Sneak Peek of my Work-in-Progress

This is a never-before-seen excerpt from my main WIP-my new book, which is as yet untitled. Our FMC finds solace in her Key West kitchen after a heavy day.

The aroma filled the kitchen and she swayed her hips to the music a bit, fueled by the glass of sauvignon blanc that kept mysteriously emptying. She added flour to the onions in the pan, transparent now and glistening with browned butter. She stirred, watching the flour soak up all the richness, bit by bit. She splashed a cup of vegetable stock in, smiling as the steam curled up, touching the ends of her hair. Another quick stir and she set that pan to simmer while she turned to tie an herb bundle with a short length of twine.

She let her mind be enveloped by the process of cooking, let the wine and the music drive the day’s events from her mind, though little flashes broke through, unbidden. Granddad’s young neighbor dropping several stems of Plumeria onto his casket before they lowered it … signing the Death Certificate on the big oak desk at her lawyer’s office. As she signed, she’d thought of how many forms GrandDad had signed for her−field trip permission slips, student loan paperwork … She let herself feel the flashes of pain and kept on cooking.

Eventually, she swapped the wine for water, after clumsily spilling a big splash of vegetable stock across the floor. Gulping a big mouthful of the icy water, she hadn’t realized she was sweating while she cooked like a madwoman. She dabbed her brow and kept on going.

This book and its intricate storyline will keep me busy for most of the next few months, and I can’t wait for it all to come together as I see it in my mind’s eye.

I am simultaneously working on a shorter WIP: a cozy romance with a sports theme. Comment below if you’d like to see a snippet of that in a future post.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this sneak peek; I enjoyed sharing it.

xoxo – Mallory