TAKING A CHANCE ON
LOVE
TAGLINE: A touchdown for the coach when the music
teacher accepts his love
BLURB:
From
childhood, Virginia Manning has planned for a career as a concert clarinetist.
Blindsided by family circumstances, her plans are interrupted, taking her down
a path she would never have chosen. As a music teacher, Virginia’s relationship
with the football coach goes from problematic to romantic. After Blake’s brush
with death, a scared Virginia runs away looking for the contentment music has
always brought to her life.
Because
Blake Oliver has experienced disappointment and pain, he opts for a fresh start
in a small New England town. Accepting the position of football coach, he isn’t
looking for love when it finds him. But when Virginia leaves to pursue a
performance career, Blake realizes it’s not where you live but having someone
to love that matters. His only problem is making her understand that as well.
BUY LINKS:
EXCERPT:
She
pulled her arms across her chest in an attempt to calm her shivering. Bright
lights reflected from her rearview mirror, the only headlights she had seen
since she had stopped on the side of the ride. Releasing a sigh of relief, she
waited for flashing blue lights to interrupt the blackness surrounding the car.
No blue lights. Her heart began
racing at hearing a car door slam. She was alone, on a deserted highway.
Checking the locks on her doors, she thought about driving away, but how far
could she go with a flat tire?
A
tap on the passenger window made her jump. “Hey.”
The
dark night made it impossible to see the face outside the passenger window.
Fear made it impossible to move.
“Come
on, Gin. It’s wet out here.”
No
one else called her Gin. She hit the automatic button releasing the lock and
Blake pulled the door open. Relief flooded her body and was replaced by
anger.
“Blake
— you nearly scared me to death.”
“Not
the best time for a flat tire. You’re soaked.”
“You’re
not so very dry yourself.”
“Where
are you headed?”
“I
was on my way home. I had an early dinner with my family before they left for
the weekend. Staying to play my piano wasn’t a bad idea — I just got caught up
in my music.” She loved how her music could take her away from everything, but
the downside was eventually she had to come back to reality. “Anyway, I was going
through my options when you drove up.”
“Your
spare is lying in the mud.”
“I
was going to try changing it, but when the lightning started, I chickened out.”
“Well,
you can’t drive all the way to Boston soaked to the skin. And I really don’t
want to change a tire in this downpour.”
“So
what do you suggest I do?”
“Let
me take you back to your sister’s house. You can stay the night and deal with
the tire in the morning.”
Virginia
didn’t respond, didn’t want this moment to end. He was here, beside her and the
intensity of how much she had missed him came crashing down upon her like
tumultuous waves hitting a jagged rock wall along the seashore.
“Gin?”
She
looked up. “That sounds good.”
As
he leaned over and pulled the keys from the ignition, it took all Virginia’s
willpower to keep from pulling him close.
AUTHOR
BIO:
It was thoughts of what she would do after
retirement from a twenty-eight-year career in healthcare that spurred Rachel to
begin writing her first manuscript in March of 2012. Needing guidance and support
with her new endeavor, she joined local and national writing groups.
Rachel signed her first contract in 2013
and her debut novel, To Dance One More Day was released in June of 2014. She is
eagerly awaiting retirement to write full time.
A music enthusiast for decades, Rachel
resides in Kennesaw, Georgia with her husband of thirty-seven years and a
spoiled Labrador retriever. She is a member of Georgia Writers Association,
Georgia Romance Writers and is a PRO member of Romance Writers of America.
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