As I begin to write this blog post today, I feel like I am writing it as a freelance writer and for someone else!
A dream has come true. Which is how this blog was born. So I'm not too sure why I find it so mindblowing. But yes, I have just published onto Smashwords. Gosh.
Smashwords is a publisher who distribute books out to Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Nook, Apple iBooks (Apple iBooks!!??!!) to name a few. So there is EVERY reason to believe I need to keep writing and getting more books published as there are readers out there who will enjoy my stories.
While I love writing about manifestations and tips on life, it is the romance novels that sell the biggest numbers, therefore I guess that's what my audience love.
Enough stories are inside me based on my own life experiences. Yet I also love to play with my imagination and create characters who can be, do, want and have anything I dream up for them. Amazing!
You can get a long sample for free to see if you like my writing and if the story grabs you. There is nothing worse than getting excited to open a new book just to get 5 pages in and think 'ugh this book is not for me'.
Also over on smashwords is an interview with me. Crazy stuff like what's on my desk, my favourite 5 books and why... click here to read that interview.
Read the first few lines here...
Delayed
Slamming the door
shut behind her, Liv leaned on it with
her entire body weight.
Panting.
Chest moving
rhythmically she wondered why her lungs felt as though she had inhaled
flames. With a massive sigh, she threw the bouquet through the archway
into the lounge. Why she had carried
her beautiful pink flowers all the way from the church as she ran home she had
no idea. Liv shook her head forcefully
as if to wake herself up. What was she
going to do now? She hadn’t thought
about this next step. At the time it was
enough to simply decide that she could not marry Leon.
Leon wasn’t a bad
guy at all. As a child, he was raised
with Liv. Of course, this had its share
of ups and downs. They were kind of
comfortable together just like the old slippers that Livs father wore during
the cold December months. As a couple, they got on. They laughed at the same comics, they drank
beer together from the bottle and they loved going out and clubbing. Yet when those exciting moments were over and
they were sat just gazing together,
there was something vacant from inside that gaze. Something missing almost. Leon was likely to be a good provider as a
husband; he was a well connected guy and as was his family before him. Liv trusted him. Yet she never quiet knew if he was likely to
come back from a day at ‘work’ dead or alive.
Would he be able
to be a good father?
Lover?
Soul mate?
At times, Liv
wondered if it was all about one-upmanship and who could bring home the biggest
bag of swag. What happened those times
Leon was away, Liv would never
fathom. Never did it occur to her to
ask. He was gone somewhere and that was
that. Should she know, she could answer questions that the police
might fire at her. Not that they ever
did. Yet, should they ask, she could answer,
“I don’t know
where he is. Or what he’s doing. Or who he is with. I have no idea!” And so, she neglected to ask him.
One time, Liv was feeling so afraid, her nerves were shot. She couldn’t sleep. He was gone for three nights. Unexplainably gone. Liv very nearly phoned her future mother in
law to ask if she knew anything.
Instead, she went to the gym room and pounded the treadmill until she
was so dizzy she almost fainted. Just kind
of enough to take the edge off asking the question that she shouldn’t ask and
in fact be much more subtle. She still
had to make that call.
As Liv lifted the
telephone receiver she decided to just make a casual conversation with Teresa, her future mother in law, to see what
vibes she could pick up.
“Hey Teresa, it’s been so hot here today, I’m just checking you’re ok over there?”
“Hey Olivia,” The
in laws always used her full name, “I’m just fine thank you for caring.” She
said all in one sentence, “What about you?”
“I’m good. Got the fans blowing and I just had ice cream
for dinner. Couldn’t really be bothered
to cook. Not sure if Leon is home for dinner. What about Jez?”
“Oh I’m sure Jez
will be home really soon when he’s finished work.” Teresa stated, giving nothing away. She gave nothing away. She was good at being ‘that’ wife. So much better than Liv.
Often she
questioned if she could do it. Really,
she couldn’t.
Finally, Leon
returned home. Liv instinctively knew
something was dramatically different. As
he walked through the door he called out,
“Hi darling,” which never suited his accent. She would far rather be called babe. As for
sweetheart, that word would make her go weak at the knees. Although she had stopped dreaming of such
things long ago.
Walking up to her
with a new walk he seemed to have adopted while he was missing in action, he
brushed the side of her face with the back of his fingers. Her cheekbone didn’t seem to feel the
electric she used to dream of as a little girl.
The slow blinking of her eyes was absent. As was the tilted head as she leaned into his
touch. She did raise a slight smile
though.
Knowing better
than to ask any questions, she casually whispered, “You ok Leon.” It wasn’t a question. She told herself it
wasn’t.
Much love from an excited and happy writer
Louise xoxo
