EXCERPT and GUEST POST
The Kiss of a Rose
by Augustina
Van Hoven
The Kiss of a Rose is currently on tour with Enchanted Book Promotions. The tour stops here
today for an excerpt and a guest post. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
A DISTANT PAST
In 1882, Rose Van
Buren loved the wrong man and paid for it with her life. Now, more than a
century later, the angel Gabriel has granted her another shot at living. In
exchange, she must convince a smart, handsome, up-and-coming lawyer to set
aside his lofty ambitions.
A FUTURE PRESENT
Stephen Winship is
headed straight for the governor’s chair. He has a brilliant career, solid
allies, and a seemingly perfect girlfriend. But night after night he finds
himself dreaming of a heavenly beauty, a luminous but long-dead girl. Like some
altered Ghost of Christmas Past, she shows him her own tragic tale in order to "save
him". And he’s beginning to see Rose is risking her heart as much as
baring her soul. Yet falling for her will cost him everything - and open him up
to a happiness he never imagined.
Excerpt
Stephen gave Rose a short bow and
stretched out his right hand. “Miss Van Buren, may I have the honor of this
dance?”
Rose laughed. The sound was like a healing
tonic. They took their places on the dance floor with the shadows of the past.
He held her close as he guided her over the well-manicured lawn, weaving
between the other couples. She was too beautiful to be real, and that smell of
roses she always carried - he knew he was dancing with an angel.
Rose’s eyes were bright with the pleasure
as they moved around the lawn. The other Rose glided past them in the arms of a
young man in a gray suit.
“Who was that?” Stephen asked.
“The brewer’s son. He was a nice young
man, but my father didn’t approve of him. Papa wanted me to have an easier life
than he had, so he needed me to marry well. The brewer’s family worked long
hours each day in their business.”
Rose lifted her head and looked into
Stephen’s eyes. “May I ask you something?” she said.
“Anything you like.” He smiled back at
her.
“Why did you go into politics?”
Stephen blinked. The question took him by
surprise.
“I guess I got into it because of my dad.”
Rose tilted her head and scrunched up her
adorable forehead.
“Your father wanted you to be a
politician?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t really know him.
He died when I was two.” Stephen shot a
glance at Peter Van Buren, who was talking
to a group of men on the far side of the lawn.
Rose frowned. “I don’t understand.”
Stephen smiled at her. “All the time I was
growing up, my mother told me stories of
my father, of how he was interested in
politics and had been planning to run for office. After I finished law school
and landed a job at my firm, an opportunity came up to run for the legislature,
and I took it. I guess politics is my way of having a connection with my dad.”
He pulled Rose closer and twirled her on the dance floor.
The orchestra began a new song, and Rose
led Stephen toward the food tables along the back of the house. They cleared
the crowd of couples entering and exiting the dance floor just in time to see
John Jacob disappearing around the side of the house with Felicia.
“Well, now, that’s interesting. Are they -”
He didn’t finish his sentence but looked at Rose to check her reaction.
She sighed. “Yes, it is exactly what you
think.” She waved her arm and the scene around them dissolved and reformed.
They were still at the party, but the band was now playing a different song and
the light had changed slightly.
“Watch the door.” Rose pointed to the
French double doors they had passed through at the beginning of the party.
Felicia slipped quietly through them, glancing from side to side to see if
anyone had noticed her. Her lips looked slightly swollen and her skin was
flushed. A few stray hairs were out of place from her fancy hairstyle, and her
dress looked a little wrinkled. She wound her way through the crowd, stopping
to stand next to a large matronly woman who looked her up and down and frowned.
Rose turned to Stephen. “That’s Felicia’s
Aunt Miriam. She was Felicia’s chaperone for the party.” They watched as Aunt
Miriam thanked her hostesses for the lovely evening and led her niece through
the French doors and into the house.
Stephen looked around and spotted John
Jacob talking to a group of young men in a corner of the yard near the
orchestra. He didn’t look as ruffled as Felicia, but his shirt was more
wrinkled than it had been. He wore a smug expression. Stephen wanted to wipe
that smile off the man’s face with his fist.
Rose from the past twirled in front of
John in the arms of another young man. John’s expression went from cocky to
angry in an instant. Stephen tightened his fists, his knuckles turning white
from the pressure. John had already had Felicia that evening and now he wanted
Rose too.
“Stephen?”
He shook his head and turned to face Rose.
She wore a look of concern. He gave her a weak smile. He needed to get a grip.
He was getting angry about something that happened in the 1800s.
“Let’s dance.”
Praise for the Book
"The story of both main characters in tragic yet at the same time,
the path is open for a happy ending for both of them. The story switches
between Rose’s perspective and Stephen’s, telling the story from the point of
view of both of them. The writing is good, the plot is unique and entertaining,
and it’s a quick read at just 160 pages. I would recommend this to fans of
paranormal romance. It has enough original elements to be different and stand
out from the crowd. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an
honest review." ~ Majanka on Amazon
"I enjoyed Ms. Van Hoven's debut novel. The Kiss of a Rose is a
sweet paranormal filled with political intrigue and a ghost destined to finally
find her happily ever after." ~ Elise
on Amazon
"I so enjoyed the romance of this story, totally got swept away. I
loved the geographical references so much that I actually explored the Morris
Hill Cemetery in hopes of finding Rose's monument! I highly recommend this
great escape from reality!" ~ Debra Costa
on Amazon
Guest Post by the
Author
Plotting and Planning
When it comes to life, I am a planner.
When I go on a trip I plan all the details, from the route I am going to
take, the stops I plan to make and everything I need to pack for the journey. I approach writing in much the same way. I have never been able to just sit at the
keyboard and start typing, I have to have some sort of a road map laid out so I
know where I’m going. This involves
plotting, taking an idea and ruminating over it until a scene, a chapter, a
novel or a series forms from all the pieces.
Oddly enough one of the best places I have found to plot out my writing
is … well … in the shower.
Let me explain. Ever since I was a
kid I have enjoyed taking a shower in water as hot as I can stand it and in
total darkness. I know that sounds odd
but I find it very relaxing and a great place to let your mind wander. As I grew up I started adding music to the
experience, first with an AM radio then a cassette player, a CD and now my iPod
in a stereo docking station. With my
favorite music in the background and deprived of the sense of sight, this warm steamy incubator seems to be the perfect place to
hatch a plot. I begin with my basic idea
and keep asking “what if”. I have written
out entire chapters in my head with the hot water pounding on my back using
this method. Of course it does help that
we have an extra large capacity water heater.
When I’m done with my shower I have to rush to the keyboard and type out
my thoughts before I lose them. Ideally
what I need to do is dictate my ideas and words as I go along. But the same environment that proves so
fertile for plotting is less than ideal for electronics. I need to figure out how to tape my thoughts
and not short out my digital recorder in the process. I guess that will be my topic for tomorrow's
shower.
About the Author
Augustina Van Hoven resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband,
two dogs and three cats. She is an avid reader of romance, science fiction and
fantasy. When she’s not writing she likes to work in her garden or in the
winter months crochet and knit on her knitting machines.
Links
