Hi romance readers. This is my first visit to the Book Brew, and it’s great to be here.
What is it about second chance at love that makes such a satisfying romantic read? I think it’s because it reflects reality. When two people meet and fall in love it’s not always the best time for one or both of them. There may be personal issues, family problems, financial or career complications. Or they may simply not be ready to cope with a relationship. So they part, perhaps acrimoniously, and try to forget each other, but of course they can’t. Time passes. They meet again, and despite everything emotions are rekindled. But their past failure casts a shadow over them. Can they overcome their problems this time, or will they be forever doomed? It’s this extra poignancy that makes a second chance at love story so special.
In my steampunk romance, Asher’s Invention, my hero, Asher Quigley, and heroine, Minerva Lambkin, were once engaged. Minerva secretly didn't think the engagement would last because she's just the daughter of an engineer while Asher is a gentleman and grandson of a peer. Asher is an exceptional inventor and something of a rebel, pursuing his scientific experiments against the wishes of his conservative father. When he discovers that Minerva’s father, who is also his employer and mentor, has stolen his most brilliant invention, he immediately thinks Minerva has colluded with her father, seducing Asher to distract his attention. Minerva’s father has always been a bit of a scoundrel, but he’s loved and protected her. She’s heartbroken when Asher breaks off the engagement, but because she never believed they had a future together, doesn’t protest.
Five years later Minerva is forced to seek out Asher. Her father has been kidnapped, and she needs Asher’s help to meet the kidnappers’ demands. Older and wiser now, they both find that their feelings for each other aren’t as dead as they supposed. Asher now realises how proud and impetuous he was five years ago. Minerva sees she should have fought harder instead of meekly allowing Asher to storm out of her life. But their rekindled romance is overshadowed not only by her father’s kidnapping but also their past hurts and insecurities.
Here's an excerpt from Asher’s Invention:
She lifted her chin. “Parlor trick or not, my father’s life is in danger. I’ve searched my father’s workshop high and low, and I don’t have anything resembling a millennium machine. Only you can help me, Asher.”
Suspicion riffled across his face. “Why? Do you think I’ve still been working on the millennium machine?”
“You have invention in your blood. I cannot imagine you not thinking about the machine during the past five years. Or working on it.”
“And what if I were? What if I did happen to solve the insolvable?” His eyes had become mere slits of jade as he scrutinized her with all the intensity of a jungle cat. “Do you propose I should simply hand over my endeavours in order to save the man who stole it from me in the first place?”
Put in those terms, it sounded ludicrous, even Minerva had to admit. Her shoulders slumped. Exhaustion washed over her. She’d barely slept or eaten for the past three days, and the stony cliff of Asher’s hostility felt more insurmountable than the Swiss Alps. Unable to stand any longer, she sank back down on the settee and laced her fingers together to steady them.
“You’re my last hope, Asher.”
A distant grandfather clock chimed the hour. A log in the fire crackled. Asher clapped his hands softly. “Bravo, Minerva. I’ve not seen a better performance at Drury Lane. So prettily done. I half expected a piteous tear to roll down your cheek.”
She gritted her teeth and crushed her fingers into the soft damask of the settee. “You think this is all pretense?”
“Oh, not all of it. I’ve no doubt your father is in sticky financial trouble. He attracted so many investors with the promise of the millennium machine, and he’s managed to keep one step ahead of them all these years. But finally he’s run out of time. He needs to produce a working machine, something that’s useful, or the moneymen will come after him. But he has nothing. So what does he do but enlist the help of his ever-faithful daughter once again.”
He bared his teeth in a smiling snarl. “Do you really think I’d fall for your lies yet again? What kind of fool must you think me.”
Why did she expect her words to have any effect on him? She leaped to her feet and crossed to where she had deposited her carpetbag near the door. Opening it, she delved in and drew out a small snuffbox. A shiver of revulsion ran through her arm as she touched its tin surface, but she steeled her nerves and forced herself to carry the box over to Asher.
“You don’t believe me. Perhaps this will convince you.”
Eyes still filled with suspicion, he took the box and opened it. She studied his face closely, waiting for his reaction when he realized what the contents were. If she expected him to recoil in horror, she was disappointed. Only the hardening of his mouth indicated any emotion.
“Your father’s?” he brusquely asked.
She nodded. Without any apparent distaste, he set the box down on top of the ransom note. She couldn’t help herself—some macabre fascination made her peer at the contents of the box.
The last time she’d seen it was a day ago, when the snuffbox had been delivered with the ransom note. Since then, the thing inside had shriveled somewhat. At first glance, it looked like a piece of pale woodland fungus spotted with red dirt. Except this was no plant specimen. This was her father’s ear, hacked off and sent to her. Bloodied. Viscous.
And beginning to smell rather putrid.
That was Minerva’s last thought before the air around her darkened and the ground rushed up to embrace her.
Buy Asher's Invention at Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble.
Thanks for stopping by!
Coleen Kwan
http://www.coleenkwan.com
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