The Magic of Second-Chance Romance / Happy Release Week, An Amorous Dance

I’m willing to bet that while many of you probably recall the 1960 movie Pollyanna, fewer will remember the character of Pollyanna’s aunt, Polly Harrington. Though I’ve never read the novel the movie is based off of, (I really need to get on that!) I’ve seen the movie dozens of times and I always walk away from it feeling encouraged by the good having a positive attitude can do. But, there’s a lot more to this story than just its basic message and as a writer, I’ve found myself inspired by numerous aspects of the film, in particular the story of Polly Harrington and her former love, Dr. Chilton. There’s so much food for thought surrounding this side-story–how a person who’s assumed tremendous wealth and power can be entirely unhappy without love in their life, how two people so embittered for so long can still be in love years later, and the magic of second chance romance, how it is utterly life-changing and how, every so often in life, we do get that second chance.

As a beginner writer with little knowledge of romance tropes, I kept this idea in the back of my mind for years, thinking that indeed, Polly and Dr. Chilton’s story was every bit as interesting as Pollyanna’s, maybe more. They deserved a story of their own and the characters I’d develop in their image would have a backstory all their own, one which would explain in full what had fueled a twenty year feud as well as account for why their passion for one another was still burning hotter than ever. As I was developing the concept for the Rabourn Theater Series, I decided those characters would be Hannah Rabourn and Evan Masters.

Hannah and Evan took me by surprise, not only because of the incredible events that occur throughout An Amorous Dance but because of the nervy things they keep throwing at one another, antagonism so heated and intense that I, the author, was surprised at times. Hannah, heiress and owner of Rabourn Theater, would love nothing more than to walk away from her late father’s business venture, but something holds her back. Though unrequited acting aspirations and the denied love of her father’s ghost are clearly high on the list, we learn that the greater draw for Hannah is Evan Masters, her stage director, the man who broke her heart nearly two decades before. Though Hannah and Evan both believe themselves to have been betrayed by the other, their passion is strong and it doesn’t take long before the spark between them ignites a series of flames.

Sometime after I developed the initial concept for An Amorous Dance, I realized that second chance romance is actually a very popular theme in romance novels. It isn’t hard to understand why. As I was inspired to do, hardly even aware of what I was doing, it’s incredibly inspiring to see two characters separated over time for any one of a billion reasons get a second chance at love. As is the case with all romance tropes, second chance romance inspires us to believe that we too could get that second chance, or perhaps it teaches us to learn from the characters’ mistakes and get it right the first time. Pretty powerful stuff.

As I gear up to write my latest second chance romance, I’m reminded that it isn’t only villains who are in need of reform. All characters have flaws, all of us make mistakes and when the stars are aligned, we just might gain the opportunity to atone for those mistakes and find a lost love along the way. It happens in stories. It can happen in real life, too.

HAPPY RERELEASE WEEK, AN AMOROUS DANCE!

He was her lover in another lifetime, but does Evan know more about Hannah’s father’s murder than he’s letting on?

When Hannah Rabourn, daughter of Rabourn Theater’s late owner, is attacked, a surge of flashes prompts her to consider her father may have been murdered. Hannah’s antagonistic stage director insists her subconscious is merely seeking closure. But as she and Evan become close once again, Hannah’s suspicions about the past deepen, and she wonders if the man she’s falling in love with for the second time knows more about the situation than he’s letting on.

Evan Masters’ dreams were shattered when theater-owner Baron Rabourn destroyed his budding acting career. Having forged an alliance with Rabourn’s former partner, Evan assumed a mission to transform Rabourn Theater into what it always should have been. Fellow conspirators believe Rabourn’s daughter is the key to power, and Evan is the means by which to achieve their ends.

But Evan’s feelings for Hannah are stronger than he believed. And when he realizes Hannah’s life is in danger, he must choose between his passion and his heart.

99 Cents at Amazon or FREE with Kindle Unlimited!

Barnes & Noble

ENJOY AN EXCERPT FROM AN AMOROUS DANCE!

Unable to stay still, Hannah maneuvered her way around the surrounding obstacles so she could pace. She’d been trying to convince herself that these flashes of memory didn’t mean what they appeared to, but the truth was she’d always had her suspicions about the way her father died.

The doctors she’d spoken with had confirmed her father had a heart attack, but she’d always found it hard to believe that a man in his fifties, a man in excellent physical condition with no history of heart disease, would die suddenly, for what appeared to be no reason at all. Having felt this way from the get-go, she’d conducted a bit of research, from which she’d discovered that her father had had an argument with Bruce Lancaster prior to the start of her birthday dinner. The stress of whatever they’d discussed might have taken a toll on him, and for years Hannah had believed that a heated discussion with the theater’s former owner had directly contributed to her father’s death. But if the images she’d been seeing were real, maybe her father’s death had had nothing to do with physiology at all.

Maybe he had been murdered.

“Hannah?” Evan opened the door. Failing to flick the light switch, he made his way around, almost tripping over the settee in the corner. “Hannah, are you in here?”

Hannah covered her tearstained mouth. She had no desire to reveal herself, but she realized before she could hide that Evan had already seen her. After hastily wiping her face in hopes that he wouldn’t realize she’d been crying, she snapped, “What the hell are you doing in here?”

“Me? What the bloody hell do you think I’m doing in here?” Evan squinted at the gigantic mushrooms behind his back, as if they were going to agree with how ridiculous her question was.

“You shouldn’t have followed me. I wasn’t thrilled to see that my cousin decided to stay in a show her former stalker is a part of, but…I’m a big girl. I can handle anything that’s thrown my way, Evan Masters, I promise you.”

“Hannah, you’re shaking.” Evan caught her arm and pulled her back to him before she could walk away.

As Hannah looked downward, she realized Evan had no intention of releasing her. His grip was strong, but his palm felt like melted butter against her skin. She attempted to laugh at him, but instead fresh tears formed in her eyes. Evan took her into his arms before she could stop him, bringing her against his body with a force that demonstrated he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Unable to fight him, or whatever it was he was doing, Hannah allowed herself to be drawn against his warmth. His lightly bearded cheek sent tingles up her spine as it brushed against her own.

Evan held her, cupping the back of her head as he urged her toward the settee he’d all but killed himself staggering over a moment before. As he whispered a couple of soft, indiscernible things into her ear, the familiarity of his masculine scent soothed her raw nerves. In her mind, she held an unpleasant picture of him about to kiss her cousin’s shoulders, but the present moment played right over it, and Hannah let go of her anxiety, allowing herself to simply feel, to let her lover from another lifetime make everything right.

Evan brought his fingers beneath her chin and lifted her head so she was looking into his eyes. His smile gave way to a smirk. “I saw you, Hannah. I saw the way you were looking at me when I was holding your cousin. The heat in your eyes wasn’t there out of concern for Alicia, or even because you were angry about my going ahead with the play. You emitted that scream because you wanted to be playing Blair on that stage. More so, because you wanted to be the woman I was holding in my arms.”

Hannah’s eyes widened as her body grew cold with fury. “Clearly, the sky-high opinion you’ve always had of yourself has only gotten higher. You make it sound as though you actually think I could still want you after all this time, knowing that I’m fully aware of what a bastard you really are.”

“You may hate me on the surface, Hannah, but I daresay your body responds differently. You shiver when I touch you and your skin warms on contact because it wants more, just as you wanted more the night I carried you off to the dressing room and gave you the passion that both of us so desperately craved.”

“So apparently you aren’t just egotistical, you’re also certifiably insane. You know, you’re offered an extensive benefits package as part of the position that you cling to with the very balls of your existence. You ought to ask HR for a referral. Clearly, the shrink who ought to be treating Sebastian Nathanson has some extra time on her hands.”

Evan secured her in a grip that prevented her from running. Easing her back against the wall, he said with fire in his eyes, “Is this crazy, Hannah?”