Sunday, February 10, 2013

The Mystery of Love




Lawrence, one of the characters in my Malone mystery series, is a true romantic. He’s sixty-two years old and, so far, he’s been unlucky in love. But, despite some misguided attempts, he’s determined to find the woman of his dreams. Will Lawrence find love?

From Mixed Messages:

Then Ann saw it: a white envelope with her name and address typed on it. As usual, it had no stamp and no return address. She opened the flap of the envelope and pulled out the sheet of white paper. She sighed. Another love poem from Lawrence, she thought. She quickly unfolded the paper and read the short poem.
“I see in your face
such beauty, such grace.
My heart wants you so.
I need you to know.”

From Unfinished Business:

Lawrence untied the ribbon and read a couple of the letters. The ink was so faint that he had to strain to read them. In the letters, his great-grandmother wrote about her daily life and what was going on in the lives of their children and the people they knew but, as he read the last paragraph of the second letter, a tear formed in the corner of his eye. 

“It will not be Christmas this year without you, my love. As I prepare dinner for our children and try to achieve some festivity for their sakes, in my heart, I see you on the battlefield, serving our great cause. You are so brave! I pray for your safe return and that we will spend our next Christmas together. I miss you and love you with every fiber of my being. With all my love, Frieda.”

His eyes were getting heavy; it was time to go to bed. He gently placed the uniform, saber and stack of letters back in the trunk and closed the lid. Oh, what I wouldn’t give, he thought, to have a woman who loved me “with every fiber of my being.” Maybe I will; maybe Angie and I will get together and fall in love.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

16 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Marilyn,
      Last month I wrote a post called "Teasers." This post is a teaser, written to (hopefully) entice readers to buy my books. :)
      Thanks for stopping by!

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  2. Great excerpts, Patricia. The feelings evoked by "letters" can be powerful indeed!

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    1. Thanks, Theresa! I agree. As a matter-of-fact, "letters" are going to play a part in the third book in my Malone mystery series. (Don't tell anyone.) :)

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  3. What a lovely part of the story. I've already read the book, and loved it, and this post was a wonderful reminder of the gentler parts of the story.
    Marja McGraw

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    1. Thank you! What a good way to put it, Marja, "the gentler parts of the story." Because, obviously, there's nothing "gentle" about a serial killer attacking women in their homes. The romance (and the humor) in my novels are attempts to lighten the mood a bit.

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  4. I'm a romantic fella myself. I really like that your character is as well. Helps readers connect to the characters. Thanks for sharing.
    Chris

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    1. I'm also a romantic, Chris, and I like that Lawrence is one too. Will he find love? To answer that question, you'll have to read "Unfinished Business." :)

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  5. Wonderful excerpts, Pat. I especially admire the one from UNFINISHED BUSINESS. Love has a special, poignant meaning when it's interrupted by war.

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    1. Thanks, John! I've always been fascinated with the Civil War era. The first novel I attempted, but never finished, took place then. I now know why I couldn't stay with that book; I was meant to write mysteries.

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  6. Great "teasers" Pat. You got me hooked. I've got to read your books now. "Click" - that's the sound of me opening my Kindle.

    Evelyn

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    1. And what a beautiful sound that is, Evelyn! I hope you enjoy my books. Thank you!

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  7. Thanks for these lovely excerpts from your books, Pat. And Happy Valentine's Day to you.

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    1. Thanks for dropping in, Eileen. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Can't you just feel the romance in the air?

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  8. What a clever way to provide an excerpt that ties into the Valentine Day holiday. I'm looking forward to reading your second book.

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    1. Thanks, Catherine! And, as always, thanks for your "critiquing" help.

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