My newest feature is Throwback Thursday, where I showcase the very first book or story ever written by some talented authors. Today I'm happy to welcome back JC Conway, author of Hearts in Ruin. Last month, he was here with a recipe for New Mexico Green Chile Stew. Today, he's sharing a throwback to his very first work.Throwback Thursday with JC Conway
By the time I wrote my first romance story, I'd written a
number of tales in other genres, such as science fiction and fantasy. The first
story I ever wrote is now long gone and I could never recreate it. But I was
fortunate enough that my very first romance story was actually published. It
was a piece of flash fiction called Time, Heat and a Smoking Ember. I wrote it in 2011 and in 2012 it was published in the non-paying market, Daily Love, edited by author E. S. Wynn.
Daily Love is no longer published, but
it was an honor to have my first story accepted for publication. The story
begins like this:
Gina should have said, “No
thank you.” Then she would be home with her slippers and tea. It would have
been much simpler. She checked her eyes in the rear view mirror. She’d done a
shabby job on the shadow—not very subtle at all. But it would have to do.
Not that it mattered. She and
Nathan broke up long ago. A college fling, really—nothing more—and even then
they weren’t a great match. He smoked. He drank. He skipped class. In
retrospect, she wondered what she ever saw in him.
Still, she was curious what
brought him back to town. He was always city bound. When he left for law school
and she returned home to help Mom with the bakery, she assumed that was it …
which was fine with her. No complications. He was fun, but immature. Not what
she ever envisioned as a serious relationship.
She stopped the car and texted,
“Here.”
Nathan responded immediately.
“Be there soon. Stopped to pick up something.”
She rolled her eyes. She had
always waited for Nathan. He was constantly forgetting his cigarettes
somewhere, or his lighter … it was the number one reason he ran late.
“Bad habit,” she responded.
She stepped to the sidewalk and
enjoyed the evening air. It was a great town and everything was going just
fine. She would tell him that. It was none of his business whether she’d had a
date in ages, and really none of hers whether he had either. It was odd how
their phone conversation this afternoon felt like no time had passed since
graduation. The only real change she sensed was a calmer tone. He didn’t sound
today like he was talking through a cocky smirk.
“You look … amazing.”
Gina spun. Oh my.
Where she expected a cute,
smart-mouthed college student with disheveled hair, she saw a well-dressed,
confident man—Nathan as she would have ordered him, had she thought it
possible.
She drew a breath. “Thank you,”
she managed…
The story continues
for another 486 words, and can now be read HERE.
Hearts
in Ruin
by JC Conway
My debut novel, Hearts in Ruin, is a suspenseful romance
published by Liquid Silver Books. It's presently available in all eBook
formats.
Andrea had one goal in life, a quiet career as a
mainstream archaeologist—nothing more nothing less—and she's one ancient secret
away. When she is teamed with maverick prodigy Daniel Fuchs at his
controversial pre-Clovis dig on tribal land, she soon realizes his wild
theories may sidetrack her career. Her smartest move is to expose him and that
is exactly what she plans to do. Except…he’s hot, sexy, and there is a chance
his theories may be right.
As the dig deepens and outside forces mount,
Andrea and Daniel find their careers and their shaky relationship on the brink
of ruin. Who can she trust? To survive professionally and emotionally, Andrea
must decide between what is expected and what she believes, because time is
running out and the developers' bulldozers are poised to level the site.
Delve into the mystery and excitement of an
archaeological dig in the New Mexico desert and experience the drive,
determination, and passion surrounding the quest to unlock the Paleolithic past
in this contemporary, romantic suspense. Hearts In Ruin…no shovel
required to join this adventure to discover an ancient truth!
Hearts in Ruin is available at:
·
Amazon
·
Kobo
·
Also available in the iTunes Store
About the Author
J. C. Conway writes romance, science fiction and fantasy. He is
also a complex litigation attorney, a former high-school teacher, a supporter
of community projects and activities, and a mental health advocate. He has
published numerous short stories in each of his genres and Hearts In Ruin is his debut novel. To learn more about J. C. Conway
and his stories, visit his website at http://jcconway.com, check out his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/J.C.Conway.Writer, or follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/jcconwaywriter.
Thanks for stopping by to share your throwback!
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