Book Title

Author Name
/

Keyword
/

banner banner

PAPERBACKS

 GENRES

 FICTION

Canadiana

General

Erotica

Fantasy

Historical

Horror

LGBTQ Fiction

Mystery

Poetry

Romance

- Contemporary

- Ennoble

- Historical

- Inspirational

Nostalgia

New Age

Paranormal

Vampires

Satire

Science Fiction

Thriller

Detective & Crime

Time Travel

Young Adult

Children's Books

Native American

 

 NON-FICTION

Art

Autobiography

Biography

Business

Memoirs

Cook Books

Pets & Animals

Self Help &

How To

Spirituality

 - New Age

 - Traditional

 

SAMPLE CONTRACT

 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

ARTIST SHOWCASE

ARTIST SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

  LINKS


NEW eBOOKS AVAILABLE IN 6 FORMATS
Adobe acrobat = PDF
HTML = .htm
Kindle = .mobi
MSReader = .lit
Nook = ePUB
PALM = .pdb






HOME >> Product 0381 >> Lightning In The Rain>>

Touch image to enlarge


Lightning In The Rain

ELLEN FARRELL

Helen Williams is staying in Sceaux, a suburb of Paris, and when she decides to help her neighbour Constance Gravier escape the clutches of Enrique de la Salle she meets not the married Enrique but his intimidating brother-in-law, Henri Finnegan. It is to Henri, Helen learns, that Constance is engaged. Henri is furious that his sister Ghislaine de la Salle is being deceived by her husband, but the next day, aware that gossip might damage the family company, he turns up in Sceaux, makes an apology for his previous ill-temper and persuades Helen to consent to be seen with him in public.

$4.99

This, he claims, will mitigate the effects of any suggestion that he and Enrique are at odds. But Helen, who finds Henri very attractive, is less than frank about her background. Her marriage has ended in disillusion and she is in France only to settle her late husband's estate. Her life, now totally changed, was once much nearer to that of Henri and his work colleagues than she is prepared to admit. They part in a flurry of misunderstandings and Helen has returned to her home in the north of England when a telephone call takes her back to Paris. Henri has been injured in a laboratory explosion . . .

 

eBOOK STATS:

   

Length:

61245 Words

Price:

$5.99

Sale Price:

$4.99

Published:

04-2015

Cover Art:

T.L. Davison

Editor:

Copyright:

Ellen Farrell

ISBN Number:

978-1-77217-016-0

Available Formats:

PDF; HTML; Microsoft Reader(LIT); MobiPocket (PRC); Palm (PDB); Nook, Iphone, Ipad, Android (EPUB); Older Kindle (MOBI);

 

EXCERPT

   

Helen stood absolutely still. The jogger was disappearing towards the turn to the RER station, a pigeon cooed in the eaves of one of the houses on the other side of the street, and there was the snuffle. And again. From behind the next door fence, Helen was sure. She walked back along the pavement, put her fingers through the wrought iron and into the black mesh, and found herself looking over a neatly clipped hedge.

A girl sat at a small table, presenting a picture of total despair. She was rocking backwards and forwards, her crossed arms gripping her sweater-clad shoulders. Helen had known Constance Gravier for as long as Tom Williams had had the house next door, but she and Constance hadn’t met for several years. Helen wasn’t often here in Sceaux; she lived in the north of England and rarely saw the Gravier family. The father had business interests which kept him away a great deal, and so far as Helen knew, Constance’s mother was now dead. As she watched in appalled silence the girl caught her breath. Helen didn’t hesitate.

“Constance?” She spoke in French, and the girl on the pretty wrought iron seat dabbed her eyes self-consciously and stood up to stare at Helen.

“Constance?” Helen repeated. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes. I am Constance Gravier. Nothing is right. Leave me alone.” The girl was beautiful, with dark hair and eyes, pale skin, and a short, perfect nose. Now the dark eyes were wide. “I’m sorry. I see it’s you, Helen. I hadn’t realised you were back next door.”

“Would you like me to make you some tea?” Helen was still clutching at the mesh of the fence and she couldn’t see Constance properly now that the girl was approaching the gate.

“Where?” Constance had reappeared. Her round eyes were blinking innocently and tearfully. “Can it be in your house?”

“Of course,” Helen responded. “Come round now. You’ll have to tell me what sort of tea you like.” She was unhooking her fingers painfully. “And there are some cakes. I got them in Bourg la Reine.”

Fifteen minutes later Constance, watching Helen’s kettle boil, was deciding between chocolate praline rolls and nougat marzipan wafers. She seemed more cheered up.

“What are you doing here?” she asked as Helen fixed the tray they were to take through to the sitting room.

“I’m just seeing that the house is in order before the next set of tenants arrive,” Helen explained. The villa belonged to her sister’s husband and it was frequently let.

“It’s nice,” said Constance, glancing round, “nicer I think than ours.” The kitchen was warm and comfortable, all earth colours and unbleached wood.

“But your house is bigger,” began Helen. But she didn’t go on. Constance had started crying again and Helen, not knowing quite what to do, poured a cup of tea, then transferred the tray from the counter to the kitchen table. Almost pushing Constance on to one of the high-backed chairs she moved to the other side of the table. “If you want to, tell me what’s upsetting you.” There had been a time when Helen herself could have used the services of a good listener. She said softly, “I think it sometimes helps to talk to an outsider. You regain perspective.” For Helen herself there had been no-one.

Constance was tearing rice paper from the wafer base of a tiny chocolate and caramel shape. “I’m in an awful mess,” she said weakly, “and I’ve no one to blame but myself. I know I should go away, but I can’t bring myself to do it.” The cake now lay in pieces on her plate and she began to shred the fluted paper case.

Helen got up. She found a packet of table napkins, extracted a couple and put them near to Constance. Then she sat down again.

“I’m involved with a married man.” The other girl spoke bluntly. “Or I was. I’m breaking it off.”

 

REVIEWS

   

To submit a review for this book click here

 

RELATED PRODUCTS

   

Thumbnail for 374 Thumbnail for 335 Thumbnail for 330 Thumbnail for 281 Thumbnail for 261 Thumbnail for 212

Thumbnail for 138 Thumbnail for 124 Thumbnail for 99 Thumbnail for 59

Click on image for our featured titles


COMMENTS

Author of The Month


CLUB LIGHTHOUSE PUBLISHING INFO

CLP Staff

Authors

Cover Artists

News and Blog Page

Writer's Resources

CLP Books on Google Play


 

paypal 

amnest

 Paris, widow, neighbour, letter, disillusion, laboratory explosion, company, marriage, sister, chrade, misunderstanding

HomePrivacy NoticeFAQSite MapContact Us