I am currently seeking representation for my contemporary
romance, Seeking Solace.
Sarah Collier’s life has always been scripted for her,
according to the expectations of her domineering, socially-connected
Connecticut parents. Everything always went
as planned…until the unthinkable happened moments before walking down the
aisle. Needing to escape the hovering of
her parents and older sister, Sarah just wants to flee the gossip and pitying
glances from New London’s prestigious citizens.
On a whim, she does the first thing that comes to mind. She takes off on
her honeymoon--alone. Sarah does not typically act on spontaneity,
so the impromptu trip may not be what Sarah thinks it will.
The quaint and rustic harbor village of North Berwick on
Scotland’s East Lothian coast is typically devoid of tourists in the
winter. All of the townsfolk form a
close-knit, insular community, which is why Bretton Keith is intrigued by the
auburn-haired stranger who wanders into his pub on a cold, Sunday evening. Self-assured and flirtatious pub owner that
he is, Bretton sees the opportunity for another brief and fun fling to break up
the monotony of a village winter.
However, adventure never turns out the way one imagines it
will. As Bretton comes to know the sad
and beautiful Sarah, he finds it increasingly difficult to uphold his credo of
never becoming attached to another woman.
All the while, Sarah is experiencing a new-found freedom to dare think
of her life in a different way, to truly consider what it is that she wants and
what it is that will make her happy.
Could it be Bretton? Will Sarah
be brave enough to risk it on a man who was so hurt by another that he swore
off ever falling in love again, or will the demands of her family prove too big
an obstacle to overcome?
The manuscript is complete at just over 51,000 words and
available for review upon request. Your
consideration of Seeking Solace is
sincerely appreciated.
The following are the first 250 words of Seeking Solace.
Bretton Keith sang the
last notes of the popular ballad the pub crowd seemed to love. Looking out from
the small stage, he recognized everyone there as usual. The Ship’s Inn Tavern was a local haunt and
almost all of the patrons were villagers.
Being less than an hour from Edinburgh, the town of North Berwick
attracted enough tourism to boost the economy, yet it was small enough to
remain fairly insular, especially on the harbor point. Most of the tourists tended to frequent the
two or three higher-end establishments in town, and Bret liked that just
fine. He prepped the boys for their last
number of the set before break, a quick-paced Mumford & Sons cover. As they started the number, Bret saw the pub
door open at the back. Expecting to see
a neighbor, Bret’s eyebrows drew together for a moment as a lone stranger came
in, a woman. Then, one eyebrow lifted in
appreciation at the attractive woman as she made her way to the bar and perched
on a stool. Turning his attention back
to the energetic pub crowd, he finished the song with a sly smirk on his
face. Tonight, apparently, the monotony
of village life just got a bit more interesting.
Twenty-four
hours earlier…
Sarah
Collier was in the bride’s room waiting for the stylist to finish putting her
long, dark auburn hair into the elaborate up-do. Her four closest friends were chatting away
behind her as they put the last touches on their makeup.
...to be continued in a future post...
...to be continued in a future post...
