Monday, March 12, 2018

Read the Ending Before the Beginning by Linda O'Connor


MUSE MONDAY

Please welcome Linda O'Connor talking about my favorite subject...characters.

When I sit down to write a novel, I try to give my characters one or two quirky character traits to make them more interesting, more fun to read about, and hopefully, more relatable to the reader. In Between the Pipes, the heroine, Dr. Sarah Jain, gets together with her friends for movie nights. Sarah doesn’t mind watching suspenseful movies – because she reads the spoiler alerts and knows the ending before the movie starts!
She gets that from me. :D
I love knowing how a movie or book ends. Some people would be dismayed at the prospect but not me. If I know the ending, I can relax and be entertained. One time, I flipped to the back of a novel and read the ending. Imagine my surprise when the story didn’t turn out the way I’d thought it would – because I’d unknowingly read the sneak peek of the next novel instead of the ending of the one I’d been reading. Foiled! Haha.
I’m very good at keeping it a secret and not spoiling it for anyone else, but I do love spoiler alerts!
How about you? Do you prefer to know how a story ends before you start watching it or reading it? 
Between the Pipes (In the Game Hockey Romance, Book 1) 
Sarah Jain is a family doctor in a hockey-crazy town. She hates hockey. She hasn’t gone anywhere near a rink in years, until her friend, the team doctor, calls in a favour. Mike Wallace is the starting goalie for the Clarington Quakes, the local professional hockey team. He’s not about to let an injury slow him down or a rookie doctor call the shots. 
Sarah and Mike don’t respect each other’s jobs. When they have to work together, sparks fly and ice melts. Can they play a game they both can win? 
Love on the ice doesn’t always go smoothly. 
Excerpt
She’d love any excuse to spend time with him. It’d be so easy to say yes. But going for coffee together veered into the realm of personal. If she could keep their relationship professional, it wouldn’t be a problem, but she was already attracted to him. Much as she wanted to say yes, her conscience said no. First, he was a patient, and second, how could she think about getting involved with a hockey player? Passion for hockey was the last thing they’d ever share. As tempting as it was, she needed to give this one a miss.
“I’m sorry. Unfortunately, I can’t.”
“You sure?” He smiled slowly. “I could spring for a jelly donut.”
She laughed. He didn’t have to sweeten the invitation. He was eye-candy enough. “Tempting, but…”
“Too much sugar? How ’bout an apple fritter? Sounds a little healthier.”
It really was too bad. “Ah well, I was going to go for a bike ride.” That was good. Sounded athletic…she had plans. Nothing personal.
“On your own?”
She nodded reluctantly.
“You know, I have the day off. I could come along and prove that my ribs are okay. If I can cycle, then I can play.”
His eyes looked so hopeful. She felt awful, but she needed to dissuade him. “I don’t go very fast.” Sarah winced silently. He potentially had a rib fracture. He needed slow.
“I don’t mind.”
“It might rain.” She scowled at the beautiful blue skies, without a trace of clouds.
Mike laughed. “I don’t mind getting wet. Why don’t I grab a picnic lunch, and we can meet at the South Lock parking lot in an hour? We can cycle along the river, break for lunch, and come back. How does that sound?”
Perfect, she thought glumly. For a bad idea, it sounded perfect.


2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for hosting me today! It's a pleasure to visit. :D

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