May 10, 2013.  I thought I’d take a moment and post a short excerpt from my novelette, “Secrets”.  As mentioned before, this story fleshes out the two years prior to Bill and Karen Andersen’s decision to move to Mateguas Island.  Many of the events described here are alluded to in the novel but, hopefully, this fuller description will give the reader more insight into my character’s motivations and their unfortunate flaws.  

Secrets….

It was late afternoon by the time she arrived home.  As she walked in the door, she sensed something had changed.  She heard Bill in the kitchen talking to someone.  His voice was different – she could tell he was excited about something.  She stopped in the hallway and took off her jacket, listening – wondering what had got him so worked up.  Had he found a job?  She doubted it. 

As she stood silent trying to make out the words, she felt the old anger begin to build within her.  She knew he had done something – something that had brought all this misery down upon them.  Well, now everything had changed, hadn’t it?   Now, they each had their own dirty little secret, didn’t they?  His about that party and hers….   Her mind balked at finishing the sentence.  She felt her knees go weak as a wave of despair washed over her and she clung to the closet doorframe for support.  She felt tears begin to well up in her eyes and she tried to fight off a deepening sense of loss and despondency.  She felt as if she might just disappear inside the black cloud of sorrow that surrounded her.  Forcing herself to breathe deeply, she fought back, trying to slow the rapid beat of her heart.  She had to pull herself together.  She could hear her husband calling her.

“Kar, is that you?  Come in here I’ve got something to tell you.”

She willed herself to stand up straight and slowly let go of the doorframe.  She pushed the hopelessness she felt aside, steadied herself and put one foot in front of the other and walked into the kitchen.

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Just finished the first draft to my “prequel” to Mateguas Island which I am tentatively calling “Secrets”.  It is a novelette, 40 pages, 12,000 words,  that depicts the events that lead my characters, Bill and Karen Andersen, to move to Mateguas.  I’ve sent it out to my favorite critics, Marge and Suze, for their take on it.  Wish me luck!

L.