Carol A. Spradling, author

DeliaM · Colonist Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 342

Ok, here is a snippet....Be gentle. It's 77 pages long. BTW, Gwendolyn Chandler is my pseudonym...LOL

COMING THROUGH THE FOG

BY GWENDOLYN CHANDLER

1844

Olivia Palmer walked through the streets by the docks in London. The fog was thick on this darkened evening. She always had an eerie feeling when she walked these streets. And although her father had told her repeatedly not to, she continued to do it. It was the only way that she could be with Edward. He worked for her father on his ship. He was 12 when she was born, which made him 32, a sharp contrast to her tender 20. She heard a voice behind her, “Olivia, Olivia darling.” She turned around to see Edward leaning out of a doorway. She ran towards him. He pulled her into the doorway and began to kiss her all over her face. “Oh, my darling Olivia. I’ve missed you. I haven’t been able to conjure an excuse valid enough to visit you lately.”
“ There have been relatives staying with us. They’ve only just left, so it’s been difficult for me to get away. Three whole days.”
“Three days too many. I want to drink in as much of you as I can. We depart in 8 days and we won’t be back for six months. It will be torture without you.”
“My mother is still trying to convince my father to take us with you.”
“Let’s pray for that. I’ve known you your whole life. Ever since that day your mother showed up on the deck of the Audacity, both of you dripping wet. I got the undesirable job of alerting your father to your presence. He was quite angry that your mother hadn’t taken you to a doctor.”
“Oh, Edward, I love you so much. I just wish you would allow me to tell my father about us. This sneaking about is becoming tiresome. I want to announce to the world that I belong to you.”
“Don’t worry, my darling. We’ll find a way.”
It wasn’t until much later that she realized that she didn’t understand why her mother just hadn’t taken her to a doctor. Surely, they could have afforded one. Oh well, it wasn’t important.

Lord Ryan Palmer paced back and forth across the sitting room in front of his wife. “No, no, no and no again Dora.”
“Be reasonable, Ryan. What will it hurt?”
“The sea is no place for two ladies.”
”But apparently, it was the place for a 17-year-old girl and a six-month-old baby.”
“Now, Dora, that was a different situation entirely.” Dora looked at her husband and smiled.
“Come, now, Ryan. I’m sure you would miss Olivia and I too much if you left without us. Six months is a long time. You haven’t taken that long a voyage in many years. And Matthew is going with you. He is only 16.”
“Matthew is being groomed to replace me, and besides he is a boy.’ In the past 20 years, Ryan had grayed around the temples. His eyes had grown careworn but still shined with brilliant love for his wife, son, and daughter. He looked back at his wife, who was sticking out her lower lip in the fashion of the young girl he had fallen in love with. At 38, her hair had lightened from the fiery red that it used to be and was hardly sprinkled with a barely-noticeable gray. ‘Dora, for the love of all that is holy, why do you do these things to me?” He could not deny her anything; he never could. Anytime he had tried to do so, she would change his mind with that pout of hers. “Dora, I don’t know about this.”
She stood and walked over to him. She ran her hands up and down his chest, then around his back and down his buttocks, where she squeezed lightly. “Ryan, it would be just like the first time we sailed; watching the sun rise and set, and then at night, making love in your cabin. It will be wonderful.”
“The convenience and pleasure of your constant presence is not in dispute, my love. You wretched woman, stop moving your hand.” The sudden pressure she felt growing in his trousers told her she had won. “Oh, all right. You and Olivia may come along.”
“Oh, thank you darling. Olivia will be ever so delighted.”
“Wonderful. But make sure to keep your promise.”
“My promise?”
“See, you’ve forgotten already. The promise about making love nightly.”
“Did I say nightly?”
“You minx.” He always made her giggle when he called her that. He pulled her in for a quick kiss before stepping back. “Now, darling, I must get back to the ship and make the crew aware that another cabin must be made ready.”
“I’m sure that Olivia and Matthew wouldn’t mind sharing.”
“Nonsense. She is a young woman and he is a young man and they both need privacy.”
“Very well, dear. But do hurry back. I am in need of attention.” He sighed and smiled at the vixen he had married and walked out the door.

The two lovers continued to kiss feverishly until Olivia saw her father’s carriage coming down the street. “It’s my father,” she hissed. Edward quickly turned her back to the street and hid his face in her neck. The carriage rolled by and Edward loosened his grip.
“Darling, I must reach the ship before he does. Goodbye, my love. I’ll think of you every second until you’re in my arms again.” She watched him as he moved swiftly down a back alley. When he was out of sight, she began to wander back to the house. All the while, she thought about Edward and wondered what it would be like to have him make love to her. He was always so kind and gentle with her, waiting until she fully responded to his kiss before pressing deeper. She had told him several weeks ago that she wanted him to take her into his bed, but he had refused, saying that it wouldn’t be right to abuse her father’s trust in that manner. She longed for his touch, dreamed of it nightly.

Her mother met her at the door with news that made her heart sing. “Darling, I have the most wonderful news. Your father has consented to let us come aboard the ship for the impending journey. We are going to America.” Olivia could not contain her excitement as the two women jumped with delight.

cale · Citizen Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 134 Location: Illinois

Me likey!

Jeanne · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 5:51 pm Post subject:

Very good Delia, now that was really nice. I'm already conjuring up scenarios in my brain of what is going to happen, etc!!!! I'll probably read it a hundred times first and think about it a lot.
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Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

DeliaM · Colonist Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 342

Sometimes I feel like I plagiarized a little bit on one of the scenes on the boat. Not word for word, mind you. But the scenario I really liked in one of KEW's books, I used, I just changed it a little. I hope she wouldn't mind. But the rest is all me.

Jeanne · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 10:11 pm Post subject:

We are all influenced by KEW in some way. Hard not to be. She was the best. When my sister and I were writing our looney book she looked at me and said that quote sounds so familiar. Then she realized she had gotten it from another book she read. I still laugh when I think about her and I trying to write this book together.
_________________
Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

Jeanne · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 2:24 pm Post subject:

Okay Gwendolyn. Olivia is a very passionate woman it seems. Wanting to go to bed with Edward. She seems like her mother. I wonder why they won't tell her father that they are in love? Dora reminds me of me!!! I used to just bat my eyes to get what I wanted from Tony. I guess here it is safe to say that Dora is using her "weapon" to get what she wants from her husband. lol I wonder too if they are going to Charleston. I know that you love this place. And I wonder too if Olivia is going to meet another man besides Edward in America. I'm just guessing right now. I wonder..............

Now all of these stories that all of you have been so kind as to show us just gets me more interested on what is going to happen in all of them that I just can't stand not knowing what is going to happen!!!! Hurry up and write them, get them published so I can know what is going to happen already!!!
_________________
Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

DeliaM · Colonist Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 342

I've just introduced the villain in my writing. I love villains. They are so complex.

And Jeanne, they are going to Boston. I do love Charleston, but I don't know enough about it to write with any accuracy. I have grown up all my life near Boston, so it was the most logical choice for me. I've walked the Freedom Trail like, 10 times, on school field trips and everything.

Jeanne · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 3:31 pm Post subject:

So you are telling me that Edward is the Villian?
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Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

DeliaM · Colonist Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 342

No way....he's a good guy. In the long version that I'm working on, I've just introduced the villain.

Jeanne · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 4:14 pm Post subject:

Okay, I thought you were telling us that you introduced the villian in what you showed us. So I guess my theory is wrong about her meeting another man in America. Sometimes my imagination runs wild with scenarios.
_________________
Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

DeliaM · Colonist Joined: 14 Apr 2008 Posts: 342

She meets another man, but.....well, I won;t go any further.

Jeanne · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 4:31 pm Post subject:

Well, maybe she meets the villian and thinks she is in love with him and dumps Edward and then she realizes her mistake and has to win his love back!!! See where my imagination is going now!!!
_________________
Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

cale · Citizen Joined: 15 Apr 2008 Posts: 134 Location: Illinois

I love villains as well, but oddly enough the book whose excerpt I shared with you doesn't have a villian. The parents don't really understand their daughter, and at one point they get in a nasty fight, but they love her. There's a suitor for the girl, but he's a nice guy as well. Now all my ohter books have villians.

Jeanne · Posted: Thu May 08, 2008 2:29 am Post subject:

I don't think a romance book has to have a villian but some kind of obstacle to overcome. I like to see my hero and heroine triumph over some kind of junk that's going on.
_________________
Don't cry if you have lost the sun. The tears won't permit you to see the stars.

brony1 · Citizen Joined: 11 May 2008 Posts: 159

Jeanne yoou keep telling us you have no imagination and talent yourself but will you please read all the posts you have written on this thread alone......Gurl YOU have got TONS of TALENT Laughing