Tracy Cooper-Posey

| Current Releases | Upcoming Releases | Previous Releases | Mailing List | About me |

| Publishing Credits | How-to Articles | Writing Courses | Home |

Dare to Return

ISBN to be announced, Hard Shell Word Factory, May/June 2000.

Vivien Galloway was the school joke -- tall, gangly, no breasts, braces, and curly red hair. She decided that if she must be an outsider, she would be good at it, and applied herself to being a brilliant student. She found another outlet for her frustrations in sport -- where again she excelled. And she celebrated graduating high school by burning her year book.

That was when she met Paul Levissianos, who looked beyond the frizzy hair and saw an accomplished athlete that, like him, enjoyed challenges, and found a rush in risk and danger. He also saw Vivien’s beauty -- the long legs, the flawless skin, and her unique courage.

For five years they were together, constantly challenging each other to greater feats. Paul was a licensed pilot, and flew helicopters -- often participating in sea searches and rescues. He encouraged Vivien to get her own license, and helped her find a job with the air charter company he worked for. She continued to win championships and learn new and interesting sports -- windsurfing, body surfing, scuba diving, rock climbing, flying. And through it all, Paul was right there beside her.

They were in love. When Vivien’s parents die in a boating accident, they are drawn even more closely together. Nothing, it seemed, would part them.

Except that as he falls more deeply in love with Vivien, Paul becomes reluctant to let her participate in the dangerous activities they both love. His parents have taught him the traditional family values of their mixed Cuban and Italian cultures, and Paul finds it next to impossible to allow those he loves risk themselves. Vivien, with her drive for adventure, would be constantly in danger. The idea of losing her in an accident or misadventure terrifies him.

Paul is hospitalized after a sea rescue that goes wrong. Vivien volunteers to take his place in the rescue operation, and he forbids her. "Me, or flying", he tells her. "I won’t let you out there where it’s dangerous." Before Vivien can make that decision, however, Paul hobbles out of his hospital bed, and goes back to the rescue operation, preventing her from volunteering.

Vivien knows this is how it will always be, that Paul is incapable of changing his nature. It is the thing that she loves about him most but she cannot live with it. Vivien leaves Geraldton, and starts a new life without Paul.

Now seven years have passed, and Vivien has returned....

Would you like to read an excerpt?

This book will be available at Hard Shell Word Factory, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and all Chapters stores.