About the Novel:
Starting at a new high school is hard, especially as a
senior. At age 17, Derek moves with his family from North Carolina to Utah.
Derek learns about the unwritten laws of dating in Utah, and that his mom and
dad have a history at his new school—a history that threatens his future.
Set in 1986, Bring
Down the Rain is a story of loss, grief, redemption, hope, and making life
altering choices.
Novel Excerpt:
It
was still early, not quite seven-thirty. Usually I’d only call Tiffany to ask
her out on a date, but I really felt the need to talk to someone. I went to the
phone in the kitchen. It was yellow, to match the kitchen décor, I supposed,
and Mom had put an extra-long cord on it so she could talk while working in the
kitchen. I picked up the receiver and dialed Tiffany’s number. Her father
answered it on the second ring.
“Hello,
Mr. Malinowski. This is Derek Christmas. Is Tiffany home?”
“Why
hello, Derek,” he said. “As a matter of fact, she is.”
“May
I speak with her?”
“Of
course.”
I
heard him muffle the speaker on his end while he called for her. A moment
later, Tiffany picked up and said, “Got it upstairs, Daddy. You can hang up
now.”
“Are
you sure?” He asked over the phone. “I’d love to hear what kids your age talk
about now. I need to get down with the lingo.”
“Daddy!”
“All
right, all right. I’ll hang up.”
I
didn’t say a word, and neither did Tiffany. We both waited to hear the click of the other phone being hung up.
It didn’t come. I’d gotten to know her Dad pretty well the night I had dinner
at her house, so I decided to have a little fun with him.
“I’m
glad he finally hung up, Tiff. We need to nail down a few more details for our
trip to Vegas over the Christmas break.” We’d never discussed such a thing, and
it wasn’t something we’d really do, but Tiffany picked up on the joke.
“I’m
glad you called. Our fake IDs will be ready by then. I can’t wait to try my
hand at blackjack. I’ve heard it’s not hard. I’ve got my college savings we can
use to get started. I’m sure we could double or triple it while we’re there. My
parents will be so surprised when I come home with all that money!”
“You
know, while we’re there,” I said, “I’ve heard there are some cool places to get
hitched. They even have wedding dresses you can rent by the hour. Do you
think—”
“Okay,
okay! I give up!” Tiffany’s dad said over the phone. “Serves me right for
trying to eavesdrop on you two.”
There
was an audible click this time, but
before I could say anything, I heard Tiffany call out, “Mom! Is Dad really off
the phone?”
I
didn’t hear the reply, but I gathered it was a yes because Tiffany said, “He’s
such a goof, my dad. Sorry about that.”
I
laughed. “That’s cool. It was kind of fun to make him squirm like that.”
“Oh,
so you mean the wedding’s off?”
“Uh,
well, uh…”
“You’re even more fun to tease than my dad,” she said.
About the Author:
J. Lloyd Morgan is a bestselling author and an
award-winning television director. He graduated from Brigham Young University
with a degree in Communications and a minor in English. In 2014, Morgan earned
his Master’s degree in Creative Writing. Morgan has lived all over the United States,
but now resides in North Carolina with his wife and four daughters where he
teaches college English classes. Aside from writing, Morgan is an avid reader.
He’s also a huge fan of baseball and enjoys listening to progressive rock.
He is the author of the novels The Hidden Sun, The Waxing
Moon, The Zealous Star, The Mirror of the Soul, Wall of Faith and Bring Down the Rain. His published short stories include “Howler
King,” “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day,” “With Bells On,” and award-winning
“The Doughnut.”
Author Links:
Purchase at Amazon
No comments:
Post a Comment