Snippet Sunday: Musings Of A Sandcastle

Returning to the fray this week with a quiet moment between our protagonists....

There was just the trace of a smile, and he held her gaze for a moment. He flipped pages, finding the picture of her as a child, on the beach, in profile, staring at the water. “I was wondering what you were thinking when this picture was taken.” 

 She laughed. “I was five, Gabriel. I was probably wondering why the water was cold, or why my sand castle was dissolving.” 

He smiled, and flipped through a couple of pages in the other photo album, finding the picture from the White Mountains, the mist swirling around the peaks. “I really like this one.”

Snippet Sunday: Worrying About The Future

Another snippet from our manuscript today, this from Chloe's point of view as she's at home in New York, dealing with the news of her mother's cancer diagnosis.

Thursday evening found Chloe at home, anxious. She needed to talk to Gabriel. She needed him here, with her, but she would not ask him to put his work aside and come back to be with her. Realistically, what could he do that he isn't already doing, other than hold me? Chloe asked herself. He can't change what's happening to Mom. He can't save her. She looked at the clock. He'll be calling soon, thank God, she thought. Just hearing his voice would make me feel better. He'll make me laugh. He always does.

Snippet Sunday: Rain In The Lake District

Today we're in a different spot in our manuscript, in the midst of a storm in the Lake District.

He had played enough chess for a lifetime. Gabriel had decided, against his better judgment, to go on out into the storm, to photograph English weather at its worst. It might make for a decent picture. So he got warmly dressed, borrowed an oilskin trenchcoat from the house, and took one camera with him, leaving through the front entrance, covering his head with the coat’s hood. The rain was still coming down hard, the wind driving it down on the lawn before him, which was drenched with two days worth of rain. At least we’re on high ground, he gratefully thought. He walked down the path, heard thunder in the distance, felt the rain pelting him. Crossing the small stone footbridge, he looked at the stream below, an angry torrent in the rain instead of a gentle brook. He photographed it, and moved beyond, passing into a meadow. The plants and grasses were thoroughly soaked.

Snippet Sunday: A Breakfast Mishap

Hello and welcome to 2015! We're starting the year with a light scene between Chloe and Gabriel at breakfast time. Gabriel is a pretty good cook... while Chloe tends to burn water.

By the time they were finished, he was no longer sure that Chloe could learn. Half a dozen eggs ended up in the garbage disposal. They had more flour on themselves than they did in the biscuit batter. Half a pound of bacon gave new meaning to "crispy." Gabriel did manage to salvage enough for a decent meal in spite of Chloe's failure.  Chloe frowned ruefully, shaking her head at the mess they had made, and smiled.  So much for trying to learn to cook, she thought.

"That's not so bad for a first attempt," he told her.

"Not ready to give up on me yet?" she asked.

He winked. "Never."

Snippet Sunday: The Sadness Of Absence

And here we have where we left off last week between Chloe and Gabriel as he shares about the deaths of his parents years earlier.

“At least it was quick. I didn’t think that was a blessing at the time, but eventually I saw it that way.” Another moment's pause.  “I miss them. I really do. I keep thinking about how they might look now. I wonder how I’ll explain to my own children one day about the sound of their grandmother's laughter, or their grandfather’s terrible singing voice.” He smiled despite the sadness. “I wish things were different. That they didn’t go out that night. Still… what happened… it happened… and there’s no changing it.”

Snippet Sunday: Memories Of Loved Ones

Today we're moving to another passage early in the book, with Gabriel and Chloe in conversation. He is speaking about the death of his parents, killed by a drunk driver. We're splitting up the passage and picking up with the second half next time.

He looked at her, saw the compassion in her eyes. “I was eighteen, so I wasn’t a kid… but you’re never ready to lose them like that.” She enclosed his hand with her fingers, and Gabriel felt her gentle squeeze. “My grandmother was a godsend, Chloe. She was dealing with the death of her own daughter, but she was there for me. She kept me going.” He looked away again just for a moment. No, you never really get over something like this. Glancing back at her, he sighed.