Saturday, October 22, 2011

Sweet Saturday Sample

This excerpt comes from my Melange Christmas release The Best Selling Toy of the Season which is available at Melange Books.  At one time or the other I've felt pretty much the same way my heroine does, but the knock on her door is literally going to change her life forever.

Nikki sank wearily onto her sofa the following evening and propped her feet on the scarred coffee table in front of her. “Just shoot me now, and put me out of my misery,” she muttered.

Her two small sons stood dejectedly in front of her. “We’re sorry, Mama. We didn’t mean to do it,” Teddy apologized.

When you had two lively boys in the family you expected things to happen, but after a hard day at work this mess had almost undone her. The family Christmas tree lay on its side on the floor, and the water in the reservoir of the tree stand had soaked the few colorful packages nestled under the tree. “Be careful where you step,” she tiredly warned the boys. “Most of the ornaments are broken, and you’ll get glass in your feet.”

As if dealing with this catastrophe didn’t give her enough to do, she heard someone knock loudly on the front door of the trailer. With an enormous sigh, Nikki dragged herself from the sofa. Why now?
She didn’t want company tonight. “You kids sit right here on the sofa. Don’t you even think of moving.”

She jerked the door open, and her jaw dropped. A surprise visit from Rudolph or maybe a Christmas elf wouldn’t have surprised her any more. “You! You’ve got a nerve coming here after you ruined my
things. Who gave you this address? What do you want?”

15 comments:

  1. How could things get worse? I'd love to read on. Nice excerpt.

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  2. Very nice sample, thank you for sharing with us this week!

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  3. Terrific scene. I could feel her fatigue and frustration. Very realistic, and a good cliff-hanger too!

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  4. I remember the days of "lively"
    children! But her fatigue doesn't deter her from giving the intruder what for! Great scene and sample!

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  5. Lisa Beth, Jenna, and Sandy Ruth, thanks so much for stopping by. I appreciate your feedback.

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  6. Elaine, you brought back my feelings of frustration and exhaustion exactly. I remember the day my lively kids knocked over a free-standing bookshelf. Horrors! I had to open the door and flee outside to save their lives. I'm glad Nikki has interesting things ahead of her when she opens her door.

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  7. Love the excerpt. The ending line is a great hook

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  8. Thanks Marsha and Lindsay for coming by. I appreciate your feedback.

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  9. Great sample, Elaine! I could feel her frustration. She's got a mess to clean up, and the presents are probably ruined. Now company. And not just any company - the last person she would want to see. Ha Ha, I love it! :-)

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  10. Nice sample. I loved the descriptions and the ending.

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  11. Thanks for coming by CarrieAnne and Gwendolyn. I appreciate it.

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  12. Tantalising sample. I so feel for her despondancy and dejection.

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  13. so who's the company?

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  14. Oh, I can't wait to find out who the newcomer is, and what he/she did to ruin things! I think every mom can relate to her frustration.

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