Picturing running into old friends, she fell down a deep well of
self-doubt.
What if she ran into Sarah Baker – now a judge who’d married well, competed in
marathons, and ran a summer camp for low income kids? Or what about Randolph
Henson, a nerdy boy Linny had spurned in high school, who’d morphed into a Ryan
Reynolds look-alike, become a thoracic surgeon, and married Linny’s high school
pal, the then-buck-toothed Mitzi.
I wrote about what was important to me – funny girlfriends, good men, work
that makes us happy, women who have adventures, sweet dogs, and love at any age.
LINNY’S SWEET DREAM LIST
is a Southern story about love and family, small town life and bright characters
you are going to want as friends.
The book is a sunny, wholesome read. If you are ever overwhelmed by the bad news
in the world, join me in Willow Hill, North Carolina where colorful characters
are searching for - and finding - their happily ever afters.
LINNY‘S SWEET DREAM LIST
is the first of three Willow Hill novel. Two sequels to the novel, SWEET
CAROLINA MORNING and SWEET SOUTHERN HEARTS – will be released later
in 2016.
Linny gets kicked out of the beautiful home she lives in with Buck. He’s emptied
her bank accounts, and she’s forced to move into a mobile home on her mama’s
property.
“Her best friend lounged on the sagging front porch of Linny’s new home, the old
trailer with faded aqua siding. Linny grinned and cruised to a stop.
Mary Catherine waved her hello with the grape Popsicle she was finishing. The
jacket of her pantsuit was draped over the porch railing.
Linny climbed the iffy looking stairs and hugged her. “What you doing here?”
Mary Catherine rose. “Come to help clean.”
Linny started to protest and her friend held up a hand. “Not listening. Where
can I change?”
Mary Catherine emerged from the bedroom wearing shorts. She plugged her iPod
into a sound dock. “This mix starts with women mad at men, but mellows out.”
Linny nodded, and waited for the bucket to fill with hot water.
Mary Catherine pulled on zebra-striped rubber gloves with pink feathers cuffs
and a fake diamond on the ring finger.
Linny grinned, but hurriedly pushed open a window as her friend pour straight
Clorox on yellowed linoleum floor. “Shouldn't you dilute that?” she asked, not
breathing.
Mary Catherine waved dismissively. “We want power, baby.”
Worried about the Ajax she’d already tried on the floor, Linny edged away but
there was no chemical explosion. She took a bristled brush to the floor as
Carrie Underwood sang about lying men. As she wiped down the refrigerator door,
she listened and vowed to come back stronger.
Mary Catherine used a paint scraper to remove splotches of gunk from the
counter. She sang along and, Lord help her, she danced. For a graceful woman
who’d been a talented gymnast in high school, she just could not dance. Linny’s
lips twitched.
What would Mary Catherine’s law colleagues think of her oddly executed Beyoncé
bounce, the off-beat shimmy and dramatic gestures - like the pointing finger
when the song said, “you?” Although most of the herky-jerky motions were pure
Mary Catherine, Linny knew she was amping up the foolishness to lighten the mood.
“You’ve got moves,” Linny said admiringly, and warily opened the fridge. She
exhaled, relieved the inside wasn’t a biohazard.
Mary Catherine demonstrated a cringe-worthy rear end popping motion. “This is a
hip-hop move I saw on YouTube.”
Linny shook her head.
They vacuumed and clearing out junk the old tenants had thoughtfully left behind
- a garbage bag full of beer cans, a broken baby carriage, and a black-and-white
TV with the broken screen. As they mopped the floors for a third time and wiped
down the dust-encrusted mini-blinds, Kip Moore sang about just wanting to take
the pretty girl home and marry her. Linny felt wistful as she listened. That Kip
sounded like such a nice man.
Mary Catherine mopped her face with a clean towel dipped in cool water, and held
up a finger. “Be right back.” She trotted outside, and few moments later, poked
her head in the trailer. “Come on out.”
Linny trudged outside into the oven broiler of an afternoon, but broke into a
smile when she saw the blue baby pool that Mary Catherine must have brought over
crammed in her car. She’d almost finished filling it with the garden hose. “Oh,
how perfect.” Linny grinned and examined the happy crabs decorating the pool. “I
don’t know where my bathing suit is…”
“We’ll wear our clothes.” Mary Catherine kicked off her shoes and sank in.
“Aaah. Every country girl’s dream - an above ground pool.” She pointed to a
small cooler. “Cold beer. We deserve a reward for all our hard work.”
“We do.” Linny popped the tops with the opener tied to the cooler and sank into
the chilly water. “Heavenly,” she sighed.
As my New Year’s gift to you and your readers, here is the complete
first chapter of the book.
Giveaway
Win an e-copy of LINNY‘S
SWEET DREAM LIST! It's easy, just tell us below what would be on YOUR list
if you're looking for your happily ever after?
Susan is a wife and stepmother. She enjoys weekend getaways with friends,
reading fiction, and rummaging through thrift store and antiques stores for
treasures like four dollar cashmere sweaters and amateur watercolor paintings. A
dog lover, Susan has a special fondness for Lab mix rescue dogs. She and her
family live in North Carolina where she is finishing up the third novel in the
Willow Hill Series, Sweet Southern Hearts.
Susan graduated from
James Madison University in Virginia, and holds a master's degree from The
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has used her professional
background as a psychotherapist and management trainer to add authenticity to
her characters.
Set in the off-beat Southern town of Willow Hill, North Carolina, Susan
Schild’s moving and witty novel tells of one woman who loses everything—and
finds more than she ever expected.
At thirty-eight, Linny Taylor is
suddenly living a life she thought only happened to other, more careless people.
Widowed for the second time, and broke, thanks to her cheating late husband,
Linny has no house, no job, and no options except to go back home. There, in a
trailer as run down as her self-esteem, Linny makes a list of things that might
bring happiness. A porch swing. A job that nourishes her heart as well as her
bank balance. Maybe even a date or two.
At first, every goal seems beyond
reach. But it’s hard for Linny to stay in the doldrums when a stray puppy is
coercing her out of her shell—right into the path of the town’s kind,
compassionate vet. The quirky town is filled with friends and family, including
Linny’s mother, Dottie, who knows more about heartache than her daughters ever
guessed. And as Linny contemplates each item on her list, she begins to realize
that the dreams most worth holding on to can only be measured in the sweetness
of a life lived to the fullest…
I think honesty would be what I'm looking for in my happily ever after! (Lily Shah 7:04pm January 19, 2016)
So many things, but I would want someone who would love me for me and have a love for animals. (Edward Washington 9:08pm January 19, 2016)
Great ... um ... we'll call it togetherness, feeling close, like we belong together.... (Elaine Seymour 10:23pm January 19, 2016)
Honesty is so important, and I especially like the qualifier of someone loving you for who you are. (loving animals is a must!!) (Susan Schild 7:09am January 20, 2016)
Sometimes we miss the best life has to offer when it is right in front of us. The love of family and friends, good health and enjoying the moment. (Diane McMahon 6:11pm January 20, 2016)
I'd be searching for my happy ever after while doing what I love, living someplace warm to escape all the snow (Nicole Bouchey 10:48am January 22, 2016)
I would love someone who loves to travel, good sense of humor and a love for the movies (Janis Milford 6:34pm January 22, 2016)
Sounds like a great book. I think puppies are much better companions than men, lol. Congrats on the new book. (Vicki Hancock 7:34pm January 22, 2016)
I already found him, over 42 years ago. Not perfect but we get along pretty good after 42 years of marriage. (Nancy Luebke 10:31pm January 22, 2016)
my best friend (Dianne McVetty 12:11pm January 23, 2016)
honesty, sense of humor, kindness, loving nature (Betsy Pauzauskie 12:43pm January 23, 2016)
kind,pure at heart, a best friend. (Cathy Garner 10:47pm January 23, 2016)
He would have to love my cats (Jeri Dickinson 2:24pm January 24, 2016)
It would be best if he didn't have any family, so it would be my family we were involved with. And it would be wonderful if he were well off, so we didn't need to scrimp and save. (Joanne Schultz 2:36pm January 24, 2016)
My HEA would have to be a fierce and loyal love that cherishes and strives to protect. (Terrill Rosado 6:03pm January 26, 2016)