by Gloria J. Goldsmith
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
BLURB:
I was DONE! I ditched graduation, dumped my repressed college boyfriend, and dropped my sexual insecurities for a wild ride with Destiny. Unpredictable Fate beckoned with a European adventure!
In a chance encounter, I met Jean Louis. From the instant we met, the dashing young Frenchman soothed my bruised heart, rejuvenated my spirit, and convinced me that leaving my old life was no mistake. Together, we set out to explore southern France.
Jean Louis was torn from my life almost as quickly as he had entered it, yet leaving the haunting memory of his caress permeating my every thought. Driven by love and passion, I journeyed to find my lover, even if it meant scouring all the hidden corners of France.
Would I ever reunite with the man I believe to be my one true soulmate? Would I ever hear him say he feels the same for me as I do him? What twist of Fate will it take for me to find him?
Excerpt:
There was only one window in the room, which had no screen. To keep out the bugs, we closed the shutter, which still allowed some air inside. That evening, I slept on the couch, right below the window, and the guys lay on the cement floor. The males had no blankets or sleeping bags, but at least they were out of the rain.
Some hours into the night, I was dreaming of Luke. Luke, who loved to tease me by fondling me when I was asleep, by touching my cheek or blowing a strand of hair or slowly stroking my hand. I smiled and wiggled my fingers, and he responded. It was so lovely to feel his antics. I missed his night tricks. His hand was trailing up my arm, and soft lips kissed my palm. Luke. So romantic. Always waking me with kisses.
I let out a sigh, slowly drifting my eyes open. It seemed it had been forever since Luke had brushed my cheek or held me close. I longed for his warmth.
The room was so dark, I couldn’t see a thing. I wasn’t on the waterbed. My heart pounded with alarm. Where am I? My arm was hanging over the side of a couch. Where the hell am I? It was pitch-black.
The fingers tickled a bit more with a kiss on my arm, then came a whisper. Was I dreaming? Or awake? The whisper came again.
I whispered back, “What?” I felt the side of the bed depress. The murmuring voice was now by my face.
“J’ai froid.”
“Luke?”
“Oui. J’ai froid.”
This wasn’t Luke. Not my Luke. A bolt of recognition struck me hard as I comprehended. I didn’t recall his name, it did sound something like Luke, and it was the French guy Marc had brought in from the rain.
My high school French was twisting my brain cells to recall…J’ai means I am, right is droite, left is gauche…and a left faucet is chaud, which means hot, and right is froid—COLD. He is cold!
I patted the couch, and he squeezed onto the settee with me. He cuddled his arms around me, kissed my cheek, and we returned to slumber.
All three of us woke as the morning sunlight pierced the slits of the shutter. They bounced off the wall and into the room. We had some tea before the two men left. Around dinner time, Jean Louis returned alone, with sandwiches and chocolates. I had unknowingly passed another sex attraction test.
Constrained by the lack of English language skills, Jean Louis spoke very few words. I am an excellent mimic, but my French language skills were limited.
After dinner, sipping our tea, Jean Louis turned to me.
“I wants stay wis you.” I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant. For the evening? Sleep on the floor? Sleep with me?
“En bas?” I tapped the floor with my foot.
“Si je dois. Je préfère avec toi.”
Interview with Gloria J Goldsmith
What made you want to become a writer?
I always have been a devoted reader. When I was a child, I preferred the worlds created by a writer to playing outside or watching television. I wrote newsletters at work and often had to write extensive instruction for homeschooling parents. In the last year of work, I started attending a writer’s group and discovered I was pretty good. I had lots to learn, but one of the authors was a famous mystery writer. He has been a great teacher.
What inspired you to write.
Bertrice Small wrote many historical romance novels. My first knowledge of her was an anthology of short stories, Captivated. It was one of those stories that made you think about it long after it was over. I re-read it and found it just as meaningful the second time. I discovered shortly after I had read it that Bernice had passed away. In honor of her delighting my reader’s soul, I felt it was up to me to tell a few tales.
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in French Kiss?
When they met, he was on his way to India, seeking spiritual enlightenment.
Jean Louis has hair like a lion’s mane. He is quiet and observant, never yelling or demanding. When Nora spent some time around his parents, she realized how much he was like his father. His mother, on the other hand, could be rather caustic, even callous. Nora refers to her as “the dragon.”
Nora enjoys being independent, and she seeks a love relationship that flourishes because they are dependent on each other. She has felt deprived of sex with her college boyfriend. She is relieved to find Jean Louis has an ease about sex, and for them, it is a natural part of a loving relationship. Nora is excited to discover new things and holds no fear of strange places and meeting new people and cultures.
French Kiss doesn’t start off in France. There are many friends in Nora’s life; the serious college student, Spotted Pony, who had lived for three years with a Native American tribe out west. Then closer to home is Howard, a wonderful friend and neighborhood party host, and Luke, the young man preparing for clown college. Part of Nora’s adventure is the people she meets along the way; Rosealee, a Jersey girl, two French junkies named Marcella, Dan-the-Canadian, who loves to hike, Antonio, her personal Rome tour guide, and many more.
Threaded around and through the various characters are Nora and Jean Louis falling in love while traveling life’s bumpy road.
You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
Sarah MacLean is my favorite author because I love her descriptions of a scene. She includes all the senses in the narrative, which makes it come alive for the reader. I continue to emulate this particular attribute and include as many human senses as possible.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
That Wylde Woman! is the first book in a historical regency romance series, launching in 2022. Here is a snippet of description:
Marleigh Barret, the American daughter of the Earle of Wylde, rides her stallion astride, is deadly accurate with a shepherd’s sling, fences with stamina and strategy, and has become an astute businesswoman.
Independent and headstrong, Marleigh uses a commerce perspective with marital suitors during her visit to England. That is until the loathsome attention from an unwanted Lothario is quickly dispatched by a disarming Duke.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
In French Kiss, I incorporated many events that occurred while traveling in Europe for eighteen months right after college. It was a lot of fun to remember events and a challenge to combine them with a story that shadowed my life.
I never made it to my original destination, Aix-en-Provence. I would like to return to France to embrace the culture again and see more of a beautiful country. This story is fiction but a bit of a memoir in some ways. It always makes me feel closer to an author when I read things that they experienced. I hope that readers will be delighted in wondering, did this part really happen, or is this creative storytelling?
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
As a Special Education teacher, I became fascinated by the English language. I still marvel at how it changes and expands over time. My most pleasurable teaching moments were showing children how a wondrous story can take their imaginations to other times, places, even other worlds. When the pandemic began, I started my first foray into publishing⸺ a nonfiction book, The Sensible Parent’s Little Homeschooler Handbook.
My secret pleasure-writing has always been focused on romance. French Kiss is a Contemporary Romance based on a fictionalized version of experiences during eighteen months of living and working abroad before the formation of the European Union.
Next year, my first Historical Regency Romance That Wylde Woman will be published. It has allowed me to indulge my curiosity and enthusiasm for history by incorporating in the storyline a historical geologic event which affected weather and farming and even how England’s war with Napoleon impacted clothing styles.
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15 comments:
Good morning! Thank you for hosting French Kiss on your blog.
I liked the excerpt.
Rita,
Thanks for your comment. The excerpt was certainly a defining moment in their relationship.
Looks like a very interesting book.
This is now on my wishlist!
I like everything about this book - the title, cover and genre.
Thank you for sharing this with us.
The story sounds good.
This looks like a great read. Thank you
This book sounds great!
Looks like a very interesting book!
I really want to read his book!
My daughter would enjoy this book
The excerpt had me wanting more!
The book sounds great. Looking forward to reading.
I love the excerpt from this book. It sounds very intriguing and makes me want to read it to find out more.
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