Title: December Rain
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance
Author: A.L Goulden
Synopsis:
Monica and Alex Waters have spent that last
few months working to repair a broken marriage and rekindle their passion. Just
as they start finding their spark, Quinn Matthews and his escalating career
resurfaces, but this time Alex makes the decision to let Monica go.
The devastation of losing her high school
sweetheart, her home, and even her dog twists Monica down a destructive path
that alienates her from her closest friends and lands her on Quinn’s couch.
Despite her efforts to resist jumping into his arms again, the spark between
them reignites and sweeps her away on a whirlwind holiday adventure. She finds
that falling in love with Quinn’s family and lifestyle is as easy as falling
for his ocean colored eyes. The problem is that it’s all too easy, and when she
sees that Quinn’s reinvented life has completely shifted towards her dreams,
she starts to question whether he’s too good to be true.
Quinn has a secret that was never meant to be
kept this long, but will Monica be able to trust another man who’s lied? And
now that Quinn’s got his happily ever after in sight, he’s not about to let her
go or share her with another man
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23358072-december-rain?from_search=true
Excerpt
The outdoor style shopping mall is bustling with tourist and local
art lovers. Rows of art galleries surround the courtyard where a stage welcomes
a local reggae band. Monica settles into a groove and starts dancing with the
crowd. Alex tries to hang in for a couple of songs before he starts feeling
claustrophobic and looks to the galleries and shops around them.
“Go ahead,” she says with a loving smile. “I’ll meet you down
there… after one more song.”
He gives her a little kiss on the cheek and glides his hand across
her behind before making his way out of the crowd. His attention is pulled by
various pieces in windows along the way. There’s a large glass sea turtle in
shades of green and gold followed by a painting of an autumn forest with heavy
texture. He stands there daydreaming for a minute until he’s distracted by a
reflection passing in the glass. It’s so brief he’s sure it’s his imagination.
He barely catches a glimpse down the mall as the backside of the man disappears
into another gallery.
Alex follows the ghost, dodging through happy couples and pushy
salespeople trying to get his attention. Before he can see inside a painting
that’s prominently displayed on a front wall stops him. A cold washes over as
he stands there staring at it. He slowly moves inside, mesmerized by the
familiar vibrant paint strokes until he sees a few people gathered in the back.
A man talking to two smiling women stills himself as Alex’s eyes freeze on the
back of his shaved head. No words were needed as the tropical air takes a
chill. Even the women sense a showdown and step back to give Quinn room.
Quinn turns. What do I say? Fuck! I thought that was him. I hoped
it wasn’t. Quinn moves very slowly towards Alex. Is he gonna hit me? I do
deserve it. Might as well get it over with. “Hey.” Quinn pauses near the center
of the room waiting.
Alex swallows hard, his nostrils flaring and fist clenched. His
jaw flexes as his breathing grows heavier, but the emotions just start to turn
to mush. His eyes fill as thoughts of his new friend’s betrayal wash over and
the painting draws his eyes again.
“I’m sorry Alex,” Quinn says quietly.
Monica nearly passes the gallery on her way to see their friends
when Alex’s shirt first catches her eye. She halts and shifts backwards until
she sees the painting and stops. It’s a female figure bent forward reaching for
her toes. The abstract form of her body in swirls of orange and reds is cradled
by a man swathed in blues and purple. Oh my God! That’s me. That’s us,
stretching. It can’t be. He’s...
She struggles for air as the tears swell, and she can already feel
him. As she stands there, not crossing the threshold, the two men watch her.
When her eyes finally land on Quinn, electricity fills the room. She can only
see him and the deep tan that backdrops the pale oceany eyes reaching for her.
A warm drop gently slides down her cheekbone as her breathing syncs with his.
His lips move slightly hinting at words that he can’t find while she struggles
not to run into his arms.
Alex’s discomfort is audible as he clears his clogged throat to
rattle her attention to his worried eyes. She steps in and touches his hand
briefly. “I’ll be outside,” she says, turning without another glance at Quinn.Her
feet move quick as her thoughts try to keep up. What are they doing? Alex is
gonna hit him. I can’t believe he’s here. What are the odds? Did he know we’d
be here? No. Maybe he moved here. That painting was him and I together. Would
Alex know that? It’s pretty abstract. Fuck! This can’t be happening. Before she
knows it, she’s at the other end of the mall near the parking lot. She settles
on a bench to wait for the world to stop crumbling around her.
BUY NOW…
About the
Author:
I'm a designer, author, wife and dog-lover living in the South
Pasadena area of California. I got my BFA in Film Production from the Academy
of Art University in San Francisco, but my love of a good story came way before
college. I remember writing my first full story in fifth grade on a typewriter.
I cut and pasted it into a book, complete with cardboard cover and taped
binding. Things have changed a lot since then. With the magnificent digital age
I can produce books and give them to the world without a sticky mess.
In college numerous instructors and peers praised my dialogue
pushed me to hone my storytelling skills. Of course the need to cut and paste
was still there, so I went into the world of Production Design and Art
Direction for films and television. It gave me the ability to connect design to
storytelling in a way that no other career can. The past 18 years have spun a
unique perspective on visually emotional tales of relationships and the thread
that ties all things together. Now I'm shifting focus on the driving force that
brought me here... stories. I hope that I can share a unique perspective on
life, love and the pursuit in all of the above.
Social Links:
Website: http://www.author-algoulden.com/
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/A.L.Goulden
GoodReads:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22922733-december-rain
Twitter: https://twitter.com/A_L_Goulden
Purchase Other Books
August Fog(Book
1)
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20438302-august-fog
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/August-Fog-L-Goulden/dp/1483515850/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/August-Fog-L-Goulden/dp/1483515850/
Giveaway:
http://tinyurl.com/nndhtbm
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