UPDATE: The winner is…Colleen C!
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Weathering the Storm by Natasha Moore

During a violent storm, a stranger walks into a woman’s bar who reminds her of the lover she lost who died behind enemy lines years ago.

Weather can affect us in so many ways, but I admit I haven’t always used it to its greatest potential in my writing. This story I eventually wrote for SILVER SOLDIERS started as a challenge I gave myself several years ago to write a scene where the weather is an intrinsic part of the story. I wanted my character to be affected both emotionally and physically by the weather, and I chose a thunderstorm. This excerpt is the very beginning of the scene when I first wrote it, and I changed very little when I decided to use it for a story for SILVER SOLDIERS.

Rain has been battering the bar for hours. It’s a miserable downpour that matches my lousy mood. The what-the-hell-am-I-still-doing-here thoughts have been hammering my brain for months now.

Business sucks tonight. I can’t blame folks for wanting to stay dry and drink their beer at home in front of the TV. Doesn’t help the bottom line, though. They say this is the rainiest spring on record.

Thunder rumbles so close I can feel the floorboards tremble beneath my feet as I pull another draft for Bobby Clemens. He’s sitting by himself at the end of the bar, thrilled to be finally able to buy a beer legally. Lightning cracks overhead before I even have the chance to count one-thousand-one. The place lights up like it’s noon instead of midnight.

Shit, I hate thunderstorms.

 I wrote another page or so at the time, but I had no idea where I was going with it. I had a few ideas, but nothing panned out, so I left it in a folder on my computer and wrote other things. But when I saw the call for the SILVER SOLDIERS anthology, I remembered this project. I’d always wanted to come back to Josie and her bar, so I was excited to have a path to take. I tweaked the next part to fit the story, but still used the storm.

I moved to this backwoods town after I met a sweet-talking bartender down in Orlando. He said, among other things, that he was opening up a little bar in Pennsylvania. Before I knew it, we were married at the nearest courthouse, and I moved from the land of sand and sun to the mountains of rain and snow. My friends thought I was crazy, but I never doubted my decision.

Then Mark died and left me to run Donovan’s on my own.

I jump when another boom of thunder rattles the place. Bobby chuckles into his beer. Lightning flashes again, barely a heartbeat between the two. I want to hunker down in my apartment in the back, bury my face under the blankets, and wait for the storm to let up. But I haven’t been a scared little kid for a long time, and I can’t afford to kick my customers out just yet.

The door opens as another long rumble of thunder fills the air. Huge drops of rain follow a tall stranger as he strides into the bar. His dark hair is plastered to his head and a thick beard shadows his face. His black tee and jeans are soaked, too, and cling to a long, broad body. Lightning cracks again. Water puddles at his feet, and I toss him one of the towels I keep behind the bar.

“Lousy night.” His voice is low and rough, and it tickles something deep inside me.

 And…I was off and running. Weathering the Storm practically wrote itself then. And the storm continued to influence the characters as the night went on.

Second chances are great things. Not only for lovers who meet again in another place and time. But also for stories that sit and wait for the perfect ending.

I’m so excited that SILVER SOLDIERS is out in the world and readers can enjoy all the stories of these strong silver fox heroes and the women they love.

Natasha

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About the Author

Natasha Moore is the author of more than thirty sexy contemporary and erotic romances. She believes stories of love and hope are important. Love can happen at any age, and she often writes about vibrant and passionate characters finding love later in life.

Contest

For the chance at a $5 Amazon gift card, comment below and let me know – does the weather affect your mood?