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."