Johnny’s was packed. Standing on line to place her order, Annie took in her surroundings. Just as the owner, Johnny, was coming over to take her order, something caught Annie’s eye. The guy near the window, he seemed familiar somehow. Where had she seen him before? He was eating dinner with a pretty brunette. He lifted his head to look at Annie as their eyes locked. On no! It was the guy from the mall, the one she bumped into. She quickly spun around, knocking right into the waitress who was carrying a tray of soft drinks.
Soda soaked her shirt and dripped onto the floor. The waitress was clearly annoyed and appeared like she would have loved to tell Annie off. Instead she rolled her eyes and ran to get a towel. If Annie thought she was embarrassed before, it was nothing compared to how she felt now. Every eye in the place was on her, including the guy from the mall. Helpless to do anything else, she grabbed some napkins and bent down to sop up some of the mess.
“It seems you have a knack for causing a scene everywhere you go.” It was his voice. The voice that filled her head with inappropriate thoughts, with longing. What was she thinking? Did she dare look up? His gaze was a magnet, forcing her to meet his eyes.
His eyes were a warmer brown than she had remembered, drawing her in.
“I...uh...”
“I’m joking. Here, let me help you with that.” He grabbed the napkins from her hand. The heat between them jolted her back. She moved quickly, surprised he could evoke such a reaction from her. Nobody had ever made her feel so exposed before. What was going on here? Annie felt foolish.
“I’m Shane. Shane Nicholls.” He extended his hand to her. They must have appeared to be quite the sight, bending over to clean up the mess while shaking hands.
“Annie.” Annie remembered her new rules of safety in the dating world. One of them was she would not reveal her last name or any other personal information until she was sure the guy wasn’t a stalker or anything.
“Annie. It suits you, I like it.” Annie had almost forgot about the woman waiting for Shane at the table near the window. She glanced over and took in a tight-lipped woman. It hit Annie that this woman was not the same stunning woman from the mall. Hmm, she had met his type before. This guy had “player” written all over him. She quickly brushed herself off and excused herself.
“Hey, Annie. Wait.” He reached for her hand. Annie forgot all about placing her order and made a beeline for the door. She didn’t look back. Well, Annie figured, it looked like it would be Chinese food tonight.
Q. What was the first book you have ever written?
A. I wrote short stories and poetry quite a bit as a child, but my first novel is Where There is Love, a story about a young teacher letting go of past obstacles and opening her heart to love.
Q. How did the cover for 'At First Sight' come about?
A. I love that cover! I Astraea Press (who are actually now called Clean Reads) provided that cover for me- Cora Graphics designed it. I saw that cover and my first thought was, “perfect!”
Q. Out of all the books you've written was one do you feel the closest too?
A. That’s a hard one. Where There is Love has a special place because it’s my first, but honestly, they’re all special to me in their own way, I don’t think I can really choose.
Q. Do you believe you’re like Annie Morgan, a romantic at heart?
A. I do believe that I’m a romantic at heart. I love romantic books and movies. I especially enjoy creating stories about romance and true love.
Q. Do you believe at of love at first sight? Why or why not?
I definitely feel that there can be that sense of instant attraction between two people. I think that it is possible, I guess that’s the romantic in me.
Q. Has there ever been a part of a book you had to write more than once to get right?
A. Oh, absolutely. During writing and during the editing process this has happened. There’s always room for improvement. I like to bounce ideas off of others, too, while I’m writing and sometimes go back to tweak things a bit.
Q. What is your favorite word?
A. I don’t know that I have a favorite word per say, but I like to use adjectives that are really descriptive, that pull the reader in.
Q. If you could have written any book from the past five years, what book would it be and why?
A. I love the work of Jojo Moyes, she has a talent in telling separate stories that are intriguing on their own and have a way of coming together at the end of the story. She also has a knack for weaving romance into her intricate plots.
Q. Did you read a lot when you were a kid? If so what was your favorite book?
A. Yes, I was constantly reading. As an adult, I still read a lot. I had many favorite books, some of which include S.E. Hinton’s The Outsiders and The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford.
Q. Favorite quote by an author?
A. Here are two of my favorites:
“There is a prospect greater than the sea, and that is the sky; there is a prospect greater than the sky, and it is the human soul.”
“To love another person is to see the face of God.” – Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
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