What makes a swoony book boyfriend? Is it the way he talks? His many talents?
The way he looks at his girl? Or just the way he looks?
Ana Brassfield, the leading lady of my debut novel, A SEASON TO DANCE,
struggles to make her dreams come true, but has a lovely problem: two dreamy men
fighting for her love and attention.
Meet the guys:
#TeamPeter: Peter is Ana’s fiancé. They first met online, soon
after his divorce. He’s a landscape artist, a Blake Shelton look-alike, and is
ten years older than Ana.
Excerpt:
He stood on the bridge looking out at the lake. He was cuter than I’d imagined,
and anything resembling quiet reverence departed from me fast. I just wanted to
go behind an azalea bush and squeal.
I started walking toward him. He turned to me and smiled. The scruff on his face
and his tan made him look surprisingly boyish, and his dark blue eyes were even
bluer than in the pictures from his profile.
“Hi.” I reached out for the metal rail to steady myself and breathed in his
soapy smell. Everything about him was warm and inviting.
He wore a crisp blue-and-white plaid shirt, jeans that fit him perfectly, and
work boots that had been around the park a time or two if the broken-in leather
and hint of mud along the soles were any indication.
“Wow!” He stood by my side and looked down at me. “I’m sure your height was on
your profile, but I wasn’t paying attention.” He laughed. “Aren’t we a pair?”
“I’m used to everybody being bigger than me, so it doesn’t really faze me.”
“Come here, shorty.” He grabbed my hand and walked. “Let’s go see some azaleas.
I’m sorry about the height thing. I didn’t mean anything by it.”
“So, you are a gardener?” I asked, trying to get him back.
He smirked but didn’t take the bait.
“I’m the Director of Landscape Operations here at Callaway.”
#TeamClaus: Claus is a German dancer and was Ana’s first love.
Ten years after his mysterious disappearance, he’s among the five best in the
world and is back in Georgia to dance Romeo and Juliet with her and win
her back. The one who got away…
Excerpt:
A “ta-da” in the music interrupted the melody, startling Juliet and announcing
Romeo’s arrival in the shadows of the night of old Verona. “Ta-da-da.” Between
the dry-ice mist and the spotlight, I couldn’t see Claus at first, and the
staccato of the music reflected Juliet’s confusion.
But then—magic. The fog dissipated slowly as if it too wanted to announce
Romeo’s presence. The music softened, pulsating like a heartbeat. And then I saw
him. My Romeo. What a vision … breathe. Claus kept his sand-blond hair
a little longer now, wavy and just below the collar of Romeo’s puffy cream
blouse. His baby face frozen at the sight of Lady Juliet. Who did he see? Just
Lady Juliet, or could it be he still had feelings for me? His royal-blue eyes
filled with expectation.
It didn’t matter. We were on stage. We were Romeo and Juliet. I could love him
again. It was allowed.
I ran down to him. The melody became fully established. Luminous. Exalted.
Beautiful. We locked eyes. We locked hands. We locked hearts. And then we
danced.
I was in the moment, and this time I was able to stay in the moment, wrapped in
the red cloak of desire, allowing Romeo to seduce Juliet completely.
Claus held my hands, his grip tight, palms sweaty, and lifted me in the air as
if I were an ethereal being. Our connection was tender. He was attentive, and I
was receptive. Time and again he begged me to stay. He wanted me to stay. He
wanted to show his love. Oh, that was everything I’d dreamt of as a young girl.
Romeo kissed Juliet passionately, and lost in the moment, I melted in Claus’s
arms, aware only of his strong body pressed against my small frame.
Ah, book boyfriends! Which one would you pick?
What is your pick, tell us in the comments to be entered
into Patricia's giveaway of a copy of A SEASON TO DANCE!
Patricia Beal has danced ballet since her childhood and has performed with
pre-professional companies in South America, Europe, and the United States. She
graduated magna cum laude from the University of Cincinnati with a B.A. in
English Literature and worked as a public affairs officer for the U.S. Army for
seven years. Her feature story on a day in the life of “Bad Luck Squad” in Iraq
won a Keith L. Ware award in print journalism. She’s an Army wife for life, an
Army editor, and forever a ballerina. Patricia writes from El Paso, Texas, where
she lives with her husband and two children.
Ana Brassfield has her path to the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House all
figured out until her first love, renowned German dancer Claus Gert, returns to
Georgia to win her back. Despite a promising start towards her ballet career and
pending marriage to landscape architect, Peter Engberg, Ana wonders if her
dreams of dancing at the Met are as impossible as her previous romantic
relationship with Claus.
Then, an on-stage kiss between Ana and Claus changes everything.
Convinced the kiss is more than a one-time mistake, Peter breaks off their
engagement. With an old dog crippled by arthritis and dreams deferred but not
left behind, Ana moves to Germany to be with Claus. But the ghost of his late
wife, Ana’s own feelings for Peter, and the pressure of earning a spot in a
large ballet company are a high price for a shot at success. Ana seems on the
verge of having everything she ever dreamed of, but will it be enough?
Inspirational Romance
[Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas Bling!
Romance, On Sale: May 9, 2017, Paperback / Kindle, ISBN: 9781946016164 /
]