I love reading a great Christmas story as the Holidays are approaching! Fellow Romance Author Penelope Marzec joins me today to celebrate the release of her Christmas story, Clear as Ice. Welcome, Penelope!
Penelope Marzec grew up along the Jersey shore. She started reading romances at a young age and fell hopelessly in love with happy endings. Two of her inspirational romances won EPIC’s eBook Award and another was a finalist in that contest. Her paranormal, Irons in the Fire, was a nominee for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award. Visit her website at penelopemarzec.com for more information.
Blurb for Clear as Ice:
When Ethan’s prayers for his mother’s life go unanswered, he abandons his faith, tossing it out with his mother’s Christmas ornaments. The loss of his hope leaves him empty and he begins to shy away from relationships, but when his dog Rufus, a rescue from a shelter, develops a fondness for a woman skating on the frozen lake behind his house, he’s annoyed. Not only does he resent her using his pond, he doesn’t understand her fear of dogs.
Haylie, once an Olympic figure skater, is afraid of more than just Ethan’s dog. She lives in constant fear due to threats from a stalker, but one day Ethan’s dog chases the danger away, so Haylie decides to try to lose her fear of dogs…But then the stalker’s plans expand to include revenge toward Ethan as well. If they are to remain safe and live to see a happily-ever-after, Haylie and Ethan must put aside differences and learn to trust each other. This Christmas season promises to be the most challenging and the most meaningful of their lives.
Excerpt:
When she reached the log, she realized one of her shoes was missing. She pressed her lips together. That dog took it. The kids playing hockey came to the lake by a different route. None of them spent any time near the log.
Her blood boiled as she untied her skates and put on her right shoe. She walked up the path and headed to the red house. Her left foot was freezing cold, but the rest of her burned with the fire of a jalapeño.
She knocked on the door. Barking sounded inside the house, but no one answered the door. She knocked again, louder this time. The barking continued.
Finally, the door opened. Ethan glared at her with bloodshot eyes.
“What do you want?” He ran his fingers through his hair, which was falling down in his face. His beard was unshaven. He wore a tank top with flannel pants. Did he just get out of bed?
Caught off guard, she stared in surprise until her frozen foot reminded her why she was there.
“Your dog took my shoe, and I want it back,” she demanded. Why did her voice shake? Why couldn’t she be more forceful?
The dog rushed to the door. Ethan blocked him with his leg and grabbed his collar. The dog barked, baring his large white, sharp teeth.
Haylie stepped back and gulped. The dog’s big brown eyes appeared human and about the same color as hers. He closed his mouth, tilted his head, and stared at her as if asking a question.
“I did a twelve hour shift last night.” Ethan’s rusty voice reminded her of the old seventy-eight rpm records her father once collected, before the storm washed them away. “Rufus needed to go out, but I was groggy. I opened the inside door before hooking on his leash. He leaped at the storm door, opened it and escaped, but he returned right away when I called. However, he did not come inside with a shoe in his mouth.”
“He was in the gully at the log where I left my shoes. Nobody else was there.” Haylie’s hopes dimmed. It wasn’t a fancy shoe, simply a good sturdy hiking shoe which she wore all the time.
“Come inside before your foot turns blue.” He rubbed his eyes. “I’ll check around the house. ‛”
“I-I-I can’t come inside.” She couldn’t trust him. Or could she? Her left foot stung with the cold.
“Frostbite isn’t pretty.”
Her foot hurt—a lot.