Shannon here: Inspirational romance author, June Foster shares insight into her characters’ romance from her novel, For All Eternity. Comment or answer the question at the end of any post dated July 13 – 17 to enter the drawing for three of June’s titles. Three winners get one book each. Winners’ choice of paper or e-book for US. E-book for international. Deadline: July 25th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s June:
Our First Kiss
The first time I kissed Joella Crawford, I tried with all my might not to take her in my arms but failed. The burden of knowing what my father or my church would say almost strangled me.
Here’s my story. Growing up as JD Neilson, great grandson of one of the eleven founders of Exalted Brethren, proved almost unbearable at times. My dad, Rawlin Neilson, demanded the family take our faith seriously, especially making sure our good deeds in this life outweighed the bad. That was the only way to earn our tickets to heaven. Exalter Father was an exacting god.
I met Joella Crawford when she ran over me with her bike. Yes, she clobbered me on campus one Saturday morning, but I soon forgave her. I knew she had peace in her life, something I lacked. As I got to know her, I soon realized I had to lie to her. If she discovered I belonged to EB, she’d tell me to get lost, and I couldn’t bear the thought. I hate to admit it, but I made her believe I belonged to a church like hers.
At first I tried to fool myself into believing Joella and I could just be friends. But after it was too late, I had to admit the truth, I’d fallen in love with her. One late afternoon, after a strenuous day at work, I asked her to take a walk with me in Ormond park. Just to unwind. We stopped at a delightful babbling brook and relaxed at a picnic table. She could tell right away that I was stressed and stood behind me rubbing my tired shoulders. Before I thought, I gently pulled her down beside me and gazed into her amber eyes.
For a moment, I fought the strong desire within me to feel her lips on mine. But then it was too late. The world around me seemed to melt away as I gave into the hunger for her mouth. I wove my hands through her long silky hair and drew her closer to me.
Her soft fingers caressed my neck and the aroma of apricots intoxicated me. I’d kissed girls in high school, but never this, never with this feeling. I knew one thing. My heart had crossed a line, and there was no turning back after our first kiss.
If you’d like to read the rest of our story, you can find it in For All Eternity by June Foster.
About June: An award-winning author, June Foster is a retired teacher with a BA in education and MA in counseling. June has written four novels for Desert Breeze Publishing. The Bellewood Series, Give Us This Day, As We Forgive, and Deliver Us, and Hometown Fourth of July. Ryan’s Father is available from WhiteFire Publishing. Red and the Wolf, a modern day retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and Books One and Two in the Almond Tree Series, For All Eternity and Echoes From the Past, are available from Amazon.com. June enjoys writing stories about characters who overcome the circumstances in their lives by the power of God and His Word.
About the book – For All Eternity:
Joella Crawford never expects to meet the man of her dreams when she plows over handsome JD Neilson with her bicycle. She can’t just leave the gorgeous guy lying on the ground with a bloody leg so she administers first aid. Now she’s convinced God’s answered her pleas for a Christian husband. The accountant prays, reads his Bible, and exhibits impeccable manners. He’s perfect. Or is he?
JD Neilson falls in love with classy interior designer, Joella Crawford, despite his father’s directive to marry a woman in the one true church, Exalted Brethren. But the beautiful woman awakens hunger in his heart. No matter how hard he tries to gain status in the afterlife, he can’t discover the quiet peace he sees in Joella’s life. Can he find the strength to forsake the teachings of his childhood to embrace The Truth? If he does, will Joella accept him or has he lost her forever?
Question for Readers: JD met Joella when she ran over him with her bike. Have you ever wrecked your bike?
Come back July 17th for June’s Recipe for Romance!
Shannon, thanks again for having me on your lovely blog today. Hope the readers enjoy this minute by minute description of JD and Joella’s first kiss.
I am glad that I saw this post today. I love reading and am always looking for new authors and new books to read. 🙂 Thank you for sharing a bit about the story.
Yes, I wrecked my bike as a little girl. The funny thing is that I actually wanted to wreck my bike. I was probably around age 6 and my best friend wrecked her bike. She got all kinds of special attention and presents and ice cream. So, I thought that if I wrecked my bike, I would get the same treatment. Unfortunately, the pain on my little scraped knees did not make me feel like enjoying any special presents. haha! Live and learn. 🙂
Hey June, glad to have you. I’m sure I wrecked my bike man times. But one was quite memorable. I was at my cousin’s house. Her street didn’t get much traffic and we’d ride to the top of a hill and back. We were both riding and I was probably ten or so. When I turned on top of the hill to go back, I just lost control and went in a deep ditch. It didn’t feel good, but it mostly hurt my pride. I remember her telling my mom how she looked back and I was just gone. It kind of freaked her out.
yes and broke my leg in 2 places! I was about 4 when it happened
Hi Shannon. Thanks for the post with June. No, I never wrecked a bike but one of the few times I tried to ride one I ran into the back of a parked car. I could nnot learn to balance it to go in a straight line, so I gave up. That was many, many years ago. Had no problem keeping the car straight when I learned to drive. People think I’m crazy when I tell them I can’t ride a bike. Oh well. I would love to win June’s book. Maxie > mac262(at)me(dot)com <
Okay Maxie, I have to tell the story about my mom learning to ride a bike. When she was a kid, her sister put her on a bike and pushed her down the hill. Of course she wrecked, still has a scar on her chin, and never tried again. Until she was 27. I was five and had learned to ride without my training wheels. Daddy took my old training wheels and put them on a bicycle for my mom. We’d ride all over our neighborhood with Mama and her training wheels. When she finally learned to ride without them, people in our neighborhood stood up and clapped.
When my husband and I were newlyweds, we collided on our bikes and I ended up breaking my ankle.