By: Grace Greene
Congratulations to "Laurie", the winner in Grace's giveaway. Thank you to all who participated!
When a book has exactly the right ending the reader always
knows. They close the cover (or hit the
off button) with a glow of satisfaction. I'm a happy ending kind of gal, but
not everyone's idea of 'happy' is the same.
Are there shades of happiness? What about an ending that may leave
unanswered questions about the future, but offers promise and hope? Is
that the difference between a 'happy ending' and the famous HEA – the 'happily
ever after' ending?
I like the promises (and the consequent risk of the promises not
being fulfilled) and the remaining ‘what-ifs’. I want to believe the characters
I love may come back in other novels, perhaps as primary, or even as secondary
characters. So, are unanswered questions acceptable? Yes, I think so, but not the
primary plot questions – those must be answered for the integrity of the story
– but questions pertaining to the characters’ futures? Yes. I think this is true of stand-alone
novels as well as series and sequels.
Speaking of sequels, BEACH WINDS, a sequel to BEACH RENTAL, is due
out in November 2013.
In my most recent release, A STRANGER IN WYNNEDOWER, there is a
happy ending, but not necessarily an HEA ending. Here’s an excerpt:
Chapter One
Rachel Sevier stared at the
monstrous stone house, and its rows of blank, dirty windows stared back.
She’d driven from Baltimore
to Virginia, to this area called Goochland. After leaving the interstate,
there’d been a pocket of shiny new construction—a small shopping center and
houses—but that snippet of civilization was quickly gone and then she was deep
in the woods.
Jeremy had given her
directions: drive until the trees crowd in close and the road looks like it’s
about to end, then keep driving. She had.
Wynnedower Mansion, built
of gray stone and mellow wood, looked out of place, as if a giant hand had
plucked it from the gently rolling hills of England, dropped it into this
clearing, and left it to rot amid honeysuckle vines and Virginia creeper.
Not quite what she’d
expected. To her, the word ‘mansion’ meant something a little more
upscale.
Gnats swarmed in the
humidity. Rachel shooed them away. Hers was the only car here, and there was no
one else, including Jeremy, anywhere in sight.
Several weeks ago, with
graduation barely behind him, he’d told her he was taking a job at Wynnedower
as a caretaker. He already had a real job in Richmond and was supposed to be
preparing for graduate studies, but he wanted to be independent. It’s a
great deal, Rachel, he’d said.No
rent in exchange for part-time caretaking.
Caretaking? Really? She
adored her baby brother, six-foot-two, golden-haired and smart—so different
from her own appearance that no one believed they were related until they saw
their eyes. There was no mistaking their unusual eye color. But handsome or not,
he wasn’t trained in security and had no handyman skills. The worst of it was
he’d stopped returning her calls two weeks ago, right after he told her he’d
met a girl. He’d said it in that special way in which girl didn’t just mean girl—it meant everything bright and shiny and
worth living for.
Giveaway ends 11:59pm EST July 26th. Please supply your email in the post. You may use spaces or full text for security. (ex. jsmith at gmail dot com) If you do not wish to supply your email, or have trouble posting, please email maureen@JustContemporaryRomance.com with a subject title of JCR GIVEAWAY to be entered in the current giveaway. PRINT books are eligible for US residents only, all others will be digital.
The excerpt sounds very intriguing, I wonder what she will discover in Wynnedower?
ReplyDeletelulu83060 at gmail dot com
Hi, Laurie - She'll discover a number of things, but I won't tell :-) I love secrets!
DeleteOh, this sounds wonderful! I loved BEACH RENTAL and am looking forward to its sequel, but didn't even know about Wynnedower. The cover makes me think of Phyllis Whitney books--remember what fun they were?
ReplyDeleteWonderful excerpt, Grace! So excited to see you'll have Beach Winds soon!
ReplyDeleteMargaret - Thanks for the encouragement. I'm anxious and excited about Beach Winds.
DeleteHi Maureen and Grace! What a nice excerpt. "Shiny and worth living for," that is such a great line! Best wishes for continued success, Grace. :)
ReplyDeleteJoya - Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Congrats on your new release, Reunited in Danger!!
DeleteHi, Grace--I reviewed Stranger at Wynnedower for RtB--obviously I enjoyed it thoroughly and recommend it heartily to anyone! I read/write your kind of books!
ReplyDeleteHi, Judy!! Thanks so much for the kind words!
DeleteHi, Liz - Yes! I LOVE the Romantic Suspense greats from that era. For me, their legacy is enduring. Re-reading their books is like visiting with old friends.
ReplyDeleteHi Grace - I like happy endings or happily ever after endings. Just as long as there is some positive and hope at the end I am pleased. I do like reading a series as then I get to spend more time with the characters I have grown to love, even if they are just as secondary characters. I need to read your other books as I see them advertised all the time. I need more hours in my day to read. Congrats on the success of your books! :)
ReplyDeleteHi, Amy - I need a happy ending, too. I want to feel hope and a sense of satisfaction even if not everything is answered and resolved. If you figure out how to get those extra hours in your day, I'd love to hear how you did it!! :-)
DeleteI'm the kind who love an HEA with promises and hope. I also love to revisit those characters to see how they are doing.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway.
kmccandle(at)yahoo(dot)com
Kai,
DeleteThanks for visiting and commenting. Sounds like we enjoy the same kind of ending.
WooHoo! How exciting.
ReplyDeleteThank You Grace for the opportunity to win.