Category: Excerpts

After the Marriage Proposal #SixSentenceStoryThursdayLinkUp #Excerpt #Memoir

Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

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Two Pentacles Publishing.

 

 

 

Welcome to another edition of Six Sentence Story Thursday Link Up. This week’s word is “knot.” My contribution is an excerpt from My Ideal Partner: How I Met, Married, and Cared for the Man I Loved Despite Debilitating Odds. After proposing to me in 2005, my late husband Bill has just arrived in Sheridan, Wyoming, where I live, after traveling all night on the bus from his home in Fowler, Colorado. The scene opens as we are eating breakfast with my father in a restaurant near the bus station.

***

We both ordered pancakes and sausages. My stomach was so tied up in knots. I didn’t think I could get anything down, but when we were ready to leave, my plate was empty except for one sausage, which I offered to Bill and he accepted.

He spent the next week with me in my apartment. At first, he slept on the living room couch, but after a couple of days, I found myself asking him to sleep in my double bed with me, thinking he would be more comfortable. When I worked, he stayed in the apartment and listened to talking books or went out with Dad to look at houses.

***

Thanks to Girlie on the Edge for inspiring the above excerpt with this week’s six-sentence story prompt. You can click here to participate in this week’s hop and read other bloggers’ responses.

***

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my email list to receive my twice-yearly newsletter and other announcements. This is a one-way announcements list, meaning the only messages you’ll receive will come from me. So, you can rest assured that this list is low-traffic. Send a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go.

***

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

 

The cover of the book features an older woman sitting in a wicker chair facing a window. The world beyond the window is bright, and several plants are visible on the terrace. Behind the woman’s chair is another plant, with a tall stalk and wide rounded leaves. The woman has short, white hair, glasses, a red sweater, and tan pants. The border of the picture is a taupe color and reads "Why Grandma Doesn't Know Me" above the photo and "Abbie Johnson Taylor" below it.

Photo Resize and Description by

Two Pentacles Publishing.

 

 

 

 

Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.

After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?

***

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Grandma Apologizes for What? #SixSentenceStoryThursdayLinkUp #Excerpts #Inspiration

Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description by

Two Pentacles Publishing.

 

Welcome to another edition of Six Sentence Story Thursday Link Up. This week’s word is “space.” In the following excerpt from Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, Marti, after a rough morning, is visiting her mother in the nursing home, and her mother has just cried on her shoulder. Let’s see what happens next.

***

I handed her a Kleenex from the box on the nightstand. She blew her nose and said, “I’m sorry. Whatever I did, I’m sorry.”

In the car, as I was getting ready to pull out of my parking space, my cell phone rang. When I saw that Sarah’s school was calling, I realized I’d forgotten her lunch money. It was my turn to cry.

***

Why was Marti having a rough morning? What did Grandma do that she had to apologize for? Read the book and find out.

Thanks to Girlie on the Edge for inspiring me to post the above excerpt with her six-sentence prompt for this week. You can click here to participate in this week’s hop and read other bloggers’ six-sentence creations.

***

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my email list to receive my twice-yearly newsletter and other announcements. This is a one-way announcements list, meaning the only messages you’ll receive will come from me. So, you can rest assured that this list is low-traffic. Send a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go.

***

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

The cover of the book features an older woman sitting in a wicker chair facing a window. The world beyond the window is bright, and several plants are visible on the terrace. Behind the woman’s chair is another plant, with a tall stalk and wide rounded leaves. The woman has short, white hair, glasses, a red sweater, and tan pants. The border of the picture is a taupe color and reads "Why Grandma Doesn't Know Me" above the photo and "Abbie Johnson Taylor" below it.

Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.

After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?

***

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Any Regrets? #SixSentenceStoryThursdayLinkUp #Excerpts #Inspiration

Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

 

 

Welcome to another edition of Six Sentence Story Thursday Link Up, in which the given word is “path.” Here’s a six-sentence excerpt from my latest novel, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me. Sixteen-year-old Natalie speculates on whether she was right to tell her parents about her biological father after finding out about him. Let’s see what she has to say.

***

Even if Grandma Sherman hadn’t told me about Bill Hadley, our paths would have crossed in Laramie. But no one would have known or suspected. Or would they? The reporter in the bookstore noticed a resemblance between Bill and me, so maybe the story had to come out sooner or later. Who knew?

I still felt sorry for my sister.

***

What bookstore and reporter is Natalie talking about? Why does she feel sorry for her sister? Read the book and find out.

Thanks to Girlie on the Edge for inspiring the above excerpt with her six-sentence story prompt for this week. You can click here to participate in this week’s hop and read other bloggers’ six-sentence creations.

***

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my email list to receive my twice-yearly newsletter and other announcements. This is a one-way announcements list, meaning the only messages you’ll receive will come from me. So, you can rest assured that this list is low-traffic. Send a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go.

***

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

The cover of the book features an older woman sitting in a wicker chair facing a window. The world beyond the window is bright, and several plants are visible on the terrace. Behind the woman’s chair is another plant, with a tall stalk and wide rounded leaves. The woman has short, white hair, glasses, a red sweater, and tan pants. The border of the picture is a taupe color and reads "Why Grandma Doesn't Know Me" above the photo and "Abbie Johnson Taylor" below it.

Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.

After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?

***

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Just the Facts #MondayMusings #OpenBookBlogHop #Excerpts

Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

 

 

Welcome to another edition of Open Book Blog Hop. This week’s question is: “Do you have any tips on controlling pacing in your stories? How do you manage it?”

The best way to control pacing in a story is to include only relevant information. In other words, “just the facts,” as the detective on Dragnet says. Let’s take, for example, this excerpt from The Red Dress.

***

Half an hour later, Eve had finished reading and responding to email. She took Ginger for a long walk, stopping at a corner market on the way home. For the first time in two weeks, she planned to surprise her family with a home–cooked meal. Since she’d been busy with the proofs of her latest book, they’d eaten nothing but leftovers and take–out, so she knew her husband and children would be thrilled.

Leaving the dog tied outside the store, she purchased hamburger and other items.

***

I could have listed all the ingredients for the dish Eve planned to make. Readers might be curious, but they don’t need to know that. The important thing is that after two weeks of eating leftovers and take-out food, Eve’s family is finally going to get a home-cooked meal.

How about you authors out there? How do you control pacing in a story? You can click here to participate in this week’s hop and read other bloggers’ responses.

***

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my email list to receive my twice-yearly newsletter and other announcements. This is a one-way announcements list, meaning the only messages you’ll receive will come from me. So, you can rest assured that this list is low-traffic. Send a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go.

***

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

The cover of the book features an older woman sitting in a wicker chair facing a window. The world beyond the window is bright, and several plants are visible on the terrace. Behind the woman’s chair is another plant, with a tall stalk and wide rounded leaves. The woman has short, white hair, glasses, a red sweater, and tan pants. The border of the picture is a taupe color and reads "Why Grandma Doesn't Know Me" above the photo and "Abbie Johnson Taylor" below it.

Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.

After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?

***

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A Teenaged Daughter’s Dilemma #SixSentenceStoryThursdayLinkUp #Excerpts #Inspiration

Abbie wears a blue and white V-neck top with different shades of blue from sky to navy that swirl together with the white. She has short, brown hair and rosy cheeks and smiles at the camera against a black background.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

 

 

Welcome to another edition of Six Sentence Story Thursday Link Up, in which the given word is “bookmark.” In the below excerpt from Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me, sixteen-year-old Natalie, after learning who her real father is, finding his website, and telling her parents, expresses her reluctance to email information about her real father to the man she thought was her father for all those years. Let’s see what she has to say.

***

Showing Bill Hadley’s picture on my iPad to Mom, then Dad, was the stupidest thing I’d ever done. Dad said I was still his daughter, that all this didn’t matter. So why did he want me to email him Bill Hadley’s website address?

I thought about telling Dad I’d forgotten to bookmark the website. But he was a good lawyer. He could always tell when someone was lying, and I’d never been able to get him to believe my lies in the past.

***

So, does Natalie supply information about her real father to the lawyer she thought was her father, or does she decide to try lying to him one more time? You’ll need to read the book in order to find out. By the way, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me and two of my other books can be downloaded free from Smashwords until the end of the month. See below for details.

Thanks to Girlie on the Edge for inspiring me to post the above excerpt with her six-sentence story prompt for this week. You can click here to participate in this week’s hop and read other bloggers’ six-sentence creations.

***

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my email list to receive my twice-yearly newsletter and other announcements. This is a one-way announcements list, meaning the only messages you’ll receive will come from me. So, you can rest assured that this list is low-traffic. Send a blank email to:  newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io  You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go.

***

And now, I’m pleased to announce that until the end of the month, all my books on Smashwords can be downloaded ABSOLUTELY FREE as part of the Smashwords  summer/winter sale. You can visit my Smashwords author page here to download these books. Happy reading!

 

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Copyright 2021 by Abbie Johnson Taylor.

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

The cover of the book features an older woman sitting in a wicker chair facing a window. The world beyond the window is bright, and several plants are visible on the terrace. Behind the woman’s chair is another plant, with a tall stalk and wide rounded leaves. The woman has short, white hair, glasses, a red sweater, and tan pants. The border of the picture is a taupe color and reads "Why Grandma Doesn't Know Me" above the photo and "Abbie Johnson Taylor" below it.

Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.

After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?

***

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