Release Day Launch: THE STORYTELLERS + Excerpt and Giveaway
Another release day launch with an excerpt and a giveaway for Laura Elliott's The Storytellers.
An excerpt from THE STORYTELLERS by
Laura A. H. Elliott
THE STORYTELLER: Tamara Stephens
She hadn’t thought about Hal for a
long time. A very long time. Too long. There was a time when she thought about
nothing else. That’s when she had to change her life. Leave the Caribbean and
start fresh. But now, she wondered if this American life had been the right
choice after all. It had cost way more to make it here than she ever imagined.
Curaçao was far, far away. Another lifetime. She rubbed her round belly and
remembered the first time she met Hal.
She
was easily thirty pounds lighter, a skinny thing at that. Diving was all she’d
known and all she’d cared about. Treasure was her only concern and occasionally
she’d scored big. She and her sister just docked after diving the SSOranje
Nassau, and
discovered nothing of any great value, trinkets really. She cleaned the
porcelain plates and little teacups that had been lost to the sea. Washing
small treasures like these was one of Tamara’s great joys, especially at sunset
after all the hazards of the deep had been conquered and the stories of the
dive flowed as steady as the beer. Jerome had just fired up the BBQ on the boat
when Hal walked up behind Tamara.
He
put his hands on her hot shoulders and said, “That’s some nice swag you got
there.”
Tamara
jumped. She caught the teacup that fell out of her hand. Her face flushed but
she felt certain the stranger wouldn’t know the effect he had on her as her
face had seen too much of the sun to really show such things.
“Didn’t
your momma ever teach you not to sneak up on a lady, honey?” Tamara said.
“When
it comes to a beauty such as yourself, I ignore all the so-called rules,” the
stranger who would become her husband said. His boyish blond hair fell into
this crystal blue eyes and made Tamara ignore her tell-him-to-go-to-hell
instincts. How many pretty guys were on the island? She took a long, calming
breath considering this, sliding her eyes up his fine form. Something seemed
different about Hal the moment she met him. He knew how to talk to her. How to
get close to her.
“I’m
protective of my treasures, scallywag,” Tamara said.
“As
well you should be.” Hal arched a brow and peered at the cup in Tamara’s hand.
“Dove
the SSOranje
Nassau today I
see.”
She
set down the cup and saucer she had been drying and gave him her full
attention.
“You’re
lucky to have found anything down there as that wreck has been explored by
every tourist in the water.” His eyes sparkled.
Tamara
went about her washing again.
“The
sea’s churned up a bounty these past few days. I’d love to show you some time.”
“You
have a name?” Tamara said.
“Hal.
Hal Villandre. And you are?”
“Tamara
Stephens.”
“Miss
Stephens, my pleasure.” Hal took her hand in his. Tamara melted at the sound of
her name and the feel of his lips on the back of her hand. A sweet, gentle
kiss. When he let go, his eyes caught all the colors of the setting sun. The
rest of the night was a whirlwind of dinner and drinks and sex on the beach.
Tamara believed in love at first sight. Hal and Tamara lived it. He had been
the love of her life. Her one and only. But now, it seemed as though she’d
spent a lifetime without him. Without all she held dear. Without Hal and diving
and treasure. Without her island. The world ended for Tamara the day he
disappeared. She didn’t recognize the life she’d been living.
I love writing
about enchanted road trips, cursed storytellers, shadow worlds, and alien
romance while eating lots of popcorn. After twenty-plus years as a freelance
graphic designer/animator with clients including E! Entertainment Television
and The Los Angeles Times, I left the real world behind and followed my heart
into the world of fiction. Little known fun facts––I can’t kill a spider but
would gladly kill the tomato-plant eating gophers in my yard if I could get my
hands on them, I wouldn’t mind dying in a vat of salted carmel ice cream from
Portland’s Salt & Straw, next on my dream list is a trip to Indonesia, I
daydream of doing stand-up comedy when I’m not completely terrified of
it.
Toodles.
Happy Reading.
