A New Dream

Have you heard of Astraea Press? They're new, and I've signed a contract with them for a book to be released March 8 at http://www/astraeapress.com. The book is called A New Dream, and in this excerpt my hero and heroine share a first kiss. This is unedited, but you can see how the kiss went.

Thanks for reading!
Elaine Cantrell
Hope. Dreams. Life... Love
http://www.elainecantrell.com
http://www.elainepcantrell.com

Here's a blub and excerpt from A New Dream.

Blurb:

After an auto accident destroys his pro-football career, Matt McCallum struggles to find a new dream for his life, but nothing engages him the way football did. After a stint in rehab, he takes a job managing a grocery store where he meets Violet Emerson.

Violet works in the bakery department, but her dreams carry her far beyond the doors of Chef’s Pantry. As soon as she can save the money, she plans to open a catering business. And she thinks the new manager’s broad shoulders and blue eyes are simply divine.

Thrown together at work, Matt and Violet find a common dream for their lives, but a loose end from Matt’s past returns to jeopardize their future. Will love be enough to save their new dream before it turns into a nightmare?

Excerpt:


They drove in a companionable silence for a few minutes before Violet exclaimed, “Oh, Matt, it’s a lovely evening for a drive! The moon’s so big and glorious, and the air feels like silk against your skin.”

It surprised Matt to find that he enjoyed the drive too. He’d rather have died than admit it, but since the accident, moonlight drives scared him to death. However, with Violet chatting happily beside him, the night didn’t seem so big and frightening, and the enjoyable present submerged the hurtful memories of the past.

He parked his car in the Emerson’s drive and escorted Violet to the door. “I had a good time tonight. Thank you very much for going with me.”

“Thank you for asking,” Violet returned with a smile. “I like your mother and your brother, and I had a good time too. I hate I didn’t meet your father, though.”

“I’m sure he’ll hate it too.”

They both fell silent, caught in the spell of the evening. Violet glanced at him and moved a fraction closer, her face obligingly tilted upward.

She doesn’t want to kiss me, Matt thought. I have to stop thinking about it. He’d do well to forget such nonsense, but naturally that was easier said than done. Violet was beautiful, and she looked at him as if he were whole and worthy of her kisses.

All I’d have to do is bend my head. He closed his eyes as his lips grazed hers.
Soft and warm, they yielded beneath his own. Violet trembled in his arms, and Matt nervously moved away from her. “I scared you. I’m sorry.”

“Scared me?” Violet giggled. “You didn’t scare me.”

“Then why…”

“Matt McCallum, I’m nervous! This is our first kiss, and I was afraid you wouldn’t like it.”
Matt breathed a sigh of relief. “I was afraid you didn’t really want to kiss me.”

Violet reached for his hand. “You’re joking. Who wouldn’t want to kiss you? You’re handsome, kind, and loads of fun.”

How absurd! Matt opened his mouth to say so, but at that moment the porch light came on. From behind the door they heard Fred Emerson clearing his throat.

“Thanks again,” Violet whispered. She opened the door, and Matt caught a glimpse of her father radiating disapproval from his chair in the living room.

He doesn’t like me, Matt thought. It must be my legs. I don’t know that I blame him. I don’t like myself too much either.


Do check out Astraea. They've signed some good authors.