PRIORITIES

We traveled to the part of North Carolina, that rests in the foothills of the Appalachian, Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains, last weekend for a family reunion.

Isn’t life all about family? I think so. Warmly greeting old friends, celebrating new life, renewing friendships with family we hadn’t seen in a while. Pausing for a quiet moment to celebrate our loved ones we were gifted to love and share their journey, who are no longer with us. We are blessed God loaned them to us. I can’t imagine not ever having them in my life.

Being in the mountains where the air is cleaner, cooler and stimulating, renews my spirit like no other. Okay, maybe the beach! So it’s a toss-up between the two. There’s such a different reaction though between the mountains and a beach, at least for me. Mountains restore that sensation of relaxation and oneness with nature. Enormous trees that whisper as the movement of breezes flow through them. Babbling brooks, and that child in you when you find a hidden trail you simply have to sneak away and follow, and then seek its ending.

The beach is invigorating. The moment I see the shimmer of the sun’s rays dance across the waves, my heart swells.

I can’t wait to dig my toes in the sand, breath in the salty air, take an early morning walk and search out seashells. Children to build sand castles with. A long walk on the beach with a loved one.

Waiting for the guys to come back from their fishing trip, catch in hand. We know there will be a huge fish fry in the future. Ahhh…there isn’t anything like the beach.

My newest book due out sometime in August or September 2015, LOVING LEXI, set in a small fishing Texas town, is a Contemporary Romance.

Here’s a short excerpt:

Tyler did his best to reject thoughts of the blonde haired, Lexi from his mind, but the push hadn’t helped. She lingered still. Her scent and beauty was still wrapped inside his head.

The fishing charter Tyler had taken out this morning had caught their limit before noon. He was thankful because the heat that bore down on them, even with the breezes, was unbearable. One young boy had gotten sick not long after they’d shoved off, but there was nothing he could do but make him comfortable. Later, he’d found out the boy had forgotten to take anything for motion sickness. It wasn’t a pretty sight, but one Tyler was accustomed to dealing with.

After he’d showered and changed, Tyler went in search of Lexi. She couldn’t be too hard to find in this town. He knew which car Ted had loaned her, so if she were still in town, that would make the search easier. Why he should care, hadn’t made any sense, because Lexi was none of his business, but he wanted to make sure she was doing okay. Why he sensed the need to protect her was none of his business either. But he did.

Tyler cranked the car, and flipped the air conditioner on high. Out of habit, he slid an Anne Murray CD in the player, and then adjusted the volume. Wouldn’t you know the first song would be his late wife’s favorite song, “Could I Have This Dance?” That old queasy plunge inside his stomach kicked in, and prompted him to tap off the CD.

It wasn’t bad enough that every waking moment filled him with her memories, but certain events sparked an unbearable state of mind. Her death had been over a year ago. So far nothing had eased the pain or helped him find some closure with her death. It was time he came to grips with her death. If only he didn’t feel so guilty that he’d taken her out on the boat that fateful day. The storm had come up so suddenly, the waves so high and ravaging, his wife was gone in an instant. Tyler sucked in a deep breath and let out slowly.

How he would accomplish ridding himself of the nightmares of that day, was beyond him. But he would. He prayed he could, for his own peace of mind. At times, the grief was unbearable. He wasn’t sure if he could endure a lifetime of merciless grief.

My books are available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Kobo, Diesel, Apple and Smashwords.

You can find links on my website for all My Books