Hey everyone! I can’t believe it’s already a week since I last updated my blog. But I’ve been busy working on Reunion and it’s going really well. I did over 1000 words on Saturday which is the most I’ve ever done in one day! Yay! So I’m happy.
I’ve also been working on the final finishing touches to publishing The Inheritance. More on that soon…
For now though, here’s another excerpt from Reunion. I’m sharing a little over 28 lines from chapter 8 in honour of it being the 28th August today. This scene takes place a few weeks after last week’s excerpt. Anna is telling Melissa about her invite from her agent Peter Fletcher to come up to London again so that they can discuss how her book’s going.
Anna is not too sure she should go… Enjoy! (And yes I am aware that I’m posting this early! It’s cos I can! 🙂 )
Anna listened as Melissa banged about in the kitchen, slamming cupboards and clattering crockery around. What was she doing in there? It sounded like she was turning the kitchen upside down.
‘Coffee?’ she heard her yell.
‘Please.’ Anna smiled to herself wondering what had brought on this change of feeling in her friend.
Ten minutes later they were sitting in Anna’s front room drinking their coffee from Anna’s favourite coffee cups her parents had given her when she first got her own place. She was telling Melissa about Peter’s email and how it had made her feel.
Melissa told her she was being daft and that she should definitely go to London. He was her agent, she said in a no nonsense voice, and she had to go. Sometimes speaking to Melissa was like being told off by your mum, Anna thought to herself. And just like her conversations with her mother, she seemed to always end up being the one who did as she was told.
So Anna gave up her argument and agreed to go. Melissa was triumphant. You won’t be looking like that when it all goes wrong for me with Peter as it’s bound to, Anna thought darkly.
‘Why are you so happy anyway, Mel?’ she asked changing the subject.
‘Aren’t I allowed to be happy?’
‘Of course. But you know exactly what I mean and you’re being evasive again.’
Anna watched as a smile spread across her friend’s face.
‘Oh all right. I was going to keep it a secret until it’s definite. But I may as well tell you now as it seems fairly certain. I’ve been promoted.’
‘Oh yay!’ Anna leapt off the sofa and charged across the living room, giving her friend a big hug. ‘About time too.’
‘Exactly. And I needed something to celebrate. Anyway, when are you going to book that train ticket?’
If you would like to take part in WIPpet Wednesday simply post an excerpt of your most recent work on your blog. The rule is it must tie in some way with the date – so for today being the 28th August you might have 8 paragraphs from page 28. Or whatever takes your fancy. Then add your name to this linky. Thanks goes to K. L. Schwengel for hosting.
Elaine Jeremiah 
Love that enthusiasm 🙂
LikeLike
I know it’s great isn’t it? It’s so lovely to be able to be supportive of your friends. 🙂
LikeLike
Yay, another teaser! 🙂
LikeLike
I’m getting good at them aren’t I? 😉
LikeLike
Ha ha – yes you are! 🙂
LikeLike
I hate it when my friends start to sound like my mom. That’s not what I want from them! 😉 Anna sure is a bit of a pessimist, isn’t she?
LikeLike
Yeah she can be. But she’s been through a lot so we’ll let her off for now. 🙂
LikeLike
haha totally agree and that was my comment!!
LikeLike
“Sometimes speaking to Melissa was like being told off by your mum…” I know some friends like this! And so well-meaning too! Congrats on all the progress on Reunion!
LikeLike
I have to say I don’t really have friends like Melissa who sound like my mum – I just have a friend who sounds like my mum because she is my mum!! Thanks for your good wishes re. Reunion.
LikeLike
Melissa just wasn’t going to give up, was she? We all need friends like that though, who make us do things we may not want to. I wonder what’s going to happen when Anna goes back to London and sees her agent again?
LikeLike
You’re right and actually my husband is good at encouraging me to make tough decisions. As for Anna and her agent, I’m writing that next part now and I may share part of it sometime soon…
LikeLike
Ooh interesting…
LikeLike
😀
LikeLike
Yay! I love how Anna pressed Melissa on her evasiveness. And she totally sounds like a mom. I have friends like that too!!
LikeLike
Ha ha everyone’s said that today. It is good to have friends who make us do things we don’t want to.
LikeLike
Do we know what these favorite coffee cups look like? I sort of wanted a little detail. Do they have kittens on them? Are they red? Ordinary? You don’t have to give us exact dimensions or anything, just a little detail so we know what she sees as favorite other than her parents got them for her. I’m just curious. 🙂
LikeLike
Good point Jae. Thanks, that’s helpful. I’ll take another look at that. 🙂
LikeLike
I love Jae’s comment about the cups. I tend to use a tall “cappuccino” cup, but I know a lot of people who love hefty mugs they can wrap their hands around… Some love a piece from a beloved relation (I can see Anna being that kind of person in many ways)…
Giving a bit of description here will round out the emotional representation of Melissa.
And I am glad to see that Melissa wasn’t angry… I thought the “turning the kitchen upside down” was in frustration. Nice play on emotions, Elaine.
LikeLike
Thanks for your comments Eden. No Melissa wasn’t angry – happy in fact. 🙂
LikeLike
LOL! I love Melissa’s last line. Persistent, isn’t she? Perhaps Anna should suggest a video conference with Peter. They could still have dinner, just in the comfort of their separate offices. 😉
LikeLike
Yes she certainly is persistent. She’s always getting Anna to do things she doesn’t want to as well, to make tough decisions. In a good way – she’s helped Anna get out of bad situations like encouraging her to dump her ex boyfriend because he cheated on her. A video conference mmm… hadn’t thought of that. Good idea. 🙂
LikeLike
Well, I’m glad Melissa is sensible about what she’s persistent about, then. 🙂
LikeLike
Elaine, I’m with you, I’ve got a great relationship with my mom, so if ever I had any friends that sounded like her, that would have been a compliment, not a negative remark. Yet that’s the fun of writing, going into worlds and personalities that aren’t us, and seeing what journey they take us on. I’m liking where you take us!
LikeLike
Sorry for delay in replying, been ill with a sickness bug. 😦 Thanks for your comments. Yes writing is brilliant for exploring people and places that we’re not and not used to. The MC in my soon-to-be-published novel ‘The Inheritance’ is very different from me, confident and assured so it’s been fun developing her character.
LikeLike