HOUSEWIFE ELLOREE GETS INVITED BACK TO WORK
(from Marilyn Holdsworth's Novel, MAKING WISHES)
Elloree’s
hand tightened around the receiver. “I know you have a very large and
capable staff now, Mark,” she said. “Alex Tenner is one of the best, and
I read you stole him from Hallmark just last year.” Mark laughed, the
deep bellowing sound shaking the phone. “You’re right there, but we call
it ‘making an offer he couldn’t refuse.’ Yeah, we’ve got him on our
side now. But between you and me, the guy’s a light-footed ass who
spends too much time thinking with what’s below the belt. No, this
operation needs someone special.”How very like him, Elloree fumed,
pacing the kitchen, still clutching the phone. Today, without warning,
one phone call had transformed an ordinary Saturdaymorning
into something that was anything but. Impulsive, aggressive Mark
Williams had always known what he wanted. And as he phrased it this
morning, “I want and need you to come back to work, El. This project
can’t fly without you.”
I wish I’d just let the answering machine pick up the call, she thought,
I wouldn’t have had to talk to him and hear those persuasive words.
Just like that, go back to work. Damn him. But even as she thought it,
she knew she’d made her decision when she’d heard his voice. Still, she
answered carefully. “You know I can’t just come back, Mark. I would need
time.” She hesitated and then added, “Time to talk to Tom. And there
are things here to work out before I could even think of it.” She tried
to sound firm and in control, but her heart was racing with excitement.
“Fine, fine; take all the time you need. Call me on Monday with your answer.”
She wondered if he could detect the quiver in her voice when she promised to call on Monday.
As a novelist, I draw on many real life experiences to provide
background for my books. After completing studies in Literature and
History at Occidental College, I became a staff writer on a travel
magazine, and throughout my career I have traveled extensively all over
the world. Because
I love horses, I owned and trained them. I support horse rescue and
wild mustang preservation. Based on my experience with horses and my
research on abuse issues, I wrote Pegasus.
As
a descendant of James Monroe, I did extensive research at the James
Monroe Museum in Virginia about him and his wife Elizabeth Kortright
Monroe. I also visited their home, Ashlawn/Highland in Albemarle County.
This resulted in my novel, The Beautiful American. Making Wishes, was based partly on my experiences as creator, owner and operator of a greeting card company.
Elloree
Prince is an attractive, creative young woman who marries a wealthy
businessman, Tom Randall. After courting his bride with unrelenting
determination, Tom moves her into old-moneyed Oak View, where
generations of Randalls have lived for years. Outwardly, Elloree appears
to settle into raising their two sons within Oak View’s stifling social
structure, but inwardly, she yearns for her artistic work. An
unexpected phone call from Mark Williams, her former employer, offers
her the career opportunity of a lifetime, and she must make a choice.
She is torn between her devotion to her sons and her love for her work.
Her decision to return to Wishes, Inc. brings dramatic life changes to
her and the people she loves.
Genre - Women’s fiction
Rating – PG-13
“Abby
Long is thrilled when she offers the winning bid for an antique desk at
an auction. With its intricately inlaid woods and elegant style, the
desk is perfect for Abby; it is the gift she promised herself to finally
celebrate her thriving antique business. She has no idea that the
antique desk holds a secret that will lead her on a fascinating,
life-changing journey back in time.
When Abby discovers a hidden diary
stuffed inside a secret compartment in the desk, she can hardly wait to
read the spidery, faded script. As she carefully turns the tattered
pages, she reads the captivating story of two remarkable women from
opposite backgrounds who somehow manage to form an unforgettable bond
against the backdrop of a fledgling America struggling to find its place
in the world. Elizabeth Kortright Monroe, the wife of James Monroe, and
Jasmine, a young slave girl, develop an extraordinary relationship as
they are united by pivotal historic events, political intrigues, and
personal tragedies.
From
a bucolic Virginia plantation to the bloodied, starving streets of
post-revolutionary Paris, this powerful tale follows the lives of two
courageous women from the past as they quietly influence—and inspire—a
woman of today’s world.”
Genre - Historical fiction
Rating – G
Widowed
at thirty, Hannah Bradley is a successful journalist focusing on animal
abuse issues. An accidental meeting introduces her to lawyer, Winston
Caughfield III. Drawn to Hannah’s gentle beauty and fierce commitment to
her work, Win joins her in a fight to save wild mustangs from
slaughter. Together they rescue a badly injured horse with a mysterious
background.
Hannah’s search to discover the animal’s true identity leads
them into a web of black marketeering and international intrigue.
Action packed with crisp colorful dialogue the story propels the reader
to a race against time conclusion. Marilyn Holdsworth delivers a
gripping tale of mystery, adventure and romance guaranteed to hold the
interest and capture the heart. She brings true-life characters together
with real-life issues to create a fast-paced irresistible story.
Bu
y Now @ Amazon
Genre – Contemporary fiction
Rating – PG
