration incarnate. He wiggled his eyebrows like Bugs Bunny outfoxing Elmer Fudd. \u201cAdam Wright! You tricked me on purpose!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He showed his teeth. \u201cGuilty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t believe this! I can\u2019t turn around now without taking us into the ditch. What should I do?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou tell me, Jess. You\u2019re in the driver\u2019s seat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCute, Wright.\u201d Twin spots of color flared on her cheeks, giving her a just-been-kissed-and-not-too-thrilled-about-it look. \u201cAs if I\u2019m not nervous enough learning to drive this behemoth, you have to play word games.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He shrugged. \u201cYou\u2019re tense. I\u2019m helping you loosen up.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll loosen a can of kick-butt on you if you\u2019re not careful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, Jess, you\u2019re doing fine. The turn-off for the waterfall is up ahead. We\u2019ll drive around the campsites, check out the local wonder of nature. Have you visited the falls since you came home?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMom\u2019s car hasn\u2019t exactly been reliable, remember?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo, I found a way around that. I thought you\u2019d appreciate it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re hopeless, you know that? The only reason you didn\u2019t breathe a word is because you knew you\u2019d never get me in the middle of nowhere with you like this without resorting to another of your dirty tricks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDirty tricks? Moi<\/em>?\u201d He crossed his heart over his shirt pocket. \u201cMy intentions are as honorable as my gender allows.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, at least you score points for honesty.\u201d Reducing speed, she downshifted smoothly into third gear. \u201cWhere\u2019s this turn-off, anyway? My memory\u2019s rusty.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat long, huh?\u201d He pointed out a sign. \u201cTake a left. Quick!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Shifting jerkily into second, she swung the truck onto a narrow road. It bounced over a pothole, engine wailing like a wounded animal. \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cDid I complain?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo. Thank you.\u201d She chose the fork to the right, following the loop of empty campsites nestled amid tall evergreens. Tourists rarely descended on the area until May. He and Jess would have the falls to themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Good.<\/em> He didn\u2019t feeling like sharing the scenery. Or the woman.<\/span><\/p>\n

At his suggestion, she parked parallel to the viewing deck. As if stretched to the limits of her endurance, she crumpled against her seat and sighed. \u201cWe made it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He laughed at her woebegone expression. \u201cWho\u2019d have thought it? Jessica Morgan\u2014busy merchandising executive and world traveler\u2014humbled by a standard SUV.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHumiliated is more like it. And please don\u2019t call me Jessica.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not? It\u2019s a beautiful name.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe, but it\u2019s not mine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s Jess short for, then?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPlain Jessie, with an \u2018i-e.\u2019 Mom named me for her father, Jesse Banks. She always said she didn\u2019t see the point in calling me Jessica when she never planned to use the name.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSo your birth certificate reads?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cJessie Noreen. Corny, huh?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s great. Although unusual around here, a girl being named for her grandfather.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThank God his name wasn\u2019t Marvin.\u201d Her voice brimmed with warmth.<\/span><\/p>\n

Adam liked her wit. Too bad she didn\u2019t display it more often. \u201cI was named for my mom\u2019s father, too\u2014Tom McLean. My middle name is Thomas.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReally? I thought it was Perseverance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cVery funny.\u201d He lowered his gaze to her lips. What he\u2019d give to silence her smart mouth with a slow, deep kiss. Unfortunately, the last he knew, mature, adult \u201cfriends\u201d didn\u2019t hook up in parked vehicles like a couple of sex-starved teenagers. \u201cNow do you want to see the falls or what?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

If she\u2019d replied \u201cor what,\u201d he would have gone ahead and kissed her\u2014damn the friendship. It was a farce, anyway. He knew it, and so did she. She just didn\u2019t want to admit it.<\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/span><\/p>\n

Want buy links? I got ’em.<\/span><\/p>\n

Amazon<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Amazon Canada<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Barnes and Noble<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Information for Your Librarian to Order from Five Star\/Cengage<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Okay, so it’s a\u00a0tad later than\u00a0initially promised, but I’m now extremely happy to present a second excerpt from WHERE SHE BELONGS, which is currently shipping from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Amazon Canada. Librarians can order from Five Star\/Cengage. You can download a PDF of the Five Star Winter 2011 Catalogue here and present it… Continue reading The End of A Line<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5371","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-my-books","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5371","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/51"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5371"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5371\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5407,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5371\/revisions\/5407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5371"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5371"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cindyprocter-king.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5371"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}