I then wrote “Happy
Anniversary” using for a location a New Jersey restaurant that I’d recently
dined at (more on this real life tidbit below). The publisher snapped up this
little jewel, and immediately requested more short stories. I complied by
writing another tale, also happily accepted. “Friday Night”--not yet available
on Amazon.com--will be featured in a future Author Notes blog.
Back to “Happy Anniversary”:
This story is definitely a feel-good romance, accomplishing all the goals of a
happily-ever-after scenario. And the word count? About 1,300. All that emotion
jammed into a tiny package! As one of my publishers complimented me: Extremely
well done and unusual for a short story, because it's hard to build that kind
of emotion in short stuff. You do it well.
The story sells for $0.99.
As with all of my *very* short stories, I’d like to reduce the amount, however
99 cents is the lowest I’m allowed to go on Amazon and Smashwords. Again,
periodically Smashwords holds a sale, and I can set the price to free at that
time, so do check on the link every now and then.
Ten years ago, Claire
Newberry made a terrible mistake. When she returns to the restaurant where she
foolishly had broken up with her boyfriend, will she get a second chance at
love?
Artist’s rendering of a possible cover
Then
in this century, “Happy Anniversary” appeared electronically on
RomanceEverAfter’s website. After a time I included it in my anthology LUCKY
13, now no longer available electronically, but still available in print from
my website.
Thirteen delightful stories for your reading pleasure
by Susanne Marie Knight
Now I’ve released it on Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.
Will Claire get a second chance at love?
This book is part of the Romantic
Contemporaries line.
Here’s
a lovely reader comment: Your story
was a very pleasant read. I cared about the characters and was glad that Claire
was blessed with a second chance at love.”
Also, in my updated
non-fiction, THE CREATIVE WRITING WORKBOOK, “Happy Anniversary” is included
free as a writing example for some of the exercises. Re-release of this
resource will be in 2016.
Real
life tidbit: Since the publisher mentioned above was based in New Jersey, I
wanted to write a story that had a local feel. My sister lived in that state,
and on one of my visits, we dined at a restaurant in Somerville, off of busy
Route 206, just as Claire Newberry does. To be authentic, I had Claire eat what
I’d had: fresh fruit appetizer topped with lemon sorbet, white Chablis, and
veal parmesan. Delicious!
In
the paragraph below, we find Claire in a contemplative mood at the restaurant.
Nibbling on the fresh fruit appetizer, Claire watched
the New Jersey sky slowly darken. She shouldn’t have come; she lived miles from
Somerville, and she hated driving at night. But she’d made the reservation
weeks ago; she’d even arranged to have a sitter for the kids. Tonight was
special, something of an anniversary for her. Ten years ago tonight had been
the last time she’d basked in the glow of Tom’s unforgettable love
I hope you enjoy Claire and
Tom’s love story.
Happy reading,
Susanne Marie Knight
Read outside the box:
award-winning Romance Writing With A Twist!
