I’m participating in the A to Z blogger challenge this year. Since April also is the anniversary month for the release of my novel, ’Til Death Do Us Part, I thought I’d use that for the theme of my posts. For each letter I will come up with a word that is pertinent to the story, and post a short excerpt featuring it.

In general these excerpts will bounce around the timeline (after all, the story isn’t told in alphabetical order). No worries, I’ll give a little context leading into each scene so it won’t be necessary to read the others to enjoy the snippet-of-the-day.

V is for Valentine’s Day

It’s Valentine’s Day, several years into Henry’s ordeal, and Sam has moved on with his life, thinking his beloved Henry is dead. As you can probably tell, although Sam has good intentions, and does love Nash, he’s approaching this with a more practical frame of mind than the head-over-heels approach he’d fallen into with Henry. It is told from Nash’s 3rd-person POV:

Nash hummed as he approached the door to his new home. Even after three months, he was still chuffed every time he walked up the path. He put his key in the lock and opened the door.

Sam was standing at the gorgeous stone wall, gazing at the photos displayed on the mantel over the fireplace. He smiled when Nash walked in. “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Thank you.” Nash approached and stretched up to give Sam a kiss. “Happy Valentine’s Day to you, too.”

Sam gave him a squeeze and turned back to the photos. “Does this bother you?”

Nash considered the picture Sam was looking at, one of Sam with his first husband. The man had died in a tragic accident almost five years earlier. “No. Henry was an important part of your life. I wouldn’t ask you to erase all evidence of his existence.”

“Thank you. It took me a long time to get over losing him.”

“I know. I’m not going to let a ghost be a threat to our relationship. I’m actually gratified you’re capable of such a commitment. My experiences in the past left me disillusioned that I’d ever find a man who wanted the same things I did.”

“I want kids,” Sam said.

“Good. Monogamy and family are what I want, too.”

“I love you. You’re intelligent, kind, and loyal. We’re certainly physically compatible.”

Hope surged through Nash. Sam was in an oddly serious mood. Blurting out that he wanted kids? On Valentine’s Day? Making an effort to keep his voice calm and steady, he smiled and said, “I love you, too. And that smells wonderful, by the way. You really don’t mind cooking today?”

Blurb

Henry and Sam Miller-Greene are living the dream. They love their careers — which afford each of them opportunities to travel to exotic locations — they love their home, Sam’s caring family, and each other. They disagree on the subject of adoption, but are fully committed to each other in marriage … ’Til Death Do Us Part.

The dream is shattered when Henry’s plane crashes, and he’s presumed dead. But four people — Henry, two other men, and a child — survive undetected on a remote, small, and insignificant island. Will Sam and Henry’s love be able to survive as well?

Henry fights to endure in harsh conditions, never knowing when disaster will strike. Sam struggles with his loss, but with help moves on with his life. Will Sam be able to put aside his new love when he reunites with Henry?

Info & Links: ’Til Death Do Us Part