What can I say about myself that’s not been said before?
Let’s see… I was born a little girl (inside I’m still a little girl), I daydreamed my way through my teen years (and I still daydream), and I’m pretty well passionate about everything I do (I haven’t heard my husband complain too much about that!).
Enough said on that subject. Life is to be embraced, along with kids, puppies and grandparents.
On writing:
I write because I have to. Characters invade my daydreams and refuse to leave until I’ve told their story. End of story.
I invite you now to come along and share with me one of my many daydreams. I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.
PS:
If I were to share one little nugget of wisdom that I picked up during the writing process of this particular story, it would be this – never give up. NO MORE LIES is the first novel I ever wrote, and yet it is the fourth book of mine to get published. In its original incarnation, it was poorly written and full of ‘purple prose’, but all that aside, I believed in the story and the characters who were telling it. I just had to return to it again and again, putting it through a major rewrite every time I learned something new. And learn I did. Not just about the writing process, but about life and the human condition. The people I met while researching Elora’s tragedies and triumphs taught me so much about perseverance, about never giving up. Elora is alive because of them.
NO MORE LIES is a heart-warming romance set in the small town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. It’s about a recently handicapped woman who must learn that her self worth doesn’t exist in her looks or in her performance, but rather, in the strength of her character, and that no amount of lying can hide that ultimate truth.Elora St. James, a professional figure skater, was the world’s darling until disaster struck. Now she’s hiding from the world in a small fishing village in Nova Scotia, pretending to be someone she’s not. Maybe, if she hid behind enough lies…
Dan Barrington-Smith, the youngest son of a wealthy family, no longer wants to be associated with his influential family. He wants to be accepted for himself. Dan decides to break away and go incognito on a golfing spree. Maybe, if he hid behind enough lies…
And so the lies begin.
Elora and Dan meet in Lunenburg. She manages the hotel his family owns while he’s in town to golf. Their first two encounters seem small and inconsequential, but both times there is an instant awareness between them. Something out of the ordinary begins to happen. In every encounter the passion escalates even as the lies expand, until they’ve run out of lies to tell.
And once the lies run out, all that remains is the truth.
NO MORE LIES by Vanessa deHart
From his comment, Elora deduced that Danny was a guest at the hotel. That rendered him safe; he wouldn’t be staying for long. Just long enough for a bit of flirting, long enough to soothe her bruised spirit.
“Shall I bring a menu?” Perry asked.
Elora looked at Danny. “Have you eaten yet?” she asked.
“No.”
“Hungry?”
“Ravenous.” His wolfish grin made her stomach do a flip. Maybe dining with him wasn’t quite as safe as she’d supposed.
“Have Boris prepare two complete specials,” Elora instructed Perry. She hoped her long-time friend couldn’t see how Danny’s seemingly innocuous comment affected her. “And bring us whatever wines are recommended to accompany the various courses.” Perry gave a curt nod with his head and withdrew.
Danny asked, “Are you trying to impress me?”
Elora arched an eyebrow. “Is it working?”
“What if I said yes?”
Elora felt the warmth stain her cheeks. “Good.” She saluted him with her drink. “I’d hoped we could put that first meeting behind us and start over again in a more civilized fashion.” She intentionally omitted any mention of their second meeting.
“Oh, but I liked our first meeting.” A devilish light glinted in Danny’s eyes. “I got to hold you in my arms right away.”
Elora felt a slow burn heat up her insides, and she doubted that the sip of alcohol had anything to do with it. She knew she was playing a dangerous game tonight, and she loved every minute of it. It had been so long since she’d felt desirable.
“Work all done for the day?” Danny asked.
“Yes,” she replied without offering any further explanation. “How was your game?” she asked in a blatant attempt to change the subject.
Danny laughed and took a swallow from his own drink. Playing with the glass on the table he answered, “Invigorating. It was a much more challenging course than I’d expected. Though it would have been a lot more fun with company.” The soft glow of candlelight highlighted his chiselled features and turned his eyes to molten silver.
“You’d want to share your frustration with an audience?” Elora toyed with the skewered lime in her drink.
“What frustration?”
“Are you going to tell me that the Lady of the Lake didn’t lure away any of your golf balls?”
“How did you know?” Danny leaned back looking somewhat discomfited by her comment.
Elora laughed. “That hole is infamous for stealing favourite balls. Hundreds get dredged up from there every season. Never mind the bent clubs Jackie has to try and straighten out.”
“Tell you what,” Danny said. “I’ll practice. And once I’ve perfected that hole, I’ll invite you out.”
Elora doubted very much that that would ever happen, but she raised her glass in acceptance of his chivalric invitation anyway. It wouldn’t hurt to pretend, would it?
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