Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom: Author Promo: Sheryl Browne

Sheryl thought to make it more interesting, rather than tell you all about her she has chosen to put one of her heroes in the spotlight. So, without further ado, I give you Dr. David Adams from Learning to Love, who, to quote Ces at Supportive Business Mums, is “handsome but somewhat mysterious. Dr. Adams is a mix of bad boy and the man who would go to any lengths to help and protect someone he is falling in love with”.

SOME FACTS ABOUT DAVID:

He’s handsome (naturally). OK, classic, tall, dark, eyes: ice blue, cool and indifferent. He’s buttoned up and broody, and has a more or less, permanent four o’clock shadow (which might be sexy if one likes the Casanova sort, which of course, one doesn’t).
He’s a widower.
His ten-year old son blames him for the death of his mother.
He’s moved house to start afresh with his son, but doesn’t know how to reach him.
He feels Jake’s anger is justified … because he cheated on her.
And now I’ve shown him a terrible light, I thought I’d introduce his more heroic qualities by way of a brief excerpt. Here we go (he is all right, really. One of the good guys).

EXCERPT:

Jonathan looked at him again, a mixture of panic and pure contempt, and then he moved sideways. In two strides he was on the gate, endless depths of muddy lock-water behind him, icy river-water swirling treacherously in front of him: the twenty foot drop in between having any number of fall-breaking, bone-crushing obstructions.

Raking both hands through his hair, David tried to still his rising panic. Chloe was screaming, Andrea was screaming her name, Ryan was shouting into his phone. Jonathan was two, three yards along the gate.

David didn’t debate. He stepped up after him. ‘Grab hold of the rail, Jonathan,’ he said quietly, the man now seeming to be frozen where he stood.

Jonathan swayed, didn’t take a hold of the rail. His eyes fixed to the water, he didn’t look up.

‘You’re not taking her home, are you, Jonathan?’ David asked, working to keep his tone calm.

Jonathan breathed in. He didn’t move.

David closed his eyes. ‘She’s cold,’ he said, after a second. She was, too, hiccupping now, rather than sobbing, her little body jolting in his arms with each cough. ‘Pass her to me, why don’t you?’

That got his attention. Jonathan snapped his gaze up.

‘She trusts you, Jonathan. You’re her dad. Don’t let her down.’

He was wavering; and still swaying. David swallowed back a sick taste in his throat. ‘Pass her back to me, hey? You need to go, but you won’t get far with a toddler in tow, Jonathan. She’ll need feeding, changing. She’ll need her mother.’

‘She’s my daughter,’ Jonathan finally spoke, glancing down, then back. ‘My daughter.’

‘I know she is.’ Carefully, David stepped towards him. ‘I know you love her,’ he said urgently, as Jonathan looked back to the water.

Shit! ‘I know you didn’t mean her any harm, Jonathan. But you’ll bloody well harm her now if you do this. She wouldn’t stand a chance, Jonathan. You know she wouldn’t.’

Jonathan’s shoulders sagged. ‘I thought they were out,’ he said, his eyes still downcast. ‘You said they were out!’ He brought his gaze sharply back up, looking towards Andrea. ‘I would never have hurt them. Never! You said … ’ He trailed off on a sob.

‘They’re all fine!’ David shouted. ‘Chloe isn’t fine, Jonathan,’ he pointed out, tempering his tone, taking another step. ‘Hand her to me, yes? Keep her safe.’

Jonathan coughed out another sob. ‘God!’ He glanced heavenwards, then nestling his face close to Chloe’s, he pulled her to him. ‘Bye, baby.’ He pressed a kiss on her cheek—and David stopped breathing. For a split second, it seemed as if the world had stopped turning.

‘Daddy bring you some sweeties, okay?’ Jonathan said, and then he turned—and passed her to David.

It took two seconds to swing Chloe around into Andrea’s waiting arms.

It was one second too long.

‘Shit!’ The gates shuddering under his feet told David the man had gone over. Riverside. Gone under. David stumbled forward, slipped, scraped his ankle, tried to right himself; to block out the noise behind him. Sirens wailing, way too loud in his head, his own heart thundering. ‘Where the bloody hell is he?!’

‘There!’ Ryan yelled, pointing to the water, too close the edge. Way too close to the edge. ‘Get back! Ryan, go back!’

Shakily, David got from his knees to his feet, narrowed his eyes. Scouring the swirling black depths beneath him, he was aware of the uniforms in his peripheral vision, closing in. They’d be too late. Much too late.

Eden was back up, swallowing water, going back under. David closed his eyes, sucked in a breath and … Please help me … went in.

He was braced when he hit the water, but still the freezing temperature paralysed him. Move. He told himself, his whole body juddering from the inside out. Minutes he’d got. No seconds, before hypothermia started to set in. His body would be constricting surface blood vessels, conserving heat for his vital organs, making him sluggish. Hard to move. David swam. His blood pressure and heart rate would be increasing. His muscles were tense. David was shivering now, his core temperature already dropping. Eden’s would be way down.

David trod water, blinked the rank stuff out of his eyes, spat it out of his mouth. Where was he? Floating. There! Shit. Move! He’d be unconscious. Dead if he didn’t reach him. Swim, for fuck’s sake.

Not dead. Deadweight. Dammit, he couldn’t … think straight. Clothes, too heavy. David reached him. He was facedown. Turn him over. Swim!

David kicked back. His breathing was laboured. Eden? David couldn’t tell. Keeping the man’s head above water, David swallowed a lungful. Limbs like lead now. Too heavy. The current was taking him sideways.

Where was the bank?

Too far. Wouldn’t have the strength to climb out.

Gates, he thought, going under, spluttering out the foul tasting water.

Gates. He forced himself on. Jake … Dear God, please give me strength.

Learning to Love was written around a short story selected for publication in the Birmingham City University Anthology, Paper and Ink.

What the reviewers are saying:

Deals with loss & betrayal in manner that lifts it far above an average 'chick.

Five enormous shining stars made of platinum!!!

Tissue box at the ready reader! 5 out of 5! On the Top reads for 2013 list!

An entertaining, easy read- a more mature style of chick-lit that might appeal to fans of Katie Fforde. Truth, lies, deception, love, hate, anger and joy. This book goes on my top ten reads of all time!

DIZZY C’S LITTLE BOOK BLOG – TOP READS 2013!

Thanks for ogling … Um, reading! Can I have him back now?

Author bio:

Sheryl Browne writes edgy, humorous, heart-wrenching modern fiction. A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association and shortlisted for the Innovation in Romantic Fiction Award, Sheryl now has six books published and has just completed her Masters Degree in Creative Writing.
Sheryl’s latest book, a thriller entitled The Edge of Sanity, is garnering some fabulous five star reviews in its first weeks of publication and her previous release, Learning to Love, exploring the fragility of love, life and relationships, was written around a short looking at bereavement in childhood, which was selected for publication in the Birmingham City University Anthology, Paper and Ink, of which Sheryl is super proud.