Hi gang, slick on some sunscreen and enjoy this glorious summer weather. But first take time out for our intrepid weekend warrior writers where snippets of eight sentences await your perusal and constructive critique.
This week I move along with To Be Continued. Beth Malone takes hold and makes plans for a future without a husband. Once a star swimmer, she forced her husband to let her have an Olympic size heated pool paid for by herself-the one battle she’d won in forty years. The weather forecast indicated a string of good weather for March. Time to call the pool guy. Beth never met him. Frank took care of business. Time to step up to the plate and make the call.
excerpt in eight:
Beth sat by the glass slider doors in a daze watching the pool guy thinking what’s his unusual name; Martino, Mercutio, uh, no, Maverick, yes, his muscles rippled as he worked strong and capable.
A knock at the slider door interrupted her reverie; his energy filled the room making Beth feel insignificant by comparison.
“All finished; added a big dose of Shock to clear the water, be back tomorrow to vacuum, add chemicals, get the heater going so by the end of the week you can swim.”
His deep voice rattled off information she’d never thought about before and then she heard, “Miz Malone, Doctor pays the first bill today, if you don’t mind.”
She stared into the kindest blue eyes she’d ever seen; “Monthly bill?”
“Opening the pool is a separate fee paid at the time I do the work and this pool is so special . . .”
She glanced up to see Maverick, tee shirt stretched across his tan muscular upper body, arms folded
across his chest, waiting.
The Doctor’s gone,” she said, “gone like he flew the coop, gone like bye-bye, hasta la vista, ciao, fare thee well, auf weidersehn, have a nice day” and with a helpless gesture of her hands Beth giggled and couldn’t stop as she wrote a surprisingly large check for the upkeep of the one thing she’d fought for years ago and Frank finally had to give in.
for more snippets from talented writers:
Now Available in Audio
PRINT – http://www.amazon.com/To-Be-Continued-Charmaine-Gordon/dp/1935407430
Kindle – http://www.amazon.com/To-Be-Continued-ebook/dp/B0030IM65G
AllRomance Ebooks – https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-tobecontinued-395548-149.html
Smashwords for All Ereaders – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/7283
Free Book Club Discussion Packet – http://store.payloadz.com/go?id=912108
Author Charmaine Gordon 
Reading the description of Maverick makes me yearn for the days when we had a pool.
We can feel Beth’s desolation and it’s painful. Well done 8.
Words to gladden this writer’s heart. Thanks, my friend.
What a great mental image you conjure up with Maverick, Charmaine. 🙂 Poor Beth certainly has a huge adjustment to make.
Yes she does. And you know I believe in survive and thrive so she will. Happy to see your name here, Debbie.
Hope she has the money to keep going.
Major bucks in this story after forty years. Beth, warm heart put together, knows how to give back to the community in many ways.
I wish a had a pool and a Maverick to clean it :p I got the impression that she had a nervous laughing fit at the end and like Sue Ann said, I also hope she does have the money to pay him and doesn’t find that her husband has left her any more unpleasant surprises. Great snippet!
Frank left her the house and money enough to live well. When he returns, he’s in for a big surprise! Thanks for your concern. You know, eventually , Beth will pull through but what a journey!
Frank sounds like a real . . . prize. Can’t wait to see Beth’s growth—and his comeuppance!
Keep reading. This is the book optioned for a television movie. I’ll let you know when it’s come to fruition.
Looks like having to deal with Maverick might be a perk for Beth. Nice 8.
It’s a start for her. Thanks, Jenna.
I can really feel her state of mind, dazed and trying to keep going…her instincts on what to do for herself are excellent. Oh, and Maverick sounds pretty easy to look at! Terrific excerpt!
Great. I so wanted the reader to feel her pain and watch her grow.
Well now I want a pool guy like that…Can I?
Love her overly-giddy rant about her husband being gone. Very realistic mix of nerves and ‘end of her rope’.
On the edge as she writes a check in front of the super kind and muscular pool guy.
Reminds me of the commercial where the woman says “I have to call the pool guy–and I don’t even have a pool!” lol!
Love your portrayal of Beth. Your characters are always so realistic. She’s still mixed up and realizing for the first time how much she’ll have to do for herself now. I’m rooting for her big time 🙂
Marcia, this is my first book and how I wrote it is still a mystery but it worked with sleepless nights. Thanks for you support.
I bet she wrote him a very large check indeed. 😀 Send Maverick my way after, would ya please? I don’t have a pool but I’m sure I can find something for him to clean. Like my dirty mind. lol. Great 8!
Too adorable, Evelyn, just like you.
I love how you mix Maverick’s description and her desolation. Intriguing snippet.
Thanks Tina. It’s just what I wanted to hear.
The helpless flood of synonyms and giggles is a nice touch–it shows how out of control she feels right now. I’ve had those moments where you want to shout at yourself–just stop talking! Your mouth never listens, though.
Exactly what I strove for. Thanks, Caitlin.
Maybe her laughter stems from a moment of “Frank is gone, pool guy is here, let’s party.” I hope so because “the doctor” doesn’t sound as if he’s worth pining for.
Oh, a pool guy is a great way to cool down the heat. Wonderful dialogue and snippet!
No party for her yet. She has miles to go, mountains to climb. Thanks, Gem.
Hi Lorien, thanks for stopping by. Dialogue is where it’s at.
This is so emotionally-packed. Feels very real.
Cara, I so appreciate your lovely comment.
All these little details to take care of. And it doesn’t help when the help is distracting…
That’s the kind of pool boy everyone would love to have! It’s too bad I don’t currently have a pool.
Dream a little dream of my dream guy, Maverick. He’s way more than a hunk.
Nicely said. Thank you, sir.
In the long run, losing old Frank may not be such a bad thing.
You’re so right. Tune in next week to see how the story progresses, my friend.
Elaine said it so well. I’m glad Beth’s jumping in and taking responsibility. ~sigh~ and like everyone else, I want a pool– and a Maverick to take care of it. 🙂 Nicely done, Charmaine. 🙂
‘Jumping in’. What more can I say. A splash of life.Yes. Thanks, Teresa. Next week I’ll print the dedication for Farewell, Hello for all WEWRIWA to see how much the group means to me.
Ah, that first dip after it’s all done…it’ll be magic. Maybe Maverick will join her : )
Hi Millie. The pool won’t need heat. Are we having fun yet? I think so.