Work in Progress – “Head Lines”

Posted Feb 15 2010, 7:39 pm in Miscellany

About two years ago, I finished a romance called “Border Lines” and thought it could be the first in a series.  I spent the weekend outlining a sequel and this morning, penned the first two chapters in what I’m tentatively calling “Head Lines”.

I love starting new projects. I love finishing them even more, but starting them fills me with a delicious excitement that’s part anticipation, part pride.  New characters – what will they do? What will they say? New settings, new dialogue, new scenes.  But in this case, because this is the first sequel I’ve undertaken, everything also has this warm, fuzzy sense of familiarity, too.  I’m revisiting characters from the first book. It’s like catching up with old friends. “Hey! How’s it going? What’s new?”

And they tell me.

Here’s the basis for Border Lines.

Dr. Sheridan Devine is terrified and reporter Jin Thomas Clarke doesn’t particularly care why… until a hate crime puts him under her care. Now, the story’s personal.

Thomas is amazed with Sheri’s efforts to hide her fear; not to mention the number of possible causes. There’s a rift with her brothers, a financial crisis threatening her free clinic, harassment from neighbors who blame her for the town’s illegal immigrant problem, and a bizarre flu infecting her patients.

Getting involved with the gypsy journalist is a line Sheri can’t afford to cross but when she learns the ‘flu’ is really a poison, Thomas may be the only person who can help.

That’s when Thomas makes a painful discovery – she’s terrified of him.

Head Lines focuses on the romance between Sheri’s brother, Donovan, and her best friend, Joanna Reese, begun in book 1.

Joanna Reese has loved Dr. Donovan Devine since she was twelve, but always suspected he didn’t really love her. When Don flew to Sheri’s side just when she needed him the most, Jo knew he’d never be able to love her with that same intensity and fled, too embarrassed to explain her absurd jealousy.

A newspaper story resurrects an old threat from his sister’s past just as Don finally reunites with Jo. The need to protect his sister could cost him the woman he loves.

Okay, back to work!

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