Author Archives: terryoparka

Get “Cabin Fever”

This is the prequel to “Double Dare.” front cover(2)

 

 

He loves her, but he can never forgive her for what she did to his friend… Grayson Reardon blames Amy McDonald for the death of his friend, Smitty, who was killed on patrol in Afghanistan just after Amy broke up with him via Skype. Gray has always loved Amy but stayed away because Smitty saw her first. In an attempt to avenge his friend, Gray’s tricks Amy into accepting his marriage proposal and then dumps her at the altar, humiliating her in front of her family and friends. But Gray is torn between his love for Amy and his loyalty to Smitty, especially since Smitty’s tall tales about his relationship with Amy don’t quite mesh with reality, and—now that it’s too late—Gray begins to realize he’s made a terrible mistake. She loves him, but he betrayed her, and she’s determined to move on…somehow. Amy has always loved Gray and broke up with Smitty because of it. But she feels guilty for what happened to him, so even though she learns what Gray has planned, she goes through with it, allowing him to publicly humiliate her. Now that it’s over, and he’s had his revenge, she’s convinced Gray hates her. Determined to purge him out of her life forever, she throws away every reminder of him and concentrates on her work. She almost succeeds—until fate intervenes, and Amy discovers that things aren’t always what they seem

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Cover reveal for “Cabin Fever”

It’s the prequel to “Double Dare.” Gray leaves Amy at the altar to avenge his dead friend, who he believes Amy wronged. He realizes his mistake and begs her for another chance, which she won’t give him. But he’s a fighter and gives it, and them, all he’s got in a cabin on the banks of Lake Superior. Will it be enough?

“Cabin Fever” will be released by Black Opal Books in May. Stay tuned.

Thanks to the fabulous Jack at Black Opal Books for the cover.

front cover(2).jpg

 

Dish wars

My friend, she’s the oldest of seven kids, was talking about doing dishes as a kid and I flashed back to the dish wars at our house.

I am the oldest and was the fastest dish washer. I just wanted to get it over with. My younger sister (by 11 months) was an epic staller and usually the dryer. And if she found one miniscule particle on a dish, she gleefully dumped it back in the dish water.

I got to be an epic stacker of dishes in the drainer. One time since my sister was epically stalling, I built an epic 3-foot tall tower of dishes. Mom was not happy.

My mother-in-law told me she stretched the family budget and splurged on a dishwasher because she couldn’t stand to listen to her kids fighting over washing the dishes. And they were all four years apart and she worked afternoons so she only heard the fights on weekends.

Dish wars were either valuable life lessons I can use in my writing –  goal, motivation, conflict, Deb Dixon talks about in her fabulous book, “Goal, Motivation, Conflict, The Building Blocks of Good Fiction” or it was just pointless bickering – which I guess I can also use in my writing.

Goal: get dishes done. Motivation:  So I could watch TV, go to a friend’s house, read a book, or do homework. Conflict: working with younger sister who stalled and put clean dishes back in the water for me to rewash, or washed them herself, super slow, so I had to wait for the next one.

The only dish wars at our house these days (as empty nesters) is the best way to stack dishes in the dishwasher. (I am still a epic stacker). My husband, an engineer, believes he knows best. I, as the person who usually empties out the clean dishes, believe I know the best way to cram as many dishes as possible into the machine so the dishes come out clean. Again, this may be pointless bickering or a good life lesson.

At this point, I’m betting on a good life lesson. All those dishes have to count for something.

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