Today, I have author Jaye Frances here with us talking about her new romance novella. She is also sharing an excerpt and giving away a copy of The Possibilities of Amy. Welcome Jaye!

Thank you, Brianna, for hosting me today on The Book Vixen. I really appreciate the opportunity to share a sneak peek at my new romance novella, The Possibilities of Amy.

I’d like to start with a personal insight—the motivation behind the story and why it affected me, perhaps more so than anything I’ve written in a long time. While organizing an overstuffed closet one afternoon, I ran across a heavy, unmarked box. Committed to discarding any form of clutter I couldn’t immediately use, I took a quick look inside. I found the typical, and almost-forgotten treasures of high school—old volleyball tournament trophies, gold-framed prom pictures, and my senior yearbook. I made myself a cup of coffee, sat back on the couch, and spent the next two hours reliving that poignant and often bittersweet phase of my adolescence.

As I flipped through the student photos, I tried to imagine how the progression of time might have changed the faces that smiled back at me. I skimmed a few of the “lasting words” of my then-optimistic peers, wondering if the realities of experience and responsibility had extinguished their playful curiosity and hopeful expectations. And it brought back that nagging uncertainty that has surely haunted every adult that takes a moment to look back at life from the perspective of hindsight—what would I have done differently if I knew then what I know now?

In The Possibilities of Amy, the main character, David, is infatuated with the new and beautiful transfer student, Amy. But rather than declare his feelings, he does his best to keep his fantasy romance a secret from his pals. Not an easy task when you spend your days circling the fishbowl of high school, never knowing when your best friends are going to turn into predators with their sights squarely fixed on the girl of your dreams.

In the following excerpt, David finally overcomes his shyness. Shoring up his confidence with nervous energy, he joins in a classroom discussion, hoping to open a conversation with Amy.

EXCERPT

The girl on my right began flipping through her paperback study guide as if it were a deck of playing cards. “Well, most of us think The Merchant of Venice is a porno script. On a more personal note, I’ve decided on pizza for dinner.” She hesitated for a moment, and then added, “Oh, and Amy’s not sure about anything.”

Her unexpected jab at Amy caught me off-guard, and without thinking, I nervously repeated it. “Not sure?” I froze as I heard the challenge in my voice. I had to say something else, something that would soften my unintended but apparent arrogance. With as much concern and sincerity as I could muster, I turned to Amy. “Why is that?”

The group fell quiet. In the wake of what should have been tremendous pressure, I was surprised how calm and unaffected I felt.

Amy looked up, as if suddenly aware that the group’s attentive silence was focused on her. She brought a hand to her face, allowing her fingers to hover over soft, flawless lips. As they lightly settled against her cheek, her pastel blue eyes seemed to gaze directly into mine, and then deeper, as if making sure I was really there, ready and listening.

To look at her—just to look—gave me such a sense of quiet fulfillment. Even if I never touched her, or sat this close to her again, I would always remember her face, poised to speak, to answer my question.

“I didn’t say I wasn’t sure, and I’m not disagreeing,” she began. “I just thought it was interesting how Bassanio offered his wife to Antonio—not as payment, but as a gesture of gratitude, of friendship. Know what I mean?”

Her voice was soft, compelling, and she had returned my question with another. Our dialogue had begun. So simple, so easy. I felt a sudden rush of excitement.

Then it struck me. What the hell was she talking about? I hadn’t read the assignment.

“Do you think that was common practice?” I tried to sound interested, hiding my confusion. “I mean, do you think a friend might have been obligated to make that kind of offer?”

Amy’s expression turned thoughtful. “Oh, I see. Because a real friend would also have been obligated to decline. I didn’t think of that. What else?”

What else? What do you mean, what else? That’s it. That’s all I’ve got.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jaye Frances is the author of the new romance novella, The Possibilities of Amy, and the paranormal-occult romance book The Kure, the first novel in The Kure series. She is also a featured columnist for the NUSA SUN magazine. Born in the Midwest, Jaye readily admits that her life’s destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent. When she’s not consumed by her writing, Jaye enjoys cooking, traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of pictures—many of which find their way to her website. Her upcoming books include The Cruise - All That Glitters, a humorous take on a shipboard romance, scheduled for a May 2012 release, and Journeys From Above and Below the Belt, a collection of adult fiction novellas and short stories, scheduled for a Summer 2012 release. Jaye lives on the central gulf coast of Florida, sharing her home with one husband, six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes.

Find the author online: website | blog | facebook

ABOUT THE BOOK

Amy is the ultimate trophy girl—gorgeous face, killer body, and a vivacious personality. But there’s something else about her, something that makes her even more special. Amy is new. A transfer student from out of state, she’s starting her senior year without knowing a soul. And that means she’s up for grabs, available.
Infatuated from the moment he sees her, David is determined to meet Amy, and if the fates are willing, to spend the rest of his life with her. But his shyness prevents him from approaching her—until his friends devise a contest to determine who will be the first to prove their manhood by seducing her.

Buy the book: Amazon