Westridge: The Heroine
Hello, everyone! I'm really excited to be here at Sandra's
Blog today—the third stop on my 10-day blog tour.
I'm doing four guest posts over the duration of my tour, and I
thought I'd kick off the first one by sharing a little bit about Westridge's heroine: Gabby Jones.
Gabby is introduced as a typical chatty 23 year-old, gabbing
on her cell phone when her attention should probably be on her surroundings.
She’s boarding a bus for her hometown of Westridge, and from the start it’s clear
she has a haunted past. Gabby and her childhood sweetheart, Jason Dawson, were
fated to be together, but she left to find her fortune in the big city the
second they finished high school. At least, that’s what she told him.
Jason never bought her story, and, in a way, Gabby never
expected him to. She just needed an out, and so far she’s managed to avoid
seeing him on her brief visits home. In fact, she’s managed to avoid seeing
just about everyone except for her parents on her visits home. No one gossips
like the residents of Westridge, and Gabby’s never dealt well with being the
subject of their speculation.
But now, she’s back in town for a funeral—an event she, Jason,
and everyone else in town will be attending. Gabby will have to face her past,
face Jason, and by the end of her stay she just might just find herself
revealing her secrets and falling in love all over again.
Here’s a brief excerpt describing Gabby from Jason’s point of
view, while she’s reluctantly accepting his help with a flat tire:
Gabby stood outside the
SUV and leaned against the driver's side door, watching [Jason] work. She had
the frown of a brooding teenager on her face, but it didn't detract from her
appearance. The freckles she'd had as a child were faded but still visible to
his knowing eyes, and her cheeks were flushed from the cool breeze. She wore a
simple, blue knit dress and a fitted beige jacket that only hinted at her
modest curves. She almost looked like she belonged in the city, but a pair of
cowboy boots finished off the look. She was beautiful.
Thank you so much for stopping by and reading the post! Please leave any questions or comments below—I’ll be checking back throughout the day to join in the conversation!
Title: Westridge
Author: Heather Lin
Publisher: Silver Publishing
Length: 178 pages
Genres: Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
Gabby
Jones and Jason Dawson were born only months apart in the small, country town
of Westridge. For the next eighteen years, they were inseparable, but after
their high school graduation, Gabby got on a bus to the city, leaving Jason
with a weak explanation and a broken heart. After five years of making it a
point to avoid her old flame, Gabby comes home for a funeral and, thanks to meddling
parents and circumstance, she and Jason are thrown together again.
But now
Jason is an auto mechanic with an ex-wife and a daughter, and Gabby owns a
successful flower shop in the city. Even if Gabby is able to admit she still
loves Jason, and even if Jason is able to convince her to tell him the real
reason she left, will they be able to get past the changes and broken pieces in
time to start over?
Excerpt:
"What the hell do you think you're
doing?" Jason demanded, slamming the door to his truck shut.
"I'm leaving."
Gabby had to work hard to keep her chin raised
and her lips from trembling.
"Just like that? And all I get is a note in
my locker on the last day of school?"
He threw a crumpled piece of paper at her feet.
Her parents had dropped her off at the bus stop, but they were long gone. If
that goodbye had been painful, this one would be excruciating -- which was
exactly why she'd tried to avoid it.
"I told you in the note--"
"And now you can tell me to my face."
He was making a scene. Gabby was embarrassed,
and the tears she'd tried desperately to keep at bay burned in her eyes.
"There isn't anything to do in this town. I
just need to see what else is out there."
"This is bullshit, Gabby. A few months ago,
we were talking about getting married."
Her voice rose as she lied desperately through
her teeth, trying to keep control.
"Well, I changed my mind."
The bus pulled up, and Jason's anger turned to
pleading.
"Don't, Gabby. If you need some time away
from this place, I'll go with you."
"You belong here, Jason."
"I belong with you."
"Not anymore."
Then she turned and boarded the bus, ignoring
the stares. She managed to hold the tears back until he was out of sight.
* * * *
The pain of the memory was scorching, surprising
Gabby with its intensity. She opened her eyes. She had to get a hold of
herself. She looked past the old man reading a magazine, her gaze falling on
the houses outside. They were reaching the suburbs, but her destination lay far
beyond that. Gabby groaned and firmly pushed the last image she had of her high
school sweetheart out of her mind. The next few days were going to be hell.
About the Author:
Heather lives in Delaware with her loving
husband and loyal cat. She began writing erotic and slightly less-erotic
romance in 2008 and hasn't been able to keep her mind out of the gutter since.
Her next novel, a futuristic romance called The
System, is due out in August from Silver Publishing. Until then, feel free
to check out her short stories, which can be found at TheEroticWoman.com, in
the Coming Together anthologies, and
through New Concepts Publishing. Visit Heather at http://heatherlin88.blogspot.com/.
2 comments:
Thanks for having me on today, Sandra! :)
My pleasure. Wishing you many sales.
Post a Comment