Title: December Rain
Author: A.L. Goulden
Release date: November 25th, 2014
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Tour: Irresistible Reads Book Tours
Book Description:
Monica and Alex Waters have spent that last few months working to repair a broken
marriage and rekindle their passion. Just as they start finding their spark, Quinn
Matthews and his escalating career resurfaces, but this time Alex makes the decision to
let Monica go.
The devastation of losing her high school sweetheart, her home, and even her dog twists
Monica down a destructive path that alienates her from her closest friends and lands her
on Quinn’s couch. Despite her efforts to resist jumping into his arms again, the spark
between them reignites and sweeps her away on a whirlwind holiday adventure. She
finds that falling in love with Quinn’s family and lifestyle is as easy as falling for his
ocean colored eyes. The problem is that it’s all too easy, and when she sees that Quinn’s
reinvented life has completely shifted towards her dreams, she starts to question
whether he’s too good to be true.
Quinn has a secret that was never meant to be kept this long, but will Monica be able to
trust another man who’s lied? And now that Quinn’s got his happily ever after in sight,
he’s not about to let her go or share her with another man.
Excerpt:
The outdoor style shopping mall is bustling with tourist and local art lovers. Rows
of art galleries surround the courtyard where a stage welcomes a local reggae band.
Monica settles into a groove and starts dancing with the crowd. Alex tries to hang in for
a couple of songs before he starts feeling claustrophobic and looks to the galleries and
shops around them.
“Go ahead,” she says with a loving smile. “I’ll meet you down there... after one
more song.”
He gives her a little kiss on the cheek and glides his hand across her behind before
making his way out of the crowd. His attention is pulled by various pieces in windows
along the way. There’s a large glass sea turtle in shades of green and gold followed by
a painting of an autumn forest with heavy texture. He stands there daydreaming for a
minute until he’s distracted by a reflection passing in the glass. It’s so brief he’s sure it’s
his imagination. He barely catches a glimpse down the mall as the backside of the man
disappears into another gallery.
Alex follows the ghost, dodging through happy couples and pushy salespeople trying
to get his attention. Before he can see inside a painting that’s prominently displayed
on a front wall stops him. A cold washes over as he stands there staring at it. He
slowly moves inside, mesmerized by the familiar vibrant paint strokes until he sees a
few people gathered in the back. A man talking to two smiling women stills himself
as Alex’s eyes freeze on the back of his shaved head. No words were needed as the
tropical air takes a chill. Even the women sense a showdown and step back to give
Quinn room.
Quinn turns. What do I say? Fuck! I thought that was him. I hoped it wasn’t. Quinn
moves very slowly towards Alex. Is he gonna hit me? I do deserve it. Might as well get
it over with. “Hey.” Quinn pauses near the center of the room waiting.
Alex swallows hard, his nostrils flaring and fist clenched. His jaw flexes as his
breathing grows heavier, but the emotions just start to turn to mush. His eyes fill as
thoughts of his new friend’s betrayal wash over and the painting draws his eyes again.
“I’m sorry Alex,” Quinn says quietly.
Monica nearly passes the gallery on her way to see their friends when Alex’s shirt
first catches her eye. She halts and shifts backwards until she sees the painting and
stops. It’s a female figure bent forward reaching for her toes. The abstract form of her
body in swirls of orange and reds is cradled by a man swathed in blues and purple. Oh
my God! That’s me. That’s us, stretching. It can’t be. He’s...
She struggles for air as the tears swell, and she can already feel him. As she stands
there, not crossing the threshold, the two men watch her. When her eyes finally land on
Quinn, electricity fills the room. She can only see him and the deep tan that backdrops
the pale oceany eyes reaching for her. A warm drop gently slides down her cheekbone
as her breathing syncs with his. His lips move slightly hinting at words that he can’t find
while she struggles not to run into his arms.
Alex’s discomfort is audible as he clears his clogged throat to rattle her attention to
his worried eyes. She steps in and touches his hand briefly. “I’ll be outside,” she says,
turning without another glance at Quinn.
Her feet move quick as her thoughts try to keep up. What are they doing? Alex is
gonna hit him. I can’t believe he’s here. What are the odds? Did he know we’d be here?
No. Maybe he moved here. That painting was him and I together. Would Alex know
that? It’s pretty abstract. Fuck! This can’t be happening. Before she knows it, she’s
at the other end of the mall near the parking lot. She settles on a bench to wait for the
world to stop crumbling around her.
About the Author:
I'm a designer, author, wife and dog-lover living in the South Pasadena area of
California. I got my BFA in Film Production from the Academy of Art University
in San Francisco, but my love of a good story came way before college. I remember
writing my first full story in fifth grade on a typewriter. I cut and pasted it into a book,
complete with cardboard cover and taped binding. Things have changed a lot since
then. With the magnificent digital age I can produce books and give them to the world
without a sticky mess.
In college numerous instructors and peers praised my dialogue pushed me to hone my
storytelling skills. Of course the need to cut and paste was still there, so I went into the
world of Production Design and Art Direction for films and television. It gave me the
ability to connect design to storytelling in a way that no other career can. The past 18
years have spun a unique perspective on visually emotional tales of relationships and
the thread that ties all things together. Now I’m shifting focus on the driving force thatn
brought me here... stories. I hope that I can share a unique perspective on life, love and
the pursuit in all of the above.
Official Website: http://www.author-algoulden.com/
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