Welcome
to the first stop in Sensuous
Promo’s Book Tour for Annette Bower’s, Moving
On – A Prairie Romance. She has one fantastic prize she’s offering
up on this blog tour. After you read about her book, stop by the bottom of this
tour stop to find out how you can win a $10 Amazon Gift Card!
Regina Beach’s
residents know everyone’s business and they are very interested in discovering
Anna’s roots while she is enjoying being a mysterious business woman who drove
into town. Nick, an injured sergeant in the Canadian Army, helps Anna feel safe
and comfortable in her new environment, just as he has always done for his men
in strange, dangerous places. Meanwhile, he focuses on preparing for his future
physical endurance test to prove that he is capable of active duty.
Anna
doesn’t talk about her loss, and Nick doesn’t talk about his future and
therefore she is shocked to discover that his greatest wish is to return to
active duty. She won’t love a man who may die on the job again. Intellectually,
she knows that everything must die, but emotionally, she doesn’t know if she
has the strength to support Nick.
Moving On, A Prairie Romance is about when life throws you a curve and
the dreams you were dreaming are no longer possible. Anna and Nick both have to
grieve their pasts and make a decision to move on toward a different life and
different dreams. I believe that this is a universal experience. The
parents dream of a child and as the child develops they notice that their child
doesn’t react that same as others, they need to decide how to leave one set of
dreams and move on to another dream. The same happens when a relationship fails
or physical health changes or we lose a job or we realize a fortune we didn’t
expect. These events change our view of our present world and we as humans,
adapt the very best we can with the support systems we have around us.
This is Anna’s first view of the place she has come to
change:
“The windows were dirty and the
exterior paint cracked and flaked. This was just the place she needed if as they say, your environment reflects your
state of mind. Maybe in this place they
would get off her back. She locked the doors to ward off thieves from her black
suitcases piled in the car. What was she thinking? The street was empty.
Besides, a battered guitar case shared the passenger seat with empty water
bottles and take-away food wrappers, so it looked as if someone had already
rummaged through her belongings.”
Later when Nick is in this cottage with
her they have this conversation:
“She was drawn to the large windows
that revealed waves washing onto the shore while his voice rose and fell in the
background. She jumped when he spoke from behind her. “Looks like you’ve got a
big job to make this old man’s house a place you’d want to live.” He had picked
up a ship in a bottle and held it to the light.
She stood with determined confidence.
“They say work is good therapy.” She felt a pang of intuitive kinship with him
again. She smiled, “Do you ever wonder if they
really know what they are talking
about?”
Nick raised his hand and gently touched
the side of her face, turning it towards him. He looked deep into her eyes as
if he was searching for recognition. “Yeah, they’re
probably just a bunch of clowns who think up euphemisms to confuse the rest of
us.”
Both Anna and Nick have to find their
way out of their old dream that won’t work and into a new one.
A short except follows with their
first community function.
“He handed her the dew-covered glass which
she pushed into her lips. He clung to his bottle and tipped it evenly, watching
her through half-closed eyes. She was an enigma. Pain and party. Her face had
shown shadows of solemnity and joy of life.
He wanted to know her, but at the same time,
not know her. Her pain both called to and repelled him. He didn’t want to
complicate his life. Everything was fine the way it was. Besides, maybe he
would be leaving soon, which wouldn’t be fair, or maybe he’d be the pegged-leg
yokel staying in this town.
When he looked around, he saw his neighbors.
Laurie had a bandana around her bald head. Hank’s right leg left a ridge in the
dance dust on the floor. With a gulp, he reminded himself that a dance does not
mean a lifetime commitment. He led her to the community table of singles. Ruth
Anne was crooking her finger at him and smiling broadly. He had a job to do.
“Anna, we have a job to do.” She looked at
him as if he had two heads.
“All the single unattached residents have to
dance with the other singles so that everyone has a good time,” he whispered in
her ear.
“Everyone, meet Anna.”
“Anna, everyone.”
Men and women nodded, lifted hands in
acknowledgement. She heard, “Hi, Anna.”
“Hello, everyone.”
Before she could put her glass on the table,
a round, short man reached up to her, squeezed her hand and led her through the
polka. Anna watched out of the blur of fast stepping turns, while Nick held
onto a blue-haired woman who smiled up at him.
After everyone at the table seemed to have
had a spin with either Nick or Anna, he finally held his hand out to her and
led her back to the dance floor. The line was forming as the music began. They
positioned themselves behind the line and Nick slowly showed her the sequence
of steps. He sensed when her body and the music blended together in movement.
Anna was no stranger to music but she was a
stranger to the dance steps. However, the stomps, kicks and grapevines became
less complicated with each repetition. She liked moving to the music. She
watched the red boots and skirt of the woman in front of her. She saw the added
swing of her hips and suggestive dips of her shoulder. Anna added these
movements. When she glanced at Nick’s face, he smiled. She smiled back and
tried harder to keep up with the line. During the next set, they held onto each
other and swung in unison.
When they stopped at the bar this time they
each had a glass of ice-cold water. She brushed the back of her sleeve across
her mouth, wishing that he would trace the vagrant drops with his thumb.
She laughed. “You seem to be my
thirst-quenching hero.”
“Water and hydration is a specialty of mine,”
he teased.
He felt his stump which was cradled in his
prosthesis throb. “I’m ready to sit out the next set. You?”
“I’d like to watch the moves. I seem to have missed this
phase of dance.”
NOW ONTO THE PRIZE AND HOW YOU CAN WIN!!!
To be eligible for to win the
$10 Amazon Gift Card, simply leave a message below with your email address and
let us know what you think about Annette
Bower’s, Moving On – A Prairie Romance.
Learn more about Annette and her work:
Website: http://annettebower.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BowerAnnette
5 comments:
Good morning CJ,
Thank you for hosting me and my book published by XoXo Publishing(TM) Moving On, A Prairie Romance.
The day before Valentine's Day when many women's thoughts turn to love.
My husband and I met on a blind date so many years ago. Today the world seems to have grown to a growing acceptance of online dating and finding the one true love. How did you meet your special person?
Yours truly,
Annette
Annette's book was a wonderful read that I devoured all in one weekend. Anna and Nick could be any one of us which makes it all the more enjoyable as we see them pursue their dreams and make peace with their past. I love sweet romances and this is in my top five. Best of luck to you!
Hello Debra East,
Thank you for your comments. I enjoy writing about the foundation of a relationship. As adults who fall in love there are past events that we have to deal with so we can grow into a new relationship.
Thanks for stopping by.
Yours truly,
Annette
This sounds like a very interesting story. A bit different from the ones that I normally read but I will have to check this out. Thanks so much for the post & excerpt.
June
manning_J2004 at yahoo dot com
Hello June M.
Thank you for stopping by and reading about Moving On, A Prairie Romance.
CJ Dennis of Sensuous Promotions designed a lovely banner for Moving On, A Prairie Romance.
Yours truly,
Annette Bower
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