BLISSFUL
VALENTINE EXCERPT :
He stops and meets
my gaze, then bends down and grabs a mound of snow, packing into a
tight ball. He takes a step back and winds his arm, throwing the
snowball straight and fast. It smacks against the metal sign on the
far end of the small pond near a cluster of benches, breaking off
into a multitude of pieces.
He wipes his hands
off on his pants. “Give it a try.”
I shake my head. “No
way, I throw like a girl.”
His picks up a mound
of snow and packs it together, forming a perfect sphere. He hands me
the snowball and stands behind me, pressing his body against mine. My
heartbeats thump against my chest, causing a surge of adrenaline to
rush through my veins. I tremble, holding the snowball in my right
hand. At least I can blame the cold for my shaky arm. He runs his
hand down to my wrist and pulls it back, up toward my shoulder.
He rests his head on
my shoulder and talks softly into my ear. “Pull your arm back to
here and step forward at the same time you throw.” He moves to the
side.
Goosebumps form on
my neck from his warm breath gliding against my cool skin. My stomach
flutters. Here
goes nothing.
I stare at the metal No Parking sign and pull my arm back, throwing
the snowball as I step forward. Tiny fragments of snow fly through
the air. A direct hit.
I clap my hands and
bounce up and down on my toes. “Holy crap, I actually did it. I
didn’t think I could hit the broad side of a barn.” Dean comes
over and raises his hand to give me a high five. I lunge forward and
pull him into a hug, before I realize what I’m doing. My chest
tightens and heat creeps across my cheek.
He wraps his arms
around my waist and presses his body against mine. I step back and
ease away, dropping my arms to my sides. “We better head back, I’ve
still got lots of physics studying to do if I plan on passing the
semester.”
He rubs the back of
his neck and nods.
I slide my frozen
hands into my pockets and hold them in tight fists. Note to self:
when
I think I’m finished embarrassing myself I’m usually wrong.
The perfect
untouched blanket of snow moves into an array of chaos as we turn the
corner to my apartment. My heart beats faster with each step I take
forward. This walk is taking forever. If I don’t get away from Dean
soon, I may end up doing something else I shouldn’t. I mean, we’re
just friends. I take a deep breath and slowly exhale as we approach
my driveway.
I dig in my purse
and pull out my keys. “Thanks for my victory celebration.”
He places his hand
in the small of my back on our way toward my steps. “First of
many.” His hand moves to my waist.
Summersaults take
over my stomach. I step onto the first step. My boot slips along the
rim of the concrete edge covered in a thin layer of ice and instantly
it knocks me off balance. My hands flail through the air, desperately
trying to grab onto anything.
Dean jumps into
action, catching me before my head smacks against the hard sidewalk.
I grab onto his sculpted bicep and pull myself to my feet.
Fire burns through
my cheeks, which are no doubt fire-engine red. I drop my chin to my
chest and hunch my shoulders. He lifts my chin and gazes into my
eyes. My heart pounds against the walls of my chest. Electric
shockwaves flows through my veins. He leans in closer. My lips part
and lava flows through my body. He tucks a stray strand of hair
behind my ear. “I knew you’d fall for me sooner or later.” He
places a soft kiss on my cheek and takes a step back, turning and
walking away.
Author Amy Gale
Romance author by night, pharmacist by day, Amy Gale loves rock music and the feel of sand between her toes. She attended Wilkes University where she graduated with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. In addition to writing, she enjoys baking, scary movies, rock concerts, and reading books at the beach. She lives in the lush forest of Northeastern Pennsylvania with her husband, six cats, and golden retriever.
Contact Amy L. Gale:
1. Can you tell us a bit about the main characters.
Brooke Powers is goal-oriented freshman who wants to focus on her studies and avoid the party scene along with all the trouble that goes along with it.
Dean Parker is an enticingly charismatic fraternity brother and star player on Lakeview U's baseball team.
When Brooke's roommate drags her to a fraternity party, an unexpected mishap causes her wake up in Dean's bed throwing her strategically planned future into complete chaos.
2. How did you think of this story? What inspired you?
Since Dean and Brooke were already a couple in Blissful Tragedy, I wanted to elaborate on their awesome relationship. I decided to go back in time to the girls college years and tell the story. I have to be honest, I was inspired by some of my great college memories.
3. Is there anything special you would like your readers to know about Blissful Valentine?
Valentine's Day isn't always complete bliss.
4. Do you get writers block? How do you cure it?
I think every writer gets writers block at some point or another. I try and look to other sources to cure it, like music or re-watching some of my favorite movies for inspiration.
5. Top 5 Favorite Books
1. Beautiful Disaster
2. The Notebook
3. Fifty Shades of Grey
4. Dark Love
5. Thoughtless
6. I know you are a huge music fan AND Led Zeppelin fan. What songs help you write?
I usually come up with a play list based on the book I'm writing. When I wrote Blissful Valentine, I listened to Thank You by Led Zeppelin, Love Song by Tesla, Lay it on the Line by Triumph, Caught up in you by 38 Special, I Can't Fight this Feeling Anymore by REO Speedwagon, My Kinda Lover by Billy Squire, and Talk Dirty to Me by Poison.
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